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Incheon, South Korea • Whether it was the South African juggernaut of Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen, the inspired play of Bae Sang-moon in front of his home crowd or a format change that reduced the number of matches, the Presidents Cup is truly up for grabs for the first time in 10 years.
That's all the International team ever wanted.
And it's what this event sorely needed.
Grace delivered two big shots in the gathering darkness, and the South African duo went 4-0 in team matches. Bae and Hideki Matsuyama teamed for nine birdies in 11 holes for the biggest rout of the week. And the International team played the Americans to a draw in a double session Saturday to stay just one point behind.
Considering how lopsided the Presidents Cup has been, it felt like a lead.
"We need to win this," Oosthuizen said. "This is huge for us. We believe we can do it."
The Americans had a 9½-8½ lead. They also have Jordan Spieth, the No. 1 player in the world. He made two clutch putts in morning foursomes to cap off the biggest comeback at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, and he made eight birdies in 14 holes in a fourballs victory in the afternoon.
Not since the matches were tied going into Sunday in 2005 has the Presidents Cup featured a final day of drama.
"This is what we all came here for — for it to be exciting tomorrow," International captain Nick Price said. "I'm going to ask my team to go and play golf tomorrow. Each and every one of them has to play golf, and play to the very best of their ability. That's all we can do."
The South Africans have certainly done their part, with Grace producing two critical shots.
Grace and Oosthuizen were all square with Bubba Watson and J.B. Holmes, and it was clear their fourballs match would set the tone for the final round. Grace chipped in for birdie from left of the 16th green, raising his arm before the ball reached the cup and sharing a bear hug with his childhood friend.
The darkness was getting so thick that Grace had no idea Oosthuizen's second shot into the par-5 18th hole had gone into the water. Grace could barely see the green from 263 yards away with a chilly wind in his face. No matter. He smashed his 3-wood, watched it disappear into the gloaming and had no idea what happened until he heard a burst of cheers coming from the grandstands.
The ball narrowly cleared the bunker and settled on the edge of the green.
"I don't know where it finished or how it got to where it did," Grace said. "Just remarkable to pull a shot off like that."
Watson and Holmes both missed the green, and when neither chipped in for eagle, Grace rolled his putt close enough to be conceded the birdie and a crucial win.
"No moment is too big for him," Oosthuizen said.
The only other team to go 4-0 in the Presidents Cup was Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in 2009. The South Africans knew they were playing well, and they suggested to Price on Thursday after their opening match to split them up so they could help lift other teammates. Price stuck with them, and it paid off.
"He just said, 'There's no chance we're splitting you.' He's the captain, and he got that right," Oosthuizen said.
Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson rested in the morning and came out firing in the afternoon, winning the first hole with a Mickelson birdie and never giving it up in a 3-and-2 win over Adam Scott and Anirban Lahiri.
The Americans opened with a 4-1 lead Thursday and have been outplayed — but not my much — ever since.
"To me, it kind of feels like we're losing just because of what's gone on the last two days," Zach Johnson said. "But our first day was substantial. So yeah, you knew it was going to be tight going into Sunday regardless of what happened."
Spieth salvaged the morning session by making a pair of 7-foot putts on the final two holes and turned a small deficit into a big win with Dustin Johnson. He was just as big in the afternoon with Patrick Reed, not going with three straight birdies to from 1 down to 2 up, but with a bunker shot on No. 12. Spieth was so certain he was going to hole out that he asked caddie Michael Greller to get the ball out of the hole for him before he hit the shot.
"But not loud enough that Jason could hear," Spieth said.
He was referring to Jason Day, his chief rival for the year, who lost twice to Spieth on Saturday with Charl Schwartzel as his partner.
Spieth and Day figured to be the marquee match in the final round, only it didn't work out that way. The pairings are announced one side at a time, and U.S. captain Jay Haas put Spieth in a singles game with Marc Leishman.
There were groans in the room when it was clear the Presidents Cup would not have a Spieth-Day match. Haas cared only about putting Spieth in the No. 9 slot, which tends to be the deciding match when it's close.
This Presidents Cup doesn't need that kind of pairing to be compelling. Finally.
LPGA Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • Jessica Korda took a two-stroke lead in the LPGA Malaysia, shooting a bogey-free 6-under 65 in sweltering conditions.
Korda missed a birdie chance on the par-4 18th when her 6-footer slid by on the left side, leaving the 22-year-old American at 12-under 201 at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. Fellow American Stacy Lewis and South Korea's Ha Na Jang were tied for second.
Korda has only one top-10 finish this season, a tie for second in January in Florida in the season-opening event. The three-time LPGA Tour winner is 50th in the world ranking and 56th on the money list.
The third-ranked Lewis has rebounded with rounds of 66 and 65 after opening with a 72.
Jang had a 71 after taking a one-stroke lead into the round. She had a double bogey on the par-3 15th, saved bogey with a 20-footer on the par-5 16th and rebounded with a birdie on the par-3 17th.
Second-ranked Lydia Ko was three strokes back at 9 under along with defending champion Shanshan Feng and Xi Yu Lin. Playing alongside Korda, Ko bogeyed the 18th for 68. The 18-year-old New Zealander is coming off consecutive victories in the Canadian Pacific Women's Open and Evian Championship, where she became the youngest major champion.
