U.S. Team captain Brandt Snedeker benched world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler for Saturday afternoon foursomes at the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club, citing that Scheffler has the weight of the world on his shoulders carrying Team USA.
When Scottie Scheffler learned he would sit out the second foursomes session at Medinah, his reaction was straightforward. He did not lobby the captain or demand to stay on the course. Instead, the world No. 1 accepted the benching with a pragmatic shrug, noting that he had played a lot of golf this year and was ready to support his teammates from the sidelines. It’ll be fun this afternoon — to cheer them on, get a little rest.
The decision by U.S. Yet, Snedeker’s logic was rooted in protecting his star player for the Sunday singles at the 2026 Presidents Cup, acknowledging the heavy burden Scheffler has carried.
Weighing Down Team USA: The Burden on World No. 1
Team USA Vice Captain Gary Woodland, who has known Scheffler since he was seven years old, pointed to the unique gravity the top-ranked golfer brings to the team room. As Woodland observed in a clip shared by 5 Clubs Golf on X on September 22, 2026, Scheffler’s standing as the reigning FedExCup champion and statistical leader means his teammates listen closely whenever he speaks.
Scottie is the leader of our team,
Woodland said. At the end of the day, he's the best player in the world. The guys look to him. His voice carries more weight.
Gary Woodland, Team USA Vice Captain
Woodland was careful not to say that Scheffler was the next Tiger Woods. His comparison was more specific. Scheffler has often pushed back on comparisons with Woods, saying Tiger stands alone in golf. But Woodland, who shares swing coach Randy Smith with Scheffler and practices with him regularly, noted that when Scheffler speaks in that room, the guys listen, much like when Tiger speaks and everyone listens.
That leadership role has developed during a dominant individual campaign. Scheffler sits as the No. 1 player in U.S. Presidents Cup standings and the statistical leader of this American roster by a significant margin. Yet, that individual brilliance has not always translated smoothly into team events. Scheffler is notably 1-8-0 in the foursomes format, a puzzling record for the world’s No. 1 golfer.
A Gritty Saturday Morning Turnaround at Medinah
The benching came immediately after a tense, momentum-shifting Saturday morning four-ball session. Scheffler and close friend Sam Burns provided it against Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune, though the victory was far from convincing as they won their morning match 2 and 1.
The American pair found themselves trailing 1-up after 14 holes as frustration mounted on the course with their form.
From there, Burns put on a show.
Snedeker Explains the Tough Call
By the time Burns and Scheffler closed out their match, Snedeker had already locked in his afternoon pairings for the Saturday, September 26, afternoon foursome competition. The success of other pairings—such as Cameron Young and Chris Gotterup earning the other full point for the U.S. Saturday morning—threw a couple of wrinkles in Snedeker’s planning. Snedeker opted to sit Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and Jackson Koivun for the session.
Brandt Snedeker, U.S. Team Captain
Burns was runner-up to Clark at Shinnecock by a single stroke in June.
Scheffler embraced his new temporary role without hesitation, looking forward to going out and supporting the guys, cheering them on, and getting a little rest before being expected to play in the Presidents Cup on the final day.