US destroy Internationals
The seventh edition of the Presidents Cup is almost over before beginning, with the United States obliterating the Internationals in the Thursday foursomes at Royal Montreal, taking the day 5 1/2 - 1/2.
The day started terribly for the Internationals with power combination Adam Scott and Geoff Ogilvy losing to Steve Stricker and Hunter Mahan 3 and 2. The Australian pair quickly went three holes down, before reeling the margin back to one hole at the turn.
The killer blow was on 15 when the Americans bogeyed, yet Scott and Ogilvy double bogeyed.
Stricker drilled a birdie putt on 16 to close the match. The surprise packet though was Mahan, who nailed a 25 foot birdie putt on his very first hole in international competition.
South Africa’s Rory Sabbatini and Trevor Immelman went to the 18th against Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson all square, until Sabbatini savaged his tee shot into a hazard. The Americans safely negotiating the hole to win 1 up. Hurting more was the fact the international pair had taken the first two holes, losing that lead before the turn.
Ernie Els will be another South African having nightmares tonight. Els and partner Angel Cabrera had roared back against David Toms and Jim Furyk, sinking birdies on 15 and 16 to get back to within one hole.
On the 18th, Els missed a seemingly simple four footer to halve the match.
World number one Tiger Woods was partnered with Charles Howell III, with the pair starting slowly before cruising past KJ Choi and Nick O’Hern 3 and 1.
Woods joked that the reason Howell is such a compatible partner is “because we hate each other.”
Retief Goosen and Stuart Appleby lost to Scott Verplank and Lucas Glover 2up.
The only joy - if you can call it that - was the halved match between Vijay Singh/Mike Weir and Phil Mickelson/Woody Austin. Even so, the Internationals led for most of the back nine, with Woody Austin sinking a 15 footer on the last to salvage the tie.
Tomorrow is the four-ball day.
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