International team survives "punch in the guts" to compete at Presidents Cup

Trevor Immelman admitted that the International team has had to withstand several "punches in the gut" during the Presidents Cup to remain within touching distance of the USA.

Speaking to the media after the Sunday singles pairings were announced, Immelman described the situation his side was in as a "deep hole" when they trailed 8-2 on Friday evening

Immelman, the Masters champion of 2008, was beaming with pride after watching Tom Kim's impassioned performance on Saturday afternoon as he and K. H. Lee secured a crucial point against Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele.

The 42-year-old has played in two Presidents Cups himself, but his experience as the non-playing captain at Quail Hollow has been like no other when you consider the hoops he's had to jump through in the lead-up to this week.

He lost Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, Louis Oosthuizen and Abraham Ancer to LIV Golf, but with the score at 11-7, the depleted International side is down but certainly not out.

"That's my Captain."@TrevorImmelman celebrates with @IntlTeam fans after an electric finish. pic.twitter.com/1B9OuoWuoT

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022

"Today was a great day for our team. We were in a deep hole. We've been fighting our guts out all week, and we've just been trying to stay patient to wait for some putts to go in. And, finally, this afternoon, some putts started to fall for us," Immelman said.

"I'm really proud of the guys for staying patient, as tough as what it was when you're playing a team that's that good and you continuously feel like you're getting a punch in the guts.

"The vibe is hopeful. Today was a big step for a very young and inexperienced team. Eight rookies. We have had a lot thrown against us, and we're here competing against the best on their home turf."

The International team has never had more than seven rookies before this year's Presidents Cup, but the likes of Kim, Cam Davis and Sebastian Munoz have all provided valuable contributions to the underdogs.

After play was finished on Saturday, Immelman appeared emotional when he greeted excited fans at Quail Hollow who were thrilled by the Internationals' fightback.

US captain Davis Love III said a four-point deficit "has been a big number before" in team events. His side wanted to win every session and he said some of his players were "pretty mad" after losing the Saturday four-balls 3-1.

"So as I said, this is one of our best formats, and they're going to come out mad tomorrow. So I hope they're mad. I'm confident that they will channel that into playing tomorrow," Love III said.