Scheffler-Kim spat as US surge to 5-0 lead

Scottie Scheffler and South Korea’s Tom Kim were progressive successful a spat arsenic nan United States swept to a 5-0 Presidents Cup lead complete nan International team.

World number 1 Scheffler and partner Russell Henley hit Kim and Im Sung-jae 3&2 arsenic nan Americans won each nan opening fourballs successful Canada.

Tempers flared aft Kim celebrated a 27-foot birdie putt astatine nan par-three seventh pinch a fist-pump and shouted "let’s go".

Scheffler responded pinch his ain birdie to halve nan spread and yelled: “What was that?” towards his friend.

Kim celebrated powerfully again erstwhile he sunk a agelong putt to birdie nan eighth and past controversially near nan spread for nan adjacent ninth tee earlier Scheffler’s birdie attempt, which he missed.

"They took gamesmanship excessively acold and complete nan statement connected sportsmanship and mislaid immoderate integrity," US adjunct skipper Kevin Kisner told nan Golf Channel.

Sky Sports play pundit Paul McGinley called it “disrespectful” but Kim said: "There was nary logic to enactment location and look astatine him putt. It doesn't thief america astatine all.

"It wasn't trying to beryllium inexpensive aliases do thing for illustration that. We were focused connected our ain game.

“He's a bully friend. But astatine nan aforesaid time, this week I don't for illustration him. I want to hit him truthful bad, and I'm judge he feels nan aforesaid way."

Masters champion Scheffler suggested Kim had “poked nan bear” but sought to play down their exchange.

"I would person done nan aforesaid point backmost astatine home. It's each successful bully fun. We're friends after. We're not friends during,” he said.

The US person won nan past 9 editions of nan biennial contest, pinch their opponents triumphing conscionable erstwhile successful 14 attempts, and Jim Furyk's broadside romped into a commanding lead, external astatine Royal Montreal Golf Club successful Quebec.

Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele were one-up winners complete An Byeong-hun and Jason Day successful nan apical game, pinch Collin Morikawa and Sahith Theegala winning by nan aforesaid separator against Min Woo Lee and Adam Scott.

Scheffler and Henley extended nan lead earlier Wyndham Clark and Keegan Bradley defeated Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Taylor Pendrith connected nan last spread while Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns hit Hideki Matsuyama and Corey Conners 2&1.

Kim will not characteristic successful Friday's foursomes matches, which unfastened pinch Americans Cantlay and Schauffele against Matsuyama and Im Sung-jae followed by Morikawa and Theegala against Scott and Pendrith.

Max Homa and Brian Harman will look Day and Bezuidenhout, Finau and Clark meet Conners and Mackenzie Hughes and Scheffler joins Henley against An and Kim Si-woo.