Team USA managed to overcome stern and unexpected resistance from the International squad to win the Presidents Cup for the ninth consecutive time.
After what looked to be another walk in the park for the US squad after day one and two, the contest turned much closer heading into the final day after some late heroics by the inexpeirienced visitors at Quail Hollow.
At the end of the final day, team USA did manage to add another Presidents Cup trophy to their cabinet but the internationals finished with a respectable 17-1/2 to 12-1/2 scoreline against a side packed with 9 of the top 15 golfers in the world.
Needing just 4-1/2 points from 12 singles matches to reach the winning total of 15-1/2, the home side got the job done with five contests to spare in front of a partisan crowd.
Not wanting the repeat of the previous day, Davis Love sent out his heavy hitters early to get the job done. Yet it was Si Woo Kim who took down World No. 7 Justin Thomas 1-up in the day’s first match to earn a vital point for his side.
Jordan Spieth got things rolling for team USA by beating Cam Davis 4&3 in the next contest before Hideki Matsuyama and Sam Burns shared half a point in the third contest.
Patrick Cantlay and Sebastian Munoz then traded points by winning for each squad before Tony Finau downed Canada’s Taylor Pendrith 3&1 to put team USA on the cusp of a win which Xander Schauffele ensured with a victory over Corey Conners.
The rest of the contests mattered little in the long run as the international squad was left to rue their early struggles in what could have been a memorable win for the visitors.
