But the Internationals can take some solace in how they closed things out on Thursday. Specifically, the final swing of the day from Tom Kim on the par-3 16th hole.

A walk-off ace would have been something. But the gimme birdie was enough for Kim and Si Woo Kim to close out Chris Gotterup and Patrick Cantlay, 4 and 2. And while trailing yet again after Day 1, the Internationals one-point deficit is the closest opening session since 2013 so they shouldn’t be hanging their heads just yet.

On the eighth hole of Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele's Four-ball match against Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune on Thursday, Young found himself in a situation we all find ourselves in during weekend team match play games with buddies. Young was pretty much out of the hole after hitting his approach in the water, but he took his drop anyway and chipped his fourth shot to four feet, setting up a bogey putt. His partner, Schauffele, meanwhile, missed the green with his second then chipped it up to eight feet, right on the same line as Young's bogey putt. 

After some deliberation and calling in a rules official, Hisatsune told Young to pick up his mark. Normally, in weekend games, your partner would ask you "show me the line." That's actually not allowed, as NBC rules analyst Mark Dusbabek pointed out right after. You are technically allowed to putt out even if the putt has been conceded, except if that putt is going to aid your partner. It's one of those rules we all break in our own money games, but it would actually get you in trouble in a legitimate Four-ball competition. According to Rule 23.6, if you putt out and show your partner the line, your score would count without penalty, put your partner's score would not count for your side. 

Schauffele, naturally, missed his eight footer, and the Internationals took the hole with a par. 

The biennial matches aren't typically the place for experimenting on the greens. But that didn't stop Justin Thomas.

Thomas opted for a Scotty Cameron Xperimental 10.5 at Medinah, a notable switch given the stakes and the format. Match play leaves little margin for a flat stroke, and a new flatstick is either a spark or a gamble.

The more interesting detail is in the hosel. From the looks of it, Thomas' version sports a flow neck rather than the jet neck, a change that alters how the face rotates through the stroke and suits a slightly different putting motion.

Whether it's a one-week experiment or something longer-term remains to be seen. For now, JT is rolling it with something new.

For those who aren't aware, there is some nasty OB lurking left on the first two holes at Medinah No. 3. And Sungjae Im looked to be the first victim of this until he got an all-time good break on Thursday. Im looked like a lock to have to re-tee with his golf ball heading that way on No. 2 until it hit the split-rail fence that marks the boundary and bounced back into the fairway. Have a look:

Hey, with the Americans being such a heavy favorite in this event again, the Internationals can use all the help they can get.

The details are scarce, but Propagate Content has announced an upcoming documentary on the golfer. And, according to the press release, Kim is involved. "Now, after an improbable return and a victory few believed possible, Kim tells his story for the first time, on his own terms," the press release reads. "A deeply personal journey of recovery, redemption, and the search for what comes next." Once a PGA Tour star and a U.S. Ryder Cup hero, Kim had his career put on hold due to a series of injuries, addiction and mental health issues. After nearly 12 years removed from pro golf, Kim returned in 2024 by joining LIV. In February, Kim won the LIV Australia event for his first victory in 16 years. 

And we don't blame him. A.) France seems like a nice spot. B.) Michael Kim plays like prime Tiger Woods there. The reigning French Open champ returned to the DP World Tour event and promptly started with a Thursday 63 to take the Day 1 lead at Le Golf National. And after, he joked(?) about making the country a more permanent place to stay. 

"Maybe it's the food. Maybe it's the wine. . . . I don't know. I might have to start looking for a place here!" Well, if you repeat as French Open champ, Michael, you'll be good for a sizable downpayment. 

Congrats to CC Sabathia, who will join a truly elite group when he gets enshrined in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park on Saturday along names like Ruth, DiMaggio and Mantle. Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that the Hall-of-Famer is part of another club having been one of the many (celebrity) golfers to have been profiled in Golf Digest's "The Fringe" through the years. In fact, the Southpaw, who opened up about how he found both happiness and health with golf, was the column's first subject back in 2022. And that's something not even the Great Bambino can lay claim to! 

And to the surprise of many, the answer remains the same—Xander Schauffele. The two-time major winner hardly comes off as the class-clown type, but the players rave about his sense of humor. Of course, because there's a locker room mentality, few of the anecdotes are shared with the public.

Schauffele himself downplays that he’s top of the class. “I would call myself low-hanging fruit,” he said Wednesday on the eve of the Presidents Cup. “You can pick on me. I think people just get annoyed of me. They just don't even want to talk back to me because if they engage me, I'm even further. So I kind of get the wave-off half the time. As long as I think it's funny, I'm cool with it.”

He says that, and then comes up with this bit about where World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler ranks in laughs: “I mean, he does have like a bazooka on his shoulder. He can shoot whatever he wants. He's got a lot of ammo. I definitely try and make sure I got my A-game when I'm picking on him. … He is more reactive, unless it's Gary Woodland. He'll go at Gary, which is fun to watch. But, yeah, Scottie is awesome. He's mister let-your-clubs-talk, and he's got some bite when you go at him. So, like I said, you better come prepared.”

While the PGA Tour has yet to officially confirm his time and arrival, it is widely assumed at Medinah the president will be in attendance during the final round. Last month the tour announced Trump had accepted the honorary chairman role for the event, which is bestowed to every sitting president. Trump was on hand at the 2017 Presidents Cup at Liberty National, greeting the winning American team on Sunday evening, and showed up to the Ryder Cup last year at Bethpage Black, sitting by the first tee during the Friday afternoon session.