Team USA wins on Day 1 of 2015 Presidents Cup

Foreign correspondents and players seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the cell phone rings and the clicking of camera shutters on Wednesday, a day before the opening of the 2015 Presidents Cup. Indeed, a number of fans were asking for autographs and blocking the paths to watch the practice rounds on Wednesday. “I expect that the fans will show more etiquette,” said Choi Kyung-ju, senior vice-captain of the Internationals.

But when the Presidents Cup kicked off, some 25,000 fans showed up for the opening to dispel such concern by remaining orderly throughout the day, befitting the superb performance of players. The spectators stopped their conversations whenever the players were about to take a shot, without any interruption by cell phone ringing. While text alarms were heard every now and then, it was negligible at best. Those who recorded the play with their cellphones did so only after the players finished their shots. Each and every shot that went well was admired with loud cheers and applause. The players also reciprocated the enthusiasm with smiles and waving.

Some 10 marshals dispatched at each hole maintained the order, holding a sign reading "silence" before the players take their shots. “The organizing committee told us controlling the crowd would be very difficult, but there was no commotion today,” said one marshal. "The gallery etiquette that we saw today was comparable to that of the U.S. or Europe. I am so proud.” an organizing committee official expressed satisfaction.

It was notable that many of the players had their wives and girlfriends accompanied. The atmosphere was quite different between Team USA and the Internationals. The female crowd including the girlfriends, fiancée, and wives of the American golfers were more fashionable, dressed in clothes or skirts with a large-sized Star-Spangled Banner on them. Jordan Spieth`s girlfriend, Annie Verret, and Dustin Johnson`s fiancée, Paulina Gretzky rooted for their men throughout the game. They shouted with jubilation whenever their boyfriends pulled off powerful long shots and accurate putting. Paulina Gretzky, who is an active model, was seen taking pictures with her fans and giving them her autographs.

The families of the Internationals, who wore indigo shirts and white pants, were quite compared to their American competitors, having conversations about the shots and strategies of their husbands and boyfriends to overcome each course.