Team USA’s historic dominance and their hopes of securing an 11th consecutive Presidents Cup victory have suffered a dramatic and unforeseen setback. Geoff Ogilvy’s International Team produced a breathtaking, flawless performance on Friday at Medinah, executing a stunning foursomes session sweep to construct a commanding and unexpected 7-3 lead heading into the weekend.
The United States entered the biennial contest with an aura of invincibility, boasting a record of never having been defeated on home soil. Historically, the Americans have completely dominated the event, claiming 13 victories out of the previous 15 editions. However, all of that statistical superiority was temporarily thrown out the window during a Friday afternoon session that will long be remembered by the International camp. Fueled by precision iron play, clutch putting, and relentless determination, the visitors swept all five matches to turn a 3-2 deficit from Thursday’s fourballs into a formidable four-point advantage.
The tone for the day was set right away in the opening match. The reliable Canadian duo of Corey Conners and Nick Taylor went toe-to-toe with world No 1 Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns. Despite a valiant effort from the American pair, Conners and Taylor held their nerve down the stretch to claim a hard-fought 1-up victory. That early momentum quickly rippled through the rest of the International pairings. Moments later, Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im delivered a clinical display, dismantling Russell Henley and Jacob Bridgeman with a decisive 3&2 victory.
The pressure continued to mount on the American side as the session progressed. Open champion Ryan Fox partnered with dynamic Australian Min Woo Lee in a fiercely contested match against Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark. The International duo managed to edge ahead on the very final hole, securing another crucial full point.
The relentless wave of international success showed no signs of slowing down as veteran Adam Scott teamed up with Christiaan Bezuidenhout. The experienced pair played steady, mistake-free golf to wrap up a convincing 3&2 triumph over Justin Thomas and Wyndham Clark, further tightening the screws on a stunned American squad.
To cap off the clean sweep, the formidable South Korean duo of Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim delivered another masterclass. Claiming their second victory in as many days, they comfortably dispatched Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele with a 4&3 scoreline. Remarkably, this marks the second consecutive Presidents Cup in which the International Team has managed to completely sweep the Friday foursomes session, highlighting a growing resilience and competitive edge in the team format.
The dramatic turnaround leaves the Internationals in a position they have rarely occupied in modern Presidents Cup history. They now hold a four-point cushion with 20 matches still remaining on the schedule across the weekend. To claim their first overall victory in the tournament since 1998, the International Team requires just 8.5 points from the remaining available matches.
How Internationals Built Shock Lead at Medinah
The afternoon’s struggles for the United States were perhaps best encapsulated by the ongoing struggles of their talismanic world No 1, Scottie Scheffler, in the alternate-shot format. Scheffler has now endured a remarkably difficult run in foursomes, having lost eight of his nine matches in the discipline across his Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup career.
This particular match began with promise for the Americans. Scheffler and Burns seized an early advantage when a sensational approach shot into the second green set up a straightforward birdie. However, the momentum shifted unpredictably on the very next hole. Burns sent his tee shot out of bounds, gifting the hole back to the Canadians.
Even when Conners and Taylor momentarily stumbled by losing the fourth hole, they demonstrated incredible resilience by immediately bouncing back to win the next two holes. From that point forward, Conners and Taylor refused to relinquish control of the match, maintaining a narrow lead as the match reached its tense conclusion.
The closing holes provided the kind of high-drama theatre that alternate-shot match play is famous for. On the final stretch, Conners was forced into a difficult recovery shot, having to pitch out from thick, penalizing rough. Stepping up to the moment, Taylor followed with a breathtaking approach shot from the fairway that finished a mere foot away from the cup, sealing the hole with a guaranteed par.
Sam Burns had a 20-foot birdie putt to tie the match and force a halved point for the Americans, but his effort agonizingly lipped out, sealing the victory for the ecstatic Canadians.
Reflecting on the gritty performance after walking off the course, Corey Conners emphasized the mindset that carried them through the pressure-packed afternoon.
"We just tried to be relentless out there," Conners said. "Both hit a lot of quality shots and Nick [Taylor] made some key putts there towards the end to keep us in the position. His approach shot into the last here was unbelievable!"
With a historic upset suddenly within their grasp, the International Team finds themselves just days away from potentially breaking a nearly three-decade drought. Live coverage of the weekend action continues from Medinah, where Team USA will face the ultimate test of their championship mettle as they attempt a massive comeback on home turf.