Pres. Cup Live Report: Foursomes, Four-ball

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Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker remained undefeated after winning both their matches Saturday 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.) Four-Ball preview | Live Scoring | PGA TOUR Network | Facebook | Twitter | FanZone | iPhone app Morning wins: Woods-Stricker | Mickelson-O'Hair | Cink-Mahan tie | Yang-Ishikawa | Furyk- Leonard

SUNDAY PAIRINGS (10:14 p.m.): The pairings for Sunday's singles matches are out. The featured match of the day? Easy. Tiger Woods vs. Y.E. Yang, the man who went toe-to-toe with him to win the PGA Championship. See below for all the match-ups. -- Brian Wacker

TOUGH TASK AHEAD (9:35 p.m.): To win the Presidents Cup on the final day, the International team will need to do something it has never done in the history of this event -- outscore the U.S. by 3 1/2 points.

In the seven previous Presidents Cups, the Internationals have outscored the U.S. just once -- by two points two years ago in Montreal in a losing effort.

Down by three points going into Sunday's singles matches, the Internationals need 3 1/2 more points than the U.S., since a tie score allows the Americans to retain The Presidents Cup. -- Mike McAllister

Here are the Sunday point totals in the previous Presidents Cups:

FINAL MATCH HALVED (9:17 p.m.): All four players in the day's final match had a chance to birdie the par-5 18th, but none of them did. As a result, the match was halved and the U.S. will take a 12 1/2-9 1/2 lead to Sunday's singles, putting the International team in a difficult situation. No team trailing going into Sunday's singles matches has come back to win The Presidents Cup.

As for that final match, Phil Mickelson and Sean O'Hair were 2 down before getting things all square with a birdie by O'Hair on the 13th. The two teams halved every hole from that point on. The International team never trailed in any of the matches it won Sunday, including this one, the lone halve of the day, but the moral victory has to go the U.S., which is just five points away from retaining The Presidents Cup. -- Brian Wacker

Below is a look at the scorecard from Mickelson-O'Hair vs. Singh-Clark (click here for the Match Report):

ONE HOLE TO GO (8:51 p.m.): A birdie by Sean O'Hair on No. 17 after Vijay Singh and Tim Clark had both birdied the hole has sent the day's final match to the final hole with the two teams all square. O'Hair backed off his short birdie putt three times, but there wasn't much break on it and with all eyes on him, he rolled it in. As for the 18th, you have to figure the length of Mickelson and O'Hair will give them the advantage with Clark not nearly as long off the tee as either of them or Singh. Remember, though, Clark made eagle here yesterday. -- Brian Wacker

ONE MATCH T0 GO (8:41 p.m.): There's now just one match to go -- Vijay Singh-Tim Clark vs. Phil Mickelson-Sean O'Hair -- and that one is all square after Mickelson stuck his approach shot to 2 feet on No. 16 to set up a birdie that matched Clark's on the hole. The International team desperately needs the point in this match with the U.S. currently leading 12-9. Something has to give in this match, though. There hasn't been a single change of lead in any of the afternoon matches. The Americans never trailed in the first and fourth matches; the International team never trailed in the second and third matches and the International team has yet to trail in this final match, either. -- Brian Wacker

TIGER, STRICKER GET ANOTHER POINT (8:24 p.m.): If someone told you that Tiger Woods would have just one birdie in Saturday's Four-Ball match with Steve Stricker against Ryo Ishikawa and Y.E. Yang, you might have thought the outcome wouldn't be a very good one for the No. 1 player in the world. On the contrary, Woods and Stricker cruised to a 4-and-2 victory that wasn't that close. Stricker made seven birdies, including six in an eight-hole stretch at one point, in the kind of performance Woods is often accustomed to putting on.

"I helped out on three holes all day -- 17 and 18 this morning and 16 here," Woods told NBC after winning four matches in a single Presidents Cup (or Ryder Cup) for the first time in his career. Combined, he and Stricker haven't come close to losing a match at Harding Park.

"The putter was my friend," Stricker added. "What [Tiger] did this morning, I wanted to do something."

Stricker did that and more. About the only bad news for the U.S. is that the two won't play together tomorrow -- it's all singles matches Sunday. -- Brian Wacker

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

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER (8:15 p.m.): For the second time this week, Anthony Kim saved some of his best golf for the end. Having been a total non-factor the first 14 holes, Kim birdied three of his last four holes (and Jim Furyk eagled the last) to secure a 2 up victory over Angel Cabrera and Adam Scott.

It was a bizarre day for Furyk and Kim with the latter totally out of several holes -- he had seven xs on the scorecard -- but the two stayed close enough all day to pull away at the end.

"I don't know," Kim said to NBC, trying to explain why his game suddenly turned late in the day. "I felt like my game was coming around, but Jim held me in there pretty good and I owe him a lot of credit ... the match could have been over."

Yes, it could have been. But that's the beauty of Four-Ball. You have a partner to carry you when you need it. -- Brian Wacker

Below is a look at the scorecard from Kim-Furyk vs. Cabrera-Scott (click here for the Match Report):

OPEN CHAMPS GO DOWN (8:05 p.m.): While the top three players in the world are closing in on a possible perfect start here at The Presidents Cup, U.S. and British Open champs Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink remain without a win this week after getting beat by Geoff Ogilvy and Robert Allenby, 2 and 1.

