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U.S.A. Wins a Wet Presidents Cup

by Jeff Skinner

The U.S. Presidents Cup Team survived the weather and a late charge from the International Team to once again win the Presidents Cup on a rain soaked MuirfieldVillage course.  It’s the ninth win in ten attempts for the Americans and they have never lost at home.  Click here for Doug Ferguson’s game story.

Tiger Woods clinched the cup with his win over Richard Sterne who played Woods close all day.  It’s the third straight Presidents Cup that saw Woods win the clinching match.pres cup

The big surprise today was that the cup was completed at all.  With rain delaying play all week and saturating MuirfieldVillage a Monday finish looked probable.

But the PGA Tour moved up the tee times four hours and Mother Nature cooperated with only a few heavy showers.  Both the players and the fans braved a wet tough week and today’s weather was a slight inconvenience compared to Friday and Saturday.

One fan truly appreciated the decent weather and decided to show her support for the American Team and streaked down the eighteenth hole.  Click here for Deadspin’s pictures of the patriotic fanatic.

Captain Freddy Couples was cool all day, streaking included as his players held off a very talented and motivated International team.

I spent all day at Muirfield and saw some amazing and some not so amazing golf.  Of course there were shots like Gram DeLaet’s hole out from the bunker on eighteen to close out Jordan Spieth.  And then there was our man Phil Mickelson on fourteen.  After hitting his drive up on the hillside right of the hole, next to the gallery ropes, his next was an adventure.  Going for it, as he always does, he tried to hook it around a huge tree and failed.  But all was not lost for Phil the Thrill as his ball caromed off the tree, skipped across the creek and landed safely on the bank.  All Phil could do was share a laugh with his opponent Angel Cabrera.  Of course Phil stuck his third to inside six feet and of course he missed the putt to lose the hole…but that’s Phil.

This was my first Presidents Cup and even though the frequent rain made it very difficult, I still enjoyed the week.  Rain or no rain it was world class golf on Jack’s hometown baby.

I spent plenty of hours at Muirfield but also took in some local hangouts and I have to say the people of Columbus are welcoming, friendly and certainly sports crazy.  It’s all OhioState all the time down here.  And they may have just added another fan.  Great golf, great course, great town, great fun, the week has been awesome.  The American Team was not the only winners this week.

 Click here for the Presidents Cup final scores.

 I’ll be making the long trip home on Monday so I’ll be back with more on my week at the Presidents Cup later in the week.

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