MELBOURNE, Australia — The Americans returned Down Under and wound up on top in the Presidents Cup.
Jim Furyk became the fourth player to win all five of his matches, and the bottom half of the lineup was strong enough to give the Americans their fourth straight win in this lopsided series today.
Perhaps it was only fitting that Tiger Woods clinched the cup for the second straight time.
U.S. captain Fred Couples was criticized for using a pick on Woods, who had been out with an injury most of the summer and had not won since his personal life crumbled two years ago. Woods played well all week, even if he didn’t always get rewarded with a point. In his singles match against Aaron Baddeley, he was never seriously challenged.
Woods closed out Baddeley 4 and 3, and the celebration was on.
The Americans won 19-15 as Steve Stricker beat Y.E. Yang in the final match. It was the third straight time the U.S. has won by at least four points.
It was a small measure of revenge for the Americans, whose only loss came at Royal Melbourne in 1998. And it was vindication for Couples, who said a month earlier that he was taking Woods because he was the “best player forever.”
Woods looked as if he was headed in that direction.
The International team’s only win came 13 years ago at Royal Melbourne, when the Americans suffered their biggest loss in any team competition. There was no repeat this time, not even close.
The Americans led after each session, and their 13-9 lead going into the final session was too much for the International team to overcome, even with a loud and boisterous Australian crowd behind it.
Ryo Ishikawa, Charl Schwartzel, K.T. Kim and Geoff Ogilvy got the International side going. But the outcome was never seriously in doubt. Furyk, David Toms and Woods were at the bottom of the lineup, and none ever trailed.
Toms routed Robert Allenby 7 and 5, giving the Australian a dubious distinction. He joined John Huston as the only captain’s picks to not win a single point.
Furyk, coming off his worst season since he joined the PGA Tour, joined Woods, Shigeki Maruyama and Mark O’Meara as the only players to record a 5-0 record in the Presidents Cup. Furyk made an eagle on the par-5 second and beat Ernie Els 4 and 3.
