Scheffler and Burns snatch the final-hole point
The first point of the 2026 Presidents Cup looked destined for the International team for most of the day. But Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns dug in and finally turned things around on the last hole, beating Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im on Thursday at Medinah. Scheffler summed it up afterwards. “We just tried to stay in it. Sam probably hit the shot of the match at 14.”
The fourball session kicked off four days of competition in Illinois. Five matches were on the card, with Brandt Snedeker leading the United States and Geoff Ogilvy in charge of the International side.
Try it for $0.99.
Team USA lead 3-2 after the opening session
Justin Thomas and rookie Jackson Koivun followed up by overpowering Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria 4&3. Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa then saw off Ryan Fox and Adam Scott 3&2, stretching the American advantage to three wins from five. Koivun, 21, is playing in his first Presidents Cup after a season that pushed him onto the US circuit. Scheffler, meanwhile, has been the standard-bearer in world golf for more than two years and was making his third straight Presidents Cup appearance with Burns alongside him in fourball.
The International team avoided a complete rout with two responses. Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune got the better of Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele 3&1, before Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim took control against Chris Gotterup and Patrick Cantlay 3&2. The session finished 3-2 to the United States.
Snedeker praised his group after the session. “I’m really proud of them. A session win is a session win.” Ogilvy, meanwhile, chose to focus on the standard of golf his players produced despite the scoreline. “I saw a lot of good golf today. We’ll take the 3-2.”
Another American stranglehold that has lasted since 1994
Held at Medinah Country Club, this edition extends an American stranglehold that has lasted since 1994. Team USA have lost the Presidents Cup only once, in Melbourne in 1998, and have shared it just once, in 2003 at Fancourt.
The schedule continues with foursomes on Friday, then more fourballs on Saturday and singles on Sunday to decide the winners across 30 points on offer.
Check out the rest of the golf news on our mathodds site and app!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply