2013 Presidents Cup: The Mid-Afternoon Rain Delay Update
By Les Bailey
It seems like I’ve spent the entire 2013 PGA Golf season waiting for the weather to clear. And so it is again at the Presidents Cup on Friday afternoon at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. 3:15 PM, and the sky opened up again as it did on Thursday, and one can only hope that Team USA is able to get to the restart without the same struggle they had on Thursday after a 90 minute delay. What started out as a good old-fashioned butt-kicking Thursday afternoon turned into a close 3.5 to 2.5 victory.
Action began at 1:40 PM on Friday afternoon for the Foursomes competition, and Team USA once again got off to a hot start. Still licking their wounds from Day one, Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley started the day by taking on Jason Day, and Graham DeLaet in the match’s first group. Playing alternate shots, Team Phil went on a birdie run at the fifth hole, and lead Team International by three points.
Team Captain, Fred Couples broke up the Brandt Snedeker, Hunter Mahan pairing from Thursday, but to no avail. Mahan is playing with Bill Haas today, but the results haven’t changed. Rookie Brandon de Jonge has carried a limping Ernie Els to a 3 Up lead over the US team. Ernie is having some putting problems, but holed out a bunker shot at number five. This US team has not made a birdie yet.
The Jason Dufner/Zach Johnson team was hot on Thursday, but as the rain delay came, they were down two zip to arguably Team International’s best player, Adam Scott, and rookie, Hideki Matsuyama. The American team is finding out quickly this rookie from Japan can play golf.
The Steve Stricker/Jordan Spieth team is one up through seven against the all-rookie team of Richard Sterne, and Branden Grace. Tiger Woods is playing well with Matt Kuchar and are one up through five over the experienced team of Louis Oosthuizen, and Charl Schwartzel. Tiger is playing well with Matt Kuchar, and Captain Fred Couples may have found a Ryder Cup partner for Tiger when they go to Gleneagles next September.
One match is all tied up through six holes. Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker are all-square with Angel Cabrera and Marc Leishman. Snedeker is having some problems with his usually reliable putter while Leishman seems to be carrying the veteran Cabrera. The two-time major champion is not struggling, but just can’t get anything to happen.
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