The 2026 Presidents Cup is officially underway Thursday at Medinah Country Club’s No. 3 course, and the heavily favored U.S. squad is geared up to chase history, aiming for their 11th straight win. U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker announced the opening session is all about four-ball, setting the stage for some intense golf right out of the gate. The International team knows what’s up, they’re hoping to buck a serious trend and shock the red, white and blue.
Scheffler and Burns Lead the Charge as U.S. Flexes Top Talent
Snedeker deferred, matching International captain Geoff Ogilvy’s duo of Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im with his own powerhouse pair, Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns, to kick off the 16th edition of this competition. World No. 1 Scheffler is teaming up with his buddy, looking to bring his individual success to this team setting. You gotta respect it. These two are among the top players entering the competition, and frankly, the Americans are just stacked, boasting eight of the top 11 players in the world. It’s a serious lineup.
Rookies and Major Champs Hit the Green
The action doesn’t stop with the first pairing. Players Championship winner Cameron Young and two-time major champ Xander Schauffele are taking on Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune in the second match. Get this, Hisatsune is the first rookie from either side to hit a competitive shot! Then it’s 21-year-old rookie Jackson Koivun, being guided by the most experienced American, Justin Thomas. They’ve got a favorable matchup against Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria. The fourth match pits four major champions, Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa, against Adam Scott, making his 12th Presidents Cup appearance, and Champion Golfer of the Year Ryan Fox. The final match of the day? The International’s “best team,” Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim, facing off against Patrick Cantlay and Chris Gotterup.
The International team is really hoping to win this opening session. Why? Because they’ve only done it four times in the competition’s history. When they do, the overall event proves way more competitive, which last happened back in 2019 at Royal Melbourne. Day 1 tee times start at 12:35 p.m. Eastern, running through 1:47 p.m. Can the U.S. keep their dominant streak alive, or will the International squad find a way to make some noise early? Friday brings the foursomes format, so a lot is riding on how these first five matches shake out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply