Seven straight.
That’s the number of times the Americans have defeated the International team in the Presidents Cup. It shouldn’t be that easy—after all, the American team is a group that usually struggles at the Ryder Cup. But in the Presidents Cup they dominate, and they did so again this week, winning 19-11.
Truthfully that final number makes the event, which pits the best American players against golfers from outside of Europe, closer than it was. The Americans led 14.5 to 3.5 heading into Sunday.
“It’s been a special week,” said Phil Mickelson, a veteran of the Presidents Cup who bettered Canadian Adam Hadwin on the final day. “These events are my favorite weeks of the year. These team environments, the support system, getting to know the guys, spending time on and off the course, being able to partner. They are memories, experiences, that I cherish for a lifetime.”
Mickelson gave a lot of the credit to the young guns on the American team—Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, and Daniel Berger.
“I’m so appreciative and honored to be a part of this team, especially when you look at how talented our young foundation is with these guys,” he said. “Not only are they great players, but they are playing some of their best golf with each other. The support system that each one of them provides is getting the best out, and there’s a dynamic to this team where these young players are not only competitive, not only do they want to beat your brains out, but they also are genuinely happy for each other’s success when they don’t win.”
Hadwin, the lone Canadian on a team that included Jason Day, and Adam Scott (and had Mike Weir as an Assistant Captain), said the result wasn’t what he’d hoped for.
“It’s difficult,” Hadwin said, who managed only a halve in his three matches. “It’s extremely disappointing because you want to come out and showcase how good you are and play for the team, and of course not let your partner down, which I think is the hardest part.”
The question now is how to fix the Presidents Cup, which has seen one-sided victories regularly for the Americans in recent years. This year the Americans very nearly won the event on Saturday, which would have been a huge blow for the tournament.
Despite that, International Captain Nick Price was optimistic about his squad’s chances in 2019: “All in all, things are looking pretty good for us I think in the future.”
Truthfully, Price might be the only one thinking that way, but at the very least the International Team managed to carry Sunday’s singles matches, after being throttled in the first three days of the competition.
I am a Canadian and having to listen to all the arrogant American self centered commentary is appalling to which I now refuse to watch men’s golf. In the past while I would just turn the volume down so I would not have to listen to the American rhetoric ; there is very little recognition of other golfers from other parts of the world. Further your insistence to delete the women’s tournaments to facilitate your talks on the super great American golfers is unacceptable.
What does it matter really? If the Internationals actually contend or win one The Americans will cry the blues and switch the rules to make sure they win again. They did it in the Ryder Cup and they’d do it again if they lost the Presidents Cup. Won’t ever be watching the Presidents Cup again…it’s so ridiculous how one sided it is!
Some time back in the 80’s or 90’s, the good sportsmanship of both players and spectators left this sport. Winners cannot win with grace and far too many spectators by and large have become boors. We have seen this for years in the team competitions as well as on the regular tour events. Couple that with some of the over the top commentary that implies nothing less than the requirement of perfection from millionaires hitting a white ball with a stick and it is not hard to conclude that this game is losing its entertainment value.