Pres. Cup Live Report: Sunday Singles

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Tiger Woods was a perfect 5-0 this week at Harding Park, where he helped lead the U.S. to an easy victory.

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The Presidents Cup

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U.S. WINS 19 1/2 TO 14 1/2 (5:30 p.m.) Absolute class move by Vijay Singh, who just gave Lucas Glover his 7-footer for birdie on the 18th hole to end their match all square. Glover, who hadn't earned a point all week, avoided being shut out because of that, though as Singh joked with NBC afterward, "He would have made it anyway."

Glover might have, but that's the sportsmanship you see in this event. "He didn't deserve to lose," Singh said.

In the final match left on the course, Phil Mickelson closed out Retief Goosen 2 and 1 with two birdies over his last three days. It wasn't quite the putting display that he put on earlier in the week, but Mickelson was again solid, boosting his record to 4-0-1.

For the U.S., it was a dominating performance from its top three players, Tiger Woods, Mickelson and Steve Stricker. In 15 matches between then, they went 13-1-1 in arguably the greatest performance put on by a U.S. team in international team competition.

On the International side, Vijay Singh was the top point-getter with a 2-0-3 record, while Retief Goosen and Camilo Villegas were the only ones who failed to win any of their matches, the two combining for just a half-point (Goosen). -- Brian Wacker

TWO MATCHES LEFT (5:15 p.m.): There are just two matches left on the course after Angel Cabrera just closed out Jim Furyk, 4 and 3. The Masters champ struggled all week, but not on Sunday, when he birdied three of his last four holes to close out Furyk for his lone victory of the week. Of course, if Cabrera feels any disappointment he can always go take a nap in a certain green jacket. Furyk, on the other hand, won twice this week, which is twice more than he's won since 2007. -- Brian Wacker

STRICKER STREAK ENDS (4:55 p.m.): Only one player -- Tiger Woods -- will finish the week perfect after Steve Stricker fell a little while ago, 2 and 1, to Geoff Ogilvy.

The loss was Stricker's only one of the week as he teamed with Woods to go a perfect 4-0 the first three days of The Presidents Cup. Save for a couple of big putts, Stricker didn't quite have putter going today the way he did the first three days. Still, has this guy had a better year? Probably not. -- Brian Wacker

Below is a look at the scorecard from Stricker vs. Ogilvy:

CLARK CLOSES OUT JOHNSON (4:45 p.m.): The U.S. will keep The Presidents Cup, but Tim Clark just finished off maybe the best round of the week for the International team with a 4-and-3 win over Zach Johnson that included four birdies over his last six holes. Johnson, on the other hand, made four-straight birdies and birdied five of his last six. That's a tough way to lose.

Clark finishes his week with a 2-2-1 record, but he played much better than that and showed why he's far and away the best player never to win on the PGA TOUR. Today's victory, despite eight birdies in 15 holes, was bittersweet, though.

"It was a great match. Unfortunately the Cup didn't go our way, but it was a great match for me," Clark told NBC. "For me, it's always about being part of a team and getting to know the guys in a way we don't on TOUR." -- Brian Wacker

Below is a look at the scorecard from Johnson vs. Clark:

U.S. CAPTURES PRESIDENTS CUP (4:30 p.m.): It seems pretty fitting that the world's best player and reigning FedExCup champion Tiger Woods would be the one to clinch The Presidents Cup for the U.S., which he just did with a resounding 6 and 5 win over Y.E. Yang.

For Woods, it completes a perfect 5-0 week, his best ever in a Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup. With Woods playing in the ninth match of the day, you had the feeling (and maybe Fred Couples did, too) that Woods could be the one to clinch the Cup if things went according to plan. They went better than that, of course, with the U.S. winning its first five matches easily.

There are still more matches on the course -- though one Mike Weir and Justin Leonard saw the video board and heard the roar each conceded to a halve (now that the Cup has been clinched, matches can end in ties). Now the only question left to be answered is how much the U.S. will win by. The most points scored in a Presidents Cup is 21 1/2 in the 2000 event at Robert Trent Jones GC. Right now, the U.S. has 18 points. -- Brian Wacker

Below is a look at the scorecard from Woods vs. Yang:

Below is a look at the scorecard from Leonard-Weir:

THE ROUT IS ON (4:05 p.m.): The U.S. is now just one point away from winning The Presidents Cup with Anthony Kim romping Robert Allenby, 5 and 3, and Sean O'Hair taking out Ernie Els 6 and 4 in what's quickly turning into totally dominating performance by the U.S.

