Golf

Australian golfer Adam Scott, who has been mentored by LIV Golf Commissioner Greg Norman, doesn't consider the Saudi-backed breakaway league a bad thing for the game.

"Definitely not," Scott said when asked if he felt any animosity toward Norman and LIV Golf, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

He added: "This is something he [Norman] truly believes in and I don't begrudge him for going for it one bit at all. Sure, it's rocked the orders of golf, which has never really happened in this way before. But I'm optimistic that people's [intentions] are still good, and therefore we will come to a better place."

Scott, who has no intention of joining LIV Golf, added that he still has great friendships with fellow countrymen Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman, who left the PGA Tour to join the breakaway circuit.

"I completely understand anyone doing it," he said. "They've been offered an opportunity, and it suits them. All power to them. I really want it to work out for them."

Many talented golfers have joined LIV Golf over the last year, deciding to leave the PGA Tour in the rearview mirror, including Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka. Those players have since been banned from the PGA Tour by commissioner Jay Monahan.

Many players that made the switch have been criticized for joining the league because of Saudi Arabia's history of human rights abuses. The country has also been accused of "sportswashing," an attempt to improve its image through sports.

LIV Golf and several of its players have since filed a lawsuit against the PGA Tour to challenge the bans and other restrictions placed on players who joined the Saudi-backed league.

The PGA Tour is countersuing LIV Golf, writing in a court filing that its counterclaim was filed because of "tortious inducement of numerous, repeated breaches of contract" by former PGA Tour members. It also accuses Mickelson and DeChambeau of recruiting PGA Tour members to join LIV Golf.

The PGA Tour is in the midst of the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi. LIV Golf's next event kicks off Oct. 7 at the Stonehill Golf Course in Bangkok.

A PGA Tour countersuit filed against LIV Golf on Wednesday alleges the rival league urged players to breach their contracts in a battle for top talent.

ESPN's Mark Schalch reported Thursday the PGA Tour's legal filing, which is a response to LIV Golf's antitrust allegations, states LIV offered players "astronomical sums of money to induce them to breach their contracts with the Tour in an effort to use the LIV Players and the game of golf to sportswash the recent history of Saudi atrocities and to further the Saudi Public Investment Fund's Vision 2030 initiatives."

The lawsuit also alleged deals offered by LIV, which is financially backed by Saudi Arabia, "impose contractual restrictions on the LIV players more onerous in scope and duration than any of the Tour regulations they challenge," per Schlabach.

Along with the dueling lawsuits, the U.S. Justice Department opened an investigation in July to determine whether the PGA Tour violated any antitrust laws with its treatment of players who made the move to LIV Golf.

The Tour has indefinitely banned players who've competed in a LIV event, a stance commissioner Jay Monahan said in August will remain in place despite objections.

"No," Monahan said when asked whether he'd reconsider the suspensions.

After some pointed remarks from golfers on both sides of the battle, star players in each corner have signaled it may be time to start bringing an end to the proverbial cold war.

LIV cornerstone Phil Mickelson argued in mid-September the new league is "here to stay," so it's time to work toward ways to co-exist.

"The best solution is for us to come together," Lefty said. "I think that the world of professional golf has a need for the old historical 'history of the game' product that the PGA Tour provides. I think that LIV provides a really cool, updated feel that is attracting a lot younger crowds."

PGA star Rory McIlroy, one of the most outspoken critics of LIV at the outset, continued to soften his stance on the subject Wednesday, though he noted the legal battle is an issue.

"I've always said I think there is a time and a place where everyone that's involved here should sit down and try to work together," McIlroy said. "It's very hard for that to happen right now when there's two lawsuits going on."

There were no signs of a thaw in the PGA Tour's countersuit, however, which described LIV Golf's original lawsuit as a "cynical effort to avoid competition" while calling the claims "baseless and entirely without legal merit," per Schlabach.

"The Tour has made these counterclaims in a transparent effort to divert attention from their anti-competitive conduct, which LIV and the players detail in their 104-page complaint," LIV Golf said in a statement. "We remain confident that the courts and the justice system will right these wrongs."

Meanwhile, their respective schedules roll on. The PGA Tour opened the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi on Thursday, while LIV Golf's next event will tee off Oct. 7 in Thailand.

Patrick Reed has refiled his lawsuit against the Golf Channel and broadcaster Brandel Chamblee.

