At A Glance: Saturday's Foursomes
 
Sep. 28, 2007
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Match #13
Steve Stricker (2-0-0, 4-3-0) and Hunter Mahan (1-1-0, 1-1-0) vs. Trevor Immelman (0-1-1, 1-4-1) and Rory Sabbatini (0-1-1, 0-1-1)
U.S. analysis:
Captain Jack Nicklaus knows a good foursome marriage when he sees one, so he had little hesitation putting Stricker and Mahan out again in the first match as they did Thursday. Both played well in four-ball with Stricker winning and Mahan and Phil Mickelson rallying only to lose on the last hole.
U.S. key statistics: Mahan made more bogeys (3) on his own ball Friday than he did playing alternate shot with Stricker Thursday. Stricker hasn't trailed in his two matches and he's led for all but two of the 33 holes he's played.
International analysis: Thanks to Sabbatini's tying birdie on the last hole, the pair got on the board Friday with a halve after the unfortunate finish on Thursday when Sabbatini drove in the water to cost them a point. The compatriots "have a similar temperament," Captain Gary Player said, and that should continue to serve them well.
International key statistics: Both hit 10 of 14 fairways Friday in four-ball.
Outlook: The American duo is coming in with a bit more momentum and positive vibes. The International team can turn it around if they continue to keep the ball in play and make a few more putts.
Projected outcome: U.S. Team wins

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Match #14
Phil Mickelson (0-1-1, 9-13-8) and Woody Austin (0-0-2, 0-0-2) vs. Stuart Appleby (1-1-0, 4-12-2) and Retief Goosen (1-1-0, 10-6-1)
U.S. analysis:
One of the most interesting partnerships on the U.S. side. Mickelson provides stability and a killer short game; Austin the comic relief and a wicked game. Woody's making the most of his first Cup and his dive into the water at 14 Friday. He bounced back with three birdies and drilled the putt that gave him and David Toms a half against Trevor Immelman and Rory Sabbatini. Mickelson and Mahan came back against Angel Cabrera and Retief Goosen before losing 1-up in Four Balls.
U.S. key statistics: Both have played in two key matches this week. Mickelson's short game is magic -- see his eagle at the 12th Friday -- and Woody's three-birdie run squared, then halved his match.
International analysis: The same team lost 2-up to Scott Verplank and Lucas Glover Thursday, but Player likes the pairing. Appleby is coming off a Friday big with -- pairing with Singh -- over Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk. Goosen and Cabrera went to the wire against Mickelson before winning.
International key statistic: This team is 0-1 in foursomes, but both came up big Friday. They didn't mesh as well as hoped in the opening matches, but Appleby started hitting good shots Friday.
Outlook: The Internationals are tough, but don't dismiss the Woody factor. Who else could fall in a lake, pop up and play the way he did. No one in this match has a winning Foursomes record. Internationals are a combined 3-10-3, while Americans are 4-6-3 in Presidents Cup play.
Projected outcome: U.S. Team wins, by a Woody putt

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Match #15
Jim Furyk (1-1-0, 11-7-2) and Tiger Woods (1-1-0, 11-10-1) vs. Adam Scott (0-2-0, 6-5-1) and Ernie Els (1-1-0, 11-9-2)
U.S. analysis:
They got trounced in Friday's Four-Ball competition by Vijay Singh and Stuart Appleby 5 and 4, but Furyk and Woods are used to playing together. This will be their ninth time as partners if both The Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup are counted and their third foray in Foursomes. In previous Foursomes tries, Furyk and Woods are 1-1-1, so one of those columns has to become a 2 on Saturday.
U.S. key statistic: They aren't in the top 3 in the Official World Golf Rankings for nothing. Woods has the lowest scoring average on TOUR while Furyk was the second most accurate driver on TOUR according to the 2007 stats. One note about the 2007 Scoring Average though -- Woods may lead with a 67.79 average but Furyk is just five spots behind him with a 69.47 average. In alternate shot, can they rack up a slew of birdies together?
International analysis: Scott is one of the only players on either side to be winless and halve-less for the week. Els won during Friday's Four-Ball but was helped by partner Mike Weir. The Big Easy and the young Aussie won both of their Foursomes matches when they played together at The Presidents Cup in 2003.
International key statistics: Both Scott and Els usually hit it almost 300 yards off the tee. Els also has one of the lowest scoring averages on TOUR in 2007, coming in second only to his foe on Saturday, Tiger Woods.
Match outlook: Yes, Woods and Furyk took a beating on Friday. But the actual match wasn't as bad as the score indicated and, besides, Four-Ball has never been Tiger's strong suit. He tends to perform much better in Foursomes with a previous record of 6-2-1, so look for he and Furyk to add another 1 to the win category by sinking some key putts down the stretch.
Projected outcome: U.S. Team wins

