Scottie Scheffler and Patrick Cantlay put the Americans back in control at Presidents Cup

MONTREAL (AP) — Scottie Scheffler delivered big shots late in two matches, and Patrick Cantlay capped off a strong recovery by living up to his “Patty Ice” reputation with a clutch birdie in the dark that gave the Americans an 11-7 lead on a long Saturday at the Presidents Cup.

Scheffler finished off a tight fourballs match with two late birdies in the fog-delayed morning, and then he gave the Americans their first lead in foursomes with a wedge into a foot on the 14th hole that led to another point.

The 90-minute fog delay made it a race to beat darkness. Carts pulled up alongside the 18th green at Royal Montreal with lights on to help illuminate the green. Cantlay and Xander Schauffele were all square with the dynamic South Korean duo of Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim.

Both had birdie putts just inside 17 feet — a 2-inch difference. Cantlay went first and poured it in the heart, just like he did with so many putts Saturday morning in a fourballs victory with Sam Burns.

Si Woo Kim, who produced so many big moments, couldn't answer this one.

The Americans won three out of the four matches in both sessions, expanding the lead to the same margin it was two years ago at Quail Hollow.

All that's left for them to make it 10 straight victories in the Presidents Cup are the 12 singles matches. The International team has won the singles session only three out of 14 times, all of them when it trailed by at least six points and the cup had been all but decided.

“Xander helped me read it,” Cantlay said of his match winner in near darkness. “It was like a cup out with some speed, and a putt like that will make me sleep a little better tonight.”

There was some measure of payback for Cantlay and Schauffele. It was late Saturday at Quail Hollow when Tom Kim buried a big putt at the end and slammed his cap to the turf, an audacious celebration for the 20-year-old.

This time, Si Woo Kim holed an unlikely chip from deep rough below the 16th green to square the match, and he ran across the green with his hands folded in a “Good night” gesture, much like Stephen Currey at the Paris Olympics this summer.

Not so fast. Cantlay's putt and that final point again put the Internationals in a deep hole as they try to win for the only the second time. Their only win was in 1998, before Tom Kim was even born.

Adam Scott, playing in his 11th Presidents Cup without ever being on the winning side, carried Taylor Pendrith to a 2-and-1 victory in foursomes over Brian Harman and Max Homa, the only International point in foursomes.

Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim won big over Keegan Bradley and Wyndham Clark in morning fourballs for the lone International victory.

They were all square or leading in all the afternoon matches at one point until the Americans took control, as they often do. Morikawa and Burns dug out of an early hole and beat the Canadian duo of Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes on the 18th hole when when Hughes hit a poor chip and Conners never came close on the 12-foot par putt.

Scheffler missed a pair of short par putts early in the match against Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im in falling 3 down after five holes. Scheffler and Russell Henley scratched back — one hole at a time, Henley kept reminding him — caught them on the 12th and pulled ahead when Scheffler's late heroics.

International captain Mike Weir sent out his same teams twice, meaning four players — Jason Day, Min Woo Lee, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Byeong Hun An — sat out all of Saturday.

“We like the matchups, we like the pairings, and we’re rolling with it,” Weir said.

In the anchor match in the morning, Im three times matched birdies against Cantlay and Burns to keep the match from getting out of hand. Cantlay chipped in for eagle on the 12th for a 2-up lead. And then Im and Hideki Matsuyama — mostly Im — tried to rally.

