International team roars back into contention

MONTREAL -- Vijay Singh and Stuart Appelby handed Tiger Woods his worst-ever match play loss as a professional on Friday and the International team pulled within 7-5 of the United States on the second day of the Presidents Cup.

After earning only a half point out of six matches on Thursday, the International team moved back into contention.

"We needed some sanity today," Appelby said. "We got totally cleaned yesterday."

They match that got it started seemed totally insane.

Singh and Appelby played 14 holes of better ball in 11 under par and dominated Woods and Jim Furyk 5 and 4. Woods had never before been on the losing end of a match that didn't make it to the 15th hole at a Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup.

Singh holed a bunker shot at the first for birdie before making an eagle from the fairway at the par-5 sixth. Appelby later eagled the par-5 12th by sinking a 32-foot putt.

"We needed the point," Singh said. "We needed something to boost our guys up."

The momentum carried over on a day where there were so many amazing shots that fans must have felt like they were watching video game golf.

Mike Weir, playing with Ernie Els, made seven birdies in 17 holes as he and his South African partner beat Charles Howell III and Zach Johnson 3 and 1.

"He played some just amazing golf today," Els said.

Fans sang impromptu renditions of O Canada while Weir walked the fairways and one even stopped his wife Bricia to have her sign an autograph. Weir embraced the attention and struck quality shots all day long.

"I couldn't ask to play much better," he said.

Retief Goosen and Angel Cabrera saw their match reach the 18th hole, which was very unkind to the Internationals on Thursday. But Cabrera erased any bad memories by rolling in an 11-foot birdie putt that secured the hole and a 1-up victory over Phil Mickelson and Hunter Mahan.