Pres. Cup Live Report: Thursday's Foursomes

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Anthony Kim helped close out Mike Weir and Tim Clark with a birdie putt on the 16th hole Thursday at Harding Park.

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The Presidents Cup

PGATOUR.COM's The Live Report has all the news and notes from the The Presidents Cup, and we'll be providing updates all day long, so check back often. (All timestamps are Eastern Time.)

Oct. 8, 2009
By PGATOUR.COM Staff

WILD FINISH AS U.S. TAKES 3 1/2-2 1/2 LEAD (7:45 p.m.): The last hole of the last match of the day was a perfect example of why you never give up in match play. You play it out, trying to make every shot because you just don't know what will happen.

Case in point: Y.E. Yang and Retief Goosen trailed Jim Furyk and Justin Leonard by two with two holes to play. All Furyk and Leonard needed to do was halve one of the two remaining holes and they'd win the match. Two birdies later -- and two missed putts from close range by Leonard -- and Goosen and Yang managed what might end up being a crucial half-point for the International Team, which trails 3 1/2-2 1/2 after the first day of matches.

Adding to the bizarre ending, Goosen actually thought the match was over before Leonard's putt on the 18th lipped out. Leonard and Furyk, meanwhile, seemed confused, unsure whether Goosen was conceding the 3-footer. "I just hit a bad putt," Leonard told GOLF CHANNEL's Jim Gray afterward. One hole earlier, Leonard had an 8-footer to win the match, but missed that, too.

At one point, the U.S. was in position to take as much as a 5-1 lead after Thursday's foursomes. Instead, they'll take only a one-point lead to Friday. That's match play. -- Brian Wacker

Below is a look at the scorecard from Furyk-Leonard vs. Goosen-Yang (click here for the Match Report):

JOHNSON, PERRY GET IT DONE (7:35 p.m.): Camilo Villegas and Masters champ Angel Cabrera combined to hit just 12 of 18 fairways and only 7 of 14 greens in regulation Thursday. They also ran into a buzz saw in Zach Johnson and Kenny Perry, who combined to birdie four of the last five holes, including a concession on the 18th, to secure a 2-up win.

Though it was the first time Perry and Johnson have played together in either The Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup, they proved to be the perfect pairing for the U.S. They trailed only once, and that was early on. The rest of the day they teetered between a 1-up lead and being all square before eventually pulling ahead for good. Keep an eye on this pair not only the rest of this week, but in future match-play competitions. -- Brian Wacker

Below is a look at the scorecard from Perry/Johnson vs. Cabrera-Villegas (click here for the Match Report):

SINGH AND ALLENBY WIN (7:24 p.m.): Vijay Singh and Robert Allenby entered the 187th and 181st in total putting on the PGA TOUR, so it seemed a little curious as to why the two were paired together today. Well, both are veterans of this competition (Singh has played in every Presidents Cup) and both are good enough in the other areas of their games to overcome that and that's exactly what they did Thursday, beating U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover and British Open champion Stewart Cink, 1 up.

Singh and Allenby got off to a blazing start with birdies on four of the first five holes to take a 1-up lead before extending it to 2-up through most of the afternoon. Glover and Cink rallied, though, squaring the match after a bogey by Singh and Allenby at No. 15 and a birdie of their own one hole later. But the day ended for Singh and Allenby just as it began with birdies to close it out. -- Brian Wacker

Below is a look at the scorecard from Glover-Cink vs. Singh-Allenby (click here for the Match Report):

OPENING DAY WINDING DOWN (7:08 p.m.): The first day of matches is winding down at The Presidents Cup, though the three matches still on the course are undecided.

Two key misses just happened, however, with Y.E. Yang missing a putt and Lucas Glover missing a bunny. As such, Yang and partner Retief Goosen are 2 down with three to play against Jim Furyk and Justin Leonard and Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink are 1 down with one to play against Vijay Singh and Robert Allenby. Meanwhile, Kenny Perry and Zach Johnson lead 1 up over Angel Cabrera and Camilo Villegas with two holes left in their match. -- Brian Wacker

INTERNATIONAL TEAM ON THE BOARD (6:53 p.m.): The International Team just picked up its first point of these matches with Adam Scott rolling in a short birdie putt on the 17th hole to secure a 2-and-1 win.

