Presidents Cup 2026, Day 3 recap: Internationals fight to maintain lead

Nick Taylor and Corey Conners completed an epic comeback to earn a full point for the Internationals on the final hole at Medinah to conclude Day 3. With both teams watching, Taylor chipped up from short of the green to 6 feet, and Conners poured in the clutch putt to close out the match against Henley and Bridgeman.

It all comes down to Sunday singles tomorrow, where the Internationals hold the lead for the first time in history on U.S. soil going into the final day. Teams will need 15 1/2 points to win the Presidents Cup. In the event of a 15-15 tie, the cup will not be retained by the defending champions.

A par on No. 16 was all M.W. Lee and Ryan Fox needed to close out the match, and Fox delivered a clutch lag putt to seal it.

Bridgeman holed a short come-backer to extend the match on No. 17. The Internationals have guaranteed themselves at least a half point here.

Fox/Lee are 3 up thru 15 and guarantee at least a half point for the Internationals. Match DORMIE with three to play. Conners/Taylor are 1 up thru 16.

The hats came off on the 17th green after Tom Kim raced a birdie try past the hole and off the green. The Americans earn their second point of the afternoon.

Henley and Bridgeman may just be letting this match slip away after losing three holes in a row.

Gotterup and Young took down Scott and Im on No. 14 to earn the first point of the afternoon. The Americans led the entire match and never gave Scott and Im an inch. The Internationals still lead, 6 1/2 to 8 1/2.

After failing to convert for par, the pair of Henley/Bridgeman lose No. 14 to Conners/Taylor, who have trailed all day. The match is now all square.

2 down and needing to make something happen, Si Woo Kim hit an iron shot to three feet from 186 yards on No. 16.

Cameron Young threw a dart from 202 yards to two feet. Sungjae Im stepped up and threw one of his own to four feet. The Americans’ putt was conceded, and Scott holed the birdie to extend the match. The International duo is now dormie heading to No. 13.

Sam Burns and Wyndham Clark made a steady par to win No. 11 and bring the match to all-square.

Young/Gotterup hold the largest lead at 5 up. Fox/Lee hold only match lead for International side at 1 up.

After trailing all afternoon, M.W. Lee and Ryan Fox won Nos. 7 and 8 to flip the match and go 1 up over Sam Burns and Wyndham Clark. It is the only match the Internationals currently lead.

Pairing together for the 11th time in Presidents Cup History, Cantlay and Schauffele maintain a 1 up lead with a par on No. 10.

The leaderboard is still all red as the lead match of Cantlay/Schauffle and T.Kim/S.W. Kim make the turn. Cantlay and Schauffele lead, 1 up.

Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler looks on from the sidelines, having been sat by Captain Snedeker for this session.

Gotterup hit an incredible short-sided flop shot to secure birdie on 6, then makes a 10-foot birdie put to go 5 up.

Cameron Young and Chris Gotterup have made an eagle and two birdies in the first six holes to hold a 4-up lead over Adam Scott and Sungjae Im.

After a back-and-forth start, Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim won No. 7 to go all square.

Russel Henley is absolutely flushing it this afternoon and hasn’t missed a shot yet. He made a short birdie putt for the duo of him and Bridgeman to remain 2 up against Conners/Taylor.

The match got away from M.W. Lee/Fox early after they lost the first two holes, but with a good birdie putt holed by M.W. Lee on No. 3, they stopped Burns/Clark’s momentum and cut the lead to 1.

The American Team is leading all matches in the Day 3 afternoon foursomes. Burns/Clark are off to a hot start, 2 up through 2.

Patrick Cantlay holed a birdie putt on No. 5 to take an early lead with partner Xander Schauffele over the undefeated duo of Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim.

The U.S. is leading in three of the four foursomes matches and tied in the other. The Americans dominated the front nine in fourballs, but the Internationals rallied on the back.

The biggest gap is in Match 2, where Bridgeman and Henley are 3 up through three over Conners and Taylor.

Conners hooks his approach shot at the second hole. It takes one bounce out of bounds and is KICKED by a fan back into play and on the green.

Rules officials determine that the kick was intentional and based on that, the ball must be played where it reasonably would have landed — O.B.

Taylor’s approach shot kicked off the out-of-bounds fence to the left of the first green. That left Conners stymied and he whiffed the second shot. The U.S. tandem of Henley and Bridgeman go 1 up through one.

It’s a quick turnaround for Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim. They are in the first foursomes match against Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, who both sat the morning fourballs.

Burns followed his brilliant tee shot at the 16th with a clutch approach shot at the 17th to give he and Scheffler and 2-and-1 win over Matsuyama and Hisatsune.

The U.S. wins 2 1/2 points in fourballs and closes the gap to 8 1/2 to 5 1/2 entering afternoon foursomes.

On the heels of Scheffler’s birdie at the 15th, Burns stuffs his tee shot on the par-3 16th to give the U.S. a 1-up lead with two to play against Matsuyama and Hisatsune.

The rookie rolled in his third long birdie putt on the back nine to wrap up his and Cam Young’s match against Nick Taylor and Corey Conners.

The U.S. wins, 2 and 1, and it’s now 8 1/2 to 4 1/2 with one match remaining.

The world No. 1 makes his first birdie since the third hole to even up his and Burns’ match against Matsuyama and Hisatsune.

They have three holes to go.

Justin Thomas saves par on the 18th and Sungjae Im two-putts for the same. Thomas and Koivun — who led 2 up through 14 — tie Im and Min Woo Lee.

The Internationals lead, 8 1/2 to 3 1/2, with two fourball matches on the course.

Si Woo Kim walks in another birdie putt at the 17th hole and Collin Morikawa can’t match it from 8 feet.

