US dominates singles to win 17-13; extends streak to 11 consecutive titles

Im Sung-jae (left) of the International team and Sam Burns of the US team shake hands on the 17th green after their singles match on the final day of the Presidents Cup at Medina Country Club in Medina, Illinois, on Sunday. Im defeated Burns 3&1.
Im Sung-jae (left) of the International team and Sam Burns of the US team shake hands on the 17th green after their singles match on the final day of the Presidents Cup at Medina Country Club in Medina, Illinois, on Sunday. Im defeated Burns 3&1.

Kim Joo-hyung and Im Sung-jae both won their singles matches on the final day, but the International team could not overcome the United States.

The International team lost the Presidents Cup on Monday (Korean Standard Time), falling 13-17 after going 2-1-9 in the 12 singles matches at Medina Country Club's Course 3 (par 70) in Medina, Illinois.

Heading into Sunday, the International team had led 10.5-7.5 and was chasing its first Presidents Cup title since the 1998 Royal Melbourne edition — a 28-year drought. But the United States dominated the singles session 9-1-2 to overturn the deficit.

Both of the International team's singles wins came from Korean players. Kim Joo-hyung defeated Wyndham Clark 3&2, while Im Sung-jae beat Sam Burns 3&1 to add another point.

Kim Si-woo, one of the International team's key contributors alongside Kim Joo-hyung throughout the week, suffered a painful defeat. He led Jackson Koivun by two holes at the midway point but was pegged back on the back nine and eventually lost 2-down after an 18-hole battle. The loss pushed the International team's deficit to 12.5-14.5.

Jacob Bridgeman, making his Presidents Cup debut, clinched the US victory. Bridgeman edged Australia's Min Woo Lee 1-up in an 18-hole contest to deliver the 15.5 points the United States needed to secure the title.

The US added further points to finish 17-13. The victory gave the United States an 11th consecutive Presidents Cup title and extended their all-time record to 14 wins, one draw and one loss.

The Presidents Cup, founded in 1994, is a men's team golf competition pitting the United States against an International team drawn from outside the US and Europe. This year's edition featured 30 matches in total — nine foursomes, nine fourballs and 12 singles.

The International team's only Presidents Cup victory remains the 1998 Royal Melbourne edition. The next Presidents Cup will be held at Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, in 2028.


yjc@heraldcorp.com