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Tiger Woods and Mark Calcavecchia were never supposed to play in Foursomes (alternate-shot) at the 2002 Ryder Cup at The Belfry. Birdie-machine Calcavecchia seemed more appropriate for Four-ball play, but two things led to the Tiger-Calcavecchia pairing. First of all, they were friends, having played practice rounds together, and “Calcâ€� wouldn’t be intimidated by Woods’ aura. And secondly, there was something Calcavecchia knew that U.S. Captain Curtis Strange didn’t, or at least didn’t seem to take into account: Playing with Ken Green and Payne Stewart, Calcavecchia had gone 4-0 in previous Ryder Cup Foursomes. “I actually had to talk Curtis into it,â€� Calcavecchia said recently. “I brought it to his attention. I said, ‘Let me play with Tiger, I’ll get you a win.’ “I would have thought, teeing off, that there was no way we could lose.â€� A lot of people have thought that way upon partnering with Tiger, who is coming off a seismic victory at the TOUR Championship at East Lake last weekend, the long-awaited 80th of his career at age 42. He is perhaps the greatest player in history, knows more about winning than anyone short of PGA TOUR victories leader Sam Snead (82), and would appear at first glance to be the perfect teammate. What could go wrong? Plenty, as it turns out. In seven Ryder Cups, Woods has had 12 partners in Foursomes and Four-ball play, going 4-8-1 and 5-8-0 respectively, for an un-Tiger-like 9-16-1 record in the matches that make up the first two days (and 16 of 28 points) of the competition. One of the stories heading into this week’s Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in Paris will be the U.S. Team’s effort to win on foreign soil for the first time since 1993. But to do that, U.S. Captain Jim Furyk may need to find a way to help Woods find a partner. His record in Ryder Cup Foursomes and Four-ball has been a head-scratcher, to say the least. Woods’ frustrations certainly haven’t been for a lack of trying. Three times, in ’99, ’02 and ’04, he has been paired with three different players in a single Ryder Cup. He settled down and went 2-2 with Furyk in ’06, and 2-1 with Steve Stricker in 2010. The Woods/Stricker tandem had been potent the previous year in the 2009 Presidents Cup, winning all four of their matches. But in the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah, they went 0-3 as the U.S. lost a heartbreaker. What gives? I think Tiger’s not easy to pair with people. Because the attention that he brings … you’re expected to win, and then you’re going up against the best players in (Europe), and over an 18-hole match. So, a lot of funny things can happen. As it turns out, it may not be that complicated. It’s the ball — or it was. Although Ryder Cups in America never abide by the one-ball rule, Ryder Cups in Europe used to do just that, forcing Foursomes teams to pick a ball (brand, compression, cover softness) and stick with it for the day. Woods played a soft, high-spin ball that was unfamiliar to the rest of the TOUR, sometimes leaving his partners to try and adapt on the fly. They didn’t always have much success. So it went for Calcavecchia as he and Woods never quite clicked at The Belfry and lost 2 and 1 to Europe’s Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood. “I had a problem playing with his Nike ball,â€� Calcavecchia recalled. “I hit a couple iron shots that I thought were perfect and came up 30 feet short. And on a par-5 on the front nine, I thought I could carry this fairway bunker and it crashed into the lip, which surprised me. I basically hit his ball 10 yards shorter than I hit my ball. It just felt softer than the Titleist I was playing. “And neither of us played very well,â€� Calcavecchia added. “Tiger missed a couple 4-footers for par, which he never does, and on 14, the par-3, he half-shanked an 8-iron about 50 feet right and it buried in the corner of a bunker. I could barely get a club on it and we lost that hole. Prior to that, I’d hit a couple bad drives and put him in a bad spot. But that’s alternate-shot.â€� How bad was it? Garcia and Westwood won three holes with pars. The good news is that the one-ball rule is no longer in effect in Europe, allowing Foursomes teammates to each use their own ball off the holes where they tee off, simplifying the process. Woods, at least, believes the rule change might help him going forward, whether he’s paired with Bryson DeChambeau, as speculated, Phil Mickelson or somebody else in France this week.

