The initial foursomes during the Presidents Cup do not usually garner as much anticipation and drama as the matchups once you get deeper into the weekend.
 
But that could change with the announcement that Tiger Woods will start out Thursday in the same foursome as Australian Adam Scott. That’s significant because Scott’s caddie, Steve Williams, is Woods’s disgruntled ex-caddie, who recently made remarks about Woods with racial overtones, for which the caddie later apologized.
 
Williams has been sending barbs Woods’s way since the golfer decided last summer to part ways with his long-time caddie.
 
They have tried to minimize their differences in recent weeks, but there are bound to be some tense moments at Royal Melbourne in Melbourne, Australia.
 
"We did not plan anything,'' U.S. captain Fred Couples told ESPN.com. "But I think it worked out awesome for everybody involved to have Adam and Tiger play. As we said all along, they are still very good friends, and I think it's an exciting match.''
 
All eyes were going to be on Woods anyway because he received the invite from Couples this fall despite struggling on the course all of last season. But putting Woods in a foursome where he could come in contact with Williams adds even more volatility to the opening round.
 
Williams, who was immediately picked up by Scott upon being dropped by Woods, seemed bitter from the start. After Scott won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational this summer, Williams berated Woods to the national media.
 
Then just two weeks ago Williams made his racially charged remark about Woods, which had some demanding he be fired or punished.
 
Woods, however, downplayed what Williams said, claiming the two had talked and it was over.
 
But now the two will come face to face in a tournament for the first time since the split. Woods isn’t paired with Scott but they are in the same foursome. Scott seemed to see the possibility before it became a reality.
 
“Absolutely, it's probably inevitable in these events,” said Scott, who is ranked seventh in the world. “I've played him before. You know, it's going to be a tough point to win like every other point. But that's the goal to go and try to get a point out of it.''
 
Contact Terrance Harris at terrancefharris@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Terranceharris.

(Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images)