Day 2 of the 2024 Presidents Cup is in the books and the Internationals and Americans are tied 5-5 after a shocking 5-0 International sweep during Friday’s session. We call ’em like we see ’em around here. They are:
Winners
The Presidents Cup: The exhales can be heard from Ponte Vedra to NBC headquarters as these matches transformed from a rout into something worth watching this weekend. An International win—there’s only been one in 14 previous editions and it was 26 years ago—is crucial for this event’s legitimacy and there’s a chance now that didn’t seem possible after the opening session.
Hideki Matsuyama/Sungjae Im: If someone told you Thursday night that there would be a Presidents Cup record-tying 7 and 6 beatdown on Friday, wouldn’t you have said “by which U.S. team?” But instead it was the opening pairing of the Japanese star and steady South Korean, who won the first two holes and birdied 8 of 12. A stunning result that set the tone for the day.
Adam Scott: Won his 22nd point in a 5 and 4 rout alongside Taylor Pendrith, passing Ernie Els for most all-time for the Internationals. All that’s missing is a team win in his 11th (!) appearance; regardless of whether that happens this week he’s a lock for the 2028 captaincy at Kingston Heath in his native Australia.
Canada: The home crowd let it rip with “O Canada” on the opening tee, then Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners went out and dusted Tony Finau and Wyndham Clark 6 and 5. The Internationals’ third Canadian, Pendrith, won a point alongside Adam Scott. A banner day for Maple Leafs.
Losers
Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele: The U.S. strategy seemed sound, following up a 5-0 opening session by starting Friday with an American duo with a history of foursomes success in Cups. Instead, the friends sustained such a decisive 7 and 6 loss that captain Jim Furyk can’t send them out again Saturday afternoon … can he?
Americans in foursomes: After a 1-7 showing in alternate shot at last year’s disastrous Ryder Cup, the U.S. turned in an 0-5 effort Friday—and it is assured of a losing week in the format with only four foursomes matches Saturday.
Jim Furyk: He didn’t miss any fairways or botch any putts, but just as we declared on Thursday, if your team gets swept in a session, the captain has to take some accountability.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Presidents Cup Day 2 Winners and Losers: Internationals Answer U.S. With 5-0 Sweep to Tie Match.
