US keeps slim lead over International

SAN FRANCISCO – For the second straight day, the Americans were poised to take a comfortable lead but the International team just wouldn’t go away.

The International team rallied to win two late matches to split the fourballs session and keep the Americans’ lead at 6 1/2-5 1/2.

Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker dominated again, and Phil Mickelson won with a change of partner.

But Ernie Els and Mike Weir won the final three holes to turn defeat into a 2-up victory, thanks to the Canadian hitting 3-wood from the base of the bleachers and onto the green for an eagle that was conceded.

In the final match on the course, Tim Clark ripped a 3-wood to 15 feet and dropped to his knees when the eagle putt curled into the cup. He and Vijay Singh won the last two holes for a 1-up victory over Stewart Cink and Lucas Glover, America’s two major champions who remain without a point heading into the weekend.

“We watched the board a little bit and we knew all of the matches were within one or two, except for a couple of them, so we knew if we could turn it around ... there’s still a lot of golf to play,” Weir said.

The International team still doesn’t have an answer for the Americans’ best three players.

Woods and Stricker remain the only players at Harding Park who have not trailed at any point over the last two days, and they have yet to play the 16th hole in competition.

Stricker chipped in for birdie on the first hole, hit a wedge to 2 feet to take the lead for good on the par-5 fifth, and Woods made sure Geoff Ogilvy and Angel Cabrera never got close on the back nine. Woods hit a towering approach to 5 feet on the 15th hole for a birdie that was conceded in a 5-and-3 victory.

Mickelson teamed with Anthony Kim in foursomes, and had Justin Leonard at his side in fourballs.

Leonard, who missed a 3-foot putt on the final hole Thursday that cost the Americans a point, steadied himself quickly. He had a birdie on the first hole, and key birdie on the 14th for a 2-up lead, and an 8-foot birdie to close out the match, 3 and 2, over Retief Goosen and Adam Scott.

“We had a great partnership,” Mickelson said. “He came back after finishing last night not the way he wanted to, and on the very first hole making a critical putt, getting us off to a good start.”

Mickelson has done nothing but give credit to his partners, despite carrying the load. He had six birdies in the fourballs format, and often had a birdie opportunity if Leonard happened to miss.

Woods and Stricker, who played only 14 holes in the opening session, might have had a shorter second match until stalling on the back nine. The idea of fourballs is for both players to have a look at birdie. On several holes, it was either Stricker or Woods in play, yet they still managed to build a 3-up lead at the turn.              (AP)