The International team absolutely laid down the gauntlet on Friday, completing a sensational 5-0 foursomes clean sweep and surging to a commanding 7-3 lead over the United States at the Presidents Cup. After trailing 3-2 following Thursday’s opening four-ball matches, the Internationals flipped the script, opening up a four-point cushion heading into the weekend at Medinah Country Club.
International Surge: A Historic Beatdown
This 5-0 sweep was no fluke, it was a total demolition. This marks only the third time the Internationals have ever swept a session since the Presidents Cup kicked off in 1994. They are fighting to win this biennial team golf tournament for the first time since 1998, while the United States is chasing an unbelievable 11th-straight victory in this Ryder Cup-style event. Talk about momentum, right? International captain Geoff Ogilvy summed it up, saying, “We just wanted to come out and win the session. The guys were all in a great frame of mind, but you never imagine going five zip…but we’ve seen it in these events when you get some momentum, it inspires all the groups. It was an incredible day for us.”
Match Highlights: Clutch Shots and Near Misses
Every single match was a battle, but the Canadians, Corey Conners and Nick Taylor, pulled off one of the day’s biggest upsets, taking down world number one Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns 1-up. They grabbed the lead on the 12th when Conners nailed his second shot to six feet, leaving Taylor to tap in a birdie. Taylor then sealed the deal on the 18th with an extraordinary approach shot from the fairway that landed just two feet from the hole for an easy par. Burns had a shot to tie it up, but his 17-foot birdie putt curled agonizingly around the cup, handing the win to the Internationals. Earlier, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and South Korea’s Im Sung-jae snagged the first point, beating Russell Henley and Jacob Bridgeman 3&2, with Matsuyama sinking a 19-foot par putt to clinch it on the 16th. New Zealand’s Ryan Fox and Australia’s Min Woo Lee also duked it out, winning a nervy duel with Collin Morikawa and Windham Clark 1-up. The sweep was capped off by Adam Scott and Christiaan Bezuidenhout beating Justin Thomas and Cameron Young 3&2, and Tom Kim and Kim Si-woo downing Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele 4&3.
What’s Next? 20 Points Still on the Table
The United States team is clearly reeling, but their captain, Brandt Snedeker, isn’t throwing in the towel. He gave credit where it was due, saying, “Hats off to the International team. They went out there and played great and made a ton of putts.” But he also backed his guys, adding, “I feel terrible for our guys, they grinded out there and it just wasn’t meant to be. But that being said, there’s still 20 points out there. There’s still a lot of golf here left to play.” With 20 points still up for grabs over the weekend, the U.S. has a massive mountain to climb against an International team looking to end a nearly three-decade drought. Can they wash this off and fight back? We’re about to find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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