Presidents Cup: Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns sneak through tough opening round as U.S. takes early lead at Medinah
Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns secured a narrow victory for the United States in the opening round of the 2026 Presidents Cup. Despite Scheffler's individual struggles, the U.S. team holds a 3-2 lead over the International team.
Why it matters
The Presidents Cup is a major international golf event, and performance here is a key metric for the world's top-ranked players.
Nobody can legitimately question how good of a golfer Scottie Scheffler is. He's the top-ranked golfer in the world for a reason, and has absolutely dominated the PGA Tour over the last several years.
But Scheffler's struggles on the international stage, a trend he can't seem to shake, continued on Thursday at Medinah Country Club in Chicago.
Scheffler was in the opening group at the 2026 Presidents Cup on Thursday, playing alongside Sam Burns in the first of five four-ball matches against the International team. The two managed to sneak out a 1-up win over Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im, thanks to a huge save at the 17th, to get the United States on the board. It was also the first Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup match that Burns and Scheffler have won playing together.
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