Internationals lose Presidents Cup, but go down with dignity

The Americans found their mojo and Tiger Woods cried, not in despair but with happiness.

The scoreline was 15-13 to the USA at 3.38 pm and the American team already knew that they would at least tie the Presidents Cup. Two matches remained to settle and Matt Kuchar, one of their veterans, had a birdie putt from inside two metres at Royal Melbourne’s 17th green to go one-up over the Internationals’ Louis Oosthuizen.

Ernie Els and the Internationals couldn't hold off the US at Royal Melbourne on Sunday.Credit: AAP

Kuchar is a tough, battle-wisened pro. He rolled the right-to-left putt into the hole and high-fived his teammates like a teenager as he half-ran to the 18th tee. It did not give him victory in the match – there was a hole to play – but it did guarantee the half point the USA needed to outright win the cup. It was the moment, and Woods' emotion was surprisingly strong.

In battle, he has been mostly relentless and brutal, as he had been in his win over Abraham Ancer today, resuming his countenance as a towering figure again and unbeaten in three matches this week. But as captain, he was decidedly human and he struggled to hold it together as he spoke about "my boys".

They were stretched to the limits and agent provocateur Patrick Reed, who won his only match of the week today, would attest to that. He'd played his singles match against CT Pan from Chinese Taipei with his coach Kevin Kirk on his bag because his regular caddie, Kessler Karain, had been expelled for engaging with a patron the previous day.

The crowds were hard on Reed, doubtless. But he found the antidote today after three defeats earlier. "You make birdies," he said, "you don't hear much."

Ernie Els' Internationals fought the good fight but came up with a result that is all-too familiar in this competition. It was the 11th win for the USA in 13 playings of the teams competition since 1994.

Ultimately, though, they invigorated the Presidents Cup by competing so well. Another huge crowd turned out. The Americans were just too good, although there were mini-victories for the Internationals.

Notably for Cameron Smith, the 26-year-old Queenslander, who beat the world No. 4 and former world No. 1 Justin Thomas, inflicting the only defeat of the competition on the American. He is emerging as a world-class player as is Sungjae Im, the South Korean 21-year-old who beat US Open winner Gary Woodland.

Smith looks like he should be picking up balls for the players on the range, but he's a man-child. He was three-down at one point against Thomas, but he would not yield. By the time he reached the 17th, his team still had a chance to tie the Americans and Thomas hit it in close.

The boy from Wantima Golf Club in Brisbane settled over his wedge and hit it a fraction closer; when Thomas missed, he buried the birdie putt for the win. He could take a lot away from this week, even in a collective defeat.

Adam Scott was gutted after his defeat by Xander Schauffele, reaching nine appearances in the competition without a victory. But even Scott was optimistic about the ground that has been made.

"I like where this team is going," he said. "I can’t wait to have another crack."

What to make of the week? The Presidents Cup will surely come back to Royal Melbourne again; the venue was perfect. Nobody tore it apart, as some expected, despite the lack of big winds. Japan is due to host and South Africa soon, but Dr Alister McKenzie's masterpiece has stood the ultimate test this week, producing golf that, Woods observed, was "the way golf should be played".

Els is a revelation as captain, although he lost to Woods … again. "You got me," he told Woods at the presentation, in his usual good humour, but you can sense him scheming already for Quail Hollow in North Carolina in 2021.

As for Woods, he was a colossus. He led his team out today and took down Ancer, the Mexican who had been the International team's best player for the week, closing it out at the 16th with a birdie to give himself some extra time to perform his other duties as team captain (which in golf, is effectively as coach).

He was four-under par for the day and on balance, the best player on either side for the week at 43 years of age. People questioned his ability to handle both roles, and the US were on the precipice at 9-5 down at lunchtime on Saturday and still two points behind on Saturday night. Hence the emotion and the choked-back tears.

Woods has won the Masters and equalled Sam Snead's record 82 victories in 2019, and now he's a Presidents Cup captain on debut. The story just keeps rolling on, the greatest ever told in this game.