Kim Si-woo is International team's top scorer at Presidents Cup

Korean golfers Kim Si-woo, Kim Joo-hyung, Im Sung-jae and Lee Kyoung-hoon put in a solid performance at the 2022 Presidents Cup, recording some impressive personal results despite the International team ultimately losing to the United States.

From left: Lee Kyoung-hoon, Kim Joo-hyung, Kim Si-woo and Im Sung-jae pose for a photo after the four-ball matches of the 2022 Presidents Cup on Saturday at Quail Hollow Club, in Charlotte, North Carolina. [EPA/YONHAP]

Korean golfers Kim Si-woo, Kim Joo-hyung, Im Sung-jae and Lee Kyoung-hoon put in a solid performance at the 2022 Presidents Cup, recording some impressive personal results despite the International team ultimately losing to the United States.

Despite the effort, it wasn't enough to prevent the United States from winning with 17.5 to 12.5 after the five rounds.

The Presidents Cup is a biennial four-day match play event that pits a 12-man International team against a 12-man United States team. The International team is represented by players from anywhere in the world apart from the United States and Europe.

A record four Koreans were part of the International Team, alongside eight other players from Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Japan and South Africa.

A win is worth one point, for a total of 30 points across the entire tournament. As each side receives a half-point for tied matches, there are no playoffs. The first team to reach 15.5 points wins the Presidents Cup.

That team turned out to be the United States team, as the International Team ended the 2022 Presidents Cup five points behind. All four Koreans were able to contribute to the team’s total of 12.5 points. Kim Si-woo added three points, making him the highest-scoring member of the team, Im added 2.5 points and Kim Joo-hyung and Lee both added two points.

During the first round played as five foursome matches on Thursday, the United States took a three-point lead, with just Kim Si-woo and Cam Davis able to add points for the International Team, defeating Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns. In the third match, the two players who entered their first-ever Presidents Cup, Kim Joo-hyung and Lee, were beaten by Cameron Young and Collin Morikawa of the United States team two-and-one.

The International Team were able to add one point in the second round that was played as five four-ball matches on Friday. Im paired up with Sebastian Munoz to tie with Scheffler and Burns in Match 7, while Kim Joo-hyung paired up with Hideki Matsuyama but lost three-and-two.

Lee Kyoung-hoon, left, and Kim Joo-hyung line up a putt on the 12th green during their foursomes match at the 2022 Presidents Cup at the Quail Hollow Club on Saturday. [AP/YONHAP]

In round three on Saturday morning, Lee and Kim Joo-hyung came together to defeat Scheffler and Burns two-and-one to win their first Presidents Cup points in Match 13. Im had lost alongside Corey Conners to Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas four-and-three.

In the fourth round the following afternoon, Kim Si-woo and Kim Joo-hyung added a point for the International Team, defeating Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele one-up while Im also added another alongside Munoz, defeating Tony Finau and Kevin Kinser three-and-two.

But it was the fifth and final round that saw Kim Si-woo really pulled out the big guns for his team, defeating world No. 7 Thomas one-up in the first singles match of the day.

Kim Si-woo tries to quiet the crowd after winning the 15th hole as the United States wins the Presidents Cup in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday. [UPI/YONHAP]

Going into the Presidents Cup, Kim Si-woo and Thomas were the two players in the field that had previously won the Players Championship. The two Players Championship winners were tied on Sunday as they headed to the last hole where Kim Si-woo made a birdie putt from 10 feet and Thomas gave in to the pressure, missing a slighter shorter nine foot and nine inches putt.

Im Sung-jae lines up his putt on the seventh green during the 2022 Presidents Cup singles matches on Sunday at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. [AFP/YONHAP]

Following Kim Si-woo’s victory, Im and Lee also added wins of their own on Sunday. Im first defeated Cameron Young one-up, not conceding the lead once in the match, while Lee defeated Billy Horschel three-and-one, ending the match in 17 holes.

Only Kim Joo-hyung was unable to add a singles victory point for the team, with Max Homa defeating him one-up. Kim Joo-hyung had led three-up after the first 11 holes, but Homa won the next four to clinch the win.

“I've never been this [under] pressure, even when I won the Players Championship,” Kim Si-woo said after the match on Sunday.

“It's a really hard match. It's really special for me because I played J.T. in the WGC Match Play like three years ago, and I finished at the 13th hole, and I was a little emotional. But this time, I got my revenge. I kept the pressure on him. I love to play, like, team matches. And Tom Kim gave me good energy yesterday, and I believe I can do this. I did it.”

The Presidents Cup ran from Thursday to Sunday at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]