If a team could “win” Presidents Cup prep week, the players who will be representing the International side at Medinah sure did make a show of it Thursday at the BMW PGA Championship.
Adam Scott, the 46-year-old Australian who will be the oldest of all 24 players teeing off next week, posted a 5-under 67 at Wentworth Club to sit one shot off the lead heading into the second round on Friday.
The 2013 Masters winner wasn’t flashy down the stretch by any means, saving par again and again on his back nine before running into his first bogey of the round at the par-5 17th hole.
And then came his laser of an approach shot at 18, where Scott set himself up with an eagle attempt. That double circle was not meant to be but he did nail down his sixth birdie of the day on the ensuing putt.
Sitting one behind Scott on the leaderboard is his Presidents Cup teammate Ryan Fox, who will be making his International Team debut outside of Chicago.
Fox, the 2026 Open champion and New Zealand native, carded a 4-under 68. He sits T-5 with a slew of recognizable names — Patrick Reed and Viktor Hovland — with 54 holes still to go in.
As for Scott, he shares third with American Ryan Gerard — one of the most notable “snubs” left off Brandt Snedeker’s roster. If he had connected on the late eagle attempt, he would have shared the lead with Aaron Rai and Joakim Lagergren.
Across the pond
It’s worth noting that this story hasn’t been fully written yet.
The Americans playing this week still have a chance to respond later in the day — across the Atlantic Ocean — at the PGA Tour’s inaugural Biltmore Championship. Jackson Koivun and Jacob Bridgeman are playing in that event, set to tee off in the same grouping at 1:13 p.m. ET.
International players in that event include Ryo Hisatsune, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Nick Taylor, and Corey Conners.
The Canadians, Taylor and Conners, were both inside the top 10 of the Biltmore leaderboard as of 12:45 p.m. ET.
Presidents Cup primer
The Presidents Cup tees off Thursday, September 24, with Golf Channel providing “Live From” coverage on site at Medinah beginning Monday.
International Team captain Geoff Ogilvy tapped Scott for his 12th Presidents Cup, which ties Phil Mickelson for most appearances in tournament history by any player.
Scott, who already held the record for most times on the International roster, is the all-time record for career points won by an International Team player.
