Pres Cup: Change of fortune?

2007-09-28 18:19

Montreal - The Internationals will try to battle back from a five-point deficit to the United States in Friday's second day of the Presidents Cup, where the format changes from foursomes to four-ball matches.

World number one Tiger Woods, who helped the defending champion Americans grab a 5 1/2-1/2 edge after Thursday's alternate-shot matches, has the worst record in Cup history in the four-ball format at 2-6.

But his two triumphs came in 2005 at Washington alongside Jim Furyk, his partner against Fiji's Vijay Singh and Australian Stuart Appleby at the Royal Montreal Golf Club on Friday.

Fourth time the Americans have led

"Tiger's record in four-ball play has not been particularly good," said US captain Jack Nicklaus. "He won a match at Washington and we almost gave him a party."

Singh has six four-ball wins, the most of any player here, but Woods and Furyk have been a solid combination, taking two points at the Ryder Cup last year and 2 1/2 points at the 2005 Presidents Cup.

"We're a long way from the end of this thing," Woods said. "We need to still go out there and play well and get our points."

This is the fourth time the Americans have led by five points after the first day but the first time they have done so away from US soil.

They won the Cup all three prior times they jumped ahead so much and lead the rivalry 4-1-1.

But the Internationals have fought back in four-ball before.

They swept six four-ball matches on the penultimate day of the 2003 Presidents Cup in South Africa only to have the US rally in singles for a draw.

"There's stuff to sort out and a job to be done," Aussie Adam Scott said. "There are still a lot of points to be collected and we can make that up over the next couple days."

Els partners Weir

Scott and South Korean KJ Choi will play Steve Stricker and Scott Verplank, while South African Retief Goosen and US Open winner Angel Cabrera of Argentina face Phil Mickelson and Hunter Mahan.

South Africa's Ernie Els, who missed a four-footer on the 18th hole that would have halved a match on Thursday, joins Canada's home-crowd favourite Mike Weir against Masters champion Zach Johnson and Charles Howell.

South Africans Trevor Immelman and Rory Sabbatini, the only pairing intact from foursomes play, will face Woody Austin and David Toms while Aussies Geoff Ogilvy and Nick O'Hern meet Stewart Cink and Lucas Glover.

- AFP