Tag: 2019 Junior Presidents Cup

Jack Nicklaus explains why he voted for President Donald Trump

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus posted a statement to Twitter urging people to vote and explaining why he voted for President Donald Trump.

Legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus posted a statement to Twitter on Wednesday night urging people to vote and detailing why he cast his ballot for President Donald Trump.

In Nicklaus’ view, Trump has “delivered on his promises” and “worked for the average person,” while being “more diverse than any President I have seen and has tried to help people from all walks of life – equally.”

Nicklaus also believes that “Trump’s policies will bring the American Dream to many families across the nation.”

Nicklaus, 80, won 73 times on the PGA Tour and is golf’s all-time leader in major wins with 18. Nicknamed “The Golden Bear,” Nicklaus also founded the Memorial Tournament in his home state of Ohio and has been involved in the design of a lengthy list of golf courses. Over the summer, Nicklaus revealed that he and his wife had tested positive for COVID-19 back in the early days of the pandemic in March.

In his Wednesday statement of support for Trump, he wrote: “You might not like the way our President says or tweets some things – and trust me, I have told him that! – but I have learned to look past that and focus on what he’s tried to accomplish.

“This is not a personality contest; it’s about patriotism, policies and the people they impact. His love for America and its citizens, and putting his country first, has come through loud and clear. How he has said it has not been important to me. What has been important are his actions.”

Nicklaus urged any undecided voters to vote for Trump, writing “if we want to continue to have the opportunity to pursue the American Dream, and not evolve into a socialist America and have the government run your life, then I strongly recommend you consider Donald J. Trump for another 4 years.”

Shortly after the posting of Nicklaus’ statement, Trump – an avid golfer – thanked the Golden Bear for his support. “Jack, this is a Great Honor. Thank you!” Trump wrote in a tweet he pinned atop his page.

President Trump and Nicklaus have played rounds of golf together on multiple occasions. Tiger Woods, second behind Nicklaus on golf’s all-time majors list, joined Nicklaus and Trump for one round in 2019.

Nicklaus was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian honor, by then-President George W. Bush in 2005.

 

Tracker: Follow Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas’ foursomes match at Presidents Cup

Follow along for shot-by-shot updates from Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas’ foursomes match at the Presidents Cup in Australia.

U.S. playing captain Tiger Woods wasn’t planning on playing too much at the 2020 Presidents Cup at Australia’s Royal Melbourne, but after Day 1 he may have to take out the earpiece more often than he hoped.

Woods and Justin Thomas earned the sole U.S. point during the four-ball matches on Day 1 of the biennial event, and the pairing are back in action on Friday (Thursday night in the U.S.) for the foursomes matches, teeing off at 7:41 p.m. ET against the Internationals’ Hideki Matsuyama and Byeong Hun An.

Follow along for shot-by-shot updates from Woods/Thomas vs. Matsuyama/An as the Americans look to cut into their 4-1 deficit.

PRESIDENTS CUP: Scores | Best photos
MEET THE TEAMS: USA | Internationals

Pre-round

U.S. surges to 9-3 lead after Day One of Junior Presidents Cup

Sparked by a series of ferocious comebacks, the U.S. opened up a commanding 9-3 lead at the 2019 Junior Presidents Cup.

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MELBOURNE, Australia – In 2011, Karl Vilips lived 10 minutes from Royal Melbourne and remembers attending the Presidents Cup on a rainy day to trek after Tiger Woods. Seven years later, Vilips, 18 and ranked No. 1 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Boys Junior Rankings, who was born in Jakarta to an Indonesian mother and Australian father and raised by his dad, Paul, in Perth, is back representing his country in the Junior Presidents Cup.

“This is really an unbelievable experience to come home and play here with the grandstands just days before the competition,” said Vilips, who has spent the past seven years developing his game in the U.S and is a Stanford University commit.

The only thing that could have made it better was winning two points on Day One of the Junior Presidents Cup, but that was not to be. The Australian tandem of Vilips and Joshua Greer lost both of their Sunday matches 2 and 1, including in the afternoon session when American Benjamin James (pictured above) buried a 60-foot birdie putt on 17 to seal the deal.

“Not much you can do about that,” Vilips said.

The U.S. side won four of six morning Four-Ball matches and claimed five of the six afternoon Foursomes matches to surge to a 9-3 lead. Seven of the 12 matches concluded at the 17th hole, with the U.S. team winning five of them. Four American players won both their matches Sunday: James, Vishnu Sadagopan, Maxwell Moldovan and Preston Summerhays.

Team USA celebrates after Maxwell Moldovan and Brett Roberts secured a full point at 18 for a 9-3 lead. (Adam Schupak/Golfweek)

The U.S. rallied to flip several matches, including halving two of the final three matches of the morning session after being 2 down with four holes to play. Canon Claycomb and Jackson Van Paris combined to birdie three of the last four holes to halve their match.

“That’s really the difference,” said Justin Leonard, the five-time Presidents Cup U.S. team member and 12-time PGA Tour winner who is serving as U.S. captain.

In the afternoon, Moldovan and Brett Roberts teamed to win 1-up over South Africa’s Jayden Schaper and Martin Vorster after trailing 2 down with 4 to go.

This is becoming old hat for Moldovan, the AJGA’s Rolex Player of the Year, who has been tabbed the Matchplay Ninja, and for good reason. He won the Polo Golf Junior Classic and went undefeated at the Wyndham Cup, which are both contested at math play, advanced to the Round of 16 in the U.S. Junior and knocked off Stewart Hagestad at the U.S. Amateur before falling to eventual champion Andy Ogletree in 19 holes. What makes him so tough in a match-play format?

“He’s always in play, never gets out position and makes a lot of putts and he gets in guys’ heads,” said Roberts.

When Moldovan made a 10-foot birdie putt on 15 to cut the deficit to 1 down, it breathed new life into the American duo.

“One down with 3 to go on this course a lot can happen,” Roberts said.

Moldovan knocked his approach to five feet at No. 17 to tie that match and the U.S. secured the full point when Vorster drove into trouble at 18 and the International team had to take an unplayable lie.

It took a search committee to find Martin Vorster’s drive at 18, but it was all for naught as they lost the hole and the match to the Americans. (Adam Schupak/Golfweek)

There are 12 Singles matches on Monday; it takes 12.5 points to win the Junior Presidents Cup. Leonard knows there is work still to be done for his team to retain the trophy, but he was more caught up in the experience these young competitors will always treasure.

“How do these kids go from this, playing one of the best golf courses in the world, to that next high school or junior tournament? It is going to be a little bit of a letdown,” he said. “The only difference between this and the actual Presidents Cup is that the grandstands aren’t full. Christmas for these 24 kids started on Dec. 6 in Melbourne and it’s been going on for four days now.”

Moldovan echoed that sentiment. “It’s been the best experience of my life, for sure,” he said.

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