U.S. defeats International team by five

MONTREAL -- The United States won the Presidents Cup. Mike Weir gave Canada quite a consolation prize.

The Americans won enough of the singles matches Sunday to capture the Presidents Cup for the second straight time.

That didn't stop the relentless cheers that rocked Royal Montreal on a spectacular autumn day, especially when Weir won the final two holes to beat Tiger Woods and send his country home feeling like a winner.

Weir won the Masters four years ago, and he wasn't sure which felt sweeter.

"It's right there with it," Weir said. "Obviously, winning the Masters was such a thrill, but to play Tiger ... he's the best player there is, and I had to play my absolute best today to beat him."

He needed some help from the world's No. 1 player.

With the match all square and Weir safely in the 18th fairway, Woods pulled his tee shot and watched it land in a pond, just a few yards short of a Canadian flag fans were holding behind the ropes.

Weir hit his approach to 15 feet, and after Woods' chip for par stopped rolling 2 inches from the cup, he conceded the putt.

By then, the Americans were celebrating something far more important.

"I lost," Woods said after changing into sneakers. "But the team won the cup, and that's the important thing."

The International team won seven matches, not nearly enough to avoid the inevitable: United States 191/2, International 141/2.

For the Americans, it was another victory for their beloved captain, Jack Nicklaus, who now is 2-1-1 in the Presidents Cup. It also was the first time Nicklaus won in Canada. He was runner-up seven times in the Canadian Open, including a playoff loss at Royal Montreal in 1975.

Woods and Weir shared a hug on the 18th green.

"I told him I was proud of how he handled himself," Wood said. "He had to carry an entire country on his shoulders."