Glover and Cink, now a combined 0-6-1, trailed for all but two holes of this match and just haven't been able to get anything going all week. Tired? They sure look it, especially Glover. -- Brian Wacker

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

INTERNATIONAL TEAM ON THE BOARD (7:56 p.m.): The International team just scored the first point of the afternoon matches thanks to a 5 and 3 win by Ernie Els and Mike Weir.

Els and Weir never trailed in their match against Zach Johnson and Justin Leonard with Weir making birdie on the first hole and the two never looking back. That brings Els and Weir to 4-0 for their careers when paired together in Presidents Cup Four-ball. And they got there in pretty good style, ham-and-egging their way to seven birdies on the day with Els making four of them over a five-hole stretch on the back nine at one point. -- Brian Wacker

Below is the scorecard from Johnson-Leonard vs. Els-Weir (click here for the Match Report):

STAT OF THE DAY II (7:37 p.m.): If Phil Mickelson and Sean O'Hair can rally to win -- they're 1 down with six holes to play -- the top three players in the world and in the final FedExCup standings will be a combined 12-0 in this year's Presidents Cup with Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker quickly closing on their fourth win. Woods and Stricker, by the way, would be the first players in Presidents Cup history to team up to win their first four matches. -- Brian Wacker

CLOSING IN (7:23 p.m.): Seriously? Seven birdies? That's what Steve Stricker has today, the latest of which came on No. 12 to give Stricker and Woods a dormie 6-up lead over Ryo Ishikawa and Y.E. Yang.

That's not the only match nearing conclusion, though, with Geoff Ogilvy and Robert Allenby 3 up with four to play and Ernie Els and Mike Weir 4 up with five to play against Zach Johnson and Justin Leonard. Also, Jim Furyk and Anthony Kim -- despite Kim's massive struggles today -- are 2 up with three to play against Angel Cabrera and Adam Scott. -- Brian Wacker

BIRDIE BARRAGE (6:57 p.m.): Steve Stricker might have a new nickname after today. His play in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup had many people calling him Mr. September. Well, new month, new name. After birdies on 5 of the last 6 holes and 6 of the last 8 to give he and partner Tiger Woods a ridiculous 5-up lead over Ryo Ishikawa and Y.E. Yang through 10 holes. Even International Captain Greg Norman had to acknowledge the performance, giving Stricker a congratulatory hug as Stricker made his way to the 11th hole. For once, Tiger Woods is just along for the ride. He hasn't made a birdie all day and it hasn't mattered. -- Brian Wacker and Mike McAllister

MAJOR DUDS (6:49 p.m.): What do Lucas Glover, Stewart Cink and Angel Cabrera all have in common? Aside from being major winners in 2009, the three have combined for exactly zero wins so far in this Presidents Cup. And that's not likely to change this afternoon, either, with Cink and Glover trailing Geoff Ogilvy and Robert Allenby by three through 12 holes and Cabrera, along with Adam Scott, down two against Anthony Kim and Jim Furyk with five holes to play. In fact the only point this group has is a half-point from Cink in Foursomes. -- Brian Wacker

Kim

STAT OF THE DAY (6:32 p.m.): Tiger Woods and Anthony Kim have yet to make a birdie today, yet both lead in their respective matches. Woods can thank Steve Stricker, who has made four straight birdies while playing with Woods to give that duo a 4-up lead as they turn to the back. Kim, meanwhile, has been carried by partner Jim Furyk, who has two birdies through 12 holes to give them a 1-up advantage over Angel Cabrera and Adam Scott. If Kim felt like a 400-pound gorilla the opening day, wonder what he feels like on day three? A Ryder Cup hero a year ago, he's contributed just one point so far this week. -- Brian Wacker

MATCH UPDATE (6:12 p.m.): We're about midway through the Four-Ball matches here at Harding Park and three matches are one-sided, while two more are within a hole or two of each other.

Here's a quick rundown:

• Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker are 3 up on Ryo Ishikawa and Y.E. Yang mostly because of Stricker's stellar play, especially on the green.

• Geoff Ogilvy and Robert Allenby enjoy the biggest lead in any match, leading 4 up on Stewart Cink and Lucas Glover after Ogilvy just poured in his third birdie of the day, on No. 10. Cink and Glover, who are both winless this week, have just one birdie today.

• Ernie Els and Mike Weir lead 3 up over Zach Johnson and Justin Leonard thanks to three birdies today by Weir.

• Vijay Singh and Tim Clark just took a 2-up lead on Phil Mickelson and Sean O'Hair. Clark has three of those birdies, relying on the one area Singh can't -- putting.