SAS Championship
Cary, N.C. • Kenny Perry shot a 4-under 68 in the rain to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds in the Champions Tour's SAS Championship.
Perry had an 8-under 136 total at Prestonwood Country Club. Joe Durant was second after a 68, and first-round leader Bernhard Langer (73) was another stroke back along with Lee Janzen (68).
Perry, the 2011 winner at Prestonwood, won the 3M Championship in August in Minnesota for his eighth victory on the 50-and-over tour.
British Masters
Woburn, England • England's Matthew Fitzpatrick shot a 3-under 68 to maintain a share of the lead after the third round of the British Masters.
Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat had a 67 to match Fitzpatrick at 12-under 201 on Woburn's Marquess Course. Kiradech has two European Tour victories this season. —
Presidents Cup
Saturday
At Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea
Incheon, South Korea
Yardage: 7,380; Par: 72
UNITED STATES 9½, INTERNATIONAL 8½
Foursomes
United States 2, International 2
Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace, International, def. Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler, United States, 3 and 2.
Bubba Watson and J.B. Holmes, United States, halved with Adam Scott and Marc Leishman, International.
Bill Haas and Matt Kuchar, United States, halved with Sang-moon Bae and Hideki Matsuyama, International.
Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth, United States, def. Jason Day and Charl Schwartzel, International, 1 up.
Fourballs
United States 2, International 2
Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace, International, def. J.B. Holmes and Bubba Watson, United States, 1 up.
Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson, United States, def. Adam Scott and Anirban Lahiri, International, 3 and 2.
Sang-moon Bae and Hideki Matsuyama, International, def. Jimmy Walker and Chris Kirk, United States, 6 and 5.
Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, United States, def. Jason Day and Charl Schwartzel, International, 3 and.
—
LPGA Malaysia
At Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Purse • $2 million
Yardage • 6,260 Par 71
Jessica Korda 69-67-65 — 201 -12
Stacy Lewis 72-66-65 — 203 -10
Ha Na Jang 67-65-71 — 203 -10
Lydia Ko 71-65-68 — 204 -9
Shanshan Feng 66-69-69 — 204 -9
Xi Yu Lin 65-68-71 — 204 -9
Mika Miyazato 68-69-68 — 205 -8
I.K. Kim 68-68-69 — 205 -8
Amy Yang 67-68-70 — 205 -8
Inbee Park 68-66-71 — 205 -8
Yani Tseng 66-68-71 — 205 -8
Ryann O'Toole 72-66-68 — 206 -7
Haru Nomura 71-65-70 — 206 -7
Morgan Pressel 71-73-63 — 207 -6
Caroline Masson 71-69-67 — 207 -6
Jaye Marie Green 69-71-67 — 207 -6
Ariya Jutanugarn 71-67-69 — 207 -6
Catriona Matthew 70-68-69 — 207 -6
Michelle Wie 66-72-69 — 207 -6
Chella Choi 66-69-72 — 207 -6
Alison Lee 65-69-73 — 207 -6
Anna Nordqvist 71-67-70 — 208 -5
Mirim Lee 73-71-65 — 209 -4
Gerina Piller 73-69-67 — 209 -4
Eun-Hee Ji 70-68-71 — 209 -4
Pornanong Phatlum 69-69-71 — 209 -4
Wei-Ling Hsu 73-68-69 — 210 -3
Mi Hyang Lee 69-71-70 — 210 -3
Candie Kung 69-68-73 — 210 -3
Hee Young Park 71-72-68 — 211 -2
—
SAS Championship
At Prestonwood Country Club
Cary, N.C.
Purse • $2.1 million
Yardage • 7,240 Par 72
Kenny Perry 68-68 — 136 -8
Joe Durant 69-68 — 137 -7
Lee Janzen 70-68 — 138 -6
Bernhard Langer 65-73 — 138 -6
Tom Lehman 68-71 — 139 -5
John Riegger 67-72 — 139 -5
Jeff Maggert 73-67 — 140 -4
Kevin Sutherland 68-72 — 140 -4
Scott Dunlap 67-73 — 140 -4
John Cook 72-69 — 141 -3
Michael Allen 71-70 — 141 -3
Paul Goydos 70-71 — 141 -3
Loren Roberts 70-71 — 141 -3
Billy Andrade 74-67 — 141 -3
David Frost 69-72 — 141 -3
Fred Funk 71-71 — 142 -2
Jeff Hart 71-71 — 142 -2
Woody Austin 72-70 — 142 -2
Grant Waite 73-69 — 142 -2
Steve Jones 71-71 — 142 -2
Colin Montgomerie 70-72 — 142 -2
Chien Soon Lu 73-69 — 142 -2
Mike Goodes 74-68 — 142 -2
Brad Faxon 69-73 — 142 -2
Olin Browne 68-74 — 142 -2
Stephen Ames 72-71 — 143 -1
Sandy Lyle 73-70 — 143 -1
Tom Byrum 74-69 — 143 -1
Wes Short, Jr. 70-73 — 143 -1
Joey Sindelar 70-73 — 143 -1
Duffy Waldorf 68-75 — 143 -1