Whatever happens on Sunday at Royal Montreal, one of the moments that the 2024 Presidents Cup is going to be remembered for, without doubt, is the shot Si-woo Kim hit on 16 on Saturday evening.
Few will ever forget Si-woo Kim doing his best Steph Curry impression after finding the bottom of the cup to win the hole and take the Internationals back to all square in the crucial match against Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele.
The Internationals had a tough day at Royal Montreal, with USA winning both sessions 3-1 to put one hand on the cup. With that, that bottom match seemed absolutely crucial, with Tom Kim and Si-woo Kim looking to deliver such an important point.
It had appeared that Tom Kim had put his team in big trouble. The South Koreans were already 1 down when Kim put his ball in the upslope on the short side of the 16th green. Few would have imagined that the Internationals would even get a half from the hole, let alone win it.
What Patrick Cantlay said after Si-woo Kim’s chip on 16
But after the ball was found, Si-woo Kim produced the most outrageous shot – with a celebration to match as he sprinted around the 16th green. Unsurprisingly, it proved to be a real sickener for Schauffele and Cantlay.
The American pair would go on to win the match, with Cantlay holing out for birdie on the 18th. And speaking after the round, Schauffele shared what their immediate reaction to Kim holing out was.
“Hurt more than I thought it would,” he said.
“P.C. and I were on the back of the green. Si Woo’s unbelievable. He hit some unbelievable shots. He hit a couple loose tee shots, but then man, his recovery shots after Tom laid them up were insane.
“Pat and I were sitting back there, we both have matchplay minds, and we both said Si Woo’s going to get this up-and-down, and then he holed it. Pat looked at me and said, I guess four is not enough; we’re going to make some birdies. That’s exactly what P.C. did coming in.”
A man for the biggest moments
Cantlay just seems to be a machine at times. He is generally so consistent, and will probably take the tag Schauffele seemed to have for a long time before he won his first major. But that is now two massive putts that he has holed on the 18th in the final match before the singles in two years.
Of course, everyone remembers that remarkable match involving Rory McIlroy last year in Rome, and that putt in the darkness on Saturday in Canada could be so important.
Not only do the Americans have a four point lead, but they also have all of the momentum after winning the last three games out on the course on Saturday.
Certainly, Taylor Pendrith is going to need his best round of the week if he hopes to stop Cantlay taking another point on Sunday.
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