The Presidents Cup fourballs matches kicked off in Medinah, Ill., Thursday, and while the United States grabbed three wins, the International squad fired back, proving this isn’t going to be a cakewalk. Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns absolutely exploded out of the gate, with Scheffler draining a 15-foot birdie on the very first hole. The Americans kept that pedal down, ripping off four straight birdies to start their match against Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im. But hold up, because Lee and Im weren’t having any of it, matching them with four straight birdies of their own to square things up through five. It was a back-and-forth battle, with both teams nailing five birdies on the front nine. The Internationals had crucial 10-foot birdie chances on three straight holes and just couldn’t convert, giving the US a lifeline. Im did give them a 1-up lead on the par-3 13th with a short birdie, only for Burns to immediately answer, hitting an 8-iron to a mere 2 feet on the very next hole. The turning point was brutal for the Internationals: both Im and Lee missed par putts on the 17th, and Scheffler, ever clutch, saved par from a bunker on the final hole to clinch a 1 up victory for the Americans.
The Americans Flex Their Muscles, But International Grit Shines Through
Justin Thomas, who’s never lost a fourballs match in the Presidents Cup, largely carried 21-year-old Jackson Koivun in his cup debut against Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria. Talk about pressure for the rookie! Koivun drove out-of-bounds on the second hole, but Thomas, a true veteran, salvaged the hole with a tough bunker shot to halve it. They won the par-5 third, thanks to Koivun draining a 20-footer, even with Thomas sitting at 3 feet for birdie if he needed it. Thomas then sank a 25-foot birdie on the fifth, and Koivun followed up, hitting a lob wedge to 7 feet for birdie on the next hole. Just like that, they were 3 up. The Internationals managed to win only one hole after that, when Conners birdied the seventh, leading to a dominant 4 and 3 win for Thomas and Koivun.
Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa also put on a show in the only match featuring four major champions. They rocketed to a 3 up lead with four birdies in the first six holes against Ryan Fox and Adam Scott. Scott and Fox struggled, only managing two birdies through 12 holes. Scott tried to spark a comeback, birdying the 13th to pull within 2 down, but Clark shut that down immediately, dropping a 12-foot birdie on the 15th to make the match dormie. Morikawa then sealed the deal on the par-3 17th, sticking his tee shot to 4 feet for birdie, wrapping up a 3 and 2 victory for the US.
Unbeaten Kims Deliver a Stunning Blow
The real story of the day, though, might just be the International counterpunches. Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune pulled off a big win against Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele. This is the first time Japan has had two players in the Presidents Cup since 1998, and they absolutely thrived! Young, who was the top American in a losing Ryder Cup last year, birdied the second hole for an early 1-up lead. But that was it for the Americans; they didn’t win another hole after that. Hisatsune birdied the par-5 third, the Americans both bogeyed the eighth, and Matsuyama drained a 10-foot birdie to go 2 up at the turn. The Internationals went dormie on the 17th, and when both Americans missed long birdie putts, Matsuyama and Hisatsune were conceded their birdies, closing out the match 3 and 1.
But the real, undeniable headline belongs to Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim. These South Korean stalwarts remained unbeaten in three fourballs matches at the Presidents Cup, this time against Patrick Cantlay and newcomer Chris Gotterup. The Kims jumped out to a 2 up lead through two holes. The Americans fought back, both hitting it to 6 feet for birdie on the fourth, and when the Internationals both failed to birdie the par-5, the match was all square. Si Woo Kim then dropped his tee shot to 4 feet on the par-3 seventh. The crucial moment came on the 13th when everyone except Tom Kim made bogey. Si Woo Kim followed that up with an absolute bomb, a 30-foot birdie putt on the 14th, giving them a commanding 3-up lead with four holes to play, which they held on to for a 3 and 2 win.
The Americans took three points, but the Internationals grabbed two crucial ones. The unbeaten streak of the Kims is no joke, and that Japanese duo showed up big. With more matches coming, you know both sides are looking to either extend their leads or claw back the momentum. This Presidents Cup is already electric.
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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