Internationals lead 3.5-2.5 after first day

Captain Gary Player's International team took a 3 1/2 - 2 1/2 lead over the U.S. after the opening foursomes in the Presidents Cup on Thursday.

World number one Tiger Woods's match play woes continued when he and Fred Couples lost 4 and 3 to South African Retief Goosen and Adam Scott of Australia.

U.S. captain Jack Nicklaus sent his best player out first hoping to seize the momentum at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

But Couples and Woods, sporting a new blond-streaked hairstyle, failed to produce.

"I think it was a little disappointing but the guys fought hard," said Nicklaus.

"I saw places it could have been worse but I saw other spots where it could have been better.

"Tomorrow is another day, we've still got a long way to go."

Woods, who had asked to be paired with Couples, spent much of the outward nine bailing out his partner who was having trouble finding the fairway.

"I was mediocre and I put Tiger in some tough spots," said Couples. "Certainly I enjoyed playing with Tiger and Retief and Adam but I just didn't play well.

"Your shortcomings show in the alternate shot (format) and playing with the best player in the world it showed today. I couldn't help Tiger at all."

Clutch putts from Woods, who has an indifferent record in the Presidents and Ryder Cup team events, allowed the U.S. to halve the opening two holes but a bogey on the fourth started a front-nine slide.

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

Despite support from the large galleries, Woods and Couples were unable to mount a charge on the inward stretch.

Scott put the Internationals three up again when he sank a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-five 12th.

Woods and Couples then reached the point of no return when they bogeyed the 15th.

"We did a good job out there, we got the job done," said Scott.

"I think it was important playing Tiger and Freddy to take control early because it's hard to come back against those guys."

The biggest victory of the day belonged to South Africa's Trevor Immelman and Canada's Mike Weir, who routed David Toms and Stewart Cink 6 and 5.

Toms, who was rushed to hospital last week with chest pains and a rapid heartbeat, was back on the course but failed to produce his best form.

With four birdies in the opening five holes, Immelman and Weir raced three up.

The International duo increased their advantage to four up when the Americans conceded the ninth hole after Toms's tee shot sailed over the green into the stands.

Two more birdies at 10 and 12 and a par at the 13th were enough for Immelman and Weir to celebrate an early victory.

The U.S. picked up their first full point when Scott Verplank and Justin Leonard beat Australians Peter Lonard and Stuart Appleby 4 and 2.

A few minutes later, U.S. PGA champion Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco added another point with a one-up triumph over Australia's Nick O'Hern and South African Tim Clark.

It was a positive start for Mickelson, who was feeling the pressure after he failed to pick up a point at the 2003 Presidents Cup in South Africa.

U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell of New Zealand made sure the Internationals ended the day in front when he holed a 16-foot birdie putt on the 17th to give him and Angel Cabrera of Argentina a 2 and 1 win over Davis Love III and Kenny Perry.

World number two Vijay Singh of Fiji and Australia's Mark Hensby halved their match with Fred Funk and Jim Furyk.

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