Corey Conners and Nick Taylor Rally to Give Internationals Historic Presidents Cup Lead

A Dramatic Turnaround on Saturday

Conners and Taylor faced a steep deficit early in their Saturday afternoon foursomes match at the tournament. The Canadian duo fell three holes down through the first three holes and remained three down through the 10th hole against Bridgeman and Henley.

The momentum shifted when the Canadian pair stormed back to win five consecutive holes from Nos. 11 through 15, taking a 1-up lead through 16 holes. On the closing hole, Taylor placed his second shot into a difficult spot, but Conners responded by striking a stinging approach just short of the green. After Taylor left his 38-yard pitch close, Conners stepped up to convert the match-clinching six-footer right in the heart of the cup.

I’m loving it. I’m loving being next to this guy. What an experience to battle back from three down through three (and) through 10. We’ve just been relentless all week. That’s been the message through the captain. Just proud of this guy. That was an awesome putt.

Nick Taylor

Historic Standing Heading Into Sunday

The International side split the Saturday afternoon session after dropping the morning session 2.5 to 1.5. Entering the final day, the Internationals hold a 10.5–7.5 advantage, marking the first time in the history of the competition that the team has held the lead heading into the last day.

According to Ryan French of golf blog Monday Q Info, the Canadian pairing of Conners and Taylor defeated the Nos. 20, 9, 4, and 1-ranked golfers in the world across Saturday and Sunday matches.

Having two Canadians paired together was anticipated to be a comfortable and strong fit, providing both players with the thrilling opportunity to represent the squad alongside a compatriot. It’s really exciting. To be 3-down and win a Presidents Cup match, that’s really impressive.

Geoff Ogilvy, International captain

Morning Session Results and Tactical Shifts

Earlier on Saturday, International team members Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim continued their strong form by defeating Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark 2 and 1. However, American pair Chris Gotterup and Cameron Young defeated Conners and Taylor by the same 2 and 1 margin, while Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns topped Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune 2 and 1. Sungjae Im and Min Woo Lee secured a tie against Justin Thomas and Jackson Koivun after winning two of the final four holes.

Despite leading in all four morning matches at one point, the Americans managed to salvage 1.5 points from the morning session. In the afternoon, the U.S. side notably rested world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler as the Internationals mounted their comeback. Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim suffered their initial defeat of the week following a 2 and 1 loss to Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, whereas Adam Scott and Im were beaten 6 and 4 by Young and Gotterup. Ryan Fox and Min Woo Lee closed out another afternoon point by defeating Burns and Clark 3 and 2.

The Internationals are now looking to secure the Presidents Cup for just the second time in tournament history and their first victory on American soil during Sunday’s concluding matches.