On the back of an extraordinary sweep of the foursomes matches on Friday, the International Team struggled to keep pace with a resurgent American unit in Saturday’s morning fourballs.

The US team won the morning matches 3-1 and repeated the scoreline in an absorbing afternoon of fourball matches, the star-studded Americans winning two matches on the 18th hole for a 6-2 day and 11-7 overall advantage.

An Adam Scott point with Canadian partner Taylor Pendrith was one of few highlights in the latter matches as the International team fell to a four-point deficit that looked like being as little as two.

A 4&3 win from Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim over Keegan Bradley and Wyndham Clark was the only joy for the Internationals in the morning matches, Aussies Jason Day and Min Woo Lee both sitting out as Scott and Pendrith went down 2&1 to Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa.

In a move that received mixed reactions on social media, captain Mike Weir retained the same four combinations for the afternoon matches, Day and Lee again restricted to cheerleader roles as each match see-sawed in fading light.

A holed bunker shot from Canadian Mackenzie Hughes and an impossible hole-out from deep rough by Si Woo Kim were telling blows for the International Team, yet neither could find the knockout punch.

SI WOO KIM ARE YOU KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/w4rhTGEEJH

— Presidents Cup International Team (@IntlTeam) September 28, 2024

Only one match failed to make it as far as the final hole, the US combinations of Collin Morikawa and Sam Burns and then Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay stealing full points for their team to claim a commanding lead with a day to play.

It leaves the International Team needing a minimum of 8.5 points from the 12 singles matches on Sunday to win for just the second time in Presidents Cup history.

Teaming up with Pendrith for the third straight match in the afternoon fourballs, Scott and his partner went 1 up after a birdie on three but were 1 down two holes later when the American duo of Max Homa and Brian Harman made back-to-back birdies.

The match was halved again when the Internationals made birdie on eight and they would edge ahead with another birdie on nine.

Despite some nervous moments it would be a lead they would never relinquish, closing out a 2 up win with a conceded hole on 18.

“It didn’t quite go our way this morning, but we were really solid this afternoon,” said Scott.

“Maybe a little fatigue kicked in on the last few holes, but we managed to scratch out a point.

“Sometimes they’re pretty unexciting and sometimes they’re just ugly, but a point is a point.

“We’re going to have to be tenacious out there tomorrow and heroic, actually.

“This is a big format tomorrow, 12 matches, 12 points up for grabs, an incredibly strong US Team.

“Our guys are going to have to throw caution to the wind and play their asses off.”

Jason Day will lead off the singles matches for the International Team against Xander Schauffele at 2:02am AEST, Min Woo Lee faces off against 2023 US Open champion Wyndham Clark (3:31am) and Adam Scott plays Collin Morikawa in the 10th match of the final day (3:55am).

Photo: Harry How/Getty Images