The International Team faced a tall task at the Presidents Cup after the US Team took a commanding 5-0 lead in first-round fourballs at The Royal Montreal Club. The Internationals, however, came out in full force on Friday, bouncing back in historic fashion with a 5-0 sweep in foursomes, the first time in history that international team golf has seen back-to-back sweeps.
“Incredible,” Adam Scott said after becoming the leading points-getter in International Team history. “Incredible day for us to come back and show everyone what this team is made of.”
A Presidents Cup that started out looking like another American victory took on an entirely different feel before a Royal Montreal crowd that was chanting “I-N-T!” from the opening tee.
Unlike the American sweep in Thursday fourballs, most of the foursomes matches weren’t even close. The Internationals only trailed in one match, and that was only for one hole.
Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im tied a record for the biggest blowout, and Si Woo Kim polished off a most perfect day. Patrick Cantlay and and Xander Schauffele, 3-0 in foursomes at the Presidents Cup, never stood a chance against Matsuyama and Im. The Internationals birdied their final seven holes, a staggering streak considering they were alternating shots, for a 7-and-6 win.
It tied the Presidents Cup record, last done in 2011 when Scott and KJ Choi defeated Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in 12 holes. The Americans didn’t help the cause by not hitting a fairway until the eighth hole. Then again, Matsuyama and Im were eight-under for 12 holes.
Right behind them, Scott and Taylor Pendrith made three straight birdies and never trailed in beating Sahith Theegala and Collin Morikawa, 5 and 4.
The Canadians delivered just as big as Hughes and Corey Conners won the first two holes in a 6-and-5 rout over Wyndham Clark and Tony Finau.
Two matches went the distance, and the Internationals were just as relentless. Jason Day hit a superb pitch off a muddy lie to the left of the 18th green to a foot that secured a 1-up victory over Max Homa and Brian Harman.
This marked the first time Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Day had been paired together in international team play.
The match was close from the start, with Bezuidenhout and Day taking an early lead on the first hole with an opening birdie. Homa and Harman quickly responded, winning the third hole to level the match. The International pair then regained control, winning the seventh and eighth holes to go 2-up.
On the 12th hole, a 551-yard par five, Bezuidenhout sank a 15-foot putt to extend their lead to 3-up. However, Homa and Harman fought back, winning the 13th with a birdie after Homa’s impressive 210-yard approach shot that landed just six feet from the hole.
And then Kim produced one last cheer. In a match in which 13 holes were halved, Kim and Byeong Hun An were 1-up over Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley going to the 18th when they hit into nasty rough and had no chance to reach the green.
Henley missed a 25-foot birdie putt. Kim drained a 15-foot par putt to secure another 1-up victory, another full point, and a deadlock going into the weekend.
