The 12-man American roster at the Presidents Cup

MONTREAL (AP) — A capsule look at the 12-man International team at the Presidents Cup, which starts Thursday at Royal Montreal:

Byeong Hun An

Age: 33.

Country: South Korea.

World ranking: 34.

Worldwide victories: 2.

2024 victories: None.

Majors: None.

Presidents Cup record: 1-2-2.

Noteworthy: He had three partners in team matches in his only other Presidents Cup appearance in 2019, when he was added to the team because of Jason Day’s back injury.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Age: 30.

Country: South Africa.

World ranking: 45.

Worldwide victories: 5.

2024 victories: None.

Majors: None.

Presidents Cup record: 1-0-1.

Noteworthy: He was unbeaten in two matches at Quail Hollow at the last Presidents Cup, beating Kevin Kisner in singles.

Corey Conners

Age: 32.

Country: Canada.

World ranking: 37.

Worldwide victories: 2.

2024 victories: None.

Majors: None.

Presidents Cup record: 0-4-0.

Noteworthy: Renowned for his iron play, Conners was in a slump at the last Presidents Cup and didn’t win a match. He is one of three Canadians on the team, and the only Canadian to be in the Olympics and Presidents Cup.

Jason Day

Age: 36.

Country: Australia.

World ranking: 33.

Worldwide victories: 14.

2024 victories: None.

Majors: PGA Championship (2015).

Presidents Cup record: 5-11-4.

Noteworthy: He is playing in his first Presidents Cup since 2017 at Liberty National. A back injury kept him out of Melbourne matches in 2019. He is 1-7-2 in his last two Presidents Cup.

Mackenzie Hughes

Age: 33.

Country: Canada.

World ranking: 61.

Worldwide victories: 2.

2024 victories: None.

Majors: None.

Presidents Cup record: Rookie.

Noteworthy: Known for his putting, he was left off the last Presidents Cup team at Quail Hollow, where Hughes is a member. He is the only player outside the top 60 in the world at Royal Montreal.

Sungjae Im

Age: 26.

Country: South Korea.

World ranking: 21.

Worldwide victories: 5.

2024 victories: None.

Majors: None.

Presidents Cup record: 5-3-2.

Noteworthy: He won in South Korea again this year. His last PGA Tour title was 2021 in Las Vegas. He first got the attention of his International team with his iron play in the wind at Royal Melbourne in 2019.

Si Woo Kim

Age: 29.

Country: South Korea.

World ranking: 49.

Worldwide victories: 4.

2024 victories: None.

Majors: None.

Presidents Cup record: 4-3-0.

Noteworthy: He is coming off a 3-1 record at the last Presidents Cup. Kim and Im were part of the South Korean team that won the gold medal at the Asian Games last year.

Tom Kim

Age: 22.

Country: South Korea.

World ranking: 24.

Worldwide victories: 7.

2024 victories: None.

Majors: None.

Presidents Cup record: 2-3-0.

Noteworthy: Made his Presidents Cup debut with a winning putt and a hat slam at Quail Hollow. Kim wasn’t born the last time the International team won the Presidents Cup.

Min Woo Lee

Age: 26.

Country: Australia.

World ranking: 40.

Worldwide victories: 4.

2024 victories: None.

Majors: None.

Presidents Cup record: Rookie.

Noteworthy: His “first” team appearance was in the Olympics. He opened with a 76 and closed with rounds of 65-68-68. He is the younger brother of LPGA major champion Minjee Lee.

Hideki Matsuyama

Age: 32.

Country: Japan.

World ranking: 7.

Worldwide victories: 19.

2024 victories: Genesis Invitational, FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Majors: Masters (2021).

Presidents Cup record: 5-9-4.

Noteworthy: His victories at Riviera and TPC Southwind made him the winningest player this year on the International team. Matsuyama made his Presidents Cup debut in 2013, his first year as a pro.

Taylor Pendrith

Age: 33.

Country: Canada.

World ranking: 44.

Worldwide victories: 1.

2024 victories: CJ Cup Byron Nelson.

Majors: None.

Presidents Cup record: 0-4-0.

Noteworthy: Known as a power hitter, he won his first PGA Tour title at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson this year. One of three Canadians on the team.

Adam Scott

Age: 44.

Country: Australia.

World ranking: 18.

Worldwide victories: 29.

2024 victories: None.

Majors: Masters (2013).

Presidents Cup record: 18-25-6.

