U.S. makes surprising Scottie Scheffler decision during Presidents Cup comeback

Scottie Scheffler was at the center of an unexpected Team USA decision as the Presidents Cup comeback gathered pace. After the Americans trimmed the International lead Saturday morning, captain Brandt Snedeker left Scheffler out of the afternoon foursomes lineup. The move stood out because Scheffler had just teamed with Sam Burns to win the morning session’s final match.

It also came after the world No. 1 had played through the first three sessions. Snedeker explained that Scheffler had been carrying too much pressure and needed a break. The decision added another layer to an unusual Presidents Cup fight at Medinah.

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Why did Team USA sit Scottie Scheffler?

The decision arrived after Scheffler and Burns defeated Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune 2 and 1 in Saturday morning four-ball. The Americans had trailed by 4 points after Friday’s 5-match foursomes sweep, but the morning session gave them 2.5 points and reduced the overall deficit to 8.5-5.5.

Scheffler played a major role in that response. With the match against Matsuyama and Hisatsune tied through 14 holes, he made a 21-foot birdie putt on the 15th to level the match, and Burns followed with birdies on the 16th and 17th to close it out. The victory was Scheffler and Burns’ 2nd point of the week after their opening-day win.

Despite that result, Snedeker chose not to send Scheffler back out for the afternoon foursomes. The captain said Scheffler had been carrying the weight of the American team and that it was time for the rest of the roster to carry him for a session. Scheffler accepted the decision and said he had played a lot of golf that year and would cheer for his teammates.

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Scheffler’s foursomes record made the move easier

The decision also reflected Scheffler’s difficult history in alternate-shot team formats. PGA Tour reported that he entered Saturday afternoon with a 1-8-0 career foursomes record across the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup.

That record mattered because Friday had exposed a broader problem for the American side. The International team swept all 5 foursomes matches, including a victory over Scheffler and Burns, and moved ahead 7-3 after the second session. The U.S. had been unable to turn its strong individual talent into consistent results in the alternate shot.

Scheffler’s absence created a clear split in Snedeker’s lineup. Burns stayed in action with Wyndham Clark, while Scheffler watched from the sidelines after helping the Americans regain momentum.

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The U.S. comeback still faced a major hurdle

The afternoon foursomes did not produce the clean American surge that the morning session had suggested. The U.S. and International teams split the 4 matches 2-2, leaving the International team with a 10.5-7.5 advantage entering Sunday’s 12 singles matches.

The Internationals’ late resistance was especially damaging. Ryan Fox and Min Woo Lee defeated Burns and Clark 3 and 2, while Corey Conners and Nick Taylor came from 3 down to beat Russell Henley and Jacob Bridgeman 1 up. Those results preserved the 3-point margin despite 2 American wins from Patrick Cantlay-Xander Schauffele and Cameron Young-Chris Gotterup.

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That scoreboard put unusual pressure on the final session at the time. The International team entered Sunday needing 5 of the 12 available singles points to win the Presidents Cup outright, while the U.S. needed 8 points to reach 15.5. Team USA later completed the comeback and won the Presidents Cup 17-13.

Scheffler was back in the lineup when it mattered

Scheffler’s Saturday rest was temporary, not a removal from the competition. Snedeker placed him 4th in the Sunday singles order, and Scheffler faced Colombia’s Nico Echavarria in the 12:38 p.m. ET match.

The matchup gave Scheffler a direct chance to contribute without a partner beside him. He entered singles after winning 2 of his first 3 matches of the week with Burns, while the U.S. searched for a way to erase a 10.5-7.5 deficit entering the final session.

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Scheffler delivered in singles, defeating Echavarria 2 and 1 as Team USA completed a 17-13 comeback win at Medinah. His result belonged entirely to his own score, with every American point counting toward the same 15.5-point target.

Fun fact: Medinah’s redesigned Course No. 3 now has 117 bunkers, up from 70 before the recent renovation, while its total sand area doubled to 204,000 square feet. The overhaul also increased average green size by more than 40%.

What Scheffler’s rest meant for Team USA

Scheffler’s Saturday afternoon absence showed that Snedeker was willing to manage his star player differently as the Presidents Cup reached its decisive stages. The captain’s decision prioritized the full team schedule over simply keeping the world No. 1 on the course after every strong performance.

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The move also gave other American players a larger role during a session when the team needed points from across the lineup. With Scheffler watching, Cantlay, Schauffele, Young, Gotterup, Burns, and Clark all had opportunities to contribute to the comeback effort.

By Sunday, Scheffler was back in the singles lineup, making clear that the Saturday decision was about managing his workload rather than diminishing his importance to the American team. Scheffler then beat Nico Echavarria 2 and 1 as Team USA completed a 17-13 Presidents Cup comeback at Medinah.

TL;DR

• Brandt Snedeker unexpectedly benched Scottie Scheffler for Saturday afternoon foursomes after Scheffler and Sam Burns won their morning match.

• Snedeker said Scheffler had been carrying too much pressure and needed the rest of the U.S. team to carry him for a session.

• Scheffler’s 1-8-0 career foursomes record across the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup was another factor surrounding the surprising decision.

• The U.S. and International teams split Saturday afternoon’s foursomes, leaving the Internationals ahead 10.5-7.5 entering Sunday.

• Scheffler returned for Sunday singles against Nico Echavarria and won 2 and 1 as Team USA completed a 17-13 comeback.

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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.