Though the putt was a near-gimmie, it felt good for Scott, who was a controversial Captain's Pick. But as has been mentioned all week, Scott wasn't picked so much for his recent play as he was for his relationships with his teammates and the positive effect he can have in the locker room. Plus, he's had success playing with Ernie Els and today was another example of that with the two combining for back-to-back birdies to close out their match.

"It was an important [victory]," Scott told Jim Gray immediately following the match. "Personally for me it was big and more importantly for our team."

Els said all the right things afterward, too, giving much credit to Scott.

"I had a great partner," Els said. "And obviously a great pick." -- Brian Wacker

Below is a look at the scorecard from Mahan-O'Hair vs. Scott-Els (click here for the Match Report):

U.S. GETS SECOND POINT (6:35 p.m.): The U.S. just picked up its second point of the day -- and may have discovered a perfect match-play pairing -- with Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker coasting to a 6-and-4 win over Geoff Ogilvy and Ryo Ishikawa.

After Woods missed a chance to close out the match with a birdie putt on the 13th hole, Woods delivered on the par-3 14th, where he rolled in a 16-footer for birdie and the victory. Just before that, Ishikawa need to pretty much make his putt to have any hope of extending the match, but his 41-footer caught the edge and lipped out.

On the day, Woods and Stricker combined to miss just two fairways and only one green in regulation while taking 20 putts. They never trailed and made six birdies and no bogeys. -- Brian Wacker

Below is a look at the scorecard from Woods-Stricker vs. Clark-Weir (click here for the Match Report):

U.S. GETS FIRST POINT (6:25 p.m.): At one point, it looked like Anthony Kim and Phil Mickelson might actually lose to Tim Clark and Mike Weir. Not so fast. After muddling through much of the front nine, Kim and Mickelson got hot down the stretch, making four straight birdies to close out Clark and Weir, 3 and 2. The decisive putt came from Kim, who confidently rolled in the 10-footer to give the first point of The Presidents Cup to the U.S.

"We just needed one little thing to go our way," Mickelson told GOLF CHANNEL. That one thing was Kim's wedge shot to 6 feet on No. 13 to set up the first of those birdies.

"That's awfully nice of [Phil] to say that, but we all know I had to weigh about 400 pounds on those first few holes," Kim added.

That's the beauty of match play, though. Kim and Mickelson never led until the 14th hole and once they did, they never looked back. -- Brian Wacker

Below is a look at the scorecard from Kim-Mickelson vs. Clark-Weir (click here for the Match Report):

STAT OF THE DAY II (6:23 p.m.): Ernie Els and Adam Scott have failed to make a birdie through the first 14 holes of their match against Hunter Mahan and Sean O'Hair. Not that it's mattered -- Scott and Els lead 1-up with Mahan and O'Hair having made four bogeys and one birdie today. By the way, they're just one of two pairings not to make a birdie yet today. Mike Weir and Tim Clark is the other. -- Brian Wacker

RUNNING OUT OF HOLES (6:18 p.m.): Of today's six matches, only two of them are turning into one-sided affairs. Thanks to three straight birdies -- all putts made by Phil Mickelson -- the team of Mickelson and Anthony Kim is 2 up with three to play. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker just took a 5-up lead on Geoff Ogilvy and Ryo Ishikawa with seven holes to play. -- Brian Wacker

MAJOR MOMENTUM (6:10 p.m.): On paper, it looked good to pair two major winners, but the U.S. duo of U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover and British Open champion Stewart Cink is having a tough go against Robert Allenby and Vijay Singh, who birdied four of the first five holes.

How important is the opening match in Presidents Cup history?

Consider that in the seven previous events, the team that won the first match has gone on to win The Presidents Cup five times. In 2003, the Internationals won the opening match in what eventually was a tie for the Cup. Only in 2005, when Adam Scott and Retief Goosen trounced Tiger Woods and Fred Couples, 4 and 3, in Virginia has a team overcome that first loss to win The Presidents Cup.

