Ruthless United States on brink of Presidents Cup win

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey - The International team's Presidents Cup hopes were hanging by the slimmest of threads after the United States claimed six of eight matches in a cut-throat display on Saturday to sit on the brink of a seventh successive title.

Only a one-up victory by India's Anirban Lahiri and South Korea's Kim Si-woo over Kevin Chappell and Charley Hoffman denied the United States a sweep of the afternoon four-balls to put celebrations at a breezy Liberty National on hold.


It also kept the Internationals of suffering the ultimate embarrassment of watching the trophy claimed on a Saturday for the first time.

The United States have a commanding 14-1/2 to 3-1/2 lead and need just one point from Sunday's 12 singles matches.

"We've just come up against a juggernaut of an American team that has not put a foot wrong," said International captain Nick Price. "They have had all the momentum and we've had nothing.

"There's an outside shot tomorrow and the guys all know that.

"They are going to go play for their pride, they are going to play for themselves, they are going to play for the team and they are going to play for us.

"You're not going to be able to take the spirit away out from our team, that's for sure."

Despite failing to clinch, it was another ruthless performance from the U.S., who won three of four foursomes matches and halved the other then followed up by prevailing in three of the four-ball contests.

The U.S. had looked poised to run the table on Saturday after Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed claimed a 2&1 decision over Australian Jason Day and South African Louis Oosthuizen, before Daniel Berger and Justin Thomas beat Venezuela's Jhonattan Vegas and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama 3&2.

Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka then secured a 3&2 victory over Australian Marc Leishman and South African Branden Grace before the spotlight fell on Chappell and Hoffman in the last match of the day.

With the Americans clinging to a one hole lead, Kim sent a charge through the chilled crowd when he drained a nervy seven-foot birdie putt at the 15th to leave the match all-square.

Lahiri rolled in a 16-foot birdie effort on the next hole to take the lead.

Chappell generously conceded a four-foot birdie to Lahiri at the last, handing the Internationals just their second match victory.

U.S. captain Steve Stricker sent out British Open champion Spieth and Reed first who overcame a rules blunder at the 12th that appeared to open the door for the Internationals.

With their match all-square Spieth was disqualified from completing the hole and denied an opportunity to match Day's birdie putt when Oosthuizen's eagle attempt scooted past the cup and he scooped up the ball before it had stopped.

The error allowed the Internationals to grab a one-up lead but in the end it proved only a minor setback as Spieth and Reed rallied with three birdies from the 15th to steal the point.

Spieth assured there will be no such complacency when they arrive at Liberty National on Sunday.

"Our goal is still to stay focused," said Spieth. "It's easy to get complacent with the way things are right now and it's easy to come out tomorrow lazy."

(Editing by Andrew Both)

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Hoffman charges to one stroke lead at Canadian Open

Charley Hoffman rolled in six birdies in a seven-under 65 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead into the final day at the Canadian Open.

Hoffman was one ahead of fellow American Kevin Chappell (66), who bogeyed the last hole after finding water, with Gary Woodland and Robert Garrigus a further stroke behind.

Garrigus's round of 62 tied a course record.

Hoffman, who is 17-under overall, said staying aggressive and making birdies was key to winning the tournament, which would be his first victory since his Texas Open win last year.


"Making pars on Sunday out here is not going to get me anywhere," he said in a television interview after the third round.

"I'm going to keep my same game-plan -- a bunch of drivers, hit a bunch of wedge shots close and hopefully make some putts."

Low wind, receptive greens and plenty of sunshine led to a shootout at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, with 30 players boasting overall scores of 10-under or better heading into Sunday.

World number one Dustin Johnson appeared poised to take the lead until his second shot on the 11th hole landed in the water, leading to a double-bogey.

He finished the day with a 68 and sits five strokes behind Hoffman.

"I just hit a terrible shot," said Johnson, who also misjudged several putts including a birdie chance at the 18th.

"I missed quite a few putts today but I feel like I'm rolling it well. I just need to go out tomorrow and see a few go into the hole," he said.

Former world number one and 2004 winner Vijay Singh failed to continue his sizzling play from Friday, shooting a 71 that had him tied with seven other players at 11-under.

The 54-year-old is seeking to become the oldest winner in PGA Tour history.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Ian Ransom)

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Hoffman leads as Spieth misses cut at Deutsche Bank

Former winner Charley Hoffman earned a three-shot lead after the second round at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Saturday, while fellow American Jordan Spieth missed consecutive cuts for the first time in his career.

Hoffman took advantage of his early tee time to gather nine birdies for an eight-under-par 63 at the Boston TPC where he won in 2010.

He posted a 12-under 130 halfway total, with Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe (68) the closest pursuer on nine-under.

Australian Jason Day, who has won three times in his last four events, including the PGA Championship, sat six shots back in a tie for 10th after successive 68s.

Masters and U.S. Open champion Spieth missed his second straight cut with a 73 for his fourth above-par round in a row.

It is the first time in his pro career that the 22-year-old Spieth has missed successive cuts.

With the PGA Tour taking a one-week break before the third event of the FedExCup playoffs, the BMW Championship near Chicago, the world number two plans to forget about golf for a few days before getting back to work.

"I'm going to take some time away, probably it's going to be good for me to take four days and not touch a club," he told reporters, largely blaming his putting for the six-over 148 total.

"I don't feel it's far off, even though my scores have been far off. It's almost been like a bad dream, like I have to wake up and get the putts to go in again."

Hoffman, a three-time PGA Tour winner who was on the leaderboard for a long time at the Masters this year before finishing equal ninth, started well with eight birdies on his opening 14 holes, including a near hole-in-one on the par-three 11th, his second hole.

"This is one of those courses that when you get up on the tees it sets up well visually for me," American Hoffman said. "I also tend to make a few more putts on these greens.

"I'm in a nice position after two days, but obviously we have a lot of golf left."

Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy was among those with a lot of ground to make up after the world number one shot 74 to fall 14 strokes behind.

(Reporting by Tim Wharnsby in Toronto. Editing by Andrew Both)

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