Noteworthy: He has played more Presidents Cups than any International team player and has still yet to be on a winning team. Scott’s first appearance was in 2003 when the teams tied in South Africa.

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AP golf:

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VOORHEES, N.J. (AP) — Matvei Michkov’s first dose of culture shock in American hockey hit the teen sensation when he skated in the opening days of Philadelphia Flyers’ training camp.

Flyers fans were already dressed in his No. 39 jersey. Lots of them. Kids. Adults. The Flyers open the doors to the public for most practices, and fans — who haven’t had much to cheer for since 2010 — flocked to South Jersey to catch a glimpse of the talent who’s buzz has already drawn comparisons to another franchise great, Eric Lindros.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling to see the fans already showing up,” Michkov said through a translator. “It helps go though the hard training. Sometimes, we’re doing it for the fans and it helps overall.”

The 19-year-old Russian also noted he’d never seen so many fans before wearing his jersey.

He better get used to the early fame.

In a sports city loaded with the biggest athletes in sports — from Bryce Harper to Joel Embiid to Jalen Hurts — the once-mighty Flyers have languished in obscurity with rosters filled with mostly indistinguishable skaters.

Michkov could be the breakthrough star the Flyers desperately craved as they make the climb back into the playoffs — and relevancy.

The hype comes with one critical caveat, per coach John Tortorella.

“It’s not going to be the Mischa show, because I think it’s unfair to him,” Tortorella said. “I’m going to watch that very closely, because I want to give him every opportunity to get his feet planted in here and go about it the right way.”

The Flyers are even still amazed Michkov is in the States to help push the team into the playoffs for the first time since 2020, and in the 50th anniversary season of their last Stanley Cup championship.

His slick playmaking had scouts projecting Michkov might have been drafted right behind Chicago’s Connor Bedard in 2023 had he not been tangled in a long-term deal with his team in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.

General manager Danny Briere preached patience when the Flyers selected Michkov with the seventh pick in the 2023 draft, knowing he had three years left on his KHL contract. After tricky negotiations, SKA St. Petersburg instead let Michkov out of his contract over the summer, paving the way for the 5-10, 176-pound right wing to arrive in Philadelphia ahead of schedule.

The early returns impressed the Flyers.

“You could tell he has a lot of confidence, he’ll try some stuff that most guys won’t,” Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson said. “I know in the scrimmages we had here a little bit before camp, he scored some nifty goals on me. So it’s kind of like, all right, I got to be ready for everything here when he comes in.”

With opening night not until Oct. 11 in Vancouver, the Flyers have experimented with line combinations. Morgan Frost, a first-round pick in the 2017 draft, has centered a line that included Michkov and Owen Tippett.

They’ve let their play do the talking, as Michkov, who turns 20 in December, crams to learn English.

“I think sometimes it’s a little harder for him to say what he wants to say,” Frost said. “I think everyone’s trying to make him welcome, and he seems to have a great attitude and he has fun out there.”

Michkov’s transition to America has been eased somewhat with the Flyers use of a steady translator — who sat with Michkov in the Phillies dugout before a recent first pitch — and playing with Russian teammates Egor Zamula and Ivan Fedotov.

Michkov, who is from Perm, Russia, is just one of the boys in the locker room. Before a recent practice, Michkov was left a message at his locker written in both English and Russian, just so nothing was lost in translation.

“Did you already find US woman,” Zamula said, laughing. “I’m like … Right away? It’s too soon guys, focus on hockey.”

Teammate Erik Johnson was the instigator, just a little fun to loosen up the training camp grind.

“I’m going to help him as much as I can, joke with him, have fun with him,” Johnson said. “Maybe try and teach him some new words. I don’t know what those will be, but we’ll see. I’ll try and help him on a day-to-day basis. Maybe do some trivia, I don’t know, just little stuff to kind of make it fun and help him with his English.”

He needed little help in Russia with his hockey. Michkov was the property of SKA St. Petersburg, where he appeared in one game before being loaned to HC Sochi for the remainder of the season. He had 19 goals and 22 assists for 41 points in 47 games. He recorded 11 multipoint games and finished the season with five goals and eight points in his last nine games.

“He’s got some personality,” Tortorella said. “Sometimes it goes the wrong way with a coach and a player, but at least it’s personality. I think it’s boring sometimes in this league where there’s no personality with the guys. He does. You can see the puck follows him. He’s skilled, you can see that.”

Philadelphia is just now coming out of a rebuild deftly orchestrated by Briere and beginning to transition into a contender.

