How the U.S. Won the Presidents Cup: 7 Tipping Points

MEDINAH, Ill. — Something unusual happened in the final seven Presidents Cup singles matches on Sunday: Every match reached at least the 17th hole, and five made it all the way to 18. Yet the results were decisive. The United States won those matches 6.5–0.5 and captured the Presidents Cup.

“It was sort of on a knife’s edge for a long time there in the middle of the day. You have a couple putts go in at the right time and the momentum goes our way, and it just didn’t do that today,” International captain Geoff Ogilvy said after the Cup was clinched.

The final score was 17–13 for the U.S. The Internationals needed two more points to force a tie. Here are the seven key turning points.

Match 6. Chris Gotterup (USA) vs. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (International)

The Internationals’ chance: Bezuidenhout could have stolen a half-point by winning the 18th hole. Gotterup had been as many as three up, but Bezuidenhout cut the deficit to one with one hole to play.

What happened: Gotterup reached the 18th green in two and two-putted for par, earning the full point.

Match 7. Collin Morikawa (USA) vs. Hideki Matsuyama (International)

The Internationals’ chance: Matsuyama was 1 up on the 15th when Morikawa hit his approach 30 feet long and Matsuyama hit his to 3 feet, 10 inches. Matsuyama’s win probability rose to 84%, while Morikawa’s fell below 4%; the tie probability was 12%.

What happened: Morikawa made an aggressive 45-foot birdie putt that bounced off the back of the cup and dropped. Matsuyama missed his putt from just under four feet, then missed again on a second attempt. On 18, he drove into trouble, hit a mediocre pitch and made bogey. Morikawa took the full point.

Match 8. Patrick Cantlay (USA) vs. Adam Scott (International)

The Internationals’ chance: After a three-putt bogey, Cantlay was only 1 up when he blocked his approach on the par-3 16th, leaving nearly 60 feet on a difficult green. Scott had 15 feet for birdie, and a tie suddenly looked likely.

What happened: Cantlay holed an improbable 57-footer for birdie. Scott missed his birdie attempt, and Cantlay went 2 up with two holes to play. After matching pars on 17, the match was over.

Match 9. Jackson Koivun (USA) vs. Si Woo Kim (International)

The Internationals’ chance: Through 10 holes, Kim — until then the best player on the International side — was 2 up and in control. The PGA Tour gave Kim a 79.2% chance to win, compared with 9.7% for Koivun.

What happened: Kim bogeyed 11, Koivun birdied 12, and Kim bogeyed 13. On 15, Koivun hit his approach to 7 feet, Kim hit his to 6 feet, Koivun made his and Kim missed. Kim still had a 20-footer to tie on 17, but eventually lost 2&1 in front of a crowd backing Koivun.

Match 10. Jacob Bridgeman (USA) vs. Min Woo Lee (International)

The Internationals’ chance: Bridgeman three-putted the 15th, giving Lee a 1-up lead with three holes to play. On 16, both players hit their tee shots into the back bunker. Lee hit to 4 feet, while Bridgeman left himself a 9-foot par putt.

What happened: Bridgeman had only a 6.2% chance to win, but he made his putt and watched Lee miss his shorter attempt. The match was suddenly tied. On 17, Lee hit his approach to 7 feet but missed the putt that would have put him 1 up again. Both players missed left off the 18th tee. Bridgeman made par; Lee’s third-shot chip ran about 20 feet past the hole. The tied match became a 1-down loss, clinching the Cup for the U.S.

Match 11. Russell Henley (USA) vs. Nick Taylor (International)

The Internationals’ chance: Taylor poured in a 30-footer for birdie on 16. If Henley could miss his 10-footer, Taylor would take the lead.

What happened: Henley made the 10-footer. They matched pars on 17 and 18, and Taylor settled for a half-point — the only half-point the Internationals earned in the final seven matches.

Match 12. Xander Schauffele (USA) vs. Ryan Fox (International)

The Internationals’ chance: This was the most lopsided of the final seven matches. Schauffele built a lead as large as 4 up before Fox chipped away. Fox’s best chance for a half-point came on 17, while 2 down, when he hit his approach closer than Schauffele.

What happened: Schauffele made his 15-footer for birdie. The players shook hands, and the celebration began.

What would have changed the result? If Matsuyama and Lee had won their matches, the Cup would have ended tied at 15–15. There were other possible combinations, too.

“Sometimes you’ve got to hit the shots and make the putts. The U.S. just did that a little bit better today,” Ogilvy said. Particularly when it mattered most.