Tiger mauled in huge matchplay loss

Tiger Woods suffered one of his worst-ever matchplay defeats Thursday in America's only loss in the opening day foursomes against the International team at the Presidents Cup. The former world number one, the winner of the most foursome matches with nine at the biennial teams event, lost seven and six with playing partner Steve Stricker to Australian Adam Scott and South Korean K.J. Choi. It was the Internationals' only success as the US team fought back to claim a 4-2 lead after the first day. But it was a significant defeat for the 14-time major winner Woods, who is without a tournament win in the last two years. The defeat was the first for Woods and Stricker as teammates at The Presidents Cup after they were unbeaten in four matches at the 2009 event in San Francisco. Prior to Thursday’s foursomes match, Woods’ worst defeat in The Presidents Cup was a five and three setback with Charles Howell III in a 2003 foursomes match against South Africans Tim Clark and Ernie Els. Woods and Stricker did lose six and five to English pair Lee Westwood and Luke Donald at the 2010 Ryder Cup. "We were just slightly off," Woods said. "On a golf course like this it doesn't take much. "They partnered up well, shot four under on us, and we just couldn't get any kind of pressure on them. "Unfortunately, we got into positions and I didn't want to fire at some of these flags, but we were in a position where we had to. "It doesn't take much to start missing a yard or two here or there and starts falling off the hedges."Scott and Choi posted birdies at the second, sixth, 11th and 12th and did not have a bogey while Woods and Stricker gave up three bogeys. Choi converted a seven-foot birdie putt at 12 to close out the match. US team captain Fred Couples afterwards broke up the Woods-Stricker combination for Friday's fourball with Woods to partner Dustin Johnson and Stricker linking up with Matt Kuchar.