International Team sweeps foursomes to build 7-3 lead on U.S.

If the Presidents Cup was only played Fridays, the International Team would be a runaway winner of the biannual event.

For the second Presidents Cup in a row, the team swept the Americans in Friday foursomes action, blitzing the hosts with a 5-0 avalanche.

The result flipped Thursday's 3-2 deficit into a 7-3 advantage heading into Saturday's double session and puts the International Team in excellent position to win the event for just the second time ever.

The Americans once again looked severely overmatched in alternate shot, adding more misery to a growing issue in the format. The United States squad is now a stunning 6-24 in foursomes action at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup since 2023.

Taylor/Conners win 1-up over Scheffler/Burns

On paper, the opening match of Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns versus Nick Taylor and Corey Conners might have been the most lopsided one. The Canadians' combined world ranking is 140, while Scheffler and Burns sit first and ninth, respectively. However, Scheffler has shown numerous times throughout his disappointing Presidents Cup career that the game isn't played on paper, leaving the door open for an upset at Medinah.

The teams traded blows early, with the International duo pulling ahead on the 12th hole. Taylor and Conners clung to their 1-up lead heading to the 18th, but a wayward drive forced a pitchout that left them behind the Americans. However, Taylor made amends for his poor tee shot with a brilliant third attempt that landed within two feet, securing par and forcing the Americans to make a birdie to tie the match.

Burns nearly did just that, but a brutal lip-out sealed the Canadian upset and brought more misery for Scheffler at the Presidents Cup. He's now 1-8-0 in the foursomes format at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup combined.

Im/Matsuyama win 3&2 over Henley/Bridgeman

Different day, different partner, same result for Hideki Matsuyama. The Japanese star teamed brilliantly with Sungjae Im in foursomes to pull away from the American duo of Russell Henley and Jacob Bridgeman. The International duo made five birdies in 16 holes to eventually close things 3&2.

While the International tandem played well, the result arguably said more about how poor Henley and Bridgeman were. Neither played in Thursday's session and it showed. Bridgeman, a rookie who's making his first appearance, is largely on the team because he's one of the top putters on the PGA TOUR. However, he struggled on Medinah's greens and finished the day as the third-worst putter on the course. The American pair made just one birdie after the second hole, and both players could be candidates to sit out Saturday.

Fox/Lee win 1-up over Morikawa/Clark

The third match of the day was an elite contest that featured plenty of fireworks from both teams. Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa combined for five birdies but fell just short against the International duo of Ryan Fox and Min Woo Lee, which made six. The Americans actually walked to the 15th tee with a 1-up lead, but Fox went lights out with his putter to flip the match on its head.

The Open champion made a 13-footer for birdie on 15 and a 19-footer on 16 to turn the deficit into a 1-up edge with two holes to play. Still needing one final stroke with the flatstick to close it out, he rolled in a 4-footer on 18 to secure the win. While Fox supplied the putting magic, it was Lee who largely carried the team from tee to green. The Australian finished as the top International player of the day in that stat.

Scott/Bezuidenhout win 3&2 over Thomas/Young

Adam Scott is playing in his 12th Presidents Cup, having made his debut before Jackson Koivun of the American team was even born. It's unlikely that he's ever had a better putting day than he did Friday. The Australian simply couldn't miss, pouring in putt after putt from distance. The highlight was a 45-footer to win the hole just seconds after an American spectator heckled him.

Scott's red-hot putting applied pressure on Justin Thomas and Cameron Young, and neither could keep up in the slightest. Thomas, who improved his four-ball record to a perfect 7-0-0 on Thursday, was particularly poor, losing more strokes to the field than any other player Friday. The result was a blowout, with Scott and Christiaan Bezuidenhout walking off with a dominant 3&2 victory.

Kim/Kim win 4&3 over Cantlay/Schauffele

The list of golf's all-time best players now includes Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus alongside Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim when they're playing in the Presidents Cup. The South Korean duo once again rose to the occasion with a blowout 4&3 win over the once-formidable team of Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay.

The International Team torched the Americans from the jump, birdieing six of its first 11 holes on the day - an outrageous number in the alternate-shot format. The Kims complement each other perfectly at the Presidents Cup, with Si Woo peppering flagsticks and Tom pouring in putts.

Cantlay and Schauffele used to be a runaway train in team events, but the results have been mixed over their last few appearances. Their overall record together in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup is now 8-8-0.