World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler being left out of a session at the 2026 Presidents Cup was one of the tournament’s biggest surprises, but U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker said the decision was intended to give Scheffler a break before the decisive Sunday singles.
Scheffler sat out Saturday afternoon’s foursomes at Medinah Country Club even though he and Sam Burns had just defeated Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune 2 and 1 in the morning four-ball session. Snedeker said Scheffler had been carrying an enormous burden for Team USA and that it was time for the rest of the team to “carry him for a session.” [PGA Tour]
There was another important factor: Scheffler’s remarkable struggles in foursomes. Despite being the world’s top-ranked golfer, Scheffler entered Saturday afternoon with a 1-8-0 career record in the alternate-shot format across the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup. [NBC Sports]
The decision did not produce the U.S. surge Snedeker needed. Saturday afternoon’s foursomes finished 2-2, leaving the International Team with a 10.5-7.5 lead entering Sunday’s 12 singles matches. [Sky Sports]
Scheffler was then placed fourth in the U.S. singles lineup for Sunday, facing Nico Echavarria at 12:38 p.m. ET. [NBC Sports]
Why Did Team USA Bench Scottie Scheffler?
Snedeker offered two closely related explanations: rest and lineup strategy.
The captain said Scheffler had been carrying the “weight of the world” for Team USA and wanted to give his best player an opportunity to recharge before Sunday’s singles. [PGA Tour]
After Saturday’s play ended, Snedeker reiterated that explanation, saying the break gave Scheffler some needed rest so he could return Sunday playing like the Scottie Scheffler the team was accustomed to seeing. [NBC Sports]
But Scheffler’s record in alternate shot provided a strong competitive reason for the decision as well.
What Is Scottie Scheffler’s Foursomes Record?
Scheffler entered Saturday afternoon with a 1-8-0 record in foursomes across his Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup career. [PGA Tour]
That record is startling because foursomes should theoretically reward an elite all-around golfer such as Scheffler.
Foursomes is the alternate-shot format. Two golfers form a team, use one ball and alternate shots until the hole is completed. One player tees off on odd-numbered holes and the other on even-numbered holes.
The format therefore requires more than simply having two great individual players. Partners have to manage each other’s preferred distances, recover from each other’s mistakes and develop a rhythm while hitting only every other shot.
Scheffler’s results in that format have been dramatically worse than his individual results.
What Happened To Scheffler In Friday’s Foursomes?
The warning sign came one day earlier.
Scheffler and Burns lost 1 down to Corey Conners and Nick Taylor as the International Team swept all five Friday foursomes matches and turned a 3-2 U.S. lead into a 7-3 International advantage. [NBC Sports]
The defeat dropped Scheffler’s combined Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup foursomes record to 1-8-0.
That poor history gave Snedeker a legitimate strategic reason to consider other combinations for Saturday’s second alternate-shot session, even though Scheffler remained the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world.
But Didn’t Scheffler Win Saturday Morning?
Yes.
That was one reason the benching was so surprising.
Scheffler and Burns defeated Matsuyama and Hisatsune 2 and 1 in Saturday morning four-ball. The victory improved Scheffler’s record for the week to 2-1. [PGA Tour]
They had to rally to do it.
The International pair led 1 up after 14 holes before Scheffler sank a 21-foot birdie putt on No. 15. Burns then hit excellent approaches at Nos. 16 and 17 and made the resulting birdies as the Americans won three consecutive holes to close the match. [PGA Tour]
There was an important complication, however: Snedeker had to submit his afternoon lineup before Scheffler and Burns completed their comeback.
Had Snedeker Already Benched Scheffler Before He Won?
Essentially, yes.
Because Saturday’s morning and afternoon sessions were played back-to-back, captains had to submit their foursomes lineups while the final four-ball matches were still being played.
When Snedeker made his decision, Scheffler and Burns were still struggling. The International pair had been 1 up after 14 holes, and the Americans had not yet produced their three-hole closing surge. [GOLF]
The PGA Tour noted that the Americans used Scheffler’s score on only six of the 17 holes they played in the four-ball victory. [PGA Tour]
That timing matters because Snedeker could not simply watch Scheffler finish strongly and then reverse his lineup decision.
Why Did Sam Burns Play While Scheffler Sat?
Snedeker broke up the Scheffler-Burns partnership after they had played together in each of the first three sessions.
Burns remained in the lineup and partnered with Wyndham Clark in the Saturday afternoon foursomes.
Burns’ play Saturday morning helped explain that choice. After Scheffler’s birdie at No. 15 tied their match, Burns produced the decisive shots on Nos. 16 and 17 to finish the comeback. [PGA Tour]
Snedeker also wanted to keep other golfers who were performing well on the course.
Cameron Young and Chris Gotterup, for example, won their Saturday morning four-ball match 2 and 1, creating what Snedeker described as additional “wrinkles” in his afternoon lineup planning. [Golf Channel]
How Did Scheffler React To Being Benched?
