Round-up of the Weekend

Presidents Cup

USA retained the Presidents Cup with a 19-15 victory over the International Team at Royal Melbourne, Australia.

Fred Couple’s men dominated the four days and went into the final day singles with a 13-9 lead after winning nine out of the 11 foursomes matches that were played over the first three days.

International captain Greg Norman said afterwards that USA ‘kicked his team’s butts’ but it was the Interantionals who started the stronger on the final day and an unlikely comeback was on the cards.

Couples left most of his big guns down the order and it looked to be a gamble as the Internationals won the first four matches to draw level getting the local Australian crowd pumped up with Norman hoping some of it would rub off on his players. The early pressure was put on by the impressive KT Kim, Charl Schwartzel, Ryo Ishikawa and Geoff Ogilvy but Hunter Mahan released some off that pressure in the following match as he beat the surprising miss-firing Jason Day to claim the first of five points needed by the US Team.

After Nick Watney beat KJ Choi in the middle match it was the last four matches that secured the win for Couple’s side. Jim Furyk maintained his 100% record with a 4&3 victory over Ernie Els and David Toms had the biggest win of the week with a 7&5 win over Robert Allenby.

Woods

Then it was over to wild card pick Tiger Woods who won the decisive point with a 4&3 win over Aaron Baddley. The former world number one said he’s happy at where his game is right now:

"I played well all week. Unfortunately I just didn't make putts. I hit putts well but they weren't going in over the first three days, the first four matches.

"I was saying on the range it was going to come down to probably the last four matches and we needed to get our points so we went out there and played really well today.”

Going into the week the International Team were slight favourites but having not won out-right since 1998 at the same venue the pressure was always going to be on Greg Norman’s men.

The cup returns to American shores in two years time when the course that Jack built, Muirfield Village, Ohio hosts the event before going to South Korea for the first time in 2015.

Alfred Dunhill Championship

South African Garth Mulroy won his first European Tour title with victory in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.

The 33-year-old third-round leader and home favourite saw his overnight lead disappear when he bogeyed the 14th as nearest challenger Scotland’s George Murray converted a 20-foot eagle chance on the par five 15th.

But Mulroy rallied and birdied the same hole after finding the green in two then made a 60-foot putt for another birdie at the short 16th and safely parred the final two holes to finish on 19-under par which was enough for a two-shot victory.

Final Leaderboard

Iskandar Johor Open

On a week where the European Tour had sanctioned two events it was Joost Luiten who claimed his maiden Tour title with a win at the Iskandar Johor Open at the Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club, Malaysia.

The multi-million pound co-sanctioned event by the Asian and European Tours was reduced to 54-holes dues to severe weather conditions as Dutchman Luiten overcame a four-shot deficit to shoot a final round, six-under-par 65 to beat Sweden’s Daniel Chopra by one shot.

Overnight leader Chopra missed a 20-foot eagle putt on the last hole that would have forced a play-off but had to settle for second with a final round 70 ahead of Welshman Rhys Davis who is finding form again, Englishman James Morrison and defending champion Padraig Harrington.

Mulroy (Left) celebrating with Luiten (right) doing the same