Match 17 report: Ishikawa & Yang win 3 and 2

text size

SAN FRANCISCO -- Here's an in-depth look at Saturday morning's Foursomes match between the Internationals' Ryo Ishikawa and Y.E. Yang and the United States duo of Zach Johnson and Kenny Perry.

Match reports: Match 13 | Match 14 | Match 15 | Match 16 | Match 17 | Complete coverage

Match 17

Ryo ISHIKAWA/Y.E. YANG(Int'l) def. Kenny PERRY/Zach JOHNSON(USA), 3 and 2

Overview: The International duo of Korea's Y.E. Yang and Japan's Ryo Ishikawa continued to click, never trailing in their match against Americans Kenny Perry and Zach Johnson. It's the second consecutive win for the Asian pair, who have now emerged as the hottest team for Greg Norman's side. Yang and Ishikawa followed birdies on the first and third holes with bogeys on the second and fourth. But after another birdie on the fifth hole, the Internationals went 1 up and maintained the lead for the rest of the match. A wayward drive by Johnson and a Perry approach shot that came up short of the green at the par-4 eighth led to bogey and put the Americans 2 down. Yang and Ishikawa went 3 up with a birdie at the 10th. The Americans finally recorded their first birdie of the day at the 12th to cut into the lead, but the Internationals remained steady the rest of the way, closing out the match when Yang's approach at the 16th landed just outside of seven feet, with Ishikawa draining the birdie putt. Johnson suffered his first loss of the week and his first loss in The Presidents Cup Foursomes.

Key moment: On the par-4 10th, both teams found the center of the fairway with their drives, but while Yang's approach shot landed safely on the green inside 19 feet while Perry's approach landed in the rough. Ishikawa then rolled in the birdie putt to put the Internationals 3 up.

Quote: "It's been really nice to have Y.E. around. I was more relaxed with his leadership. I think that's why we have been able to do well and have an impact. Y.E. has been a real big help for me." -- Ryo Ishikawa

"Y.E. speaks a little bit of Japanese and so they get on very well. Their communication is very good and they enjoy playing with each other, as simple as that." -- Greg Norman

Updated Presidents Cup player records: Ryo Ishikawa (2-1-0 overall, 1-1-0 Foursomes); Y.E. Yang (2-0-1 overall, 1-0-1 Foursomes); Zach Johnson (4-3-0 overall, 3-1-0 Foursomes); Kenny Perry (8-8-0 overall, 4-3-0 Foursomes).