After the unveiling of the golden trophy at the Songdo Convensia just a kilometre from the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club venue, Bush spoke to salute the long ties between the United States and South Korea. Watson already created a fashion buzz by wearing custom-made, Oakley golf shoes adorned in American Flag design.
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Global team captain Nick Price admits it is vital for his side to win the Presidents Cup to maintain interest in the biennial contest, both from fans and his own players.
But the Zimbabwean legend was upbeat when asked how his team would start that climb back. “Hopefully they will cheer for team worldwide”.
“I think Danny will have a fantastic week here. I’m just telling you how it is”.
Bubba Watson and J.B. Holmes will lead the U.S. defence of the Presidents Cup against Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama when the 11th edition begins on Thursday for the first time on Asian soil. Scott and Matsuyama ate into the deficit with birdies on seventh and 10th holes, but the Americans won the 15th and 16th holes with birdies to close out the match.
“That front nine, we played a few really solid golf, and we had putts to win nearly every single hole”, he said.
The 32-year-old has taken his game to a new level in the past two seasons and the honour of being selected to play for the global team will not be lost on him, particularly against the formidable combination of Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson. They won three points in the final eight holes of the match while only making one birdie.
The Presidents Cup has lacked the rancor of the Ryder Cup, which is inevitable when it’s a competition between two tours (PGA and Europe) instead of the Americans against an global team in which all but one player – Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand – is or will be a PGA Tour member. It may not be much, but with 25 matches left to play through the weekend, getting one will give the Internationals a glimmer of hope.
But again, just when the tide was turning, Johnson nailed his approach inside 2.5m to make the task effectively impossible.
The Americans are going for their sixth straight victory, and after one day, there was a familiar feel to the event.
Point No. 3 came from the dynamic duo of world No. 1 Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson, who disposed of Marc Leishman and Danny Lee, 4 and 3. “Get out there fast, change the color so the other guys see that and it sparks them going forward”.
There were chunked chips, drowned drives, skullled chip shots and 330-degree hookouts – all of which compounded on previous errors in a 4&3 hiding.
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Spieth, regarded as one of the best putters in the world, said he dovetailed well with the big-hitting Johnson in Thursday’s alternate shot format.
