(L’Île-Bizard — Sainte-Geneviève) Chance sometimes does things well. After a decade of torment, Keegan Bradley was finally able to redeem himself by providing the point that allowed his team to win the Presidents Cup 18.5-11.5 on Sunday afternoon.
Bradley, 38, helped his team reach the threshold of 15.5 points confirming the victory for the United States after defeating South Korea’s Si Woo Kim by one in the sixth individual match of the program .
He was thus able to redeem the painful memory that haunted him in these international team competitions after being part of the American team which lost at the Ryder Cup in 2014. Ten years later, he brought victory to his team. on the Blue course of the Royal Montreal golf club.
“It was amazing,” Bradley said. I wondered if I would have the opportunity to relive this kind of moment throughout the weekend. Being able to play in this tournament, and offer the victory point to my team… Well, last time [que j’étais dans ce genre de situation]it was in a loss at the Ryder Cup.
PHOTO CHRISTINNE MUSCHI, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Keegan Bradley allowed his team to reach the threshold of 15.5 points confirming the victory for the United States.
“If this is my last round as a player – maybe it will be – then I will be happy,” added the man who will lead the American team at the Ryder Cup in 2025, on the Bethpage Black course in New York State.
After victory was assured, Team USA captain Jim Furyk was full of praise for his charges.
“I love these kinds of events, the camaraderie. These players were great; it was a unique group of 12 golfers, easy to manage and who demonstrated a lot of leadership. They gave everything this week, and they played really well on the back nine,” he said.
“We had discussed this mentality, this anger that must inhabit us, all week. I don’t know how many holes we won on the back nine this week, but I feel like we dominated the competition on that part of the course, and that’s what made the difference,” Furyk continued.
PHOTO ERIC BOLTE, USA TODAY SPORTS
Xander Schauffele
For his part, international team captain Mike Weir admitted that he will reflect on the outcome of this competition over the coming days.
“I’m definitely going to think about things I could have done differently. It is human nature; When you lose, you look in the mirror and wonder what could have made the difference. That’s for sure. I will have a lot of time now to think about it,” explained the 2003 Masters Tournament champion.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Mike Weir, captain of the international team
But we are close. The matches were very close. It’s disappointing to lose. We put together a team to win the competition, and when you lose, it’s disappointing. But there is a lot of positive to be learned from this experience.
Mike Weir, captain of the international team
The American team began the final session, made up of 12 individual matches, with a comfortable 11-7 lead against the international team. She only needed 4.5 points to secure victory.
What she got following the triumphs of Xander Schauffele (four and three), Russell Henley (three and two), Patrick Cantlay (three and one) and Bradley, in addition to the draw of Sam Burns (0.5 point).
PHOTO ERIC BOLTE, USA TODAY SPORTS
Xander Schauffele
This is the 10e consecutive victory for the United States in this prestigious team competition, and their 13e in 15 editions.
A great start for the Americans
The American team, dressed in red for the occasion, made sure to quickly send a message to the Internationals, under a radiant sky and a thermometer which indicated 23 degrees Celsius.
The first three Americans to play Sunday, Schauffele, Burns and Scheffler, all made birdies on the first hole. Scheffler, the No. 1 golfer in the world, capped this sequence by sending his exit from a bunker located at the edge of the green directly into the back of the cup – to the great dismay of the spectators present, most of whom were in favor of the international team.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, THE PRESS
Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 golfer in the world, capped this sequence by sending his exit from a bunker located at the edge of the green directly into the back of the cup – to the great dismay of the spectators present, most of whom were in favor of the international team.
From then on, the international team was forced to play catch-up golf, in order to avoid handing the title to the Americans on a silver platter.
Schauffele added another layer by recording four consecutive birdies at holes Nos. 5, 6, 7 and 8, and by registering another point following a bogey by Australian Jason Day at the ninth to take a lead by five at turn. At that point, the United States led in six of nine matches in progress, and the crowd was downright stunned.
“The captain [Jim Furyk] told me that I was going to launch hostilities today and I told him that it was an honor to be able to do so. We have a very good team, and I was aware that my job today was to get that first point,” Schauffele said.
The international team did attempt a comeback in the last few matches to get underway, but, like Day, they ran out of time.
Small consolation, the Japanese Hideki Matsuyama managed to defeat Scheffler by one in the third match on the program, delaying the inevitable by a few minutes.
In addition, Corey Conners saved the honor of the Canadians by defeating the American Tony Finau five and three.
“I was very motivated this morning to return to victory, because yesterday was a difficult day to swallow. I didn’t have the best start to the round, but I never stopped believing in it. I played good golf, especially on the back nine,” Conners said.
The Ontarian, originally from Listowel, particularly appreciated being able to play at home, in front of family and friends.
“The crowd has been incredible all week. At 13e hole (when she sang the national anthem), I have to admit it was one of the ‘coolest’ moments of my career,” he said.