Scheffler benched: U.S. captain's bold call shakes up Presidents Cup

Scottie Scheffler spent Saturday afternoon at the Presidents Cup doing something he hasn't done in three years: watching from the sidelines. The World No. 1, who has carried the U.S. team through the first three sessions, was left out of the foursomes lineup in a decision that captain Brandt Snedeker admitted was among the toughest of his tenure.

The Internationals lead 8.5-5.5 heading into the afternoon matches, and Snedeker chose to split up the successful Scheffler-Sam Burns pairing, which had gone 2-1 together. Instead, Burns partners with Wyndham Clark, while Scheffler rests ahead of Sunday's singles.

Why did Snedeker bench the World No. 1?

Snedeker framed the move as a strategic necessity, not a punishment.

“I feel like Scottie's got the weight of the world on his shoulders, carrying Team USA, and it's time for us to carry him for a session,”

he told NBC's Cara Banks.

The captain acknowledged the difficulty of the call:

“It was tough, that's probably why my head is still spinning. Those matchups came up pretty quick. We tried our best to get these guys in a good situation and I love Scottie Scheffler to death, it was a really tough decision to sit him this afternoon, but I want him to get some rest, I want him to get ready to go tomorrow for these singles matches.”

Timing of the decision raised eyebrows

Because the two Saturday sessions run back-to-back, Snedeker made his call while Scheffler and Burns were still trailing in their anchor match. Scheffler's birdie putt at No. 15 and Burns' late heroics to win 2 and 1 came after the lineup was already set. Whether those clutch shots would have changed the captain's mind remains an open question.

Scheffler likely learned of his benching only after his post-match interview. He kept his composure, telling reporters:

“Our team is a great team, and I'm looking forward to going out and supporting the guys. Yeah, it'll be fun this afternoon, and cheer them on, get a little rest.”

Scheffler's foursomes record: a puzzling weakness

The decision is shocking given Scheffler's stature. He's the most dominant World No. 1 since Tiger Woods and played all five sessions at both the 2024 Presidents Cup and 2025 Ryder Cup. But his alternate-shot record tells a different story: after Friday's loss, he's now 1-8-0 in foursomes across the two team competitions. Strokes-gained data this week also favored Burns over Scheffler.

Scheffler stayed positive:

“Yeah, we're always prepared for anything. I've played a lot of golf this year. I'll just sit there and cheer the boys on. Looking forward to watching Sam, he's one of my favorite people to watch. And get some rest and get ready for tomorrow.”

Lineup changes and early results

Three U.S. players (Burns, Wyndham Clark, Cameron Young) will play all five sessions. Scheffler sits alongside Justin Thomas, Jackson Koivun and Collin Morikawa for the afternoon. The Internationals lean heavily on their stars: five players (Si Woo Kim, Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Min Woo Lee, Corey Conners) go all five sessions, while Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Nico Echavarria play just twice.

Early signs suggest Snedeker's gamble may pay off: at the time of writing, the U.S. leads in all four afternoon matches.

Individual records through three sessions

U.S. Team

• Sam Burns 2-1
• Scottie Scheffler 2-1
• Jackson Koivun 1-0-1
• Justin Thomas 1-1-1
• Wyndham Clark 1-2
• Cameron Young 1-2
• Collin Morikawa 1-2
• Chris Gotterup 1-1
• Russell Henley 0-1
• Jacob Bridgeman 0-1
• Patrick Cantlay 0-2
• Xander Schauffele 0-2

International Team

• Tom Kim 3-0
• Si Woo Kim 3-0
• Hideki Matsuyama 2-1
• Sungjae Im 1-1-1
• Min Woo Lee 1-1-1
• Christiaan Bezuidenhout 1-0
• Nick Taylor 1-1
• Adam Scott 1-1
• Ryan Fox 1-1
• Ryo Hisatsune 1-1
• Corey Conners 1-2
• Nico Echavarria 0-1

Will the rest pay off on Sunday?

Snedeker's decision is a calculated risk. Resting the world's best player for a session could either refresh him for singles or disrupt his rhythm. With the Internationals holding a three-point lead, the U.S. needs a strong finish. Scheffler's response on Sunday will define whether this bold call was genius or a costly mistake.