“Now when you’re pairing guys — a little bit more on personality than your golf ball,â€� Woods said. “So that’s changed the alternate shot. … It’s so much easier now because we’re able to hit whatever we want off the tees. And that makes a world of difference.â€� Both he and DeChambeau play a Bridgestone ball, albeit different models. Woods calls it, “a firmer version of what I play.â€� Perhaps more indicative of a potential partnership, the two have formed a rapidly growing friendship, teaming up for practice rounds and also playing together in the third round of the Dell Technologies Championship, when DeChambeau shot 63 on the way to his second victory in as many weeks to start the FedExCup Playoffs. “If he goes around and shoots 8-under par every time, that will work,â€� Woods said. Shooting 65, as Woods did twice at East Lake last week, would also work. As for why his record isn’t better in Four-ball, more often called best ball in the States, NBC/Golf Channel commentator Justin Leonard says that’s more complicated. There’s heightened attention on anything Woods does; players are especially fired up to beat him (ask former No. 1 Greg Norman about being a target); and match play can be a fickle beast. “I think Tiger’s not easy to pair with people,â€� Leonard said. “Because the attention that he brings … you’re expected to win, and then you’re going up against the best players in (Europe), and over an 18-hole match. So, a lot of funny things can happen.â€� Funny things that as Joe Pesci might say are not exactly “hah-hah funnyâ€� for the Americans. Leonard, one of the 12 Americans who have partnered Woods, fared better than most; they halved a Foursomes match against Jesper Parnevik and Ignacio Garrido at Valderrama in 1997. Phil Mickelson has a different theory about Woods’ woes. “When you’d be partnered with him, you’d let him do all the work because he’s so good,â€� Mickelson said. “And you don’t get focused in on your own game and play our best golf.â€� Who will be Woods’ partner in France? That might be up to Woods himself; after all, he was a Vice-Captain until Furyk tabbed him as a captain’s pick. “Tiger tells you who he wants to play with; he’ll tell the captain,â€� Calcavecchia said. You get the sense that he’s probably right, be the year 2002 or 2018. As for Woods’ partner problems, though, the one-ball rule isn’t the only thing that’s changed over the decades. “It was a little bit different 15, 18 years ago than it is now,â€� Calcavecchia said, “especially with all Tiger has been through. He’s a little easier to be around. Whoever gets paired up with him, whether it’s DeChambeau or someone else, I think will feel more comfortable.â€� DeChambeau already sounds comfortable. “I don’t really want to say it,â€� he said, “but I think maybe we can potentially intimidate a couple of people out there. I think it would be kind of cool.â€� Your move, Captain Furyk.

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PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Each day at THE PLAYERS Championship, PGATOUR.COM’s staff writers will dive into the big issues and questions everyone is discussing. Spoiler alert — there’s lots more talk about Webb Simpson, but some about Tiger Woods as well. The question is not “if,” but “by how much.â€� What will be Webb Simpson’s margin of victory? Cameron Morfit (Staff Writer) — I’m guessing he’ll win by five. The margin will go down to four or so, close enough to be tight, but he’ll settle down and finish it off. Ben Everill (Staff Writer) — I’ll go with five shots. He starts seven clear. He will play defensively to a 70 and it will be more than enough. Mike McAllister (Managing Editor) — Foot off the pedal for Simpson. Everybody else able to free-wheel it. Somebody will go low. Simpson to win by four shots. Sean Martin (Senior Editor) — Ten. I like round numbers. What thing has impressed you most about Simpson this week? Morfit — That par putt he drained on No. 18 spoke volumes. How can you beat a guy when he’s doing that all day? Everill — The easy answer is putting but I will say even more impressive has been the clutch shots or putts at the clutch times. His eagle hole out from the bunker on No. 11 today never looked like missing. Incredible. McAllister — The easy thing would be his putting – he’s made about 400 feet of putts if you include the ones from off the green. But really, it’s just that he’s not flinching on a course that never lets you relax. Seeing a player crank on all cylinders is a beautiful thing. Martin — The putting has been incredible. It’s very fitting on the one-year anniversary