• Jim Furyk and Anthony Kim, 2 down much of the day against Angel Cabrera and Adam Scott, cut that deficit to one with a birdie by Furyk on No. 10. Kim, meanwhile, continues to struggle with zero birdies and two bogeys today. -- Brian Wacker

Stricker

STRICK-LY THE BEST (5:56 p.m.): Something had to give in the showdown between Tiger Woods-Steve Stricker and Ryo Ishikawa-Y.E. Yang and right now it's the latter. More accurately, though, this match has been all about Stricker, who has four birdies in the last five holes on the strength of a hot putter. Stricker's birdie putts have gone in from 14, 32, 13 and 7 feet. Meanwhile, Woods has made nothing but pars.

As for Ishikawa and Yang, Ishikawa has the group's lone birdie with Yang having just made bogey on No. 7. -- Brian Wacker

AT THE TURN (5:47 p.m.): After spending much of the match 2 down, Angel Cabrera and Adam Scott -- or, more accurately, Cabrera -- have made back-to-back birdies to close out the front nine in the opening match of the Four-Balls. That's pulled them back to all square with Anthony Kim and Jim Furyk, who have just one combined birdie (from Furyk) all day. Anthony Kim? He has two bogeys. -- Brian Wacker

OGILVY, ALLENBY UP BIG (5:30 p.m.): After sitting out the morning matches, struggling Geoff Ogilvy didn't take long to get on track. He birdied the first hole before adding another birdie on the seventh hole to help his team to a 3-up lead over Stewart Cink and Lucas Glover through the first seven holes of their match.

Clearly having the morning off helped Ogilvy, who despite having won the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship earlier this year, has struggled on the PGA TOUR and in this event. -- Brian Wacker

WEIR ON THE REBOUND (5:15 p.m.): It's been a nice -- and fast -- turnaround for Mike Weir, who didn't play the last couple of holes against Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker particularly well in the morning Four-balls. Paired with Ernie Els here in the afternoon against Zach Johnson and Justin Leonard, Weir has made three birdies to give his team a 2-up lead over Johnson and Leonard through the first five holes.

On the par-5 first hole, Weir nearly reached the green in two before chipping to 2 feet to set up an easy birdie. On the par-4 fourth, Weir got the putter rolling with a 24-footer for the lone birdie on the hole. -- Brian Wacker

THIS AND THAT (5:10 p.m.): Tiger Woods has never won four matches in any of his five previous appearances in The Presidents Cup, but he has a chance to do so this week after teaming with Steve Stricker to win their first three matches at Harding Park. ...

Y.E. Yang and Ryo Ishikawa are facing Woods and Stricker, and it's the third consecutive match that the Asian duo have been paired. Just two other times in tournament history have two Presidents Cup rookies been paired three times in a single year. Both of those times, the rookies went undefeated at 3-0-0 -- Mark O'Meara-David Duval in 1996 and Stewart Cink-Kirk Triplett in 2000. Yang and Ishikawa are 2-0-0 going into the afternoon Four-balls. ...

Camilo Villegas is the only one of the five Presidents Cup rookies who has yet to win a match. He's 0-3-0 and is sitting out the Saturday afternoon Four-balls. ...

Just three players have perfect records through the first three sets of matches, and all three are Americans -- Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker and Phil Mickelson, each 3-0-0. Woods and Stricker have been paired together for each match, while Mickelson has won with three different partners. -- Mike McAllister

BACK TO ALL SQUARE (4:57 p.m.): How close has the Tiger Woods-Steve Stricker vs. Ryo Ishikawa-Y.E. Yang match been? Well, they're back to all square after Ishikawa just coolly rolled in a birdie putt from just inside 10 feet on No. 4. Each side has now made one birdie and three pars through the first four holes. There will be about as much separation between these guys as there is between, oh, Richard Nixon and Watergate. -- Brian Wacker

Woods

TIGER TALKS (4:45 p.m.): Tiger Woods has displayed several different ways to celebrate a good shot during his career, and he unveiled a new one Saturday after hitting the second shot to the par-5 18th that led to his and partner Steve Stricker's comeback win over Mike Weir and Tim Clark in Foursomes.

After hitting the 3-iron, Woods knew it was a good shot, and he raised his hand toward the pin, as if following the flight of the ball. Actually, it looked some type of salute as he marched up the fairway.

Actually, not even Tiger really knew what he was doing after the shot. All he knows is that it landed safely on the green to set up a potential eagle or certain two-putt birdie. Weir and Clark ultimately conceded the hole, leading to a 1-up win for the Americans.

"I don't know what I did, but I liked it," Woods said of his reaction. "I started walking after it, and I knew it was a good number for me. I could hit a full 3-iron and land it on the front and it wasn't going to be too much club." -- Mike McAllister

STRIKING FIRST (4:38 p.m.): Advantage Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker, at least for now. One of the game's best putters, Stricker just birdied the third hole to give he and Woods a 1-up lead over Y.E. Yang and Ryo Ishikawa. -- Brian Wacker

WHAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR (4:25 p.m.): After two-and-a-half days, we finally get the match everyone's been waiting for with Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker going up against Ryo Ishikawa and Y.E. Yang. Both teams come into the Four-Ball showdown undefeated, having won all their respective matches easily. So is it any surprise that through two holes, they're all square? Expect this one to be close all day. -- Brian Wacker

FURYK, KIM OUT TO FAST START (4 p.m.): Make that a 2-up lead for Jim Furyk and Anthony Kim in their match against Angel Cabrera and Adam Scott thanks to an 11 1/2-foot birdie putt by Furyk on the third hole. Furyk has had his struggles on the PGA TOUR -- he has 10 top-10s this year, but hasn't won since 2007 -- but he's still one of the game's best putter and that will go a long with Kim, who needs someone who can roll the rock right now.