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Match #16
Lucas Glover (1-1-0, 1-1-0) and Scott Verplank (2-0-0, 4-2-1) vs. Vijay Singh (1-0-1, 13-13-6) and Mike Weir (1-1-0, 9-6-0)
U.S. analysis:
Glover was solid in his four-ball match on Friday, but in the end came up short. Verplank on the other hand, was a part of a team with Steve Stricker that captured the American's only full point on Friday. Once again, Glover with a gritty veteran is a great combination and should serve the U.S. well.
U.S. key statistic: Glover recorded a score of three on five of his first seven holes on Friday. The U.S. team is going to need a fast start against an International team that features Canada's national hero, Mike Weir.
International analysis: Mike Weir and Vijay Singh were the only International team to muster a half-point together in Thursday's foursomes. That makes them the no-brainer pick to be paired together for the same format on Saturday morning. Obviously the International squad is the toast of the Canadian crowd this week, but Weir also has rock star status here.
International key statistic: Vijay Singh has been a birdie machine. He and Stuart Appleby absolutely dusted Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk on Friday. Singh is a dangerous player any time he tees it up, but particularly if he's wielding a hot putter.
Match outlook: Singh and Weir together might prove to be a bit too much for Glover and Verplank to handle. It's as if it's 30,002 against two. The 30,000 spectators at The Royal Montreal Golf Club, Singh and Weir against Glover and Verplank.
Projected outcome: International Team wins

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Match #17
David Toms (1-0-1, 3-7-1) and Zach Johnson (1-1-0, 1-1-0) vs. Nick O'Hern (1-1-0, 3-4-0) and Geoff Ogilvy (1-1-0, 1-1-0)
U.S. analysis:
Toms and Johnson should complement each other. Both are fairways-and-greens type of players who hit the ball a similar distance. Johnson picked up a win in Foursomes with his good friend Stewart Cink on Thursday as the two fought back from 2 down through 7 holes and won the 18th hole when Rory Sabbatini drove into the water. Toms teamed with Jim Furyk for another Foursomes victory in which the two never trailed.
U.S. key statistic: The two Americans' average driving distance is within 2 yards of each other. So Toms and Johnson should be comfortable with the clubs they'll be hitting for their approach shots -- the key will be giving each other opportunities to score.
International analysis: The rail-thin Aussies partnered well in Four-Ball on Friday, coming back from an early 2-down deficit and taking down Stewart Cink and Lucas Glover on the 17th hole. Both are extremely good at match play, too. O'Hern has beaten Tiger Woods twice at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship -- a tournament that Ogilvy has won and finished second in the last two years.
International key statistic: While both men hit roughly 60 percent of their greens in regulation, there's a big disparity in driving distance. O'Hern is the short-knocker at 279 yards while Ogilvy averages around 295.
Outlook: Both teams look to be unflappable, but Toms and Johnson appear the most compatible in the testing alternate-shot format. If the Americans play their normal games, the two should pick up a point for the red, white and blue.
Projected outcome: U.S. Team wins

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STANDINGS
Results Points
US TEAM 19.5
INTERNATIONAL TEAM 14.5
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