Presidents Cup: Internationals stun USA with comeback clean-sweep to level tournament after foursomes

The International Team made an impressive comeback against the USA, achieving a 5-0 sweep during the Friday foursomes to tie the Presidents Cup. This session was surprisingly lopsided and featured a record-tying loss for Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.

Contrary to nearly everyone's predictions, except perhaps those of the team led by Mike Weir, the International squad bounced back from a surprising 5-0 loss to the Americans in the fourballs on the first day. Just 24 hours later, they made a remarkable turnaround at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Canada, tying the tournament score at 5-5 with an incredible performance.

On the second day of the Internationals, the highlight came from the first match where Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im achieved a remarkable 7&6 win against Cantlay and Schauffele, who is currently ranked No. 2 in the world.

To the excitement of a lively home crowd that had been encouraged to cheer more loudly after the previous day's calmer atmosphere, the Canadian duo of Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes achieved an impressive victory with a 6&5 win against Wyndham Clark and Tony Finau.

Hideki Matsuyama from Japan and Sungjae Im from South Korea defeated the American duo Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele with a score of 7 and 6.

Adam Scott from Australia and Taylor Pendrith from Canada defeated the American duo of Sahith Theegala and Collin Morikawa with a score of 5 and 4.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout from South Africa and Jason Day from Australia triumphed over the American pair Max Homa and Brian Harman, winning by 1 point.

Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes from Canada defeated Wyndham Clark and Tony Finau from the USA with a score of 6 and 5.

Si Woo Kim and Byeong Hun An from South Korea triumphed over the American duo of Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley, winning by a margin of 1 hole.

Adam Scott and Taylor Pendrith defeated Sahith Theegala and Collin Morikawa with a score of 5&4. This victory allowed Scott to become the most accomplished International player in the 30-year history of the tournament.

The remaining two matches were tightly contested, but the International team managed to maintain their lead despite facing strong pressure from their American rivals. The defending champions were eager to avoid the embarrassment of losing every match in a session for the first time since 2003 at this biennial tournament.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Jason Day managed to win 1 UP against Max Homa and Brian Harman, even after both players hit their shots into the water on the final holes. Meanwhile, the South Korean duo of Si Woo Kim and Byeong Hun An also achieved a close victory by the same score against world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley, which led to jubilant celebrations on the 18th green.

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In light of the incredible international comeback, Rich Beem, the 2002 PGA champion and commentator for Sky Sports Golf, expressed his surprise, saying, "I’m stunned, just like everyone else in the golf community at this moment."

The International team had to perform like they did today. I was surprised by how they came out swinging—dominating the Americans in that opening match really established the atmosphere for the entire day.

It appeared that they were finally gaining some traction, and they took advantage of every opportunity to build on that success.

After the initial ten matches ended with equal scores, Saturday's events will feature a doubleheader in Montreal, where a total of eight additional matches will be held, all broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf. The day will kick off with four more fourball matches starting at 12:02 PM, followed by four more foursome matches concluding the day's play at 6:40 PM.

The tournament wraps up on Sunday with 12 singles matches, and the team that first scores 15.5 points will be declared the winner. The USA has claimed victory in the last nine tournaments, while their only previous international win dates back to 1998.

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Matsuyama And Im Set Stage For Historic Comeback

After experiencing a rough start on Thursday at a tournament where they typically face strong competition from the USA, the Internationals clearly needed to create some initial momentum in the foursomes to establish a chance to compete before the weekend arrived.

What happened next was truly incredible.

In the opening match, Matsuyama and Im took the lead for the Internationals, easily overcoming what was expected to be a challenging competition against Cantlay and Schauffele.

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However, just a few holes into the round, the International team members quickly gained three strokes, and from the sixth hole onward, they achieved an impressive seven consecutive birdies. This remarkable performance guaranteed their first point of the week by the 12th hole.

Matsuyama and Im's 7&6 win matched the largest winning margin in the history of Presidents Cup matches.

Scott and Pendrith quickly extended their lead to two points by finishing their match on the 14th hole. Meanwhile, Conners and Hughes added to the excitement of the day by defeating Clark and Finau on the 13th, much to the joy of the crowd in Montreal.

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The last two matches were decided on the 18th hole.

A fantastic chip shot by Day from the rough behind the green turned out to be the deciding factor for him and his partner Bezuidenhout in their matchup against Homa and Harman. Meanwhile, Kim nailed a 15-foot putt for par to clinch the win in the last match, helping the International team achieve a remarkable 5-0 comeback victory.

"I have faith in the team," exclaimed an overjoyed and proud Weir after Kim's final putt achieved the perfect result.

"Whether the score was 3-2, 4-1, or even 5-0, that last score was just an added perk. Our main goal was to get back into the game. The team played amazingly and showed an incredible response."

Regarding how he anticipates his team will react on Saturday after their initial lead was erased, US captain Jim Furyk stated, "The players fully understand the challenge ahead."

"We saw the Internationals jumping and celebrating on the green, filled with excitement. I really hope that moment lingers in everyone's minds and leaves them feeling unsettled tonight. We'll come together, create some strong pairings for the morning, and it's our chance to go out there and make an impact."

Who will come out on top in the Presidents Cup? Catch live updates on Saturday starting at noon on Sky Sports Golf. You can also watch the Presidents Cup and more through NOW.

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