The United States completed a dramatic comeback on the final day of competition to retain the Presidents Cup, defeating the International team 17-13 at Medinah Golf Club. The hosts entered Sunday trailing by three points and aimed to avoid only their second loss in the event’s 32-year history.
Featuring eight of the world’s top 11 ranked players, the US side dominated the singles matches, winning nine of the 12 contested bouts. The decisive moment arrived when Jacob Bridgeman holed a four-foot par putt on the 18th hole to defeat Australia’s Min Woo Lee by one up.
Other notable victories for the American team came from Cameron Young, Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler, Chris Gotterup, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, and Jackson Koivun.
US captain Brandt Snedeker reflected on the tension of the day: “I told the guys last night that funny stuff happens here. Medinah’s got a history of funny things happening.” Snedeker, who was part of the team that lost to Europe in 2012 at the same venue, praised his squad’s effort: “All these guys fought for each other, fought for this country, fought for this team.”
International captain Geoff Ogilvy acknowledged the difficulty of the contest, stating, “The US team came out firing, we knew they would.” He added that the match remained on a “knife edge all day,” noting that a few flipped results could have shifted the momentum significantly.
US President Donald Trump attended the event in his capacity as honorary chairman, greeting players and delivering a speech prior to the start of play.
I’m surprised the Internationals didn’t choke harder. They held the lead heading into Sunday, but the US depth showed.
Medinah always seems to have drama. Snedeker calling it ‘funny stuff’ was clearly a hint. Classic venue history repeating.
Wait, Trump was there as honorary chairman? Didn’t think that role involved political speeches at a golf event like this.
Eleven in a row is insane dominance. The International team really needs to find a way to keep it closer than this.
What a comeback! Jacob Bridgeman’s putt on 18 was pure nerve. That’s why I love match play.