Thus, the shift in momentum in Thursday's opening match could be telling. The International duo of Tim Clark and Mike Weir have been holding their own, but Anthony Kim and Phil Mickelson have rallied to win the last three holes to go up 2 up going into the 16th. -- Mike McAllister

MICKELSON, KIM TAKE THE LEAD (6 p.m.): It took 14 holes, but the team of Anthony Kim and Phil Mickelson just took their first lead of the day on Mike Weir and Tim Clark when Mickelson poured in an 18-footer and Clark's birdie putt lipped out on the par-3 14th. It's the second consecutive birdie for Mickelson and Kim (while Weir and Clark have still yet to make a birdie) with Mickelson having rolled in a 6-footer on No. 13. They lead 1 up now with four holes to play in what could be a momentum-changing moment for not only them, but the entire American team, which now leads in three matches and is all square in another. -- Brian Wacker

EARLY IMPRESSIONS (5:52 p.m.): The International team has come to play. They lead in two matches, are tied in two more and are all square in two others. One of those all-square matches is that of Tim Clark and Mike Weir playing against Anthony Kim and Phil Mickelson. If the International team can pull off the upset, though, it would be a huge confidence booster in Greg Norman's team room. ...

The American duo of Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker are just as formidable as expected. They're 4 up through nine holes against Geoff Ogilvy and Ryo Ishikawa. ...

The match between Robert Allenby-Vijay Singh and Lucas Glover-Stewart Cink is a hot one. Each team birdied the first two holes. Singh-Allenby then birdied the third hole to go 1 up. Each team birdied the par-5 fifth before Glover-Cink dropped a stroke at the par-4 sixth. It's been nothing but pars since. ...

If Sean O'Hair, the only American making his team competition debut this week, loses his match with partner Hunter Mahan, it will be interesting to see if U.S. Captain Fred Couples pairs him with a more veteran presence in Friday's four-balls. Mahan himself has only appeared in one Presidents Cup and one Ryder Cup. -- Mike McAllister

Perry

A CHANCE FOR REDEMPTION (5:44 p.m.): In April, Angel Cabrera beat Kenny Perry in a playoff to win the Masters. Today, Perry has a shot at exacting at least a little revenge. Playing with Zach Johnson, Perry and Johnson lead Cabrera and Camilo Villegas 1 up as the foursome turns to the back nine. Perry is also playing with a heavy heart having just lost his mother to blood cancer late last week. -- Brian Wacker

THE YIN AND YANG (5:30 p.m.): Good news -- finally -- for the U.S. team of Jim Furyk and Justin Leonard. Having dropped three of the first five holes to the Internationals' Retief Goosen and Y.E. Yang, Leonard nailed an approach shot to within 11 feet and Furyk drained the birdie putt to give the U.S. its first hole of the match. Goosen-Yang still lead 2-up, however, in the final match of the day. -- Mike McAllister

WOODS, STRICKER ROLLING (5:20 p.m.): The Tiger Woods-Steve Stricker match against Geoff Ogilvy and Ryo Ishikawa appears to be headed for a rout. Woods and Stricker have combined to hit every fairway and green so far and have made four birdies in the first six holes to take a 3-up lead. Woods and Stricker, who played together seven times in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, have also taken just eight putts.

Meanwhile, the duo of Anthony Kim and Phil Mickelson trails Mike Weir and Tim Clark, 1-up, for the exact opposite reason -- they haven't made anything on the greens, taking 19 putts through 10 holes. -- Brian Wacker

NOT ALWAYS WHAT IT SEEMS (5:10 p.m.): Coming into this Presidents Cup, the International Team was viewed as an underdog in many people's eyes. Looking at past history and the numbers from PGA TOUR stats guru Alex Turnbull (see chart below), it's easy to understand why. Of course, golf is played on grass and not paper and the latest check of the leaderboard has the International Team leading in four of the six matches, despite the staggering numbers below and what appeared to be favorable match-ups in most of the matches. -- Brian Wacker

