2022 Presidents Cup: A Sunday Miracle at Quail Hollow?

Suddenly everything is just a bit more interesting at the 2022 Presidents Cup. What once looked like becoming a certain landslide victory for the United States over the International Team is now anything but.

Trevor Immelman’s side have fought and battled all week long and on Saturday they finally began to reap some of the benefits. Down 8-2 coming into the third day of the competition things were looking incredibly bleak for the International side.

The heavy underdogs needed something to go their way if only to avoid a demoralizing and record-breaking defeat to the Americans this week. The fact that the International Team had to begin the third day of play with another Foursomes session only appeared to make the task at hand all that more difficult.

Coming into this year’s Presidents Cup the Internationals had been outscored by the Americans by 30 in the format and had not won a Foursomes session since 2015 as Justin Ray highlighted on Twitter earlier in the week. 

That record did not improve on day one of the 2022 Presidents Cup either after Trevor Immelman’s side were beaten 4-1 during this year’s opening session.

The International Team needed something to break their way and on Saturday morning something finally did.

Down and in a close match against the U.S.A’s Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young; Hideki Matsuyama and Adam Scott went on a remarkable run over the final seven holes of their Foursomes match.

The duo won four of the final seven holes to completely turn the match on its head and secure the point for captain Immelman’s squad. After the International team dropped the first match of the session; Scott and Hideki had leveled the scoreline.

Their comeback victory was enough to change the momentum of the early session and the two teams would split Foursomes 2-2. It was the first session all week that the International side had avoided defeat.

International Presidents Cup Team Maintains Momentum.

Momentum spilled over into the afternoon Four-Ball session and Trevor Immelman’s group secured their first session victory over the Americans in this year’s Presidents Cup. A deficit that was once six has been trimmed to four heading into Sunday’s Singles session, the last of the 2022 Presidents Cup competition.

The U.S. Team are still significant favorites to hoist the cup come Sunday evening, (93.2% win probability) per Data Golf, but the International side still has a chance and that was something that looked like early in the week may not have even carried over into the final day.

The Internationals trail 11-7 going into Sunday and need 8.5 points to win the Presidents Cup.

They essentially need to produce their own Medinah Miracle to win the cup and will need to beat the Americans by a margin of five or greater during Sunday’s Singles session to accomplish what would be one the greatest moments in sports history.

Back in 2012, the Europeans trailed the U.S. by four points heading into Sunday of the Ryder Cup, what unfolded was one of the most remarkable and memorable moments in sports history.

The Europeans produced a ‘Miracle at Medinah’ winning 8.5 points during Sunday’s session to stun the Americans and win the cup.

Is it probable that the International Team accomplishes this on Sunday? no. But is it impossible? also no.

Paul Lawrie who was part of the European side on that memorable day in 2012 recounted the incredible moment in a golf monthly article back in 2018 saying:

"“It was a comeback that actually began the evening before. We were all buzzing when we came in off the course after watching Ian Poulter birdie the last five holes to win his four-ball match alongside Rory McIlroy. The atmosphere in the team room was transformed, even if we were actually further behind than we had been 24 hours earlier. Courtesy of Ian’s heroics, we knew we had a lifeline.”"

It all sounds not too dissimilar from what happened for the International Team on Saturday, doesn’t it?

The suddenly depleted International squad coming into this year’s Presidents Cup can take great pride in their performance this week regardless of the final outcome on Sunday.

What once appeared a lifeless competition has been given new life and Sunday’s action is once again must-see TV, because you never know, you might just be watching history in the making once again.