The size of the task facing Geoff Ogilvy’s team of Internationals at Medinah this week is perhaps best served by recalling what happened two years ago.
The United States continued their dominance of the Presidents Cup by claiming an 18½-11½ win over the International team to seal a 10th straight title.
The US led 11-7 before the final day's 12 singles matches, needing just 4½ points on the final day to successfully defend the trophy in Canada.
Keegan Bradley beat Kim Si-woo to secure the winning point at Royal Montreal, with the US winning six of the singles matches and halving three.
"Wow, that was incredible," said Bradley, who would go on to captain the USA at the Ryder Cup in New York last year. "I didn't know if I would get to do this again and to be able to just play in this tournament, and to win the point... my goodness.
"The last time I played (2014), I was the point to lose the Ryder Cup. If this is my last round as a player - maybe it is - I'm happy with that."
(Image Credit: Rolex/Chris Turvey)
Xander Schauffele set the Americans on their way with a 4&3 victory over Australian Jason Day in the opening contest.
"My goal was just to set the tone, to get [American] red up on that board as early as possible, and I was able to do that," Schauffele told NBC. Schauffele, who won two major championships in 2024, finished the week with a 4-1-0 record, as did team-mates Patrick Cantlay and Collin Morikawa.
Bradley's only previous Presidents Cup appearance was when the US won in Ohio in 2013 and his two Ryder Cup appearances were defeats by Europe in 2012 and 2014.
"I'm so proud of the team and proud of being here," he said. "We're going to copy a lot of what [captain] Jim Furyk did this week [at the Ryder Cup]. He set a culture here for us, and we're going to carry that over into Bethpage. I hope a lot of these 12 are on that team."
Europe, of course, recorded a famous victory on American soil, with Bradley still struggling to come to terms with yet more Ryder Cup heartbreak.
All 12 players on the US team were ranked in the world's top 25, compared to four of the International players. South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout (2-1-0) was the only International player with a winning record.
"We talked about being a dog all week, being the tougher team," Furyk added. "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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