Tiger helps U.S. win its eighth Presidents Cup
For the third consecutive meeting, Tiger Woods clinched The Presidents Cup for the United States in singles play on Sunday.
Playing the last four holes with a tender back, Tiger grinded his way to a 1-up victory against Richard Sterne of the International team to give the Americans an 18.5 to 15.5 win at soggy Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.
“It feels good,” said the top-ranked Woods, who finished the week with a 4-1 record, the best of any competitor. “It was a team effort this whole week. We played really well and gave ourselves a nice lead going into singles.”
The International team, which trailed 14-8 starting singles, made things interesting. Tiger, who teed off ninth in the 12 matches, made U.S. captain Fred Couples a winner for the third straight time.
“It was a tough day,” Woods said. “We had rain and wind. It was tough all-around.”
Tiger has been bothered by back spasms the last part of this season, but it held up well until the 14th hole on Sunday. He flinched after several shots and bent down gingerly when teeing up the ball and reading putts.
“It kept getting worse and worse coming in,” Woods said. “It’s a little tight, but I’m sure we can find some swing lube later for this.”
Sunday marked the eighth overall win in 10 Presidents Cups and fifth in a row for the U.S. side, whose only loss came in 1998 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia. Woods previously clinched the Cup for America in 2009 at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco, Calif., and in 2011 at Royal Melbourne.
“We have a great time,” Tiger said of the camaraderie. “That’s why everyone wants to make these teams.”
The South African-born Sterne, ranked 41st in the world, had never played against Woods, but battled gamely. They halved the first six holes before Sterne took a 1-up lead with a birdie at the par-5 seventh. Tiger pulled even with a birdie at the par-4 ninth.
After halving the 10th and 11th holes, Woods won the par-3 12th with a conceded birdie when Sterne hit his tee shot in the water. But he evened the match with a birdie at the par-4 13th.
The next two holes were halved before Tiger took a 1-up lead with a two-putt par at the par-3 16th, where Sterne flew his drive over the green. Woods made a nice up-and-down save for par at the par-4 17th, where his ball was sitting down in wet grass, right of the green. He judged the chip beautifully and the ball stopped about a foot from the cup.
At the uphill, 481-yard, par-4 18th, Tiger found the fairway and knocked his second shot 33 feet below the hole. Sterne missed a 50-foot birdie attempt and Woods lagged to a foot to win the match.
Earlier in the day, Woods and Matt Kuchar completed Saturday’s foursomes match against Ernie Els and Brendon de Jonge of the International team. Woods and Kuchar were 2-down after nine holes when play resumed on the 10th green. The U.S. won the hole with a two-putt par.
After halves at 11 and 12, the International team won the par-3 12th hole with a birdie, then jumped out to a 3-up advantage with a birdie at the par-4 14th hole.
But the Americans fought back, with Tiger reaching the green in two at the par-5 15th and Kuchar pouring in an eagle putt. At the par-3 16th, the International team knocked its tee shot in the water and Kuchar wound up sinking a 33-foot birdie putt to win the hole.
However, the final two holes were halved, enabling Els and de Jonge to prevail, 1-up.
