Team USA opened their campaign for an 11th straight Presidents Cup with a solid performance, carving out a 3‑2 advantage in Thursday's four‑ball matches against the International side. The event, held at Medinah Country Club, saw the United States confront a surprisingly tough opening day, as the International team managed to claim two of the five points on offer.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler finally broke his winless streak, partnering with Sam Burns to clinch a dramatic final‑hole win over South Korea's Min Woo Lee and South Korea’s Sungjae Im.
Their triumph came after a hard‑fought battle that saw both sides exchange birdies and bogeys, ultimately hinging on Scheffler's clutch shot from a greenside bunker on the 18th hole. The win gave the United States a crucial point and set the tone for the remainder of the competition. In another notable pairing, Justin Thomas teamed up with rookie Jackson Koivun, delivering a 4&3 victory over Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria. Thomas, who now boasts a perfect four‑ball record at the Presidents Cup, guided the young Koivun through a flawless stretch, never allowing the opponents to gain a foothold.
Their dominance was highlighted by a run of three consecutive holes won from the third through the fifth, and a decisive birdie on the 14th and 15th that sealed the seventh straight four‑ball win for Thomas at this event. The all‑Japanese duo of Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune recovered from an early deficit to defeat Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele 3&1, while Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa dispatched Ryan Fox and Adam Scott 3&2, ensuring the United States captured the session overall. These results underline the depth of the American squad, which has led after the opening day in nine of the last ten Presidents Cups.
The top match between Scheffler and Burns versus Lee and Im was a showcase of high‑scoring golf. Scheffler opened the round with a 15‑foot birdie, and Burns responded with a 10‑foot putt that matched Lee’s massive putt from off the green. Both teams birdied the next two holes, and Im secured a birdie on the fifth. The ninth hole saw both sides make two putts, with Burns holing a nearly 20‑foot putt after Lee had placed his tee shot close.
The Internationals briefly seized the lead when Im sank a 10‑foot birdie on the 13th, but Burns answered with a birdie on the 14th, keeping the match all square. The turning point arrived on the 17th, when the International pair each made a bogey, handing the hole to the United States. Scheffler then blasted out of a greenside bunker on the par‑four 18th, leaving his ball inches from the hole and securing a par that clinched the match. Both players praised each other's composure, with Scheffler noting Burns’ crucial 14th‑hole shot as a pivotal moment for the team.
Thomas, reflecting on his partnership with Koivun, highlighted the rookie’s poise under pressure, especially during the pivotal birdies on the 14th and 15th that extended their lead. "It was fun to be out there with him and watching him deliver in big moments," Thomas said, adding that the experience will be invaluable for the young player’s future. Meanwhile, the bottom match featured Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim, who overcame an early two‑hole lead loss by the International side to regain momentum with back‑to‑back wins starting on the 13th. Chris Gotterup kept the match alive with a long‑range par on the 15th, but Tom Kim’s precise tee shot on the 16th set up a tap‑in for the decisive point, giving the International team a hard‑won 3‑2 victory in that match.
International captain Geoff Ogilvy praised the quality of golf on display, noting several solid matches and expressing a wish that a tightly contested 18‑hole match had swung the other way. "We had a couple of really good solid matches there and we had a match go up to 18, which would have been nice if it went the other way, but we'll take that (3‑2)," he said.
U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker lauded his team's effort, emphasizing the importance of securing a session win early in the tournament. "I saw those guys competing their asses off out there.
I'm really proud of them. A session win is a session win – we're going to take it any way we can get it," Snedeker remarked.
He also highlighted Scheffler and Burns' victory as a morale‑boosting moment that set a positive tone for the week ahead. Looking ahead, Team USA needs an additional 12 points to retain the Presidents Cup and 12.5 points to extend their winning streak, with 25 points still up for grabs, including five points in Friday's foursomes session. The competition remains wide open, and fans can continue to follow live coverage of the day‑two foursomes on Sky Sports Golf, beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday.
The Presidents Cup continues to draw global interest, with travel packages and tee‑time bookings available across 1,700 courses in the UK and Ireland for those looking to experience world‑class golf firsthand. As the tournament progresses, the United States will aim to build on its early lead, while the International team seeks to close the gap and keep the historic rivalry alive.