The Presidents Cup scores are closer than they were on Friday night, but the International Team still hold the upper hand going into the final day at Medinah. Geoff Ogilvy’s side lead Brandt Snedeker’s United States 10.5-7.5 after Saturday, and they need just five points from Sunday’s 12 singles matches to reach the winning total of 15.5.
The Americans won Saturday 4.5-3.5 across two sessions, which trimmed a four point deficit to three. It’s progress, not a rescue.
Saturday morning four-balls: USA 2.5, Internationals 1.5
Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns led the way, beating Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune 2 and 1. Chris Gotterup and Cameron Young also won 2 and 1, against Nick Taylor and Corey Conners, and Justin Thomas and Jackson Koivun halved their match with Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im.
The Internationals’ point came from the Kims. Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim beat Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark 2 and 1.
Afternoon foursomes: honours even
Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele got revenge on the Kims with a 2 and 1 win, and Young and Gotterup produced the result of the day, thrashing Adam Scott and Im 6 and 4. The Internationals answered each time, though. Conners and Taylor edged Russell Henley and Jacob Bridgeman 1 up, and Ryan Fox and Lee beat Burns and Clark 3 and 2.
That 2-2 split mattered. Every half point the US gave back in the afternoon keeps the Internationals within touching distance of only their second Presidents Cup title, and their first since 1998.
Presidents Cup Sunday singles tee times
The singles start at 12:02pm ET on Sunday, September 27, with Hisatsune against Young. Scheffler faces Nico Echavarria at 12:38pm ET, Matsuyama plays Morikawa at 1:14pm ET, Scott meets Cantlay at 1:26pm ET, and the anchor match sees Fox take on Schauffele at 2:14pm ET. NBC and Peacock have coverage from noon to 6pm ET.
For the US to win outright they need 8 of the 12 points available. Snedeker has front loaded his lineup with Young, Clark, Thomas and Scheffler in the first four matches.
How it started: the International Team swept Friday’s foursomes 5-0.
