By Rory Carroll
Sept 27 (Reuters) – Jacob Bridgeman clinched the winning point as the United States rallied to beat the International Team 17-13 and retain the Presidents Cup near Chicago on Sunday.
Bridgeman beat Australia’s Min Woo Lee 1-up to give the Americans the 15-1/2 points required to secure the trophy, completing a final-day turnaround after the U.S. began Sunday trailing 10-1/2 to 7-1/2.
It was the 11th consecutive Presidents Cup triumph for the Americans, who boast an all-time record of 14-1-1 in the biennial match-play event against a line-up of international players from outside Europe.
The US needed eight points from 12 singles matches, and wins for Cameron Young, Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler, Chris Gotterup, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay and Jackson Koivun set the stage for Bridgeman.
“That was the coolest moment because I felt like I held in my emotion all day because I hadn’t really had a moment where I felt I had done anything to where I felt I had won my match,” Bridgeman said of sinking the winning 3-foot putt in his first Presidents Cup appearance.
“So to let it out on the last hole is pretty sweet.”
Xander Schauffele added another victory and Russell Henley earned a tie after the outcome had been decided, giving the U.S. a 17-13 win.
The Internationals started the day in a great position to claim their first outright victory at the event since 1998.
Early singles victories by South Koreans Tom Kim and Sungjae Im moved the team three points away from pulling off what would have been one of the biggest upsets in team match-play history.
Yet the afternoon belonged to the Americans as the Internationals struggled with their putting.
CANTLAY DRILLS 57-FOOT PUTT
Cantlay produced one of the day’s defining moments when he made a sensational 57-foot putt from off the 16th green.
He pumped his fist as the crowd broke out into chants of “USA! USA!” before closing out the match against Australia’s Adam Scott on the next hole.
Morikawa won his thrilling back-and-forth battle with Hideki Matsuyama to give the US 13-1/2 points and a one-point lead over the Internationals.
Jackson Koivun meanwhile played with a poise and confidence beyond his 21 years, beating Si Woo Kim to move the US one point away from the title.
“It has been such a cool learning experience,” he said.
“Being under captain (Brandt) Snedeker and being around all these guys is cool, and to come out on top after a large deficit coming into today is a feeling I can’t explain. I had some goals but for it to come this quickly is definitely shocking. I’m just grateful for the trust the captain put in me.”
(Editing by Toby Davis)
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