United States rallies on final day to beat Internationals 17-13 at Presidents Cup

Final day comeback at Medinah

The United States golf team overturned a three-point deficit on Sunday to defeat the International Team 17-13 at Medinah Country Club near Chicago. Entering the concluding 12 singles matches trailing 10.5-7.5, the American squad needed eight points to retain the trophy and avoid their second loss since the competition began 32 years ago. The Americans dominated the final round by winning nine of the 12 singles matches, lifting their all-time record in the biennial event to 14 wins, one loss, and one tie. The Internationals had entered the day needing five points to claim their first Presidents Cup victory since 1998, but fell short of ending their 28-year drought.

Bridgeman seals the American victory

Jacob Bridgeman secured the clinching point on the 18th green in his singles contest against Australia's Min Woo Lee. Bridgeman, a captain's pick who entered Sunday after losing both of his foursomes matches earlier in the week, made a four-foot par putt on the final hole to close out a 1-up win. His point pushed the United States to the 15.5 points required to guarantee the title, with two other matches still being played on the course. In addition to Bridgeman, the United States secured singles points through Cameron Young, Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler, Chris Gotterup, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, and Jackson Koivun.

“All these guys fought for each other, fought for this country, fought for this team.”

Reversing the Internationals' lead

The International Team had built an advantage earlier in the week by sweeping all five matches on Friday, overcoming a 3-2 deficit after Thursday's opening session. International captain Geoff Ogilvy managed an underdog roster in which only Si Woo Kim held a world top-20 ranking, whereas the United States lineup featured eight of the world's 11 top-ranked golfers. Ogilvy employed a tight rotation, requiring five players to play all five matches while holding Nico Echavarria and Christiaan Bezuidenhout to a single appearance during the first three days. The Americans trimmed the margin on Saturday, marking the first time since 2019 that they entered Sunday trailing in the event.

“The US team came out firing, we knew they would.”

Rookie performance and captain reactions

Rookie Jackson Koivun delivered one of the day's key wins by defeating Si Woo Kim. The 21-year-old, who turned professional in July, took a two-shot lead on the 15th hole as finished teammates joined the gallery to watch him close the match. On the 18th hole, Koivun hit a 310-yard drive and placed his approach shot within eight feet before Kim took off his hat and conceded. United States President Donald Trump attended Sunday's round as honorary chairman, delivering a speech to the players before competition began. United States captain Brandt Snedeker, who played on the American team that lost the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah, credited the team's resilience on a course known for final-day shifts.

United States17

International Team13

United States

17 points

International Team

13 points

Data from the article text