Inside the numbers: U.S. vs. International Team

PGA TOUR stat	Kim/Mickelson ranks	Clark/Weir ranks	Edge
Total Driving	116/109	72/182
Ball Striking	144/114	64/178
Total Putting	33/85	24/35
Greens In Regulation	159/113	63/164
Proximity To Hole	154/173	1/19
PGA TOUR stat	Mahan/O'Hair ranks	Els/Scott ranks	Edge
Total Driving	9/56	29/91
Ball Striking	9/26	36/128
Total Putting	65/123	175/192
Greens In Regulation	19/16	54/156
Proximity To Hole	51/62	57/124
PGA TOUR stat	Cink/Glover ranks	Allenby/Singh ranks	Edge
Total Driving	101/3	5/58
Ball Striking	124/32	4/47
Total Putting	22/97	181/187
Greens In Regulation	140/74	14/51
Proximity To Hole	109/57	27/62
PGA TOUR stat	Johnson/Perry ranks	Cabrera/Villegas ranks	Edge
Total Driving	42/4	101/72
Ball Striking	22/7	137/47
Total Putting	23/71	66/117
Greens In Regulation	24/23	166/37
Proximity To Hole	11/30	72/114
PGA TOUR stat	Stricker/Woods ranks	Ishikawa/Ogilvy ranks	Edge
Total Driving	39/7	153/142
Ball Striking	30/4	178/133
Total Putting	67/9	188/11
Greens In Regulation	37/12	192/115
Proximity To Hole	9/62	192/146
PGA TOUR stat	Furyk/Leonard ranks	Goosen/Yang ranks	Edge
Total Driving	91/39	107/95
Ball Striking	95/43	144/68
Total Putting	4/45	26/105
Greens In Regulation	91/64	168/52
Proximity To Hole	11/14	72/62

AT THE TURN (5 p.m.): The first match of the day has reached the par-3 ninth here at Harding Park, where Tim Clark and Phil Mickelson each just found the greenside bunker for their respective teams.

Neither team has been more than 1-up and it'll stay that way at the turn with the teams all square in The Presidents Cup's opening match. Weir just showed why he's one of the best bunker players on the PGA TOUR, though, setting up a near tap-in par for Clark after Mickelson missed a meaty par putt following Kim's sub-par bunker shot that came up short. The International Team now leads in four matches, the U.S. in two. -- Brian Wacker

SINGH, ALLENBY ON TARGET (4:50 p.m.): The big concern for the International Team in its match with Vijay Singh and Robert Allenby against Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink was putting, or lack of it by Singh and Allenby. Those two, however, not only have out-putted the Americans, they've outplayed them, hitting all six greens in regulation while taking one less putt on their way to an early 2-up lead (with a birdie on No. 3 and a par on No. 6). If this were stroke play, Singh and Allenby would be 4 under through six holes. -- Brian Wacker

SCOTT, ELS IN CONTROL (4:40 p.m.): The pairing of Adam Scott with Ernie Els was a no-brainer -- both in terms of their comfort level with each other and their respective games. What is surprising about their match against Hunter Mahan and Sean O'Hair is not that they're 2-up, but that Mahan and O'Hair have already made three bogeys in the first six holes. -- Brian Wacker

SCHWARZENEGGER SIGHTING (4:30 p.m.): California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had quite an entourage of black suits following him around at the Fairmont Hotel atop Nob Hill in San Francisco on Wednesday night. One of his stops was at the United States team room.

Let's let the PGA TOUR's champion twitter, Stewart Cink, tell you about it: "The Governator just stopped by our team room. On his golf game he said, 'Last time I held a club was in Conan the Barbarian.' Funny moment.." he wrote about 16 hours ago. -- Helen Ross

MATCH UPDATE (4:20 p.m.): Thanks to back-to-back birdie putts, first by Steve Stricker then by Tiger Woods, the U.S. has taken its first lead in any of the matches all day with Woods and Stricker 1-up on Geoff Ogilvy and Ryo Ishikawa.

The International Team, however, leads in four matches and is tied in one other match with all six foursome matches on the golf course. -- Brian Wacker

HEY, RYO (4:10 p.m.): Give him a break. He's only 18. When Ryo Ishikawa was introduced for his first Presidents Cup match, he stepped out on the first tee and tugged at his visor, tipping his head toward the crowd in each bleacher. As he did it, International Captain Greg Norman was motioning for him to step back into the pack with the other players -- which Ishikawa promptly did. -- Helen Ross

TIGER, RYO TEE OFF (3:57 p.m.): If you want to find Tiger Woods when you're at a golf tournament, it's easy: Just look for the biggest gallery. The size of that gallery is even bigger today, though, with Woods and playing partner Steve Stricker going up against Ryo Ishikawa and Geoff Ogilvy in a match that just began. Ishikawa is hugely popular in his native Japan and anywhere he travels, there's a gaggle of reporters and photographers close behind. Expect to hear a lot of shutterbugs with that group today. -- Brian Wacker

STAT OF THE DAY (3:43 p.m.): We're only a few matches into today's foursomes, but the most startling number of the day was already out there long before the first peg was put in the ground. Vijay Singh and Robert Allenby, who just teed off against Stewart Cink and Lucas Glover, rank 187th and 181st in total putting.

