The Presidents Cup 2024 is turning into an up-and-down affair for the international team. After a disastrous 0:5 start to the tournament, the team fought back furiously the following day and went into Saturday’s fourballs and foursomes with a 5:5 score. There, however, the Americans dominated again and won both rounds 3:1. So the defending champions will go into the twelve singles matches on the final day with a score of 11:7.
Presidents Cup 2024: Team USA with 11:7 Lead Going Into the Final Day
There were not many positives for the international team in the Saturday fourballs and foursomes. The Americans got the day off to a perfect start with victories in the first two fourballs of the morning. The first point was secured by the duo of Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa against Adam Scott and Taylor Pendrith (2&1), the second by Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele against Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes (3&2). In the third match of the day, Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim gave Team International some breathing space: the duo won against Keegan Bradley and Wyndham Clark with a comfortable 4&3 and the shot of the day. However, the next setback came in the fourth game of Saturday’s fourballs. There, the Americans in the form of Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns managed the third point of the day against Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im (2&1).
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 28, 2024
Si Woo Kim chips in from an impossible lie to win the hole! pic.twitter.com/8fxKNig54a
The afternoon’s foursomes were similarly modest from the international team’s perspective. In the first foursome, Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley increased the score to 9-6 for Team USA in the overall standings (3&2) in their clash with Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im. The rest of the afternoon was to develop into a thriller. All three remaining matches were decided on the last hole: First, Taylor Pendrith and Adam Scott took the second and so important point of the day for Team International. With a one-shot lead, they went up against Max Homa and Brian Harman on hole 18, where a par was enough to win the match (2 up). The international team failed dramatically on the last two holes: both the Conners/Hughes duo against Morikawa/Burns and the Kim duo against Cantlay/Schauffele were tied on hole 18, but in both cases the Americans held their nerve and won the two holes in front of their home fans. To euphoric cheers, Patrick Cantlay put the finishing touches to what was a bitter day for the international team.
A clutch birdie on 18 to win the match.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 28, 2024
@Patrick_Cantlay secures the third point for the U.S. Team in the afternoon Foursomes matches. pic.twitter.com/BAoqe6wvfM
So Team USA goes into the final day with an 11:7 lead. Despite the good starting position for the defending champions, everything is still wide open. After all, a whole twelve points are still up for grabs in the individual matches. It remains exciting in Canada.