'I'm getting ready for the singles': Tiger rests again with United States on the brink

Tiger Woods denied he's injured after resting himself again from Saturday afternoon's foursomes session as the International side took a stranglehold on the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.

Woods, the first Presidents Cup playing-captain in 25 years, opted out of the morning's fourball session, in which the United States took only one-and-a-half of an available four points.

Tiger Woods at Royal Melbourne.Credit: AAP

The 15-time major winner was clearly his side's best player across the opening two days, but wasn't among the four American pairings he announced before the afternoon action having already watched the morning fourball matches.

Asked whether he was injured, Woods said: "No. You have to do what's best for the team and I'm getting ready for the singles [on Sunday].

"It is what it is, and we're going to go out there and try and get some points today and be ready for [Sunday]."

The decision clearly surprised International skipper Ernie Els, whose underdogs are edging closer to one of the biggest boilovers in team golf history.

You have to do what's best for the team and I'm getting ready for the singles [on Sunday]

Tiger Woods

"Yes [I am surprised]," Els said. "Especially the way he's been playing with JT [Justin Thomas]. But JT has been rock solid on their side and looks like he's teaming well with Rickie [Fowler]. I thought Tiger would play this afternoon."

Bad boy Patrick Reed's horror week Down Under went from bad to worse as he and Webb Simpson were trounced five and three by Hideki Matsuyama and CT Pan, ensuring the former US Masters winner has lost all three matches this week.

Woods decided to sit Reed and Simpson out of the foursomes.

Els' International underdogs rode a red hot Abraham Ancer and Pan as they edged closer to their first Presidents Cup success since their only victory in 1998, also at Royal Melbourne.

They lead 9-5 after Tony Finau sunk a huge birdie putt on the last hole to ensure he and Matt Kuchar squared their match with Adam Scott and Byeong-Hun An.

Last year's Australian Open champion Ancer and Sungjae Im beat Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay three and two, the Mexican draining a birdie putt from off the green to seal the match on the 16th hole.

Woods' usual playing partner Thomas and Rickie Fowler cruised to a three and two win over Marc Leishman and rookie Haotong Li, who was benched for the first two days of the event.

The match was played against a backdrop of significant angst with Thomas invoking a little-known rule of matchplay to force Li to play a shot on the second hole again after he hit out of turn.

Li saw the funny side originally, but then clubbed his next attempt into a tree branch and watched as the ball rebounded to be further away from the hole than when he started. Thomas made birdie to win the hole.

The world No.4 later laid his putter down next to a hole to measure the length of a putt he had just holed, apparently in protest over Leishman and Li not conceding the stroke.

Four foursomes matches will be played on Saturday afternoon before the final 12 singles matches on Sunday.

PRESIDENTS CUP SATURDAY FOURBALL
Justin Thomas/Rickie Fowler (United States) beat Marc Leishman/Haotong Li (International) 3 and 2
Sungjae Im/Abraham Ancer (International) beat Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay (United States) 3 and 2
Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan (International) beat Patrick Reed/Webb Simpson (United States) 5 and 3
Adam Scott/Byeong-Hun An (International) tied Matt Kuchar/Tony Finau (United States)
Internationals lead United States 9-5

PRESIDENTS CUP SATURDAY FOURSOMES
Adam Scott/Louis Oosthuizen (International) v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland (United States)
Marc Leishman/Abraham Ancer (International) v Justin Thomas/Rickie Fowler (United States)
Cameron Smith/Sungjae Im (International) v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay (United States)
Byeong-Hun An/Joaquin Niemann (International) v Matt Kuchar/Tony Finau (United States)