That will be the first thing critics point to if Singh and Allenby go down today. -- Brian Wacker

Scott

ALL EYES ON ADAM (3:30 p.m.): Adam Scott's selection as a Captain's Pick by Greg Norman certainly brought with it a lot of attention, even from his playing partner Ernie Els. But that might be just what the struggling Scott needs. The two have played together three times in foursomes and have been successful

"I feel comfortable with Scotty," Els said. "Obviously he's had a tough year. But I feel that he feels comfortable playing with me and I feel comfortable playing with him. We need to get going and what's been has been. We have to look forward now. And I think he's driving the ball unbelievably."

That last part Scott certainly did today, pounding his drive down the right side of the first hole. Unfortunately, Scott's struggles didn't take long to appear -- without so much as a practice swing, his chip shot from just short of the first green came up woefully short and the duo could only manage a par. The good news? Their opponents, Hunter Mahan and Sean O'Hair, just made bogey, giving the International team an early lead in the first two matches (Tim Clark and Mike Weir just won the second hole). -- Brian Wacker

FIRST-HOLE JITTERS? (3:20 p.m.): It was an inauspicious start for the first match out on the course. First, the diminutive duo of Tim Clark and Mike Weir nearly reached the par-5 first hole in two, only to take three strokes to get the ball in the hole. Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim weren't able to take advantage, however. After reaching the green in two, Mickelson left a long eagle putt about 6 feet short, then Kim missed it badly on the low side, meaning the first point of these matches will have to wait, for now. -- Brian Wacker

Mickelson

MICKELSON, CLARK DO THE HONORS (3:10 p.m.): We're officially under way here at The Presidents Cup, where Phil Mickelson chose to hit first for the U.S. -- not surprising in a foursomes match that opens on a par-5 that partner Anthony Kim can go for the green in two on and rely on Mickelson's short game should he miss the green. Tim Clark, meanwhile, teed off for the International team -- again not surprising given Clark's ability to hit it close on approach shots, especially on a hole on which Clark and Weir will likely not reach in two. -- Brian Wacker

COIN FLIP (3 p.m.): The U.S. just won the coin flip to determine who will play first and -- surprise, surprise -- Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim chose to tee off first. If this were a football game, it would be like the offense wanting to take the field first rather than kick off and have the defense go out. Mickelson and Kim are all about getting out first and fast. -- Brian Wacker

PRE-GAME MEAL (3 p.m.): The International Team prepared for the opening Foursomes by having a barbeque at their team room at Harding Park on Wednesday evening. Captain Greg Norman flew in some of his signature Wagyu beef from Australia. Wagyu is a breed of cattle that produces particularly densely marbled beef that is often referred to as the "foie gras of beef." The famous Kobe beef from Japan is from the same stock. Y.E. Yang contributed some Korean barbeque that had been marinating for several days. He actually cooked the beef for his teammates, too. -- Helen Ross

INSIDE THE NUMBERS ON KIM-MICKELSON, CLARK-WEIR (2:45 p.m.): If there is concern for the U.S. team with its opening pairing of Anthony Kim and Phil Mickelson -- aside from tough match-play opponents in Tim Clark and Mike Weir -- it could be that both have struggled, at least statistically, with their greens in regulation and their scrambling this year.

Kim and Mickelson rank 159th and 113th, respectively, in greens in regulation and 154th and 173rd in proximity to the hole. Both all-world scramblers, they've struggled with that, too, ranking 125th and 115th, respectively.

Their opponents, Tim Clark and Mike Weir, however, have been, for the most part, much better in those areas -- Clark is 63rd in greens and first in proximity, while Weir is 164th and 19th. In scrambling, Clark ranks 14th, while Weir ranks 17th. -- Brian Wacker

Kim

FIRST AND FAST (2:30 p.m.): Personality-wise, Anthony Kim and Phil Mickelson suit each other perfectly. They're as bold as some of Kim's belt buckles, or in the case of this week, his watch. Their games also pair up pretty well, too.

"I don't ever have to worry about if I hit it in a bad spot if he's uncomfortable, because he's been there before," Kim said yesterday. "It's the same for me, if he hits it off the planet, I've been there before, and sometimes we are going to short-side ourselves and leave ourselves difficult shots, but at the same time we'll get the ball in the hole and figure out a way to do it."

