Pres. Cup Live Report: Friday's Four-balls

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Phil Mickelson teamed with Justin Leonard for an easy 3-and-2 win over Retief Goosen and Adam Scott on Friday.

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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. 9, 2009

CLARK SINKS CLUTCH PUTT (7:45 p.m.): It's cliche, but there's a reason cliche's exist: They're usually true. And today was a perfect example of why we say golf is played is played on grass and not paper. At one point, the U.S. was winning five of today's six four-ball matches and potentially on the way to a commanding lead in The Presidents Cup. Then the International Team started winning matches, the last of which came when Tim Clark poured in a 15-foot eagle putt to cap off a 1-up victory over major winners Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink, who lost for a second-straight day.

What made the short-hitting Clark's eagle that much more remarkable is that he had to hit two perfect shots just to reach the green in two, which he did, then broomsweep the putt in with his belly putter knowing he needed to make it to win the match, which he did.

Just before that, Zach Johnson made a birdie of his own to lift he and Hunter Mahan to a 2-and-1 win over Camilo Villegas and Robert Allenby. Add all that up and each team scored three points on Friday, meaning the U.S. will retain its slim one-point lead heading to the weekend, rather than a four- or five-point lead.

Coming into this Presidents Cup, the U.S. appeared to have a decided advantage. Now, it's looking like anyone's contest, especially if the International Team can put up another performance like this tomorrow. -- Brian Wacker

Below is a look at the scorecard from Glover-Cink vs. Singh-Clark:

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

ELS, WEIR GET IT DONE (7:40 p.m.): We have our first match being closed out with an eagle and it came from a somewhat unexpected player in Mike Weir, who eagled the 18th hole to give he and Ernie Els, who trailed as late as the 15th hole, a 2-up win over Jim Furyk and Anthony Kim.

Trailing by a hole when they got to the 16th, Weir made birdie to get the match square before Els followed with a clutch birdie on No. 17 to grab the lead.

For Els and Weir it was quite a turnaround, especially for Els, who had two bogeys in his first four holes. -- Brian Wacker

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

ANOTHER BLOWOUT (7:30 p.m.): Tiger Woods had success with Jim Furyk at last year's Ryder Cup, but he might have a permanent partner in Steve Stricker -- at least if Stricker keeps playing like this. The two had another blowout win today, defeating Geoff Ogilvy and Angel Cabrera, 5 and 3 in the day's most lopsided affair. Yesterday, Woods and Stricker won their match 6 and 5.

Though Woods did most of the damage today, it's become more and more obvious how good these two are together, especially when you consider that Woods has often been a difficult player to find a partner for, despite his No. 1 ability. Expect to see these two together again on Saturday. -- Brian Wacker

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

DAY TWO WINDING DOWN (7 p.m.): Two matches are done, two are close and two aren't close as the second day of action at The Presidents Cup starts to wind down. The match to keep an eye on right now: Stewart Cink and Lucas Glover vs. Vijay Singh and Tim Clark. No one's been more than 1 up all day long and with three holes to play, they're all square.

Meanwhile, a birdie by Mike Weir and another by Ernie Els have given that duo a 1-up lead on Jim Furyk and Anthony Kim -- and Kim just hung back and nuked his drive well left on the 18th hole. This one has been close all day, too, but even a half-point might be out of reach for Furyk and Kim, who has found himself out of too many holes through the first two days of these matches. -- Brian Wacker

INTERNATIONAL TEAM ON THE BOARD (6:40 p.m.): As much as U.S. Captain Fred Couples may have found a near unbeatable duo in Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker, Greg Norman may have just discovered the same in Y.E. Yang and Ryo Ishikawa.

