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S. Korean Bae paired with Matsuyama, Lee sitting out

October 9, 2015

International team player Hedeki Matsuyama, right, of Japan and teammate Adam Scott of Australia prepare to putt during their foursome match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, in Incheon, South Korea, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015.(AP Photo/Woohae Cho)

INCHEON (Yonhap) — Bae Sang-moon, the only South Korean competing at this week’s Presidents Cup, will team up with Hideki Matsuyama of Japan in Saturday’s foursome match.

The two International Team members will be up against Bill Haas and Matt Kuchar of the United States.

The International Team grabbed three of the five four-ball matches on Friday and trails the United States 5 1/2 to 4 1/2. The United States has long had the upper hand, having won eight of the first 10 Cups so far, including the last five in a row.

After sitting out Thursday’s foursomes, Bae, a Presidents Cup rookie, earned a key point in the four-ball play with Danny Lee on Friday, sinking a birdie putt on the 18th hole to beat Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker.

Matsuyama, the world No. 15 playing in his second Presidents Cup at age 23, struggled on the greens in his foursome match with Adam Scott. Matsuyama was benched Friday.

Haas, son of U.S. captain Jay Haas, lost his four-ball match Friday after sitting out Thursday. Kuchar, who lost in his foursome match with Patrick Reed on Thursday, didn’t play Friday.

Other pairings are: Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace versus Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler of the United States; Adam Scott and Marc Leishman against Bubba Watson and J.B. Holmes of the United States; and Jason Day and Charl Schwartzel versus the Americans Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth.

Spieth and Day, ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the world, will go toe-to-toe for the first time this week.

The first match will start at 7:05 a.m. Then beginning at 11:35 a.m., four more four-ball matches will be played.

After a difficult outing on Friday, Danny Lee will be sitting out on Saturday.