International captain Nick Price admitted Friday it had taken some tough talking in the team room to inspire his side to fight back on the second day of the Presidents Cup.
The US team had led 4-1 at the start of Friday's fourballs amid fears they might run away with the 11th edition of the match play team event, just as they had with eight of the previous 10.
"I had to take care of business last night after what I saw on the golf course yesterday," Price told reporters after his side won three of the five fourballs and halved another Friday to reduce the deficit to just a single point.
"I had to address it with the team members last night, which I did. The difference between Tuesday in the practice round, how well they played, and yesterday -- the mood was just not there.
"I to go to those guys and say, relax, try and play golf, and just go out there and do what you did so well throughout the year to get you to this team.
"I'm really proud of the way my team played today. It was a big turnaround, and I think all the youngsters on the team learnt an awful lot."
Price admitted that 25-year-old New Zealander Danny Lee, who was born just a few kilometres away from the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, was too "strung out" with tension to play his best golf, despite winning his match with South Korea's Bae Sang-Moon who sunk a snaking 12-footer on the final green.
"I think we even saw today, Danny Lee, who is so into this week, he's so strung out. The guy is trying so hard," said Price.
"I must admit, that putt that Sang-Moon made on 18 today, was probably the highlight of the last two days for us."
South African pair Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace got the ball rolling Friday by beating Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson 4 and 3 for their second win of the week.
They will again be out first in Saturday morning's foursomes, up against Patrick Reed and Rickie Fowler.
The US team's Bubba Watson and J.B Holmes have also had two wins out of two and they will face the all-Australian pairing of Adam Scott and Marc Leishman.
Bae was rewarded for his fine display Friday on a course on which he has won twice as a professional by being selected to team up with Japan's Hideki Matsuyama against Bill Haas and Matt Kuchar.
The final match of the morning finally sees a face off between the number one and two players in the world, Spieth and Jason Day, when they team up with Dustin Johnson and Charl Schwartzel respectively.
Source: AFP
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