Medinah Belongs to the World: International Team Seizes Presidents Cup Momentum

There are moments in team golf when the atmosphere shifts so completely that you can feel it in the air before checking a single scoreboard. Friday afternoon at Medinah Country Club was one of those moments. The International Team, trailing 3-2 after Thursday's opening session, proceeded to do something they've only done twice before in Presidents Cup history—sweep an entire session.

Five Matches, Five Wins, One Statement

The alternate-shot format rewards partnerships built on trust and complementary games, and every International pairing delivered under pressure. Sungjae Im and Hideki Matsuyama set the tone early, dispatching Russell Henley and Jacob Bridgeman 3&2 with the kind of clinical ball-striking that left little doubt about which way the session was heading.

The Canadian duo of Nick Taylor and Corey Conners followed with perhaps the most significant result of the day—a 1 up victory over world number one Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns. Taking down two of America's finest on home soil sends a message, and the Internationals were clearly emboldened.

Adam Scott, the 46-year-old veteran who seems to find another gear in team competition, partnered with Christiaan Bezuidenhout to defeat Justin Thomas and Cameron Young 3&2. Scott's presence in these events carries a certain gravity—he's been here before, knows the weight of these moments, and continues to deliver.

Drama on the Back Nine

Ryan Fox and Min Woo Lee provided the afternoon's most dramatic turnaround. Standing 1 down with just four holes remaining against Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark, the pair could have been forgiven for playing conservatively to salvage half a point. Instead, they attacked.

Birdies at the 15th and 16th—with Fox rolling in the crucial putt at 16—flipped the match entirely. They held on for a 1 up victory, the kind of comeback that can define a team's belief in itself.

The final blow came from Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim, who dismantled Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele 4&3. This was no fluke—the two Kims had already beaten the same American pairing on Thursday. Their chemistry in Foursomes is undeniable, built on nearly identical yardages and an intuitive understanding of each other's games.

"His numbers are my numbers pretty much," Si Woo Kim explained afterward. "So I can copy and he can give me an opinion about the club selection." In alternate shot, where rhythm and confidence are everything, that synchronicity is invaluable.

Historical Context at Medinah

This marks only the third session sweep in International Team history, and remarkably, two of them have now come in consecutive Presidents Cups. The 2024 sweep in Montreal had failed to translate into overall victory, but Captain Geoff Ogilvy's squad seems determined to write a different ending this time.

"It's hard to imagine," Ogilvy admitted, still processing what had unfolded. "We just wanted to come win the session. They were all in a really good frame of mind, but you would never imagine doing five sets."

Medinah itself has witnessed improbable team golf comebacks before—most famously the European miracle in the 2012 Ryder Cup. The American team now finds itself on the wrong side of that equation, facing a four-point deficit with Saturday's eight matches looming.

What Lies Ahead

Twenty points remain in the competition. The mathematics still favor a potential American rally, but mathematics rarely account for momentum, and right now, every bit of it belongs to the International Team. Saturday will feature both Foursomes and Four-ball, demanding depth across the entire roster.

For the Americans, difficult conversations await. Do you break up struggling pairings? Do you sit marquee players who haven't found their footing? These are the decisions that define captaincy.

For the Internationals, the challenge is different but equally demanding: maintain intensity without getting ahead of themselves. They've been here before—leading through Friday, only to watch it slip away.

Key Takeaways

• The International Team's 7-3 lead represents their strongest position through two sessions in Presidents Cup history on American soil.
• Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim have now defeated Cantlay and Schauffele in consecutive matches, establishing themselves as the event's most formidable partnership.
• Saturday's eight matches will determine whether this becomes a historic International victory or another American recovery story.