Brendan Quinn and Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic initially reported that Reed had dropped his initial suit, but it later emerged he had refiled it to include Damon Hack, Shane Bacon and Eamon Lynch of the Golf Channel, as well as its parent companies, Golfweek and Gannett.

Reed said in the initial lawsuit that Chamblee and the Golf Channel "conspired" with the PGA Tour and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan to "engage in a pattern and practice of defaming Mr. Reed" in an effort to "destroy (Reed's) reputation, create hate, and a hostile work environment for him, and with the intention to discredit his name and accomplishments."

The 32-year-old sought $750 million in actual and compensatory damages with the suit, alleging that actions by the network and broadcaster cost him numerous multimillion-dollar sponsorship opportunities.

In August, Reuters (h/t ESPN) noted Reed's lawyer sent Chamblee a cease-and-desist letter in an effort to get the broadcaster to stop saying the golfer cheated during a tournament even though he was penalized two strokes at the 2019 Hero World Challenge for improving his lie in a bunker.

Reed, who said he did not intentionally improve his lie, alleged fans have heckled him and accused him of being a cheater at tournaments because of Chamblee's commentary.

According to Quinn and Kaplan, "The refiled suit lists many of the same claims, including that Golf Channel and the station’s personalities have acted in 'a pattern and practice of defaming Mr. Reed, misreporting information with actual knowledge of falsity and/or reckless disregard of the truth, that is with actual and constitutional malice, purposely omitting pertinent key material facts to mislead the public, and actively targeting Mr. Reed since he was 23 years old, to destroy his reputation, create hate, and a hostile work environment for him, with the intention to discredit his name and accomplishments."

There was a time when Reed was one of the most promising young players on the PGA Tour. He has nine career PGA Tour titles, with the most famous one coming at the 2018 Masters. Reed won the green jacket by finishing one stroke ahead of Rickie Fowler and two strokes ahead of Jordan Spieth.

His last victory came in January 2021 at the Farmers Insurance Open.

However, Reed left the PGA Tour this year to join the competing LIV Golf series.

Reed's team, the 4 Aces, was victorious in the four LIV events he participated in, although he is yet to finish better than third place on an individual level.

Rory McIlroy called for a detente between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf amid their ongoing cold war.

"I don't want a fractured game," he said Wednesday, per Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig. "The game of golf is ripping itself apart, and that's no good for anyone. It's not good for the guys on the traditional system or the guys on the other side either.

"Right now, with where everything is, it's probably not the right time but we probably can't leave it too much longer. I'm all for getting around the table and sorting things out."

It was clear from the outset that LIV Golf presented a clear threat to the PGA Tour. The breakaway tour has already poached a number of marquee stars, and the trend may only intensify as it gains more legitimacy.

Golfweek's Eamon Lynch reported Tuesday that LIV was working on a deal to purchase air time on Fox Sports 1 for its events. Although Lynch noted paying Fox Sports for broadcast time "will be widely interpreted as a failure to attract serious commercial interest in what it is offering," the net effect is the same: LIV Golf will widen its reach by becoming more accessible to fans.

LIV has faced criticism because many see it as a way for Saudi Arabia to engage in sportswashing—using sports teams, leagues and events to distract from a nation's misdeeds and improve its reputation globally. The tour is owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which also purchased the Premier League's Newcastle United in 2021 and has hosted WWE events and Formula One races in the country.

The Saudi regime has been accused of numerous human rights violations, including the murder of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi, the jailing of dissidents, the bombing of Yemen and the oppression of women, girls and the LGBTQ+ community.

At some point, finding a way for the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to coexist could be the only path forward. For now, representatives from each side remain resolute.

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan told reporters in August he couldn't envision a scenario right now in which the tour lifts the suspensions levied against the golfers who signed with the LIV series.

"As I've been clear throughout, every player has a choice, and I respect their choice, but they've made it," he said. "We've made ours. We're going to continue to focus on the things that we control and get stronger and stronger. I think they understand that."

LIV CEO Greg Norman struck a similar tone in an interview with The Australian (via ESPN's Mark Schlabach).

"We have no interest in sitting down with them, to be honest with you, because our product is working," he said.

The golfers themselves are forced to draw similar battle lines as a result.

McIlroy lamented this month how his relationships with some Ryder Cup teammates have suffered because of the LIV Golf/PGA Tour split.