Not a single match has been close so far, and Tiger Woods just chipped in for birdie on No. 11, where a fan shout "5 up!" before Woods' ball even found the bottom of the cup. Indeed, Woods leads Y.E. Yang 5 up with seven holes left in that match and right now it's looks like Woods could be the one to officially clinch the Cup for the U.S. -- Brian Wacker

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

Below is a look at the scorecard from Kim vs. Allenby (click here for the Match Report):

ANOTHER POINT TO U.S. (3:50 p.m.): It might be a stretch to say Greg Norman's strategy of putting Camilo Villegas and Adam Scott out 1-2 in the morning matches backfired since you can't exactly hide struggling players in Singles matches, but the U.S. is now three points away from victory.

The latest point came from Hunter Mahan, who just beat fellow Captain's Pick Villegas 2 and 1 in a match than Mahan actually trailed by two after bogeys on each of the first two holes. Since then, however, he was bogey-free with three birdies. A bogey by Villegas on the 17th sealed it.

"I talked to Tiger last night and he said the first match sets the tone," Mahan told NBC afterward. "[After a slow start] I knew I was playing good, I just had to keep playing." -- Brian Wacker

Below is a look at the scorecard from Mahan vs. Villegas:

POINT, U.S. (3:33 p.m.): The first point of the match just went to the U.S. thanks to Stewart Cink's 4-and-3 win over Adam Scott.

Neither of these guys had played all that well coming into this match, so something had to give and not surprisingly it was Scott, who leaves with a 1-4 record. Cink, meanwhile, played his best golf today, making six birdies, while hitting 11 of 15 greens in regulation.

"It's very satisfying," Cink told NBC. "Two rounds in one day yesterday ... I just ran out of gas. I needed some rest and came out today and just forgot about that."

That now gives Cink two key Presidents Cup moments: the first point of today's matches in what looks like will be a U.S. victory and the clinching point in the U.S. win at Montreal in 2007. -- Brian Wacker

Below is the scorecard from Cink vs. Scott:

FIRST POINT GOES TO U.S. (3:25 p.m.): The Internationals' Tim Clark is now 5 up on American Zach Johnson through seven holes and could be on his way to the biggest winning margin in Singles competition at The Presidents Cup. Clark has birdied four of the first seven holes, while Johnson suffered a bogey at the third. -- Mike McAllister

IN CINK (3:05 p.m.): Stewart Cink appears to be headed for his first win of the week, leading Adam Scott 3 up with six holes to play. Though Cink has hit only three fairways today, he's still managed to hit 8 of 12 greens in regulation. Conversely, Scott has hit six greens and only half his fairways.

It looks like it might not matter when Norman put Scott out today with numbers like that. A loss by Scott -- and one by Camilo Villegas, who trails Hunter Mahan by one -- would be a huge early blow to the International team and would move the U.S. to within three points of winning The Presidents Cup. -- Brian Wacker

TIGER UPDATE (2:51 p.m.): So much for that early advantage for Y.E. Yang. Tiger Woods has since recovered, taking a 1-up lead of his own after Yang bogeyed the third hole and Woods birdied the par-5 fifth, which he reached in two from 263 yards. The problem today for Yang, as opposed to the PGA Championship? Yang has hit just one fairway today.

That, by the way, gives the U.S. the lead in six of the 12 matches. -- Brian Wacker

CLARK UP BIG EARLY (2:23 p.m.): The match between Tim Clark and Zach Johnson is one with two guys who get absolute maximum results out of their games. It's why Greg Norman has referred to Clark as a modern day version of Corey Pavin.

"He's my pit bull," Norman said of Clark last night. "There's no more gutsier player than Tim Clark.

"Corey was always such a tenacious player and I never thought there was a shot he couldn't hit, even though he was probably one of the shortest guys in the field. And Timmy is not short by any means, but he's just a gutsy guy. He wants the bit between his teeth."

