World number five, Xander Schauffele helped Team US claim victory for the ninth consecutive time at the Presidents Cup on Sunday after edging past Canadian Corey Conners at the final hole. The biennial competition, which is modeled after the Ryder Cup, saw players from the United States compete against players from around the world who are grouped in one team (Team International). The final score line was Team US 17½-12½ Team International.
Team US entered the final day leading by 4 points (11-7). But Justin Thomas’s loss to Si Woo Kim set them back a bit. Jordan Speith helped revived the team after a win as he became the sixth player in the history of the tournament to win all their five games.
Speith’s success was followed by victories from Patrick Cantlay and Tony Finau and this quickly set Team US on the path of victory.
But it was Schauffele’s performance that earned Team US victory on the final day. Although that was not the last match of the day, Schauffele’s win helped widen Team US lead so that the final match, which was on by Team International’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout, did not have any impact. Team International was affected by the absence of LIV Players as they had eight rookies on the team but this did not prove a problem for Team US who still had any star players on their side.
Speaking after the match, Schauffele said, “It feels good to win. It got really close there for a little bit. Winning is winning and there are no pictures on the scorecard.”
The next edition of the Presidents Cup would hold at the Royal Montreal Golf Club, Canada in 2024.