Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns are set to open Thursday's four‑ball matches at the Presidents Cup, facing South Korean hopeful Min Woo Lee and South Korean‑born Australian Sungjae Im. The pairings were announced by captains Brandt Snedeker of Team USA and Geoff Ogilvy of the International side, marking the start of a tightly contested weekend at Medinah Country Club. Team USA, under Snedeker's leadership, are aiming to stretch their current winning run to 11 straight victories over the International squad.
The American contingent has been dominant all week, and the pressure is now on the International team, whose captain Ogilvy admitted he feels "optimistic" about his players' chances after a strong showing on Wednesday. The second match will see Cameron Young join forces with Xander Schauffele as they take on Japan's Hideki Matsuyama and rising star Ryo Hisatsune. The third pairing features veteran Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup stalwart Justin Thomas alongside 21‑year‑old rookie Jackson Koivun, who will battle Canadian Corey Conners and Colombian Nico Echavarria.
In the fourth and arguably most high‑profile match, two‑time major champion Wyndham Clark will partner with Collin Morikawa to meet the reigning Open champion Ryan Fox and 2013 Masters winner Adam Scott. The final four‑ball will pit Chris Gotterup with Patrick Cantlay against the Korean twins Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim. The day’s schedule begins at 5:35 pm UK time with the Scheffler‑Burns duo taking the tee.
The International team will have the honor of teeing off first, a symbolic gesture that underscores the global nature of the competition. Subsequent tee times are set for 5:53 pm (Young/Schauffele), 6:11 pm (Thomas/Koivun), 6:29 pm (Clark/Morikawa) and 6:47 pm (Gotterup/Cantlay). Despite their friendship off the course, Scheffler and Burns have not enjoyed much success when paired together in past team events.
Their combined record in Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup play stands at 0‑3‑1, a statistic that has left both players frustrated. Burns reflected on the situation, saying, "Do I think we have unfinished business?
I don't know if I would call it that. It's been frustrating the times we have played together, and we feel like we've played really well and ultimately not won. It's been more frustrating than anything." Burns added that the pair will approach Thursday with a renewed focus: "Yeah, this week we're going to go out and compete as hard as we can and try to get as many points for the US team as possible." Snedeker’s decision to keep the pair together, despite their mixed results, signals confidence that the chemistry they share off the course can translate into points on the fairways. Snedeker also made a surprising move by separating long‑time friends Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, who have frequently been paired in previous team outings.
This mirrors a similar decision made by Jim Furyk during the opening four‑ball of the 2024 Presidents Cup, where he also split familiar duos to create fresh dynamics. Snedeker explained his rationale for pairing Thomas with Koivun, noting that the choice was straightforward because of how naturally the two players complement each other. "Jackson is a young kid, and I feel like he's really found his way on our team quickly," Snedeker said on Wednesday.
"He’s handled the adjustment really well. Justin is just a natural pairing for him. He's somebody he's comfortable with. He’ll do a great job putting his arm around him and show him how USA golf is meant to be played." Koivun echoed these sentiments, describing Thomas as a mentor who has helped him navigate the pressures of elite competition.
"He and Russell Henley have been really good to me over the past couple years," Koivun said. "Just being able to spend some time in a team environment with them has been awesome." On the International side, Ryan Fox expressed a desire to channel the underdog spirit that has propelled Team Europe to success in recent Ryder Cups.
Fox, playing his 12th Presidents Cup, wants to harness that energy to motivate his teammates and create pressure on the Americans. "For us, we've always been the underdogs," Fox remarked. "But I feel like on paper the European Ryder Cup team is always the underdogs a little bit, and that hasn't seemed to affect their results at all over the last few years. We're trying to channel a little bit of that and come together." He continued, emphasizing the personal stakes for his teammate Adam Scott: "We do have a chance to do something incredible when we've got a couple of guys on the team who have played a lot of these that we really want to get a win for.
That's our motivation. I mean, Adam especially." Fox believes that by taking an early lead, the International side can flip the narrative and place the United States under unexpected pressure.
"I feel like they're expected to win, and if we can get on top early and create some pressure, more pressure will come on them from other places, and hopefully we can take advantage of that," he added. The Presidents Cup promises a blend of seasoned veterans and emerging talent, each eager to leave a mark on golf’s premier team stage.
Fans can watch the entire action live on Sky Sports Golf, with all four days of competition streamed without a contract commitment. For those looking to experience the tournament atmosphere in person, Sky Sports offers exclusive access and promotional rates for booking rounds at over 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland.
As the first four‑ball match kicks off, all eyes will be on Scheffler and Burns to see whether they can break their past pattern and deliver the points their captain desires. The outcome of this opening bout could set the tone for the remainder of the weekend, influencing strategies, morale, and ultimately, the quest for the Presidents Cup trophy.