A slow start for the favourites
The United States leads the 2026 Presidents Cup 3-2 after the opening round of four-ball matches at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago. For a team that has won the last ten editions, a one-point margin is a modest start.
Scottie Scheffler, the world number one, has been criticised for quiet showings in past team events. On Thursday he and Sam Burns took a 1-up win over Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im, with Scheffler putting them ahead on the 17th hole and closing it out with a tap-in par at the last.
Rookies Jackson Koivun and Justin Thomas won their match comfortably against Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria, giving captain Brandt Snedeker an early cushion.
Foursomes change the puzzle
Friday's session switched to foursomes, where partners take turns hitting the same ball. Snedeker held Russell Henley and Jacob Bridgeman back on day one and sent them out against Im and Hideki Matsuyama. International captain Geoff Ogilvy paired Nick Taylor with fellow Canadian Corey Conners against Scheffler and Burns.
The format rewards accuracy over power, and Medinah's Course No. 3 punishes stray shots near the water and the long rough. The International team's path to points runs through Si Woo Kim, Matsuyama and Adam Scott, its most experienced players.
Saturday brings four-ball again, with Sunday closing out the event through 12 singles matches. The first team to 15.5 points wins the cup, and the International side has never won on American soil.
Elsewhere in sport
Formula 1 is in Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix this weekend, with teams chasing points as the season enters its final stretch. The DP World Tour is at Le Golf National near Paris for the FedEx Open de France, while the LPGA plays the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
In college football, the last Saturday of September brings a full slate of conference games, and Major League Baseball heads into its final weekend with playoff places still open in both leagues.