CHARLOTTE, N.C. — At a Presidents Cup that had been week-long party for Team U.S.A., it was the International players dancing on the 18th green at Quail Hollow late Saturday afternoon.
Looking down and out since shortly after play began Thursday, 20-year-old South Korean ball of fire Tom Kim sent his teammates into a frenzy with a hat-throwing, match-winning 10-foot birdie putt that gave life to a desperate International team. Not only had Kim and partner Si Woo Kim won, they had beaten the previously undefeated U.S. pair of Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay
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“I was looking over that putt, and I wanted it more than anything in the world,” Kim said. “I would have done anything for that to go in, and I had the whole team behind me.”
With the Internationals players, captains, and loved ones exploding with three days of pent-up energy on the 18th green, the final match on the course was moments away from flipping their way as well.
Cam Davis, playing with fellow Australian Adam Scott, had already eagled the 16th to pull all square with Sam Burns and Billy Horschel. And with his teammates celebrating ahead, Davis rolled in a birdie on the par-4 17th hole to take a 1-up lead, their first of the day.
A win from Davis and Scott in Saturday’s final match would send the Internationals to Sunday singles play trailing 11-7 in the race to 15.5 points, after being down 8-2 heading into the weekend. That’s exactly where Trevor Immelman’s Internationals stand after Davis rolled in yet another birdie at the 18th to secure victory. The 27-year-old Aussie finished the match eagle-birdie-birdie to win 1-up, all the while playing alongside his idol Scott.
“I mean, last three holes, I kind of went numb, to be honest. I was in a situation where I was going for it. But I just got in a groove that made golf feel easy for once. It’s very hard to get in a groove like that. It’s what we live for,” Davis said. “This is a dream come true to be in this scenario for me. I don’t want Adam to feel old or anything, but he’s been a childhood hero of mine really right from when I started to taking golf seriously.”
Needing just 4.5 points to win on Sunday, Davis Love III’s American team remains heavy favourites to win its 12th Presidents Cup in 14 outings. But Saturday’s International charge gives hope to the underdogs and gives a meaningful lift to an event that was dangerously close to becoming pointless endeavour.
“The vibe is hopeful,” Immelman said at the end of the day. “Today was a big step for a very young and inexperienced team. Eight rookies. We have had a lot thrown against us, and we’re here competing against the best on their home turf. Today was a good day for us.”
There will be 12 singles matches on Sunday with every player playing, and the Internationals will need eight points for a tie, and eight-and-a-half to win the Cup.
“We were in a deep hole coming here on the bus this morning, and all of the boys dug really deep,” said the 42-year-old Aussie Scott, who is playing in his 10th Presidents Cup. “Over the course of my career in this, there hasn’t been many times I’ve felt momentum going our way. And today, we had the momentum. We certainly have it finishing this evening, and it will be great if we could keep it rolling tomorrow.”
It wasn’t a great day for Canadians Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith. Conners putting woes continued as he and partner Sungjae Im lost 4&3 to Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in the morning. Conners was one of four Internationals who sat out the afternoon session. Pendrith played in the afternoon with Hideki Matsuyama after sitting out the morning, and the duo was the only International pair to lose in the session, dropping their match, also 4&3, and also to Spieth and Thomas.
A reporter jokingly asked the undefeated American duo why they hate Canada so much.
“That’s not a serious question, is it?” laughed Thomas.
“We love Canada, remember in two years, that’s where we’re going to be,” Spieth said, referring to the 2024 Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal.
“We love Canada,” Thomas repeated.
Conners and Pendrith are the only members of the International team yet to register even a half-point, something they will be looking to change on Sunday. Pendrith takes on Tony Finau, and Conners will face Xander Schauffele.
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Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith make Presidents Cup history in loss
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PRESIDENTS CUP: LIV golfers (gulp) are missed at Quail Hollow