Yang and Ishikawa never trailed in their match against Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair, making birdies on the first two holes and never looking back. In all, they combined to make six birdies and one bogey that didn't cost them. More importantly, the victory gives the International team a much-needed point with the U.S. leading in two others and all square in another match. -- Brian Wacker

Below is a look at the scorecard from Perry-O'Hair vs. Ishikawa-Yang (click here for the Match Report):

MICKELSON, LEONARD WIN (6:15 p.m.): It's not often in match play that you make five birdies and no bogeys and still lose 3 and 2, but that's exactly what happened to Retief Goosen and Adam Scott against Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard, giving the first point of the day to the U.S.

The problem for Goosen and Scott was that Mickelson and Leonard didn't make any bogeys either, pouring in eight birdies -- including three over the final four holes.

A day after Leonard gave away a half-point while playing with Jim Furyk, pairing him with a shot-maker and birdie machine like Mickelson made perfect sense. Plus, they know each other well and jelled perfectly in terms of personality and play (Mickelson can be wild, Leonard accurate; Mickelson a great short game, Leonard an excellent putter). -- Brian Wacker

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

CLOSING IN (5:59 p.m.): There are birdies all over the scorecard of Retief Goosen and Adam Scott. Unfortunately, there are more birdies on the scorecard of Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard.

Unbelievably, no one in this group has made a bogey -- in all, Mickelson and Leonard have combined for seven birdies and Goosen and Scott five birdies.

With only three holes to play, Scott and Goosen are running out of opportunities, too with Mickelson and Leonard leading, 2 up. -- Brian Wacker

MJ'S ADVICE (5:44 p.m.): Michael Jordan continues to be an omnipresent figure for the U.S. team and Friday offered up his thoughts on the U.S. momentum and how he'd apply his basketball knowledge to golf and keeping that momentum going.

"We sort of flipped the script," Jordan told GOLF CHANNEL, referencing the fact that yesterday the U.S. rallied in many of its matches while today they have led most of the day. "I think the guys are pretty poised ... it's all about making putts."

The U.S. has certainly done that and the result is a lead in five of the six matches.

"You just have to try to keep it simple," Jordan continued. "If you try to be a hero, things will be flipping the other way." (To read more from Jordan, click here for his exclusive Q&A with PGATOUR.COM.) -- Brian Wacker

THAT TIGER THING (5:30 p.m.): The Tiger Woods-Steve Stricker team might be on its way to a second-straight rout after Woods just birdied the eighth hole to give he and Stricker a 3-up lead.

While Woods and Stricker have combined to make five birdies, Geoff Ogilvy and Angel Cabrera -- ironically two players who have held off Woods in major championships -- have just one birdie.

On the other side, Ryo Ishikawa and Y.E. Yang just went back to 3 up in their match against Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair after Ishikawa birdied the par-3 11th hole. Right now, though, the U.S. leads in four matches and the International Team in two. -- Brian Wacker

MOMENTUM SWING? (5:10 p.m.): After not making a birdie on any of the first seven holes, Kenny Perry has helped cut into the lead of Y.E. Yang and Ryo Ishikawa with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 8 and 9. That brings Perry and Sean O'Hair to within two as they turn toward the back.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker just extended their lead to 2 up with ham-and-egg back-to-back birdies. -- Brian Wacker

AMERICANS ON TOP (5 p.m.): Today could go a long way in deciding who wins The Presidents Cup, especially if things stay as they are right now. The U.S. leads in five of the six matches -- though four of those are within one hole of each other -- and could take a commanding lead in a format that's treated it well over the years. If the U.S. does go on to win four or five of these matches, Captain Fred Couples will get a lot of credit for his decision to pair bombers with short hitters. -- Brian Wacker

LEONARD, MICKELSON CONTINUE TO LEAD (4:40 p.m.): We just saw one of the problems that's plagued Adam Scott not only this season, but most of his career -- poor putting. He just rammed a 9-footer that would have won the hole past the cup. That keeps Scott and Retief Goosen 1 down against Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard with eight holes to play. Still, these guys have all played collectively better than anyone else with eight birdies between the four players -- Mickelson has four of those birdies. -- Brian Wacker

