<p>The United States needed a par on the final hole to retain the overall lead over the Internationals on the first day of the Presidents Cup after almost throwing away a commanding advantage following a lengthy weather delay.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Steve Stricker calmly got up and down from a plugged lie in a greenside bunker to par the 18th, sinking a three-footer to secure the decisive point that allowed the Americans to finish the opening fourballs leading by 3-1/2 points to 2-1/2.<br /><br />At one point, the Americans led in all six encounters at rain-softened Muirfield Village Golf Club where birdies were plentiful but South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel inspired a stirring fightback by the Internationals.<br /><br />Oosthuizen and Schwartzel, who briefly donned garish wigs on the first tee, came from two down after seven holes to beat British Open champion Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley 2&1 in a contest of high quality involving four former major winners.<br />Bradley put the Americans two up by sinking a six-foot eagle putt at the par-five seventh but the South Africans won the next two holes with birdies, Oosthuizen draining a 16-footer at the eighth and Schwartzel tapping in a two-footer at the ninth.<br /><br />Oosthuizen then put the Internationals one up by knocking in a three-foot birdie putt at the par-five 11th, and his good friend Schwartzel sealed victory with a birdie at the 17th.<br /><br />"We knew it was going to be difficult, Keegan and Phil are a great team," said 2010 British Open winner Oosthuizen.<br /><br />"I think the break did us all really well," he added, referring to a thunderstorm delay of just under an hour-and-a-half which effectively stalled the early US momentum. "We came back out and felt refreshed.”<br /><br />Tiger Woods and Matt Kuchar earned the first point of the day for the US, hammering Argentina's Angel Cabrera and Australian Marc Leishman 5&4 in a match they led from the opening hole.<br /></p>
<p>The United States needed a par on the final hole to retain the overall lead over the Internationals on the first day of the Presidents Cup after almost throwing away a commanding advantage following a lengthy weather delay.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Steve Stricker calmly got up and down from a plugged lie in a greenside bunker to par the 18th, sinking a three-footer to secure the decisive point that allowed the Americans to finish the opening fourballs leading by 3-1/2 points to 2-1/2.<br /><br />At one point, the Americans led in all six encounters at rain-softened Muirfield Village Golf Club where birdies were plentiful but South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel inspired a stirring fightback by the Internationals.<br /><br />Oosthuizen and Schwartzel, who briefly donned garish wigs on the first tee, came from two down after seven holes to beat British Open champion Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley 2&1 in a contest of high quality involving four former major winners.<br />Bradley put the Americans two up by sinking a six-foot eagle putt at the par-five seventh but the South Africans won the next two holes with birdies, Oosthuizen draining a 16-footer at the eighth and Schwartzel tapping in a two-footer at the ninth.<br /><br />Oosthuizen then put the Internationals one up by knocking in a three-foot birdie putt at the par-five 11th, and his good friend Schwartzel sealed victory with a birdie at the 17th.<br /><br />"We knew it was going to be difficult, Keegan and Phil are a great team," said 2010 British Open winner Oosthuizen.<br /><br />"I think the break did us all really well," he added, referring to a thunderstorm delay of just under an hour-and-a-half which effectively stalled the early US momentum. "We came back out and felt refreshed.”<br /><br />Tiger Woods and Matt Kuchar earned the first point of the day for the US, hammering Argentina's Angel Cabrera and Australian Marc Leishman 5&4 in a match they led from the opening hole.<br /></p>