Internationals Sweep Friday Foursomes, Take 7-3 Presidents Cup Lead
The short version
- The International team won all five Friday foursomes matches and leads the U.S. 7-3.
- It matches the Internationals' best two-session Presidents Cup start, previously set during their 1998 win in Australia.
- Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns lost 1 up to Corey Conners and Nick Taylor; Scheffler is 1-8-0 in foursomes at the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup.
- Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim beat Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele 4 and 3.
- Saturday features morning fourballs and afternoon foursomes; the winning total of 15.5 points cannot be reached before Sunday.
A 5-0 foursomes session pushed the International side to a 7-3 advantage, matching its best two-session start in Presidents Cup history.
The International team swept all five Friday foursomes matches at the 2026 Presidents Cup, repeating its shutout of the United States from the previous edition of the event. The result moved the Internationals ahead 7-3 overall, which equals their largest lead ever after two sessions in the competition.
The only other time the International side held a 7-3 edge through two sessions was in 1998 in Australia, the year it captured its lone Presidents Cup title.
International captain Geoff Ogilvy said the goal was simply to take the session, adding that his players arrived in a strong mindset even though a clean 5-0 sweep was unexpected.
Play stayed close over the front nine before the matches began turning the Internationals' way. Sungjae Im and Hideki Matsuyama set the tone, conceding only three holes to Russell Henley and Jacob Bridgeman. Matsuyama rolled in a lengthy par putt at the 16th to close out a 3-and-2 win.
Corey Conners and Nick Taylor followed with a 1-up upset of top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and world No. 8 Sam Burns. Scheffler and Burns had paired for a win in Thursday fourballs — their first together at the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup — but the loss dropped them to 1-3-1 as a duo across both events. For Scheffler personally, the foursomes record across the two Cups now stands at 1-8-0.
Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark held a 1-up edge from the 12th through the 14th before Ryan Fox's putting flipped their match. Fox and Min Woo Lee won 1 up, with Fox, the Open champion, delivering down the stretch.
The final two matches went decisively to the Internationals. Adam Scott and Christiaan Bezuidenhout downed Justin Thomas and Cameron Young 3 and 2 — the Americans' lone back-nine hole came at the 13th, when they already trailed by three. Scott noted the team went 5-0 in foursomes two years ago in Canada and hopes the lessons from that week carry into Saturday.
Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim delivered the most one-sided result, beating Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele 4 and 3. After sharing the lead through holes two through four, the Kims pulled clear and finished the match at the 15th, dropping Cantlay and Schauffele to 4-2 all-time in Presidents Cup foursomes. Si Woo Kim said the team room would be lively but planned to rest and refocus rather than repeat past letdowns after big days.
Saturday brings the heaviest schedule of the week: fourballs in the morning and foursomes in the afternoon. U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker acknowledged the Americans fought hard without reward and pointed out that 20 points remain in play. He is sending out his three winning Thursday fourball pairings — Thomas with Jackson Koivun, Morikawa with Clark, and Scheffler with Burns — plus a new duo of Chris Gotterup and Cameron Young. Ogilvy is keeping four pairings intact: Lee/Im against Thomas/Koivun, Kim/Kim against Morikawa/Clark, Taylor/Conners against Gotterup/Young, and Matsuyama with Ryo Hisatsune against Scheffler/Burns. Neither side can reach the 15.5 points needed to claim the Cup before Sunday.
Fans can watch the next day of play, Away Team at Home Team, on Saturday, September 26 at 9:45 AM EDT.
