11 things you might not remember that happened at the Presidents Cup

By Alex Myers

From clutch putts to surprising cameos, a look back at some of the most memorable moments from the first 11 editions of the biennial matches.

October 3, 2013: Lindsey Vonn puts a baby squirrel nicknamed Sammy by Davis Love III on Tiger Woods as they watch the final four-ball match on the 18th fairway during the first day of The Presidents Cup at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio (Cal Sport Media via AP Images)

Photo by AP

Freddie's Bomb (1996)

Long before Fred Couples became a successful captain, he was a key cog as a player in several U.S. victories. Most notably, the 1996 event at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club came down to his singles match with Vijay Singh. Couples rolled in a 30-footer on the 17th hole to win his match and clinch the cup for the U.S. in the 16.5-15.5 win. Freddie's back looked pretty good on the celebration.

That time the Internationals won (1998)

That's not a misprint. The Internationals won this event once. This photo is proof.

The Taunting Caddie (2000)

With Vijay Singh playing World No. 1 Tiger Woods in a Sunday singles match, his caddie, Paul Tesori, showed up wearing this hat that said "Tiger Who?" on the back. Probably not the smartest move. Woods won 2 and 1 and the U.S. restored Presidents Cup order by trouncing the Internationals, 21.5 to 10.5.

The Duel in South Africa (2003)

More evidence that this event has actually been competitive at times. In 2003, the matches ended tied at 17, and a tiebreaker of sending one player out from each team was used for the first and only time. Tiger Woods and Ernie Els were obvious choices, and they played even through three holes that included both holing clutch mid-range par putts on the third. With darkness setting in, captains Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player decided to end the event with a draw and a shared cup. Sportsmanship wins!

When Chris DiMarco ruled the world (2005)

After tying in 2003, the teams remained deadlocked heading into the singles session in 2005. Playing in the final match of the day, DiMarco drained a 10-footer for birdie to beat Stuart Appleby 1 up and capture the cup for the U.S. DiMarco went a perfect 4-0-1 that week at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

"Aquaman" (2007)

Woody Austin's infamous blooper stole the show at Royal Montreal. Trying to play a shot from a bank on the 14th hole on Friday, Austin lost his balance and fell face first into a lake. After drying off, he made three late birdies to salvage a halve in his four-ball match. The next day, captain Jack Nicklaus announced him as "Jacques Cousteau" and Woody showed up wearing snorkeling gear on Sunday.

Woods' Perfect Week (2009)

No one could stop Tiger at Harding Park in 2009. Playing in front of the U.S. squad's special assistant, Michael Jordan, Woods put forth a dazzling display of golf, going a perfect 5-and-0 and leading the U.S. to another lopsided victory. That included a payback beatdown (6 and 5) of Y.E. Yang, the man who had denied him at that year's PGA Championship, in singles. That week, Woods was the most fired up we've ever seen him at the Presidents Cup. Gotta be that argyle, right?

Tiger and Steve's bromance (2009)

The friendship between these two has been well documented and is a big reason for Woods being an assistant captain for Stricker in 2017, but it all started with a magical week at Harding Park. Beginning with a 6-and-4 foursomes win on Thursday, the new dynamic duo rolled to a 4-0 record as a team -- and became instant BFFs.

Sammy The Squirrel (2013)

The U.S. made a furry friend during the 2013 matches at Muirfield Village. Everyone, especially captain Davis Love III, loved Sammy the Squirrel. Well, maybe not everyone. Tiger didn't look too pleased when girlfriend Lindsey Vonn put the rodent on his shoulder. Sammy was eventually pried from the hands of a sobbing Love and taken to a wildlife center. Or something like that.

The Streaker (2013)

Sammy the Squirrel wasn't the only non-golfer to make a memorable cameo at Muirfield Village that week. After finishing her final shift as a food server that week, a young lady named Kimberly stripped down and ran onto the 18th hole. "I was trying to put a little excitement in golf," she said after. Fred Couples, for one, didn't seem to mind.

The Hug (2015)

In what played out like a Hollywood script in South Korea, the entire event came down to the final match involving Bill Haas -- the son of U.S. captain Jay Haas -- and Sang-Moon Bae -- the crowd favorite. After Haas won on the final hole, he shared an emotional embrace with his dad. It was a lovely moment, but unfortunately, because of the big time difference, most American golf fans were already sound asleep.