It was a disastrous begin to the Presidents Cup for the Internationals because the Individuals pulled off a clear sweep of all 5 four-ball matches on the opening day at Royal Montreal Golf Membership.
Australian pairing Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott fought exhausting to take their match towards Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala to the 18th gap however they had been left to rue their placing struggles.
Fellow Australian Jason Day performed within the first match of the day and likewise made it the ultimate gap however got here up quick, whereas world primary Scottie Scheffler broke his Presidents Cup duck together with his first win after failing to earn one on debut two years in the past.
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‘WHAT WAS THAT?’: Scheffler will get into it with rival in spicy Presidents Cup scenes
‘What was that?!’ – Scottie GOES at Kim | 01:00
Workforce captain Mike Weir has opted to bench his two younger power starters – Min Woo Lee and Tom Kim – for Friday’s foursomes matches following the dire begin to the occasion for the Internationals.
Kim sparked the Presidents Cup to life together with his fiery clashes with world primary Scottie Scheffler of their Thursday match – which the Individuals received 3&2 – whereas Lee solely mustered one birdie in his debut match alongside fellow Australian Adam Scott.
Weir insisted that the shock choice was pre-determined.
“Nicely, that was a part of the plan. It was not a change after or something,” he stated.
“We now have a plan for four-ball, and we now have a plan for foursomes. Tom wasn’t within the plans for at this time however doesn’t imply he may not be down the street. We’re sticking with the plan.”
The transfer was closely criticised by the ‘Reside from the Presidents Cup’ panel with every commentator in agreeance that the Internationals want their younger stars who present a “spark” on the right track as a lot as potential.
“I simply don’t understand how you don’t play Tom Kim,” Brandel Chamblee stated.
“He’s younger, he’s lit up and he appears to be thriving in these environments.”
Fellow panellist Johnson Wagner agreed.
“He’s the spark,” he stated.
“Tom Kim is the emotional chief of this crew proper now and he is an effective match for foursomes. As an alternative, you place Sungjae out – who was his associate at this time – who didn’t make a single birdie.”
SECOND DAY FOURSOMES TEE TIMES
3.05am AEST – Hideki Matsuyama & Sungjae Im versus Patrick Cantlay & Xander Schauffele
3.19am AEST – Adam Scott & Taylor Pendrith versus Sahith Theegala & Collin Morikawa
3.33am AEST – Jason Day & Christian Bezuidenhout versus Max Homa & Brian Harmon
3.47am AEST – Corey Conners & Mackenzie Hughes versus Wyndham Clark & Tony Finau
4.01am AEST – Si Woo Kim & Byeong Hun An versus Scottie Scheffler & Russell Henley
DAY ONE TALKING POINTS
IS IT ALL OVER ALREADY?
Three matches went to the 18th inexperienced which is able to give the Internationals hope but it surely was the primary time both crew had received each match in a session for the reason that US did within the third day foursomes in 2007.
Additionally it is the third time the Individuals have swept the opening session – additionally they did so in 1994 and 2000 and on each of these events it led to dominate victories.
It’s no secret that the Internationals report within the Presidents Cup is poor having misplaced the final 9 and solely profitable as soon as – at Royal Melbourne in 1998 – and the panel on ‘Reside from the Presidents Cup’ consider the burden of historical past means there is no such thing as a coming again for the Internationals.
“It was an exceptional day of golf. The USA by my rely for 36-under par and the Internationals had been 28-under par,” Brandel Chamblee stated.
“It doesn’t sound that bleak once you put it like that. The outcomes had been an absolute nightmare for the Worldwide crew.
“You’re speaking about their finest format and over the course of the Presidents Cups when the USA has been on overseas soil – the nod goes to the Worldwide facet in four-balls.
“You possibly can’t assist however really feel this one is insurmountable given the historical past.”
IS IT A CANADIAN PROBLEM?
Golf podcaster Andy Johnson posed on X that the Worldwide groups’ issues could also be a Canada’s issues?
“Canadian gamers report within the final Presidents Cup was 0-8,” he stated.
“Worldwide Workforce’s report on this yr’s Presidents Cup in Canada goes to be 0-5.
“It begs the query, is Canada the issue?”
The gang at Royal Montreal was a speaking level all day with former skilled Johnson Wagner saying on ‘Reside from the Presidents Cup’ that “the gang was by no means a difficulty at this time and that’s an issue for the Worldwide crew”.
Wagner’s observations had been backed up by Canadian Taylor Pendrith and Tom Kim.
“To really feel the love of the house crowd being in Canada was actually neat. We have to get louder, I feel, the subsequent few days right here and actually really feel the house help,” Pendrith stated.
“However it was actually cool to shake Wayne Gretzky’s hand on the first tee after which hit my tee shot on dwelling soil in entrance of the house crowd. It was a really cool expertise.”
