The Friday Foursomes session at the Presidents Cup has been suspended due to heavy rain at Muirfield Village Golf Club with honours fairly evenly shared throughout the six matches.
After the USA took a 3.5 – 2.5 advantage over the Internationals from Thursday’s fourball session they lead in three of the six matches and are all-square in another to continue their slight advantage.
Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley turned in a stunning front nine of alternate shot golf against Australia’s Jason Day and Canadian Graham DeLaet to storm to a 3up lead.
The Americans were six under in the opening nine holes with four birdies and an eagle, a blistering pace in the format, leaving the International pair floundering despite three birdies of their own.
But in the match behind, Ernie Els and Brendon de Jonge found themselves also sporting a 3up lead through nine against Bill Haas and Hunter Mahan.
Three birdies and an eagle pushed the veteran and Presidents Cup rookie to a commanding lead as the rain came, Els even holing out a bunker shot for birdie on nine to halve the hole and maintain the rage before the break.
World No.2 Adam Scott and his rookie Japanese teammate Hideki Matsuyama hold an early 2up lead through five holes over Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson.
Rookie Australian Marc Leishman and Argentine Angel Cabrera are all-square against Webb Simpson and Brandt Snedeker through six holes after claiming the final hole before the delay.
Steve Stricker and Jordan Spieth were 1up on South African pair Branden Grace and Richard Sterne through seven holes while Tiger Woods and Matt Kuchar held the same advantage over the other South African pairing of Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel through five holes.
The Americans have won seven and drawn one of the nine previous Presidents Cups and never lost on home soil.