"I wouldn’t say I’ve got much of a relationship with them at the minute," he said. "... But, like, I haven’t done anything different. They are the ones that have made that decision. So I can sit here and keep my head held high and say I haven’t done anything differently."

LIV Golf has denied "incomplete and inaccurate" reports that it is nearing a television deal with Fox Sports to broadcast its tournaments on FS1.

LIV Golf calls recent reports about alleged broadcast deal with Fox Sports “incomplete and inaccurate.” LIV says in a a statement that it is involved in “active discussions” with several companies about broadcasting league. pic.twitter.com/Hm1MvLpPOs

— Al Butler (@ALaboutSports) September 28, 2022

That statement comes after Eamon Lynch of Golfweek reported that an agreement between LIV Golf and Fox is close, but it has yet to be finalized.

If the reported deal were to happen, it would see LIV pay Fox Sports for airtime rather than Fox paying LIV a rights fee, which typically doesn't happen in sports. LIV Golf would reportedly also be responsible for production and ad sales related to its tournaments.

Although LIV reportedly asked for a guaranteed time slot on network TV and a rights fee for the second year of any deal, that proposal was rejected by Fox.

While a deal with Fox could still be agreed upon, LIV says it is still currently in talks with "several" companies.

Until this point, viewers have only been able to watch LIV Golf's events streaming on YouTube or the LIV Golf website, which has perhaps capped its growth and prevented it from reaching the widest possible audience.

Still, LIV has been hugely impactful in the golf world, primarily because of its penchant for poaching big-name golfers from the PGA Tour.

Many notable players have made the leap from the PGA Tour to LIV, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka and Bubba Watson.

It can be argued that the biggest defection was that of world No. 3 Cameron Smith of Australia, who won a LIV tournament in Chicago this month.

LIV Golf, which is financially backed by Saudi Arabia's public investment fund, has been able to lure high-profile golfers thanks to large guaranteed contracts, massive tournament purses, a lighter schedule and shorter tournaments that last 54 holes rather than the traditional 72.

Critics argue the tour is one of several attempts by Saudi Arabia to engage in sportswashing—using sports teams, leagues and events to distract from a nation's misdeeds and improve its reputation globally.

Only three tournaments remain on LIV Golf's 2022 schedule. All of them will be held in October with Thailand, Saudi Arabia and Miami as the hosts.

Phil Mickelson, Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford and Ian Poulter requested to remove themselves from the antitrust complaint filed against the PGA Tour, according to Eric Prisbell of Sports Business Journal.

ESPN's Mark Schlabach provided a statement from LIV Golf spokesman Jonathan Grella, who said the development doesn't alter the ongoing case:

Nothing has changed. The merits of the case —  the PGA Tour's anti-competitive conduct — still stand and will be fully tested in court. And we look forward to that. LIV stands with the players whom the PGA Tour has treated so poorly, but we also recognize that to be successful, we no longer need a wide array of players to be on the suit. We have our players' backs and will press our case against the PGA Tour's anti-competitive behavior.

Mickelson indicated weeks earlier he was weighing whether to continue being a part of the suit.

"I haven't done anything yet, but now that LIV is involved, it's not necessary for me to be a part of it," he said on Sept. 15, per Schlabach. "I currently still am [part of the lawsuit]. I don't know what I'm really going to do. The only reason for me to stay in it is damages, which, I don't really want or need anything."

The six-time major champion was one of 11 golfers who filed the federal antitrust suit against the PGA Tour in August.

The lawsuit came after the Wall Street Journal's Louise Radnofsky and Andrew Beaton reported in July the Department of Justice was examining whether the PGA Tour violated any antitrust laws.

Among their claims, the plaintiffs in the suit allege the tour "threatened" golfers who pursued a move to LIV and applied pressure to other outside parties "to coerce players to abandon opportunities to play in LIV Golf events." The golfers also believe the indefinite suspension they received from the PGA Tour has damaged their careers.

The PGA Tour earned a minor legal victory on Aug. 9, when a federal judge declined to grant a temporary restraining order to Gooch, Swafford and Matt Jones that would've allowed them to compete in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

District Court Judge Beth Freeman determined the contracts the three signed with LIV Golf were "based upon players calculation of what they were leaving behind." As a result, they couldn't prove they were unduly harmed.

