Team USA made a solid and determined start to their bid for an 11th consecutive Presidents Cup victory, building a 3-2 lead against the International Team following a fiercely contested Thursday fourballs session at Medinah Country Club.
Brandt Snedeker’s side has historically dominated the biennial contest over the years, yet they were immediately presented with a remarkably tough test on the opening day in Illinois. The Internationals fought tenaciously throughout the afternoon, successfully capturing two of the five crucial points on offer to ensure the tournament remains tightly balanced heading into the second day of competition.
The opening day featured high drama across the course, highlighted by World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler finally ending his winless record alongside partner Sam Burns. The American duo managed to edge out a thrilling finish on the final hole against Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im. Meanwhile, Justin Thomas partnered with 21-year-old rookie Jackson Koivun to deliver a commanding 4&3 victory over Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria, setting an early tone for the home side.
The momentum continued to swing back and forth across the championship layout as the all-Japanese pairing of Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune bounced back impressively to dispatch Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele 3&1. Shortly after, Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa secured a vital 3&2 win over Ryan Fox and Adam Scott, guaranteeing that Team USA would successfully claim the opening session overall.
Historically, the United States has held the advantage after the opening day in nine of the last 10 Presidents Cups. However, International stalwarts Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim ensured the deficit remained manageable by seeing off Chris Gotterup and Patrick Cantlay 3&2 in the final match of the day.
How Team USA Edged Ahead After Fourballs
The tone for a day of exceptional golf was established immediately in the high-scoring top match. Scheffler seized the initiative on the first hole by converting a precise 15-foot birdie putt, before Burns holed out from 10 feet to match Min Woo Lee’s spectacular monster putt from off the green. Both powerhouse teams quickly followed up by trading birdies on the next two holes, signaling that neither side was willing to give an inch in the alternate-shot format.
The intensity increased as Im captured the fifth hole with another well-executed birdie. Both teams then made matching twos on the testing par-three ninth, with Burns rolling in a pressure putt from nearly 20 feet after Lee had fired his tee shot dangerously close to the pin. Having weathered the early storm, the Internationals repeatedly pressured the American pair and squandered several promising scoring chances that could have shifted the momentum further in their favor.
The pressure finally told when Im converted a 10-foot birdie putt at the 13th hole to give the International team a slender lead. However, Burns demonstrated remarkable composure by immediately responding with a close-range birdie at the very next hole to restore parity. The match remained deadlocked until the 17th hole, where both Internationals unfortunately carded bogeys, handing a crucial advantage to Team USA right before the finish line.
With the match hanging in the balance on the par-four final hole, Scheffler produced a moment of brilliance by splashing out of the greenside bunker and stopping the ball within inches of the cup. That secured a comfortable par and sealed the first-ever team win together for Scheffler and Burns in either the Presidents Cup or the Ryder Cup, having previously suffered three losses and one tie across their four previous partnership matches in major team events.
Reflecting on the tense encounter, Scheffler noted the resilience required to pull through. "We just did our best to stay in it," Scheffler said. "I felt like both teams got off to pretty hot starts today and we cooled off a little bit off that. Sam [Burns] hit probably the shot of the match there on 14."
"We lost 13 to go one down and then he hit one in there to a couple feet. I felt like that was really a big moment for us as a team, and he stepped up when we needed him to."
Thomas Extends Amazing Fourballs Record
Justin Thomas added another chapter to his impressive Presidents Cup resume by extending his perfect record in the fourballs format. Paired with tournament debutant Jackson Koivun, the experienced American guided his younger teammate expertly as the pair never trailed at any point during their match, comfortably securing the first point of the week for the United States.
Thomas and Koivun asserted control early by winning three holes during a dominant four-hole stretch starting from the third. Although Conners managed to claim the seventh hole for the International side, the gap remained steady at two holes until Thomas closed out his seventh consecutive fourballs victory by executing consecutive birdies on the 14th and 15th holes.
The partnership drew high praise from the veteran campaigner, who was thoroughly impressed by how the young rookie handled the immense pressure of his first appearance on the grand stage. "It was fun to be out there with him and doing his thing," Thomas said of Koivun. "He’s really impressive to watch and I’m really happy he’s on my team. It was cool to watch him do his thing out there and show up in some pretty big moments."
Elsewhere on the course, Fox and Scott found themselves chasing the game from the very first hole in their eventual defeat to Clark and Morikawa. Meanwhile, Matsuyama and Hisatsune demonstrated tremendous grit, recovering from an early deficit to overcome Young and Schauffele in a match that showcased the depth and competitiveness of the International roster.
International captain Geoff Ogilvy expressed satisfaction with his team’s overall fighting spirit despite dropping the session. "I saw a lot of good golf out there," 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 we’ll take that (3-2)."
In the bottom match, Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim initially squandered an early two-hole lead before regaining their composure and seizing control of the contest with back-to-back wins starting from the 13th hole. Gotterup valiantly kept the American hopes alive in that match by draining a long-range par putt at the 15th, but Tom Kim decisively ended the contest by sending his tee shot to tap-in range on the subsequent hole, securing a valuable point for the visitors.
Snedeker ‘Proud’ After Team USA Grab Early Lead
Team USA now requires a further 12 points to successfully retain the prestigious trophy, or 12.5 more points if they are to decisively extend their long-standing winning streak over the International Team. With 25 points still remaining up for grabs across the upcoming days—including five crucial matches in the Friday foursomes session—plenty of golf remains to be played at Medinah.
United States captain Brandt Snedeker was quick to praise the effort and dedication displayed by his players throughout the opening day’s gruelling encounters. "I saw those guys competing their asses off out there," Snedeker said. "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."
"So happy for Scottie [Scheffler] and Sam [Burns] to go out there in that lead match and get that big win for us to lead us off. This is a long week and this is one session. We’ve got four more to go, but just proud of the way these guys started us off."