• Presidents Cup, Day One

Woods thrashed as USA take lead

Tiger Woods and Steve Williams exchange pleasantries © Getty Images

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• Profile: KJ Choi | Dustin Johnson | Phil Mickelson | Charl Schwartzel | Adam Scott | Steve Stricker | Bubba Watson | Tiger Woods

The USA team took control on day one of the Presidents Cup in Melbourne, claiming an early lead over their International opponents.

For the third straight time in the competition the USA hit the front after day one of the foursome matches. The USA hold a 4-2 advantage as they proved more than capable of handling the tricky conditions at Royal Melbourne Golf Course.

Tiger Woods' feud with his former caddie Steve Williams dominated the headlines in the lead up to the tournament, but once on course it was Williams' current employer Adam Scott who enjoyed the limelight. Scott and KJ Choi easily defeated Woods and his USA playing partner Steve Stricker 7&6 to give the International team the edge. Woods and Stricker failed to win a hole and suffered the biggest defeat in the history of the event.

However, Hunter Mahan and David Toms then restored parity with an early triumph over YE Yang and KT Kim. The USA pair won the match 6&5 as they utterly dominated their International opponents.

Ryo Ishikawa teamed up with veteran Ernie Els in the first group on course. The pair began brightly for the Internationals, but the USA team of Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson ultimately prevailed to take the match 4&2.

The USA's Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk proved too strong for fellow veterans Retief Goosen and Robert Allenby as they went on to win 4&3. The International team of Charl Schwartzel and Geoff Ogilvy then provided a glimmer of hope as they halved their match against Nick Watney and Bill Haas.

Young Australians Jason Day and Aaron Baddeley paired up in the final group as they looked to inflict defeat on their more experienced USA rivals in Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar. The match went to the wire before bogeys on the final two holes cost Day and Baddeley as the match was halved.

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