Charlie Woods continues to improve his golf game, especially with the help of superstar father Tiger Woods as a caddy.

The younger Woods shot a career-best 68 in the final round of the Notah Begay III Junior National Golf Championship on Sunday, helping him tie for fourth place in the Boys 12-13 division, via Cameron Jourdan of Golfweek.

Charlie finished Sunday's round with two birdies and an eagle on the back-nine after a slow start.

A career low round for Charlie Woods! 💪

Tiger was his caddie for the day too 🐯 pic.twitter.com/9ZLxLaQv1n

— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) September 26, 2022

"Dad told me to stay patient. I just played steady golf," Charlie said.

Charlie Woods discusses his low round of the day and career low round of 68(-4) with his Dad on the bag at the NB3 Last Chance Regional! #jgnc #nb3jgnc #seeyouatcoushatta @WilsonGolf @JuniorGolfHub @nikegolf @CoushattaResort pic.twitter.com/yB2FKMUlrM

— Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship (@nb3jgnc) September 25, 2022

Charlie Woods turned heads playing alongside his father in the PNC Championship, displaying similar mannerisms to Tiger. The 13-year-old proved at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, that he has a promising career on his own.

Of course, it also helps to have a 15-time major champion on the bag to provide guidance.

The U.S. team defeated the International Team to claim the 2022 Presidents Cup at at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Sunday as 12 singles matches determined the winner.

For the United States. 🏆#PresidentsCup || #USTeam pic.twitter.com/a9YGA6TKHm

— Presidents Cup (@PresidentsCup) September 25, 2022

The Americans, who entered leading the all-time series 11-1-1, held a massive 8-2 lead heading into the weekend. However, the International Team managed to close the gap on Saturday and entered Sunday's finale trailing 11-7.

Wins by Jordan Spieth, Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele secured the win for the United States.

The Presidents Cup is different from most golf tournaments in terms of prize money since it's a charity event. Each player received $150,000 to donate to charity.

Here's a look at Sunday's matchups and the results:

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Sunday Results

Si Woo Kim (INT) def. Justin Thomas (USA) 1-up

Jordan Spieth (USA) def. Cam Davis (INT) 4 and 3

Sam Burns (USA) tied Hideki Matsuyama (INT)

Patrick Cantlay (USA) def. Adam Scott (INT) 3 and 2

Sebastián Muñoz (INT) def. Scottie Scheffler (USA) 2 and 1

Tony Finau (USA) def. Taylor Pendrith (INT) 3 and 1

Xander Schauffele (USA) def. Corey Conners (INT) 1-up

Sungjae Im (INT) def. Cameron Young (USA) 1-up

K.H. Lee (INT) def. Billy Horschel (USA) 3 and 1

Max Homa (USA) def. Tom Kim (INT) 1-up

Collin Morikawa (USA) def. Mito Pereira 3 and 2

Christiaan Bezuidenhout (INT) def. Kevin Kisner (USA) 2 and 1

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Jordan Spieth kicked off the final round with a 4 and 3 win over Cam Davis, becoming the sixth player in Presidents Cup history to go 5-0-0 in a week. Before Sunday, Spieth was 0-6-1 in Ryder and Presidents Cup matches.

Sunday's match marked his first career singles win.

"I was more nervous than I probably should’ve been today, but I really wanted to get that monkey off my back," Spieth said after the match.

Spieth lost the first two holes before getting going with birdies on holes four and five. He and Davis were tied after nine, but Spieth ran away with the lead from there, winning six of the last seven holes on the back nine.

The 29-year-old's win gave the Americans a 12-7 lead.

JORDAN SPIETH.

Huge putt from @JordanSpieth to go 3-up in Match 2 @PresidentsCup. pic.twitter.com/MiPRNq3xGD

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022

Another one!@JordanSpieth is draining everything @PresidentsCup. pic.twitter.com/68HQqV8WRU

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022

.@JordanSpieth doing Jordan Spieth things 💪

Match 2 is now tied @PresidentsCup. pic.twitter.com/0Boo5R0A9i

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022

"You just can't put a price on this, and there's really nothing that's more enjoyable."@JordanSpieth after Sunday Singles victory over Cam Davis @PresidentsCup

— Kevin Prise (@PGATOURKevin) September 25, 2022

However, Si Woo Kim got the point back for the Internationals with a 1-up win over Justin Thomas to make it a 12-8 match in favor of the Americans.

