The Internationals are five points away from making history. Geoff Ogilvy’s team will face the twelve singles matches of the Presidents Cup this Sunday with a three-point lead over United States (10.5-7.5) and in a completely unprecedented scenario: it is the first time in the competition’s history that the International team arrives leading into the singles day playing away from home.
But no one should expect a quiet Sunday at Medinah. Not because of what’s at stake, nor because of the venue, nor because of the atmosphere being built around the course. It was here, in 2012, that Europe produced the so-called ‘Miracle of Medinah’, coming back from 10-6 against United States in the singles to win the Ryder Cup 14.5-13.5. And this Sunday the home crowd will have a very special guest: the President of United States, Donald Trump, is expected to attend the deciding day of the Presidents Cup, which has forced the organisation to considerably bolster security measures.
From a strictly sporting point of view, the Internationals need five of the twelve available points to reach 15.5 and claim a Presidents Cup they have only won once and have been denied since that distant 1998 edition. United States, as defending champions, need 7.5 to reach the 15 points that would allow them to retain the trophy in the event of a tie and eight to surpass their rivals.
The captains have already put their cards on the table. Ogilvy will open the day with Ryo Hisatsune against Cameron Young, precisely one of the most inspired American players on Saturday. Young won his two matches alongside Chris Gotterup, including a convincing 6&4 in the afternoon foursomes.
The second match will pit Tom Kim against Wyndham Clark, before some of the big American names appear. Corey Conners will play Justin Thomas in the third match and Nico Echavarría will face Scottie Scheffler in the fourth. An especially attractive duel after Brandt Snedeker decided to rest the world No. 1 in Saturday afternoon’s foursomes.
The twelve singles matches on Sunday are as follows:
Ryo Hisatsune – Cameron Young
Tom Kim – Wyndham Clark
Corey Conners – Justin Thomas
Nico Echavarría – Scottie Scheffler
Sungjae Im – Sam Burns
Christiaan Bezuidenhout – Chris Gotterup
Hideki Matsuyama – Collin Morikawa
Adam Scott – Patrick Cantlay
Si Woo Kim – Jackson Koivun
Min Woo Lee – Jacob Bridgeman
Nick Taylor – Russell Henley
Ryan Fox – Xander Schauffele
The distribution chosen by the two captains also leaves plenty of dynamite for the second half. Ogilvy has placed in the last four matches Si Woo Kim, Min Woo Lee, Nick Taylor and Ryan Fox, four players who have had a significant impact during the week. Taylor and Fox were precisely the protagonists of the two comebacks that allowed the Internationals to draw the Saturday afternoon foursomes and retain their three-point lead.
Snedeker, for his part, spreads his main figures throughout the session. Thomas will go out third, Scheffler fourth, Morikawa seventh, Cantlay eighth and Xander Schauffele will be tasked with closing the Presidents Cup against Fox if the competition is still alive by the final match.
And everything will take place under extraordinary security conditions. The Presidents Cup has announced a special device due to the planned visit of Donald Trump. The gates of Medinah Country Club will open at 8.00 and the organisation has asked spectators to arrive well in advance and keep personal belongings to an absolute minimum.
There will be security checks similar to those of the TSA around the grandstand at the 1st tee and its adjacent areas. Fans who leave those areas will have to go through the checks again to re-enter and the organisation also warns of possible restrictions or temporary interruptions to movement within the venue for security reasons.
The grandstand at the 1st tee will also have a special access system using wristbands RFID which will be distributed from the opening of the gates to reserve places on a first-come, first-served basis. Spectators who leave the area will have to return and validate their wristband again before 9.45 to keep their seat.
Everything is therefore set for a very special Sunday. The International team had never reached this point in a Presidents Cup played on rival soil: leaders before the singles and five points from victory.
But they are in Medinah. The same place where fourteen years ago a four-point lead vanished in a matter of hours. And this time they will face twelve Americans, thousands of fans and even the President of United States trying to turn Sunday into home territory
