Tiger provides perfect end to US win

SAN FRANCISCO – Tiger Woods provided a fitting conclusion Sunday to a perfect week for him and an American team that wrapped up the Presidents Cup to remain unbeaten at home.

With a flop shot out of the trees to set up one last birdie, Woods won the point that clinched the cup and made him only the third player in the Presidents Cup to win all five matches.

His 6-and-5 victory over South Korean Y.E. Yang was a tiny token of revenge for Woods blowing a final-round lead to him in the PGA Championship this summer. Even so, it was the first time in either the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup that Woods earned the decisive point.

And he didn’t even know it.

“Oh, perfect,” Woods said, an apt choice of words. “All I knew was I was trying to get my point, and I was 5 up trying to make it 6.”

Phil Mickelson wrapped up another anticlimactic finish with a 7-foot birdie putt for a 2-and-1 victory over South Africa’s Retief Goosen, leaving Lefty unbeaten in the Presidents Cup for the second time in the last three contests.

The Americans won 19 1/2-14 1/2, the same margin as last time against an overmatched International team.

“They are just one hell of a team,” Ernie Els said. “We have to pretty much go back to the drawing board, because they are a pretty well-oiled team, and it’s hard to beat that kind of team.”

The United States has six wins, a loss and one draw since the Presidents Cup began in 1994, and it improved to 5-0 on home soil, the previous four victories coming across the country in Virginia.

“I’m sure we tried our best all week,” Australian Geoff Ogilvy said after his 2-and-1 singles victory over Steve Stricker. “Coming in today, we had too much to do and the US team was obviously very motivated.”

British Open champion Stewart Cink, disgusted with his performance Saturday, asked to play early and put the first point on the board by overwhelming Australia’s Adam Scott, a questionable captain’s pick who contributed only one point for the week.

Sean O’Hair and Anthony Kim followed with big victories of their own, while Hunter Mahan eventually won his leadoff match over Camilo Villegas of Colombia, the only player to scoreless at Harding Park.

That set the stage for Woods, whose performance has been mediocre since he started playing these team competitions in 1997. (AP)