Im hit to 6 feet on the 15th, only for Cantlay to make from 25 feet. Im was in tight again on the 16th and Cantlay poured in his putt from 18 feet. Instead of the match being all square with two to play, the Americans were dormie and closed out the match when Matsuyama missed an 8-foot birdie attempt.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

International team members Adam Scott, of Australia, and Taylor Pendrith, of Canada, head back to the clubhouse from the first hole after play was suspended due to fog at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

United States team captain Jim Furyk, top, grabs a ride with United States team member Keegan Bradley, left, and Mike "Fluff" Cowan driving during their fourth-round foursomes match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Montreal. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

International team member Mackenzie Hughes, of Canada, reacts after his shot on the 17th hole during a fourth-round foursomes match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

United States team member Patrick Cantlay, right, celebrates with partner Xander Schauffele, left, after winning their fourth-round foursomes match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

International team member Si Woo Kim, right, of South Korea, celebrates with partner Tom Kim, left, also of South Korea, after a birdie putt on the fifth hole during a fourth-round foursomes match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NathanDenette/The Canadian Press via AP)

International team member Si Woo Kim, center front, of South Korea, looks for his ball on the16th hole during a fourth-round foursomes match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (NathanDenette/The Canadian Press via AP)

International team member Tom Kim of South Korea, reacts after a poor approach shot on the 16th hole during their fourth round foursomes match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 in Montreal. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

International team member Si Woo Kim of South Korea, reacts after missing his putt on the 18th hole during their fourth round foursomes match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 in Montreal. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

International team member Si Woo Kim of South Korea, celebrates after chipping in to win the 16th hole during their fourth round foursomes match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club Saturday, September 28, 2024 in Montreal. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

United States team member Patrick Cantlay reacts after making the winning putt on the 18th hole during their fourth round foursomes match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 in Montreal. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

United States team member Patrick Cantlay reacts after making the winning putt on the 18th hole during their fourth round foursomes match at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024 in Montreal. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

United States team member Patrick Cantlay plays a shot on the sixth hole during the third round at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)

International team members Tom Kim, right, celebrates with partner Si Woo Kim, both of South Korea, after winning the 12th hole during the third round at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

Adam Scott, left, of Australia, and Taylor Pendrith, of Canada, look on at the first green during third round four-ball play at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club, in Montreal, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Graham Hughes /The Canadian Press via AP)

United States team member Scottie Scheffler, right, shakes hands with partner Collin Morikawa after making a putt on the 15th hole during the third round at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Kip Lewis returned an interception 61 yards for the game-winning touchdown, and No. 21 Oklahoma rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Auburn, 27-21 on Saturday for its first-ever Southeastern Conference win.

It was Oklahoma’s first SEC road game after leaving the Big 12. The Sooners bounced back from a loss at home to Tennessee the previous week.

True freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. gained 230 yards of total offense in his first career start for Oklahoma after replacing Jackson Arnold during the Tennessee game. The Sooners (4-1, 1-1 SEC) struggled on offense for much of the game, but they took advantage of several missed opportunities by the Tigers (2-3, 0-2).

Auburn's Payton Thorne passed for 338 yards and three touchdowns, but his sixth interception of the season turned out to be the decisive play.

Oklahoma's Jovantae Barnes cut into Auburn’s 21-10 lead with 8:32 remaining with a 2-yard touchdown run that was set up by a 60-yard pass from Hawkins to J.J. Hester. The 2-point conversion failed, leaving the Tigers ahead by five points.

Lewis then intercepted Thorne, who was making his return to the starting lineup after a two-game absence, and ran it all the way back with 4:06 left to play.

The Tigers were stopped on fourth down at the 1-yard line in the first quarter and missed two chances at a short field goal late in the second quarter.

Oklahoma: The Sooners’ slow offensive start, marked by a large number of injuries at wide receiver and inconsistent line play, continued Saturday. But Hawkins could provide a real spark with his dual-threat ability alongside what has been a strong defense under coach Brent Venables so far this season.

Auburn: Penalties, questionable clock management and empty scoring drives continue to haunt the Tigers, which have now lost all three of their home games against power-conference opponents this season by single-digits. Now Auburn will start the toughest stretch of its schedule with a losing record.

Oklahoma will have a good chance to climb back into the Top 20 with this road comeback win.

Oklahoma: Has an off week before facing No. 1 Texas in Dallas on Oct. 12.

Auburn: Visits No. 2 Georgia next Saturday.

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Auburn wide receiver Malcolm Simmons catches a pass for a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)