Ryder Cup 2012: Tiger Woods Will Save Poor Tournament Performance on Sunday

Tiger Woods didn't participate in Saturday's morning session at the Ryder Cup, but that didn't stop the United States from grabbing a 10-6 lead heading into Sunday's action.

Woods did return for the afternoon session with his partner Steve Stricker, but that didn't help either. The American pair lost their third straight match, 1-up, to Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald.

But it's not all bad for Woods. He hadn't played well at all, until the final six holes. He knocked down four birdies over that final span, giving him a shred of momentum heading into Sunday's singles action.

Woods will face Francesco Molinari in the final singles matchup on Sunday, showing his reputation, despite playing poorly through three days so far. The tournament could be in hand by then, but there's a chance that things are closer than anticipated.

It's difficult to say that Woods will show up on Sunday. If he hadn't missed a critical 22-foot putt, their match could have finished a different way.

Woods is 13-17-2 in his Ryder Cup career. Out of all the tournaments he's won throughout his career, the Ryder Cup has been the one that seems to get away.

Molinari didn't perform well in the loss with his partner Justin Rose on Saturday. The European pairing was blown out by Webb Simpson and Bubba Watson, halting his momentum heading into his match with Woods on Sunday.

In that instance, Woods should be the favorite. Even though he was part of a losing team on Saturday, he, as an individual, performed very well at the end of the day. If he can continue that stroke, he's going to be very tough to beat.

Ideally, the tournament is in hand by the time Woods takes to the course, but if it isn't, he could play a major role at a decisive time.

Woods is always must-watch television. Sunday will be no different, and he will turn in a triumphant performance.