The United States team was in a hole; Reed dug them out

For a week all he'd been hearing was taunts about bunkers and shovels and holes, relentlessly. In a moment of frustration, he even mimicked using a shovel to dig a hole on Friday. In a moment of madness, his caddie Kessler Karain shoved a fan when he heard one sledge too many. His reward? Don't come back the next day, you're banned.

In the end with his team in a hole and his own game spiralling even deeper, ironically Patrick Reed dug in and then dug out. The way he spoke afterwards, it was like nothing had happened at all this week. He talked around it and not about it.

Yet Captain America showed up for his captain, finally. He walloped CT Pan four and two in Sunday's singles, which came after he was six up in the first seven holes. The boo boys suddenly didn't have as much to say when he was rolling in birdie after birdie.

And the Americans never looked back, owning eight of the 12 points on the final day to seal a predictable outcome for an unpredictable Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne. Reed wasn't laughing afterwards, but he lasted longest.

"I think the biggest thing is with what went down [on Saturday with Karain] and really how the whole week was, it was tough," said Reed, who has embroiled in the Bahamas cheating scandal after he was penalised two shots for improving his lie in a waste bunker.

"Golf was tough. If you get up in your match, the crowd will be pretty quiet. I was able to do that and silence a couple. First off, today was a new day. I knew coming out today that I had to go out and play golf, especially going out early. Had to go out and get red on the board and earn my point and try to keep momentum on our side and get the guys going."

He did. By the time it got to the Australians and International stars Adam Scott, Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman later in the session it was almost too late.

Scott still hasn't beaten the United States in nine Presidents Cup appearances, running into a red-hot Xander Schauffele in his two and one singles defeat. He wants to be back, but will he ever win one of these?

"It's gutting at the moment," Scott said. "I guess we got off to a slow start [on Sunday] and couldn't get out of that hole and couldn't get the matches in early enough. Once that US train gets rolling it's a tough one to stop. There are some things now that I feel can only get better for us, and for guys who have bought in this year, will definitely want back in [in] a couple years - and I hope to be there as well."

The always controversial Patrick Reed shone again for the US on the final day of the Presidents Cup.Credit: Getty

Smith will remember the day for a long time. He was one of only two International players to win their singles matches, beating world No.4 Justin Thomas two and one. He punched the air in excitement after his match-sealing putt on the 17th, then realised what was happening around him.

"[There was] so much emotion in the match and after the match as well," he said. "I don't think I've ever been so excited and then kind of really gutted in the space of a few minutes. [I get] lots of confidence to take from the week. I felt as though I played good, but we're here for one goal and it kind of stings not to get it."