All five Four-Ball matches are now under way with Kim and Furyk leading and Ernie Els and Mike Weir 1 up in their match against Zach Johnson and Justin Leonard. The rest of the matches are all square. -- Brian Wacker

EARLY LEADS (3:45 p.m.): Anthony Kim can breathe a little easier now. He and Jim Furyk just took a 1-up lead on Angel Cabrera and Adam Scott when Cabrera and Scott bogeyed the par-4 third hole. Meanwhile, Ernie Els and Mike Weir just birdied the first hole to take a 1-up lead on Justin Leonard and Zach Johnson. -- Brian Wacker

KIM'S STRUGGLES CONTINUE (3:30 p.m.): In the first match out in Saturday afternoon's Four-Balls, Anthony Kim had a chance to give his team an early lead with a birdie on the first hole. But Kim did what he's done most of the week -- miss a big putt. Kim came up empty from 15 feet, while partner Jim Furyk could only manage par as well. Ditto Angel Cabrera, who, along with Adam Scott, had to feel like he got away with one there.

To preview all the afternoon Four-Ball matches, click here. -- Brian Wacker

STILL PERFECT (3:10 p.m.): Ryo Ishikawa and Y.E. Yang might be the International team's answer to Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker, having easily won for a second straight day, 3 and 2. But Woods just hit the two best shots of the tournament; first a 22-foot putt that had just enough to roll in the hole on No. 17, then a lasered iron approach shot on the par-5 18th that left Stricker an 8-foot, 11-inch eagle attempt that he didn't have to putt after Mike Weir and Tim Clark could only manage par.

The remarkable 1-up win by Woods and Stricker gives the U.S. a 10-7 lead going into the afternoon Four-Balls. -- Brian Wacker

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

Below is the scorecard from Perry-Johnson vs. Yang-Ishikawa (click here for the Match Report):

SHOT OF THE DAY (3 p.m.): We just had our first real wow moment of the Presidents Cup and who else delivered it but Tiger Woods. With he and partner Steve Stricker trailing by one with two holes to play -- and Stricker catching the lip on a greenside bunker that came up 22 feet short of the hole -- Woods needed to make the putt to have any hope of extending their match, especially with Mike Weir sitting just 5 feet from the hole for birdie.

On cue, Woods delivered with just enough speed as the ball fell in on what looked like its last revolution. Up went a roar from the crowd, down went Woods fist pump in the biggest show of emotion he's had all week.

Weir still had to putt and keep a 1-up lead, but one of the PGA TOUR's best putters slid it by, moving the match to all square with one hole to play and the momentum clearly on the side of Woods and Stricker. -- Brian Wacker

MAHAN, CINK EARN HALF-POINT (2:55 p.m.): After spending most of the day 2 down to Robert Allenby and Vijay Singh, Hunter Mahan and Stewart Cink just earned what could be a crucial half-point thanks to back-to-back birdies. For Singh and Allenby, putting finally caught up with them as they combined to three-putt the par-5 18th for only a par. -- Brian Wacker

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

OPPOSITES ATTRACT (2:50 p.m.): As Jim Furyk noted after his morning victory with Justin Leonard, in Four-Ball, it's good to play with someone who's almost completely opposite in their style. Anthony Kim is certainly that -- from his style of play to his style of belt buckle. Nonetheless, Kim and Furyk will tee it up in Four-Balls for a second-straight day.

"He struggled yesterday. He was a little down on himself, but he's really got a lot of confidence and I expect he's going to go out there today and make a bunch of birdies," Furyk said of Kim. "You'll see a new guy today."

Kim better be a new guy. Yesterday, Kim and Furyk lost 2 up. -- Brian Wacker

TIGER, STRICKER STILL DOWN (2:38 p.m.): Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker are only 1 down, but they're quickly running out of holes with just three to play. Woods' wedge approach on No. 16 has been like a lot of his other approach shots today -- high and short. For example, from just 105 yards, Woods came up 31 feet short of the hole on No. 16. Too much of that today is the reason these two are down for the first time all week. -- Brian Wacker

CHANGES FOR THE AFTERNOON (2:25 p.m.): In addition to some different pairings, there will be a few other changes in the afternoon.

First, five tees -- Nos. 2, 7, 11, 13 and 17 -- will be moved up for the Four-Ball matches. Second, Kenny Perry, 49, asked Captain Fred Couples to sit out this afternoon so he could get some rest for tomorrow's singles. -- Brian Wacker

ANOTHER WIN FOR U.S. (2:15 p.m.): Jim Furyk and Justin Leonard didn't make a bogey all day and missed just one fairway and one green in regulation while beating Ernie Els and Adam Scott, 4 and 2.