MATCH UPDATE (4:20 p.m.): The first match of the day between the teams of Phil Mickelson-Justin Leonard and Retief Goosen-Adam Scott has reached the turn with Mickelson and Leonard leading 1 up. In fact, all but one match is within the 1-up range with three of them all square and two of them 1 up. The only match that isn't close right now is Ryo Ishikawa and Y.E. Yang vs. Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair -- Ishikawa and Yang lead 4 up through six holes with Perry and O'Hair yet to make a birdie. -- Brian Wacker

ROUGH RIDE FOR ROOKIES (4 p.m.): It's been a pretty uneventful week for those making their Presidents Cup debut this week. Rookies lost three matches yesterday, won one and halved another. Today, the story isn't much different, with the rookie tandem of Ryo Ishikawa and Y.E. Yang the only rookies to be leading in their match (they're playing together). See below for more. -- Brian Wacker

Rookie Report

U.S. Rookies	Partner/Opponent	Result
Sean O'Hair	Played with Hunter Mahan; faced Adam Scott/Ernie Els	Lost, 2 and 1
Anthony Kim	Played with Phil Mickelson; faced Mike Weir/Tim Clark	Won, 3 and 2
International Rookies
Y.E. Yang	Played with Retief Goosen; faced Jim Furyk/Justin Leonard)	Halved
Ryo Ishikawa	Played with Geoff Ogilvy; faced Tiger Woods/Steve Stricker	Lost, 6 and 4
Camilo Villegas	Played with Angel Cabrera; faced Kenny Perry/Zach Johnson	Lost, 2 up

STAT OF THE DAY (3:45 p.m.): Not only is the Phil Mickelson-Justin Leonard vs. Retief Goosen-Adam Scott match giving us the stat of the day, it's shaping up to maybe be the match of the day, too.

Mickelson just rolled in a second-straight birdie and his third of the day, giving he and Leonard a 1-up lead. In all, Mickelson and Leonard have combined for four birdies, while Goosen and Scott have made three. That's more than any other match so far today. -- Brian Wacker

BIG LEAD (3:33 p.m.): The pairing of Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair is an interesting one. Both have struggled at times closing the deal in some big spots -- most recently Perry at the Masters and O'Hair at Bay Hill. Their opponents today, Ryo Ishikawa and Y.E. Yang, have not.

Ishikawa has won multiple tournaments on the Japan Tour, while Yang, of course, took down Tiger Woods at this year's PGA Championship. They aren't backing down today, either, taking a 3-up lead through the first four holes with birdies on two of the first four holes. Could this end up being the day's biggest blowout? -- Brian Wacker

TIGER, STRICKER ON TOP (3:20 p.m.): You get the feeling that Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker might be playing a lot of golf together this week and in future Presidents Cups. As one of only two pairings to stay the same on the second day of matches, Woods and Stricker are already 1 up through one hole in their match against Geoff Ogilvy and Angel Cabrera.

Interesting side note on Ogilvy: Despite his relatively easy march to the title at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play in February of this year, he's been tame in this event, posting a 2-4 overall record through yesterday's play. It's not looking like that record is going to improve today, either. -- Brian Wacker

CHIP CENTRAL (3:10 p.m.): This is the excitement of match play: Within mere seconds of each other, Zach Johnson nearly pitched in out of the bunker on the second hole, while Steve Stricker did chip in on the first hole.

Johnson's shot, which came from a greenside trap after partner Hunter Mahan hit his tee shot on the par-3 hole tight, would have dropped had the flag been out. Instead, it hit the stick and rattled out. Stricker, playing with Tiger Woods, on the other hand, had the flag out for his chip shot from just off the first green and the ball died into the hole from the side door.

