Golf: Woods struggles at President's Cup

GAINESVILLE, Virginia - Tiger Woods and Fred Couples struggled at the start of the Presidents Cup today, going two-down after nine holes in their foursomes game with the International golf team's Retief Goosen and Adam Scott.

Woods, who asked US captain Jack Nicklaus to pair him with Couples, spent much of the outward nine at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club bailing out his partner who was having trouble finding the fairway.

Clutch putts from the world No 1 allowed the US to halve the opening two holes but a bogey at the fourth meant the Internationals went one up.

Back-to-back birdies from Australian Scott and South African Goosen on the sixth and seventh put the International pair three-up before they gave a hole back to Woods and Couples with a bogey on the ninth.

Overall, the US were up in three matches and the Internationals were leading in three.

US Open champion Michael Campbell of New Zealand and Argentine Angel Cabrera were one-up on Americans Davis Love and Kenny Perry after seven holes.

Chris DiMarco and Phil Mickelson were one-up on Australia's Nick O'Hern and South Africa's Tim Clark through eight.

Fred Funk and Jim Furyk, who needed treatment for a sore rib on the sixth tee, were also one-up on Fiji's Vijay Singh and Australia's Mark Hensby.

Justin Leonard and Scott Verplank were one-up on Australian duo Peter Lonard and Stuart Appleby after seven.

Trevor Immelman sank a 95-foot birdie putt on the fourth as the South African and his partner Mike Weir of Canada went three-up on Americans David Toms and Stewart Cink after six.

- REUTERS