The eighth edition of the Presidents Cup got underway Thursday with the International team hoping to generate some heat in the cool, foggy weather at Harding Park Golf Course. The event, which pits the United States against an International team drawn from all parts of the globe except Europe, opens with six foursomes matches. The spotlight was squarely on the fifth match - between superstar Tiger Woods and US teammate Steve Stricker and former US Open champ Geoff Ogilvy of Australia and Japanese teen sensation Ryo Ishikawa. Ishikawa was looking forward to the challenge, even as he remained aware of his opponents' stature. “Obviously, this is going to be an important match. I feel that if we can win this one, maybe we can stop the American team from getting out of their rhythm,” Ishikawa said. Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim, who teamed successfully at the Ryder Cup last year, launched the US challenge in the opening match against Canadian Mike Weir and South African Tim Clark. They halved the par-five first hole with pars. The foursomes matches have often been a stumbling block for the Internationals. In Montreal two years ago, the US emerged from the opening day with a 5.5-.5 lead and went on to win 19.5-14.5. The Americans have never lost on home soil, and have in fact only lost once, in 1998 at Royal Melbourne. On paper, the Internationals, captained by Australian Greg Norman, are underdogs, with seven of their 12 players without a victory this year. Of those who have won, Angel Cabrera of Argentina won the Masters, and South Korean Yang Yong-Eun became the first Asian man to win a major with his triumph at the PGA Championship. In the day's other matches Els and Aussie Adam Scott faced Hunter Mahan and Sean O'Hair, Singh and Robert Allenby played US Open champion Lucas Glover and British Open winner Stewart Cink. Cabrera and Colombian Camilo Villegas played Kenny Perry and Zach Johnson and Yang and South African Retief Goosen played Jim Furyk and Justin Leonard. Quiros leads in Madrid In Madrid, Spaniard Manuel Quiros unleashed a spectacular flurry of birdies to take a two-shot lead on 10 under par after the opening round of the Madrid Masters Thursday. The 30-year-old from Marbella in southern Spain, ranked 1,076 in the world, nailed 10 birdies at the Centro Nacional de Golf, including six on the return nine holes, for a sensational score of 62. Compatriot Sergio Garcia made a blistering start to his bid for a first win this year, the world No. 8 ending the day on eight under in second place, one shot ahead of Britain's Oliver Fisher. There were five players on six under –Britons Danny Willett, David Horsey, Ross McGowan, Anthony Wall and David Drysdale.
