Workforce USA Vice Captain has recognized Scottie Scheffler since he was seven years previous. Now, as Workforce USA prepares for the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah, Gary Woodland has a transparent message in regards to the world No. 1.
“Scottie is the chief of our crew,” Woodland stated in a clip shared by 5 Golf equipment Golf on X on September 22, 2026. “On the finish of the day, he is the very best participant on the earth. The fellows look to him. His voice carries extra weight.”
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However the expectation Woodland described is not for Scheffler to all of a sudden turn into somebody he is not. “We simply need Scottie to be Scottie. We do not need Scottie to go do something greater than be himself.”
That steadiness sits on the centre of what Scheffler is strolling into at Medinah. He’s the world No. 1, the No. 1 participant in U.S. Presidents Cup standings, the reigning FedExCup champion and the statistical chief of this American roster by a major margin. The strain of that standing is actual. The crew’s instruction to him is basically: do not add to it.
What makes Woodland’s phrases land tougher than the standard pre-tournament reward is the comparability he reached for. “When Tiger speaks, everybody listens,” Woodland stated. “When Scottie speaks in that room, the blokes hear. And it is necessary for him to try this.”
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Woodland was cautious to not say that Scheffler was the following Tiger Woods. His comparability was extra particular. He was speaking in regards to the weight Scheffler’s voice carries contained in the crew room, not about their careers.
Scheffler has typically pushed again on comparisons with Woods, saying Tiger stands alone in golf. However Woodland, who shares swing coach Randy Smith with Scheffler and practices with him often, has seen a change. Woodland stated Scheffler is embracing his function as a pacesetter. He believes the world No. 1 is changing into extra vocal and realizing that his teammates hear when he speaks. The change comes throughout one other massive season for Scheffler. He has received thrice in 2026, taking titles at The American Specific in January and the FedEx St. Jude Championship and the TOUR Championship in August. He has completed within the prime 10 13 occasions in 20 begins and made 19 cuts. His official PGA Tour earnings have reached $30.94 million, and he now has 22 profession PGA Tour wins.
However his Presidents Cup report is extra blended. Scheffler is 3-5-1 total (1-3-0 in foursomes, 2-0-1 in fourball, and 0-2-0 in singles). He went 0-3-1 on the 2022 Presidents Cup earlier than going 3-2-0 at Royal Montreal in 2024, in keeping with the Presidents Cup web site. So whereas he has been dominant in particular person golf, that success has not all the time became factors in crew play.
Scheffler (Automated Qualifier) may have loads of expertise round him in Medinah. The U.S. crew contains Xander Schauffele (Captain’s Decide), Justin Thomas (Captain’s Decide), Collin Morikawa (Automated Qualifier), Patrick Cantlay (Captain’s Decide), Sam Burns (Automated Qualifier), Wyndham Clark (Automated Qualifier), and Russell Henley (Automated Qualifier). The crew additionally has three rookies: Chris Gotterup (Captain’s Decide), Jacob Bridgeman (Captain’s Decide), and Jackson Koivun (Captain’s Decide).
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Scheffler and Henley have already got a powerful historical past as Presidents Cup companions. They went 2-1 collectively at Royal Montreal in 2024. They received in opposition to Sungjae Im and Tom Kim 3&2 in session 1’s fourballs, misplaced to Tom Kim and Byeong Hun An 1 down in session 2’s foursomes, and received in opposition to Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im 3&2 in session 4’s foursomes.
Henley (Automated Qualifier) is again on the 2026 crew, giving captain Brandt Snedeker one other acquainted choice if he decides to pair them once more.
The U.S. crew received the 2024 Presidents Cup 18.5-11.5, giving it its tenth straight victory within the occasion. Now, it should attempt to make it 11 in a row when the Presidents Cup begins in Medinah on September 24. Woodland added that Scheffler appears to be having fun with this new management function and is worked up about it. For Woodland, the very best factor the crew can ask of him is solely to be himself.
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