Scheffler and Burns avoid upset as U.S. takes Presidents Cup lead

The U.S. took a 3-2 lead after the opening day of the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago. The teams played five four-ball matches Thursday, with five more points available Friday in foursomes, or alternate-shot play.

In the only match to reach the 18th hole, Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns defeated Sungjae Im and Min Woo Lee, 1 up. The Americans birdied the first four holes, but the match remained tied after their opponents birdied Nos. 2-5. Im made a birdie putt on the par-3 13th, while Scheffler missed from close range, giving the International Team the lead. Burns answered with a birdie on the next hole.

“I felt like both teams got off to pretty hot starts today and we cooled off a little bit off that,” Scheffler said. “But Sam I felt like hit probably the shot of the match there on 14. We lost 13 to go 1 down, and then he hit one in there to a couple feet, and we were able to square the match up. I felt like that was really a big moment for us as a team, and he stepped up when we needed him to.”

Scheffler and Burns won the 17th with a par, then closed out the match when Im and Lee failed to make birdie on 18.

In the other matches, Justin Thomas and Jackson Koivun defeated Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria, 4 and 3. It was Thomas’s seventh consecutive Presidents Cup four-ball win without a loss or tie. Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune then beat Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele, 3 and 1.

Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa defeated Ryan Fox and Adam Scott, 3 and 2. In the final match, Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim beat Chris Gotterup and Patrick Cantlay, 3 and 2. The Americans had held a narrow lead, but Tom Kim won the 13th and 14th holes, then nearly holed his tee shot on the par-3 16th before the Americans conceded.

“I saw a lot of good golf out there — 2-3 their way is not too bad,” International captain Geoff Ogilvy said. “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 2-3, we’ll take that. The boys have got a round under their belt now.”

At the previous Presidents Cup, held two years ago at Royal Melbourne, the Americans won all five Thursday four-ball matches, only for the Internationals to win all five Friday foursomes matches. The U.S. won 18.5-11.5 in 2024, their 10th consecutive Presidents Cup victory. Source: GOLF.com, Josh Berhow.