Charlotte (AFP) - Kim Joo-hyung's emotional winning putt on the final hole and three consecutive closing birdies by Cam Davis to win gave the underdog Internationals a puncher's chance to win the Presidents Cup.
Davis and Kim each delivered 1-up victories for the global squad after trailing with three holes to play, lifting the Internationals within 11-7 entering Sunday's 12 concluding singles matches at Quail Hollow.
It takes 15.5 points to capture the trophy.
The Americans are 11-1-1 in the all-time rivalry with eight consecutive wins and they have never lost at home.But there's momentum for the greatest fightback in Cup history and the first Internationals win since 1998.
"It's everything I've dreamed of and probably even more if we win it," Kim said."I've realized why guys always want to make these teams, and it's very inspiring.
"But job's not done.We've got a job to do tomorrow.We've got a great group of guys, and we believe.I think that's the biggest thing.No one really believed in us, but we believe in ourselves."
Kim sank a 10-foot birdie putt at 18 for a 1-up victory alongside South Korean countryman Kim Si-woo over previously unbeaten Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.
"It was an amazing feeling to be able to hole that winning putt.I'll remember this for a while," Kim said.
His emotional, fist-pumping outbursts after every clutch putt in a tense match were a signal to his teammates.
"In tournaments, I would never, ever shout this loud or go this crazy.But I'm just trying to bring some good energy to the team," Kim said.
"I'm just trying to bring positive vibes and try to get the team going and just give momentum to the team.
"To beat a team like that today, I feel like tomorrow we're going to have a lot of momentum going in."
Kim was spending time over his final putt wondering how he would celebrate if it went in.
"I was looking over that putt, and I wanted it more than anything in the world.I would have done anything for that to go in," Kim said.
"I was already thinking in the back of my mind, if this goes in, how am I going to celebrate?I did stay in the moment, but that was definitely on my mind.And it was an amazing feeling for that to go in."
Davis went numb
Davis, paired with fellow Aussie Adam Scott, made an 11-foot eagle putt to win the par-5 16th, sank a 14-foot birdie putt to win 17 and take their first lead, then holed a nine-foot birdie putt to tie 18 and clinch a 1-up victory over Sam Burns and Billy Horschel.
"Last three holes, I kind of went numb," Davis said."I was in a situation where I was going for it.
"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, and I felt like I got that flow zone going towards the end."
Completing the "hat trick" of putts was the best moment of them all.
"To see it roll right in the middle again was very sweet," he said."That was a very cool finish to the round."
Playing alongside boyhood idol Scott made it all the better.
"This is a dream come true to be in this scenario," Davis said.
Scott, in his 10th Presidents Cup, still seeks his first victory.
"For myself and Cam to win that match down the stretch, it's those moments why you work hard and see what you've got," Scott said.
"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."
