Patrick Cantlay handed the Internationals a stunning defeat in the Presidents Cup on Saturday.
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MONTREAL – What a day at the Presidents Cup! Our writers were on the grounds at Royal Montreal Golf Club on Saturday from Scottie Scheffler’s foggy first shot to Patrick Cantlay’s electric final shot. They came together after the round to break up a sharp, dramatic afternoon showdown.
Dylan Dethier, senior writer (@dylan_dethier): Hello, James. Hello Nick. What a day of golf – and sheesh, what a last few hours! Midway through the afternoon session, the USA didn’t lead by a single game and it looked like we might be headed for a tie for Sunday singles. But my, how they turn the tables. An hour and a few mini-controversies later, they left the session in the dark with a 3-1 victory and a four-point 11-7 advantage heading into Sunday.
I think it is worth mentioning some specific moments from the afternoon session; they will talk about the tension of the day. Let’s start with the weirdest and juiciest moment of post-round presses: Tom Kim’s accusations of poor sportsmanship by the American team. He suggested that some American players had booed him during the afternoon round, although he did not say who. His opponents seemed confused by the accusations. What do we think of Kim’s post-round pop-off?
James Colgan, News & Features Editor (@jamescolgan26): Hi Dylan! I don’t claim to know what incident Tom was referring to after the round, but I think we do all of them I know why he said what he said. He had fought an exciting, high-intensity, heavyweight match for the better part of the previous four hours, and before that he had fought another intense four-ball match, and then finally had his spirit taken from him. . his body by Patrick Cantlay in the final shot of the day. I don’t know if the US was swearing at him, but I’m not sure it matters. He was upset with the result and at that moment, it all felt personal.
Nick Piastowski, Senior Editor (@nickpia): Without hearing it, and this is a matter of saying/said, it’s hard to come to a clear opinion here, except for this: Things were hot. Clutch shooting. Night-night celebrations. A match-winner of the night. I believe Kim heard SOMETHINGwhich is unfortunate, but golf and passion made for fantastic theater. In two Presidents Cup appearances, Kim has seemingly become the face of the event, and Team USA knows it.
Dethier: One notable detail from Kim’s comments: his loss was fresh in the press. Like, there was only it happened He walked directly from the 18th green to the microphone before even having a minute to cool down. I’m sure that was a factor in him saying what he said; you can tell that right after he filed those charges, he was already trying to get them back.
However, one set later, we found a fierce rivalry that I didn’t expect: Scottie Scheffler vs. Hideki Matsuyama. In the final few holes of the day, the heat in that match turned between the two former Masters champions as the Americans came back. What did you see there in the last game of the day?
Colgan: For all the talk Saturday night about Tom Kim, I actually thought it was his friend, Scottie Scheffler, who had the iciest game Saturday afternoon. I nearly fell when Scheffler and Henley closed out Matsuyama and Sungjae Im on the last hole. Scottie was hot, and seemed to take his sweet time celebrating the victory (loudly and enthusiastically, as he’d earned the right to do) before turning around for a quick, sharp handshake. Henley wouldn’t say what happened next, but my eyes are peeled for tomorrow’s match.
Piastowski: Wow. Only on the last two holes were there questions on points. or vulgar shout from a fan. Involvement of the police. Big celebrations. A gathering. For those wondering how much they should care about the players of this event, you got an answer here from the world no.1. But trash from fans has no place.
Dethier: I was standing by the 16th green when that game ended and I saw what you guys did – Scheffler got back on 11. He was burning so bad that even after a few handshakes he screamed and punctured his hat, Gronk-style, on the edge of the green. A freak fall, a bad comment, and a giant comeback contributed, I’m sure. There’s also this: Before that match, Scheffler was, surprisingly, 0-5-0 in the foursome between the Ryder and the Presidents Cup. Now he’s on board in a big way.
Another guy who liked to take (and give) some trash talk today: Sam Burns! Here’s what he said next:
“I think if they’re going to come to me, why don’t I go to them? That seems fair to me. If people are going to scream behind the ropes or whatever and say whatever they want, just because I’m inside them doesn’t mean I can’t answer them.
“I think there are opportune moments for that. I think you need to let them know that you are not afraid of what they say and you are not afraid of a couple laughing with their friends. They think they tell a good joke. So, yeah, I like it.”
What do you think of Burns, the only undefeated Cupper Presidents left?
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James Colgan
Colgan: Dylan, you know I’ve been critical of Burns’ Team USA performances in the past, but I in love what brought today He is not afraid of the moment, and in fact, he is not afraid of anyone at all. Irrational confidence plays well in matches, and Burns has it.
Piastowski: If it’s peaceful banter, I’m down. Heel turns are a blast. And so is passion. It helps you pick a side, and this week, the sides seem to have drawn.
Dethier: I thought it was Burns at his most American, if that makes sense. Cheeky. Arrogant. Eager and ready to fight back. The key to being like that, I think, is backing him up on the scoreboard, and when he shoots like he does, that’s a good start. Fair play from Burns – he looks like he can eat it and take it too.
What am I missing? What else happened that added to an electric afternoon at Royal Montreal?
Colgan: Si Woo Kim’s ‘night-night’ celebration – in honor of his favorite NBA player, Steph Curry – is a moment that will stay with me for the rest of my days. I think Si Woo has seen his stock rise more than any other player on the tour, and moments like this are why. Although it didn’t work.
Piastowski: This will be missed, but Mackenzie Hughes’ bunker hole for eagle on the 12th to pull his afternoon match even, in front of his home fans, was electric. Hughes is one of the stars of the week here.
Dethier: I think it’s hard to convey the atmosphere properly. I can give you some nice descriptive adjectives like adversarial or hostile or weird or tense or unwelcoming or electric, and that gets you on the right track. But really it was just like a high-stakes sport where the home crowd really wanted their boys to win – and they let the other side know.
I’ll just end with a moment of appreciation for Cantlay, who was otherworldly at the end of both of his games today. Let’s not forget the way he finished the morning with four balls: chipped eagle on 12, birdie on 13, birdie on 14, 23-foot putt on 15 and an 18-footer for birdie on 16, refusing to give up an inch by Sungjae Im and Hideki Matsuyama. He finished with six straight 3s. And then came tonight.
I can’t wait for Sunday.
