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After a cleanable Presidents Cup Saturday, Adam Scott was comprehensively flogged by Patrick Cantlay connected a time the Internationals needed their astir experienced subordinate to basal up.
For the archetypal clip since his debut successful 2003, Scott won some points connected time three successful foursomes and fourball play.
But connected the last day, needing a beardown commencement to ignite immoderate hopes of a comeback, Scott was 3-down aft conscionable 4 holes. His lone 2 spread wins were connected the seventh erstwhile Cantlay bogeyed, and the 14th wherever helium doubled. Scott yet went down 3&2.
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Jordan Spieth meantime capped disconnected a cleanable week arsenic the Americans made it 9 consecutive Presidents Cup victories.
The International team, depleted by defections to Saudi-funded LIV Golf, showed plentifulness of fight. They conscionable don't person a cupful to amusement for it.
That stays squarely successful the hands of an American squad that was coming disconnected a grounds romp implicit Europe successful the Ryder Cup past year.
Spieth made putts from each implicit Quail Hollow for a 4&3 triumph implicit Australian Cameron Davis that kept the Internationals - successful request of their top last time singles show - from gaining immoderate aboriginal momentum.
In doing so, Spieth became lone the sixth subordinate to triumph each 5 matches successful the Presidents Cup, winning each 4 of his squad matches with Justin Thomas.
Spieth, a three-time large champion and erstwhile satellite No.1, archetypal qualified for US teams erstwhile helium was 20. But helium had ne'er won a singles lucifer - helium was 0-3 successful the Presidents Cup, 0-3-1 successful the Ryder Cup.
And past helium went 2-down aft 2 holes earlier turning it astir successful a large way.
“I was much tense than I should person been due to the fact that I wanted to get that monkey disconnected my back,” Spieth said.
“When you get disconnected aboriginal connected a Sunday, they’re looking for reddish connected the board. And it feels bully to supply it.”
Hideki Matsuyama was all-square successful his lucifer against Sam Burns erstwhile they got to the 18th tee.
With the honour, Matsuyama smoked a thrust down the near which looked to beryllium cutting backmost towards the fairway. Instead, a wayward marshal wore his shot consecutive successful the leg, deflecting it near into the rough.
He had astir 160 metres to the hole, but with a downhill prevarication and a histrion to deed over, helium did good to enactment the shot connected the backmost of the green.
From there, helium beautifully lagged a 25 metre putt to nether a metre to marque par. Burns missed his ain birdie putt and the lucifer was halved.
Xander Schauffele delivered the clinching constituent erstwhile helium made a 6-foot par putt connected the 18th spread for a 1-up triumph implicit Corey Conners.
The last people was 17 1/2-12 1/2, not rather the rout it was astatine Liberty National successful 2017 the past clip the Americans played earlier the location crowd.
Unlike the Ryder Cup, which attracts thousands of flag-waving European fans, the International squad doesn't person a instrumentality basal to unite down a continental emblem oregon adjacent a tour.
US Captain Davis Love III paid tribute to Trevor Immelman for having to enactment unneurotic his squad close aft British Open champion Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann joined LIV Golf.
This was a mismatch. The Internationals inactive made a crippled of it, and astatine 1 constituent the matches were choky capable that a shocker astatine Quail Hollow was inactive possible. But they needed everything to spell right, and it didn't.
“Trevor and his squad did an unthinkable occupation of rising to the occasion,” Love said.
All 12 of Love's players were among the apical 25 successful the satellite rankings, and conscionable similar past twelvemonth astatine Whistling Straits successful the Presidents Cup, astir of them played similar it.
“We truly don't person to bash much,” Love said.
“All we person to bash is not messiness it up.”
Conners and Taylor Pendrith, the lone Canadians connected the team, were the lone players who failed to lend a point. Conners three-putted from 25 feet connected the 17th with a accidental to quadrate the match, and helium deed into a bunker from the fairway connected the 18th.
Justin Thomas mislaid to Si Woo Kim successful a lucifer that came down to 10-foot birdie putts connected the past hole.
But it didn't matter. When Patrick Cantlay whipped Adam Scott, and Tony Finau rallied from 2-down to bushed Pendrith, the result was inevitable.
The Americans improved to 12-1-1 successful a bid that began successful 1994. Their lone nonaccomplishment was astatine Royal Melbourne successful 1998, and determination was a necktie successful South Africa successful 2003.
The Internationals fell down 8-2 aft the opening 2 days with a squad that featured 8 rookies, fractional of them replacing players specified arsenic Smith, Niemann and Louis Oosthuizen who were not eligible aft the PGA Tour suspended them for signing with LIV.
One of those rookies, Sebastian Munoz of Colombia, took retired satellite No.1 Scottie Scheffler and went unbeaten for the week astatine 2-0-1. Another was 20-year-old Tom Kim, the caller look of these matches, who gave the Internationals anticipation connected Saturday nighttime with a show arsenic large arsenic his personality.
Over 4 days, the Americans were excessively beardown and excessively deep.
The adjacent halt for the Presidents Cup is Royal Montreal successful 2024.
For the bulk of this American team, it takes much momentum into the Ryder Cup successful Rome adjacent year. The Americans person not won a Ryder Cup distant from location since 1993.
- with Damien McCartney
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