The Presidents Cup 2026 has already produced a narrow opening-session advantage for the United States, but Friday brings a completely different test at Medinah Country Club. The U.S. enters the second session with a 3-2 lead over the International Team after Thursday’s five Four-ball matches.
Thursday’s action included Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns finally winning a match together, with the American pair defeating Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im 1 up. Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune gave the International Team a point, while Justin Thomas and Jackson Koivun, Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa, and Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim also produced notable results.
But Friday is not simply another round of the same competition.
The Presidents Cup Foursomes format changes the basic equation. Instead of each golfer playing their own ball and using the better score, two teammates share one golf ball and alternate shots throughout the hole. That means a player’s next shot can depend directly on what their partner has just done.
That difference makes Friday particularly interesting for Scheffler and Burns. After finally collecting their first team victory together on Thursday, they are back in the opening match against Canadian teammates Corey Conners and Nick Taylor. Taylor, meanwhile, is making his Presidents Cup debut in a format that demands immediate partnership and communication.
So the real story of Presidents Cup 2026 Friday Foursomes is not simply whether the United States can extend its lead. It is whether pairings that function with two separate golf balls can adapt when the entire team has only one.
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The Friday session is scheduled to feature five Foursomes matches, beginning with Scheffler/Burns against Conners/Taylor. PGA Tour lists Friday television coverage on Golf Channel from 2–7 p.m. ET, with PGA Tour Radio also covering the session.
Table of Contents
Four-ball Is Over. Now Comes the One-Ball Test
This is the most important difference casual golf viewers need to understand.
In Four-ball, each player plays their own ball. Two teammates therefore have two opportunities on every hole, with the team’s better score counting.
For example, if one teammate makes a birdie and the other makes par, the birdie becomes the team’s score for that hole.
That creates a safety net.
If one player makes a poor shot, their partner can potentially rescue the hole with a better result.
Foursomes removes that safety net.
Two players share one ball and alternate shots until the hole is completed. If Player A hits the tee shot, Player B plays the next shot, Player A plays the third, and so on. On the next hole, the other player takes the tee shot.
That means every shot becomes part of a shared sequence.
What Exactly Is Foursomes in the Presidents Cup?
Foursomes is commonly known as alternate shot.
The basic structure is simple:
Player A tees off
↓
Player B plays the second shot
↓
Player A plays the third
↓
Player B putts
The hole is completed with the same ball.
On the following hole, Player B tees off first and the sequence reverses.
That sounds simple, but it changes strategy considerably.
A golfer isn’t only thinking about how to hit their own shot. They must also consider what position their shot leaves for their partner.
That is the central tactical difference between Four-ball and Foursomes.
Why One Bad Shot Can Become a Shared Problem
Imagine a player hits an approach into a difficult position.
In Four-ball, their teammate still has another ball and another opportunity.
In Foursomes, there is no second ball.
The partner has to play the next shot from that position.
The same works in reverse.
If a player hits an excellent approach that leaves a short birdie putt, their teammate inherits the opportunity.
This makes communication, course management and shot selection particularly important.
Foursomes therefore places a premium on:
- Driving accuracy
- Approach-shot quality
- Recovery skills
- Course management
- Putting
- Communication
- Understanding a partner’s strengths
- Choosing the right level of aggression
It does not mean every Foursomes pair must play conservatively. Instead, the format changes the cost of aggressive decisions because two players are sharing the same ball.
Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns Get Another Chance
The biggest Friday storyline starts with the world’s No. 1 player.
Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns will again lead the U.S. Team into action.
Their Thursday victory was significant because it was their first win together after previously going without a win across their earlier Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup team appearances. PGA Tour lists their Foursomes record together at 0-3-0, making Friday a completely different test for the pair.
Their Friday opponent is another all-important detail:
Corey Conners / Nick Taylor
The match is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. ET, or approximately 11:35 p.m. IST.
The U.S. pairing therefore has immediate continuity from Thursday, while the International side brings together two Canadians.
Nick Taylor’s Presidents Cup Debut Comes in Foursomes
Nick Taylor did not play in Thursday’s opening Four-ball session.
His first appearance of the 2026 Presidents Cup therefore comes in Foursomes.
That means his debut immediately involves the shared-ball format.
Taylor will partner Corey Conners, giving the International Team an all-Canadian combination against Scheffler and Burns.
It creates an interesting question without needing a prediction:
How quickly can a player adjust to Presidents Cup pressure when his first appearance requires alternate-shot communication?
Conners and Taylor also have to establish their rhythm from the first tee because there is no separate ball to fall back on.
Why Scheffler-Burns vs Conners-Taylor Is the Opening Match
The decision to put Scheffler and Burns first again is one of the most visible captaincy choices of Friday.
