Presidents Cup: Tiger Woods gets U.S. started vs. Internationals

Credit the International team with a solid save on Day 1 of the Presidents Cup golf. What appeared to be an opening act and sweep by the United States turned into a close match as sunset neared at Muirfield Golf Club outside Columbus, Ohio.

The Americans survived the late rally and are off to another good start in the Presidents Cup.

Steve Stricker blasted out of a plugged lie in the bunker to 3 feet to save par as he and 20-year-old Jordan Spieth hung on for a 1-up win that gave the Americans a 3½-2½ lead.

It was the fourth consecutive time in the Presidents Cup that the Americans led after the opening day. The order was changed to start with fourballs, and not even that helped the International team. It lost a fourballs session for the first time in 10 years.

Tiger Woods and Matt Kuchar gave the Americans their first points in the competition in a dominant 5 and 4 victory against Angel Cabrera and Marc Leishman.

Then, Canada's Graham DeLaet and Jason Day of Australia closed a 1-up victory against Brandt Snedeker and Hunter Mahan. Shortly thereafter South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel defeated Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley 2 and 1.

MORE: Bradley drills spectator with drive; Love adopts baby squirrel (VIDEO)

And Masters champion Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama split with Bill Haas and Webb Simpson. Matsuyama was the hero with an approach at 18 that drew a concession.

Thursday's opening play was suspended in golf's Presidents Cup international competition because of an approaching thunderstorm.

Players were called off the course about 2:38 p.m. ET, according to a PGA Twitter post. Competition resumed about 4 p.m. ET.

— Get scoring updates via GolfDigest.com.

The competition pits U.S. players against an international team, mostly Australians and South Africans, with Canada's DeLaet among them.

Thursday's competition was four-ball.

Before the storms, an awesome day of golf. Happy Presidents Cup. pic.twitter.com/a3g1VxuAX8

— Michael S. Brown (@DestinationCbus) October 3, 2013

With six matches under way, U.S. players led five of them most of the day.

"They played some great holes at the start," International team captain Nick Price said. "We've got to come back now."

American golfers won the past four competititons and are 7-1-1 in the series. Presidents Cup competition takes place every other year between Ryder Cup events.

Birdies by Kuchar on No. 1 and Woods on No. 6 put them ahead of Cabrera and Leishman. Zach Johnson and 2013 PGA championship winner Jason Dufner were even better, going 4-up on South Africans Branden Grace and Richard Sterne.

Meanwhile, PGA champion Jason Dufner remained himself by casually loading up with dip ahead of his first tee shot. (H/T SBNation)

U.S. captain Fred Couples pair Steve Stricker, 46, and Jordan Spieth, 20, against South African Ernie Els, a five-time major winner, and Zimbabwe's Brendon de Jonge.

Competition continues through Sunday. Four-ball matches will be followed by six alternate-shot foursomes on Friday, five four-ball and five foursomes matches on Saturday and 12 concluding singles.

To win, a team must accumulate 17.5 points.

Spieth, at 20 the youngest male golfer to represent his country in a professional team, had a strong first day that justified Couples' decision to make him a wild-card addition to the roster..

"In six months he forced his way on to the team," Couples said. "I mean, he almost did it on points. He was close. He was always going to be in here and he's having a blast."

Wednesday, he uncorked a hole-in-one on No. 12 while playing with Woods.

It appears the tour rookie is right at home with the high-profile pros.

"Jordan just walked right in like he belonged," said Davis Love III, an assistant to Couples. "And that's why Fred picked him – because he does belong. He's mature beyond his years. Nothing fazes him. That's why he's been so successful in his rookie year."