US wins the ninth President’s Cup at the Royal Melbourne
American Team, has now defeated their hosts, the International Team at the difficult Royal Melbourne Golf Club to lift seventh President’s Cup title here on Sunday, November 20. Heading into the final round with an advantage from the Foursomes on Saturday, the American Team had a lead of five points and Captain Fred Couples was looking for just one point to pull the International Team behind the ranks. Couples admitted he was nervous at the start of the day as the course was proving tougher to the guests.
"I was very nervous," Couples said. "I really didn’t think Royal Melbourne was on our side today. But our guys closed it off."
A disappointed International Team Captain Greg Norman blamed their colossal loss in the Foursomes the previous day.
"That’s what really put us behind the 8-ball," Norman said, "and we never really recovered."
The International Team needed to win at least nine of the 12 matches on the final day, but were only able to win half of them. Jim Furyk, proved to be the most successful player in the event, winning all his five matches throughout the weekend. He defeated South African Ernie Els on Sunday with a comprehensive 4 & 3 to lead the American charge all the way to the top.
"I didn’t expect to play as well as I did," said Furyk, who did not win on the PGA TOUR this year, "but it had to do a lot with my putting this week."
Tiger Woods also had a better than average day in the final round where he took the better of Australian Aaron Baddeley with a 4 & 3.
"I played well all week," Woods said. "Today was a different deal. I, for some reason, felt it and they were pouring right in there.”
The American Team has now successfully defended the title they won two years ago at Harding Park and has won the event for a staggering seventh time in its nine episodes. The only time Americans lost to the International Team was in 1998 here at the Royal Melbourne and has levelled the event just once. The US Team defeated the International Team by a score of 19 to 15.
Tags: