Match 11 report: Johnson & Mahan win 2 and 1

text size

SAN FRANCISCO -- Here's an in-depth look at Friday's Four-Ball match between the United States duo of Zach Johnson and Hunter Mahan and the Internationals' Robert Allenby and Camilo Villegas.

Match 11

Zach JOHNSON/Hunter MAHAN(USA) def. Robert ALLENBY/Camilo VILLEGAS(Int'l), 2 and 1

Overview: The American pair of Zach Johnson and Hunter Mahan never trailed in a tight match that saw both teams heat up on the back nine. Mahan gave the U.S. the lead on the second hole when his tee shot landed four feet from the pin for birdie. The Internationals' Camilo Villegas answered at the fifth hole to square the match, but Mahan's approach shot left him with a tap-in birdie at the sixth to regain the lead for the U.S. With the Internationals 2 down going into the 15th, Allenby birdied, but Mahan did likewise to halve the hole. Johnson then faced birdie putts at the 16th and 17th holes to close out the match; he made the latter from 7 feet for the win. Johnson was solid off the tee, htting 11 of 13 fairways; meanwhile, Mahan hit 15 of 17 greens in regulation.

Key moment: With the Internationals having squared the match on the fifth hole, Hunter Mahan hit a perfect drive at the par-4 sixth hole, then followed with an approach shot to with 14 inches for a birdie. The U.S. never trailed after that.

Quote: "It was a team effort all along. Hunter started off great and played great the entire day, as we witnessed. It was a good team effort. Fortunately, I got some putts to come in the last few holes. It would have been nice to close out the previous hole, but I hit a good putt there and a better putt on this hole. So it was nice." -- Zach Johnson

Updated Presidents Cup player records: Zach Johnson (4-2-0 overall, 1-1-0 Four-Ball); Hunter Mahan (3-4-0 overall, 1-2-0 Four-Ball); Robert Allenby (7-12-2 overall, 3-5-0 Four-Ball); Camilo Villegas (0-2-0 overall, 0-1-0 Four-Ball).