Furyk and Leonard, who came up short on Thursday when Leonard missed two putts that would have won their match then, were nearly perfect today, playing the best golf of any group on the golf course.

Even though they'll split up in the afternoon, this pairing was clearly a success for the U.S., and if not for those two missed putts on Thursday, they'd be 2-0.

"Now it's about putting our feet up and watching these matches coming in," Leonard told NBC afterward. "It's easier going from alternate shot to best ball, rather than the other way around."

As for taking on different partners in the afternoon Four-Ball, Furyk said, "I love playing with Justin ... in Four-ball it's good to play with someone who plays totally different than you." -- Brian Wacker

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

LEONARD, FURYK LEAVING LITTLE TO CHANCE (2 p.m.): The next match likely to end? Well, if Jim Furyk and Justin Leonard continue to hit it the way they have so far, it'll be their match against Ernie Els and Adam Scott.

Furyk and Leonard have missed just one fairway and one green all day and lead 2 up with four holes to play. They've also been bogey-free and have trailed for just one hole all day and that was on the front nine. Since a birdie on No. 10, Furyk and Leonard haven't come close to giving up the lead. -- Brian Wacker

POINT, U.S. (1:45 p.m.): The first point of today's matches just went to the U.S. with Phil Mickelson and Sean O'Hair beating Retief Goosen and Camilo Villegas, 5 and 3.

Though the match was close most of the front nine, Mickelson and O'Hair got things rolling -- literally -- on the back, closing with three birdies over their final four holes.

"He knocks that in and the momentum stayed right with us," Mickelson said of O'Hair's birdie putt on 13 in an interview with NBC.

For O'Hair, playing with Mickelson helped him get on the winning side -- something Villegas still hasn't done in three matches -- for the first time all week.

"Phil did a great job of coaching me through today," O'Hair said.

Making a few putts certainly helped, too. "I feel so much better on the green," added Mickelson, who seems to have straightened out his putting woes in a recent session with Dave Stockton. "It's a fun format when you're making putts." -- Brian Wacker

Below is a look at the scorecard from Mickelson-O'Hair vs. Goosen-Villegas (Click here for the Match Report):

AFTERNOON PAIRINGS (1:40 p.m.): Pairings for the five Saturday afternoon Four-Ball matches will be announced at 2 p.m. ET. Two players from each side will have to sit out. Sitting out the Saturday morning Foursomes session are Angel Cabrera and Geoff Ogilvy for the International team, and Anthony Kim and Lucas Glover for the U.S. team. -- Mike McAllister

LOOKING AHEAD (1:32 p.m.): We're still more than a day away from knowing which team will win the 2009 Presidents Cup. We do know, though, that The Presidents Cup will return to Royal Melbourne in 2011. The classic Sandbelt course in Melbourne, Australia, happens to be the site of the only International Team triumph.

To get fans in the mood for the matches Down Under, the folks from Victoria Tourism have brought two joeys -- that's baby kangaroos to the uninitiated -- and an albino wallabee for the fans coming through the welcome pavilion to see. The joeys are in cloth pouches and people are able to hold them and have photos taken with them. -- Helen Ross

SECOND TO NONE (1:23 p.m.): A lot has been made of the dynamite pairing of Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker. After all, the duo -- ranked Nos. 1 and 3 in the world, respectively -- won their first two matches in commanding fashion, although they do find themselves trailing for the first time in Saturday morning's Foursomes.

Don't forget about world No. 2 Phil Mickelson, though. He seems to be bringing out the best in all three of his partners, and the left-hander is at the top of his game as well.

Mickelson, who won THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola two weeks ago, hasn't played the 17th hole yet. He took 3-and-2 victories with Anthony Kim in Foursomes, and Justin Leonard in Four-Ball, and now Mickelson and rookie Sean O'Hair are 3 up on Retief Goosen and Camilo Villegas. -- Helen Ross

STILL LOOKING FOR A WIN (1:05 p.m.): Maybe Camilo Villegas should have sat down for this morning's Foursomes. Villegas, who is playing with Retief Goosen, has yet to be on the winning end of a match this week and that's not likely to change in today's Foursomes with Phil Mickelson and Sean O'Hair now leading 3 up after Villegas missed a 20-footer to save par on the 11th hole.

To be fair, Goosen didn't exactly leave Villegas much of a chance after running his pitch shot from the rough well past the hole. But it was Villegas who hit it in the rough to begin with. At this rate, it would be a surprise not to see Villegas sit in the afternoon. -- Brian Wacker

BACK AND FORTH (12:50 p.m.): Thanks to a birdie by Stewart Cink after a tight Hunter Mahan approach shot on the par-4 eighth hole, Cink and Mahan are back within one of Vijay Singh and Robert Allenby. In that match, only one hole has been halved between the two teams with Cink and Mahan winning the first two and Allenby and Singh the next four before they finally managed to halve the par-4 seventh. -- Brian Wacker

BACK TO ALL SQUARE (12:41 p.m.): Well, that lasted all of about 10 minutes. Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker have pulled even with Mike Weir and Tim Clark after trailing for the first time this Presidents Cup. After Weir and Clark made a birdie on the fifth hole to briefly take the lead, Woods and Stricker came right back with a birdie of their own as Stricker rolled in a 21-footer on No. 6 to get the match back to all square. -- Brian Wacker

TIGER, STRICKER FINALLY TRAIL (12:30 p.m.): For the first time at this event, the U.S. team of Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker find themselves down in a match after Tim Clark drained a birdie to at the par-5 fifth to give the Internationals a 1-up lead.