Two down through eight, Team Kim wins the 17th and 18th holes for a 2-and-1 victory over Morikawa and Wyndham Clark.

It’s now 8-3, Internationals.

And this time the International team can’t match it. Gotterup and Young are 3 up with three to play vs. Conners and Taylor.

The U.S. remains 2 up through 14 in this match.

Si Woo Kim buries his birdie at the 16th hole to give he and Tom Kim a 1-up lead with two to play against Morikawa and Clark.

The Internationals now lead in two matches, the U.S. leads in one and one is tied.

Scheffler finds the water at No. 14 and Burns nearly follows suit. Matsuyama and Hisatsune win the hole and FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY an International team leads in a match.

Koivun and Thomas butchered the par-3 16th and now their match against Lee and Im is tied with two to play.

Three matches are tied with the U.S. 2 up in another. The International team hasn’t led for one hole in one match today.

But, here we are.

Lee makes his first birdie of the day at the par-4 15th to get his match with Sungjae Im to 1 down vs. Justin Thomas and Jackson Koivun.

Hisatsune missed a putt on No. 11 to go 1 up. Taylor missed a putt on No. 12 for a chance to go 1 down. Si Woo missed a putt at No. 14 to go 1 up.

All within a few minutes of one another and all missed opportunities for the away team.

Matsuyama tied up the final fourballs match with a birdie at the 10th. He and Hisatsune are deadlocked with Scheffler and Burns.

Team Kim is also even with Morikawa and Clark through 13.

The U.S. is 2 up in the other two matches.

Tom Kim makes a 12-footer to match Collin Morikawa’s birdie at the 12th hole to keep their match tied.

It also kept the U.S. from leading in all four matches. All the of the matches are within two holes, but three of the four favor the U.S.

Corey Conners birdies the par-4 10th to win the hole for the Internationals. He and Nick Taylor were 4 down through four holes against Chris Gotterup and Cam Young. The deficit is now 2 down.

Si Woo Kim makes birdie to win the 11th hole and even the match with Tom Kim against Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark.

Si Woo had a little something for the Medinah fans, too 🤫

Hideki Matsuyama made the shot of the day so far for the International team when he sank his 35-foot birdie putt at the par-3 seventh.

By winning the hole, Matsuyama and partner Ryo Hisatsune have leveled their match with Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns.

The U.S. leads the three other fourball matches.

Another good sign came a second later when Nick Taylor walked in his birdie putt to cut into he and Corey Conners’ fourball deficit against Chris Gotterup and Wyndham Clark.

Gotterup and Clark are 3 up through eight.

Si Woo Kim cut into the U.S. lead at the par-3 ninth hole.

It was the second straight match to go through the turn that saw the Americans lose momentum.

Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark are 1 up through the first nine holes on Kim and his fourball partner Tom Kim.

Jackson Koivun’s putter failed him finally at Medinah’s ninth, where his birdie putt attempt ran long and to the right giving the hole Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im.

Koivun and Thomas are 1 up through nine holes.

Justin Thomas putted from nearby giving Jackson Koivun a great read before his birdie attempt at the par-4 eighth.

Koivun, 21, took advantage of the situation by sinking another long birdie putt.

The U.S. remains 2 up in the first fourball match.

Tom Kim gave the American crowd something to cheer for when he couldn’t clear the bunker at Medinah’s seventh hole.

His miss gave the U.S. another win in what has been a strong showing for the red, white and blue Saturday morning.

Wyndham Clark and Collin Moriwaka are 2 up heading to the par-4 eighth.

Jackson Koivun and Justin Thomas have moved to 2 up on Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im in the first Saturday fourball match.

Just like on the opening hole, Koivun sealed the win with a birdie putt.

The match is through six holes, with the U.S. needing a comeback after falling behind 7-3 on Friday.

Cameron Young’s 39-foot eagle putt at No. 4 has the fans at Medinah roaring “USA! USA! USA!”

Young and Gotterup moved to 4 up over Nick Taylor and Corey Conners through four with the double circle.

Moments later, Wyndham Clark nailed a birdie to put he and Collin Morikawa 1-up over Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim.

Chris Gotterup and Cam Young are 3 up through three holes over Nick Taylor and Corey Conner, and Gotterup isn’t letting up.

Conners and Taylor fail to birdie the par-5 third and are now 3 down through three holes to Gotterup and Young.

Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns got a massive break on the first hole at Medinah when Hideki Matsuyama failed to convert his birdie putt opportunity.

Matsuyama, who is playing in his seventh Presidents Cup, had a chance to win the International team the hole but his attempt ran long and to the right of the hole.

He’s playing with Ryo Hisatsune during Saturday morning’s fourball session.

Burns and Scheffler are playing for the third straight day together.

For those not taking count at home, Justin Thomas hit more shots left handed (2) than he had right handed (1) during his first three attempts at Medinah on Saturday morning.

Here’s a look at the latest fence trouble from the Presidents Cup.

Si Woo Kim tied the opening hole with a clutch par putt and threw up an emotional fist into the Medinah air.

The Americans had conceded their par attempt giving Kim the opportunity to keep the foursome level.

Kim’s partner, Tom Kim, had set him up with a look from 13 feet on the previous shot.

International captain Geoff Ogivily has successfully tapped the Kim-and-Kim for two points already this week outside of Chicago.

Jackson Koivun and Justin Thomas went 1-up over Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im at Medinah thanks to Koivun’s birdie putt on the opening hole.

Koivun showed his emotions immediately with a fist bump to get the crowd ignited.

The Americans are desperately trying to regain momentum after suffering a sweep during Friday’s foursome session.

The second match between Collin Morikawa-Wyndham Clark and Si Woo Kim-Tom Kim is playing the first hole currently, with the final two fourballs still waiting to tee off.