Brandt Snedeker has chosen to immediately use the pair that delivered the United States its first point of the competition.
Geoff Ogilvy has responded with Conners and Taylor.
The match therefore has several layers:
- Scheffler and Burns are coming off a win.
- They are playing Foursomes, where their previous record together is 0-3-0.
- Taylor is making his Presidents Cup debut.
- Conners and Taylor are both Canadian.
- The match starts Friday’s five-match session.
PGA Tour confirms the matchup as the first Foursomes contest of the day.
Matsuyama and Sungjae Im: Why the International Team Reunites Them
The second match features:
Russell Henley / Jacob Bridgeman
vs.
Sungjae Im / Hideki Matsuyama
It begins at 2:19 p.m. ET.
There is an interesting contrast here.
Henley and Bridgeman did not play Thursday, meaning Friday will be their first competitive appearance of the Presidents Cup.
Bridgeman is also a Presidents Cup rookie.
Matsuyama and Im, meanwhile, have already experienced the opening session, although they were on the losing side against Scheffler and Burns.
Matsuyama did win his Four-ball match alongside Ryo Hisatsune, while Im and Min Woo Lee were narrowly beaten.
The Foursomes format gives Matsuyama and Im a new opportunity to operate as a pair. PGA Tour notes that the two have never previously partnered in Presidents Cup Foursomes.
Morikawa-Clark vs Fox-Min Woo Lee
The third Friday match is:
Collin Morikawa / Wyndham Clark
vs.
Ryan Fox / Min Woo Lee
Scheduled tee time: 2:33 p.m. ET.
This is another example of a pairing being carried from Thursday into a different format.
Morikawa and Clark already played together in Four-ball and defeated Adam Scott and Ryan Fox 3&2.
Friday asks them to reproduce that partnership with only one ball.
The International side also changes its combination. Ryan Fox and Min Woo Lee are now together after playing Thursday with different partners.
That makes this another useful example of how Presidents Cup captains are managing pair combinations rather than simply selecting their best individual players.
Justin Thomas and Cameron Young Have a Different Assignment
The fourth match features:
Justin Thomas / Cameron Young
vs.
Adam Scott / Christiaan Bezuidenhout
The scheduled start is 2:47 p.m. ET.
Thomas was one of the key American performers on Thursday, winning alongside rookie Jackson Koivun.
But Friday brings a completely different partnership.
Thomas now works with Cameron Young, who played alongside Xander Schauffele in Thursday’s Four-ball session.
On the International side, Adam Scott returns after Thursday’s defeat, while Christiaan Bezuidenhout makes his first appearance of the competition.
Again, the important point is not simply who is playing.
It is how quickly a player can adapt to a new partner in a format where every shot is connected.
Cantlay-Schauffele vs Tom Kim-Si Woo Kim: The Blockbuster
The final match of Friday’s Foursomes session brings together:
Patrick Cantlay / Xander Schauffele
vs.
Tom Kim / Si Woo Kim
Scheduled tee time: 3:01 p.m. ET.
This is one of the most established partnerships on the American side.
Cantlay and Schauffele have a 4-1 record together in Presidents Cup Foursomes, according to PGA Tour, while their overall Presidents Cup record as a partnership is 5-1.
The International pairing also arrives with momentum.
Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim defeated Chris Gotterup and Patrick Cantlay 3&2 in Thursday’s Four-ball session.
The Friday matchup therefore creates a direct contrast between an established U.S. Foursomes partnership and an International pairing that already showed its strength on Thursday.
The Hidden Strategy: Who Should Hit Which Shot?
This is where Presidents Cup Foursomes strategy becomes particularly interesting.
A captain isn’t only asking:
Who are my two best players?
The deeper question is:
Whose game fits with whose game when they must alternate every shot?
Suppose one golfer is particularly comfortable with long irons while their partner is stronger with wedges.
The pair may think carefully about tee-shot strategy because the first player’s drive determines who plays the approach.
That means the pair’s strengths have to fit together across an entire sequence.
The objective isn’t simply to maximize one player’s strengths.
It is to create the best possible chain:
Drive → Approach → Short game → Putt
Every shot affects the next teammate.
Why the Tee-Shot Order Matters in Foursomes
The alternating tee order is another detail that casual viewers can easily miss.
If Player A tees off on the first hole:
Hole 1: A → B → A → B
Hole 2: B → A → B → A
Hole 3: A → B → A → B
The order continues to alternate.
So one player doesn’t simply take every tee shot because they are the stronger driver.
The pair has to work within the format.
That makes the initial pairing decision more complicated than choosing two players who are individually playing well.
Why the 2026 Presidents Cup Could Change Quickly on Friday
The U.S. has a 3-2 lead, but five more points are available on Friday.
That means the scoreboard can move significantly during the Foursomes session.
