Scottie Scheffler leads a loaded U.S. lineup as the 2026 Presidents Cup begins Thursday with five Four-ball matches at Medinah Country Club.
The 2026 Presidents Cup finally gets down to business Thursday at Medinah Country Club, and U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker isn't easing into the week.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns will lead off five Four-ball matches against Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im as the Americans begin their pursuit of an 11th consecutive Presidents Cup victory.
Scheffler brings a 3-5-1 career Presidents Cup record into the opening session, but he's been much better in Four-ball at 2-0-1. Burns is 3-3-3 overall in two previous appearances.
The second match offers one of Snedeker's more interesting decisions. Xander Schauffele, normally associated with longtime partner Patrick Cantlay, will instead play alongside Cameron Young against Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune.
Schauffele has been outstanding in this event, owning a 10-4-0 career record.
Justin Thomas will handle mentor duty in Match 3 when he teams with 21-year-old Presidents Cup rookie Jackson Koivun against Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria. Thomas could be particularly dangerous in this format. He's a perfect 6-0-0 in Presidents Cup Four-ball matches.
Koivun will be making his event debut only months after completing his college career at Auburn.
The fourth match sends Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa against Ryan Fox and International veteran Adam Scott. Morikawa has quietly become one of America's most reliable Presidents Cup performers, compiling a 6-2-0 record over his first two appearances.
Scott, meanwhile, will make his 12th Presidents Cup appearance, adding another chapter to one of the longest careers in event history.
Thursday closes with Chris Gotterup and Cantlay facing Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim. Cantlay provides the experience with a 10-4-0 Presidents Cup record, while Gotterup makes his debut after winning three times on the PGA Tour this season.
International captain Geoff Ogilvy admitted the lineup process produced some difficult decisions.
“I don't know, it's the first time I've done this,” Ogilvy joked after one lengthy pairing deliberation Wednesday.
Thirty matches will ultimately decide the Presidents Cup, but history suggests Thursday matters. The U.S. has held the opening-day lead in eight of the last nine editions.
At Medinah, the first punch arrives early.
