Snedeker Takes Blame for U.S.'s 3-Point Presidents Cup Deficit

Brandt Snedeker said Saturday night that he takes responsibility for mistakes that have left his U.S. team facing a three-point deficit at the Presidents Cup, with only Sunday singles remaining at Medinah Country Club.

What did Snedeker say went wrong?

The U.S. entered Saturday down 7-3 and closed the day trailing 10.5-7.5, having clawed back a point but still losing ground overall for the week. In a television interview afterward, Snedeker said he was proud of his players despite what he called his own missteps. Pressed for specifics, he pointed broadly at matchups and preparation rather than any single decision.

"I don't think I've done a very good job this week," Snedeker said of setting his players up to succeed. He added that he had been second-guessing himself throughout the week, though he stopped short of naming a specific pairing or session he regretted most.

Why did Snedeker sit Scottie Scheffler?

The most scrutinized call of the week was Snedeker's decision to rest Scheffler, the world's top-ranked player, during Friday afternoon's foursomes session. Snedeker said he wanted to give Scheffler extra rest ahead of Sunday rather than run him out in every session. The U.S. split that afternoon session 2-2.

Paul McGinley, a former European Ryder Cup captain working as a Golf Channel analyst, said publicly that Snedeker's candor undercut his own team's confidence before the competition was decided, and that he did not believe the American captain had actually made major errors.

Only once in the event's history, in 1998, has an International team beaten the U.S. on American soil.

The Americans have not lost the Presidents Cup since that 1998 defeat, a streak of 28 years now on the line entering the final day.