Once again the Americans were victorious in the Presidents Cup, defeating the International squad for the 10th-straight time, 18.5 to 11.5.
The International squad put up a more spirited fight, rallying from down 5-0 after the first session Thursday to tie the matches Friday with a 5-0 sweep of their own. But the weekend proved their downfall as the U.S. pulled away in the last three sessions, including a 7.5-4.5 mark in Sunday singles.
Here’s how every player (and captain) performed in Montreal.
Team USA
Xander Schauffele
Record: 4-1-0
Grade: A+
The only man to win two major championships this season played like it as his only blemish came during the U.S. disaster on Friday and he went out in the first match Sunday and promptly stifled any ideas of Jason Day leading an International charge. Furyk alluded to the fact that Schauffele was the leader in the team room, earning him the plus grade.
Patrick Cantlay
Record: 4-1-0
Grade: A
Cantlay was right there with his close friend Schauffele, earning a 4-1-0 record, his only loss again coming with Schauffele on Friday in foursomes. The rest of the week, Cantlay was unstoppable, especially toward the end of his Saturday morning fourball session where he went five under over the last five holes to hang onto a 2 and 1 win.
Collin Morikawa
Record: 4-1-0
Grade: A-
The only knock on Morikawa’s record compared to the other two was that his singles match victory over Adam Scott came after the Cup had already been clinched. No matter, Morikawa still excelled, carrying Sahith Theegala to a win on Day 1 and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler on Saturday morning for 15 holes.
Keegan Bradley
Record: 2-1-0
Grade: B+
In his first U.S. national appearance in 10 years, Bradley had the full circle moment of clinching the American victory by defeating the International team’s best player this week in Si Woo Kim. In his two fourball matches, he helped Wyndham Clark get a 1 Up win over Taylor Pendrith and Christiaan Bezuidenhout with five birdies, including the decisive one on 18. On Saturday, he and Clark ran into the buzzsaw of Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim.
Russell Henley
Record: 3-1-0
Grade: B+
Henley quietly won three points in his first team event action and was the U.S.’s fourth-best player from a strokes gained perspective, according to DataGolf. He arguably outplayed Scheffler in their Saturday foursomes win and then took care of Sungjae Im early on Sunday to inch the U.S. toward victory.
Sam Burns
Record: 3-0-1
Grade: B
Thanks to sitting out of Friday’s foursomes slaughter, Sam Burns ended up as the only player on either side not to take a loss this week. While he did let Cantlay carry him in their two fourball matches, he and Morikawa squeaked out a crucial point in Saturday afternoon foursomes. He did let a lead against the International energizer bunny Tom Kim slip away, but keeping him from a full point was still appreciated.
Scottie Scheffler
Record: 3-2-0
Grade: B-
Scheffler’s grade is more a product of expectations than anything, but it was clear he wasn’t quite the player who won the Masters, an Olympic gold medal and and six other PGA Tour titles this year. He lost more than 2 strokes on the green this week and it just seemed like his ball striking wasn’t as sharp as normal. Scheffler is just 3-4-2 in team matches since last year’s Ryder Cup.
Tony Finau
Record: 2-2-0
Grade: C+
Finau won both his fourball matches, but he played with Schauffele and only really made an impact in his Thursday match victory. On Sunday, he quickly went 2 Up against Corey Conners but the Canadian quickly flipped the script on him in a 5 and 3 win.
Sahith Theegala
Record: 1-1-1
Grade: C+
Tough to judge Theegala’s team match debut as he played in just three matches, but dabbled in each of the three formats. He played with Morikawa in both foursomes and fourballs, coming up clutch with an 18th hole birdie to preserve a 1 Up win during the American sweep. Then they got boat raced Friday before Theegala surprisingly sat out both sessions Saturday. He split his match with Ben An Sunday.
Max Homa
Record: 1-2-0
Grade: C+
Homa went 0-2 in his two foursomes appearances but was largely brought down by playing with Brian Harman in both sessions, who was the only player on either side not to record even a half-point. He proved his form was returning by eagling the 1st hole and taking down Mackenzie Hughes 2 and 1. It was surprising not to see him get a shot at fourballs considering he was 2-0-1 in the format in the 2023 Ryder Cup and last Presidents Cup in 2022.
