The President’s Cup went from being the worst edition ever to perhaps the craziest in the space of 24 hours as the International team gave the USA a taste of their own medicine and staged a miraculous comeback to level the contest at 5-5 heading into the weekend.
Beaten in the last nine editions of the biennial contest, Mike Weir’s side looked destined to fall to ten successive losses when the USA whitewashed the hosts 5-0 in Thursday’s four balls in Montreal.
However, the Internationals came roaring back, dishing out a clean sweep of their own in the Friday foursomes to level the session.
“Shoot, look, the game is a game of nerves and controlling nerves, but I was confident in our guys. I’m just so proud of the guys, so pumped for them. To play that well yesterday and not have any points on the board was disappointing. So to see their hard work and them sticking in there and us captains and myself asking them to stick in there and believe, couldn’t be happier. Just so proud of them,” said Weir.
The Americans recent wretched record in foursomes continues having now been whitewashed in three of the last five Friday foursomes sessions (2018 Ryder Cup, 2023 Ryder Cup, 2024 Presidents Cup.)
All defeats have come away from home but this will be food for thought for European captain Luke Donald ahead of next year’s Ryder Cup in Bethpage Black. There is a vulnerability in the US team in this format and the Internationals are the latest to feast upon it.
Sungjae Im, without a birdie in Thursday’s defeat, was given the nod to partner Hideki Matsuyama against star US pairing Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.
The US pair lost three of the first four holes – two of them to pars – and were helpless as the International duo reeled off seven successive birdies from the sixth to make it the joint-shortest match in the tournament’s history.
Adam Scott became the leading points scorer for the International team with 22 as he and Taylor Pendrith eased by Sahith Theegala and Collin Morikawa 5&4.
Corey Conners almost holed his tee shot on the par-3 13th for victory in style as he and fellow Canadian Mackenzie Hughes closed out a 6&5 win against Wyndham Clark and Tony Finau.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Jason Day clung on to beat Max Homa and Brian Harman 1UP, while Si Woo Kim brought the house down and completed the whitewash with a birdie on 18 as he and Byeong Hun-An edged world number one Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley to send Montreal into raptures.
“I saw all four front groups winning points, so I knew I needed to get points and bring it to the game on. Yeah, we’re game on,” said Kim.
“I know I don’t have to worry about next putt, so I can only focus I can hit it hard, as well. I only focus on make the putt. I just remember same thing happened last time Tom Kim did, and I knew I had to do it, so I made it.”