The United States got off to a blistering start at the Presidents Cup to open lead 4-1 lead over the International Team on Thursday.
Setting the tone for the United States in the foursomes was the pairing of Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele – who are the reigning champions at the only other team event on the PGA Tour calendar, winning at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans this past season.
Matched up against Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, the Americans were a well-oiled machine, going 4up through the first seven holes, including a string of three consecutive birdies.
While they were the authors of their own early success, the International duo fell apart on the back nine, with three consecutive bogeys handing the United States three more holes, ending the contest at 6 and 5.
The rest of the matches were far more competitive, with Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas edging the duo of Corey Conners and Sung-jae Im 2 and 1.
Once again, the Americans got off to a flyer to be 3up through six holes, before the Internationals took two of the next three to tighten things up down the stretch.
The 15th hole decided the contest, after it appeared a poor drive and a mediocre chip that rolled to the fringe of the green would cost the United States, but some poor putting from the Internationals opened the door, with Thomas sinking a difficult one to swing the hole in their favour.
Tom Kim and Lee Kyoung-hoon were the only International team to draw first blood, going 1up on the second hole, but they would finish the front nine trailing by two as Cameron Young and Collin Morikawa responded swiftly.
Back-to-back hole wins on the 11th and 12th for the Internationals tied things up, but again the United States were quick to snatch back the ascendancy on the very next hole, closing things out with a birdie on the 17th for a 2 and 1 triumph.
Max Homa and Tony Finau had to wait until the very last hole to secure their win against Taylor Pendrith and Mito Pereira after the Internationals levelled the contest with five to play.
After four consecutive shared holes, Pendrith's approach on the last found the bunker, and they were not able to salvage a par as the Americans kept it clean with a comfortable two-putt for the 1up win.
The Internationals' only win came from the duo of South Korea's Kim Si-woo and Australia's Cam Davis against world number one Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns, emerging as 2up victors.
It was a great fightback after the United States led most of the round – 3up after seven holes, and 2up through 14 – as the Internationals won the final four holes to snatch a point.
Friday will see the teams go head-to-head in the four-ball format.
Young delighted to 'feel like himself' after Hero World Challenge opening round
Cameron Young holds a two-shot lead after the first round of the Hero World Challenge, which is being hosted by Tiger Woods in the Bahamas.
The 27-year-old shot eight under par with no bogeys on Thursday, which gave him a lead over Justin Thomas, who birdied four of the last five holes.
Young is number 38 in the world rankings and was named the 2022 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, but has not yet won a PGA title.
The American was understandably pleased with his start to the tournament.
"It's a nice thing to come out and just feel like yourself," he said.
"Really happy with it. I feel like with the driver I was just really comfortable and that's a huge key out here.
"I'm sure I missed a fairway or two, but for the most part I was really well in position. Then I made a couple putts early, which was nice."
Elsewhere, defending champion and world number one Scottie Scheffler is on five under through the first round, three shots back on Young.
Scheffler is tied with Ludvig Aberg, Sahith Theegala, Patrick Cantlay and Akshay Bhatia.
Woods, who is the host and a 15-time major winner, was forced to miss the tournament having been originally expected to take an exemption spot – the tournament itself features 20 of the world's top players.
While there was no official reason given for Woods' absence, a lengthy injury history has ensured a limited competition schedule in recent years.
Dealing with 'unfair expectations' just 'part of the gig' for McIlroy
Rory McIlroy knows dealing with "unfair expectations" comes with the territory as one of golf's star names.
The four-time major winner was close to ending his long wait for a fifth such title at the U.S. Open earlier this year, but suffered a heartbreaking near-miss.
Bryson DeChambeau capitalised on McIlroy's wobble, and the Northern Irishman has now not won a major for a decade, with his last triumph arriving at the 2014 PGA Championship.
McIlroy had previously won the 2011 U.S. Open, the PGA Championship in 2023 and The Open two years later.
"I'm hard on myself, but at the same time, I try very hard to focus on the positives and move forward," McIlroy told Sky Sports.
"I learn from my mistakes and then move on, because that's all you can do in any walk of life.
"I think what the hard thing is in my position is your disappointments and your mistakes keep getting brought up to you every time that you get in front of a camera or you're in a press conference or answering questions. That's the tough part of this gig.
"At the same time, I am in a very fortunate position that this is what I get to do for a living. If I have to deal with what people deem are unfair expectations or are held to a higher standard than others, then so be it.
"I'd much rather have it this way than if people didn't really care about what I was doing on the golf course."
The 35-year-old has been nominated for the 2024 PGA Tour Player of the Year award and won his sixth Race to Dubai last month.
But McIlroy knows his slip-up at the U.S. Open is what will stand out from his campaign.
He had a comfortable lead at eight-under, but three bogeys allowed DeChambeau to win by a single shot. McIlroy took time away from the sport in the wake of the tournament.
"It's hard because, on one hand, I sit here, and I'm proud of what I've done this year, but then, on the other hand, I sit here, and I am disappointed because of the ones I've let get away," McIlroy said.
"I'd say it was a combination of everything. I wouldn't say it's specifically the putts. I wouldn't say it's specifically the club choices - I think it's a combination.
"The putt on 16 was probably the one that I'll look back on most that I'll regret. But I think if I had made par on 15, do I miss that putt on 16? Also, with the last few holes and with the way Pinehurst flows, I was waiting for Bryson to hit his shots.
"You're very aware of what's happening behind you and I needed to do a better job of trying to block that out and I didn't. It's hard enough just having to concentrate on yourself and focus on what you're doing.
"Whenever your attention is taken away by focusing and looking at what your competitor does, it makes it even more difficult," he added.
Rory McIlroy looks ahead to 2025 and 'unfinished business' with Portrush
Rory McIlroy is already looking ahead to 2025 and the "unfinished business" he has at Royal Portrush.
The past year has been up and down for the four-time major winner, who won the DP World Tour's Dubai Desert Classic, DP World Championship, Zurich Classic and Wells Fargo Championship and recorded seven top-10 finishes.
But he suffered heartbreak at the U.S. Open where he led by two with four to play before bogeying three of the final four holes at Pinehurst No.2, as Bryson DeChambeau claimed a second major title.
McIlroy has not won a major for over 10 years and in July will return to his home course at Portrush for the 153rd Open, where he missed the cut back in 2019.
The 35-year-old, speaking to Sky Sports, addressed what is to come next year, including the return to Portrush.
"I love that we're playing the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in May, which is typically when we played the Wells Fargo," McIlroy said.
"It's when I know the golf course the best and I know that it's going to play, you know, the characteristics.
"I can't wait to go back to Portrush, because I feel like I've got some unfinished business there from last time, and we'll obviously go back to Augusta for The Masters.
"I think the one thing that probably won't get enough credit, because I've not won the US Open, is that I feel like I've become such a such a better player at US Open venues.
"So 2016, when we last played at Oakmont, where the US Open is, I missed the cut. I missed the cut in 2017 at the US Open and I missed the cut of 2018 in the US Open, but since then I've made a real effort to try to change what I did and how I approached playing that championship.
"From 2019 all the way through to this year in 2024, I feel like I've had a chance to win the US Open every Sunday that I've played there since, so I'm really proud of that. I'm looking forward to going back to a golf course that I struggled at before to see if I can figure it out."
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