MELBOURNE, Australia -- The Americans returned Down Under and wound up on top in the Presidents Cup.
The United States retained the trophy, 18-14, over an international side early Sunday. The Americans went into the final day knowing they only had to win five of the 12 singles matches at the Royal Melbourne course.
Jim Furyk became the fourth player to win all five of his matches, and the bottom half of the lineup was strong enough to give the United States its fourth straight win in this lopsided series.
Tiger Woods won the clinching point for the second straight time. He played well all week without always getting rewarded with a point, but easily handled Aaron Baddeley , losing only one hole in a 4-and-3 victory. By then, it already was clear which team would be hoisting the gold cup -- again. The International team's only win came 13 years ago and the Americans made sure there was no repeat and lead the series 7-1-1.
The United States came into the day of 12 singles matches with a 13-9 advantage, putting them in position to win the 171/2 points needed for victory fairly easily, although the International team won six of the first eight singles matches to put a scare into the Americans.
Getting to that 13-9 advantage was quite a roller coaster ride, including 40-mph winds Friday and a day full of rain Saturday when the teams played from dawn till dusk to complete the foursomes and fourballs competitons for the biennial event.
Saturday, Woods won his first point in the morning after three losses, then couldn't buy a putt in the afternoon. Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson (3-1 as a team) finally lost a match. And just when the International team was on the verge of keeping it close, the Bill Haas - Hunter Mahan and Furyk- Nick Watney teams won the last two matches.
"We needed those two points really bad," U.S. captain Fred Couples said. "And they got them for us."
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