THE BLOGWeir beats Woods!
American Team retains the Presidents Cup, but Weir beats Woods
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
Sunday, September 30, 2007
MONTREAL - The United States won the Presidents Cup. Mike Weir gave Canada quite a consolation prize.
The Americans won enough of the singles matches Sunday to capture the Presidents Cup for the second straight time, giving them an international victory in cup competition for the first time since 1993.
That didn’t stop the relentless cheers that rocked Royal Montreal on a spectacular autumn day, especially when Weir won the final two holes to beat Tiger Woods and send his country home feeling like a winner.
Weir won the Masters four years ago, and he wasn’t sure which felt sweeter.
“It’s right there with it,” Weir said. “Obviously, winning the Masters was such a thrill, but to play Tiger … he’s the best player there is, and I had to play my absolute best today to beat him.”
He needed some help from the world’s No. 1 player.
Weir charged out to a 3-up lead on the front nine, but Woods battled back and took a 1-up lead into 17.
The Bright’s Grove, Ont., native birdied the par-3 17th and took advantage of Woods’ errant drive, which landed in a pond just a few yards short of a Canadian flag fans were holding behind the ropes, on 18 to close out the match to thunderous applause.
With the match all square and Weir safely in the 18th fairway, Woods pulled his tee shot and watched it .
Weir hit his approach to 15 feet, and after Woods’ chip for par stopped rolling two inches from the cup, he conceded the putt.
By then, the Americans were celebrating something far more important.
Phil Mickelson earned an early point by beating Vijay Singh 5-and-4, Scott Verplank’s back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 finished off Rory Sabbatini 2-and-1 and David Toms won his match against Trevor Immelman.
For the Internationals, South Africa’s Ernie Els clawed back from a three-hole deficit to beat Presidents Cup rookie Lucas Glover while the colourful Angel Cabrera beat Masters champion Zack Johnson and Korea’s K.J. Choi, who has struggled this week, beat Hunter Mahan.
The next Presidents Cup will be held in 2009 at Harding Park in San Francisco.
Congratulations Mike!! We knew you could do it!!
