The U.S. won the Presidents Cup for the ninth straight time, clinching the title with Xander Schauffele's 1-up victory over Canada's Corey Conners on Sunday at Quail Hollow Club.
After the International team pulled to within 11-7 after eight matches on Saturday, the Americans needed to capture only 4Β½ of the last 12 points on Sunday to win again. Team USA improved to 12-1-1 in the Presidents Cup, including all eight events held on American soil.
Along with Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay and Tony Finau were also winners before the match was clinched. Sam Burns tied his match with Hideki Matsuyama.
Here is some of the best action from Sunday:
Americans do it again
CUP SECURED πΊπΈ pic.twitter.com/fRTfDr4pKb
β Xander Schauffele (@XSchauffele) September 25, 2022
Another π for the United States πΊπΈ #PresidentsCup | #USTeam https://t.co/tiFnykNBoh
β Ryder Cup (@rydercup) September 25, 2022
Cruisin' to victory. #PresidentsCup pic.twitter.com/GtovFF6i4r
β Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) September 25, 2022
Match of the day
The best match on the course -- or at least the most heated -- might have been Justin Thomas vs. South Korea's Si Woo Kim. JT was irritated that Kim didn't concede a 3-foot putt to him earlier in the match and now emotions are running high.
JT wasn't thrilled about Si Woo Kim not giving him this putt... pic.twitter.com/ldVyv1470p
β GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) September 25, 2022
HUGE fist pump and reaction from Si Woo Kim π₯
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022
The match is now tied with 3 to play @IntlTeam.
Justin Thomas watches from a distance. pic.twitter.com/zBVBeMEhFa
Give Kim credit for taking down Thomas for the International team's first point on Sunday. Fellow South Korean Tom Kim's energy also seemed to be infectious, as Si Woo Kim was animated after making several big putts, including a birdie on the 18th hole that won the match.
What a match. What a finish. pic.twitter.com/lFBU1RF3U6
β GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) September 25, 2022
Tough breaks for Matsuyama
Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, caught a terrible break on the 18th hole. His tee shot leaked left and hit a marshal in the knee. His ball bounced another 20 yards left, leaving him a difficult second shot around a large oak tree. Matsuyama blasted his shot to the back of the green, where he nearly holed out on the third. He halved the hole and the match against Sam Burns.
This would have won the match ...
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022
Hideki Matsuyama and Sam Burns tie their match and each earn a half point for their teams @PresidentsCup. pic.twitter.com/N97lOI4FYl
Sunday's first point
The first American point for Sunday came thanks to Jordan Spieth's 4 and 3 victory over Australia's Cam Davis. Spieth won six of the last seven holes in the match to give the U.S. a 12-7 lead. Remarkably, it is the three-time major winner's first singles victory in the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup. Spieth is just the sixth player to go 5-0-0 in a Presidents Cup. He is the first American to do it since Jim Furyk in 2011.
Undefeated.@JordanSpieth wins his Singles match and becomes the sixth player in @PresidentsCup history to go 5-0-0. pic.twitter.com/hbt4lPkVLg
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022
Let's race
It's not quite running with the bulls, but the race for seats at the first tee grandstand was something to behold at Quail Hollow on Sunday morning.
You want to be π΅π²πΏπ².
β Presidents Cup (@PresidentsCup) September 25, 2022
Sunday at the First Tee. It's going to be electric.#PresidentsCup pic.twitter.com/0BSi5o5Kjd
The swag of Tom Kim
South Korea's Tom Kim has looked more than ready for the big stage at the Presidents Cup this week. The 20-year-old PGA Tour rookie is soaking up the attention.
Tom Kim has arrived π @JoohyungKim0621 is ready to roll @IntlTeam. pic.twitter.com/Zl9gI8avBH
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022
Circle of life stuff
It wasn't exactly Rafiki raising Simba on Pride Rock in "The Lion King," but Jordan Spieth received quite an ovation when he raised his infant son, Sammy, to the crowd at the first tee at Quail Hollow on Sunday.
"Everything the light touches ... is our kingdom." β€οΈ pic.twitter.com/Rv3CaYbUoK
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022
Max Homa was fired up
I want it loud tomorrow Charlotte πΊπΈ Bring the damn noise
β max homa (@maxhoma23) September 24, 2022
Best from Round 3
Big finish for the International team
What a finish @IntlTeam!@CamDavisGolf goes eagle-birdie-birdie to secure the final point of the day @PresidentsCup π₯ pic.twitter.com/CljKGpaJja
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 24, 2022
TOM KIM FOR THE WIN!
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 24, 2022
Huge moment for @JoohyungKim0621 to capture another win for @IntlTeam π₯ pic.twitter.com/Lu9qYJQsMu
Local college golfer takes in the action
Two-time NBA champ and North Carolina A&T golfer JR Smith is in the house with Brooklyn Nets guard Seth Curry.
