In the three previous games of the Bridge Cupthe Americans came undefeated. They captured a 14-12 victory in the inaugural match at the Club at Nine Bridges in Korea in 2022; a resounding 19-11 win at Les Bordes in France in 2023; and a 17-15 win at Haesley Golf Club in South Korea in 2024.
But that run is in danger of ending on Wednesday.
In this year’s fourth edition of the Bridges Cup at Trump Turnberry in Scotland, the Internationals look primed for a historic statement as they hold a 12.5-7.5 lead over the Americans with 12 singles matches remaining.
Afterwards a dominant opening day performance from the Internationals on Monday at the course of King Robert, the Bruce, of Trump Turnberry, the Americans trailed the Internationals 6.5-3.5. The International won the four-ball and foursomes sessions 3-2 on the historic Ailsa Course at Trump Turnberry on Tuesday to extend their lead in a crucial final day.
“We had the most amazing day of weather on the most perfect golf course we’ve ever seen, so the combination of those two, win or lose, made it a very special day,” said golf analyst Simon Holmes. “The international players have had a bit of an advantage over the US team so far, but America is strong in singles, and that’s what we have tomorrow – Session 5, 12 singles matches.”
Despite the deficit, the Americans started strong on Tuesday and won the first two four-ball games of the morning. Dennis Bull and Andrew Price prevailed over Internationals Angus Carrick and Calum Hill, 2 and 1, while Cody Massa and DJ Lantz defeated International teammates Caolan Rafferty and Colum Campbell in a closely contested match, 1 over, thanks to a clutch birdie by Massa at the 18th hole. The win capped an epic comeback, as Massa and Lantz were 3 under on the 13th tee.
But with the score tied at 6.5-5.5 with three four-ball matches in the morning, the Internationals rallied, sweeping the remaining three matches: Gavin Dear and Joshua Jamieson defeated Drew Kittleson and Drew Stoltz, 4 and 3; Jacob Austin and Lukas Michel beat Hoyt McGarity and Scott Anderson, 4 and 3; and Jonathan Bale and Daniel Faccini beat Andrew Medley and Scott Strickland, 3 and 2.
The morning’s performance extended the Internationals’ lead to 9.5-5.5 in the afternoon foursomes match, where the tee was moved forward on the 7th to allow players to challenge the corner bunkers. The hole was the latest update to the course, leading to Eric Trump’s vision of moving the greensite down to the beach. The hole was pivotal in each match, creating a risk/reward opportunity just before the halfway mark.
Although unfortunately for the Americans, the International team picked up right where they left off, with Andrew Davidson and James White taking a 5 and 4 win over Massa and Medley.
In the second game of the afternoon, Kittleson and John Peterson earned a major point for the United States with a 4 and 2 win over Carrick and Hill.
With the score set at 10.5-6.5, the pressure was on for the three games of four parts of the afternoon. It was dead calm – the two massive Scottish flags were barely flapping – so the scoring conditions were ideal.
The International duo of Rafferty and Campbell held a 3-point lead over Stoltz and Bull on three separate occasions over the course of their match, with Stoltz and Bull refusing to submit, reducing the International lead to 1 on the 17th tee.
Meanwhile, just behind them, the Americans Strickland and Price were locked in an intense battle back and forth with Dear and Jamieson and were tied in the 16th hole. And in the last foursomes match of the afternoon, the Internationals Bale and Faccini never followed Lantz and Peter Tomasulo, eventually adding another point to the International score with a 4 and 3 victory.
That added an additional degree of importance to the middle matches, which the Americans desperately needed to have a fighting chance in Wednesday’s singles.
While Stoltz and Bull battled admirably, they eventually succumbed to Internationals Rafferty and Campbell, 2 and 1, while Americans Strickland and Price dug in to claim a 2 and 1 victory over Dear and Jamieson.
“We saw such an amazingly good point,” Holmes said. “This is a really difficult golf course. You’ve had matches in four games where guys were three or four under par. This is the best 24 players we’ve ever had in the Bridges Cup. The quality of the players stands out. Drew Kittleson, absolutely the best player on the course, and the best caddy as well, he just knows how to get his ball around the course, the Huge, the Josh Jamieson and Austin. And then the surprise new entrant, Jonathan Bale, who has expert wrapped his arms around Daniel Faccini from Colombia, so far, they are not defeated.
With the score set at 12.5-7.5, to win the Bridges Cup, the International team must claim at least four of the 12 points available in Wednesday’s singles, while the Americans need 8.5 points to keep the Cup. Despite the lopsided score, the Americans can be encouraged that there is a precedent for a return of that magnitude: the team of the Cup of Presidents of the United States. He recently won 9.5 out of 12 singles to win the 2026 Presidents’ Cup with a score of 17-13.
Can the Americans pull off the unthinkable at the Bridges Cup? In 1977, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson went head to head on the stretch here in what became known as the “Duel in the Sun”. It was decided with a thrilling finale on the 18th. Will we get another one this week? Action begins at 8:10 am local time on Wednesday. We will find out.