The hype may have died down, but the Tiger watch is still on -- as in, will Woods finally get off the schneid in his third try in Saturday’s Presidents cup contest? In a rematch with the Adam Scott-K.J. Choi team that walloped him (and Steve Stricker), 7 & 6, on Thursday?
This time around, Woods -- 0-2 for the first time in his Presidents Cup career -- will again partner with Dustin Johnson. The twosome lost Friday’s four-ball (better-ball) competition, 2 & 1, to Aaron Baddeley and Jason Day. With The Handshake between Woods and ex-caddie Steve Williams out of the way, there may be more scrutiny of Saturday’s foursomes (alternate shot) game than the drama surrounding the Tiger-Stevie breakup.
Despite the results so far, Woods’ ball-striking and overall game look solid. Indeed, Baddeley won Friday’s match by canning a clutch par putt on the final hole after Woods narrowly missed chipping in for birdie from the fringe behind the green. But Woods’ teams have captured exactly one hole -- thanks to Woods’ lone birdie through 30 holes-- a 25-footer on the fourth on Friday.
With gusting winds and rock-hard greens, the Royal Melbourne course itself beat up a few golfers on Friday. Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson seemed to have little trouble with the greens, teaming up for six birdies in their 3 & 1 defeat of Ernie Els and Ryo Ishikawa. Matt Kuchar -- with Stricker, a 4 & 3 winner over Y.E. Yang and Robert Allenby -- made five of his own.
Others, however, struggled under what U.S. captain Fred Couples told Sky Sports were “brutal” conditions.
"Just trying to hit the greens, that was a heck of an accomplishment," Woods told reporters. "Wedges weren't holding, balls were oscillating on the greens, you've got to play the wind on putts. It was a tough day."
Scott concurred. “The carnage on a golf course like this today,” he told the Associated Press following his 2 & 1 loss, with K.T. Kim, to old hands Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk. "Thank goodness it's match play and we weren't actually counting our strokes.”
Mickelson and Furyk had four birdies between them. Each, coincidentally, have stowed the belly putters they had been using and have returned to conventional sticks.
As for Woods, Couples continued to back his controversial wild-card pick, who, he told Sky Sports, “laughed” about the results. "Not many times where he doesn't win a point through a couple of rounds,” Couples said.
With a 7-5 cushion heading into Saturday’s matches, Couples could afford to dismiss concerns about the former ace.
"You know what, we are up by two points, and that's really all I care about at the moment,” he said. “And I would say Tiger does the same."
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