World number one Tiger Woods cannot be the easiest golfer to find a partner for but he has certainly struck up an impressive rapport with Matt Kuchar at the Presidents Cup.
|Last Updated: Oct 06, 2013, 11:04 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Ohio: World number one Tiger Woods cannot be the easiest golfer to find a partner for but he has certainly struck up an impressive rapport with Matt Kuchar at the Presidents Cup.
The pair have won all three of their matches so far, making them the only unbeaten pairing this week, though they have some work to do if they are to notch a fourth victory at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
The duo will resume at two-down with nine holes to play on Sunday in their foursomes encounter with South African Ernie Els and Zimbabwean Brendon de Jonge, which was cut short by darkness at the end of another rain-affected day at Muirfield Village.
Earlier in the day, in their fourball match, the Americans beat the Internationals pairing of Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama one-up, with Woods leading the way.
Down two holes, Woods responded by making three straight birdies, winning two holes to level the contest and after a Kuchar birdie clinched the 14th hole, a superb eagle from Woods at the next earned the Americans a two-hole lead.
After Japanese Matsuyama reduced the lead to one-hole, the Americans needed to seal the win on the 18th and did so when Kuchar cooly sank a 16-foot birdie putt.
"Kuch man, what a birdie on 18," said Woods after embracing his team mate on the green.
Pleased as he was with that finish, Kuchar acknowledged that Woods had made the bigger contribution throughout the match.
"This guy is a horse, Holy Cow," said Kuchar. "He played some incredible golf today. I was along for the ride for most of it. I let him down a couple times, missed a few putts, but boy, that sure was a fun way to end it."
It is clear that the pair are enjoying each other`s company and also that Kuchar has taken on the role of the steady and consistent partner for Woods which Steve Stricker has previously filled.
"I think he`s had a great partner in Stricker," Kuchar said earlier this week. "Those two are a fantastic fit together. I wasn`t sure I was going to change that setup. I thought that`s been a good fit."
There is an evident good chemistry between the pair who have enjoyed some light-hearted moments as well as the more Tigerish fist-pumping episodes of aggression.
"I think I may relax him a little bit out there," said Kuchar.
The key to making Woods feel comfortable in his partner appears to be an unusual sense of humour which Woods described as funny - in both senses of the word - with regard to both Kuchar and Jason Dufner.
"Kuch and Duf are pretty funny guys and you expect the unexpected with those two," said Woods.
Whatever the jokes may be like, they are bringing exceptional results for Woods.
The only other time that a Woods pairing has won the first three matches together at the Presidents Cup was four years ago at Harding Park where he and Stricker won all four.
Reuters
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.