In stroke play, you're just trying to hit those shots close 9 times out of 10. In match play, you can try to hole them. -- Brian Wacker

EARLY LEADS (2:45 p.m.): Four matches are currently on the golf course and there are leads in all of them, with each side leading two of them. Ryo Ishikawa and Y.E. Yang just took a 1-up lead over Kenny Perry and Sean O'Hair with a birdie on the first hole, while Ernie Els and Mike Weir still lead 1 up over Jim Furyk and Anthony Kim. Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard, meanwhile, still lead 1 up through their first three holes against Adam Scott and Retief Goosen. Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink, one of only two groups to be paired together for a second straight day, just took a 1-up lead on Vijay Singh and Tim Clark. -- Brian Wacker

ELS, WEIR STRIKE (2:34 p.m.): If Anthony Kim is going to keep his streak of winning matches alive -- he won with Phil Mickelson yesterday and beat Sergio Garcia in singles play at last year's Ryder Cup -- it's going to take another comeback. Kim and Jim Furyk just fell 1 down to Ernie Els and Mike Weir with Els and Weir making birdie on the par-3 second hole. Yesterday, Kim and Mickelson trailed before rallying with four straight birdies to close out their match. -- Brian Wacker

FAST START (2:05 p.m.): After more or less giving away a half-point in his foursomes match yesterday, it was probably a good idea for Justin Leonard to get paired with not only a good buddy in Phil Mickelson, but a guy who can carry him with some spectacular shot-making. It didn't take long for that shot-making to appear, either, with Mickelson hitting a tremendous flop shot on the first hole to set up a birdie and an early 1-up lead against Retief Goosen and Adam Scott in the day's first match. -- Brian Wacker

GOLF IN THE OLYMPICS (1:50 p.m.): Over the past couple of weeks, for whatever reason, there was growing concern over whether golf would get voted into the 2016 Olympic Games, at least among some members of the media. Whatever concern there was, though, was washed away in a resounding vote to include golf in the Olympics.

And just as expected, reaction among players at The Presidents Cup was equally positive.

"It's a perfect fit for the Olympics," Tiger Woods said. "Having talked to other athletes who have gotten a chance to experience the Olympics, they have absolutely loved it and had the greatest time."

"It just means the game is going to grow and it can never hurt to have younger kids playing in the Olympics," Anthony Kim added. "Having golf be a part of it, it's going to be a big deal and hopefully it will inspire a bunch of kids from a lot of different countries to take up the game and make the game better."

Phil Mickelson, who just teed off with Justin Leonard in the day's first match, echoed similar thoughts, saying, "It's important for the growth of the game of golf and it's exciting what it will mean on a worldwide level for this great game. And for us to be able to showcase the game in the Olympics is a unique opportunity."

It will also be an opportunity for a course developer somewhere out there to build a course in Rio and word is there are a bunch of people salivating over that. To read more player reaction, click here. -- Brian Wacker

Scott

SUPER SCOTT (1:21 p.m.): The second day of matches at The Presidents Cup will tee off in a little under 30 minutes from now and Adam Scott will be in the first match out.

The decision to putt Scott out first has two benefits. First, he can get some early momentum going and if he doesn't, he won't be in the same kind of pressure-cooker he would be in by playing later in the day. Second, he's playing with Retief Goosen, another cool South African that Scott should mesh well with. They have in the past at least, going 2-0-1 in three previous four-ball matches.

Nothing, however, was more important for Scott, and the International Team, however, than getting off to the kind of start he did yesterday. Scott teamed with Ernie Els for a crucial 2-and-1 victory over Hunter Mahan and Sean O'Hair and Captain Greg Norman hopes to ride all the positive momentum that created.

"Personally it feels good and we played pretty solid and Ernie and I always do well together," Scott said Thursday. "The juices were really flowing and I had one of those feelings that I used to have a lot of the time."

The last time Scott felt that good?

"Probably last year sometimes when I was right in the heat of it, or maybe Hawaii this year when I had a chance to win," he said.

