The Foursomes Ghost That Haunts American Golf
A Familiar Feeling at Medinah
I've walked the grounds of Medinah Country Club many times, and there's something almost sacred about the way the late September light filters through those old oaks. The course has hosted moments of triumph and heartbreak in equal measure. On Friday, it witnessed the latter—a scene that's becoming disturbingly familiar in American team golf.
The U.S. Presidents Cup team, led by captain Brandt Snedeker, entered Friday's foursomes session with a 3-2 lead and the swagger of a squad playing on home soil. They left the course down 3-7, having been swept 5-0 by an International team that looked utterly composed while the Americans stumbled through alternate shot like they'd never practiced it.
The Million-Dollar Question Nobody Can Answer
What makes this sweep so haunting isn't just the scoreboard—it's the déjà vu. At Royal Montreal in 2024, the Americans swept Thursday four-ball only to get blanked 0-5 in Friday foursomes. At Bethpage Black's Ryder Cup in 2025, they went 2-6 in the format on their way to a defeat that still stings.
When asked to explain what's happening, Snedeker offered the kind of bewildered honesty that almost makes you feel for him.
"It's the million-dollar question, right? I don't know," he said Friday night. "I know our guys are committed to it. Our guys practice it hard leading up to this. I feel like we had the right matchups."
The best explanation he could muster? "Some days the ball just doesn't want to go in."
Standing there on Medinah's grounds, watching these world-class players—men who dominate individual stroke play week after week—look genuinely lost in alternate shot, I found myself thinking about what foursomes actually demands. It's not just talent. It's trust. It's rhythm. It's the willingness to play a supporting role, to hit a shot that sets up your partner rather than showcasing yourself.
The Format That Exposes Everything
There's a reason foursomes has been called golf's most revealing format. When you're sharing a ball with a partner, every weakness gets magnified. Miss a fairway, and your teammate is hacking out of rough. Leave a putt short, and they're grinding over a five-footer you should have given them. The Americans, raised on a diet of individual glory and FedEx Cup points, seem to struggle with this fundamental shift in mentality.
Snedeker admitted he couldn't put his finger on the problem. "I really wish I could," he said. "I tried my best to do it, and we have another session to go out there and try to figure it out."
Vice captain Jim Furyk stood nearby, the weight of his own team experiences visible in his expression. These men have been trying to solve this puzzle for years. The International players, meanwhile, seem to embrace foursomes with a fluidity that borders on joy.
What Lies Ahead
The Americans now face a four-point deficit with 20 matches remaining. Sunday's 12 singles contests historically favor the U.S., and Saturday morning brings another four-ball session. But lurking on Saturday afternoon are four more foursomes matches—the format that keeps haunting this team like a ghost they can't exorcise.
Snedeker insists his squad is ready for the challenge. The numbers, and recent history, suggest otherwise.
The Takeaway
Something is broken in American team golf's approach to foursomes, and nobody in a captain's vest seems to know how to fix it. Until the U.S. figures out how to play as partners rather than a collection of individuals, these sweeps will keep coming—and the International team will keep believing they belong in this fight.