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Scott vows to continue career-long Presidents Cup quest

Scott vows to continue career-long Presidents Cup quest

Playing in his 11th edition of the biennial clash and yet to taste victory, the in-form Scott was among the Internationals’ stronger performers as he played all five sessions for a 2-3 record.

But once again Australia’s former world No.1 felt that familiar losing feeling as the Americans triumphed 18.5 to 11.5 in Montreal – their largest margin of victory on foreign soil.

In the final day’s 12 singles matches, the U.S took 7.5 points out of 12, sealing victory early when Keegan Bradley outlasted Si Woo Kim 1 up in the sixth match.

No great surprise given all 12 U.S players went in ranked in the world’s top 25 while the Internationals had only four – Hideki Matsuyama, Scott, Sungjae Im and Tom Kim.

The U.S have now won 13 times in the 15 editions of the Cup since its inception in 1994. The lone International victory came in Australia in 1998, while the 2003 event in South Africa was tied as Scott debuted.

The International team have been hard hit by the loss of some valuable players like Cameron Smith who joined LIV Golf.

However, 20 of the 30 matches at Royal Montreal – nine of them on Sunday – were not decided until at least the 17th hole.

And 44-year-old Scott is adamant the Internationals have developed something extra in recent times and says he’ll do his best to return for the next edition at Medinah, outside Chicago, in 2026.

“Like I said before, I believe there’s something happening with this team internally under this Shield (emblem),” said Scott, who has won a record 23 career points for the Internationals.

“I’d love to push along and give it one more shot if I can.

“I have a lot of fun with these guys. I told them at the start of the week it’s them who is motivating me and inspiring me to make this team.

“The standard of golf is so high, and it’s getting harder for me to keep up, but it’s them that I look to see what the standard is that I need to compete and be on this team.”

Needing only 4.5 points on Sunday, the result was never really in doubt after Xander Schauffele posted an emphatic 4-and-3 victory over Jason Day.

Former world No.1 Day finished with a win and two losses after being overlooked by Internationals team captain Mike Weir for both of Saturday’s sessions.

Fellow Australian Min Woo Lee, unused for the previous two days, tied with Wyndham Clark in the eighth match with the Cup already lost.

Scott lost his singles to Collin Morikawa 2 and 1 in the 10th match after the Cup had been decided about an hour earlier.

South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout (2-1-0) was the only International to finish with a winning record, but also did not play on Saturday.

Canadian Weir joined a long list of losing International captains and may long wonder if he erred in playing the same four pairings in both sessions of a Saturday marathon in the wake of Friday’s great 5-0 comeback to level at 5-5.

“A lot of these matches were so close. It’s disappointing not to get a win. We put our team together to win this thing,” Weir said.

“I’m going to be thinking about things I could have done differently. I think that’s human nature when you don’t win … I’ll have plenty of time to do that after.”

Furyk was delighted at the poise his U.S players showed late in matches.

“These players were amazing,” Furyk said.

“We talked about being a dog all week, being the tougher team. Those back nine holes, if you look at how many holes won and lost, I’ve got to feel we owned the back nine this week and that was the difference.”


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