Now we'll see what he and Goosen can do against Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard. -- Brian Wacker

Friday's Four-balls


RETIEF GOOSEN ADAM SCOTT	PHIL MICKELSON JUSTIN LEONARD
Match time: 1:55 p.m. ET; 10:55 a.m. PT
Presidents Cup records: Retief Goosen (11-7-3 overall, 6-1-1 Four-ball); Adam Scott (8-6-2 overall, 3-2-1 Four-ball); Phil Mickelson (11-14-6 overall, 5-6-2 Four-ball); Justin Leonard (2-4-7 overall; 1-1-2 Four-ball).
International analysis: This could be one of International Captain Greg Norman's go-to teams. Goosen and Scott have played five matches together, including three in Four-ball where they are 2-0-1, and have never been beaten. Granted, Scott hasn't been at the top of his game, but he did manage to break par in three of the four rounds he played last week at the Turning Stone Resort Championship. He didn't putt particularly well in his Foursomes match with Ernie Els, but that's why the practice green comes in handy. Neither player is a birdie machine, but Goosen, a two-time U.S. Open champion, has made his share in the clutch.
U.S analysis: These two have played on seven Cup teams together but interestingly have never been partners. Mickelson is at the top of his game after winning THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola, his third victory of the season. Most importantly, he has confidence in the flat stick again after working with Dave Stockton several times in the last three weeks. He's aggressive and could go low while the steady Leonard is hitting fairways and greens. That missed 3-footer on the 18th hole Thursday notwithstanding, Leonard ranks 19th in birdies while Mickelson is 22nd. This could be a match made in heaven.


ERNIE ELS MIKE WEIR	JIM FURYK ANTHONY KIM
Match time: 2:07 p.m. ET; 11:07 a.m. PT
Presidents Cup records: Ernie Els (14-10-2, 6-3-1 Four-ball); Mike Weir (11-8-1 overall, 5-2-0 Four-ball); Jim Furyk (8-13-3 overall, 1-7-0 Four-ball); Anthony Kim (1-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 Four-ball).
International analysis: Again, Norman went with two players who have previously partnered with success. The Big Easy and the diminutive Canadian won both their Four-ball matches at the 2007 Presidents Cup. Els should be confident after his Foursomes victory and three top-10 finishes in his last eight starts as an individual. The gritty Weir has struggled a bit tee-to-green but once he gets there, he's solid -- ranking 39th in putting and 35th in scoring.
U.S. analysis: Kim is a relative Cup newbie, and he'll be playing with just his second partner in Furyk after three Ryder Cup matches and one Presidents Cup match, all with Mickelson. Kim is as exciteable as Furyk is outwardly mellow, but both want to win badly. Furyk is playing extremely well with top-10s in his last three starts. He ranks third in scoring and 44th in birdies made, too. Kim may not have played as well as he'd like overall this year, but he is nothing if not a competitor, and he ranks second in both putting and birdies.


RYO ISHIKAWA Y.E. YANG	KENNY PERRY SEAN O'HAIR
Match time: 2:19 p.m. ET; 11:19 a.m. PT
Presidents Cup records: Ryo Ishikawa (0-1-0 overall, 0-0-0 Four-ball); Y.E. Yang (0-0-1 overall, 0-0-0 Four-ball); Kenny Perry (8-6-0 overall, 2-3-0 Four-ball); Sean O'Hair (0-1-0 overall; 0-0-0 Four-ball).
International analysis: Ishikawa has to be glad to be out of the glare of the spotlight after that lopsided opening loss to Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker on Thursday. Norman may be taking a bit of a chance in pairing the two rookies, but the 37-year-old Yang was steady in his debut as he and Retief Goosen halved in Foursomes. Yang, who won the PGA Championship and The Honda Classic this year, ranks 29th on TOUR in eagles and 44th in birdies. Both are big hitters and should be able to get into a comfortable rhythm.
U.S. analysis: This pairing matches the oldest player on Team USA with the second youngest in the rookie O'Hair. This could be a formidable team -- Perry ranks eighth in scoring average on TOUR and O'Hair is 10th. The 27-year-old ranks 16th in birdies while Perry has shown he can sustain the momentum when he gets on a roll. Both are coming off solid seasons, too, with two wins for Perry and one for O'Hair. Not to mention, O'Hair was third at THE TOUR Championship two weeks ago while Perry finished fourth.


