The Americans won the Presidents Cup for the tenth consecutive time.
The victory came thanks also to four consecutive birdies by Xander Schauffele, the extraordinary performances of Sam Burns who remained undefeated all week, the winning debut of Russel Henley and the decisive point scored by Keegan Bradley, captain of the next Ryder Cup.
By Sunday afternoon, with five matches still in progress, the Americans had already reached the 15 and a half points needed to win.
Team International was the protagonist of an exceptional comeback at Royal Montreal, especially on the 2nd day of competition, with excellent matches and hard-fought matches, but it was not enough to conquer the cup.
Presidents Cup, results
In the history of the Presidents Cup, Team International’s only victory was in 1998 at Royal Melbourne, while the winning streak of Team USA continues since 2005.
“These players have been fantastic,” said captain Jim Furyk. “Twelve great people who made the captain’s job really easy and played with heart. Towards the end of the tournament they were incredible!”.
In the singles matches on the final day Furyk sent Schauffele out in the opening match against Jason Day and the fresh Californian made five birdies in eight holes to take control immediately. The match ended on the 15th hole.
Team International only scored 3 full points: Hideki Matsuyama defeated Scottie Scheffler 1up, Corey Conners got an easy win over Tony Finau 5&3, Christiaan Bezuidenhout won 2&1 over Brian Harman.
3 matches ended in draws, while 6 matches in favor of Team USA.
With a final score of 18.5 to 11.5, the Americans sealed their tenth consecutive Presidents Cup victory.
PGA TOUR – Presidents Cup
The 2024 Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club begins on Thursday, with 12 players from the US team facing off against 12 professionals from the international team (excluding Europe) in a four-day, five-round competition.
Match play always offers an interesting competition, with players competing for prestige, facing unique and engaging situations. For many athletes, the Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup are the only occasions in which they compete together with a partner. Before the singles match play on Sunday, the doubles matches are played.
It begins on Thursday with five foursome match play, on Friday there will always be five matches but in a four-ball the best format, while on Saturday there will be four foursome matches in the morning followed by four foursome matches in the afternoon. The challenge concludes on Sunday with twelve singles match plays and a total of thirty tournament points up for grabs.
The United States has dominated this competition, losing only once since its inception in 1994. However, away tournaments are always a bigger challenge, and the United States heads north after losing last year’s Ryder Cup in Rome.
The U.S. team won the last Presidents Cup, held two years ago at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, with a final score of 17.5 to 12.5.
Here are the names of the players who will compete at Royal Montreal:
TEAM USA
INTERNATIONAL TEAM
Jim Furyk (Captain) Mike Weir (Captain)
Keegan Bradley Byeong Hun An
Sam Burns Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Patrick Cantlay Corey Conners
Wyndham Clark Jason Day
Tony Finau Mackenzie Hughes
Brian Harman Sungjae Im
Russell Henley Si Woo Kim
Max Homa Tom Kim
Collin Morikawa Min Woo Lee
Xander Schauffele Hideki Matsuyama
Scottie Scheffler Taylor Pendrith
Sahith Theegala Adam Scott
The Royal Montreal Golf Club, founded in 1873, is considered the oldest golf club in North America. As Vittorio Addabbo tells us, with a difference in altitude of less than 10 meters over the entire course, the first nine holes offer a classic parkland setting, with long corridors flanked by tall plants. In contrast, the back nine features water hazards that affect play on six holes, including the last five.
Royal Montreal is also famous for one of golf’s most memorable moments. While playing the 14th hole of the 2007 Presidents Cup four-ball match, American player Woody Austin fell into the lake while trying to retrieve his ball from the left bank. Despite the mishap, he managed to birdie three of the last four holes, earning a crucial half-point on a day dominated by the international team.