Ernie Els and Adam Scott sparked a late surge that saw the International side win two of the final four matches and halve another to turn what looked like a United States rout into a very good day for the home team.

As a result, the International Team owns a 3 1/2 to 2 1/2 lead over the Americans after the opening Foursomes with 10 more matches to be decided on a busy Friday. The tight start was a good omen for The Presidents Cup, which has seen lopsided victories the last two times it was contested.

The International Team definitely was in the more celebratory mood Thursday afternoon. But both International Team Captain Gary Player and his U.S. counterpart Jack Nicklaus cautioned against reading too much into the day's outcome.

"The match has not really begun yet," Player said. "It's nice to have that momentum from looking hopeless to coming up with a half-point lead."

"My team -- they all want to go kick themselves in the read end, I'm sure," Nicklaus said. "Are they upset? Yeah, they are upset with what they didn't finish. But they know that they have three more days and four more rounds of golf. "

Nick Price, who is from nearby Zimbabwe, and Canada's Mike Weir got the International rally started when they won the final two holes of a close match with David Toms and Phil Mickelson for the 1-up victory. Weir sank a 6-footer for birdie at the 18th to seal the win.

Much to the delight of the partisan but respectful crowd, Els and Scott then proceeded to birdie their final three holes to move from 2 down to a 1-up victory over Justin Leonard and Jim Furyk.

The 23-year-old Scott paved the way with a deadly 2-iron on the par-5 18th that covered the pin but rolled off the back into the fringe. Furyk had just missed the green right in the tall, thick weeping grass, and Leonard's chip caught the slope and rolled 60 feet past.

Furyk was away and putted to 3 feet for the potential par. But Els deftly chipped to 18 inches for the birdie that gave the International side another point.

Aussies Robert Allenby and Stephen Leaney then went to work, winning the last two holes to halve their match with Jay Haas and Fred Funk. Allenby had rolled in an 11-footer for birdie on the 16th hole just to extend the match.

"Gary was saying he probably would have taken 4-2 down," Leaney said. "But to actually come out in front was a huge result for us."

Just before the Aussie win over the American veterans, Tiger Woods and Charles Howell III, playing in the day's last group, ended their match with Stuart Appleby and K.J. Choi 4 and 3. "Chuck," as Woods calls his partner, was the catalyst in the match and the game's No. 1 player "rode him hard."

The other two matches didn't need any final-hole dramatics.

Vijay Singh of Fiji and South Africa's Retief Goosen never trailed in beating American rookies Jerry Kelly and Chris DiMarco. Neither did the U.S. duo of Kenny Perry and Davis Love III, who chipped in for birdie on the 16th hole to spark the 4 and 2 win over the International rookies, Tim Clark and Peter Lonard.

"I went for the Phil Mickelson lob-shot and I pulled it off," Love said.

"I got my backside tanned today but we finished it," Lonard said. "It could have been quite ugly. We could have gone down 5-1 so to finish 3 1/2 to 2 1/2 was great."

After the handshakes were exchanged, the Americans scattered to the range and the putting green while the International side soaked up the moment. But they know it's early, and they were philosophical about their position.

"I just think that shows the beauty and the format of the competition," Perry said. "You think you're in control and you think you're a couple up, but you know what? You're never out of it.

"I don't think it's a letdown. The history of the Americans is we've always struggled in this format in alternate shot. But we have always done pretty good with four-ball and singles. We are only a point behind, so we'd better get up and be ready to fire at them in the morning."