Historic start to 2024 Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal sets up for wild weekend

The Presidents Cup has lost some juice over the years.

The biennial bash between the Americans and Internationals (excluding Europe) hasn't been competitive for quite some time, seeing as the U.S. Team is 12-1-1 in the previous 14 editions and the International Team hasn't won since 1998 or tied since 2003. It appeared fans were in for more of the same when the red, white and blue swept Thursday's Four-ball session, 5-0, to begin the week at Royal Montreal in Canada. Then came Friday.

Led by veterans Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama, as well as a home-country pairing of Corey Conners and Mackezie Hughes, the Internationals responded with a 5-0 sweep of their own in Friday Foursomes (alternate shot). The consecutive sweeps marked the first time in the event's 30-year history that two consecutive sessions had been swept.

But that's not all. In the first match out on Friday, Matsuyama and Sungjae Im took down the formerly formidable pairing of Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, 7-and-6, which tied the record for the largest margin of victory in Presidents Cup history. Two previous matches had finished with a 7-and-6 result: David Frost beat Kenny Perry in a Sunday Singles match at the 1996 Presidents Cup, and Adam Scott and K.J. Choi beat Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in a Foursomes match in 2011.

In Friday's second match, Scott set the record for most career points by an International Team Presidents Cup player with his 22nd point after he and Taylor Pendrith beat Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala, 5 and 4. Across his 10 previous Presidents Cup appearances, Scott had earned an 8-10-2 record in Foursomes. Ernie Els held the previous record with 21 points before Scott matched him two years ago in the event at Quail Hollow.

Now tied 5-5, eight points are up for grabs on Saturday across two four-point sessions of Four-ball and Foursomes and 12 points are up for grabs on Sunday as each player on both teams will play a Singles match. The first team to earn 15.5 points wins.

Will the Americans respond? Can the Internationals stay hot? A lot is still to be decided at the Presidents Cup, and this year's event is as exciting as the competitions been in years.

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