International Team Leads in Presidents Cup on American Soil

The International team takes the lead going into the final day of the Presidents Cup, marking the first time this has happened on American soil. Led by Geoff Ogilvy, the team arrived at the tournament as underdogs, with an average world ranking of 50.8, compared to the Americans’ 15.1. A strong performance during Friday’s foursomes raised their hopes, and a determined effort on Saturday increased their lead to 10.5 points, while the United States trailed with 7.5 points.

Ogilvy commented on the resilience of his team: “Today, both sessions had all red on the board, down in every match, and to come back and get 1.5 points out of this morning felt like a little victory because we were down everywhere.” He praised the team’s ability to rebound: “The U.S. Team played really well all day. They played high-level foursomes, but for the boys to somehow come back and pinch 2 points out of that and split the session was amazing.”

The U.S. team won Saturday morning’s fourballs, narrowing the International team’s lead to 8.5-5.5, but the teams split the afternoon’s foursomes, each scoring 2 points. Cameron Young and Chris Gotterup’s pairing remained undefeated, securing their second point of the day against Adam Scott and Sungjae Im, with a dominant 6 and 4 win. Scott and Im began with a double bogey, and Young and Gotterup scored six birdies and an eagle while the International pair managed only two birdies.

Young noted, “Today was as easy as you could have asked to make the transition. I had the same partner both rounds, and we played really well this morning and just kept going into the afternoon.” He appreciated the short turnaround as it “made it a lot easier.”

U.S. players Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele avenged their earlier defeat by Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim, overcoming them with a 2 and 1 victory. U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker trusted Cantlay and Schauffele, historically strong at foursomes. Snedeker instructed them to secure a point first, and they delivered without letting the Kims take the lead.

International highlights included Ryan Fox and Min Woo Lee’s success against Sam Burns and Wyndham Clark, winning 3 and 2. Although Burns and Clark were initially ahead, Fox and Lee equalized at hole seven and took the lead after winning subsequent holes. Their performance was notable on par 3s, as they birdied hole 13 and secured victory with a 3-up lead at hole 16. Ogilvy expressed pride in his team’s final-hole play under mounting pressure.

Corey Conners and Nick Taylor also contributed with a victory after an earlier defeat to Gotterup and Young. Facing a potential 2 and 1 loss again, Conners and Taylor turned the tide starting at hole 11. The U.S.’s initial 3-up lead diminished due to the Canadians’ persistence, culminating in timely wins. The turning point came when Henley miss-hit on hole 15, leading to the Internationals taking a crucial lead.

Ogilvy commented on his team’s determination, “What an experience to battle back from 3 down through 3, through 10. We’ve just been relentless all week. That’s been the captain’s message.”

Historically, the International team has led going into Sunday at the Presidents Cup on three occasions. Their sole victory was in 1998, despite similar situations in 2019 leading to a defeat against Tiger Woods’ team in Australia. With an extra point advantage this time, the International team requires only 5 of the available 12 points to win, while the Americans need to secure 8 points to claim victory.

A winning streak from 2005 is at stake. Snedeker acknowledged the pressure, admitting he hadn’t done his best in the preparation room yet remaining optimistic about the team’s chances. The U.S. team must start strong on Sunday. Young will face Ryo Hisatsune at 12:02 p.m. ET, while World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who has struggled in singles, is set to face rookie Nico Echavarria.

One of the crucial matches on Sunday features rookie Jackson Koivun against World No. 14 Si Woo Kim. Snedeker emphasized readiness: “There’s plenty of evidence that these things are never over. You’ve got to show up ready to go. Our guys are eager to get out there tomorrow.”

Event details for Day 4 include singles matchups and start times to watch a potentially pivotal day for both teams.