Kim's aggressiveness extended to wanting to go out first today -- he likes to play fast and wants to get an early point on the board to spur on his team the way he did in singles play at last year's Ryder Cup. Kim is also rested after being physically worn down to the point where he had shed too much weight by the end of the season. Mickelson, meanwhile, is coming off that win at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola.

"I think the last two days are the best I've hit the golf ball in 2 1/2 years since I've been a professional," Kim said.

That attitude is precisely why Mickelson, who is nursing a bit of a bad back this week, likes playing with Kim.

"When I was going to lay up on 17 [Wednesday] and give him an 80-, 100-yard shot, he said, 'Oh, no, hit the driver, man, get it down by the green,'" Mickelson said. "There's not a shot that he fears. He likes getting closer to the hole and he feels like he can hit any shot necessary around the green. I don't ever feel bad if I leave him in a tough spot, because he believes he can get it up-and-down."

And Kim isn't afraid of taking that competitiveness beyond the course to the ping pong table.

"Phil talks about how good he is, but he's leaving out the fact that I went 3-0 against him in ping-pong and it really wasn't a match," Kim said. "Let's talk about who is the best ping-pong player." And the best pairing in terms of personalities on the U.S. team. -- Brian Wacker

Thursday's Foursomes


TIM CLARK MIKE WEIR	ANTHONY KIM PHIL MICKELSON
Match time: 3:10 p.m. ET; 12:10 p.m. (local) Presidents Cup records: Mike Weir (11-7-1 overall, 3-4-1 Foursomes); Tim Clark (4-5-1, 1-3-0); Phil Mickelson (11-13-9 overall, 5-6-2 Foursomes); Anthony Kim (0-0-0, 0-0-0). International analysis: Captain Greg Norman made the first pick when the Americans, as the defending champs, deferred. Weir wanted to go out in the first group, and Norman made that happen. Clark and Weir each average 278 yards off the tee, so they'll be familiar with the approach shots. Clark has been steadier this year, ranking fourth in driving accuracy and 63rd in GIR to 110th and 164th, respectively, for Weir. So look for the South African to give this team a lift. Seeing blue on the scoreboard early will be critical for the Internationals, too. U.S. analysis: This pairing was a no-brainer for U.S. Captain Fred Couples. The two Americans went 1-1-1 together at last year's Ryder Cup and both are comfortable in the leadoff spot. Theyre exciting players who won't get rattled if the other leaves them in a less than stellar spot. Finding fairways isn't either's forte -- Kim ranks 183rd and Mickelson 187th -- although the veteran does manage to reach more greens in regulation. Kim's putting stats are better -- he ranks second in birdies -- but Mickelson had an epiphany working with Dave Stockton the week before he won THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola.


ADAM SCOTT ERNIE ELS	HUNTER MAHAN SEAN O'HAIR
Match time: 3:22 p.m. ET; 12:22 p.m. (local) Presidents Cup records: Adam Scott (7-6-2 overall, 3-2-1 Foursomes); Ernie Els (13-10-2 overall, 4-5-1 Foursomes); Hunter Mahan (2-3-0 overall, 2-0-0 Foursomes); Sean O'Hair (0-0-0, 0-0-0). International analysis: Scott and Els have history as a team. The two have played three Foursomes matches together and won two of them. After a fairly solid performance at the Turning Stone Resort Championship, Scott doesn't seem quite as suspect a Captain's Pick as he did three weeks ago -- but he still has something to prove. With three top-10s in his last seven starts, including two in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, Els should be the steadying influence in this group. U.S. analysis: These two 27-year-olds used to play a lot of junior golf together. So maybe it's only fitting that Mahan will partner O'Hair in his Presidents Cup debut. Mahan has done everything but win this year while O'Hair picked up his third career victory and is coming off a pair of top-four finishes in the Playoffs. Both are hitting more than 68 percent of their greens in regulation so there should be opportunities for birdies. Mahan is undefeated in a quartet of Foursomes matches at the last two Cup matches, so he must be doing something right.


