Spieth on fire, US stays ahead

INCHEON, South Korea — It was a day of great escapes and blown opportunities for the Internationals on day three of the Presidents Cup, while Jordan Spieth delivered a birdie blitz to help keep the United States a point in front with just Sunday’s singles matches to come. The International team looked set to get its noses in front at the biennial event for the first time in a decade but squandered several solid leads and split the eight points on offer to end Saturday trailing 9.5 to 8.5. It will have its work cut out to get the seven points it needs from Sunday’s 12 singles to win the Presidents Cup for the first time since 1998. No team has ever won the Cup after going into the singles matches trailing. History is not the only obstacle it will have to overcome — world No. 1 Spieth has finally caught fire. After partnering Dustin Johnson to a narrow morning win over Jason Day and Charl Schwartzel, Spieth returned in the afternoon with Patrick Reed to defeat the same International pair in the four-balls, sealing the match 3&2 in near darkness. Phil Mickelson, who sat out the morning action, teamed up with trusted partner Zach Johnson in the afternoon to defeat Adam Scott and Anirban Lahiri 3&2. The US players had been rubbing Mickelson’s belly for luck during the early foursomes but Bubba Watson should perhaps have rubbed a bit harder. After snapping his driver on the practice range and needing a replacement rushed to him out on the course, the left-hander muffed a five-foot putt on 18 that would have sealed a foursomes win with partner J.B. Holmes over Scott and Marc Leishman. The US pair then became the fourth straight victims of Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace, who continue to complement each other on and off the course. Australian Scott, in his seventh Presidents Cup, endured another woeful day on the greens, finding precious little encouragement after switching from a cross-handed to a ‘claw’ grip with the conventional putter. Scott has had to abandon his preferred broomstick-style putter with a ban on ‘anchoring’ coming into effect in January. South Korean Bae Sang-moon, meanwhile, put on a putting masterclass as he and Hideki Matsuyama halved their foursomes match with Bill Haas and Matt Kuchar before hammering Jimmy Walker and Chris Kirk 6&5 in the afternoon. Bae holed three birdie putts in a row at one point from a combined distance of 50 feet as the Asian duo went nine under through their 13 holes. Such was their dominance that Walker and Kirk thought the match was over at 12, taking off their hats and offering handshakes of congratulations, much to the bewilderment of the opposition. Their stay of execution was short-lived, however, as they ran out of holes with a halve at 13. PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem announced earlier Saturday that the 2019 Presidents Cup would be returning to Melbourne, where it was staged in 1998 and 2011. Korda takes two shots lead Jessica Korda hit six birdies to take a two shot lead in the third round of the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia Saturday, while Lydia Ko, a South Korea-born New Zealander, remains firmly in the race for the title. Ko trails her American rival Korda by just three shots as they go into the final round Sunday. Friday’s leader Jang Ha-na of South Korea and American Stacy Lewis trail Korda by two strokes with world number one Inbee Park, who is vying for the title, four shots back. Ko, who hit three birdies and an eagle to card a 68 and ended the day nine-under par in the tropical heat, is hoping for a good finish Sunday. Ko’s South Korean rival Park turned in an unexceptional performance at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, with four birdies and four bogeys for an even par-71. Defending champion Feng Shanshan and Lin Xiyu are also in the race after posting 69 and 71 to be tied fourth with Ko.