Kim went additional with calling out the necessity for the gang to create a extra hostile environment.
“Undoubtedly when the crowds are with us, it positively helps when you’ll be able to form of get loud. Like Taylor stated, I feel it was somewhat too quiet at this time being on dwelling soil,” he stated.
“I don’t assume the followers had been actually — I want they might have helped us out a bit extra, particularly being in Canada. I understand how a lot they love golf. I’m positively anticipating extra crowds to be louder and for them to be on our facet.”
SCOTT AND MIN WOO UNABLE TO PULL OFF DREAM DEBUT
Australian pairing Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee took Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala to the 18th inexperienced however they let slip the slender benefit they held in the course of the center of the match.
A Morikawa birdie on the primary gap handed the American pair the early lead however the Australians fought again with Lee making birdie on the par-5 sixth to place them one-up.
Morikawa responded instantly with one other birdie however Scott hit proper again in a topsy-turvy battle to as soon as once more seize the lead.
They had been in entrance after 11 holes however Morikawa lifted his recreation with birdies at 12 and 14 as Scott and Lee missed makeable putts all through the again 9 earlier than Theegala put the ultimate nail within the coffin with a birdie on the final – his first of the day.
“Yeah, I’m disenchanted. I feel Min Woo and I may have received that match at this time,” Scott stated.
“It’s disappointing that we didn’t do just a bit bit higher. I’ve a sense the matches had been nearer than what the rating signifies.
“Our guys are simply going to must carry somewhat bit. We’re going to have to search out one other gear to beat a tricky American crew.
“Like I stated earlier than, one of the best information is there’s tomorrow for us. It’s not over. We’re going to have to return out, combat actually exhausting, discover that gear, win a session and get entering into the correct course.”
FIERY SCHEFFLER BREAKS HOODOO
Scottie Scheffler’s winless report finally yr’s Ryder Cup and the 2022 Presidents Cup was the elephant within the room for the US crew this week.
However – simply as he by profitable the FedEx Cup playoffs final month the place he additionally he a poor report beforehand – Scheffler proved there was little must learn into two poor weeks.
He and Russell Henley produced probably the most dominant victory of the opening day with a 3&2 triumph towards Tom Kim and Sungjae Im.
The Individuals led from the opening gap and held off a mid-round cost from Kim who birdied seven, eight and ten as he traded barbs – within the type of fiery celebrations – with Scheffler.
Publish-round, the world primary dismissed it as all in good religion with the pair being shut buddies off the course.
“It’s a whole lot of enjoyable being out right here and competing. It’s all in good enjoyable, I feel,” Scheffler stated.
“That’s all I’ve acquired to say. It’s good enjoyable. We’re out right here competing, doing our greatest. Like Russell stated, Tom clearly loves this stage, however Russell and I had been match at this time and we did some good things on the market.
“Russell did some good photographs early within the match and hit some key photographs late. Actually glad to have this man on my crew.”
XANDER SPOILS JASON’S DAY
It began so promisingly for Jason Day.
The previous world primary dropped a mighty birdie putt from 24 ft 6 inches on the primary gap of the event at hand himself and taking part in associate Byeong Hun An the early lead, but it surely evaporated courtesy of Xander Schauffele birdie on the subsequent gap.
Schauffele and Tony Finau by no means trailed from then on, nonetheless.
They seized the benefit courtesy of a Finau birdie on the eighth and wobbled late, however down the stretch Schauffele confirmed the category that received him the PGA Championship and The Open this yr.
It was the primary time Schauffele was not paired with Patrick Cantlay in a Presidents Cup match, however he appeared largely unphased as he birdied the ultimate two holes to safe a degree for the US.
An birdied the fifteenth after sticking his method on the par-4 to seven ft, whereas Day’s par was sufficient to tie the match on the sixteenth as a result of the American duo each three-putted.
Schauffele seized the second on the subsequent tee with a stellar tee shot into the par-3 seventeenth earlier than cooly holing the eight foot five-inch putt, after which he produced an much more spectacular shot into the inexperienced on 18 to offer him himself two ft and ten inches for birdie and finish the Internationals hopes of salvaging half a degree.
“Yeah, it was shut. Clearly, we acquired fortunate with 16, each of these guys three-putting there,” Day stated.
“Then Benny, the putt simply wanted to remain somewhat bit larger, and he would have holed it on 17 for birdie. That might have probably flipped as a result of clearly coming off the again finish of a win on 16 and also you’re on the lookout for that momentum going into 18. Sadly, we simply didn’t fairly get it.
“The perfect gamers on the planet needed to birdie the final gap to beat us. That’s why grinding it out is essential. We’ve simply acquired to form of regroup and take into consideration tomorrow.”