2026 Presidents Cup - Thursday

A few Winners and Losers as the opening session concludes.

Winners

Justin Thomas: He had his doubters (hand up!), but he delivered today in a big way, carrying Jackson Koivun to a point.

Tom Kim/Si Woo Kim: This is a dangerous pairing. I followed them all day today and their chemistry is obvious. They joke around the entire time and keep each other comfortable and confident. I’m glad we’re seeing that team again tomorrow.

Losers

Chris Gotterup and Patrick Cantlay: Yikes. That was a lot of bad golf this afternoon. Gotterup rehearsed his swing after multiple misfires off the tee and hit a couple of terrible short game shots. He also left a 12-foot par to tie the first hole short. Cantlay wasn’t quite as bad, but he was close to as bad.

The International Team as a Whole: A 2-3 record isn’t a horrible showing for the day, but that squad is not winning the Sunday Singles session. They need to, at a minimum, tie the score back up after tomorrow to have any chance of winning on Sunday. Failing to get even a half of a point against a Scheffler-Burns team that was vulnerable today was very costly.

After his match, Wyndham Clark described the atmosphere as “dead out there.”

By the fourth match, the grandstands around the first tee buildout were about half full.

Clark said he made the comments in part to motivate fans to show up this weekend. We’ll see if they do, but my experience on the grounds today matched Wyndham’s.

As Brian Rolapp surveys the future of this event, fan interest will obviously be a significant consideration. Perhaps the Chicago crowds will turn out in full force over the weekend, but that wasn’t the case today.

I'm scouting real estate on Tom Kim Island. He's such a pest — I have to respect it.

Justin Thomas is now 7-0-0 in four-ball matches at the Presidents Cup.

Not sure how well it presents on TV but No. 13 is a very intimidating tee shot. It played 200 yards back into some wind today

A look from the tee

Broadcast keeps discussing how the Scheffler/Burns vs. Im/Lee match is a "great one" and a "classic." There's been four combined birdies since the 6th hole so not sure if I agree there. Feels like they are dragging across the finish line.

With today's effort from the American team in Match 1 wondering if Sgt. Sam will consider a run for Sheriff in the next election cycle.

Checking in on Match 5

Other Things that Happened “While We Were Away”

-Wyndham made a birdie putt

-Jackson Koivun went to Auburn’s Fall Formal

-Bill Murray read a script for Lost In Translation 2, elected to pass

-Bennett Scheffler won the Preschool Texas State Am

-Notah agreed that this next shot is “really tough”

-Scheffler and Burns halved four matches, unlucky again

-Team Europe had another team bonding trip, this one to Dollyworld; Rory and Jon Rahm did an “Islands in the Stream” duet, you would have loved it.

-The PGA Tour erected a Green Monster wall just left of the out of bounds fence on No. 1, hoping to deflect more shots back into play; MacKenzie and Ebert consulted.

-Patrick Cantlay gave a TED Talk conceding that the Hugging Face attack is concerning, but at the same time creates some excellent investment opportunities for companies willing to push on

-Wesley Bryan wondered if winning the Backyard Games might finally get him a call from Brian Rolapp

-Gary Player argued that if the Presidents Cup existed in his day, Bobby Locke and he would have been a greater pairing than Palmer and Nicklaus, who he loves, mind you, but “facts are facts”

-Stefan Schauffele wondered out loud if players can be paid in BitCoin for their participation this week.

That shot from the left greenside bunker on 12 is so, so tough. Scottie and Sungjae did really well just now. Have to imagine we'll see a few water balls from that position this week.

How bad are the commercials? It sounds like they've lost the flow of the matches. It is generally slow and sluggish in person as it is, but the ability to follow all five matches at once seems like a preferable alternative to waiting all day with silo'd with just one. We have a sessions that's quite competitive across the board. Alas, it does not seem that product is being delivered.

Tee is up on 12, making it drivable, and we're already having fun. With the water on the right and a cut required for reaching the green (or at least avoiding a scary bunker shot from the left), this is a very cool match-play hole.

Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im have had Scottie and Sam on the ropes, but haven’t been able to land a blow to take the lead.

Sure enough, Min Woo finds the water off 12 tee and there’s a chance the Internationals missed the window to take down the top duo for Team USA.

After solid birdie efforts on the preceding two holes, Sgt. Sam Burns finally gets one to go on 9. A huge make to keep this match tied making the turn.

Min Woo Lee did just toss the ball he made his birdie with to a young American fan, though. Learning from the Euros on the charm offensive?

People getting hyped for a team match-play event, then realizing 20 minutes in that they've lost track of all of the matches because of the commercial load

What time is sunset in Chicago?

This fifth group may not finish! Probably should’ve seen it coming in a Cantlay-Tom Kim match.

Koreans are off to an early lead through three. Gotterup’s caddie was moving as Si Woo got ready to hit on four. Si Woo backed off and didn’t seem pleased!

I have to wonder if out of bounds is coming into play this much in the Backyard Games. Can anyone confirm?

Last post from me on ads, but thought this was worth sharing from Josh Carpenter:

The toughest of scenes.

(FYI, the U.S. captain typically controls decisions on rough height.)

Scenes from the (quite empty) first grandstand: sunbathing, iPad streaming the action, and waiting for the Kims. What’s better than this?

< scheduled post > Too many ads and Playing Throughs from NBC/USA/GC. How are we missing shots?

Ryan Gerrard still getting some airtime at the P Cup. Just not the way he wanted

It's Time For Scottie and Sam to Show Us Something

I am not one of those people who believes Scottie Scheffler's poor record in Ryder Cups and Presidents Cup carries a larger meaning. His 1-4 record at Bethpage was worrying, but everything about Bethpage until the final day was fraught. It felt the destiny of the PGA of America to lose that Ryder Cup. Ryder Cup captains seem baffled over who to pair with Scheffler, and throwing him into panic pairings in Italy (with Brooks Koepka) and Long Island (with Bryson DeChambeau) haven't helped.

But the fact that he cannot seem to play well in these events with his literal best friend, Sam Burns, is bizarre. Their 0-3-1 record in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup is one of the most baffling stats in golf. It was understandable why it was hard to find Tiger Woods a decent partner in his prime. He intimidated everyone, put all kinds of unconscious pressure on his teammates that they were letting him down.

That shouldn't be the case with Scheffler, particularly when he plays with Burns.

These are guys who play together all the time during practice rounds at PGA Tour events and in majors. You'd think if anyone was going to put Scheffler in a mindset to play his best golf, it would be his buddy Sam, the guy he often stays with (and prays with) on the road. They play board games with their wives after the kids are in bed, for heaven's sake.

It feels like it ought to be a chemistry dream.

Some of this has been a simple manner of circumstance. As The Golf Channel pointed out earlier this week, when Scheffler and Burns halved their match in the 2022 Presidents Cup against Sebastian Munoz and Sunjae Im, they would have beaten any other team that day. Sometimes you get an unlucky draw.

“When you look at best ball and alternate shot, there is a little bit of flukiness there for sure,” Scheffler said. “Sometimes you’re up against guys that have played really good.”

That's why they wanted a shot at redemption this year after being split up the last couple team events.

But today's match against Min Woo Lee and Im needs to be the end of excuses. This team needs to be a formidable pairing at Adare Manor next year. I keep hearing what an amazing putter Burns is, but it rarely shows up in these team events. His birdie on the 2nd hole today feels like a positive sign. 

I'm so pumped for the Kim show to close out the day. Tom Kim is... Tom Kim. And if you haven't read Joseph's recent piece on Si Woo you should! I feel like I have an actual idea of who Si Woo Kim is now. https://editorial.thefriedegg.com/going-into-battle-with-si-woo-kim/

Big fan of the vibe Hale Irwin is putting out right now.

The first tee scene as Scottie goes off in the first match. If you care about first tee matters, I will things have not emptied, but thinned considerably after the first two matches departed. Not seeing that at the Ryder Cup.

