International Team Leads USA 10.5-7.5 After Day 3 at Medinah

The International Team took a 10.5-7.5 lead over the United States after three days of the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club, setting up a bid for their first outright title since 1998 when Sunday singles begin.¹⁴⁵

A hard-fought Saturday

The International Team opened the week with a 5-0 sweep of Friday foursomes, building a four-point advantage after two days, according to Sky Sports. Team USA responded in Saturday's fourball session, taking early leads in all four matches and closing the gap to 8.5-5.5 heading into the afternoon foursomes, Golf Channel reported.⁴⁵¹

In the fourballs, Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns beat Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune 2&1, while Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im tied with Jackson Koivun and Justin Thomas after the Americans had led by two with four holes to play, according to Sky Sports. The International Team added 1.5 points from the four fourball matches, holding on despite the American push, the same source said.¹

The afternoon foursomes were shared 2-2, GOLF.com reported. Corey Conners and Nick Taylor beat Russell Henley and Jacob Bridgeman 1up after trailing by three with eight holes remaining, and Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim beat Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark 2&1 after being two down after eight holes, according to Sky Sports. The same source reported that Ryan Fox and Min Woo Lee got the better of Sam Burns and Wyndham Clark by a 3&2 margin, Chris Gotterup and Cameron Young cruised past Adam Scott and Sungjae Im 6&4, and Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele edged out Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim, 2&1.¹³⁵

International captain Geoff Ogilvy described the American fourball surge and his side's response: "What a day!" He said the Americans had charged out of the gate just as his team expected, taking the lead in all four morning matches, but that his players stayed resilient, weathering the early pressure before finding their groove on the greens. He said reaching the split in the foursomes session left him satisfied with the position, noting that carrying a lead into the final day - the objective his team had set from the start of the week - made him very proud of his players.¹

Scheffler benched for foursomes

US captain Brandt Snedeker sat world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler for Saturday afternoon's foursomes. Snedeker explained the move as an effort to protect his leading player ahead of Sunday: "I feel like Scottie's got the weight of the world on his shoulders, carrying Team USA, and it's time for us to carry him for a session."³

Snedeker said the call had not been easy, admitting his mind was still racing given how rapidly the pairing decisions had to be made. He said he cares deeply for Scheffler and found it genuinely difficult to leave him out for the afternoon, but wanted to give him a chance to recover and be ready for Sunday's singles. He reiterated that benching the top-ranked player in the game, someone he regards as one of the most talented golfers he has personally witnessed, was an especially hard call, and said he wanted Scheffler in the best position possible to perform well on Sunday after getting proper rest.³

Scheffler said he backed the decision, praising his teammates and saying he was looking forward to cheering them on from the sidelines that afternoon while taking the opportunity to rest. He said he was especially excited to watch Burns play, calling him one of his favorite golfers to observe, and that the break would help him get ready for Sunday's action. Earlier in the day, after sinking a putt at the 15th during the fourballs, Scheffler said the hole had felt tight for a stretch before finally opening up, calling it a crucial putt that allowed him to apply pressure on the opposing pairing.¹³

What Sunday requires

According to the PGA Tour and CBS Sports, Sunday's finale comprises twelve singles matches, and the side that first amasses 15.5 points will take home the Cup. The International Team requires five more points to complete a win that would be their first since 1998, having lost the past ten editions of the event, Sky Sports reported. Per the PGA Tour, the Americans have captured the last ten Presidents Cups and came into the week with a 13-1-1 overall mark; Sky Sports reported that the US would need 7.5 points to stave off an upset at home and eight to complete an outright comeback.¹⁴²

Golf Channel reported that a 15-15 tie would mean the Cup is not retained by the defending champions. CBS Sports noted the US has previously overturned a similar deficit, having trailed 10-8 at Royal Melbourne in 2019 before winning 16-14, and that the American team arrives at Medinah having fallen just short against Europe at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black earlier this autumn. Sunday's singles pairings were announced by Yahoo Sports, with the round set to conclude the 16th Presidents Cup.²⁶⁵