Tiger Woods turned in a typically dominant performance, but the US emerged from the first day of the Presidents Cup with just a slim one-point lead over their International rivals.
Woods and partner Steve Stricker clicked in the tricky foursomes format, defeating Australian Geoff Ogilvy and Japanese teen sensation Ryo Ishikawa 6 and 4.
The hosts finished the day with a 3.5 to 2.5 lead in the biennial match play golf showdown, a Ryder-esque competition which pits the US against a team drawn from everywhere in the world except Europe.
The US were denied a larger lead when Justin Leonard missed a three-foot putt to win the last match of the day.
Leonard and Jim Furyk had rallied from 3-down against South Korea’s PGA Champion Yang Yong-eun and South African Retief Goosen and took a 2-up lead with two holes to play.
The Internationals birdied 17 to extend the match. The Americans were on the green in two at the par-five 18th and Furyk’s first putt left Leonard facing a short birdie attempt, but after Goosen holed his birdie putt, the South African took his cap off as if to concede Leonard’s putt.
After a moment of confusion, Leonard stepped up to putt. His attempt lipped out, the US lost the hole and the match was halved.
Internationals captain Greg Norman said Goosen wasn’t trying to wrong-foot the Americans.
“He thought the match was over,” Norman said. “He didn’t concede the putt, he just thought the match was over. It was a legitimate mistake. It was just the intensity of the game.”
Woods and Stricker were the only US duo that never trailed in their match.
They notched five birdies in the first nine holes and were 4-up at the turn. They moved 5-up as Ogilvy and Ishikawa bogeyed 10, and Woods drained a 15-footer for birdie to close out the match at 14.
Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim delivered the US’ first point, saving their best for last as they closed out a 3 and 2 victory over Canadian Mike Weir and South African Tim Clark with four birdies to win the last four holes.
Aussie Adam Scott and Els earned the Internationals’ first point with a 2 and 1 victory over Hunter Mahan and Sean O’Hair.
Fiji’s Vijay Singh and Australian Robert Allenby delivered another crucial point for the Internationals as they battled to a 1-up victory over Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink — the reigning US and British Open champions.
Americans Kenny Perry and Zach Johnson won a tight match against Argentina’s Masters champion Angel Cabrera and Colombian Camilo Villegas 2-up.
■MADRID MASTERS
AFP, MADRID
Spaniard Manuel Quiros shot a 10-under 62 to take a two-shot lead after the opening round of the Madrid Masters on Thursday.
The world No. 1,076 is two shots ahead of world No. 8 Sergio Garcia, who had taken the early lead with a closing 15-foot eagle putt for an eight-under 64.
Playing in the last group of the day, however, Quiros hit an incredible 10-birdie 62 at the Centro Nacional de Golf.
Garcia remains favorite for the title, especially with playing partner — and former Ryder Cup player — Luke Donald managing only a one-under 71.
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