Presidents Cup singles matches analysis

Updated: September 25, 2005, 11:09 PM ET

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By Jason Sobel
ESPN.com

GAINESVILLE, Va. -- The United States team won the Presidents Cup, 18�-15� on Sunday. The following are breakdowns for all 12 final-round singles matches.

Match 23

Tim Clark International	Justin Leonard USA
U.S. wins, 4 and 3
Leonard was winless in five previous Presidents and Ryder Cup singles matches (remember, he only halved that famous match with Jose Maria Olazabal at Brookline in '99), but really took advantage on the par-5 10th and 12th holes to propel him to his first Sunday win in team competition. Leonard eagled each of those par-5 holes, and later said it was "really important" for him to get the U.S. side started off on the right foot.

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	T
INT
		AS	AS	AS		AS
USA	1up				1up		1up	2up	2up	3up	3up	4up	3up	4up	4up	--	--	--	4&3

Match 24

Trevor Immelman International	David Toms USA
U.S. wins, 2 and 1
It's been a rough few weeks for Toms. After helping aid Hurricane Katrina evacuees, he suffered a rapid heartbeat last week that left him in critical condition. He decided he was healthy enough to play this week, but failed to gain a point in the first three days. But on Sunday, Toms got hot, equaling Leonard's total of two eagles and playing 8 under for 17 holes. "I told my teammates last night at dinner that I was going to get one for them," Toms said, "and luckily that's what I did."

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	T
INT		1up	1up
	AS			AS					AS	AS	AS	AS
USA					1up	2up	2up	1up					1up	1up	2up	2up	2up	--	2&1

Match 25

Retief Goosen International	Tiger Woods USA
International wins, 2 and 1
This match was billed as the best of the day and though both players struggled at times, it was close throughout. Goosen made some long putts early to keep pace with Tiger, as the world's top-ranked player failed to get the flatstick working. "I had my chance to control the match, but I didn't make a lot of putts," Woods said. Goosen finished the week with a 4-0-1 record for the International squad, second only to Shigeki Maruyama, who went 5-0-0 two years ago.

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	T
INT										1up		1up	1up			1up	2up	--	2&1
	AS		AS						AS		AS		AS	AS
USA		1up		1up

Match 26

Mark Hensby International	Kenny Perry USA
U.S. wins, 4 and 3
Like Toms, Perry was also winless this week entering Sunday -- "My butt was sore from getting beat so bad," he said -- but he played extremely well in clinching the victory against Hensby. Perry finished up in style, knocking a wedge to within inches on 15, his eighth birdie of the day against zero bogeys. "It was probably the greatest moment for me in a long time," Perry later said of the win.

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	T
INT
	AS	AS
USA			1up	2up	3up	3up	3up	4up	5up	4up	4up	4up	3up	4up	4up	--	--	--	4&3

Match 27

Vijay Singh International	Fred Couples USA
U.S. wins, 1-up
All square on the final hole, Couples needed to make a 25-foot birdie putt for the win and knew it was good as soon as he hit it, raising his arms triumphantly in celebration. One day earlier, Couples asked captain Jack Nicklaus to play against Singh, since he knew him and would feel comfortable in the match. "Is he going to beat me eight out of 10 times? Yes," Couples said, "but on one day, I have as good a chance as anyone." Upon making the momentous putt, Couples was mobbed by his coaches and teammates on the final green.

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	T
INT	1up	1up
			AS				AS									AS	AS
USA				1up	1up	1up		1up	1up	2up	2up	1up	1up	1up	1up			1up	1up

Match 28

Mike Weir International	Scott Verplank USA
International wins, 3 and 2
Both Weir and Verplank saw some success during the week, but Weir outplayed his American counterpart on Sunday. Ultimately, Verplank was undone by an 11 hole stretch without a birdie. Weir closed out the match with birdies on his final three holes.

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	T
INT							1up		1up	2up	1up	1up	1up	2up	2up	3up	--	--	3&2
	AS					AS		AS
USA		1up	2up	1up	1up

Match 29

Adam Scott International	Jim Furyk USA
U.S. wins, 3 and 2
In another battle of heavyweights, Furyk kept a few perfect records intact. He is now 4-0-0 career in Presidents Cup singles matches and finished undefeated for the week at 3-0-2. "Being undefeated this week was all due to my partners," Furyk said. He may have been helped out by Funk and Woods during the first three days, but Sunday was all him. Neither Furyk not Scott made a single bogey all day, but early birdies by the American -- four in his opening six holes -- stood up at the end.

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	T
INT
	AS
USA		1up	1up	2up	1up	2up	2up	2up	2up	2up	2up	3up	2up	2up	3up	3up	--	--	3&2

Match 30

Peter Lonard International	Stewart Cink USA
International wins, 3 and 2
Neither player had achieved much success this week, with only two wins between them in the previous three days, but Lonard outplayed his opponent on Sunday for the victory.The Aussie birdied the fourth and fifth holes to grab the early lead and never looked back from there. Of the five Presidents Cup rookies playing on Sunday, Lonard was the only one to win his singles match.

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	T
INT	1up			1up	2up	1up	2up	2up	2up	1up	1up	2up	1up	2up	2up	3up	--	--	3&2
		AS	AS
USA

Match 31

Michael Campbell International	Fred Funk USA
International wins, 3 and 2
Wow, what a tough competitor Campbell has become. First the U.S. Open title. Then the World Match Play Championship last week. Now he earns three points for the International side (2-1-2) in the Cup. Funk stayed with the New Zealand native for much of the match, but was ultimately undone by a pair of bogeys on the back nine.

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	T
INT	1up	1up		1up	1up	2up	1up	1up	2up	1up	2up	3up	3up	3up	2up	3up	--	--	3&2
			AS
USA

Match 32

Nick O'Hern International	Davis Love III USA
U.S. wins, 4 and 3
O'Hern was simply outclassed in this one by the man who holds the all-time Presidents Cup points lead. Love birdied three of the first five holes and was 5 under through the 15-hole match. He now owns 16 career Cup points, including a 4-1-1 singles record while competing in all six events.

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	T
INT

USA	1up	1up	1up	2up	3up	3up	4up	3up	2up	2up	3up	3up	3up	4up	4up	--	--	--	4&3

Match 33

Angel Cabrera International	Phil Mickelson USA
Match halved
This match will forever be remember for the players' reactions upon finishing up on the 18th hole. Mickelson made birdie to square the match, then shook hands with Cabrera, thinking he had earned a half-point and a U.S. victory. However, a new rule states that if the overall match is not yet won by one side, then no match can be halved. "Captain Nicklaus said that there would be no halve, but I really didn't grasp that," Mickelson said. That meant extra holes for this one, but they players didn't even finish their first playoff hole, when DiMarco made his putt to clinch the match, leaving for a half-point each.

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	T
INT
	AS		AS											AS		AS		AS	AS
USA		1up		1up	2up	1up	1up	2up	2up	1up	1up	1up	1up		1up

Match 34

Stuart Appleby International	Chris DiMarco USA
U.S. wins, 1-up
DiMarco's record of runner-up finishes is extraordinary -- seven since his last tour victory in 2002, including two majors -- but he was the man to clinch the match for the U.S. on Sunday. In a back-and-forth struggle with Appleby, the pair came to the final hole All Square. After the Aussie was in with a par, DiMarco sank what was easily the most important putt for the U.S. in team competition since Leonard's 45-footer at Brookline. A 15-footer that held its line the entire way, DiMarco jubilantly raised his arms when it fell, and was quickly mobbed by teammates and coaches.