Presidents Cup 2015 results: Jordan Spieth keeps USA in front, but barely

An interminable double session Saturday in Korea ends with the USA holding the same Presidents Cup lead they had before any ball was struck. Both sessions were an even split and the USA will go to Sunday singles with a one-point lead at 9.5 to 8.5. It’s the smallest margin for the Americans, who have owned this competition with a series of laughers, since it was tied going to singles in 2005.

Jordan Spieth preserved that margin with a clutch putt on the last hole of the last match of the morning session (a review of the morning foursomes can be found here). In the afternoon, it was more Spieth, a little Phil Mickelson and two International power-pairings. The details from afternoon four-ball:

International wins, 1-up -- The South African duo of Grace and Oosthuizen made a little history on Saturday, becoming the only International two-man team to go a perfect 4-0-0 in every session. Holmes and Watson, who had been the USA’s best team through two days, made them work for it, at least. It was the first time the Internationals played the 18th hole, their previous three matches ending well before that final green.

Oosty did his part but Grace was the man of the match and maybe the entire Cup so far. Every time it looked like the Internationals were giving away a hole, Grace would deliver a huge putt or a miracle chip to slam the door. There was this wild flop shot, which even had Holmes and Bubba chuckling.

And then just a few holes later, he did one better and dropped it right in the cup.

The South Africans do not have some of the language and cultural barriers that exist with these two-man International teams. The chemistry is there -- they play together all the time and with both on form, they’ve been unbeatable against all of the USA’s top players.

USA wins, 3&2 -- Phil Mickelson jolted this competition to life on Friday when he made a stupid mistake, incurred a never-before-seen penalty and then went full FIGJAM and still taunted the International’s “best team” for being unable to beat him after the costly penalty. Fortunately for Phil, he backed it up on Saturday and won his only match of the day. After sitting in the morning, Mickelson and his partner Zach Johnson came out and won the first hole and never looked back. Phil set the tone early when he stuffed it close on the first green.

The two ham-and-egged it perfectly, keeping Scott and Lahiri at bay and then closing it out on the 16th green. There was no dramatic hole-out this time, but just a steady grind to a crucial full point that the US needed in the afternoon session.

International wins, 6&5 -- This was nearly the biggest blowout in Presidents Cup history. Matsuyama went on one of those amazing birdie runs we’ve seen several times in recent years, including at the major championships. He’s a mid-20s talent that will likely push Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy over the next two decades and he started this boat race making birdie on four of his first six holes. Then it was Bae’s turn, the only Korean-born player on the International roster. He started pouring in putts from all over, making three straight birdies that essentially ended it at the turn.

The US team was not particularly sharp, but there was little they could have done. The Matsuyama-Bae team made nine birdies in their first 11 holes and this one ended on the 13th green with the Internationals six-up.

Walker has been one of the weaker American players over the last two days, and Saturday afternoon was especially ugly. He may slot toward the bottom of the Sunday singles lineup and given Kirk’s inexperience, he may be there with him.

USA wins, 3&2 -- The best player in the world played like it, catching fire and rolling the opposition that included the No. 2 player in the world. Jordan Spieth did Spieth things from start to finish, posting eight birdies through his first 14 holes. As one does on such a streak, Spieth had every club in the bag working. Everyone raves about his putting, and that was the club he used early to put Day and Schwartzel in a hole. After the turn, he threw a couple darts into flagsticks. He also told assistant captain Davis Love III he was going to hole out from a bunker and then did it a couple minutes later.

Reed did not play poorly, and contributed a winning hole, he just wasn’t unconscious like Spieth.

With the Internationals continuing to push the US and keep it a game, the Americans needed Spieth to play like their top player. And he did, winning a full two points in two sessions. In the morning, he drained a clutch putt on the last hole of the last match to keep the US in front by one. Then he dominated the International’s top player, Day, to secure a critical final point in the darkness that ensured the US would head to singles with the lead.