GOLF ROUNDUP : U.S. Wins Presidents Cup When Couples Beats Price

The United States put the International team in a Ryder Cup squeeze Sunday and walked away with the first Presidents Cup.

The U.S. team, starting fast with three Ryder Cup veterans and closing strongly with three more, won six of the 12 singles matches and defeated the International team, 20-12, at Gainesville, Va.

Five of the six Americans with Ryder Cup experience won Sunday, including Fred Couples, who closed out Nick Price with a 147-yard nine-iron from a bunker to a foot from the 18th hole to win the deciding match.

“You can’t really ask for a better day,” Couples said. “I did happen to beat Nick Price and I did get the 17th point, but what really mattered is that we won as a team.”

It was the end of a frustrating competition for Price, who was the only one of the 24 players not to win at least one match.

*

Mike Sullivan, who missed the cut in eight of his last 11 tournaments, made three birdies on the back nine to overtake Jeff Sluman and win the B.C. Open by four strokes at Endicott, N.Y.

Sullivan closed with a five-under 66 for a four-round total of 18-under 266, one stroke shy of the En-Joie Golf Club record set in 1982 by Calvin Peete.

*

Isao Aoki ended a two-year winless drought on the Senior PGA Tour, winning the $550,000 Bank One Classic at Lexington, Ky., by three strokes over Chi Chi Rodriguez.

Aoki shot a three-under 69 to complete the 54 holes at 14-under 202. He won $82,500.

*

Deb Richard shot a five-under 67 and came from four strokes behind to win the $500,000 Safeco Classic at Kent, Wash.

Richard finished at 12-under 204, one ahead of Chris Johnson, Tammie Green, Michelle Estill and Rosie Jones.