Thomas was 2-up on Kim through the front nine, but by the time the 14th hole was over, the two were tied. They remained tied through the 15th hole before Kim took a 1-up lead on the 16th with a birdie.

Thomas and Kim entered the 18th hole tied, and while Thomas shot for par, Kim carded a birdie for the victory.

Si Woo Kim for the win!

An incredible moment and victory for the @IntlTeam 😤 pic.twitter.com/QRj100BqjU

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022

.@JustinThomas34 converts the birdie.

It's all tied up heading to the 18th hole @PresidentsCup. pic.twitter.com/I6rEfgFF7P

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022

Si Woo Kim is on fire 💪

After the birdie he’s 1-up with 2 to play @IntlTeam. pic.twitter.com/GQWHbDrEJi

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022

HUGE fist pump and reaction from Si Woo Kim 🔥

The match is now tied with 3 to play @IntlTeam.

Justin Thomas watches from a distance. pic.twitter.com/zBVBeMEhFa

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022

Thomas had a solid week, finishing 4-1-0, but he still has never won a singles match in the Presidents Cup, falling to 0-3.

Patrick Cantlay won his match against Adam Scott 3 and 2 to score the Americans another point, giving the team a 13-8 lead.

Cantlay carded birdies on the second, third and fourth holes and also carded birdies on the 13th and 15th holes for the win. The only holes he lost came when he carded a double bogey on the seventh and 14th holes.

World class flushers.@Patrick_Cantlay and Adam Scott are putting on a show @PresidentsCup. pic.twitter.com/bNPMWsUx1l

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022

Patrick Cantlay goes 1-up on Adam Scott with a strong birdie putt from distance on 2.

📺: @nbc & @peacock pic.twitter.com/IM259SIVkF

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) September 25, 2022

A half a point each was dished out to each player in the match between Sam Burns and Hideki Matsuyama as the two remained deadlocked through 18 holes, making the score 13.5-8.5 in favor of the Americans.

Matsuyama won the front nine, holding a 2-up lead on Burns before the American bounced back with three straight birdies on holes 10-12 to claim a 1-up lead, which he held through the 14th hole.

Matsuyama won the 15th hole with a bogey to tie the match as Burns carded a double bogey. The two shot for par on the final three holes to tie. Matsuyama could have won the match on the 18th hole, but his shot for birdie bounced off the flag and out.

This would have won the match …

Hideki Matsuyama and Sam Burns tie their match and each earn a half point for their teams @PresidentsCup. pic.twitter.com/N97lOI4FYl

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022

Sebastián Muñoz claimed a 2 and 1 victory over Scottie Scheffler to earn the Internationals another point, cutting into the Americans' lead even more, making it a 13.5-9.5 match.

Scheffler held a 1-up lead through eight holes before taking a turn for the worse on the ninth green with a bogey, making it a tie match. Muñoz took over from there, carding four birdies and an eagle on the back nine to claim the victory.

FIREWORKS @PresidentsCup 🔥

Incredible shots from @JSMunozGolf and Scottie Scheffler to tie the hole 👀 pic.twitter.com/gHE3IuarUG

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022

3 birdies in a row from @JSMunozGolf 🔥

He’s now 1-up in his match against Scottie Scheffler @IntlTeam. pic.twitter.com/Qdg21HLXEp

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022

Tony Finau defeated Taylor Pendrith 3 and 1 to extend the Americans' lead to 14.5-9.5.

Pendrith led from holes six through 11 but failed to win a hole after the 11th as Finau went on to win with an impressive back nine performance, winning four of his last six holes.

The American secured at least half a point for his team with a birdie on the 16th hole before securing the full point with another birdie on the 17th hole to claim the victory.

Huge victory for @TonyFinauGolf 💪

The #USTeam now leads 14.5-9.5 and are one full point away from winning the @PresidentsCup. pic.twitter.com/1ZwlbyLVut

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022

Short game magic from @TaylorPendrith 🪄

He's 1-up in his match against Tony Finau @IntlTeam. pic.twitter.com/JiiDuyoKqD

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022

Xander Schauffele clinched the Presidents Cup for the Americans with a 1-up victory over Corey Conners.

Schauffele led Conners 2-up through the front nine, but an inconsistent back nine nearly saw him lose the point. Schauffele and Conners were tied after 14 holes before the American took a 1-up lead on the 15th hole, which he held on to through the 18th hole for the win.

