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Tiger Woods

Els chipped in from behind the 18th green for an eagle three to complete a 1-up victory over Chris DiMarco and Phil Mickelson.

The cheers from the crowd echoed across The Links Fancourt, but were quickly swapped for worried mutterings as the home supporters looked at the scoreboard and read 9/12 - 61/2 in favour of the visitors.

For the second day in succession, Gary Player's International team left themselves too much to do and too little time in which to do it.

But unlike a day earlier, there was to be no miraculous fightback as the US players held their nerve to set up a commanding lead ahead of Saturday's six four-balls matches.

The first point came from Fred Funk and David Toms, who took advantage of a forgettable performance from the Australian duo of Robert Allenby and Stephen Leaney in the second match to cruise to victory by a convincing 4&3 margin.

World Cup team-mates Justin Leonard and Jim Furyk banked point number two via a 5&4 win over a Mike Weir/Vijay Singh combination that failed to gel.

Masters Champion Weir and Singh, the 2003 US PGA Tour Money list winner, were already three over for their round when the door was shut in their face on the 14th green.

Kenny Perry and Jerry Kelly were cruising against Peter Lonard and K.J. Choi in the first match before the International duo put together back-to-back birdies on the 15th and 16th holes to claw themselves back into the match.

When Perry's tee shot followed Choi's into the rough to the right of the short 17th hole, a glimmer of hope still shone for the home pair.

But a poor chip from Lonard left Choi with s putt of six feet for a par three, with the American pair already committed to a bogey four, but the Korean's effort slid past the hole and a third point was added to the American defence of their title, taking their lead to 8½ -5½.

Minutes later it was Tiger Woods' who stood bemused as his two-foot birdie putt on the 16th green stood inexplicably above the hole.

Woods' blunder gave South Africans Retief Goosen and Tim Clark their third hole in succession and saw the World No. 1 and his partner Charles Howell III take a slender, one hole lead onto the 17th tee.

Two par three's on the 17th saw the match head down the treacherous par-five18th, where Goosen put his approach shot under 15-feet from the flag.

It came down to a putting contest as Howell chipped up to four feet, but while Clark missed his eagle attempt, Woods stroked home for a birdie four to seal the match by 1-up

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