Weir and Clark prepare for American buzzsaw

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Mike Weir (front) and Tim Clark (back) wanted the tall task of facing Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods on Saturday.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Asking to play against the formidable U.S. duo of Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker seems like asking to have a root canal. Without the anesthesia. Why would anyone seek out that kind of pain?

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Maybe Tim Clark and Mike Weir are just gluttons for punishment. But then again, maybe they just see an incredible opportunity, one that has much more upside than downside. Why else would they actually ask to take on Woods and Stricker in Saturday morning's Foursomes?

After all, the American pair have steamrolled through their first two matches with barely a hint of anxiety about what the outcome will be. They've played 29 holes thus far in The Presidents Cup and have held the lead after 26 of them. They beat Geoff Ogilvy and Ryo Ishikawa 6 and 4 on Thursday and Ogilvy and Angel Cabrera 5 and 3 on Friday, and never even hinted about breaking a sweat.

International Captain Greg Norman felt so bad about his fellow Australian having to endure two consecutive days of lopsided losses that he asked Ogilvy if he wouldn't mind sitting out Saturday's Foursomes. Ogilvy -- who just happens to be the Internationals' highest-ranked player in the Official World Golf Ranking (at No. 10) -- said he didn't mind.

"Quite honestly, he was beaten up a lot," Norman said.

So let's ask again: Why would Clark and Weir want to take on this "buzzsaw," as Norman described the Woods-Stricker tandem? Why would they face potential humiliation?

Their answers make sense.

"Myself and Mike wanted that match," Clark said. "We know whoever is going up against them is going to have it tough, and we just feel like with our solid games tomorrow, we can go out and at least try and wear them down if we can. But that's going to be tough."

Added Weir: "Obviously, you're going to have your hands full with those two guys. They are playing great golf. Timmy and I, with our similar games, hopefully we can put it together tomorrow and give them a good go."

Perhaps there is a method to this madness.

Earlier this year, Clark beat Woods 4 and 2 in the second round of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. Sure, it was Woods' first event after returning from his eight-month absence from the PGA TOUR following knee surgery. Sure, he was rusty. Still, it was Tiger Woods. And it was still a big deal.

That's not the only time Clark has had success against Woods. He teamed with Ernie Els to beat Woods and Charles Howell in Four-Balls six years ago at The Presidents Cup.

And at the 2007 Presidents Cup in Montreal, Weir produced the biggest moment for the hometown Canadians by beating Woods 1 up in singles.

If any duo seems able to avoid looking at the invincible label that Woods and Stricker have been wearing through the first two days at Harding Park, it's these two International pit bulls.

"Those guys stepped up to the plate," Norman said. "They don't have any problem with them.

"If you're afraid of losing, then you're going to lose. If you have no fear -- no matter who you play, you've just got to go and play your best golf. ... You should never play the individual or the name of the person or the reputation. You just go out there and play. And both of these guys said, 'We'll go play them, it doesn't bother us.' "

When you're smaller than most players, you learn not to be bothered by appearances. Clark is 5-foot-7. Weir is 5-foot-9. Neither one has much distance off the tee, and they'll be giving up plenty of yardage to Woods and Stricker.

But so what? Clark showed Friday that he's capable of a big strike, coming up with the match-winning eagle after he smoked his second shot from 248 yards out to 14 feet from the pin at the par-5 18th. He was the only player in that match to find the green in two. Considering the other three players were big-hitters Lucas Glover, Stewart Cink and Vijay Singh made it even more impressive.

Like Clark, Weir also walloped a nice second shot at the 18th. With his ball near a fence in the left-hand rough after a poor tee shot, Weir used a 3-wood and a little fade and landed his ball within 22 feet from the hole and was conceded the eagle putt as he and Els beat Jim Furyk and Anthony Kim.

Such heroics don't go unnoticed. But the compensation hardly seems fair, with a date against Woods and Stricker on the horizon. Yet Norman said Weir and Clark are "actually relishing the chance of stepping up to the plate."

Small statures can often mean big hearts. And Saturday morning, they get a big opportunity to strike a huge blow for the International side.