Si Woo Kim clinched a 5-0 session sweep on Friday on the Presidents Cup.
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Three of our writers are on the bottom at Royal Montreal for this weekend’s Presidents Cup. After Thursday went a method (a 5-0 U.S. sweep) and Friday went the opposite (a 5-0 Worldwide candy) we bought ’em collectively for a post-round breakdown.
Dylan Dethier, senior author (@dylan_dethier): Hey, James. Hey, Nick. It’s Friday night time in Montreal and whew — what a distinction a day makes. I can’t cease serious about this time final night time, when issues had been bleak. It didn’t simply really feel like this occasion was over after the closely favored U.S. facet went up 5 zip. It felt just like the Presidents Cup itself is perhaps over. If that sounds dramatic and dumb, nicely, it in all probability was. Anyway, now it feels totally different. So I’ll begin with a easy query: What the hell did we simply watch?
James Colgan, information and options editor (@jamescolgan26): Man, I feel we simply watched a blowout. The Internationals beat the brakes off the Individuals from the opening bell. In 5 alternate-shot matches, solely two lasted previous the 14th gap — and each of ‘em had been gained by the INT anyway. It’s laborious to make sense of what two utter clobberings from both staff imply for the place this factor is headed, however man, that was thrilling.
Nick Piastowski, senior editor (@nickpia): The road-Ryder Cup Individuals appeared. They had been hit within the mouth within the opening match (Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im took down Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay 7 and 6) and the dominoes — and Worldwide putts — fell from there. Wild. We had been additionally kinda speaking about this after an exquisite Tim Horton’s breakfast (shout-out Tim Bits!) about how the U.S. appears to play higher on the street within the Presidents Cup, versus the Ryder Cup. Possibly the jinx got here from us?
Dethier: Can’t rule it out! There’s no query that Friday was simply an all-around drubbing, however the placing stats had been notably jarring: Each single American misplaced strokes on the greens Friday, whereas eight of 10 Internationals had been within the optimistic. Our Sean Zak wrote about this extra but it surely made me consider the match-play cliches about how the profitable facet “simply made extra putts” and the way, on Friday, that was mainly true.
So how can we make sense of that? We may throw our fingers up and cite randomness, I assume, or {the golfing} gods, however that’s not very attention-grabbing. As a substitute I feel it’s value specializing in what we noticed and heard and felt — and what the gamers did, too. How totally different did issues really feel out on the course Friday vs. Thursday?
Colgan: Just like the distinction between a funeral and a rock live performance. The followers had been jacked up. The gamers had been jacked up. No matter aerosolized Xanax used on Royal Montreal on Thursday had worn off by the point play started.
Piastowski: The followers had been manner totally different, for certain, and I spent the afternoon canvassing a couple of, together with Mackenzie Hughes’ closest pal — who was simple to identify whereas holding a big Hughes head cut-out. Nicely achieved. However I’ll add a unique thought and say that it seems a couple of speeches got final night time by the Internationals, they usually got here out with their hair and golf luggage on hearth. Friday, the U.S. had been the flat bunch.
Dethier: Agreed on the followers. And look, there’s some chicken-and-egg stuff right here. Like, the followers had been quiet Thursday as a result of their staff was dropping, however perhaps, simply perhaps, their staff was additionally partly dropping as a result of they had been quiet?
Regardless, issues had been totally different on Friday instantly. The opening tee was rocking. My dumbest take that I really sort of imagine is that the change within the set checklist of the first-tee DJ (faster cuts, louder music, higher selections, dramatically totally different, I’m telling you) made the distinction within the match. It was the primary domino to fall. The followers bought hyped, the gamers bought hyped, the Internationals went 3-0-2 on the primary gap and stored it going big-time from there. If Thursday’s crowds felt like they had been out for a nice stroll and chanced on a golf match, Friday’s felt like they had been out at a hockey sport — they usually’d been tailgating on the best way in. Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes have by no means felt that of their lives.
However let’s do some second-guessing. Something U.S. captain Jim Furyk ought to have achieved in another way?
Colgan: Eh, the pairings had been largely high quality. If Furyk made a mistake, it was in failing to arrange his staff for the all-out offensive everyone knew was coming at present. This occurs to U.S. groups manner too typically in these occasions, however I’m unsure how a lot of that falls on the captain.
Piastowski: Possibly play Keegan? However solely him and Burns sat, and the pairings had been partly the identical. Possibly the 5-0 lead made them relaxed and I’d choose they channel “ruthless” as an alternative.
Dethier: When captain’s picks got here out, my speedy response was shock that Furyk had gone with Brian Harman over Justin Thomas. I couldn’t assist however take into consideration that each one Friday afternoon, when Harman struggled whereas taking part in alongside Max Homa. Then once more, I couldn’t imagine Worldwide captain Mike Weir sat Tom Kim for Friday’s matches, so I’m unsure they need to be taking recommendation from me anyway — that technique labored out okay.
However fellas, I stored working into you on the market, roaming contained in the ropes on this pretty Quebecois afternoon. Gimme a scene from on the market that made you are feeling one thing.
Colgan: Standing off to the facet of the 18th gap when Si Woo Kim poured within the par putt to conquer World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was fairly epic. (Take a look at that “C’mere” he offers his teammates when the putt drops within the video beneath.) All day that match felt just like the one the Individuals would possibly steal again, however Si Woo and Ben An took it to them when it mattered. Unbelievable, inconceivable, unbelievable win to convey the rating proper again to even.
Dethier: No. 13 is an arena-style par-3 surrounded by huge grandstands. I’d simply arrived when Corey Conners stuffed his tee shot, which despatched up an enormous roar. And when Hughes completed it off with a brief birdie putt, I couldn’t assist however suppose it will need to have been the good sporting second of each their lives. Two Canadians of the identical age, junior opponents, school teammates out collectively in entrance of a rowdy dwelling crowd, ending off two high Individuals 6 and 5? Man, what a sense. One drunk fan stored screaming to Conners as the 2 carried out interviews. Corey! Corey! That was a f—– dart, Corey! And Tom Kim was behind the inexperienced, dancing, leaping, screaming, floating. That was a second.
Piastowski: You guys nailed it. I used to be, fortunately, there for each of these. I’ll merely add that it was a delight seeing Tom Kim dancing on the thirteenth inexperienced after the match was gained. And Kim didn’t even play at present. You prefer to see that.
Dethier: Ultimate query, then: What occurs now?
Colgan: Dylan, I sincerely want I knew, however proper now I really feel like I simply stepped into the attention of a storm. It’s quiet for the second, however I’ve bought no thought what the hell occurs subsequent. I feel uncertainty favors the house staff?
Piastowski: 25-5, U.S. Kidding, kidding. It’s going to get louder. Everybody I talked to stated it would get a bit of boozier, too. Cheers. And sport on.
Dethier: I’ll go big-picture: What occurs now could be the Presidents Cup continues to exist. How’s that for an overreaction? We’ve bought an unbelievable weekend forward, as a result of Friday saved this match. Not less than for an additional day…
