Even the world’s top-ranked golfer couldn’t withstand the impressive performance of the International Team on Friday afternoon in Quebec.
Following back-to-back remarkable days at Royal Montreal, a fierce battle for the Presidents Cup has emerged.
The International Team, spearheaded by a remarkable 7&6 triumph from Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im, swept the Americans in Friday’s foursomes matches. This marked the International Team’s first alternate shot match session victory since 2005, and it also set a precedent with consecutive sweeps in either a Presidents Cup or a Ryder Cup.
With a crucial putt from Si Woo Kim to conclude the day, the competition is now tied 5-5 as it reaches the halfway mark.
“I believed in the guys,” declared International captain Mike Weir. “Whether it was 3-2, 4-1, 5-0 was obviously a bonus [for us today]. We just wanted to get ourselves back in this. The guys played unbelievable, they really responded incredibly.”
Matsuyama and Im set the tone for the day with a swift and dominant performance. The duo achieved a 7&6 victory, matching the largest margin of victory in Presidents Cup history. They steamrolled past Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, not conceding a single hole and ending the match with seven consecutive birdies. A jubilant celebration ensued on the 12th green once their victory was confirmed. A 7&6 win has only been achieved twice before in Presidents Cup history, both times by International pairings.
Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes followed suit with an impressive performance of their own, shutting out Wyndham Clark and Tony Finau in their match. The Canadians dominated, winning on holes 1, 2, 5, 8, and 9, with Conners sinking a crucial birdie putt on the 11th to secure a 6&5 win.
Adam Scott and Taylor Pendrith also contributed to the International Team’s success by defeating Sahith Theegala and Collin Morikawa 5&4 in their match. After a tight start, Scott and Pendrith surged ahead by winning holes 4, 5, and 6, and then continued their momentum by clinching three consecutive holes on the back nine to seal the victory. Theegala and Morikawa managed to win only one hole, the 7th, the sole victory for the United States among the blowout matches.
Scott’s win in this match made him the most successful International player in Presidents Cup history, surpassing Ernie Els’ points record of 21.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Jason Day secured a crucial victory over Max Homa and Brian Harman, winning 1 Up after a tense finish. This narrow win brought the International Team within striking distance of the Americans. In the closest match of the day, Kim and An overcame Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley down the stretch. After trading holes on the front side, Kim and An surged ahead with a birdie on the 13th hole.
Despite facing a challenging lie in the thick rough on the 18th, Kim sunk a lengthy par putt to secure the win and complete the session sweep, creating history in the process.
The Americans have historically dominated the Presidents Cup with a record of 12-1-1 and a nine-match winning streak heading into this weekend’s event in Canada. Following the events of Friday, the U.S. Team will need a strong start on Saturday to regain control of the tournament. Otherwise, the 12 singles matches scheduled for Sunday promise to be highly competitive.