U.S. ready for road glory

The Presidents Cup is supposed to be a team event. Based on the beating the Americans delivered Saturday at Montreal, the only excitement left is one match between the two biggest stars at Royal Montreal.

Thousands of Canadian fans who wanted to see the International team hoist the cup might have to settle for a consolation prize of their beloved Mike Weir trying to take down Tiger Woods.

Just like the rest of these matches, it seems like a tall task.

Woods won twice with different partners, neither match going longer than 15 holes. The Americans pitched a shutout in the five morning matches of alternate-shot, then turned back an International rally in the afternoon fourballs with one of its own. When 11 hours of limited cheers finally ended, the United States had a 14 1/2 -7 1/2 lead, the largest at the Presidents Cup in seven years.

That means the International team must win 10 of the 12 singles matches – including Weir versus Woods – today to take back the cup.

The last time the Americans held such a big lead was in 2000 in Virginia, when they rode a 14-6 lead into the biggest rout in Presidents Cup history.

PGA

David Branshaw shot a 3-under-par 69 to lead by two strokes after three rounds of the Viking Classic, with a crowd of 17 golfers within six shots of his 13 under going into the final day.

Bill Haas had a 70 and was in second place while Chad Campbell shot a 64 that left him three strokes behind at 10 under. He was tied with Shaun Micheel and Johnson Wagner, who both shot 68s.

LPGA

Lorena Ochoa, seeking her fourth consecutive win, shot a 3-under-par 69 and overtook Stacy Prammanasudh on the last hole to take a one-stroke lead into the final day of the Navistar LPGA Classic at Prattville, Ala.

Prammanasudh, carrying a three-stroke lead coming in, finished with a 73.

Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., shot a 1-over 73 to make her 4 under and Rathdrum’s Tracy Hanson shot a 2-over 74 to move her to 2 over on the weekend.