Even though the 2013 Presidents Cup was deluged with heavy rains that inundated Muirfield Village Golf Course, it did provide some redemption for the International team.
Four matches of the Saturday afternoon foursomes could not be competed and players were forced to tee off at 7:35 AM for a second straight day to complete the session.
Evidently the Internationals did not like the early wake-up call as only the team of Ernie Els and Brendon de Jonge could scratch out a full point for the Internationals.
Captain Nick Price’s team had been sticking close to Team USA prior to the last foursome session, but the final tally put them six points down, 14-8, heading into Sunday’s singles matches.
Intermittent rains interrupted play every day and made the golf course nearly unplayable. It was difficult for either side to build momentum with the continuous stoppage of play.
The rain delays also made it miserable for the golf fans in attendance. Every ticket, 140,000 in all, had been presold for the Presidents Cup. The rains left golf fans scrambling for the nearest awning or umbrella.
The late finish and rainy conditions also forced a cancellation of the closing ceremonies and Kenny Gee concert.
The International team made one last gasp run on Sunday and won five of the first eight matches. Tiger Woods was pitted against Richard Sterne in the ninth match of the day. Sterne forced the match to the 18th before Woods finally won the match 1-up and secured the win for the American team.
The International team won 7.5 of the 12 points available on Sunday and closed the gap to a final score of 18.5-15.5. It was the only session the Internationals would win.
There was some great golf played throughout the week. With the soft conditions at Muirfield Village the players were able to fire at the pins. Hole-outs from the fairway, chip-ins around the greens and fairway woods finding the green on par-5’s created excitement for the television audience, as well as, the galleries.
This was the eighth win in ten Presidents Cup competitions for the American team and the third win for Captain Fred Couples. Even though the International team lost once again, it proved it could hang with the much deeper American team.
With seven rookies on the International team, they have a bright future. Hideki Matsuyama and Graham DeLaet especially played well this week. Both had outstanding campaigns on the PGA Tour in 2013 and should be factors on tour next year.
DeLaet thrilled the crowd on Sunday by chipping in on the 18th to close out the foursome match early in the day and he holed out from the greenside bunker for a birdie to win his singles match in the afternoon.
Dublin, Ohio and the Columbus area had rolled out the red carpet for the Presidents Cup and it was unfortunate that the untimely rains seemed to dampen events surrounding the event.
Although the Presidents Cup doesn’t have the history and the nail-biting drama of the Ryder Cup, it gives the rest of the world a chance to compete on a big stage with a team from the U.S.
The Presidents Cup has donated over $27 million to charity since it began in 1992 and will distribute another $5 million this year.
That’s a good enough reason to hold the biennial event in itself.