Presidents Cup recap: ‘Relentless’ Internationals sweep Friday foursomes, take 7-3 lead

The U.S. Presidents Cup team were scripted in white polos for Friday’s foursomes session at Medinah Country Club.

Fitting, considering the Americans were white-washed by the Internationals, who used their second Friday foursomes sweep in as many Presidents Cups to take a convincing 7-3 lead heading into the weekend.

“It’s hard to imagine,” International captain Geoff Ogilvy said. “Look, we loved how we played yesterday. The first match could have gone either way, and it ended up 2-3 their way. But we just wanted to come win the session. They were all in a really good frame of mind, but you would never imagine doing five sets.

“We did it in Montreal, so maybe it’s a pattern now.”

That 5-0 performance two years ago, however, only tied the score, and it didn’t exactly pan out either; the Internationals ended up losing by seven points.

But history also bodes well for Ogilvy’s squad. This four-point lead through two frames matches the Internationals’ largest ever. The only other time they led by four entering Saturday was in 1998 at Royal Melbourne. What happened that Sunday? The Internationals captured their only Presidents Cup, by nine.

“There was some high quality golf out there,” U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker said. “There was not a hole given between all the matches I watched. Hat’s off to the International team; they went out there and played great. They made a ton of putts. I feel like our guys hit a bunch of great putts and just couldn’t find the bottom of the hole. You’re going to have sessions like this in these things. I feel terrible for the guys because I know they grinded out there and gave me everything they had today, and it wasn’t meant to be. That being said, there’s still 20 points out there. There’s a lot of golf left to play.”

Here is a match-by-match recap of how Friday’s foursomes sweep unfolded on Medinah’s No. 3 Course just outside Chicago:

Match 6 – Corey Conners/Nick Taylor (Int.) def. Scottie Scheffler/Sam Burns (U.S.), 1 up

How it happened: Scheffler and Burns entered this leadoff match with nearly a 60% chance of winning, per Data Golf, the greatest win probability of the five matches. But these things aren’t won on paper, and after the U.S. failed to birdie either the par-5s on the front nine (Burns yanked his second shot out of bounds on the par-5 third), the Internationals jumped ahead through six holes. They never got more than 1 up, but after Taylor rolled in 4-footers to tie Nos. 16 and 17, he and Conners arrived at the par-4 18th still ahead. That’s when Taylor fanned his drive right but then responded by stuffing a 148-yard wedge shot to gimme range. Burns’ birdie try from 18 feet caught plenty of cup before ultimately lipping out and sealing the Canadians’ upset. Scheffler and Burns are now 1-4-1 as a duo in Cup play.

Turning point: Taylor hated his drive at the par-4 12th, which was playing longer than the drivable number utilized on Thursday. However, Taylor’s double cross kicked off the grandstand and left Conners with a good lie and just 90 yards in. After Scheffler hit an OK wedge shot, Conners clipped one nicely to 6 feet. Taylor finished off the birdie to retake the lead for his team.

Man of the match: Taylor. He and Conners were fairly equal, though after not playing on Thursday, Taylor answered nearly every pressure moment, including at the end.

Shot of the match: Considering the circumstances, it’s Taylor’s wedge at No. 18, but Scheffler had a couple stiff approaches, including this one on No. 2 that was arguably the better shot.

Quotable: “We just tried to be relentless out there. Both hit a lot of quality shots, and Nick made some key putts there towards the end to keep us in the position, highlighted by his approach shot into the last here. It was unbelievable.” – Conners

For the week: Taylor (1-0), Conners (1-1), Scheffler (1-1), Burns (1-1)

Match 7 – Sungjae Im/Hideki Matsuyama (Int.) def. Russell Henley/Jacob Bridgeman (U.S.), 3 and 2

How it happened: This was a story of putting, and the pair that excelled in that facet was not what many would’ve predicted. Though the Americans clawed back to just 1 down through 11 holes, Matsuyama rolled in a 20-footer for birdie at the par-4 12th hole to return he and Im’s advantage to 2 up. From there, the Internationals made the pressure putts they needed to, including a match-clinching par save from 20 feet by Matsuyama at the par-3 16th. Bridgeman lipped out a 6-footer to extend, and he and Henley finished with only two birdies in 16 holes.

Turning point: Usually reliable with the wand, Henley missed putts of 6 feet and 8 feet on Nos. 4 and 6, respectively. Those two misses, plus Texas-wedge birdies from 15 feet at Nos. 5 and 6 by Im, contributed to the Internationals winning four straight holes, Nos. 3-6, to take control of the match.

Man of the match: Im. Matsuyama’s iron play wasn’t particularly sharp, and Im gained over two-and-a-half shots on and around the greens.

