Presidents Cup Round 1: Recap Thursday's Four-ball matches

The 15th Presidents Cup is off and running at The Royal Montreal Golf Cub. It was a red wave, as the U.S. scored five full points on Thursday. U.S. stalwarts Xander Schauffele and Tony Finau were first on the board as they took down Internationals Jason Day and Byeong Hun An. Russell Henley and Scottie Scheffler followed with a 3-and-2 takedown of South Koreans Tom Kim and Sungjae Im. Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala scored another full point for the U.S. Team with a 1-up win over Australians Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee. Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns struck another blow for the U.S. with a 2-and-1 win over Hideki Matsuyama and Corey Conners. Keegan Bradley and Wyndham Clark sealed the deal with a 1-up win over Taylor Pendrith and Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

A total of five Four-ball matches were played in Thursday's opening round. Read below for recaps from each of Thursday's Four-ball matches:

Match 1

Xander Schauffele/Tony Finau (U.S.) def. Jason Day/Byeong Hun An (International), 1-up
Recap: Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele of the U.S. Team secured a hard-fought, 1-up victory on the 18th hole over the International Team's Byeong Hun An and Jason Day. The match began with a strong start from the Internationals, as Day sank a 25-foot putt on the first hole to take an early lead. However, Schauffele and Finau quickly responded, winning the second hole to level the match. On the seventh hole, a 160-yard par 3, both teams displayed their skill. An holed out from 17 feet from the primary rough, only to be matched by Finau sinking a 10-footer for birdie.

The Americans began to pull away in the middle of the round, winning Nos. 8 and 10 to take a 2-up lead. On the 14th hole, Finau made a 31-foot hole-out from the rough, further solidifying their position. However, the Internationals showed great resilience, winning back-to-back holes on 15 and 16 to square the match with just two holes to play. On the par-3 17th, Schauffele made birdie to regain the lead for the U.S. Both teams then birdied the final hole.

Match 2

Collin Morikawa/Sahith Theegala (U.S.) def. Adam Scott/Min Woo Lee (International), 1-up
Recap: The U.S. duo of Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala emerged with a 1-up victory against the International Team's Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott. The American team set the tone early, as Morikawa sank a 19-foot putt to win the first hole, demonstrating the precision that would characterize much of their play throughout the round.

The match saw several lead changes and ties throughout the round. Scott and Lee managed to level the score on the fourth hole and even took the lead after the sixth. After briefly squaring the match on No. 7, the Internationals took the lead back at No. 8 and held it through 11 holes. A pivotal moment came on the 12th hole, which Morikawa birdied to square the match. They then took the lead on the 14th hole, with Morikawa securing another birdie. From there, the U.S. held onto its slim advantage, maintaining its 1-up lead through the 18th hole to clinch the victory.

Match 3

Scottie Scheffler/Russell Henley (U.S.) def. Sungjae Im/Tom Kim (International), 3 and 2
Recap: The U.S. Team’s Russell Henley and Scottie Scheffler secured a 3-and-2 victory over the International Team's Sungjae Im and Tom Kim in what proved to be an electric match.

Henley, making his Presidents Cup debut, kicked it off with a bang, sinking a 15-foot birdie putt on the first hole. Henley and Scheffler proved to be a formidable duo, winning four holes to Im and Kim’s one. Good friends Scheffler and Kim went head-to-head all day. On the par-3 seventh hole, Kim drained a 27-foot birdie putt only to be matched by Scheffler’s 28-footer. Scheffler and Kim halved another hole with putts from 25 and 21 feet, respectively, on the par-4 10th.

The U.S. Team extended their lead on the 14th hole to 2-up. On the 15th, Henley drained a 20-foot birdie to extend the lead to 3-up with three holes to play. The match ended on the 16th hole when both teams parred.

Match 4

Wyndham Clark/Keegan Bradley (U.S.) def. Taylor Pendrith/Christiaan Bezuidenhout (International), 1-up
Recap: Keegan Bradley and Wyndham Clark delivered a final blow against the International Team, winning 1-up against Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Taylor Pendrith on the 18th hole. The American pair took an early lead thanks to an 11-foot birdie putt from Bradley on the first hole. Clark, making his Presidents Cup debut, extended their lead with a birdie on the short par-3 seventh.

The International Team fought back as Canadian Pendrith made birdies on the eighth and 10th holes to square up the match. Bradley brought the fireworks with a 35-foot hole-out birdie on No. 13 and the U.S. Team never relinquished the lead again. Bradley sealed the victory with a 19-foot birdie putt on the final hole.

Match 5

Patrick Cantlay/Sam Burns (U.S.) def. Hideki Matsuyama/Corey Conners (International), 2 and 1
Recap: The U.S. team of Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay notched a 2-and-1 victory over the International Team’s Corey Conners and Hideki Matsuyama. The match began with a strong start by the International Team, as Conners sank a 15-foot putt for birdie on the first hole, giving his team an early 1-up lead, which they maintained through the first four holes.

The U.S. pulled square on the fifth hole, a 232-yard par 3, thanks to a birdie from Cantlay. From there, Burns and Cantlay seized control, winning the sixth hole to take their first lead of the day. Although Matsuyama leveled the match again with a 22-foot birdie putt on the seventh, Cantlay's birdie on the eighth hole put the Americans 1-up, a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the match.

The back nine saw Burns and Cantlay extend their lead to 2-up with a crucial birdie on the 13th hole, where Burns sank a 10-foot putt. The U.S. maintained its advantage to close the match, 2 and 1, on hole 17.

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