Presidents Cup: Group Worldwide makes outstanding comeback to attract degree with USA on Day 2

Tony Finau may really feel a giant change when he stepped on the primary tee Friday on the Presidents Cup. The horseshoe-shaped grandstand was packed and loud. The gallery was four-deep down the primary fairway. The vibe was solely totally different.

The most important distinction was the scoreboards. They switched from purple to gold.

All of them.

In a shocking turnaround at Royal Montreal, the Internationals flipped the script by sweeping the foursomes session, a efficiency so one-sided that the People led in solely one of many 5 matches, and that was just for one gap.

Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im tied a document for the most important blowout within the Presidents Cup. Jason Day assured a full level with a chip that was elegant even by his requirements. Si Woo Kim polished off a most excellent day with a 15-foot par putt.

Worldwide group member Si Woo Kim of South Korea, celebrates with group member Byeong Hun An of South Korea, after sinking the profitable putt on the 18th gap throughout second spherical foursome match on the Presidents Cup Golf Match.
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Three of the matches didn’t get past the 14th gap.

“Unbelievable,” mentioned Adam Scott, taking part in in his eleventh Presidents Cup with out ever profitable one. “To return again and present everybody what this group is product of after a troublesome day on the market yesterday is simply unimaginable. … This group is aware of what it’s able to now.”

Tom Kim didn’t play and nonetheless performed a giant position. The 22-year-old from South Korea had mentioned on Thursday he thought the gang was too quiet, and he hoped Canadian followers would “assist us out slightly bit extra.”

That they did, and scorecards crammed with gold Worldwide leads weren’t even essential. The noise throughout Royal Montreal made it clear what was occurring. Contained in the ropes, there was nothing the People may do about it.

“We undoubtedly felt the vitality proper out of the gate,” Finau mentioned. “I hit the primary tee shot yesterday in our group, and I hit the primary tee shot at this time. It was night-and-day distinction, I believe simply the noise and the vitality.”

United States group member Tony Finau chips onto the inexperienced on the third gap in the course of the second spherical of the Presidents Cup golf event at Royal Montreal Golf Membership in Montreal.
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Patrick Cantlay and and Xander Schauffele, 3-0 in foursomes on the Presidents Cup, by no means stood an opportunity in opposition to Matsuyama and Im. The Internationals had birdies on their last seven holes, a staggering streak contemplating they had been alternating pictures, for a 7-and-6 win.

It tied the Presidents Cup document, final executed in 2011 when Scott and Ok.J. Choi defeated Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in 12 holes. The People didn’t assist the trigger by not hitting a fairway till the eighth gap. Then once more, Matsuyama and Im had been the equal of 8 below for 12 holes.

Proper behind them, Scott and Taylor Pendrith made three straight birdies. They by no means trailed and misplaced just one gap in a 5-and-4 win over Sahith Theegala and Collin Morikawa.

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The Canadians delivered, too. Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners received the primary two holes in a 6-and-5 rout over Wyndham Clark and Tony Finau. They misplaced just one gap, and that was solely after they’d a 6-up lead after 11 holes.

“There was quite a lot of perception amongst the room, amongst the blokes, that hey, we are able to nonetheless do that. We’re nonetheless a terrific group, and we’ve obtained quite a lot of golf left to play,” Hughes mentioned. “We got here right here this morning, we had our heads held excessive, chin up, and we had been able to play.”

Two matches went the gap, and the Internationals had been simply as relentless.

Day and Christiaan Bezuidenhout had been 1 up over Max Homa and Brian Harman going to the 18th. Day confronted a pitch from muddied grass that had been tamped down by spectators. As soon as of the most effective chippers in golf, even he was impressed to see it roll out to a foot.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Jason Day of the Worldwide Group celebrates on the 18th inexperienced throughout Friday Foursomes on day two of the 2024 Presidents Cup.
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“The lie wasn’t that nice. It was moist,” Day mentioned. “So I used to be simply making an attempt to know the lie slightly bit extra by the follow swings. Is it going to bounce? Is it going to dig? Only for how moist it’s.

“Midway by the shot I had my hand up, simply understanding it was going to be one.”

After which Si Woo Kim produced one final cheer. In a match by which 13 holes had been halved, Kim and Byeong Hun An had been 1 up over Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley going to the 18th when An hit left right into a thick, nasty lie within the tough and Kim couldn’t attain the inexperienced.

“It was a troublesome second shot, so I advised him, ‘Simply get me inside 15 toes and I obtained it.’ And I knew I had an opportunity to win,” Kim mentioned.

Henley missed a 25-foot birdie putt. Kim drained a 15-foot par putt to safe one other 1-up victory, one other full level, and a impasse going into the weekend.

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Saturday options two periods — 4 matches of fourballs, 4 matches of foursomes — earlier than the 12 singles matches on Sunday.

It’s virtually like beginning over, and now it turns into a dash.

“I’m simply so pleased with the blokes, so pumped for them,” Worldwide captain Mike Weir mentioned. “To play that properly yesterday and never have any factors on the board was disappointing. So to see their arduous work and them sticking in there and us captains and myself asking them to stay in there and imagine, couldn’t be happier.”

Worldwide Group Captain Mike Weir celebrates whereas strolling off the 18th inexperienced throughout Friday Foursomes on day two of the 2024 Presidents Cup.
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It was the sixth time a session had been swept within the Presidents Cup, and the primary for the Worldwide group since a 6-0 foursomes shutout in South Africa in 2003.

Weir put out three of his greatest foursomes matches for the Saturday morning fourballs session; U.S. captain Jim Furyk stored three of his fourballs partnerships from Thursday.

“I mentioned yesterday, ‘Their again’s in opposition to the wall. They’re going to come back out firing,’” Furyk mentioned. “Effectively, I’m certain my guys are slightly pissed off proper now again within the group room. The concept is to come back out firing tomorrow.”