The possibility of a Miracle at Medinah-like ending was unlikely. Fourteen years ago, Europe made a historic comeback against the U.S. at the Ryder Cup. This year’s scenario at Illinois’ Medinah Country Club for the Presidents Cup saw the International team face tough odds.
On Sunday, the Internationals started with a 10.5-7.5 lead over the U.S. By the end, Donald J. Trump, acting as Honorary Chairman, presented the trophy to the USA for a 17-13 win. U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker, recalling the defeat at Medinah in 2012, stated, “I think these guys never lost faith. I know what that team room is like. I told the guys last night that funny stuff happens here. Medinah has a history of funny things happening.”
Cameron Young scored first, defeating Ryo Hisatsune 3 and 2. Justin Thomas followed with a decisive win over Corey Conners, 5 and 3. The Internationals earned a point with Tom Kim, who defeated Wyndham Clark 3 and 2, becoming the first International player since 2015 to win four points in a week. Scottie Scheffler won against Nico Echavarria 2 and 1, but Sungjae Im defeated Sam Burns 3 and 1, keeping a two-point lead for the Internationals.
The U.S. then secured four consecutive points to take the lead at 14.5-12.5. Chris Gotterup beat Christiaan Bezuidenhout, 1 up. Patrick Cantlay defeated Adam Scott 2 and 1. Collin Morikawa won over Hideki Matsuyama, 1 up. Jackson Koivun had a comeback win against Si Woo Kim, 2 up. Snedeker said about Koivun, “I put him in a really tough spot out there. We thought he could handle it. Sure enough, he did. He went out there and looked like the stud we know he’s going to be.”
The decisive point came with Jacob Bridgeman winning 1 up against Min Woo Lee, bringing the U.S. to 15.5 points, clinching their 11th consecutive Presidents Cup. Bridgeman remarked, “Someone in the crowd yelled, ‘You’re the best putter in the world,’ and I was like, ‘Yep, I’m going to make this thing.’ It was the coolest moment. I felt like I held in my emotion all day.”
Two more matches concluded with Xander Schauffele defeating Ryan Fox 2 and 1, while Nick Taylor and Russell Henley tied. Patricia Duffy noted that team golf can highlight both strengths and weaknesses. U.S. team showcased their best with a final score of 17-13, bringing their all-time record to 14-1-1 in this event.
Reflecting on the victory, Snedeker mentioned, “When those pairings came out last night, it was the first time I got them right all week. Those were my mistakes; I messed up the matchups. I messed up the snake draft this week, and that was the first time I got it right, and those guys were ready to walk through that door for me.”
The Internationals, despite leading on Friday and Saturday, will have to wait until 2028 for another chance to break their losing streak. The next Presidents Cup is set to take place in Australia at Kingston Heath Golf Club. International captain Geoff Ogilvy reflected, “At some point, everybody has got to play well. It’s a tough thing to do to win singles in the U.S. I was hopeful on the first tee. We were all pretty excited coming out here, and they all started well and it drifted during the day.”