“I’m just so proud of the guys for coming together. That was the belief. We had trust in one another.”

That was Tiger Woods’ take after the U.S. Team tied the final two matches at the Presidents Cup to squeak out a 2-point comeback win on the final day at Royal Melbourne. With a victory seeming highly unlikely after being down 9 to 5 following the four-ball competition on day three, the American team, led by Woods, who sat out all of Saturday’s play, rallied in impressive fashion.

“We did it together,” said Woods following the 16-14 win. “We came here as a team. My teammates and my boys all played well. The captains did an amazing job of just being there for every little detail. I couldn’t have done it without all their help and all my boys. They did it.”

Though they got close, it was simply another loss—their eighth in a row—for the International Team led by Captain Ernie Els.

“Great strides was made, especially in our team play,” Els said. “You know, I really felt that our team play was really the core of our team, and that never was. We never felt like we could play foursomes or fourball together as a team. We did that well.”

Keys to the Presidents Cup:

The GOAT—Tiger Woods became the first playing captain since 1994, and many wondered how he’d manage both roles. The answer—quite well, thank you very much. Woods was one of only two players who went undefeated during the matches (Rickie Fowler also went undefeated, but didn’t win a match, tying three), with a perfect 3 and 0 record.

Woods’ biggest challenge was against Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, who was undefeated heading to the singles matches. Playing in the first group out on course, Woods looked all business defeating Ancer 3 and 2 before heading out to rally his players.

Final Matches—Despite a fast start by the Americans in the singles matches on the final day, it looked like the International Team would finally get a victory with Cameron Smith defeating Justin Thomas, leaving the tournament to be decided by the final two matches. South African Louis Oosthuizen held a commanding lead over Matt Kuchar, but the American rallied to lead heading into the final hole. Oosthuizen managed a tie, meaning that a halve by Australian Marc Leishman wouldn’t be enough for the International Team, which finished with 14 points, two behind the American team. In all, the Americans managed six wins during singles play, while the International Team only managed two—and that gave the U.S. squad the Presidents Cup once again.

Patrick Reed—Heading into the tournament, Patrick Reed had to know it would be tough. After an incident at Tiger Woods’ tournament the week previous where he was accused of openly cheating by improving his lie in a bunker, the crowds were expected to give the American a difficult time. For the first few days it was Reed who struggled, losing all three points while paired with Webb Simpson. Along the way he mimed shoveling with his putter, an apparent nod to his rules indiscretion.

After the third round, Reed’s caddie and brother-in-law, Kessler Karain, became embroiled in a shoving match with a fan who allegedly cursed at the Masters winner. Karain was asked not to return for the final round, and Reed used his coach as a caddie.

But that didn’t stop Reed from doing what he does best—excelling in the singles matches. Reed bettered CT Pan, one of the International Team standouts, 4 and 2 to take a key point. Reed said he didn’t notice the fans as much during the final round.

“You make birdies, you don’t hear much,” he said. :The biggest thing today, which I felt like I didn’t do early on this week, was we didn’t get up in our matches. We didn’t get up on top.

When you’re not up on your matches, the other team, the crowd will get more vocal. If you get up in your match, the crowd will be pretty quiet. I was able to do that and silence a couple.”

Adam Hadwin—Playing in his second Presidents Cup, the Canadian looked comfortable, especially when playing on Day One with Sungjae Im, a pairing that led to a one-up victory over Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay. But Hadwin was felled by a nasty cold and sat out Day Three, returning to play Bryson DeChambeau in singles matches. The match was a back-and-forth affair, with Hadwin having a putt on the final hole to win. When it missed, Hadwin was left with a record of one win, one loss and a tie.

Royal Melbourne—Firm and fast—and tons of fun to watch. That was the take of most who watched Royal Melbourne, generally regarded as one of the best courses on the planet. The Australian sandbelt gem proved once again that a great course can elevate a tournament, making this Presidents Cup compelling throughout. With firm greens that kicked balls into devilish bunkers, Royal Melbourne asked for—and largely received—the best the world’s top golfers could offer.