The winning moment for the #USTeam @XSchauffele clinches the @PresidentsCup. pic.twitter.com/tmxUI3fdKn

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 25, 2022

“This is a really strange feeling. Man, we were struggling out there, and I’m really happy there are no pictures on the scorecard. I had all the boys pulling for me. I knew it was going to be close. Corey just let me in, and I was able to take advantage of it," Schauffele said after the match.

Sungjae Im, K.H. Lee and Christiaan Bezuidenhout posted wins for the Internationals while Max Homa and Collin Morikawa closed out the afternoon with wins for the Americans.

The victory for the U.S. team marks its ninth straight Presidents Cup win.

Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas have posted a perfect 4-0 record for the United States in Presidents Cup action after a pair of 4-and-3 victories Saturday.

Thanks to their efforts, Team USA holds an 11-7 lead over the International side with one day remaining.

Thomas and Spieth have been the story at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte.

A 𝙙𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙩 week at Quail Hollow.@JordanSpieth and @JustinThomas34 are the third duo in Presidents Cup history to go undefeated in the first four rounds.#PresidentsCup || #USTeam pic.twitter.com/QMGFOe8zGx

— Presidents Cup (@PresidentsCup) September 24, 2022

The Spieth-Thomas team won with ease on Saturday, taking down Sungjae Im and Corey Conners 4 and 3 in foursomes before defeating Hideki Matsuyama and Taylor Pendrith by the same score in four-ball.

Spieth closed the afternoon in style with an 18'7" chip off the green on the par-four 15th.

WOW!@JordanSpieth does it again for the win @PresidentsCup 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zDswO01mSq

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 24, 2022

But Thomas contributed all day too. He executed a perfect bunker shot in the morning that Spieth finished off to halve the 11th hole.

JT from the bunker
Jordan finishes off

Heck of an up-and-down from the duo. pic.twitter.com/mIJM1h9puM

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) September 24, 2022

In the morning, Spieth and Thomas found themselves down a hole after the par-four second, but they proceeded to win the third, fourth and seventh holes to go two up. They dropped the eighth but won the ninth and cruised from there for the morning win.

In the afternoon, Spieth and Thomas fell behind early again, this time after the first hole. However, the duo then won the second through fourth holes and never dropped another hole for the remainder of the day. They went three up going into the back nine before Spieth's chip to seal the victory.

The morning featured the U.S. and International teams splitting a quartet of foursomes matchups. The International side got revenge in the afternoon, however, with three victories to keep the United States within sight going into singles action Sunday.

The United States had an 8-2 lead going into Saturday after posting 4-1 records in foursomes Thursday and four-ball Friday and could have conceivably closed the door Saturday. A score of 15.5 is needed to win the competition, and the Americans could have gotten it done with seven wins and one tie.

But that certainly won't be the case after the International team finished 5-3 Saturday. It was a sensational effort from the team after a rough first two days, opening the door for a potential comeback Sunday.

Adam Scott won both of his matches Saturday, as did Tom Kim. Scott won foursomes with Hideki Matsuyama and four-ball with Cam Davis. Meanwhile, Kim won foursomes with K.H. Lee and four-ball with Si Woo Kim.

Here's a look at Saturday's scores.

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Foursomes

Jordan Spieth/Justin Thomas def. Sungjae Im/Corey Conners, 4 and 3

Tony Finau/Max Homa def. Si Woo Kim/Cam Davis, 4 and 3

Adam Scott/Hideki Matsuyama def. Cameron Young/Collin Morikawa, 3 and 2

K.H. Lee/Tom Kim def. Scottie Scheffler/Sam Burns, 2 and 1

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Four-Ball

Si Woo Kim/Tom Kim def. Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele, 1 up

Justin Thomas/Jordan Spieth def. Hideki Matsuyama/Taylor Pendrith, 4 and 3

Sungjae Im/Sebastián Muñoz def. Tony Finau/Kevin Kisner, 4 and 2

Adam Scott/Cam Davis def. Billy Horschel/Sam Burns, 1 up

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What's Next?

The Presidents Cup will close with 12 singles matches on Sunday. The magic number for the United States is 4.5, while the International team needs to post an 8.5 for the win. NBC will air the competition beginning at noon ET.