Team USA got a taste of its own medicine Friday as the International Team swept the foursome session to tie the Presidents Cup at 5-5.
From the start of the session to the end, the Internationals put on a show. Three matches ended early, while two came down to the 18th hole.
Sungjae Im and Hideki Matusuyama dominated Patrick Cantlay and Xavier Schauffele 7 & 6. They kickstarted the sweep for the Black and Gold with a straight butt whooping. The Internationals made seven consecutive birdies to shut it down.
From there, Mike Weir’s squad pushed down the throttle until the Americans could not take it anymore.
Adam Scott and Taylor Pendrith beat Sahith Theegala and Collin Morikawa 5 & 4 to end their match early. Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes were the first all-Canadian duo of the week, and they could not miss. They were the last match to finish early, winning 6 & 5 over Wyndham Clark and Tony Finau.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Jason Day were up by three through 12 holes but lost the lead down the stretch. They led by one heading into the final hole and were able to par and defeat Brian Harman and Max Homa to win 1UP.
Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley were the strongest American pair of the day. However, as the round progressed, Si Woo Kim and Byeong Hun An got stronger. They made six straight birdies to win the match 1 UP. Kim made a 15-foot putt to complete the sweep.
Day 2 provided the drama for fans, so let’s get into the takeaways.
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Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
3. Whatever happened after Thursday’s session on the International bus worked
After getting swept 5-0 on Thursday, the International Team appeared to have a come-to-Jesus meeting. Whatever happened on that bus worked because they came out with camaraderie and team love.
They played together so well on Friday. It was like they were one unit. Meanwhile, Team USA looked discombobulated throughout the day, at least in my opinion.
No matter what happened, if someone hit it into the water or they missed a putt, the International Team let it roll off their back. It was incredible to see them stay together because it helped them shock the Americans.
2. Mike Weir nailed the pairings for foursomes
The International Team’s Captain, Mike Weir, made a brilliant choice to put two Canadians together, split up Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott, and pair Hideki Matsuyama with Sungjae Im. Si Woo Kim and Byeong Hun An also played well as partners.
His pairings for Thursday were not bad, but there was no spark. Having Min Woo Lee on the sideline to hype up the crowd was huge.
However, the opening pairing of Im and Matsuyama set the tone.
The chemistry was there, and their strategy for alternate shot was perfect.
“From the beginning, our vibe was vibing, and we were trying to win the match,” Im said after the win. “With Hideki, our teamwork was amazing.”
They set the tone and laid down a tail whooping of epic proportions.
1. Team USA got humbled on Friday
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler said that Tom Kim may have poked the bear after winning their match on Thursday. However, it seems the entire American team poked all 10 bears who played in Foursomes.
The Internationals woke up on Friday with a point to prove and sent quite the message. It was like they delivered five slices of humble pie.
Team USA did not play terribly, but it was not the same energy they brought to the table on Day 1. I cannot assume they were overly confident heading into Friday’s session, but I doubt they expected what happened.
Jim Furyk may need to evaluate some of the pairings if he does not want to give up any more momentum to the International Team.
It was not the Americans’ day, but there is still a lot of golf out there. The International Team is very confident after Friday’s dominant run.
Will more humble pie be served, or will the Americans kick it into high gear to avoid being upset?
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
