MEDINAH, Ill. – Something strange happened with the last seven Presidents’ Cup singles matches on Sunday: All have done at least the 17th hole. Heck, five of those made it all the way to 18.
But even if the games were close, the results were not: the US team won those games 6.5 to 0.5. And that’s how they won the Presidents’ Cup.
“It was kind of a knife edge for a long time here in the middle of the day,” the international captain said. Geoff Ogilvy right after the Cup caught. “You got a couple of putts in at the right time and the momentum went our way, and he didn’t do that today.”
It’s the kind of thing that sounds, out of context, like an excuse. But there I was, jumping around the last holes as the last groups came through, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Everything had come red.
A little quick math: The final score was 17-13 in favor of the United States, meaning that the Internationals would need two more points from the games below to earn a tie. So how close were they to getting them? Let’s go again.
Match 6: Chris Gotterup (USA) vs. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (INT)
The best chance of the internationals was: :
To steal half a point had Bezuidenhout won the 18th hole. Unlike the ones that followed, this match looked red all day, with Gotterup getting up to three ahead. But Bezuidenhout got it back to 1 with one to play.
What happened instead was: :
Gotterup found the green in two at No. 18; a pair of two putts ensured he took a full point.
Match 7: Collin Morikawa (USA) vs Hideki Matsuyama (INT)
The internationals’ best chance was:
On No. 15, with Matsuyama already 1 up, Morikawa hit his approach 30 feet short of the hole — and then Matsuyama hit his to 3 feet, 10 inches. At that moment, Matsuyama’s probability of a full point rose to 84 percent, while Morikawa fell below 4. (The probability of a tie was 12 percent).
What happened instead was:
With nothing to lose, Morikawa made an aggressive shot and sent his birdie putt bouncing off the back of the cup and in.
Then Matsuyama missed his 4-footer not quite. The crowd couldn’t believe it and Hideki couldn’t either; he raked the putt back to his feet, missed again, then tried a third time (with success) with Morikawa already on the next tee box.
A tie still looked quite likely until Matsuyama got him into trouble on No. 18, hitting a mediocre shot and settling for bogey, sealing his fate. Full marks to Morikawa.
Match 8: Patrick Cantlay (USA) vs. Adam Scott (INT)
The internationals’ best chance was:
When Cantlay – fresh from a three-putt bogey, and suddenly only 1 up – blocked his approach shot at the par-3 16th, leaving almost 60 feet on a green ice track. Scott had 15 feet for birdie, and suddenly a tie felt quite likely.
What happened instead was:
Cantlay hit an absolutely perfect 57-foot putt that rolled toward the cup and dropped into the side, dead weight, for an improbable birdie 2.
Scott missed his next birdie attempt and suddenly he was 2 down with two to play. When the two pars matched No. 17, that was it.
Match 9: Jackson Koivun (USA) vs Si Woo Kim (INT)
The internationals’ best chance was:
Through 10 holes, Si Woo Kim – up to this point the best player on the International side – was 2 up and very much in control of his match against Koivun. (The PGA Tour had Kim at a 79.2 percent chance of winning, with only a 9.7 percent chance for Koivun.)
What happened instead was:
Kim bogeyed 11, Koivun birdied 12, Kim bogeyed 13 and then, as I stood behind the 15th green watching it all slip away, Koivun hit his approach to 7 feet, Kim made his approach to 6 feet, Koivun made his, Kim missed his and that was that. (Kim still had a 20-footer to tie the match at 17; he ended up losing 2 in front of a Koivun-crazy crowd at 18.)
Match 10: Jacob Bridgeman (USA) vs. Min Woo Lee (INT)
The internationals’ best chance was:
When Bridgeman birdied the 15th, giving Lee a 1-up lead with just three holes to play. Things looked even better on the 16th, where both players hit tee shots into the back bunker. Lee hit his shot to 4 feet and Bridgeman left with a 9-foot par.
What happened instead was:
At this point Bridgeman only had a 6.2% chance of winning the match. But that quickly changed when — this is starting to sound familiar — he made his putt and then watched as Lee missed his shortest putt. Suddenly the party was tied again.
There was another opening: Lee stuffed his approach shot at No. 17 at 7 feet. He had that putt to go up 1 again – but he missed it.
Both players missed the 18th tee. Bridgeman found a way to make par; Lee chipped his third shot about 20 yards past the pin, turning a tied game into a 1-down loss and the official Cup moment.
Match 11: Russell Henley (USA) vs. Nick Taylor (INT)
The internationals’ best chance was:
When Taylor poured in a 30-footer for birdie at No. 16; if he could just dodge a 10-footer from Henley, he would have the lead.
What happened instead was:
Henley made that 10-footer, they hit pars on 17 and 18 and Taylor settled for a half-point – but it was the only half-point for the Internationals in the last seven games.
Match 12: Xander Schauffele (USA) vs. Ryan Fox (INT)
The internationals’ best chance was:
Of the last seven games, this was the most lopsided; Fox never had a chance to actually win this match. Schauffele built the lead up to 4 before Fox slipped away. His best hope at a halfway point came while 2 down at No. 17, where he hit his approach closer than Schauffele.
What happened instead was:
Schauffele made his 15-footer for birdie, the pair shook hands and the celebration ensued.
What would have turned the match? If you can act a wand that makes Matsuyama and Lee win their matches, suddenly you are left with a tied Cup, 15-15. (There are obviously other iterations as well.)
“Sometimes you have to hit shots and make putts,” Ogilvy said. “The United States did that a little better today.”
Especially when it was most important.
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