.@TheRealJRSmith and @sdotcurry in the π #PresidentsCup pic.twitter.com/xTfOug6MM4
β Presidents Cup (@PresidentsCup) September 24, 2022
I feel like @fredcouplesgolf and I would kill in a member guest! π€²πΎ maybe wishful thinking but just thinking lol
β JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) September 24, 2022
Trees? Not a problem
Blocked by a tree? Not a problem for @SamBurns66 πͺ pic.twitter.com/2dVE6e0LTy
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 24, 2022
More from Tom Kim
You better learn the name ...
β Presidents Cup (@PresidentsCup) September 24, 2022
TOM KIM!#PresidentsCup || #IntlTeam pic.twitter.com/foJrVWl8lo
Master classes
You knew past Masters champions Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama had too much pride to mail it in at the Presidents Cup. After losing in their matches on each of the first two days at Quail Hollow Club, including an ugly 6 and 5 loss to Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele as a tandem in Thursday's foursome, Scott and Matsuyama are doing good work on Saturday. They won five straight holes in their match against Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young to go from 2 down to 3 up with four holes to play.
2DN
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 24, 2022
1DN
TIED
1UP
2UP
3UP
5 straight holes won give Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama a strong lead over Young/Morikawa thru 13. pic.twitter.com/Mxa1fo3CEG
What a debut for Kim
South Korea's Tom Kim is a rising star on the PGA Tour, having already won the Wyndham Championship at 20 years old. He's playing with a lot of confidence in his Presidents Cup debut, too. That's not walking it in -- that's walking it off!
Walk it in and let the caddie pick it up π€@JoohyungKim0621's looking to get the @IntlTeam going. pic.twitter.com/LBf5xa1o46
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 24, 2022
No putters needed
On Friday, the Americans seemingly couldn't miss anything with their putters. On Saturday, they don't even need their golf balls to be on the green to hole out, as highlighted by Scottie Scheffler and Max Homa.
Early action for the #USTeam π³
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 24, 2022
Scottie Scheffler chips in from just off the green. pic.twitter.com/wKq5xvD6SD
Picking up where he left off π₯
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 24, 2022
The shots are falling for @MaxHoma23 pic.twitter.com/VNFrKuhxtd
Egg-cellent from the bunker
The International team hasn't had much to cheer about this week, but this is one of the best greenside bunker shots you'll ever see from South Korea's K.H. Lee. Nothing like fried eggs for breakfast on a Saturday morning.
Fried egg for breakfast? π³
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 24, 2022
Sounds good to K.H. Lee π pic.twitter.com/2K3JXsrVeP
Best from Round 2
Team USA for the win
FOR THE WIN! πΊπΈ@maxhoma23 is FIRED. UP.#PresidentsCup || #USTeam pic.twitter.com/jrIIL0VBzD
β Presidents Cup (@PresidentsCup) September 23, 2022
Luck is on the Americans' side
As if the Americans needed anything else, they're getting all of the good bounces on Friday, as well. Spieth's second shot on the par-4 15th should have been in the creek, but it took a fortunate bounce off a rock and somehow ended up bouncing over the green. He got up and down for par and halved the hole.
Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good π
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 23, 2022
Good break for @JordanSpieth off the rocks @PresidentsCup. pic.twitter.com/U6Tyxq8zRv
Hometown team in the house
π @bakermayfield and @JHekker taking in the action.#PresidentsCup || @Panthers pic.twitter.com/GKx4xppSfI
β Presidents Cup (@PresidentsCup) September 23, 2022
Twitter drama
One of the reasons the International team is currently taking a beatdown is that many of the best players it expected to have on its roster were ruled ineligible after playing in LIV Golf events. That includes Open Championship winner Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann and Louis Oosthuizen. LIV Golf CEO and chairman Greg Norman wished the International team well on Twitter. Team captain Trevor Immelman didn't seem amused, responding, "LOL."
"Look, any of you that have known me for the longest time know that I'm an extremely open and honest person," Immelman said. "I pretty much say it exactly as I'm thinking it. What I said was exactly what I was doing when I read that tweet. I was laughing out loud."
LOL
β Trevor Immelman (@TrevorImmelman) September 23, 2022
A sweet spot
The Americans are loving the par-5 seventh hole at Quail Hollow. Three of the five U.S. teams carded eagles on the hole, with Burns, Young and Patrick Cantlay all making eagle putts. Burns sank an 80-footer, the longest putt of his PGA Tour career. Two International team players, South Korea's Im and Japan's Matsuyama, made birdies on the 527-yard hole, but still lost to eagles.
WHAT A PUTT @Samburns66 ππ#PresidentsCup || #USTeam pic.twitter.com/uS7SDzAWpR
β Presidents Cup (@PresidentsCup) September 23, 2022
JT is still dabbing
The dab might have gone out of style a few years ago, but Justin Thomas is still doing it. He threw up a quick dab after sinking a birdie putt on the par-3 fourth hole. Thomas, an avid Alabama football fan, surely wasn't honoring former Auburn and Carolina Panthers star Cam Newton, who was the king of the dab in the NFL.
