Despite unleashing an early scoring barrage, the U.S. found securing its 10th straight victory in the Presidents Cup an arduous task on Sunday—but got it done with a result that seemed like destiny. The Americans eventually put away a stubborn International team at Royal Montreal Golf Club when Keegan Bradley, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain in 2025, registered the winning point by holding off Si Woo Kim, 1 up.
Scottie Scheffler slam-dunked a bunker shot for birdie on the first hole and Max Homa holed out for eagle to begin the last game as the Americans seized a series of early leads in singles only to watch the International squad claw back repeatedly throughout the sunny and calm afternoon in Quebec.
In the end, however, the Americans, who began the day with an 11-7 lead, were able to close out the contest by winning the necessary 4½ points in the first six matches from its top-heavy lineup, and they went on to register an 18½-11½ victory. The result left the International team without a victory since its lone triumph in 1998 in Australia. It last avoided a loss in 2003 with a tie in South Africa.
Five matches had yet to be completed when the U.S. locked up the victory to improve to 13-1-1 in the series that began in 1994. The Internationals get their next shot to end their losing streak in 2026 at Medinah Country Club in Illinois.
“We’ve put a lot of heart and soul into it. Ultimately these players were amazing,” said U.S. captain Jim Furyk, who erased the disappointment of being the losing captain at the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris. “It was a really good group of 12, an easy bunch. I had great leadership at the top. They made the captain’s job really easy, and these guys played their hearts out this week, and they really played well on the back nine.
“We talked about being a dog all week, being the tougher team. I just feel like those back nine holes if you looked at how many holes won and lost, I’ve got to feel like we kind of owned the back nine this week, and that was the difference.”
Bradley, who originally was asked to be an assistant to captain Jim Furyk, instead became one of Furyk’s wild-card picks and was relieved of his assistant duties. Playing in the Presidents Cup for the first time since 2013, the former PGA Championship winner delivered the deciding point after trailing Kim at the turn. He flipped the match with wins on four of the first five holes on the inward nine but had to hang on when Kim won the 16th and 17th to extend the proceedings to the par-4 home hole. The two halved the last with pars but only after Kim missed a birdie try from eight feet. Bradley celebrated more with relief than excitement and enjoyed an extended hug with Furyk.
“Wow, that was incredible,” a smiling Bradley said. “I was saying all week I didn’t know if I’d ever get to do this again. To just play in this tournament and then to win the point, my goodness, the last time I played, I was the point to lose the Ryder Cup [in 2014]. If this is my last round as a player, maybe it is, I’m happy with that.
“Geez, I’m still trying to figure out how all this happened,” he added. “A month ago, I wasn’t even in the BMW, and then we were here and then the Presidents Cup point.”
Xander Schauffele, who won the clinching point two years ago at Quail Hollow Club, converted seven birdies in his first 13 holes and closed out Jason Day in the opening match, 4 and 3. That restored the five-point lead the Americans forged when it swept the opening four-ball session on Thursday.
Little else seemed to come easy for the visitors, though they still managed to pull away for the fourth largest margin of victory in the series.
Xander Schauffele jumped out to an early win on Sunday to help the Americans roll to victory at Royal Montreal – Vaughn Ridley
In the second game, Tom Kim made a late push to erase a two-hole deficit to Sam Burns, but Burns held on to earn a half-point to complete a 3-0-1 performance and finish the week as the only unbeaten player on either team. Russell Henley then closed out Sungjae Im, 3 and 2 and Patrick Cantlay subdued Canada’s Taylor Pendrith 3 and 1.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama stopped Scheffler, 1 up, in a match that featured 13 birdies. It was one of the few highlights for the International team. Another was Canada’s Corey Conners blitzing Tony Finau, 5 and 3, after losing two of the first three holes. The only other win came from Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who beat Brian Harman, 2 and 1.
Homa, who holed out for eagle from 103 yards on opening hole, applied the final dagger to the home fans with his 2-and-1 decision over Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes.
“I take a lot away from this. We’re close,” said International captain Mike Weir, a Canadian native. “A lot of these matches were so close. It’s disappointing not to get a win. We put our team together to win this thing, and when you don’t get a win, it’s disappointing, but a lot of great things to take away.”
Main Image: Harry How