The key shot of the hole was Mike Weir's third shot from 141 yards that landed within 3 feet of the pin to set up Clark's birdie putt.

Woods and Stricker had not trailed in the first two days in trouncing both their opponents. And prior to Saturday morning, they had lost just one hole.

The fifth hole was the second winning hole for Clark and Weir today. -- Mike McAllister

Singh

ON A ROLL (12:23 p.m.): One of the repeat pairings today is Vijay Singh and Robert Allenby, which is odd and not so odd. Odd because neither is a particularly good putter. Not so odd because the two seem to play well together. They won on Thursday, beating U.S. and British Open champs Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink, and they're winning again today, leading 2 up over Cink and Hunter Mahan.

Cink and Mahan got off to a fast start with birdies on the first two holes, but they gave the lead away with back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 3 and 4. Singh and Allenby just moved to a 2-up lead of their own with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 5 and 6, giving them wins on four consecutive holes. -- Brian Wacker

FAMILIAR FACES (12:05 p.m.): There are a lot of repeat pairings in this mornings Foursomes -- seven of them are the same as they were on Thursday.

The most dominant of them, of course, has been the Tiger Woods-Steve Stricker duo. They won both their matches easily and haven't trailed for a single hole, including through the four they've played against Mike Weir and Tim Clark today.

Ernie Els and Adam Scott have been equally dominant in this format -- they've never lost a Foursomes match while paired together -- and Y.E. Yang and Ryo Ishikawa may be on their way again after two early birdies this morning. Yang and Ishikawa, however, did give those back with bogeys. -- Brian Wacker

TOO CLOSE TO CALL (11:52 a.m.): All five morning matches are on the golf course right now ... and four of them are all square, with the first one, Phil Mickelson and Sean O'Hair 1 up on Retief Goosen and Camilo Villegas. -- Brian Wacker

CINK GIVES AMERICANS 2 UP LEAD (11:30 a.m.): Stewart Cink hit a 7-iron stiff on the second hole, and Hunter Mahan easily holed the putt to give them a 2-up lead over Robert Allenby and Vijay Singh. Singh hit his shot to 10 feet, but Allenby missed the putt to halve the hole. -- Ryan Smithson

MATCHES GET UNDER WAY (11:17 a.m.): NBC is showing Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker teeing off vs. Mike Weir and Tim Clark, and NBC's Johnny Miller called it "David vs. Goliath."

Woods had the tee first and striped his tee shot down the center of the fairway, and Weir followed suit with an identical shot.

Meanwhile, over on the first green, Stewart Cink just gave he and Hunter Mahan a 1-up lead with a birdie putt against Robert Allenby and Vijay Singh. -- Ryan Smithson

YANG, ISHIKAWA GET THE NOD AGAIN (10:50 a.m.): Greg Norman is showing a lot of confidence in playing Ryo Ishikawa -- at 18, obviously a Presidents Cup rookie -- and sitting proven veteran Geoff Ogilvy.

Ishikawa

But Yang said on Friday that he preferred to play with the young Japanese phenom again, and their styles meshed well in their upset victory over Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair.

Perry will have Zach Johnson as his partner today as they take on the Asian duo. Adding Johnson is an interesting mix -- he's already won both of his matches and has racked up a 4-2 record lifetime in The Presidents Cup. -- Ryan Smithson

SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE (10:22 a.m.): Saturday is traditionally the biggest day of competition, as players face a doubleheader of matches that can often lead to huge scoring swings. Below is a look at the schedule. -- Ryan Smithson

Today's schedule (all times Eastern)
• 10:35 a.m. -- Third Round of Competition
• Foursomes (5 matches) (10:35, 10:45, 10:55, 11:05, 11:15, expected finish around 2:50 p.m.)
• 3:05 p.m. -- Fourth Round of Competition
• Four-ball (5 matches) (3:05, 3:17, 3:30, 3:42, 3:55, expected finish around 8:55 p.m.)
• TV Times -- 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (NBC)

WHY MESS WITH A GOOD THING (10:10 a.m.): Not surprisingly, U.S. Captain Fred Couples is keeping the undefeated pair of Tiger Woods and Steve Sticker together. Why wouldn't you? They won 6 and 4 and 5 and 3 in their first two matches. They have enjoyed themselves, played well, and most of all, have had fun. In 29 holes, they have only lost one hole and lost the tee for only two holes. Rumor has it that Mike Weir and Tim Clark wanted this pairing. Be careful what you wish for.

On the International side, Captain Greg Norman appears to have found a good pairing in Ryo Ishikawa and Y.E Yang. They won their Four-Ball match on Friday, but will have to be on their game to beat Kenny Perry and Zach Johnson on Saturday morning.