Preserver of the dab: @JustinThomas34 pic.twitter.com/bEs5n3mEi8
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 23, 2022
Presidents at the Presidents Cup
For country. πΊπΈ
β Presidents Cup (@PresidentsCup) September 23, 2022
Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush joined the teams on the first tee. #PresidentsCup pic.twitter.com/3QyM9Sp08v
Rowdy at the first tee
The first tee energy is electric. #PresidentsCup pic.twitter.com/053iyTdMyr
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 23, 2022
Bring on the noise π£οΈπ£οΈπ£οΈ@JoohyungKim0621 is embracing the atmosphere on the first tee at his first @PresidentsCup for the @IntlTeam. pic.twitter.com/HCsOX5okSC
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 23, 2022
Best of Round 1
A little bit of luck
An inch either way and this Max Homa shot would have gone straight into the water. Instead, it hit the most conveniently placed rock possible. Homa and Tony Finau managed to salvage par out of it.
A wild par for @MaxHoma23 and @TonyFinauGolf π’
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 22, 2022
Their match remains tied with 3 to play @PresidentsCup. pic.twitter.com/87KAJH2X5I
We've all been there
Not exactly what Justin Thomas was intending with this shot out of the bunker. It could have been worse!
Golf is hard.@JustinThomas34's face says it all. pic.twitter.com/uHzY4VyxDQ
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 22, 2022
Faces in the crowd
They don't call it the Presidents Cup for nothing. According to North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton are planning to attend the four-day tournament at Quail Hollow Club this weekend. Cooper told reporters that President Joe Biden might also be coming Sunday. "I think that will just add to the aura of the event," Cooper said. Cooper watched players tee off of No. 1 in a suite with former North Carolina and Kansas basketball coach Roy Williams.
Just @JimmieJohnson and Roy Williams enjoying the #PresidentsCup. π pic.twitter.com/ZBTZSh5r0n
β NBC Sports (@NBCSports) September 22, 2022
No bounces allowed
Bouncing back in a big way π― @Collin_Morikawa and Cameron Young take back the lead in Match 3 @PresidentsCup. pic.twitter.com/2Xc21VPS6i
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 22, 2022
Weather a factor?
The wind is howling at Quail Hollow Club, as a storm system is starting to blow through Charlotte. Xander Schauffele had to remove his hat before hitting his second shot from the No. 13 fairway. Temperatures have been in the mid-90s for much of the week. The passing cold front is supposed to drop temperatures by nearly 20 degrees; forecasts call for highs of 75 degrees Friday.
The Justin and Jordan show
The pairing of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth is working out early in their match against Sungjae Im and Corey Conners. On the first hole, Spieth hit his tee shot into the left rough. Thomas made a 7Β½-footer to save par. On the next hole, he hit his tee shot into the pine straw, leaving Spieth with a tricky recovery shot off a bad lie. Spieth knocked it to 10 feet. Then, on the par-3 fourth, Thomas somehow chunked his tee shot, leaving the ball about 44 yards from the hole. Spieth, one of the best scramblers in the game, knocked the second shot to about 4 feet. As Spieth walked up to the green, Thomas patted himself on the back. The U.S. squad was 2-up through five holes after a birdie on No. 5.
Jordan Spieth drops it in close with an impressive approach from the pine needles on 2. π―
β Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) September 22, 2022
πΊ: Golf Channel and @peacock
π»: https://t.co/edCLef0sqL pic.twitter.com/f1SmkSIWLH
Young crushing it
It didn't take U.S. team rookie Cameron Young long to make an impact. Playing with Collin Morikawa in the third match, Young, one of the longest hitters on the PGA Tour, crushed a 306-yard drive down the middle of the No. 1 fairway. After Morikawa hit the second shot to 25 feet, Young nearly holed out from the fringe. They made par and halved the hole.
#USTeam rookie Cameron Young is making his presence known early πͺ pic.twitter.com/lmPTiGtBLJ
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 22, 2022
Arrivals and more
Two #USTeam legends @JackNicklaus and @FredCouplesGolf bring out the @PresidentsCup π pic.twitter.com/UzrFFI9Z2J
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 22, 2022
Jack Nicklaus was captain of the U.S. Presidents Cup team four times and Gary Player captained three squads. Nicklaus was the captain in 1998, which is the only time the Americans have lost this event.
The U.S. Team has arrived.#PresidentsCup pic.twitter.com/adRDpccCkQ
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 22, 2022
It's go time πͺ#PresidentsCup pic.twitter.com/G30JDtQP91
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 22, 2022
Zach Johnson: Hype man
#USTeam Captain's Assistant @ZachJohnsonPGA getting the home crowd fired up π£ pic.twitter.com/PQf1UtCtWT
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 22, 2022
What's your AIM name?
For years, AOL Instant Messenger was the way to communicate with friends online. Almost everyone who used it probably remembers what they used for a screen name. American golfer and No. 20 Max Homa chose ... "nexttigerwoods59."
nexttigerwoods59 (aka @MaxHoma23) π pic.twitter.com/puZiHlBkf4
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 20, 2022
That's the perfect encapsulation of what those screen names were like -- goofy, a little lofty, ultimately charming. Scheffler, on the other hand, did not have an AIM name at all -- and he had a great explanation as to why not.
Some honesty from Scottie Scheffler π pic.twitter.com/4eXtJpKvPD
β PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 21, 2022