A bigtime double off the wall for Sungjae! Ripken-esque!

I hadn't realized there was a buffer of rough just inside the fence! Shame!

That back-right pin on the first hole is super tricky. Everyone is going to be bailing away from the OB off the tee, but as Sungjae, Scottie, and Burns all just showed, it's very, very hard to attack the pin from that angle.

Take a shot every time Brandt says "savages." Best of luck.

Josh Giddey AND Derrick Rose on the first tee representing Chicago sports. Good Good got canceled for less!

I'm good on Bill Murray.

I have no idea what kind of omen this is, but Derrick Rose is on the first tee. Maybe the American side gets off to a crazy hot start and flames out, Andy?

I'm not sure why we're even playing this thing. The ball knowers of FEGC have spoken (see the poll below that we posted in the FEGC app), and it's clear the US team is going to win. But I do like that there are some chaos agents lurking, just waiting for the International team to shock the world.

My favorite take was from Greg S., who has a really specific prediction: "Americans enter singles up 11-7 and then lose it."

There it is, Greg. On the off chance that the US enters Sunday up 11-7 and loses, you're going to go down in the annals of hot take history. You can thank me later when you're flaming Stephen A. in a few short weeks. 🔥

I will christen the Live Blog Video feature with this important update from the Presidents Cup Media Center™️

Look, I'm not going to try to convince anyone this is the Masters, but I am excited for this event, at least while the scoreboard remains close.

Of the five matches this morning, I am most looking forward to the last, which tees off a 12:47pm CT. Chris Gotterup and Patrick Cantlay will take on Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim. This is the most competitive matchup on paper (and in the betting markets) and should be very competitive.

Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim have a great relationship and it was fun watching the two South Koreans joke around during their practice round yesterday. There's a lot of chemistry between them and they are each playing some of the best golf of their careers. Neither of them is shy about getting fired up in team competitions either.

Should be some fireworks in that match.

Looking to pass some time before the golf gets going? We've got some Fried Egg Golf Games (P Cup Edition) for you:

Name That P Cupper: games.thefriedegg.com/name-that-presidents-cup-player

International 18: games.thefriedegg.com/presidents-cup-international-team-countries

Captains: games.thefriedegg.com/presidents-cup-captains

Venues: games.thefriedegg.com/presidents-cup-golf-courses-host-venues

Most Matches Played: games.thefriedegg.com/most-presidents-cup-matches-played

The first day of play features five fourball matches starting just after Noon ET. With 10 players on the course, two are sitting on each side: Jacob Bridgeman and Russell Henley for the Americans, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Nick Taylor for the Internationals.

Here are today’s five matches (with each player's fourball record). 

12:35 p.m. ET

Sungjae Im (3-2-1) / Min Woo Lee (0-1-0)
Sam Burns (2-1-1) / Scottie Scheffler (2-0-1)

12:53 p.m. ET

Ryo Hisatsune (0-0-0) / Hideki Matsuyama (3-6-2)
Xander Schauffele (3-3-0) / Cameron Young (0-0-1)

1:11 p.m. ET

Nico Echavarria (0-0-0) / Corey Conners (0-3-0)
Jackson Koivun (0-0-0) / Justin Thomas (6-0-0)

1:29 p.m. ET

Adam Scott (5-12-4) / Ryan Fox (0-0-0)
Collin Morikawa (2-0-0) / Wyndham Clark (1-1-0)

1:47 p.m. ET

Si Woo Kim (3-0-0) / Tom Kim (2-2-0)
Patrick Cantlay (3-3-0) / Chris Gotterup (0-0-0)

Happy P Cup Thursday! For those familiar with Medinah No. 3 or have become familiar through watching/reading our content, thought this map from the PGA Tour would be helpful for folks to see the adjusted routing for this week.

The normal 5th hole will be the opening hole and then play in order from there.

Believe the rational was that they could ensure more matches would make it through the lake holes (normal 16th & 17th)