Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-25 · by Doug Ferguson The Associated Press
Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns won their first match together in the Presidents Cup after four previous losses, contributing to the American team's 3-2 victory over the International team on Thursday. The win is significant as it marks the ninth time out of ten that the Americans have taken the lead in the opening session of the competition. Despite tight matches throughout the day, other key wins came from Jackson Koivun and Justin Thomas against Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria, while the International team secured two victories through Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune, as well as Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim in the anchor match.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-25,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
MEDINAH, Ill. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns finally won a match together on their fifth try, and it came at just the right time for an American team that hung on to win the opening session of fourballs Thursday in the Presidents Cup.
asserted
that → win → Cup
The Americans led 3-2, the ninth time in the last 10 Presidents Cup they won the opening session.
asserted
they → lead → session
We’re going to take it any way we can get it,” U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker said.
asserted
Snedeker → go → it
“So happy for Scottie and Sam to go out there in that lead match and get that big win to lead us off.
asserted
Scottie → go → us
We’ve got four more to go.”
asserted
We → get → four
Five matches of foursomes are scheduled for Friday at Medinah Country Club.
asserted
matches → schedule → Club
Jackson Koivun also wasted little time getting a point on the board.
asserted
Koivun → waste → board
The 21-year-old Koivun, who turned pro just over three months ago, teamed with Justin Thomas in a 4-and-3 victory over Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria, who managed only three birdies in the easier better-ball format.
asserted
who → turn → format
Burns hit his approach to 2 feet for birdie on the 14th hole to square the match.
asserted
Burns → hit → match
The Americans took a 1-up lead when Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im missed par putts on the 17th, and Scheffler hit a bunker shot to tap-in range to secure par and a full point on the 18th.
asserted
Scheffler → take → 18th
The Internationals picked up two wins behind Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune — the first time for two Japanese players in the Presidents Cup since 1998 — and Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim in the anchor match.
asserted
Internationals → pick → match
The Americans got their other win behind Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa, who never trailed against Adam Scott and Ryan Fox in a 3-and-2 win.
asserted
who → get → win
For so much of a cloudy afternoon at Medinah, two wins apiece looked certain for the Americans and the Internationals.
asserted
wins → look → Americans
Up for grabs was the opening match, which was tight the entire way.
asserted
which → open → grabs
Scheffler and Burns, close friends who were 0-3-1 as partners in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, birdied the opening four holes, and the match was all square when the International birdied their fourth straight hole on the par-4 fifth hole.
asserted
International → birdie → hole
This was always going to be the swing match.
asserted
This → go → ?
The Internationals on three straight holes had putts in the 10-foot range to win and couldn’t convert.
asserted
Internationals → have → range
Im finally put them ahead on the par-3 13th with a shot into 10 feet for birdie, only for Burns to respond with an approach to 2 feet on the 14th.
asserted
Burns → put → 14th
“Sam hit probably the shot of the match there on 14,” Scheffler said.
asserted
Scheffler → hit → 14
“We lost 13 to go 1 down, and then he hit one in there to a couple feet and we were able to square the match up.
asserted
we → lose → match
I felt like that was really a big moment for us as a team, and he stepped up when we needed him to.”
asserted
him → feel → team
Im and Lee, whose putting hurt them along the back nine, took bogey on the 17th to fall behind.
asserted
putting → hurt → 17th
Lee went long of the green, and Im gassed his 40-foot birdie putt some 15 feet by the hole.
asserted
m → go → hole
Scheffler and Burns both hit into bunkers on opposite sides of the 18th green.
asserted
Scheffler → hit → green
Scheffler blasted out to a foot to secure par.
asserted
Scheffler → blast → par
Im had the last chance, a 40-foot birdie putt to earn a halve, and it banged into the back of the cup and hopped out.
asserted
it → have → cup
International captain Geoff Ogilvy came away pleased to be close after one day.
asserted
Ogilvy → come → day
“Two-to-three their way is not too bad,” Ogilvy said.
asserted
Ogilvy → say → three
“We had a couple of really good, solid matches there, and we had a match go up to 18, which would have been nice if it went the other way.
asserted
it → have → 18
But 2-3, we’ll take that.
asserted
we → take → that
The boys have got a round under their belt now.”
asserted
boys → get → belt
Cameron Young and Xander Schauffele won the par-4 second hole and didn’t win another.
asserted
Young → win → another
The Japanese duo won the last two holes on the front nine for a 2-up lead, and the Americans conceded birdie putts on the 17th to end it.
asserted
Americans → win → it
I’ve been waiting for another guy from Japan to come play with me, and I was really happy today,” Matsuyama said.
asserted
Matsuyama → wait → me
Koivun is the first player to win a Walker Cup point and a Presidents Cup point just over a year apart.
asserted
Koivun → win → point
He won his first PGA Tour title in the 3M Open in his third start.
asserted
He → win → start
And now he’s part of a dominant American team that has won 10 in a row at the Presidents Cup.
asserted
that → ’ → Cup
He said he told Thomas that “once I get my first tee shot out of the way, I’m going to be good.”
asserted
I → say → way
His second tee shot went out-of-bounds, though Thomas saved it with a beautiful bunker shot to halve the hole.
asserted
Thomas → go → hole
Koivun’s wedge to 7 feet for birdie on the par-5 sixth gave them a 3-up lead, and the Internationals never seriously threatened the rest of the way.
asserted
Internationals → give → way
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
