Friday’s word of the day at the Presidents Cup: unbelievable. It aptly described everything that transpired on Day 2 at Royal Montreal—shots, crowds, energy, and most crucially for the International team, the results.
The atmosphere on the grounds noticeably shifted from Day 1. With a later start time, Royal Montreal was much busier, and the support for the Internationals grew louder, despite the 5-0 deficit they faced after Thursday’s session. Some attributed the shift to International team members calling out the subdued crowd from the previous day.
“(The crowds) were unbelievable today,” said Tom Kim, after commenting on Thursday’s quieter crowd. “They definitely brought it. Obviously, these guys had to go out and play. I sat out, but the crowd, I think, plays a huge role.”
Mackenzie Hughes echoed that sentiment: “Today the fans really brought it. We felt that from the get-go. Corey (Conners) mentioned that the first tee felt a lot different today than it did yesterday. Just electric all day.”
The Canadian duo entered the course to the sounds of “O Canada” on the first tee, setting the tone for the day. “I joked to Corey on the No. 2 tee—how many times will we hear ‘O Canada’ today? Just an unbelievable day,” added Hughes.
The energy propelled Mike Weir’s International squad to a remarkable 5-0 result in alternate-shot matches, just a day after enduring the first sweep of an opening Presidents Cup session since 2000.
The Americans led in only one of the combined 58 holes played across Friday’s five matches, three of which ended before the 15th hole. The International team, which boasted seven of the top 10 players based on strokes-gained metrics according to DataGolf, saw a complete reversal from Thursday’s struggles.
Corey Conners emerged as the standout player for the Internationals. Partnered with longtime friend Hughes, the Canadian duo defeated Tony Finau and Wyndham Clark 6&5. Conners’ shot on the par-3 13th all but sealed the match.
Foot on the gas 😤@CoreConn and @MacHughesGolf make it three straight wins for the @IntlTeam. pic.twitter.com/oTUbrLkiPN
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 27, 2024
Meanwhile, Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im delivered a decisive 7&6 win over Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, setting a record for the largest margin of victory in Presidents Cup history.
In another match, Canadian Taylor Pendrith teamed up with veteran Adam Scott for a 5&4 victory against Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala.
Two matches, including one featuring Jason Day and Christiaan Bezuidenhout, came down to the 18th hole. Day’s short game was pivotal in securing a narrow win over Max Homa and Brian Harman. Bezuidenhout put Day in a tough position on the 18th hole, but Day pulled off a remarkable pitch shot, leading Adam Scott to call it “unbelievable.”
The International team’s five points on Day 2 marked the first time in Presidents Cup, Ryder Cup, or Solheim Cup history that back-to-back sweeps occurred in team sessions, according to Justin Ray of the Twenty First Group.
Though the Internationals turned the tide, Finau remained optimistic heading into the weekend. “You learn from today, but we’ve got three sessions left,” he said. “We played great yesterday, and they played great today. Now we’re back to square one. So it’s a dogfight, and I like my 11 guys in a dogfight over the next three rounds.”
As Si Woo Kim said after clinching the final point for the sweep: “It’s game on.”
