Austin’s plunge is spark team needed

MONTREAL (AP) — Woody Austin produced quite a ripple effect.

The Americans were drowning in their fourball matches Friday in the Presidents Cup when Austin became a symbol of their futility by losing his balance and taking a face-first plunge into the lake next to the 14th green at Royal Montreal.

Jim Furyk tugged his cap over his eyes. His partner, David Toms, couldn’t stop laughing.

“I’m dying to laugh, but I’m scared the cameras will be on me that I’m laughing the guy is drowning,” International captain Gary Player said.

But when his clothes dried and the laughter subsided, Austin might have given the Americans the spark they needed.

From perhaps the most embarrassing moment of his career, Austin redeemed himself by closing with three tough birdies to earn an important halve on a day that the International team otherwise dominated.

The International team won four matches to cut the Americans’ lead to 7-5 after two days, and it was truly a team effort.

Vijay Singh and Stuart Appleby led the way by handing Tiger Woods his worst loss in team competition, 5 and 4.

, although there wasn’t much Woods and Jim Furyk could do. Singh holed out from a bunker and chipped in for eagle, Appleby made a long eagle putt at No. 12 and they combined to go 11 under through 14 holes.

Mickelson-Mahan beaten

Retief Goosen chipped in for par and Angel Cabrera made a 10-foot birdie on the 18th for a 1-up victory over Phil Mickelson and Hunter Mahan, the first match since 2003 in South Africa that the International team won on the 18th hole.

Geoff Ogilvy picked up another point with a 5-foot birdie on the 18th, topping the 15-foot birdie moments earlier from Lucas Glover.

The loudest cheers again belonged to Canadian Mike Weir, who delivered seven birdies and a clutch tee shot on the 17th hole that allowed he and Ernie Els to close out their match.

The jeers belonged to Austin.

“I have a feeling that he will be hearing about that for the rest of his life,” U.S. captain Jack Nicklaus said.