By The Associated Press

GEORGE, South Africa – Jack Nicklaus felt apologetic as he stood on the first tee Saturday, his U.S. team holding a big lead and poised to turn the Presidents Cup into a rout.

Looking over at International team captain Gary Player, he shrugged and said, “It’s a funny game. We got you guys pretty good yesterday, but it could turn around.”

Nicklaus was just trying to be nice.

The International team was anything but that.

From Ernie Els to Vijay Singh, the International team battered the Americans for a sweep of the six better-ball matches, a phenomenal display of golf in smoky, windy conditions that left the Americans on the verge of losing another cup.

“We got our butts kicked,” Nicklaus said.

The International team seized a 121/2-91/2 lead, and now needs only to win five of the 12 singles matches to win the Presidents Cup for the second time.

“This was a dream day for us,” Nick Price said.

Els improved to 4-0 on the Links Course at Fancourt by teaming with Tim Clark. They led 3-up after four holes and won, 3 and 2, over Jim Furyk and Jay Haas.

Singh and Retief Goosen were simply brilliant down the stretch, finishing with five straight birdies for a 2-and-1 victory over Tiger Woods and Charles Howell III.

Woods is 0-6 in better-ball matches in the Presidents Cup.

The International team went up early and won big, with only one match reaching the 18th.

Els stood behind the 17th green, clapping his hands over his head as he watched his team complete only the third sweep at the Presidents Cup.

“I never would have imagined this,” he said. “Against this team? Are you kidding?”

Els invited teammates to his beach house for a barbecue Friday night, and rumor has it he fed them a plate full of spinach.

“Steaks, baby,” Els said with his easy smile.

“Good food, the fresh sea air. We really didn’t talk about golf last night. But I think everybody had today on their minds.”

The International team responded in swift and shocking fashion at a course shrouded in smoke from a brush fire in the Outeniqua Mountains.

Peter Lonard and Stephen Leaney rallied from 2 down to beat Fred Funk and Phil Mickelson, the only player not to have won a match this week. The shutout was just getting started.

Mike Weir and Robert Allenby finished it off in style, both nearly holing 70-foot eagle putts on No. 18 for a 1-up victory over Justin Leonard and Chris DiMarco.

Another victory in sight for Sorenstam

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The grain in the green, the sway of the pines, those black swans in the lake: Annika Sorenstam could see them all clearly again Saturday, along with the familiar image of her name atop the leaderboard.

Recovered from the eye infection that ailed her the first two days, and playing with both contact lenses in for the first time this week, Sorenstam shot 5-under-par 67 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the ADT Championship.

“I’m 100 percent,” she proclaimed after moving to 5-under 211 for the tournament.

It showed on the typically treacherous Trump International Golf Course, the 6,506-yard track where a couple of Donald Trump’s exotic swans swim in the lake fronting the 18th green.

Cristie Kerr (71) and Meg Mallon (72) didn’t have too much trouble with Trump’s course, either. They’re Sorenstam’s closest pursuers, at 2 under. Elsewhere, though, there were some horror stories to tell.

Se Ri Pak shot a respectable 72 to finish at 215, tied for fourth with Beth Daniel, who shot 68.

But the course ate up Pak on one hole – No. 7, where she hit two balls in the water for a quadruple-bogey 7.

“It was a little disappointing, but there wasn’t anything I could do,” Pak said.

Nobody had it tougher than second-day co-leader Laura Davies. Sky high after driving the green on the short, The decisive blow came on the 14th. Goosen drove into a greenside bunker and blasted out to 4 feet. Woods and Howell had two shots at birdie, both in front of the green after their drives.

Woods skulled his chip through the green. Howell’s pitch came up 12 feet short. Neither made the putt, and the International team went 1-up.

Woods tried to get the Americans back in the match with two spectacular shots.

After Singh hit his approach to 2 feet on the 15th, Woods hit a shot from out of the rough to inside Singh’s ball. Both conceded the short birdies.

On the par-5 16th, Woods hooked his drive well to the left and caught an incredible break when the ball stayed on the brick cart path instead of rolling into knee-high grass.

Instead of taking a drop, he hit 2-iron from 254 yards off the cart path, the ball rolling just over the green.

Has he ever practiced that shot?

“Not with spikes on,” Woods replied.

The hole was halved with birdies when Howell and Singh each hit good lag putts from 70 feet away, and Woods’ chip for eagle skirted past the hole.

Still, it wasn’t enough to win – or lift Woods’ spirits.

“You have to understand Tiger’s personality a little bit,” Nicklaus said. “Tiger hates to lose. And he gets so mad at himself that he absolutely wants to explode. Most of the time when that happens to him, he comes back with about 63 the next day.”

Nicklaus can only hope that happens with Woods and the rest of his team.

The Americans had never been shut out in a team session at the Presidents Cup or the Ryder Cup. And if they don’t recover Sunday, they’ll be without a professional cup – Ryder, Presidents or Solheim – for the first time.

AP-ES-11-22-03 1437EST