President's Cup of joy

In a week when golf's return as an Olympic sport was confirmed, the United States took the President's Cup for the sixth time in eight events by beating the International team in San Francisco.

Golf and rugby sevens have been voted on to the programme for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro after the International Olympic Committee's executive board voted to include both two months ago and the full membership confirmed the decision on Friday.

Golf was passed by 63 votes to 27 while rugby sevens had 81 votes in favour and eight against. Both sports were part of the Games programme in the early part of the 20th Century before being dropped, and golf returns to the Games for the first time since the St Louis Olympics of 1904.

One of the main issues had been whether top players would compete in the Olympics but the game's brightest star, Tiger Woods, had indicated he would play.

Golf's presentation video included stars of past and present including Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els and Woods stating the sport's cause.

Its win-win for both sides - golf is such a global sport. I couldn't think of a better sport to be part of the Olympic Games, and if triple major winner Harrington is to be believed, the Olympic tournament could quickly surpass the game's four majors as the most important title in golf.

For the young players coming through the amateur and professional ranks it is certainly something for them to work towards and get excited about as the Games approach.

Back at Harding Park in San Francisco, Fred Couples' US team led 121/2-91/2 going into Sunday's 12 singles matches, and Woods's 6&5 win against Yang Yong-Eun gave them the decisive point to take the trophy. Stewart Cink, Hunter Mahan, Anthony Kim and Sean O'Hair took the US to the brink with victories early on Sunday.

Woods won all five of his matches with the US victorious by a margin of 191/2-141/2 overall. He completed his comeback year with a satisfying victory over the man who surprised us all, and most of all Woods, by overturning the Americans' final round lead at the PGA Championship back in August.

The US are now unbeaten in five President's Cup matches on home soil. The International team's only victory was at Royal Melbourne in 1998 and the teams tied at Fancourt in South Africa in 2003.

In this 'Think Pink' month raising breast cancer awareness, a great little story was the presence by the side of the 18th green of Amy Mickelson to cheer on her husband Phil. Earlier this year she was diagnosed with breast cancer, at which time Phil took time out away from the game to care for her. It was great to see her strong enough to be there and we wish her well for a full recovery.