Bill Haas: Clinches President’s Cup for US Team
Wake Forest alum Bill Haas had had a tough week filled with emotion. It started with US President’s Cup captain Jay Haas breaking down to tell Bill that he was on the bench for the first round of events. It ended with his father getting emotional again, this time because his son delivered the crucial point to return the President’s Cup to the United States for the sixth straight time.
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After his day one benching, the younger Haas endured failure during team play. He and fellow Round 1 benchee Chris Kirk went out for fourball against Thongchai Jaidee and Charles Schwartzel. They returned empty handed, losing 2 and 1.
Haas was tapped again for foursomes. This time Haas and new partner Matt Kuchar played Sangmoon Bae and Hideki Matsuyama of the Internationals. Haas and Kuchar ended that match halved with their opponents as they experienced trouble on the last hole to let the Internationals back into the match. At the same time the US lead was shrinking from a three point lead after Round 1 to one single point after Round 4.
Haas was not among the Round 4 pairings, having played in Round 3. There was still the singles matches on the final day where these team events are usually decided. It was in singles play that the US Women won the Solheim Cup earlier this year.
Haas drew Bae, the same golfer who had dueled him and Kuchar in Round 3. He was also the only team member who is currently from South Korea, which made him something of a favorite. As the other singles matches wound down it seemed that Haas-Bae was going to become critical to deciding the Cup. Then it became the only factor.
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Haas was 1 up on the 17th when he parred the hole. That prevented the Internationals from winning by denying them the full point that they would have needed. Haas then went and won the 18th to go 2 UP and meet his team and father. The singles matches had been split 6-6, so the US point lead going into the day held up.