Shot of the match: There are several candidates, but Matsuyama’s two putts down the stretch were most impressive, and the clincher produced the most emotion out of the veteran.

For the week: Matsuyama (2-0), Im (1-1), Henley (0-1), Bridgeman (0-1)

Match 8 – Ryan Fox/Min Woo Lee (Int.) def. Collin Morikawa/Wyndham Clark (U.S.), 1 up

How it happened: Morikawa and Clark combined to gain nearly three-and-a-half strokes. They were, in that regard, two of the Americans’ three best players on Friday. And yet, they lost. Fox and Lee, both winless on Thursday, carded six birdies to the Americans’ five and kept fighting, 1 down after 14 holes, to pull out the narrow victory. Morikawa missed putts of 13 feet (to tie the 15th), 11 feet (to tie the 16th) and 5 feet (to win the 17th) that proved pivotal down the stretch.

Turning point: While Morikawa couldn’t convert those putts late, Fox had little issue. He drained birdie putts of 13 feet and 19 feet at Nos. 15 and 16, respectively, to flip the match.

Man of the match: Fox. Lee was Data Golf’s top player on either side in terms of strokes gained (+2.22), but Foxy showed guts with those clutch rolls in crunch time; the Kiwi gained two-and-a-half strokes on the greens.

Shot of the match: Foxy, for the lead at No. 16!

Quotable: “I felt it pretty early today with the putter. I didn’t actually get to hit that many putts, to be honest. Then made a nice one for par on 14, and everything just kind of felt good. We both read them really, really well coming down the stretch. I certainly was glad my one on 16 hit the hole. I don’t think I would have made the one coming back there.” – Fox

For the week: Fox (1-1), Lee (1-1), Morikawa (1-1), Clark (1-1)

Match 9 – Christiaan Bezuidenhout/Adam Scott (Int.) def. Cameron Young/Justin Thomas (U.S.), 3 and 2

How it happened: An opening bogey foreshadowed a rough go for Thomas and Young, who didn’t card a birdie until the 16th hole, where Bezuidenhout’s 31-foot birdie negated it and also closed out the match. While Bezuidenhout was shaky early, hitting his approach out of play at the par-4 second, he settled in after that. The Internationals birdied four times from Nos. 3-9 to grab a 3-up advantage at the turn, and when Thomas rinsed his tee ball at the par-4 12th, that International lead grew to 4 up.

Turning point: “Get a longer putter!” One heckler yelled that at Scott as the Aussie’s 44-foot birdie putt was on its way toward the hole at the par-3 seventh. It dropped, and Thomas’ 10-footer to tie didn’t, and the Internationals doubled their lead to 2 up.

Man of the match: Scott. Neither of the four players in this match gained strokes on the day, but Scott was the steadiest.

Shot of the match: Scott’s bomb at No. 7 was the best of the Internationals’ five birdies.

Quotable: “As you guys could tell, there was a lot of pressure on me today. I felt a lot of pressure. Thanks to Adam for just keeping me in the game today. I’m just really chuffed that I could make the putt for Adam and for the team today.” – Bezuidenhout

For the week: Bezuidenhout (1-0), Scott (1-1), Thomas (1-1), Young (0-2)

Match 10 –Tom Kim/Si Woo Kim (Int.) def. Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele (U.S.), 4 and 3

How it happened: Cantlay and Schauffele now have a losing record together in Presidents Cup matches (5-6), though more credit can be given to the Kims for winning this match. They birdied six of the first 11 holes, yet they were just 2 up at that point. It wasn’t until Schauffele made some key mistakes – leaving a shot in the back bunker at the par-4 14th and missing a 3-footer for par at the paar-4 15th – that this one got out of hand and ended suddenly.

Turning point: The Americans were somehow hanging close, just 1 down through eight holes, before Si Woo canned a 25-foot birdie at the par-3 ninth. The make caused both Kims to fist pump, the first real emotion displayed by the pair of the match.

Man of the match: Tom Kim. Si Woo’s iron play was spectacular, and he technically gained more strokes, but Tom’s putter was responsible for four of the six birdies, and those early makes helped them establish their footing.

Shot of the match: Si Woo’s putt at No. 9 was exciting, but Si Woo’s 167-yard approach to 4 feet with the pin tucked just behind a bunker at the par-4 11th helped the Kims tie that hole and keep momentum.

Quotable: “I think we play exactly the same, and then the yardage, we know each other really well. His numbers are my numbers pretty much, so I can copy and he can give me an opinion about the club selection. He’s really good reading also, so it helps for me those kind of putts. He give me a lot of putts.” – Si Woo Kim

For the week: T. Kim (2-0), S. Kim (2-0), Cantlay (0-2), Schauffele (0-2)