Who knows? The missing piece just might be a teenager out of Russia.

“He’s got those hands, that vision, he can make plays,” Flyers captain Sean Couturier said. “We’ll see, but I think we got to be careful also not to just judge right away. He’s only 19, and he’s coming to a new country. I don’t know how many times he’s been over here, but there’s a lot of new stuff in his life. I think we got to be patient and let him grow into the player he can be.”

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AP NHL:

TORONTO – The Boston Red Sox kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a come-from-behind 6-5 victory in 10 innings against the fading Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

Red Sox reliever Chris Martin earned his third win of the season. Blue Jays’ reliever Tommy Nance took the loss, dropping him to 0-3.

The Red Sox, who have won four games in a row, improved to 80-78, while the Blue Jays dropped their fifth straight game and are now a season-high 12 games below .500 at 73-85.

“The boys did an amazing job of fighting all the way to the end,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “We used everybody. It was one of the most gratifying wins since I’ve been here.”

Blue Jays starter Bowden Francis was his typically dominant self to begin the game, striking out the first two batters he faced before retiring first baseman Triston Casas with a weak fly out.

The 28-year-old continued his dominant second half by pitching five shutout innings on Tuesday, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out four.

“Just another outstanding effort,” said Blue Jays manager Schneider of his starter. “Just filling up the zone, locating well. I can’t really say enough about how he finished up the season.”

Shortstop Trevor Story began the game’s offensive festivities with a double to lead off the second inning and then advanced to third on a groundout by left fielder Masataka Yoshida. But Francis would work himself out of trouble soon after, eliciting soft fly-outs from second baseman Vaughn Grissom and right-fielder Wilyer Abreu to keep the Red Sox off the scoresheet.

Stepping to the plate as an opponent for the first time at Rogers Centre, Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen grounded out to third to begin the third inning. Jarren Duran would reach base with a single shortly after, but Francis would manage to escape, as he did many times on the evening, by striking out third baseman Romy Gonzalez to retire the side.

Centre-fielder Joey Loperfido walked to begin the bottom of the third and then stole second to give the Blue Jays their first runner in scoring position. Left fielder Nathan Lukes walked as well shortly after, giving way to star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who ripped a double off the centre field wall to score both runners and give the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead.

Guerrero Jr. earned RBI No. 102 on the season, making him one of just 11 MLB players with over 100 in 2024.

Right-hander Lucas Sims came out of the bullpen to relieve Brayan Bello in the sixth, giving up a leadoff walk to second baseman Davis Schneider. The Blue Jays would add to their lead as George Springer doubled off the wall in left-centre one batter later before Nathan Lukes would score Schneider with a sacrifice fly, putting Toronto ahead 3-0.

Boston would not go away quietly, however, as the Red Sox started the sixth inning by loading the bases on right-handed reliever Ryan Burr, placing the leading run at the plate in Ceddanne Rafaela. Rafaela then singled through the gap at short to score two runners and cut the Blue Jays’ lead to one. Burr would limit the damage on the next at-bat, though, striking out Duran swinging.

The Blue Jays’ bullpen continued its woes in closing out games, as left-hander Genesis Cabrera would play setup role for Toronto heading into the eighth inning and proceeded to give up back-to-back singles to put runners on first and third. Yoshida wasted little time tying the game in the next at-bat, bringing Gonzalez home on a forceout.

The run marked Cabrera’s third blown save of the season and gave way to closer Chad Green entering the game soon after and keeping the game tied by getting pinch-hitter Nick Sogard to fly out to left field.

With their post-season fate hanging in the balance, the Red Sox sent out Martin to pitch the ninth for the second consecutive night. After walking Addison Barger, Martin got Clement to ground out into a double play and Davis Schneider to strike out swinging to send the game to an extra inning.

“It’s just a testament to who we are as a group, that we’re never out of a fight,” said Grissom of the Red Sox’ comeback.

“That’s what you need. The best teams are never out of the fight. That’s huge.”

Right-hander Tommy Nance entered the game for the Blue Jays in the 10th inning and immediately found himself in trouble, as Story doubled to bring home two runners and give the Red Sox their first lead of the game. Grissom would add an insurance run on a single to left field as the Red Sox held off a surge by the Blue Jays in the bottom half of the 10th to secure the win.

UP NEXT

Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman (13-11, 3.91 ERA) is scheduled to make his final start of the season in Wednesday’s series finale. Red Sox RHP Richard Fitts (0-0, 0.00) is set to make his fourth career start.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2024.