U.S. Claims Presidents Cup Victory Over International Team
Fourteen years ago, Europe overcame a 10-6 deficit to clinch the Ryder Cup against the U.S. at the Medinah Country Club in Illinois. While the circumstances were different this time around at the Presidents Cup, the International team faced steep odds.
Heading into Sunday, the International squad had a lead over the U.S. at 10.5-7.5. However, the home team turned the tables with a 17-13 triumph, as Honorary Chairman President Donald J. Trump presented the trophy.
U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker, once part of the losing team at Medinah in 2012, affirmed, “I think these guys never lost faith. I knew what that team room was like. I told the guys last night that funny stuff happens here. Medinah has a history of funny things happening.”
The final day began with Cameron Young defeating Ryo Hisatsune, 3 and 2. Justin Thomas followed with the most decisive win of the day, beating Corey Conners, 5 and 3. The International team responded with a point from Tom Kim, who defeated Wyndham Clark, 3 and 2. Kim’s victory marked the first time an International player had secured four points since 2015.
Scottie Scheffler overcame Nico Echavarria, 2 and 1, but Sungjae Im defeated Sam Burns, 3 and 1. At this stage, the International team still held a two-point lead.
The U.S. then mounted a strong comeback, securing four consecutive points. Chris Gotterup defeated Christiaan Bezuidenhout, 1 up. Patrick Cantlay beat Adam Scott, 2 and 1. Collin Morikawa outlasted Hideki Matsuyama, 1 up. Jackson Koivun delivered an impressive performance, beating Si Woo Kim, 2 up.
Reflecting on Koivun’s play, Snedeker remarked, “I cannot get over what Jackson Koivun did today. I put him in a really tough spot out there. We thought he could handle it. Sure enough, he did.”
The final critical point came from Jacob Bridgeman, who defeated Min Woo Lee, 1 up. This victory gave the U.S. the crucial 15.5 points needed for its 11th consecutive Presidents Cup win. Bridgeman described a memorable moment, saying, “Someone in the crowd yelled, ‘You’re the best putter in the world,’ and I was like, ‘Yep, I’m going to make this thing.’”
Two additional matches concluded the event, with Xander Schauffele defeating Ryan Fox, 2 and 1, and a tie between Nick Taylor and Russell Henley. The final score was 17-13, consolidating the U.S. record to 14-1-1 in the event.
Snedeker reflected on his pairings, admitting his previous errors. “When those pairings came out last night, it was the first time I got them right all week,” he said. “Those were my mistakes; I messed up the matchups. I messed up the snake draft this week, and that was the first time I got it right.”
Despite leading after Friday and Saturday, the International team must wait for another shot at victory until the Presidents Cup in 2028. The event will take place at Australia’s Kingston Heath Golf Club.
International captain Geoff Ogilvy remarked on the challenge, “At some point everybody has got to play well. It’s a tough thing to do to win singles in the U.S. I was hopeful on the first tee. We were all pretty excited coming out here, and they all started well and it drifted during the day.”