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Tuesday October 13, 2009

Woods seals America’s triumph in Presidents Cup

SAN FRANCISCO: Tiger Woods delivered the clinching point on Sunday as the United States defeated the Internationals 19˝-14 ˝ in the eighth Presidents Cup match play golf tournament.

Woods’s 6 and 5 triumph over South Korean Yang Yong-eun – the man who beat Woods for the PGA Championship title – gave the Americans an unbeatable lead, although Woods said he didn’t realize his match could be the one that took the Americans to the 17 ˝ points needed to win.

Victorious again: Members of the US team posing on stage with their wives and companions at the closing ceremony after the US defeated the International team to win the Presidents Cup at Harding Park Golf Course on Sunday. - AFP

“I didn’t look at any boards,” he said. “I saw we were down in six matches at one point, so I just kept my head down and tried to extend my own lead.”

The United States brought a three-point lead into the final day and needed just five points from the 12 singles matches to win.

The Internationals needed eight points, and were never up in more than six matches simultaneously.

The Americans won for the sixth time in eight editions of the event, which pits a US team against an Internationals squad drawn from everywhere in the world except Europe.

The only Internationals victory was at Royal Melbourne in 1998 and the teams tied at Fancourt in South Africa in 2003.

Woods completed a perfect 5-0 week at San Francisco’s Harding Park Golf Course, joining compatriot Mark O’Meara (1996) and Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama (1998) as the only players to go five-of-five in the Presidents Cup.

British Open champion Stewart Cink got the ball rolling for the Americans with a 4 and 3 victory over Australian Adam Scott, a controversial wild card pick by Internationals captain Greg Norman.

Hunter Mahan beat Colombian Camilo Villegas 2 and 1, Anthony Kim defeated Australian Robert Allenby 5 and 3 and Sean O’Hair beat South African Ernie Els 6 and 4 before Woods polished off Yang.

Woods teamed for his first four victories here with Steve Stricker, but he was on his own for a grudge match against Yang.

The South Korean became the first Asian man to win a major title with his victory in the PGA Championship in August, when he ended Woods’s 14-for-14 streak in winning majors when leading after 54 holes.

“He got me there, and I figured I could get him here,” said Woods, who had five birdies in 13 holes. “It certainly was not exactly the same atmosphere, but then it still was an important point.”

South African Tim Clark shone in a losing cause with his 4 and 3 victory over Zach Johnson. Clark made eight birdies in his 15 holes.

Japanese teenager Ryo Ishikawa also notched a victory, the 18-year-old downing 49-year-old Kenny Perry 2 and 1. — AFP

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