Scottie Scheffler Sits Out Presidents Cup Foursomes Session
By Staff Writer
3 min read
Scottie Scheffler sat out a session of team competition for the first time in three years Saturday afternoon, as U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker rested the World No. 1 for the Presidents Cup's second foursomes session at Medinah No. 3.
Key takeaways
- Scottie Scheffler sat out Saturday afternoon foursomes, his first missed team session in three years.
- Captain Brandt Snedeker split up the Scheffler-Burns pairing, which had gone 2-1 over the first three sessions.
- The Internationals led the U.S. 8.5-5.5 entering Saturday afternoon's foursomes.
- Scheffler's alternate-shot record fell to 1-8-0 across the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup after Friday's loss.
- Justin Thomas, Jackson Koivun and Collin Morikawa also sat out the session alongside Scheffler.
Why did Snedeker sit Scheffler?
Snedeker told NBC's Cara Banks the decision was about resting Scheffler for Sunday's singles matches, calling it one of the toughest calls of the week. "It was tough, that's probably why my head is still spinning," he said. Scheffler had played every session for the U.S. in the 2024 Presidents Cup and the 2025 Ryder Cup, and had never missed a match across three years of team competition before Saturday.
How did the timing of the decision play out?
Snedeker made the call while Scheffler and Burns were still trailing through 14 holes in the anchor match, before Burns rallied with birdies on 16 and 17 to close it out 2 and 1. That sequence meant Scheffler likely didn't learn he'd been rested until his post-match interview.
How has Scheffler fared in alternate shot?
The Scheffler-Burns pairing had gone 2-1 through three sessions, but strokes-gained numbers favored Burns overall, and Scheffler's individual alternate-shot record across the last two team events stood at 1-8-0 entering Saturday. Sitting the world's best player mid-week is a bet that a rested Scheffler adds more in Sunday singles than a tired one would have added Saturday afternoon.
Sitting the world's best player mid-week is a bet that a rested Scheffler adds more in Sunday singles than a tired one would in the afternoon.
Who else sat out Saturday afternoon?
Snedeker rested Justin Thomas, Jackson Koivun and Collin Morikawa alongside Scheffler for the session. Sam Burns, Wyndham Clark and Cameron Young were the only U.S. players slated to play all five sessions of the week. For the Internationals, Si Woo Kim, Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Min Woo Lee and Corey Conners were on track to play every session, while Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Nico Echavarria were limited to two appearances each.
| Player | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | U.S. | 2-1 |
| Sam Burns | U.S. | 2-1 |
| Justin Thomas | U.S. | 1-1-1 |
| Jackson Koivun | U.S. | 1-0-1 |
| Collin Morikawa | U.S. | 1-2 |
| Tom Kim | International | 3-0 |
| Si Woo Kim | International | 3-0 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the format for Presidents Cup Sunday singles?
All 24 players compete in 12 head-to-head singles matches on the final day, the same format used to close the Ryder Cup.
How did Scottie Scheffler perform in the sessions he did play?
Scheffler and Burns went 2-1 as a pairing through the first three team sessions, though Scheffler's individual alternate-shot record stood at 1-8-0 across the last two team events.
Who is playing every session for the U.S. team?
Sam Burns, Wyndham Clark and Cameron Young are the only three U.S. players slated to play all five sessions of the week.
The U.S. team led in all four Saturday afternoon foursomes matches as the session continued, with Sunday's singles matches set to decide the 2026 Presidents Cup champion.
- scottie scheffler
- presidents cup
- brandt snedeker
- sam burns
- medinah
- foursomes
