DUBLIN, Ohio -- Tiger Woods sat in a cart with a tiny squirrel resting on his shoulder. Cody Whitehair Bears Jersey . Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel walked onto the first tee wearing wigs to make up for their bad haircuts. Fred Couples had cupcakes delivered to him by the opposing captain in honour of his 54th birthday. Opening day at the Presidents Cup was unlike any other Thursday at Muirfield Village. Except for the score. After six hours of fourballs that produced 102 birdies, two eagles and a new celebrity named "Sammy the Squirrel," the Americans won the opening session for the fourth straight time, a solid start in their quest to maintain dominance in this event. But it took a great save from a plugged lie in the bunker by Steve Stricker in the final match on the course to give the Americans a 3 1/2-2 1/2 lead. And despite being in another hole, this only felt like a divot to an International team inspired by the clutch play of Hideki Matsuyama, the South African duo of Oosthuizen and Schwartzel, and the refusal to be spooked from trailing early in every match. "Theres plenty of heart on the team," Adam Scott said. "And think we should take a lot of that." Ernie Els didnt make a birdie until the 17th hole, but his 12-footer extended the match to the 18th hole. The Internationals looked like they might win the last hole with a par when 20-year-old Jordan Spieth drove into the water and Strickers approach plugged into the face of the bunker. He blasted out to 3 feet, and de Jonge missed his 18-foot birdie putt to end a wild day. "You dont want anybody else to have to get that up-and-down other than Steve Stricker, so, God, what a match," Spieth said. "It was incredible." That wasnt the only highlight. Scott chipped in for eagle on the 15th hole and Matsuyama holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the next hole to square their match against Bill Haas and Webb Simpson. Haas answered with an 18-foot birdie putt to go 1 up, only for the 21-year-old Japanese star to hit his 8-iron approach from 168 yards to 2 feet for birdie on the 18th to halve the match. "There were so many birdies made, you really couldnt keep up," Couples said. As for that squirrel? Love found it on the second hole and kept it with him for good luck the rest of the way. It was on his wrist, in his pocket, and quickly became the team mascot. At one point, Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn put it on Woods back. It spooked her boyfriend, who at first looked bothered, but later became friends with Sammy. "I carry a rabbits foot around a lot. I dont know much about a squirrel, or a live squirrel," Couples said. The International team had its own mascot -- Mother Nature. The Americans bolted out to a big start and were ahead in all six matches early. The round was stopped for 1 1/2 hours because of thunderstorms, and while none of the matches had gone beyond the 10th hole, it felt like a chance for the Internationals to start over. "The break did us really good," Oosthuizen said. "We came back out, felt refreshed and just played well." Jason Day and Graham DeLaet rallied from 3 down to Hunter Mahan and Brandt Snedeker, winning on the 18th hole when Day made a 20-foot birdie putt. Oosthuizen and Schwartzel gave Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson their first loss. The South Africans, best of friends since junior golf, took their first lead on the 11th hole and didnt lose another hole until they had a 2-and-1 win. Mickelson and Bradley were 3-0 as partners in the Ryder Cup last year and had a 2-up lead through seven holes on Bradleys eagle. They didnt win another hole the rest of the way, however. "I had good rhythm early on and when we went back out (after the delay), I was just a little bit tight and didnt make very good swings," Mickelson said. The Presidents Cup began with fourballs for the first time since 1996, which should have favoured the Internationals. Instead, the Americans won their first fourballs session in 10 years, dating to the second day in South Africa. Still, this was a moral victory for the International team. "At the break, I just spoke to most of the guys and said, Hey, the U.S. has had everything go their way the front nine, and just be patient," captain Nick Price said. "And what a comeback they made." Muirfield Village was set up for birdies, and there were plenty of them. Ten of the 12 teams were at least 8-under par in their rounds. The exceptions were Angel Cabrera and Marc Leishman, who were only 3 under in the shortest match of the day. They lost, 5 and 4, to Woods and Matt Kuchar. The Americans used a handshake from "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," and they used it a lot. "That was definitely all me," Kuchar said. "That stems from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I figured this guy was the perfect Carlton." Woods turned out to be a decent partner, too. Kuchar was his 19th partner in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, and it was a solid debut. Kuchar won at Muirfield Village in June, while Woods is a five-time Memorial champion. "We both have the low stroke averages in this tournaments history," Woods said. "Put us together and we feel very comfortable how to play this golf course." Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson in the anchor match were 3 up through three holes and never looked back. Branden Grace and Richard Sterne, the only all-rookie team for the International side, were 2 down after 10 and never got any closer. The match ended on the 15th hole. The critical part could be Friday with six foursomes matches. The Americans have won the last four times outright, and they have a 31-13 advantage in the more difficult alternate-shot format. Price kept his teams together, while Couples kept four of his six teams intact. "Im not going to lose faith in those teams, to be honest," Price said. "I really think that theyre all ready to take their games to the next level." Jay Cutler Jersey . -- Joe Mauers return to the Minnesota lineup has been set for Friday. Kyle Long Bears Jersey .S. Open. The fourth-seeded Russians rallied after losing the first set to beat Hingis and Flavia Pennetta 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday night.IRVING, Texas - Tony Romo got an earful from Jason Garrett after the Dallas quarterback threw three first-half interceptions in a season-opening loss to San Francisco.The coachs message: These Cowboys have a chance to be really good, and so do you.Sixteen weeks later, a four-year playoff drought is over and Romo is in the Pro Bowl with one of the best passer ratings in NFL history.The message is be who you are, Garrett said about his conversation after the Cowboys fell behind by 25 points in a 28-17 loss to a 49ers team that had reached three straight NFC championship games. Youve been a great football player for a long time. Read things out. Throw it to the right guy and go play.Romo was admittedly frustrated early in the season, coming off back surgery that sidelined him for a third straight season-ending loss to keep the Cowboys out of the playoffs. He missed off-season workouts and took more time off than usual during training camp.The 34-year-old looked rusty at best against the 49ers, just a few weeks after opening camp in California by telling reporters they would see the best version of me in the coming years.He showed it the first year. Going into Sundays regular-season finale at Washington, Romo has 32 touchdowns, eight interceptions, a 70 per cent completion rate and a 114.4 QB rating that ranks sixth in NFL history. He has a chance to move ahead of Peyton Manning, whos fifth at 115.1 with Denver last year when the Broncos reached the Super Bowl.I dont think about it in individual terms, said Romo, who moved past Troy Aikman as Dallas career leader in yards passing in last weeks 42-7 win over Indianapolis that clinched the NFC East title. I just thought our football team was getting better. I thought we had some players who were going to help.Topping that list: running back DeMarco Murray and three young first-round draft picks anchoring the offensive line. All four of those made the Pro Bowl with Romo.Murray is the NFL rushing leader with 1,745 yards and needs 29 to break career NFL rushing leader Emmitt Smiths franchise record from 1995. Right guard Zack Martin is the first rookie offensive lineman to make the Pro Bowl for Dallas, while Travis Frederick got his first nod in his second season and Tyron Smith is joining Murray and receiver Dez Bryant with two straight all-star selections.To me, hes always been one of the best quarterbacks in the league, even the last two years when we went 8-8, said receiver Cole Beasley, who has four of his six career touchdowns in the past five games. Eddie Royal Bears Jersey. You put guys around a quarterback like that, hes always going to take off. Even with not many guys around him, hes still going to have a good year. Hes that good.Romo remembers the chat in early September with Garrett. There were no expectations for the Cowboys to make the playoffs, and history suggested those hopes were even more remote without the same Romo from his first seven-plus seasons as the starter.It was just great to hear from the head coach that he felt very comfortable with what was going to happen going forward, said Romo, a four-time Pro Bowler. He has the pulse of the team.Romo has the reigns, and hes used them however needed. He has one 300-yard passing game, and the only time had as few as two in a season was 2010, when he missed the final 10 games with a broken collarbone.The emergence of Murray is a big reason for that, but Romos also had his late-game moments throwing. He took the Cowboys 80 yards to the winning score at the New York Giants, using just one run from Murray and finding Bryant for the touchdown in a 31-28 victory.The most notable thing about that drive was Romo having at least 7 seconds to throw — twice. Thats why three of his linemen are headed to the Pro Bowl.Hes been good. I dont know, said Frederick, trying his best to describe how good Romo has been. I think that hes a great quarterback because of all the things that he can do. How smart he is, the way that he adjusts things, the way that he can control the offence.Garrett didnt pull Romo aside in September because he thought his quarterback needed a pick-me-up. The former offensive co-ordinator has been around him long enough to know Romo doesnt need that. He was just making a point.Tonys a tough guy, Garrett said. Hes a physically tough guy. Hes a mentally tough guy. I knew he was going to respond the right way. Thats how hes responded throughout his career. I think were seeing him like hes been for a long, long time.Statistically, Romos never been quite this good.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys ' ' '