It has not been the start that the United States or Scottie Scheffler wanted in the Presidents Cup. USA captain Brandt Snedeker opted to sit Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and Jackson Koivun for the Saturday, September 26, afternoon foursome competition.
At the time of publication, the United States trailed the International Team by three points amid the the third day of play. While explaining the decision, Snedeker noted that Scheffler has the “weight of the world on his shoulders carrying Team USA.”
“You know, I feel like Scottie’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders carrying Team USA,” Snedeker said of the decision to sit Scheffler, per Golf Digest. “It’s time for us to carry him for a session. It was tough. It’s probably why my head is still spinning.
“We were trying to do our best to get these guys in a good situation. I love Scottie Scheffler to death, that was a really tough decision to sit him this afternoon. But I wanted to get him some rest and wanted him to get ready to go tomorrow in singles.”
Scottie Scheffler Is Expected to Play in the Presidents Cup on the Final Day
The good news for Scheffler is that it sounds like it is simply a temporary “benching.” Snedeker hinted that the World No. 1 will have a chance at redemption on the final day of the Presidents Cup.
Early in the competition, Scheffler outlined his outlook during the Presidents Cup.
“Yeah, just trying to stay in it,” Scheffler explained during the first day of the Presidents Cup amid a September 24, media session. “This is a challenging golf course, and the greens are really, really quick right now.
“So yeah, just doing my best to compete on each and every shot. That was really our motto today. Yeah, not too much outside of that.”
Scottie Scheffler Is Cheering on Team USA Despite Being Benched at Presidents Cup
Scheffler may not be playing, but the star golfer still appears to be in good spirits. Golf Digest posted a video of Scheffler cheering on his Team USA teammates.
“Scottie Scheffler is sitting out Saturday afternoon, but the World No. 1 is still out cheering on his team,” Golf Digest noted in a September 26, message on X.
Scheffler’s performance in international tournaments has been less than ideal as the star looks to bounce back on Sunday.
“Scottie Scheffler has the 4th worst points percentage of any player who has played at least 23 Cup matches in their career,” golf data analyst Rick Gehman posted in a September 25, message on X.
“Ryder + Presidents Cup included.”
Scottie Scheffler Controversially Benched in Presidents Cup by USA Amid Struggles