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By Melanie Hauser
PGATOUR.com Contributor

MONTREAL, Canada -- They were standing on the 16th tee when the picture flashed on the board.

Someone was floundering in the water. An American.

They looked at each other and shook their heads.

Scott Verplank (l) and Steve Stricker talked about playing together this week, and are excelling as a team. (Cannon/WireImage)

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That's got to be Woody.

Steve Stricker and Scott Verplank couldn't help but laugh. No one else does those things better.

And Friday, nothing loosened them up better than Woody Austin dripping wet. They were 2-up with three holes to play and they needed a laugh. Something to settle them down and get them in the house.

Two Stricker birdies later, the second-oldest team by combined age -- Stricker is 40, Verplank 43 but their birthdays make them slightly younger than Austin (43) and David Toms (40) -- closed out Adam Scott and K.J. Choi, 2 and 1 for the U.S. Team's only full point of the session.

And, well, they're both 2-0 at Royal Montreal.

"We felt it was very important to try to sneak out a half a point at least, if not a full,'' Stricker said. "But we played well together. We supported each other. When I was out of the hole, he would pick me up and vice versa. So we made a good team.''

The two have been talking about playing together for six weeks. They're friends, they have similar games and, from the look of things, this might be the start of a beautiful Four-Ball pairing.

"From my side of it, we like each other, I think,'' Verplank grinned. "At least he didn't say anything real bad to me today. ''

Yes, it drew a laugh. Then another.

"You know, without being as dramatic as some of our other teammates, we take it to heart pretty good,'' Verplank said, eyeing Austin, "You know, we grind it out pretty well, and we play pretty hard and we both scratch and claw. And when you get guys together that almost actually enjoy doing that, then it makes for a good team."

Good enough to take a 2-up lead after six holes, lose it, then get it back twice -- first at the 10th, then, for good, at the 14th. And, after Woody's dive, Stricker's birdie at 16 sealed it.

"The highlight of the day -- well, there was two highlights,'' Verplank said. "The first was when Woody went underwater. Then, because we were on the 16th tee, and that loosened us up.''

This is Stricker's first Cup appearance since 1996. Eleven years, a great comeback season of 2006 and an extraordinary 2007 later, he's much more poised. And prepared.

"I feel like I belong,'' he said.

Verplank, who has spent his career battling injuries, is another comeback story. He's been on the Cup scene longer, but, like Stricker, he's had a career year in 2007.

And, yes, those two are a stitch together. Especially Verplank, whose dry sense of humor just makes you laugh.

Which brings us back to 16 tee. And Woody.

"I think Woody, his effects were far reaching,'' Verplank grinned. "Not only he played great golf, I watched the last few holes, it was pretty spectacular.''

So was their win.