U.S. Triumphs at Presidents Cup with Historic Victory
MEDINAH, Ill. (AP) — U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker won’t have to question the result of this Presidents Cup. After initially feeling responsible for a three-point deficit, he watched as the Americans achieved the largest Sunday victory in tournament history, marking their 11th consecutive win.
After facing challenges over the first three days of team matches at Medinah, the Americans turned the tide in two critical singles matches on the back nine—one led by two-time major champion Collin Morikawa and the other by rookie Jackson Koivun, who is just 21. The end of the day saw a surge of red scores on the board.
President Donald Trump was present at the first tee to kick off the 12 singles matches and kept his comments brief. “It’s going to be a very interesting game of golf,” he remarked.
And it certainly was, even if the result felt all too predictable.
The Americans claimed victory in nine out of the twelve singles matches, with the final match ending in a tie once the overall outcome was already known, resulting in a 17-13 win.
Trump, serving as the honorary chairman of the Presidents Cup, remained for the trophy presentation, reminiscent of his presence during another American victory at Liberty National in 2017.
Unlike the 2012 Ryder Cup, where Europe made a stunning comeback from a 10-6 deficit at Medinah, the U.S. team had the backing of a lively home crowd, which remained enthusiastic throughout the day.
One moment of tension occurred when a fan shouted during Nico Echavarria’s backswing, causing him to misfire with his driver. Scottie Scheffler admonished the spectator and after missing a putt for birdie, he showed sportsmanship by conceding a lengthy par putt to Echavarria.
Scheffler ultimately secured his match, joined by Cameron Young, Justin Thomas, and Chris Gotterup, as the Americans whittled down the points needed for a comfortable win.
“I reminded the guys last night that odd things can happen here. Medinah has a reputation for unpredictability,” Snedeker, recalling that tough Ryder Cup from 2012, said. “They responded by playing incredibly well today, and I’m immensely proud of them.”
This group included Koivun, who just a year prior was part of the winning Walker Cup team for amateurs. Recently, he played a critical role in Auburn’s NCAA golf championship. On Sunday, Koivun turned around a 2-down deficit to finish with a 2-up victory, delivering key shots on the 18th hole.
“He’s something special. Quite unique,” Snedeker expressed. “You could see that for a young player to step up and execute those shots like he did — not many can do that.”
Patrick Cantlay added to the excitement, as he often does in these matches, sinking a birdie putt from under 60 feet on the par-3 16th against a luckless Adam Scott.
With five matches still ongoing, the Americans were leading in three and the other two were tied. The Internationals needed to secure three points from those matches—but the Americans stood firm.
Koivun was two down after 10 holes against the Internationals’ standout performer this week, Si Woo Kim, but then he won three consecutive holes to swing the momentum in favor of the Americans. He executed a perfect tee shot on the 18th and confidently spun his iron, knowing the approach was precise, finishing with a 2-up win.
The pivotal point was clinched by Jacob Bridgeman, who was one down with three holes left. He made a three-foot par putt to secure a 1-up win over Min Woo Lee, confirming the Americans reached the 15½ points they needed.
“It felt precarious all day,” said Internationals captain Geoff Ogilvy. “Some of those matches where we were one down, if they’d flipped to one up, things could have looked much better, and you never know how that changes the momentum.”
“But it’s tough to beat the U.S. in singles on their home turf,” he acknowledged. “They are outstanding players, and the crowd was very supportive. Once they see some red on the board, the energy just escalates. They had a lot to achieve today, and they all rose to the occasion.”
For the Internationals, it’s back to the drawing board, with hopes to regroup for their next opportunity two years from now at Kingston Heath in Australia. Historically, their lone victory came at Royal Melbourne in 1998, alongside a tie in South Africa in 2003.
