Tiger Woods all set to return to trailblazing golf after a thrilling President’s Cup victory
The resilient US Team kept up to its promise to lift the ninth President’s Cup yet again for a whooping seventh time at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club, the only venue where they lost to the International Team in 1998. The 12-member squad which came under
scathing criticism for picking up a struggling Tiger Woods and leaving behind the rookie Keegan Bradley, who won a major event, wiped out all doubts and triumphed yet again on the course which had proven to be hostile to the guests in 1998.
Woods’ selection in the event in particular, raised questions about his fitness and his performance in the last two years where he has not won a single title. He started off the week with Foursomes paired with Steve Stricker on the opening day, and succumbed
to a terrible defeat. He gradually picked up pace in the next two days and finally won his first match against Aaron Baddeley in final one-to-one with a comprehensive 4 & 3.
"I was hoping it wasn't going to come down to us," Woods said. “I was hoping that Stricks and I could take a victory lap back here. But we didn't get off to a good start early. I was telling Joey (LaCava) on the range, 'It's probably going to come down to
the last four matches.' We needed to get our point, so we went out there and played really well today and put a lot of heat on Badds."
Woods’ shining performance on the last day, most definitely took the monkey off the back of the US Team Captain Fred Couples, who remained steadfast over his decision and kept fighting for Woods for almost three months.
"He was ready for a month," Couples said.
Jim Furyk, the PGA Tour veteran, however, turned out to be the hero of the event, winning all five matches through the weekend. Furyk is only the fourth person to win straight matches in the President’s Cup in its 17-years long history. Furyk paid his tribute
to his compatriots Phil Mickelson and Nick Watney and said that the success would not have come without their support. Furyk played three of his five matches with Mickelson and one alongside Watney.
Meanwhile Greg Norman, the International Team Captain, blamed the misadventure in the Four-Ball on Saturday where they gave the US Team a chance to gain a four shot lead. Norman has captained the International Team for two consecutive years and may decide
to step down as a Captain in the event in 2013. International Team has won just one President’s Cup against the mighty US in 1998 at the same venue. Some of the finest players from across the world excluding Europe, were part of the International Team in the
event.
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