VIJAY SINGH TIM CLARK	LUCAS GLOVER STEWART CINK
Match time: 2:31 p.m. ET; 11:31 a.m. PT
Presidents Cup records: Vijay Singh (15-15-6 overall, 8-5-1 Four-ball); Tim Clark (4-6-1 overall, 3-0-1 Four-ball); Lucas Glover (2-4-0 overall, 0-2-0 Four-ball); Stewart Cink (8-5-1 overall; 2-2-1 Four-ball).
International analysis: Clark has never lost in four previous Four-ball matches. Singh's record is better in Four-ball than Foursomes. The two were paired together in the 2005 Presidents Cup when they halved a match against Fred Funk and Stewart Cink. Clark is one of the most accurate drivers on the PGA TOUR but can be streaky; if he gets hot Friday, the Americans will have their work cut out for them.
U.S. analysis: The Americans' two major winners this year will be paired for a second consecutive day. They didn't fare well against Singh and Robert Allenby in Foursomes, and their Four-ball records in the Presidents Cup are not impressive -- a combined 2-4-1. During the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, the two played all four events and were a combined 28 over (mostly due to Glover's high scores). One of the two will need to find the touch that won a major this summer.


ROBERT ALLENBY CAMILO VILLEGAS	ZACH JOHNSON HUNTER MAHAN
Match time: 2:43 p.m. ET; 11:43 a.m. PT
Presidents Cup records: Robert Allenby (7-11-2 overall, 3-4-0 Four-ball); Camilo Villegas (0-1-0 overall, 0-0-0 Four-ball); Zach Johnson (3-2-0 overall, 0-1-0 Four-ball); Hunter Mahan (2-4-0 overall; 0-2-0 Four-ball).
International analysis: Allenby teamed with Mike Weir two years ago in Canada to win two Four-ball matches, but Greg Norman opted to split up that pairing. Allenby, who's playing in his fifth Presidents Cup, should provide a nice calming influence for Villegas, one of three Presidents Cup rookies on the International side. Neither has exactly been a birdie machine this year, but Allenby is accurate, and his game may be a good fit for Harding Park.
U.S. analysis: Neither player won a Four-ball match in their previous Presidents Cup appearances, but this pairing could produce fireworks. Mahan ranks third on the PGA TOUR in total birdies; Johnson ranks 17th. Each player has the ability to produced extended birdie streaks; if they both get on hot streaks Friday, the Internationals will be hard-pressed to counter. Johnson, in particular, seems to be on his game -- he finished fifth at the BMW Championship during the Playoffs.


GEOFF OGILVY ANGEL CABRERA	TIGER WOODS STEVE STRICKER
Match time: 2:55 p.m. ET; 11:55 a.m. PT
Presidents Cup records: Geoff Ogilvy (2-4-0 overall, 1-1-0 Four-ball); Angel Cabrera (3-4-3 overall, 1-1-2 Four-ball); Tiger Woods (14-11-1 overall, 3-7-0 Four-ball); Steve Stricker (6-5-0 overall; 2-2-0 Four-ball).
International analysis: Neither player had much success during Thursday's Foursomes and this will be their first pairing together in the Presidents Cup. Ogilvy will look to bounce back from the big loss he suffered with teenager Ryo Ishikawa against Woods and Stricker on Thursday, and Greg Norman obviously feels confident in sticking him back in there against the Americans' most formidable duo. If they can pull the upset, it'd be a huge bonus for the Internationals.
U.S. analysis: Anybody can be beaten, but right now it's difficult to imagine a twosome on the International team being able to stop the Americans' two-headed monster. Woods and Stricker made quick work of Ogilvy and Ishikawa, and Woods obviously feels comfortable with the laid-back Stricker next to him. Still, Woods' record in Four-ball is well below average; he's 7-13-0 combined in Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup competititions.