of the grip change that changed his career. He leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting. Is this the most impressive performance of any PLAYERS champion? Morfit — No, no. I will still take Rickie Fowler going eagle, birdie, birdie to force the playoff in 2015. That was one of the most thrilling finishes I’ve ever seen in any tournament. Everill — Not yet. But it is heading that way. My bias is likely clouding me but Greg Norman went wire-to-wire in 1994 and finished 24-under. Steve Elkington won by seven in 1997. And Jason Day won by four in 2016 in brutally tough conditions. Those are the marks to beat. McAllister — Statistically, of course, it is — at least through 54 holes. His 7-shot lead obliterates the previous record held by Alex Cejka (who, by the way, did not convert his 5-stroke lead into a win). I’m still partial to Rickie Fowler’s finish in 2015, but simply for the ridiculous fireworks at the end. That’s a completely different perspective — and I wasn’t at TPC Sawgrass when Steve Elkington won by 7 in 1997. Martin — From start to finish, I say yes. This thing is a romp. Now for the biggest mystery: Who wins the “B flight?” Morfit — I’m going to take Jimmy Walker. He’s been very much under the radar all week, and he’s playing very well again. Everill — This won’t come as a surprise to many but I’ll say Jason Day. He’s driven to win the FedExCup and return to world No. 1, so he will play like every shot matters. McAllister — I kind of like Jordan Spieth (no surprise for anyone who knows me and my affinity for all things Texas). He’ll use Sunday to continue trying to solve TPC Sawgrass, and I fully expect for him to follow up his 65 with another low number. Martin — Jason Day. A strong season continues. How do you assess Tiger’s 65? What significance does it have? Morfit — Confidence is everything. That 65 won’t have much bearing on THE PLAYERS, but it will certainly be in the front of his mind in his next start. We might look back on that round as the start of a great summer for Tiger. Everill — It was awesome — and disappointing at the same time. He was 8-under through 12 holes but couldn’t find another gear coming in. Old Tiger would have and might have found himself in the final group Sunday … now THAT would have been something. It shows that maybe a win might come around the corner. McAllister — His lowest score since 2015? I think that’s huge. Sure, he’s not really in contention, but it’s got to be a confidence booster and could pay big dividends later this season. Martin — I think it shows that, despite some mediocre performances at Wells Fargo and the Masters, he’s capable of winning this year. It’s just a matter of putting all the pieces together.

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MELBOURNE, Australia — Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry of Belgium had a few anxious moments on the back nine but held on to shoot a 4-under 68 and claim a three-stroke win Sunday at the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup, despite a determined late run by Australia and Mexico. Pieters and Detry took a five-stroke lead into the final round of foursomes (alternate shot) at Metropolitan and the lead was reduced by one when Detry missed a nervy three-footer on the par-3 second. But they had an eagle and two birdies on the rest of the front nine and made the turn with their five-stroke advantage intact. Australia’s Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith pulled to within two strokes, thanks to holing out from the bunker for a birdie by Smith and a 12-foot par save on the next hole by Leishman. If there was any doubt, Pieters’ approach to four feet on the 18th set up a final birdie by Detry to give the Belgians a 23-under total of 265 in mostly sunny conditions after some early-morning drizzle. “We were both nervous at times, but to finish with a birdie was special,” Pieters said. Leishman and Smith shot 65. Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, who won last week’s Australian Open, and his partner Roberto Diaz, playing in the last group with Belgium, shot 66 and finished tied with the Australians for second. Defending champions Thorbjorn Olesen and Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark shot a 65 to finish tied for fourth with Canada’s Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, who shot 66. They were six strokes behind. Americans Matt Kuchar and Kyle Stanley shot a final-round 68 and finished at 9-under, 14 strokes behind the winners and tied for 16th among the 28 teams.

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