It wasn’t supposed to be this way.
The U.S. team wasn’t supposed to struggle its way to a 15 1/2 – 14 1/2 victory at the Presidents Cup on Sunday in Korea and it surely wasn’t supposed to come down to the very last match with everything on the line.
But that’s the way it played out over the final day at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea with the International team taking it to the Americans and giving the heavy favorites a lot more than they bargained for.
In the end it was Billy Haas who bailed out his father, team captain Jay, and saved face for the rest of the Americans.
In the end it was Haas who got himself a 2-up victory over Sangmoon Bae in the very last match that went down to the very last hole.
There was drama all day. But it came down to Haas vs. the heavy crowd favorite, Bae, who had an entire nation pulling for him. Haas took a 1-up lead with a birdie at the par four 12th hole then both players parred their way to the 16th where Bae made a long putt to keep the match alive. At the 17th, Bae made a nice up-and-down from out from a bunker to save par and halve the hole.
On that last hole, Haas was in a greenside bunker in two at the par five, Bae was just short of the green in two but stubbed his chip. His third went well beyond the hole while Haas’ bunker shot was just six-feet for birdie and Bae conceded.
It should have never come to that but too many Americans who were expected to win, went down in flames.
Adam Scott rolled Rickie Fowler, 6-and-5. In a huge upset, Thongchai Jaidee halved Bubba Watson when Watson missed a four-foot birdie putt at the final hole.
Zach Johnson pulled his own upset on the U.S. side when he spanked Jason Day. Day made six bogeys in the round, allowing Johnson to build a 5-up lead through 11 holes and he eventually won 3-and-2.
Biggest disappointment for the Americans was world’s No. 1 Jordan Spieth losing 1-up to Marc Leishman.
But it was Haas, the captain’s pick who came through when he was needed.
The old man owes him one.
Singles Matches Results:
Adam Scott 6-and-5 over Rickie Fowler.
Phil Mickelson 5-and-4 over Charl Schwartzel.
Patrick Reed halved with Louis Oosthuizen.
Dustin Johnson 2-and-1 over Danny Lee.
Hideki Matsuyama 1-up over J.B. Holmes.
Bubba Watson halved with Thongchai Jaidee.
Steven Bowditch 2-up over Jimmy Walker.
Chris Kirk 1-up over Anirban Larihi.
Zach Johnson 3-and-2 over Jason Day.
Marc Leishman 1-up over Jordan Spieth.
Brandon Grace 2-and-1 over Matt Kuchar.
Bill Haas 2-up over Sangmoon Bae.