Scheffler publicly accepted the decision.
He said he had played a lot of golf during the year and would use the afternoon to support his teammates, rest and prepare for Sunday.
Scheffler also said the strength of the U.S. roster meant Snedeker could create numerous viable pairings and that it was important to get players who were performing well onto the course. [Golf Channel]
There was no public indication that Scheffler objected to the captain’s decision.
How Rare Is It For Scottie Scheffler To Sit?
Very rare.
Scheffler played all five sessions at both the 2024 Presidents Cup and 2025 Ryder Cup.
Saturday at Medinah was the first time he had sat out a Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup session since Saturday afternoon at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome. It was only the second session Scheffler had missed during his Presidents Cup career. [PGA Tour]
That is why the decision generated so much attention. Captains normally try to maximize the number of sessions played by their best golfer.
Did Benching Scheffler Work?
It did not produce the major American comeback Snedeker needed, although Team USA avoided another foursomes disaster.
The Americans and Internationals split Saturday afternoon’s four matches 2-2. Because the International Team had entered the session with a three-point advantage, it maintained that margin and finished Saturday leading 10.5-7.5. [Sky Sports]
The result was nevertheless a major improvement over Friday, when the International Team had swept the Americans 5-0 in foursomes.
Whether resting Scheffler ultimately helps Team USA therefore depends partly on what he does in Sunday singles.
Who Is Scottie Scheffler Playing In Sunday Singles?
Scheffler will face Nico Echavarria of the International Team.
The match is scheduled to begin at 12:38 p.m. ET, making it the fourth singles match on the course. [NBC Sports]
International captain Geoff Ogilvy’s decision to send Echavarria against the world’s No. 1 player also attracted attention because Echavarria entered Sunday having played substantially fewer sessions than several of the International Team’s leading players.
For Snedeker, however, the matchup represents exactly what he said he wanted when he rested Scheffler: a refreshed world No. 1 available for the format where his individual ability can have the most direct effect.
Why Is Sunday Singles Different From Foursomes?
Singles removes the partnership problem entirely.
Each golfer plays his own ball against one opponent. A player wins a hole by recording a lower score than his opponent, and the golfer who wins the match earns one point for his team.
That means Scheffler does not have to adapt to another player’s shots, preferred distances or mistakes. He controls his own ball throughout the match.
For a golfer who has dominated individual stroke-play competition but struggled inexplicably in international foursomes, singles provides a much more familiar competitive environment.
What Is The Presidents Cup Score Entering Sunday?
The International Team leads 10.5-7.5.
That is historically significant. The 2026 International Team became the first International side ever to take a lead into Sunday singles at a Presidents Cup played in the United States. [Golf Channel]
There are 12 singles points available Sunday.
The International Team needs five additional points to reach 15.5 and win the Presidents Cup outright. The United States needs eight points to reach 15.5.
Was Benching Scheffler Controversial?
Yes.
The decision produced immediate debate because Snedeker removed the world’s No. 1 golfer while the United States was already trailing.
Some analysts argued that Scheffler’s stature and ability outweighed his poor foursomes record and that Team USA could not afford to leave its best player on the sidelines while trying to erase a deficit. Others pointed to the 1-8-0 alternate-shot record and the need to have Scheffler rested for Sunday as evidence that the decision had a rational strategic basis.
GOLF’s post-Saturday analysis was among those questioning the choice after the United States failed to reduce the three-point deficit during the afternoon session. [GOLF/Yahoo Sports]
Snedeker, however, consistently framed the move as a way to protect Scheffler from having to carry the American team through every session and maximize his chances of being at his best for singles.
Scottie Scheffler Presidents Cup Benching At A Glance
Player: Scottie Scheffler
World ranking: No. 1
Event: 2026 Presidents Cup
Venue: Medinah Country Club
U.S. captain: Brandt Snedeker
Session missed: Saturday afternoon foursomes
Primary explanation: Rest Scheffler before Sunday singles and use other pairings
Major strategic factor: Scheffler’s 1-8-0 career foursomes record across the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup
Saturday morning result: Scheffler/Burns defeated Matsuyama/Hisatsune 2 and 1
Team score before afternoon foursomes: International Team led 8.5-5.5
Saturday afternoon result: Session tied 2-2
Score entering Sunday: International Team leads 10.5-7.5
Sunday opponent: Nico Echavarria
Sunday tee time: 12:38 p.m. ET
Ultimately, Scheffler was not benched because Team USA suddenly stopped believing in the world’s best golfer. Snedeker made a format-specific strategic decision based on Scheffler’s poor alternate-shot history, his workload and the captain’s desire to have him rested for singles.
The move also created a clear test for the strategy. Team USA failed to reduce its three-point deficit while Scheffler watched Saturday afternoon, so the Americans entered Sunday needing a major singles comeback. Scheffler’s match against Echavarria gives him an immediate opportunity to provide the point Snedeker hoped the extra rest would help produce.
