Presidents Cup: Internationals face tough bind

It was picture perfect: Keegan Bradley let out a primal roar as he sank a birdie putt on the 18th, sealing his Four-ball match victory and capping a historic day for the Americans.

It was a release for Bradley, who channeled a decade’s worth of emotion since his last team event. He celebrated with fist pumps and a chest bump with partner Wyndham Clark, looking skyward in triumph.

Meanwhile, International Team Assistant Trevor Immelman stood silently by his cart, unaffected by the American celebrations.

Captain Mike Weir also felt the weight of disappointment, acknowledging the harsh reality: the Internationals wouldn’t experience the same emotional relief.

For 26 years, they’ve been chasing a Presidents Cup win, and although this week had promise, the opening session saw them swept with a devastating 5-0 deficit.

Weir remained optimistic, likening the situation to being down in the first period of a hockey game: “There’s a long way to go.” Despite the score, the Internationals were competitive, with three matches reaching the 18th green. However, close doesn’t count, and the sting of missed opportunities lingered.

Adam Scott expressed shared frustration after narrowly losing his match, noting they could have done better. Other players, like Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Byeong Hun An, faced similar disappointments, with missed birdie attempts haunting their performance.

As the team looks ahead to the Foursomes format, history doesn’t favor them; the US leads significantly in that area. Weir has stuck to his original plan for pairings, hoping for a spark to turn things around. As Scott said, “This is another challenge we’re facing.”