U.S. Leads International Team 3-2 After Opening Presidents Cup Session

The United States entered Friday's Presidents Cup with a 3-2 lead after winning three of five four-ball matches on Thursday at Medinah Country Club. The decisive win came from the pairing of Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns, who rallied to a 1-up victory over International teammates Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im after a slow start and a near-miss chip-in from a bunker on the 18th hole. The triumph marked Scheffler and Burns' first win together in the competition.

Friday's schedule features five foursomes (alternate-shot) matches. Scheffler and Burns will again open for the U.S., this time facing Corey Conners and Nick Taylor. Other pairings include Russell Henley with Jacob Bridgeman against Im and Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa with Wyndham Clark versus Ryan Fox and Min Woo Lee, Justin Thomas with Cam Young against Adam Scott and Christiaan Bezuidenhout, and Patrick Cantlay with Xander Schauffele versus Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim.

The foursomes will set the tone for Saturday's double-header matches, with Sunday’s singles concluding the event. The first side to reach 15.5 points captures the cup, and the United States aims for its 11th consecutive victory.

"The United States is taking a one-point lead into the second day at Medinah Country Club," a tournament spokesperson said.

Current scores show the International team leading the Scheffler-Burns match 1-up through the seventh hole, while other matches are closely contested.