If Clark is a bulldog, he's got Johnson by the teeth so far thanks to back-to-back birdies to start and a bogey by Johnson on No. 3.

"He's very excited about playing, and he loves being in the position," Norman said. He'll love it a lot more if he can get his second full point of the week by beating Johnson today. -- Brian Wacker

ADVANTAGE YANG (2:05 p.m.): Y.E. Yang continues to show that his win over Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship and his play here this week with Ryo Ishikawa is hardly a fluke. In today's match against Woods, Yang is 1 up through two holes after a birdie on the first hole. Meanwhile, Steve Stricker, who was so dominant with Woods this week, also trails today, down by one to Geoff Ogilvy through the first six holes of their match. -- Brian Wacker

MATCH UPDATE (1:51 p.m.): Of the eight matches currently on the course, the International team leads in five of them with one all square and the U.S. up in the other two. With the U.S. needing just five points to retain The Presidents Cup, the International team is obviously going to have to continue that trend. -- Brian Wacker

Kim

KIM UP EARLY (1:41 p.m.): Anthony Kim has taken a 2-up lead on Robert Allenby through the first four holes, though not really through anything he's done. Allenby, who has a notoriously balky putter, three-putted from 35 feet on the par-3 second for bogey before making another bogey on the par-4 third when he failed to get up-and-down from a bunker about 50 yards short of the green. -- Brian Wacker

CAPTAIN'S LOGIC (1:30 p.m.): Neither Camilo Villegas nor Adam Scott has played particularly well -- though Scott has played better this week than of late. But that didn't stop International Captain Greg Norman from putting them out 1-2 in today's Singles matches.

Scott

Norman's logic was that by playing the two so early, they would fly under the radar most of the day, something that's especially true of Scott, who was already a controversial Captain's Pick. And if the two didn't play well, it would be better to do early than late when the pressure and focus would be on who is going to win The Presidents Cup.

That wasn't the only reason, though.

"Camilo had a rest [Saturday afternoon] because he got hit on the foot by a golf ball by one of Freddie's team members," Norman said. "So we wanted to rest him a little bit. He's ready to go now and he wanted to go out first, so we put him out first.

"When Freddie put up Stewart Cink, I thought Adam matches up very nicely with Stewart. So you play in your mind how the players play, and I thought that was a very good match-up for Adam."

So far, Villegas and Scott are all square in their matches, though Villegas had gotten to as many as 2 up against Hunter Mahan before Mahan birdied No. 5 and he bogeyed No. 6.

As for those that wanted to go late? Vijay Singh and Angel Cabrera, according to Norman.

The offending player, by the way, on that shot that hit Villegas? Zach Johnson. -- Brian Wacker

TIGER VS. YANG (1:18 p.m.): The match everyone wanted to see will tee off in about 20 minutes when Tiger Woods takes on Y.E. Yang, who hung with and then took down Woods at the PGA Championship. But Woods didn't exactly ask for it, at least according to U.S. Captain Fred Couples.

"It's the way it worked out," Couples said last night. "Greg [Norman] had put Y.E. down there, so I did match him up, but to be quite honest, we got down to really only two more pairings because the Cabrera/Furyk was a left over 12th pairing and it's probably one of the best ones."

That might be stretching things a bit, but it sure sounds like there was one guy Couples had in mind once Norman put Yang's name out there for the 31st match. -- Brian Wacker

AMY MICKELSON'S APPEARANCE (1:05 p.m.): Many were wondering whether Amy Mickelson, who of course has been battling breast cancer, would be at The Preisdents Cup. According to NBC, she flew in last night and is at the team hotel today to cheer on husband Phil and the rest of the U.S. team.

Between her appearance, the sad passing of Kenny Perry's mother, Mildred, late last week and the separation of International Captain Greg Norman and wife and former tennis star Chris Evert, could there be much more off-the-course-emotion this week? -- Brian Wacker

RALLY TIME (12:50 p.m.): Can the International team come back from a three-point deficit heading into today's Singles? That's the big question and, at least judging by history, the answer is no.

