Americans Lead in Presidents Cup

G A I N E S V I L L E, Va, Oct. 19 -- No one can say this American teamdoesn’t care about playing in the Presidents Cup.

Led by the brilliant play of its rookies and a clutch putt fromTiger Woods, the United States got off to a perfect start today by winning every alternate-shot match for a 5-0 lead over theInternational team.

It was the second time the Americans have led 5-0 after thefirst session, matching their record start six years ago at theRobert Trent Jones Golf Club.

Not Close Enough

Three matches reached the 18th hole, but it was never reallyclose.

The International team, which handed the Americans their worstloss ever in team match play two years ago in Australia, led inonly two of the five matches at any point, but never after thethird hole.

Stewart Cink and Kirk Triplett, both playing in their first teamcompetition, made seven birdies in 17 holes on a difficult coursefor a 3-and-2 victory over International rookies Mike Weir ofCanada and Retief Goosen of South Africa.

“I set him up with a lot of birdies and he drained them all,”Cink said. Fittingly, Triplett closed out the match with a 40-footbirdie putt.

The other U.S. rookie, Notah Begay, also won his match — and notjust because his partner was Woods, his former teammate atStanford. Begay sealed their 1-up victory over Ernie Els and VijaySingh with an approach into 10 feet on the 18th.

But it was Woods who turned back any hope of a great comebackfrom the International team’s best two players, atoning for anerrant tee shot on the 16th with the kind of putt he has beenmaking throughout his record-smashing season.

Clinging to a 1-up lead, Begay chipped from under a tree wellpast the pin, but the ball came back down the slope to about 20feet. Woods made the par putt for a halve of the hole, ramming hisfist toward the cup as it fell.

He and Begay slapped hands sideways and tapped fists.

“I got a little excited,” Woods said with a sheepish grin.