Norman also decided to sit Angel Cabrera and Geoff Ogilvy. I have been out with Ogilvy the first two days. He has struggled with his game and a rest could do him well. There may not be a better competitor on TOUR than Ogilvy, but sometimes things just don't go as you plan.

On the U.S. side, Anthony Kim has struggled, despite a victory with Phil Mickelson in Foursomes on Thursday. He is sitting, along with Lucas Glover, who when paired with Stewart Cink lost both matches the first two days, despite playing extremely well.

I can only imagine what each of these captains have gone through in deciding who sits on Saturday. All these players have earned the right to play. I would expect very close matches again on Saturday, with the outcome not likely not being known until late Sunday afternoon. -- Mark Carnevale

CLARK UP TO THE CHALLENGE (10 a.m.): Tim Clark is only 33 years old, but he's already a veteran of 12 Presidents Cup matches, and he's qualified for every World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship since 2005. His second-round victory over Tiger Woods in the Accenture Match Play Championship earlier this year came as a surprise, but it shouldn't have, because Clark has some qualities that make him a tough match-play opponent. He hits the ball straight, he's a solid iron player, and he's a very good lag putter.

Imagine a player having to face Clark in match play: He constantly hits the fairway, he hits his irons close to the flag, and you never see him in a bunker. Even at his young age, he's got a lot of experience all over the world and seen every type of lie.

No one would dispute that the Tiger Woods-Steve Stricker pairing may be the most devastating twosome in Presidents Cup history, but Mike Weir and Tim Clark have shown they can beat the best on any given day. -- Ryan Smithson

