Montreal [Canada], October 1 : Sahith Theegala, who won his opening match with Colling Morikawa and then lost the next one, was back for singles on the final day at the Presidents Cup. Theegala, the first Indian American to play the Presidents Cup, then split the points with Internationals' Byeong Hun An.
Overall, making his debut Theegala won one, lost one and tied for 1.5 points as the U.S. Team won the Presidents Cup for a 10th consecutive time on Sunday after dominating the Singles session for an 18.5 - 11.5 triumph over the International Team at Royal Montreal Golf Club.
The powerful Americans, led by captain Jim Furyk, won 7.5 points out of 12 in singles to maintain their stranglehold in the biennial team competition.
Xander Schauffele, Russell Henley, Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa and Keegan Bradley won their matches, with Bradley, in only his second appearance in the Presidents Cup, delivering the point for the assailable lead following a 1-up victory over Si Woo Kim.
The International Team entered the final day trailing by four points and fought gallantly for much of the session. Xander Schauffele, winner of two majors this season, put the first point on the board for the U.S. with a convincing 4 & 3 win over Jason Day before the International Team fought back momentarily with Korean star Tom Kim overcoming a 2-down deficit to tie his match with Sam Burns.
Japan's Hideki Matsuyama then stunned World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler with a 1-up victory in the third match but there was to be no denying the Americans as Russell Henley posted a 3 & 2 win over Sungjae Im and Patrick Cantlay trounced Taylor Pendrith 3 and 1 to set Bradley up for the winning point which was secured after Si Woo Kim missed an eight-foot birdie attempt on the 18th green to force a tie.
"It was an honour (to play the first match)," said Schauffele, who won four points this week alongside Morikawa and Cantlay. "Cap (Furyk) came up to me and asked if I'd be cool going out first. You look down this row of guys, and it could be any one of us that's going to lead the charge. I took it as a special opportunity to do something great. I wanted to get some red up on the board early for the boys to look at."
Furyk was jubilant his 12 men were able to maintain firm domination in the Presidents Cup. "I don't know if I could put my finger on it. I go back to just this week, Thursday, that 5-0 (where the US won the Four-ball session), that was five tight matches. Friday was not that same tale of the tape (International Team won the Foursomes 5-0). But really the matches come down to just some special moments. For one reason or another, these guys usually play loose in the Presidents Cup, and we've been able to win some crucial points, make some crucial putts."
One of the few bright sparks for the International Team was Matsuyama's win over Scheffler, where the 10-time PGA TOUR winner produced some key moments to scalp the most dominant player of 2024. The Japanese star seized a 1-up lead with a stunning approach to five feet on the par-3 17th hole and then hung on for the win with a three-foot par putt at the last hole.
Korea's Tom Kim, with 1.5 points all week, stood out once more with some wonderful golf and his fiery spirit. The 22-year-old believes it will be a matter of time before the International Team gets the better of the U.S. Team, which has only lost once in 1998.
"I just think we're hungry. I'm sure the American team feels the same way. But when you lose so many times, I feel like there's always a story where people come back. Winning doesn't last forever. There's going to be times where lip-outs are going to go our way. A few breaks, a few bounces are going to go our way, and that's going to make a difference. We play great and we keep falling short sometimes, but I'm not losing hope," said Kim.
2024 Presidents Cup: Round Five Results and Notes
Overall Score: United States 18 1/2 , International 11 1/2
R1 (Four-ball): United States 5, International 0
R2 (Foursomes): International 5, United States 0
R3 (Four-ball): United States 3, International 1
R4 (Foursomes): United States 3, International 1
R5 (Singles): United States 7 1/2 , 4 1/2
Round Five (Sunday) - Singles
United States 7.5, International 4.5
Schauffele (U.S.) def. Day (INT), 4 and 3
Burns (U.S.) vs. Kim (INT), Tied
Matsuyama (INT) def. Scheffler (U.S.), 1-up
Henley (U.S.) def. Im (INT), 3 and 2
Cantlay (U.S.) def. Pendrith (INT), 3 and 1
Bradley (U.S.) def. Si Woo Kim (INT), 1-up
Conners (INT) def. Finau (U.S.), 5 and 3
Clark (U.S.) vs. Min Woo Lee (INT), Tied
Theegala (U.S.) vs. Byeong An (INT), Tied
Morikawa (U.S.) def. Scott (INT), 2 and 1
Bezuidenhout (INT) def. Harman (U.S.), 2 and 1
Homa (U.S.) def. Mackenzie Hughes (INT), 2 and 1.
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