Wyndham Clark
Record: 1-2-1
Grade: C-
Clark got his win playing with Bradley on Thursday, but dragged him down in a Saturday morning loss. He and Finau got drubbed on Friday as part of the International rally.
Brian Harman
Record: 0-3-0
Grade: D
Not much to say about this one. Harman was the worst player on either team by strokes gained according to DataGolf.
Capt. Jim Furyk
Grade: B+
Furyk succeeded by not messing with what was working. Sure, he could have played Homa, Theegala and Bradley more, but it’s hard to second-guess a winner.
Team International
Si Woo Kim
Record: 2-2-0
Grade: A-
Kim was by far the International’s best player, bringing the same energy he brought two years ago when he silenced the crowd in a shocking upset of Justin Thomas. He jumped out to an early lead against Bradley, trying to do the same this year, but the Ryder Cup captain wouldn’t be denied. He and Tom Kim were dynamic on Saturday and he carried Ben An to a win Friday in foursomes.
Tom Kim
Record: 1-2-1
Grade: B+
Everyone was shocked when Tom Kim was sat for Friday’s foursomes session, but it turned out Kim helped lead the International charge as the hype man. For the second consecutive Presidents Cup, Kim took it to a new level for both sessions on Saturday playing with Si Woo Kim, but they were denied a second win by Cantlay and Schauffele. He made some headlines and even caused some controversy this week, but that’s exactly what the Presidents Cup has lacked over the years.
Hideki Matsuyama
Record: 2-3-0
Grade: B+
The Internationals’ highest-ranked player was his normal ball-striking self but was the worst player in the field around and on the greens, according to DataGolf. But that didn’t matter during his Sunday singles win over Scheffler. His other win came in a 7 and 6 beatdown of the U.S.’s best duo in Schauffele and Cantlay in Friday fourballs.
Adam Scott
Record: 2-3-0
Grade: B
The leader and most experienced International proved it this week playing all five matches despite being the oldest player on either team. Both of his victories came in foursomes, paired with Taylor Pendrith. He and fellow Aussie Min Woo Lee didn’t get anything going in their one fourballs match together.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Record: 2-1-0
Grade: B
Bezuidenhout was the lone international with a winning record this week, but both of his wins came against a struggling Brian Harman. He actually put up the fourth-worst Strokes Gained: Total number of any player in the matches, but wins are wins.
Corey Conners & Taylor Pendrith
Records: 2-3-0
Grades: B-
Both Conners and Pendrith more than redeemed their pitiful performances at the 2022 Presidents Cup with two points a piece on home soil. Both went 0-2-0 in fourballs.
Byeong Hun An
Record: 1-1-1
Grade: C
An didn’t get a chance to play Saturday so we only have three matches to judge his week on. He and Day narrowly lost to Schauffele and Finau Thursday and then Si Woo Kim carried him to a slim win Friday. He and Theegala played to a draw Sunday.
Jason Day
Record: 1-2-0
Grade: C
One of the International team’s few veterans, Day didn’t have much of an impact this week as he also didn’t play Saturday. He had a chance to get a statement win against Schauffele as the first match out Sunday, but was soundly defeated.
Mackenzie Hughes
Record: 1-3-0
Grade: C-
Hughes only got one win in his Presidents Cup debut in a true home game. He and Conners couldn’t replicate their 6 and 5 romp from Friday in either of their Saturday matches. He then lost to Homa on Sunday.
Min Woo Lee
Record: 0-1-1
Grade: D+
Lee’s absence Saturday was shocking and we saw him in just two matches. He was able to get on the board with a half-point against Clark Sunday, but it was an otherwise forgettable debut for the electric Aussie.
Sungjae Im
Record: 1-4-0
Grade: D
Im had been one of the International team’s best players the past two Presidents Cup, but was barely a factor this week, winning just one of his five matches.
Capt. Mike Weir
Grade: D
Hindsight is always 20/20, but Weir will be forever judged for sending out his same groupings Saturday afternoon as the morning session, the only captain to ever do so. He also played Min Woo Lee just once and continually played Im despite his game not being there.
