MONTREAL – Nearing the halfway point of this Presidents Cup, here’s a simple question to ponder: What the heck is happening?!
Everything we thought we knew about this Presidents Cup has been flipped upside down.
Think the Internationals were closer than ever to ending their two-decade run of misery?
On Thursday, they got ran off the course here at Royal Montreal, swept to start for the first time in 24 years.
Think the Americans dominate in foursomes?
Having won 17 consecutive sessions dating to 2005, they didn’t just finally drop one – they got skunked, too. It’s believed to be the first time ever, in any competition, that the teams exchanged sweeps over the first two sessions.
And think this thing is already over?
Think again – it’s all knotted up, 5-5, after one of the most unlikely and exhilarating days in what has been a historically lopsided rivalry.
“Incredible. Incredible day for us,” said International veteran Adam Scott, who has been on the receiving end of 10 consecutive defeats. “To come back and show everyone what this team is made of after a tough day out there yesterday is just incredible.”
This wasn’t just a sweep. It was complete and utter domination. A day after getting blown out, the Internationals pulled off an unprecedented reversal and led for a total of 57 holes Friday – compared to just one hole for the Americans.
Setting the tone, Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im – the top two points-earners on the International side – whipped the previously fearsome duo of Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay by a 7-and-6 margin that tied the largest spread in the history of the cup. And they only poured it on from there: Taylor Pendrith continued his hot play from the opening day, teaming up with Scott to score a decisive 5-and-4 victory. Canadians Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes – former college teammates joining forces for the first time at the pro level – pounced on the Americans from the jump and sailed to a 6-and-5 victory that ignited a rejuvenated and boisterous crowd.
There were no weak links, no shortage of contributors.
There was steady leadership from the top on down – International captain Mike Weir was convinced that his plan would work, even if it meant opening himself up to criticism by sitting human sparkplugs Tom Kim and Min Woo Lee for a must-win session.
There was strong messaging from the leaders – even if it took an unexpected turn, with Hughes, a rookie set to play in his first-ever match, delivering a lively motivational speech on the team bus ride.
And, most importantly, there were clutch shots – seemingly dozens of them. Clutch up-and-downs from Jason Day, the veteran having finally bought in after years of indifference. Timely putts from Si Woo Kim, including on the last, triggering a cathartic release that preserved the full point and sweep. Rousing support from Kim and Lee, whipping fans into a frenzy and leading cheers of “I-N-T! I-N-T!”
“We were coming out to play with our pride on the line,” Scott said. “We got kicked pretty badly yesterday. There is a confidence among this group, but we got brought down to earth yesterday, and we came out today and all lifted our levels. This team is very capable of pushing the U.S. team all the way this week, and today was a good step for us to make it a big fight this weekend.”
It’s difficult to overstate just how unlikely the day was for the Internationals.
Only one of the top eight performers on Thursday, when playing their own ball, were the Internationals – and they were heading into the format in which they faced a minus-33-point differential since 2007.
And yet, somehow, it didn’t matter at all.
“There are dynamics in these teams that are almost – it’s indescribable,” Scott said. “It’s just a feeling. I haven’t thrown those kinds of feelings out there very much, but we were all up here a couple weeks ago, and I’ve rested easy for a couple weeks coming in here knowing this team is put together. I don’t know exactly. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is. But there’s a confidence. Maybe it’s the personalities. It’s all those things. I felt very, very confident in this team.”
And it’s why Weir will run three of those pairings back out in the wee hours of the morning, hoping to ride the momentum of a historic day and – finally – the boost of a partisan, passionate home crowd.
“The guys fought,” Weir said, “and that message was loud and clear.”
After Si Woo Kim urged the team to dogpile him on the 18th green, after the wives shrieked and waved their gold pompoms, after the stunned Americans trudged toward their cabins, Tom Kim grabbed a few of his teammates by the shoulders and pointed at the electronic leaderboard.
“Exactly what we f---ing needed!” he said.
Incredibly, improbably, the cup is back in reach. A doubleheader day looms. And after this start, there’s no telling what will happen next.
