CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The International team is starting to believe, and it has set up what is sure to be an electric Sunday at Quail Hollow.
After what looked like a sure Team USA rout, the International squad bowed up Saturday afternoon and injected some life back into this Presidents Cup, winning the session and cutting into the U.S. lead. Now, heading into Sunday, it’s anyone’s ballgame.
Team USA still holds an 11-7 lead heading into the singles session, but if history is any indication, four points is not an insurmountable deficit — Brookline and Medinah proved as much.
With the stage set and the pairings revealed, let’s take a look at every Sunday singles match, ranked and predicted.
Sunday singles, ranked and predicted
12. Tony Finau (2-1-0) vs. Taylor Pendrith (0-3-0)
Finau has been steady all week, appearing in three sessions and earning two points. His opponent on Sunday on the other hand has been anything but steady. Pendrith is still searching for his first point in his rookie campaign as he’s been on the wrong side of a couple heartbreakers and one beatdown on Saturday afternoon. Pendrith’s inexperience will cost him on Sunday, and he’ll look to 2024 still searching for his first Presidents Cup point.
Prediction: Finau def. Pendrith 2 up
11. Xander Schauffele (2-1-0) vs. Corey Conners (0-3-0)
Schauffele’s Presidents Cup has been a successful one as he’s teamed up with Patrick Cantlay for a couple points. Conners’ Presidents Cup has been a decidedly unsuccessful one. He’s struck the ball well in his three sessions, but the putter has let him down time and time again. Expect to see a similar theme emerge Sunday with X downing the Canadian with ease.
Prediction: Schauffele def. Conners 4 and 3
10. Kevin Kisner (0-1-1) vs. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (0-0-1)
This will be a matchup of two of the shortest hitters on the PGA Tour, and it’ll come down to who holes the most putts. And while Kisner is one hell of a putter, Bezuidenhout actually edged him out last season in SG: Putting. For that reason, we’ll give Bezuidenhout the nod in a tightly contested anchor match.
Prediction: Bezuidenhout def. Kisner 1 up
9. Collin Morikawa ( 1-1-0) vs. Mito Pereira (0-1-1)
Morikawa and Pereira are two of the best iron players on Tour, and this match should feature plenty of crispy shots. The difference between the two? How they handle pressure. Morikawa always seems to rise to the occasion. Conversely, Pereira still seems to have a bit of scar tissue from the debacle at Southern Hills. Morikawa will pull off the shots when he needs to and defeat the promising rookie.
Prediction: Morikawa def. Pereira 2 and 1
8. Scottie Scheffler (0-2-1) vs. Sebastian Muñoz (1-0-1)
Scheffler just hasn’t quite been himself this week, and a late-night putting session in the dark doesn’t inspire much confidence he’s figured it out. Muñoz might be a rookie, but he’s held up like a veteran this week as one of two International players without a loss. I like him to slay Goliath on Sunday as Scheffler completes a disappointing week at Quail Hollow.
Prediction: Muńoz def. Scheffler 2 and 1
7. Billy Horschel (1-1-0) vs. K.H. Lee (1-1-0)
Any match featuring Horschel has the potential for some theatrics, and you can bet on him bringing the energy in Sunday singles. Lee has been solid in his Presidents Cup debut, but I fear he won’t be able to match the energy Horschel brings in their duel. Horschel fulfills a dream and nabs a point for the Americans.
Prediction: Horschel def. Lee 2 up
6. Cameron Young (1-1-1) vs. Sungjae Im (1-2-1)
Bring out the bar games, because these boys will be throwing darts. It’s a matchup between some of the best ball strikers in the world and should feature plenty of fireworks — it’ll all come down to who can hole the most putts. Thus far this week, Im has proved much more proficient at that than Young. Im takes it on the 18th hole.
Prediction: Im def. Young 1 up
5. Sam Burns (0-3-1) vs. Hideki Matsuyama (1-3-1)
Burns and Matsuyama haven’t quite performed like they’d hoped this week, but any time players of this quality face off, it’s sure to be a prime viewing experience. Matsuyama might be the veteran in this matchup, but Burns will get the last laugh as he (finally) nabs a point for the Americans.
Prediction: Burns def. Matsuyama 3 and 2
4. Patrick Cantlay (2-1-0) vs. Adam Scott (2-2-0)
There’s no one with more experience in this event than Scott, and he’ll have to lean on that experience as he goes up against one of the American buzzsaws, in hostile territory. Luckily for Scott, this is hardly the biggest stage he’s competed on. He’ll eke out a win over Cantlay in a back-and-forth affair.
Prediction: Scott def. Cantlay 1 up
3. Jordan Spieth (4-0-0) vs. Cam Davis (2-2-0)
Davis has absolutely shown up for the Internationals this week as he’s helped earn some of the biggest points in the competition. Unfortunately, he’s drawing a player in Spieth who’s yet to lose all week. In spite of Spieth’s unsavory singles record in competitions past, he’ll get the monkey off his back this time to finish a 5-0 week.
Prediction: Spieth def. Davis 2 up
2. Justin Thomas (4-0-0) vs. Si Woo Kim (2-1-0)
This matchup is much like the one above — a young and promising International star vs. an American buzzsaw. Kim has played well all week, but no one on property has played as well as Thomas. He’ll dispatch Kim with relative ease on Sunday.
Prediction: Thomas def. Kim 4 and 3
1. Max Homa (3-0-0) vs. Tom Kim (2-2-0)
There’s no match on Sunday with more intrigue than this one. The insanely likable American vs. the Energizer bunny International. Each has had their moments of glory this week, and Sunday should feature plenty more. Expect that theme to continue in singles as the two trade haymakers (and fist pumps) all day. In a matchup like this, there’s no reason to scoff at a hard-earned tie.
Prediction: Homa and Kim tie
Final-score prediction
The Internationals made a game of this with a magical Saturday afternoon, but ultimately, the talent of the U.S. will shine through. Expect a refocused and reenergized American squad to win the session 7.5 – 4.5 to cruise to an 18.5 – 11.5 victory.
