Ater the International team was swept 5-0 in the opening four-ball matches of the 2024 Presidents Cup, the script was set: Team USA was on the verge of an historic blowout at The Royal Montreal Golf Club.
Wrong.
On Friday, the Black & Gold team flipped the script and blew out the Americans, 5-0, in Friday’s foursomes to tie up the Presidents Cup at 5-5.
It was the first time the Internationals had won a foursome session in 19 years and they did it in historic fashion.
Bringing the crowd to their feet ????@HidekiOfficial_ | @IntlTeam https://t.co/1OfTmdD20g pic.twitter.com/os64oeoOz5
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 27, 2024
In the opening match, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im of South Korea surprisingly smoked America’s top duo of Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffle, 7 & 6. Matsuyama and Im won five of the first eight holes and never looked back. The always-formidable Americans failed to win a single hole.
In a second blowout, Australia’s Adam Scott and Canadian Taylor Pendrith teamed up for an impressive 5 & 4 win over a pair of Californians in Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala.
The final rout of the day saw home heroes Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners cruising to a 6 & 5 win over Team USA’s Tony Finau and Wyndham Clark.
The fourth point for the INTs came from Aussie Jason Day and South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who edged Brian Harman and Max Homa on the 18th hole, 1 up.
The day’s final (exclamation!) point came from South Koreans Si Woo Kim and Byeong Hun An, who took down world No.1 Scottie Scheffler and partner Russell Henley, 1 up.
Yesterday, Keegan Bradley delivered the final blow for the Americans, today it was former (2017) Players champion Si Woo Kim, who came through with the decisive blow to secure a 5-0 victory and tie things up, 5-5 – potentially turning the Montreal matches into one of the most intriguing team competitions we’ve seen in some time.
ICE IN HIS VEINS ????
Si Woo Kim seals the @IntlTeam sweep in foursomes @PresidentsCup. pic.twitter.com/i8lWpBJOxm
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 27, 2024
The back-to-back sweeps on Thursday and Friday marks the first time in team golf competition (Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, Solheim Cup) that two consecutive shutouts have been pitched.
The blowout was so decisive, and seemed so storybook perfect, that many golf fans on social media are convinced it was fixed to save the PGA Tour’s sponsors and NBC/Golf Channel’s TV ratings.
2024 Presidents Cup: Foursomes
Match 1
Hideki Matsuyama – Sungjae Im 7 & 6
Patrick Cantlay – Xander Schauffele
1st – INT (INT 1 UP)
2nd – INT (INT 2 UP)
3rd – HLV (INT 2 UP)
4th – INT (INT 3 UP)
5th – HLV (INT 3 UP)
6th – INT (INT 4 UP)
7th – HLV (INT 4 UP)
8th – INT (INT 5 UP)
9th – HLV (INT 5 UP)
10th – INT (INT 6 UP)
11th – INT (INT 7 UP)
12th – HLV (INT 7 UP)
13th –
14th –
16th –
17th –
18th –
Match 2
Adam Scott – Taylor Pendrith 5 & 4
Collin Morikawa – Sahith Theegala
1st – HLV (TIED)
2nd – HLV (TIED)
3rd – HLV (TIED)
4th – INT (INT 1 UP)
5th – INT (INT 2 UP)
6th – INT (INT 3 UP)
7th – USA (INT 2 UP)
8th – HLV (INT 2 UP)
9th – HLV (INT 2 UP)
10th – INT (INT 3 UP)
11th – INT (INT 4 UP)
12th – INT (INT 5 UP)
13th – HLV (INT 5 UP)
14th – HLV (INT 5 UP)
15th –
16th –
17th –
18th –
Match 3
Jason Day – Christiaan Bezuidenhout 1 Up
Brian Harman – Max Homa
1st – INT (INT 1 UP)
2nd – HLV (INT 1 UP)
3rd – USA (TIED)
4th – HLV (TIED)
5th – HLV (TIED)
6th – HLV (TIED)
7th – INT (INT 1 UP)
8th – INT (INT 2 UP)
9th – HLV (INT 2 UP)
10th – HLV (INT 2 UP)
11th – HLV (INT 2 UP)
12th – INT (INT 3 UP)
13th – USA (INT 2 UP)
14th – HLV (INT 2 UP)
15th – HLV (INT 2 UP)
16th – HLV (INT 2 UP)
17th – USA (INT 1 UP)
18th – HLV (INT 1 UP)
Match 4
Mackenzie Hughes – Corey Conners 6 & 5
Tony Finau – Wyndham Clark
1st – INT (INT 1 UP)
2nd – INT (INT 2 UP)
3rd – HLV (INT 2 UP)
4th – HLV (INT 2 UP)
5th – INT (INT 3 UP)
6th – HLV (INT 3 UP)
7th – HLV (INT 3 UP)
8th – INT (INT 4 UP)
9th – INT (INT 5 UP)
10th – HLV (INT 5 UP)
11th – INT (INT 6 UP)
12th – USA (INT 5 UP)
13th – INT (INT 6 UP)
14th –
15th –
16th –
17th –
18th –
Match 5
Byeong Hun An – Si Woo Kim 1 Up
Russell Henley – Scottie Scheffler
1st – HLV (TIED)
2nd – USA (USA 1 UP)
3rd – INT (TIED)
4th – HLV (TIED)
5th – HLV (TIED)
6th – INT (INT 1 UP)
7th – USA (TIED)
8th – HLV (TIED)
9th – HLV (TIED)
10th – HLV (TIED)
11th – HLV (TIED)
12th – HLV (TIED)
13th – INT (INT 1 UP)
14th – HLV (INT 1 UP)
15th – HLV (INT 1 UP)
16th – HLV (INT 1 UP)
17th – HLV (INT 1 UP)
18th – HLV (INT 1 UP)
