By Rahul Banerji
Internationals’ star Hideki Matsuyama will be gunning for revenge against Tiger Woods, the US playing captain, as the Presidents Cup tees off at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia next month.
Ahead of his fourth appearance in the biennial team competition from December 9 to 15, the 27-year-old Matsuyama finished runner-up to Woods on home turf at the inaugural Zozo Championship as the legend secured a record-tying 82nd PGA Tour victory.
The usually stoic Japanese ace was disappointed he could not to deliver a home victory, saying: “I must have revenge here next year. He (Woods) is coming back and I will be here.”
Early crack
However, instead of having to wait another 11 months, Matsuyama will have a chance to make amends at Royal Melbourne after Woods named himself as one of the four captain’s picks for the team match play showdown, the PGA Tour noted. .
Woods will become only the second playing captain in Presidents Cup history, emulating Hale Irwin who was on double duty in the inaugural edition in 1994.
A five-time PGA Tour winner, Matsuyama has featured in the last three Presidents Cups but is winless. He holds a 4-6-3 career record, which he hopes to improve under Ernie Els.
“I would really love to contribute to the team. I’m the only Japanese player on the team and I will try my best to represent the country of Japan,” Matsuyama said.
“The US team is very strong and I think teamwork will be extremely important. For us to do well, I will aim to do my best and contribute to the team.”
Close watch
Els, who has followed Matsuyama’s progress closely, is counting on the Japan star to deliver.
“He’s a great, talented player,” Els said. “This will be his fourth Presidents Cup and he’s not been on a winning team.
“I can see him being very keen to win. He’s had a few close run-ins with the US team, so he’ll be ready to fight.”
The South African, who is leading the Internationals for the first time, is still to decide on whom he can partner with Matsuyama for the four-ball and foursomes sessions over the first three days of competition.
Poor record
In 2013, Matsuyama played alongside Adam Scott in four sessions, winning 1.5 points. Two years later, Matsuyama partnered Korea’s Sangmoon Bae twice to deliver 1.5 points and lost alongside Scott in foursomes.
In 2017, Matsuyama played with three partners in Adam Hadwin (halved), Jhonattan Vegas (lost) and Charl Schwartzel (lost).
A potential partner for Matsuyama is Korean rookie Sungjae Im, picked by Els as one of his four wildcards. The 21-year-old Im believes he and Matsuyama can establish a strong combination.
“With Hideki, we both have unique swings (pause at top of backswing), so maybe we can get in the heads of the American players if we were to be paired together!” said Im, the 2019 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.
Ahlawat builds on lead
In Digboi, Assam, overnight leader Veer Ahlawat extended his lead to three shots with a determined 4-under-68 in the third and penultimate round of the Rs 60 lakh IndianOil Servo Masters Golf 2019 on Friday, taking his total to an impressive 15-under-201.
Bangalore’s Abhishek Jha and M. Dharma were his closest challengers in tied second on 12-under-204s after rounds of 2-under-70.
Kolkata’s Divyanshu Bajaj (71) ended the day in fourth at 11-under-205 while six-time winner Mukesh Kumar of Mhow rose into contention with the day’s best round of 65 that lifted him to fifth on 10-under-206.
Title hopes
Ahlawat (69-64-68), the 2017 runner-up, raised hopes of a maiden title after he fired seven birdies against three bogeys on Friday. The six-foot four-inch tall Gurgaon golfer made a slow start again when he bogeyed early after finding the hazard.
Ahlawat’s birdies on the fourth and seventh were then negated by bogeys on the eighth and 10th holes where he hit a couple of erratic shots.
The tide began to turn for the long-hitter when he birdied the 11th thanks to a brilliant drive. He then tapped-in on the 12th and landed it within four feet on the 13th to make it three in a row.
Solid finish
Ahlawat produced a final flourish with birdies on the last two holes where he sank a 14-footer and made a good recovery from the hazard respectively.
“I had a poor start once again. But after the birdie on the 11th I felt my game was back and I can now go low,” Ahlawat said.
“I went for birdies today and didn’t play safe just like the first two rounds. This will continue to be my strategy on the last day as that’s how I generally play.”
Like Ahlawat, Dharma (67-67-70) too endured a poor start before fighting back with a hard-earned 70 while Jha (66-68-70) maintained his overnight tied second position courtesy a steady 70.
Missing out
Jha, the first round leader, couldn’t find his footing in the first half of the round as he missed a lot of short putts. He therefore made two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine before salvaging his round with two late birdies.
Mukesh Kumar’s 65, the day’s best score, lifted him eight spots to fifth thanks to an amazing eight birdies at the cost of a lone bogey.
He made birdies on all the four par-5s and closed the day on a high with a 15-feet birdie conversion on the 18th hole.
Three-time winner and defending champion Shamim Khan of Delhi was tied 11th at 5-under-211.
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