VIJAY SINGH ROBERT ALLENBY	LUCAS GLOVER STEWART CINK
Match time: 3:34 p.m. ET; 12:34 p.m. (local) Presidents Cup records: Vijay Singh (14-15-6 overall, 5-6-3 Foursomes); Robert Allenby (6-11-2 overall, 2-5-1 Foursomes); Lucas Glover 2-3-0 overall, 2-0-0 Foursomes); Stewart Cink (8-4-1 overall, 4-1-0 Foursomes< International analysis: Tee to green, Allenby is among the best on either team. His putter has let him down this year, though -- he ranks 189th in putting and 161st in birdies. That has been Singh's nemesis, too, with his corresponding stats 167th and 112th. Off the tee, they'll be compatible, though, and they're accurate with the irons. Plus, there should be a comfort zone since they've played four Presidents Cups together. U.S. analysis: This duo played together in the 2007 Presidents Cup and lost their only match, a Four-ball contest with Geoff Ogilvy and Nick O'Hern. Two years later at Harding Park, the two good friends are back-to-back major champions after Glover won the U.S. Open and Cink the British Open. Both have solid Foursomes records; this could be a solid team.


ANGEL CABRERA CAMILO VILLEGAS	KENNY PERRY ZACH JOHNSON
Match time: 3:46 p.m. ET; 12:46 p.m. (local) Presidents Cup records: Angel Cabrera (3-3-3 overall, 1-2-0 Foursomes); Camilo Villegas (0-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 Foursomes); Kenny Perry (7-6-0 overall, 3-2-0 Foursomes); Zach Johnson (2-2-0 overall, 2-0-0 Foursomes) International analysis: Pairing the two South Americans was probably an easy decision for Norman. Villegas, who was born in Colombia, is fluent in English but Cabrera is more comfortable speaking in his native Spanish. Not to mention, the big-hitting Cabrera, who won the Masters earlier this year, is playing in his third Presidents Cup while this is Villegas' first. He's not the type of player to be intimidated, though. U.S. analysis: Between them, Johnson and Perry have four wins in 2009 so you know they are doing something right. Johnson is extremely accurate off the tee and both hit lots of greens. Getting between the ropes should be a positive for Perry, who lost his mother last week and is playing at his family's urging. At 49, he's the oldest player on the team and may not have many more Cup opportunities, so he's sure to savor this.


GEOFF OGILVY RYO ISHIKAWA	TIGER WOODS STEVE STRICKER
Match time: 3:58 p.m. ET; 12:58 p.m. (local) Presidents Cup records: Geoff Ogilvy (2-3-0 overall, 0-2-0 Foursomes); Ryo Ishikawa (0-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 Foursomes); Tiger Woods (13-11-1 overall, 7-2-1 Foursomes); Steve Stricker (5-5-0 overall, 2-2-0 Foursomes) International analysis: This one should be big for TV ratings in Japan, where the 18-year-old Ishikawa has won four times this year, including last Sunday to further validate Greg Norman's unconventional Captain's Pick. Norman said Ogilvy wanted to play with the teen prodigy at some point during the week. So putting the experienced and laid-back Aussie out to steady the rookie in his debut may turn out to be an inspired choice. U.S. analysis: Woods has been saying for weeks that he wanted to play with Stricker and -- surprise, surprise -- the world No. 1 got his wish. We all know he plays better in this format when he has a comfort zone. The two are well-acquainted with each other's games, too, after playing seven rounds together during the Playoffs. They each won once during that stretch (and also combined for three seconds), so this should be a formidable pairing.


RETIEF GOOSEN Y.E. YANG	JIM FURYK JUSTIN LEONARD
Match time: 4:10 p.m. ET; 1:10 p.m. (local) Presidents Cup records: Retief Goosen (11-7-2 overall, 2-5-1 Foursomes); Y.E. Yang (0-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 Foursomes); Jim Furyk (13-8-2 overall, 4-3-2 Foursomes); Justin Leonard (6-10-2 overall, 3-3-2 Foursomes) International analysis: Again, Norman has partnered one of his most experienced players in Goosen with a rookie in Yang. The South Korean does bring form to the table, though, with two wins in 2009, including the PGA Championship. Driving accuracy could be an issue with neither player ranked higher than 129th on TOUR but Yang's iron play has been solid. The self-deprecating Goosen joked that Yang would be "carrying me around the golf course" but the South African has one win this year and nearly picked up a second before losing in a playoff so don't be fooled. U.S. analysis: Furyk and Leonard have a 1-1 record together in Foursomes, dating back to the 2003 Presidents Cup. Neither veteran has won this year but their fairways-and-greens games are extremely compatible. Furyk reeled off three straight top-10s to end the Playoffs so he's definitely hitting on all cylinders. This pairing won't panic bringing up the rear, either.