There were many heroes for the United States in a 19-15 victory over the International team in the Presidents Cup. Here are the top five. 5. Tiger Woods (2-3) » He was the only American who started 0-2, but Woods was victim of uninspired play from partners Dustin Johnson and Steve Stricker. Woods won the key singles match on Sunday, 4 and 3, over Aaron Baddeley. His birdie at the 15th hole was his sixth of the day and clinched the Cup.
4. David Toms (3-1) » It was a stress-free four days for America’s oldest player. The straight-hitting, pure-putting 44-year-old went 3-1, with his victories lasting just 14, 13 and 13 holes.
3. Fred Couples » He was criticized for picking Woods over Keegan Bradley, then for sticking with him after an 0-2 start. Couples explained afterward with a shrug: “He’s the greatest player I’ve ever seen.” Among the critics was Greg Norman, whose captain choices, Robert Allenby and Baddeley, went 1-7-1.
2. Hunter Mahan (4-1) » He was the perfect alternate-shot partner for Toms. The duo won 13 of 27 holes in foursomes. In singles, Mahan dominated the Internationals’ second-ranked player, Jason Day, 5 and 3, leading 5 up after eight holes.
1. Jim Furyk (5-0) » On the slick greens of Royal Melbourne, he found his putting stroke, making 21 birdies and becoming the all-time leader in Presidents Cup wins (20). He joined Mark O’Meara (1996), Shigeki Muriyama (1998) and Tiger Woods (2009) as the only players to go 5-0 in the event.
– Kevin Dunleavy