In the seven previous Presidents Cup, no one has ever come from behind on Sunday to win and the International team has outscored the U.S. in Singles play just once -- two years ago in Montreal. See below for more. -- Brian Wacker

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

SINGLES PLAY UNDER WAY (12:30 p.m.): The final day of matches are under way at The Presidents Cup, where Camilo Villegas, pointless all week, didn't waste any time taking a 1-up lead on Hunter Mahan with a par on the par-5 first in the morning's first match out.

For Mahan, the start was a rough one on a chilly morning on which temperatures are barely above 50 degrees. Mahan's tee shot on the opening hole found the right fairway bunker and his second with a utility wood caught the lip, leaving him in the bunker right in front him before he went on to make bogey.

As one-sided as this match might appear to some, it isn't, especially if Mahan keeps hitting it like this. As it is, Mahan has provided just a 1-1-1 mark for the U.S. so far. -- Brian Wacker

Sunday's Singles

CAMILO VILLEGAS Career record: 0-3-0 overall, 0-0-0 singles vs. HUNTER MAHAN Career record: 3-4-1 overall, 0-1-0 singles Match time: 12:10 p.m. ET (9:10 a.m. local) Analysis: Villegas has played in three matches but has yet to win in his Presidents Cup debut. Like the Colombian, Mahan sat out Saturday afternoon's Four-Balls so both should be rested. Granted, the American hasn't won a Singles match in the last two Cups, but his consistency should win out. Predicted winner: Mahan ADAM SCOTT Career record: 7-10-2 overall, 1-2-0 singles vs. STEWART CINK Career record: 8-7-2 overall, 2-1-0 singles Match time: 12:21 p.m. ET (9:21 a.m. local) Analysis: Scott got off to a good start with Els in picking up a Foursomes victory, but he hasn't won in three matches since. On the other hand, the normally steady Cink has only contributed a half point in his four matches. But the erratic play that has marked Scott's season -- and made him a controversial Captain's Pick -- could be exposed in Singles while the fiery Cink, who is 2-1 in Singles, has the opportunity to turn his Presidents Cup around. Predicted winner: Cink MIKE WEIR Career record: 13-9-1 overall, 3-1-0 singles vs. JUSTIN LEONARD Career record: 8-11-3 overall, 1-3-0 singles Match time: 12:32 p.m. ET (9:32 a.m. local) Analysis: Weir was extremely steady in his two Four-Ball matches with Els, both of which resulted in victories. He's 3-1-1 in Singles at The Presidents Cup, too, including a win over Tiger Woods two years ago, so he will be hard to beat. Leonard will always been remembered for that putt he made at Brookline to win the Ryder Cup in 1999, but his record overall in Singles is 1-4-2. Go figure. Predicted winner: Weir ROBERT ALLENBY Career record: 7-12-3 overall, 1-2-1 singles vs. ANTHONY KIM Career record: 2-1-0 overall, 0-0-0 singles Match time: 12:43 p.m. ET (9:43 a.m. local) Analysis: Allenby is one of the game's premier ball-strikers, but his putter has been suspect this year. He does have a winning record at 2-1-1 this week, but he'll be the lone ranger in his match on Sunday. Kim appeared to regain some of his fire in Saturday afternoon's Four-Ball win with Jim Furyk, so he could be tough. Who can forget his Ryder Cup Singles match with Sergio Garcia where the American was so focused he didn't realize he'd closed the Spaniard out? Predicted winner: Allenby GEOFF OGILVY Career record: 3-5-0 overall, 1-0-0 singles vs. STEVE STRICKER Career record: 9-5-0 overall, 1-1-0 singles Match time: 12:54 p.m. ET (9:54 a.m. local) Analysis: As good as the Aussie is, this has all the makings of a lopsided American victory. Stricker was on fire in his Four-Ball match Saturday afternoon -- making six birdies, including four straight on the front nine. Stricker has a chance to become just the third player to go undefeated at The Presidents Cup, and the way he's playing, don't bet against him. Don't forget, though, that Ogilvy has twice won the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, so he knows what he's doing. Predicted winner: Stricker ERNIE ELS Career record: 16-11-2 overall, 3-2-0 singles