The US need half a point on the final day of the Presidents Cup to retain the title after dominating the International team on Saturday.

One point would see America, looking for a seventh successive title, win the trophy outright at Liberty National.

The US lead 14½-3½ and there are 12 singles matches to come on Sunday.

The hosts won three of Saturday morning's four foursome matches, before the visitors took a solitary victory in the afternoon's fourballs.

US captain Steve Stricker sent Open champion Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed out first on Saturday and the duo set the pace, winning four successive holes from the 12th to collect a 4&3 win over Australians Jason Day and Marc Leishman.

America looked to be on for a clean sweep when Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas hit the turn one up, but Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen pulled a hole back to halve.

It was more of the same in the afternoon as Spieth and Reed, Daniel Berger and Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson won the opening three fourballs.

Victory for Kevin Chappell and Charley Hoffman in the other would have secured the title for America, and the US pair were one up heading to the 15th tee.

But India's Anirban Lahiri and South Korea's Si Woo Kim won two successive holes to take the lead and stop the US winning for the first time on a Saturday.

The US recorded their biggest victory with a 21½-10½ win in 2000, before the number of matches was trimmed to its current 30.

The International team's last victory came at Royal Melbourne in 1998 and they earned a tie at Fancourt in 2003, but have lost the other nine matches.

Saturday's foursome results

Jordan Spieth/Patrick Reed 4&3 US win Marc Leishman/Jason Day

Matt Kuchar/Dustin Johnson 4&3 US win Adam Hadwin/Adam Scott

Kevin Kisner/Phil Mickelson 2&1 US win Emiliano Grillo/Jhonattan Vegas

Rickie Fowler/Justin Thomas HALVED Branden Grace/Louis Oosthuizen

Saturday's fourballs results

Patrick Reed/Jordan Spieth 2&1 US win Louis Oosthuizen/Jason Day

Daniel Berger/Justin Thomas 3&2 US win Jhonattan Vegas/Hideki Matsuyama

Brooks Koepka/Dustin Johnson 3&2 US win Marc Leishman/Branden Grace

Kevin Chappell/Charley Hoffman 1-UP Anirban Lahiri/Si Woo Kim

Source:
courtesy of BBC SPORTS

by BBC Sports

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