Golf: Woods partners Couples, Cambo joins Cabrera

GAINESVILLE, Virginia - Tiger Woods' wish was granted today when he was partnered with Fred Couples for the opening series of golf foursomes at the Presidents Cup starting tomorrow (NZT).

The US pair will face the International team's Retief Goosen of South Africa and Adam Scott of Australia in the first match at the Robert Trent Jones course.

New Zealand's US Open and World Match Play champion Michael Campbell will partner Argentina's Angel Cabrera against Davis Love and Kenny Perry.

Playing alongside Woods, the world No 1, has proved a difficult assignment in past Presidents and Ryder Cup competitions.

Woods has yet to win in six fourball matches in the Presidents Cup but has a 3-0 record in the singles.

His Ryder Cup record is only slightly better, he is 3-5 in fourballs and 2-5-1 in foursomes.

Woods partnered Couples at the 1998 Presidents Cup in Australia, beating Vijay Singh and Ernie Els in the foursomes.

"They both said they would like to play with each other," US captain Jack Nicklaus said.

"I polled all the players and every one of them wanted to play with Tiger.

"So I had a pool of which ones Tiger wanted to play with and Tiger said he would very much like to play with Fred.

"Tiger also said he wanted to play with Jim (Furyk) so somewhere along the line I will probably have Tiger with Jim.

"I don't know if there is an intimidation factor in playing against Tiger Woods or not.

"We felt like we wanted to get started off with a win, we felt like Tiger is the best player in the world and we've had Freddie playing very well."

Hal Sutton, who captained the defeated US team in last year's Ryder Cup, had the same plan as Nicklaus.

Sutton partnered his top two players, Woods and Phil Mickelson, hoping to get off to a quick start but the plan backfired as the two Americans failed to click.

"I really thought we were going to play well together," said Mickelson.

"I had been wanting to play with him for a few years and I think he felt the same and we were both excited to have a chance to play together.

"It was disappointing that it didn't work out.

"I thought it would have been cool to carry that through and I don't think that another captain will go out on a limb again and do it given the scrutiny that captain Sutton went through after doing that.

"I think Tiger and Fred is going to be a wonderful pairing."

In tomorrow's other matches, Furyk and Fred Funk meet world No 2 Vijay Singh of Fiji and Australia's Mark Hensby while US PGA champion Mickelson and Chris DiMarco face Australian Nick O'Hern and South African Tim Clark.

Justin Leonard and Scott Verplank take on Australians Peter Lonard and Stuart Appleby.

Stewart Cink and David Toms, whose participation looked in doubt when he was rushed to hospital last week suffering from a rapid heartbeat and chest pains, meet South African Trevor Immelman and Canada's Mike Weir in the last match.

The International team are being captained by South African Gary Player.

- REUTERS