vs. SEAN O'HAIR Career record: 1-2-1 overall, 0-0-0 singles Match time: 1:05 p.m. ET (10:05 a.m. local) Analysis: Even though O'Hair is a rookie, this could be an interesting match. The American caught fire on Saturday when he and Phil Mickelson teammed for a win in Foursomes and a come-from-behind tie in Four-Balls. Els has a 3-1 record this week with two wins in Four-Balls, so he's obviously playing well. Not to mention, the Big Easy has the experience and a 3-2 mark in Singles, to boot. Predicted winner: Els RYO ISHIKAWA Career record: 2-2-0 overall, 0-0-0 singles vs. KENNY PERRY Career record: 7-8-0 overall, 2-1-0 singles Match time: 1:16 p.m. ET (10:16 a.m. local) Analysis: It had to happen -- old vs. young, the 49-year-old Perry against the 18-year-old Ishikawa. Perry sat out Saturday afternoon so he could rest for Sunday's competition. Ishikawa has shown flashes of brilliance this week, but he obviously has little experience in single match-play competition. Win or lose, Sunday's match will be a learning experience. Predicted winner: Ishikawa TIM CLARK Career record: 5-7-2 overall, 0-2-0 singles vs. ZACH JOHNSON Career record: 4-4-0 overall, 0-1-0 singles Match time: 1:27 p.m. ET (10:27 a.m. local) Analysis: The South African Clark has been one fiesty competitor this week, even though his record (1-2-1) doesn't reflect it. He hit the shot of the day to win Friday's Four-Ball match, and he knows how to come up big in match play -- he beat Woods earlier this year at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. Johnson has split his four matches this week. At the Accenture Match Play in 2006, he took third place; otherwise, his singles record in match play events is spotty. Predicted winner: Clark Y.E. YANG Career record: 2-0-1 overall, 0-0-0 singles vs. TIGER WOODS Career record: 17-11-1 overall, 3-2-0 singles Match time: 1:38 p.m. ET (10:38 a.m. local) Analysis: On paper, it's the juiciest match-up of the day, with Woods likely chomping at the bit to gain some revenge after losing the PGA Championship when Yang rallied to beat him on the weekend. Woods was carried most of Saturday by teammate Steve Stricker -- including the Four-Ball match when they beat Yang and Ryo Ishikawa -- but he produced heroics when needed to win Saturday morning's match. Woods, however, has lost his last two Singles matches at The Presidents Cup. Predicted winner: Woods VIJAY SINGH Career record: 16-15-2 overall, 1-4-2 singles vs. LUCAS GLOVER Career record: 2-6-0 overall, 0-1-0 singles Match time: 1:49 p.m. ET (10:49 a.m. local) Analysis: Singh didn't exactly come to Harding Park in top form, but he's yet to lose this week (two wins, two halves). Singles have not been his strong suit in this event, though. Glover, meanwhile, has lost all three of his matches with partner Stewart Cink, but he did play bogey free in Saturday afternoon's Four-Balls. Predicted winner: Singh RETIEF GOOSEN Career record: 11-9-3 overall, 3-1-0 singles vs. PHIL MICKELSON Career record: 14-13-10 overall, 1-3-3 singles Match time: 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. local) Analysis: This will be a rematch of the 2003 Presidents Cup when Goosen beat Mickelson 2 and 1. Goosen should be well rested, having sat out Saturday afternoon's Four-Balls. But he's yet to win a match this week. Mickelson, meanwhile, has yet to lose one, and he's been the most consistent performer of any player at Harding Park, winning three matches with three different partners. Predicted winner: Mickelson ANGEL CABRERA Career record: 3-6-3 overall, 1-0-1 singles vs. JIM FURYK Career record: 15-9-3 overall, 4-1-0 singles Match time: 2:11 p.m. ET (11:11 a.m. local) Analysis: Cabrera has yet to produce a point in three matches, but he also struggled at the 2005 Presidents Cup before halving his Singles match against Phil Mickelson. To no one's surprise, Furyk has been solid this week, winning five out of a possible eight points. Before losing to Retief Goosen two years ago in Montreal, he had not lost in Sunday singles. Add his Ryder Cup record, and he's 8-2-1 in singles. Predicted winner: Furyk

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