Saturday morning's Foursomes

RETIEF GOOSEN CAMILO VILLEGAS PHIL MICKELSON SEAN O'HAIR Match time: 10:45 a.m. ET; 7:45 a.m. (local) Presidents Cup records: Retief Goosen(11-8-3 overall, 2-5-2 Foursomes); Camilo Villegas (0-2-0, 0-1-0 Foursomes); Phil Mickelson (13-13-9 overall, 6-6-2 Foursomes); Sean O'Hair (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Foursomes). International analysis: Neither of the two have won a match during this year's Presidents Cup -- although Goosen and Y.E. Yang eeked out a halve in Foursomes on Thursday when Justin Leonard misfired on a 3-foot putt. Hitting fairways is neither player's forte this year, but Villegas has been dependable with his irons. Their statistics in Friday's Four-ball were remarkably similar (12 greens for both and Villegas' seven fairways was one more than Goosen) so the two could be a good match. Not to mention, the rookie is intense and the veteran as collected as they come. U.S. analysis: Mickelson is back in his familar leadoff position but playing with his third partner of this Presidents Cup. He's got two wins to show for it, though, so Lefty must be doing something right. O'Hair is Mickelson's new project -- he partnered Anthony Kim so well at the Ryder Cup and in Foursomes on Thursday, then helped Justin Leonard forget that gaffe at the 18th hole on Friday in Four-balls. Here Mickelson partners the other American rookie, who is coming off top-10s in his last two starts but hasn't tasted victory yet this week. Both are big-hitters and potentially explosive players so maybe Mickelson can help O'Hair turn things on. ERNIE ELS ADAM SCOTT JIM FURYK JUSTIN LEONARD Match time: 10:55 a.m. ET; 7:55 a.m. (local) Presidents Cup records: Ernie Els (15-10-2 overall, 5-5-1 Foursomes); Adam Scott (8-7-2 overall, 4-2-1 Foursomes); Jim Furyk (13-9-3 overall, 4-4-2 Foursomes); Justin Leonard (7-10-3, 3-3-3). International analysis: Both teams have history together but the International duo can boast of a 1-up victory over the Americans in 2003. Not to mention, Els and Scott won their opener this week and have a 3-1-0 mark in Foursomes overall. The Aussie, who was feared by many to be a liability as a Captain's Pick, has rewarded Greg Norman's faith in him so far. Granted, Scott didn't win in Four-ball -- he and Retief Goosen ran into a buzz-saw in Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard -- but he twice squared the match with clutch birdies. Els didn't have his best stuff on Friday but he's still 2-0 and is tied with Vijay Singh as the leading point-getter on the International Team. U.S. analysis: Even though there originally was some confusion over whether the putt had been conceded, Leonard knew he made a bad swipe at the 3-footer for par on the 18th hole of his opening Foursome match that enabled the Internationals to pick up a tie. He came right back out in Four-balls on Friday with Phil Mickelson, though, and birdied the first hole, then closed out that match with an 11-footer at the 16th hole. So that Foursomes gaffe is all in the past, and he and Furyk return for the U.S. looking to improve on a 1-1-1 record overall. The dependable Furyk, playing with a struggling Anthony Kim on Friday, had a 26-footer on the 18th hole to halve his Four-ball match but the ball slid inches left of the cup. He and Leonard are nothing if not plodders who won't go down without a fight. ROBERT ALLENBY VIJAY SINGH STEWART CINK HUNTER MAHAN Match time: 11:05 a.m. ET; 8:05 a.m. (local) Presidents Cup records: Robert Allenby (7-12-2 overall, 3-5-1 Foursomes); Vijay Singh (16-15-6 overall, 6-6-3 Foursomes); Stewart Cink (8-6-1 overall, 4-2-0 Foursomes); Hunter Mahan (3-4-0 overall, 2-1-0 Foursomes) International analysis: In four previous Presidents Cups, Allenby and Singh had never played a match together. Pity, since the two proved to be a good fit on Thursday as they beat Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink in Foursomes. The International duo held the lead for 15 of 18 holes that day and proved resilient when the Americans won the 15th and 16th to square the match -- answering with a birdie at the 17th on the way to the win. Allenby is as good as anyone tee-to-green and Singh was equally steady Friday, hitting all but five fairways and five greens in his Foursomes win with Tim Clark. U.S. analysis: These two Americans have never played together. Cink partnered Lucas Glover in the first two matches this year and they lost both, so Couples elected to sit the reigning U.S. Open champ during Saturday morning's session. Singh was on the winning end of both those matches, too, so Cink, who won the British Open in July, should have extra incentive. Mahan, one of Fred Couples' two Captain's Picks, was unbeaten in Foursomes during the last two Cups until Thursday but should find Cink a compatible partner. He and Zach Johnson, one of Cink's best friends, picked up a Four-ball victory on Friday over Allenby, so again, there is history there. TIM CLARK MIKE WEIR STEVE STRICKER TIGER WOODS Match time: 11:15 a.m. ET; 8:15 a.m. (local) Presidents Cup records: Tim Clark (5-6-1 overall, 1-4-0 Foursomes); Mike Weir (12-8-1 overall, 3-5-1 Foursomes); Steve Stricker (7-5-0 overall, 3-2-0 Foursomes); Tiger Woods (15-11-1 overall, 8-2-1 Foursomes) International analysis: Weir and Clark were paired in Thursday's Foursomes and lost to Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim 3 and 2. They failed to record a birdie, but the two players are probably feeling better about things after their performances in Friday's Four-balls, in which both players recorded wins playing with different partners. Clark produced the key shot of the day when his second shot at the par-5 18th landed 14 feet from the pin, setting up an eagle that allowed him and Vijay Singh to rally for a win against Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink. Weir and Ernie Els, meanwhile, beat Jim Furyk and Anthony Kim. But despite the good vibes from Friday, Weir and Clark know they're facing the toughest duo at Harding Park in Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker. Interesting, though, that Weir and Clark have each beaten Woods heads-up in match play. Weir defeated Woods in singles at the 2007 Presidents Cup in Montreal, while Clark eliminated Woods earlier this year in the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. Beating Woods and Stricker will be a tall order, but what Weir and Clark lack in stature, they more than make up for it with their tenacious attitudes. This may be closer than you think. U.S. analysis: Captain Fred Couples must feel like he can just go ahead and count on a point from Woods and Stricker. After all, they've yet to be tested at Harding Park, beating Geoff Ogilvy and Ryo Ishikawa 6 and 4 in Thursday's Foursomes, then whipping Ogilvy and Angel Cabrera 5 and 3 in Friday's Four-balls. On Thursday, Woods and Stricker combined to miss just two greens and one fairway, and Woods' eight wins in Foursomes is the most by any player in Presidents Cup history. Considering how well each one played during the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup as well as this week, it's hard to imagine that they won't be on the top of their games Saturday morning. RYO ISHIKAWA Y.E. YANG ZACH JOHNSON KENNY PERRY Match time: 11:25 a.m. ET; 8:25 a.m. (local) Presidents Cup records: Ryo Ishikawa (1-1-0 overall, 0-1-0 Foursomes); Y.E. Yang (1-0-1 overall, 0-0-1 Foursomes); Zach Johnson (4-2-0 overall, 3-0-0 Foursomes); Kenny Perry (8-7-0 overall, 4-2-0 Foursomes) International analysis: The Asian duo of Japan's Ryo Ishikawa and Korea's Y.E. Yang clicked in Four-balls. Now can they do it in Foursomes? Alternate shot requires a much different mindset, as Ishikawa learned Thursday when he and Geoff Ogilvy were trounced by Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker, 6 and 4. But the teenager settled in much better with Yang on Friday, as they teamed to beat Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair 4 and 3. It was a no-brainer for Greg Norman to keep this pair together for the Foursomes session. "I think Ryo and I have some good chemistry," said Yang, who partnered with Retief Goosen on Thursday as they halved their match against Justin Leonard and Jim Furyk. U.S. analysis: Kenny Perry and Zach Johnson will try to repeat their effort of Thursday, when they beat Camilo Villegas and Angel Cabrera 2 up in Foursomes. Johnson has won all three of his Foursomes matches in his brief Presidents Cup career, and he was solid in Friday's Four-balls with Hunter Mahan, as they beat Villegas and Robert Allenby 2 and 1. Perry has already dropped one match to the Asian pairing, so you know he'll be determined to avoid a second straight loss. But he'll need to hit more fairways than he did Friday, when he found just five of 11 fairways.

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