As much as players and officials like to talk up the competitive nature of the Presidents Cup there was also an end-of-season party atmosphere at Muirfield Village on Thursday with even Tiger Woods joining in the fun.
|Last Updated: Oct 04, 2013, 08:37 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Dublin: As much as players and officials like to talk up the competitive nature of the Presidents Cup there was also an end-of-season party atmosphere at Muirfield Village on Thursday with even Tiger Woods joining in the fun.
Woods and Matt Kuchar enjoyed a comfortable 5&4 win over Argentine Angel Cabrera and Australian Marc Leishman and the world number one had an unusually relaxed day.
With eight birdies between them and winning six holes to one, the American pair never looked in danger and there was even time for some fun and games.
Woods didn`t initially look amused when he felt a squirrel on the back of his neck while watching at the 18th green but he saw the funny side when he realised his girlfriend, Olympic downhill ski champion Lindsay Vonn had been behind the prank.
Kuchar had helped create the mood with an elaborate high-five routine with Woods to celebrate birdies with the American saying it was based on the `80s television comedy `The Fresh Prince of Bel Air`.
"I`m not a huge fan of bumping knuckles, I thought there was something a little extra, something fun to do," said Kuchar.
"Baseball high-fives look like a lot of fun but look a little too complicated so we went old school with the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, a little snap-back after you slap hands.
"It`s fun, I figure he`s kind of like Carlton, and we really had a good time doing it out there," he said.
Kuchar is Woods` 19th different partner in Presidents and Ryder Cup action for the U.S. and the pair looked to have quickly formed a good understanding.
"We`ve been good friends for a long time. We went out there, had a great time today and put it on them," said Woods.
Some may find playing with the 14-times major winner intimidating but Kuchar said he felt he was able to follow the example of Woods` former partner Steve Stricker.
"For me to get a chance to partner up with Tiger is a thrill, an honor to be selected as his partner. I think I may relax him a little bit out there.
"I think my game, Steve and I laughed last night about it. We said, `we`re interchangeable` he and I," he added.
"We are both consistent and I think you can count on us to hit a lot of fairways and greens, and pretty handy with the putter, as well. We saw the two of us as interchangeable pieces.
"But I really enjoyed playing the last couple days with Tiger, and then we continued having some good success today."
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.