The official Presidents Cup format contains 30 matches, with the first team to reach 15.5 points winning the competition.
Friday therefore matters without being decisive by itself.
The larger point is that the format has changed.
Thursday tested players in Four-ball.
Friday tests whether their partnerships work with one shared ball.
The U.S. Has a Historical Foursomes Edge — But 2024 Matters
Historically, the United States has performed strongly in Presidents Cup Foursomes.
PGA Tour notes that the Americans have a 34-point historical advantage in the format.
But the most important recent reminder came in 2024.
The International Team swept all five Friday Foursomes matches at Royal Montreal after the United States had swept Thursday’s opening Four-ball session.
That is why Thursday’s 3-2 score cannot be treated as a guarantee of what Friday will look like.
The lesson from 2024 is simple:
A format change can completely alter the competitive environment.
Presidents Cup 2026 Friday Foursomes Schedule
| Match | USA Pair | International Pair | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scottie Scheffler / Sam Burns | Corey Conners / Nick Taylor | 2:05 p.m. ET |
| 2 | Russell Henley / Jacob Bridgeman | Sungjae Im / Hideki Matsuyama | 2:19 p.m. ET |
| 3 | Collin Morikawa / Wyndham Clark | Ryan Fox / Min Woo Lee | 2:33 p.m. ET |
| 4 | Justin Thomas / Cameron Young | Adam Scott / Christiaan Bezuidenhout | 2:47 p.m. ET |
| 5 | Patrick Cantlay / Xander Schauffele | Tom Kim / Si Woo Kim | 3:01 p.m. ET |
The official PGA Tour Friday pairing list confirms all five matchups and tee times.
Presidents Cup 2026 Current Score
USA: 3
International: 2
The United States took a 3-2 advantage from Thursday’s opening Four-ball session. The five Thursday results included wins for Scheffler/Burns, Thomas/Koivun and Clark/Morikawa for the U.S., while Matsuyama/Hisatsune and Tom Kim/Si Woo Kim won for the International Team.
For the latest live leaderboard and match status, readers should use the live sports page because Presidents Cup scores change throughout the session.
Presidents Cup 2026 Live Streaming and TV Coverage
Friday’s Presidents Cup coverage is scheduled on Golf Channel from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET, with PGA Tour Radio also providing coverage.
For readers looking for live score updates, match results and streaming information, use:
The Morning News Informer Sports — Live Score & Streaming
Presidents Cup 2026 FAQs
What is the Presidents Cup?
The Presidents Cup is a team golf competition between the United States and an International Team made up of players from outside the United States and Europe.
What is Foursomes in the Presidents Cup?
Foursomes is an alternate-shot format. Two teammates share one golf ball and take turns hitting shots until the hole is completed.
What is the difference between Four-ball and Foursomes?
In Four-ball, each golfer plays their own ball and the better score between teammates counts. In Foursomes, two teammates share one ball and alternate shots.
Who is Scottie Scheffler playing with Friday?
Scottie Scheffler is paired with Sam Burns against Corey Conners and Nick Taylor.
What time does Scottie Scheffler play Friday?
Scheffler and Burns are scheduled to tee off at 2:05 p.m. ET on Friday, September 25.
Who is Nick Taylor playing with?
Nick Taylor is partnering fellow Canadian Corey Conners in the opening Friday Foursomes match against Scheffler and Burns.
Is Nick Taylor playing in the Presidents Cup for the first time?
Yes. Taylor is making his Presidents Cup debut in the Friday Foursomes session.
Who are Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele playing?
Cantlay and Schauffele face Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim in the final scheduled Foursomes match Friday.
Why are Cantlay and Schauffele important in Foursomes?
They have an established Presidents Cup Foursomes record, listed by PGA Tour at 4-1 together.
How many matches are played in the Presidents Cup?
There are 30 matches across the competition, with the first team to reach 15.5 points winning.
Can Friday Foursomes change the Presidents Cup score?
Yes. Five matches are scheduled Friday, with one point available from each match. The U.S. entered the session leading 3-2.
Final Word
The biggest mistake would be to view Friday as simply Thursday with different pairings.
It isn’t.
Thursday’s Four-ball format allowed teammates to play independently. Friday’s Foursomes format removes that second-ball safety net and forces two golfers to build every hole together.
That makes Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns particularly interesting. They finally won together on Thursday, but their Friday assignment comes in a format where their previous partnership record is 0-3.
At the other end of the session, Cantlay and Schauffele bring an established Foursomes partnership against Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim, who already delivered an International point on Thursday.
And in the opening match, Nick Taylor makes his Presidents Cup debut alongside Corey Conners, immediately facing the world’s No. 1 player.
The scoreboard says USA 3-2 International.
The format says Friday is a new test.
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