Presidents Cup: International team sweep U.S. 5-0 in epic Friday performance
Mike Weir's International side clawed their way back into the 2024 Presidents Cup with a remarkable performance on day two in Canada.
Mike Weir's International side showed extraordinary heart to claw their way back into the 2024 Presidents Cup with a remarkable performance on day two.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler and Tom Kim were involved in a spat as Jim Furyk's Team USA raced into a 5-0 lead on Thursday.
But all of the momentum was with The Shield on Friday and they managed to make the score 5-5 to ensure the weekend will make for a thrilling finale.
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Former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama led the charge with Sungjae Im, inflicting a heavy defeat on Patrick Cantlay and Open champion Xander Schauffele.
Im and Matsuyama's emphatic 7&6 win in the foursomes tied the Presidents Cup record for shortest match in the competition's 30-year history
David Frost beat Kenny Perry 7&6 in 1996.
Adam Scott and K.J. Choi beat Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker by the same margin in a foursomes match in 2011.
"Obviously it was a tough challenge for us, losing five matches yesterday," Matsuyama said.
"But Sungjae hit a perfect tee shot on the first hole, so that brought us the momentum."
The aforementioned Scott and Taylor Pendrith added a second point on the board a short while later with a 5&4 win over Sahith Theegala and Collin Morikawa.
"I had a good feeling about this when we were up here a couple weeks ago scouting," Scott said of his partner.
"We played a little bit, felt easy to me. I've played with lots of different guys, and I knew that we were going to be a good pairing, and the captains seemingly found a lot of good pairings in this format today."
Canada's Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners combined for seven birdies in 13 holes as they beat Wyndham Clark and Tony Finau.
The final two matches on the course were evenly poised down the stretch at Royal Montreal Golf Club.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout, playing alongside Jason Day, found the water with his tee shot at the 17th which ensured they went up the last with a slender lead against Max Homa and Brian Harman.
Bezuidenhout and Homa made huge mistakes at the 18th, both missing the green.
Day rescued his teammate with a remarkable flop shot for a gimme par which meant Harman needed to hole out to snatch a half.
But the 2023 Open champion missed, making the score 5-4.
Scheffler's match against Si Woo Kim and Ben An also went down to the wire.
The reigning Masters champion partnered Russell Henley once again.
An missed the fairway with his tee shot and Kim could only advance their ball to the edge of the green.
An left Kim more than 20ft to save par, but the South Korean came up trumps to save a four after Henley missed his birdie putt.
The result means it is the first time in Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup and Presidents Cup history that there have been back-to-back sweeps.
View full scores here:
Team USA | International |
Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele | Hideki Matsuyama & Sungjae Im 7&6 |
Sahith Theegala & Collin Morikawa | Adam Scott & Taylor Pendrith 5&4 |
Max Homa & Brian Harman | Christiaan Bezuidenhout & Jason Day 1Up |
Wyndham Clark & Tony Finau | Corey Conners & Mackenzie Hughes 6&5 |
Scottie Scheffler & Russell Henley | Si Woo Kim & Ben An 1Up |
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