'Perfect chemistry on display!' Kim Si-woo and Kim Ju-hyung deliver a valuable victory to the International Team by defeating the U.S. team from day one... Im Sung-jae and Lee Min-woo suffer a narrow loss by one hole [Presidents Cup]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Si-woo (31, CJ) and Kim Ju-hyung (24, Nike) showcased perfect chemistry on the first day of the Presidents Cup, the men's golf competition between the U.S. and the International Team (excluding the U.S. and Europe), securing match points.

The Kim Si-woo-Kim Ju-hyung pairing defeated the American duo of Chris Gotterup and Patrick Cantlay in a four-ball match on the first day of the 2026 Presidents Cup held at Course No. 3 (par 70) of Medinah Country Club in Chicago, Illinois, USA, on the 25th (Korean time), winning by three holes (3&2) with two holes remaining. In four-ball, two players compete using their own balls, and the better score on each hole is counted as the team's score.

After taking an early lead by two holes in a tight contest, Kim Si-woo and Kim Ju-hyung conceded a tie at the 6th hole (par 5). Kim Si-woo then reclaimed the lead with a crucial birdie on the 7th hole (par 3).

The turning point came in the latter half. While Kim Ju-hyung calmly secured a par save on the 13th hole (par 3), opponent Gotterup made a bogey, extending their lead to two holes. Riding this momentum, Kim Si-woo sank a birdie putt on the following 14th hole, widening the gap to three holes. The pair ultimately closed out the match without any waver on the 16th hole (par 3).

According to PGA Tour reports, after the match, Kim Ju-hyung stated, "I wanted to give no openings to our opponents, so I stood firm and secured points on holes 13 and 14. We didn't get complacent afterward and pulled through well." He added, "When I was struggling, my partner (Kim) Si-woo supported me, and when he wavered, I held him up; we protected each other's backs throughout."

Kim Si-woo also expressed confidence, saying, "We know each other so well that we were able to play a good match even on such a high-pressure stage. We feel much more developed than in the previous tournament, and we look forward to the remaining schedule."

In contrast, Im Sung-jae (28, CJ), who started as the first pairing, suffered a narrow loss. Partnered with Australian-Korean Lee Min-woo, Im faced the world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler-Sam Burns duo and engaged in a fierce battle until the 18th hole but ultimately fell by one hole.

Meanwhile, on this day, the International Team's Hideki Matsuyama-Ryo Hisatsune (both from Japan) pairing secured a three-hole victory against Cameron Young-Jander Schauffele, putting up a strong fight. However, after losing the other three matches to the U.S., the International Team concluded the first day trailing 2-3 in match points.

With an all-time record of one win, one tie, and 13 losses, having fallen into a 10-match losing streak recently, the International Team will seek revenge on the second day of the tournament, the 26th, through five foursomes matches where players alternate hitting a single ball. In the second-day matches, the Kim Si-woo-Kim Ju-hyung pairing will face the American duo of Cantlay-Schauffele, while Im Sung-jae will team up with Matsuyama to hunt for match points.

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*This content was translated by AI.