Who has most at stake Sunday at Presidents Cup?

MEDINAH, Ill. – The stage is set for a potentially historic away victory at Medinah Country Club. Does that ring any bells?

The International Team holds a 10.5-7.5 advantage over the U.S. Team, its largest leading margin heading into Sunday Singles since 2003. The Internationals are bidding to win for just the second time in Presidents Cup history. Meanwhile, the Americans will try to mount their own Miracle at Medinah, like Europe did back in 2012 at the Ryder Cup.

How’s that for stakes? Beyond a landmark victory for the International side that would breathe significant energy into the event, Sunday will be a massive moment for numerous members of the U.S. and International sides.

Here’s who faces the most pressure heading into Sunday Singles.

Brandt Snedeker

Does this one need much explanation? The blame game always starts at the top, and the U.S. Team captain hasn’t done much to avoid the spotlight. Snedeker even admitted on Saturday night that he’s second-guessing himself and hasn’t “held up (his) end of the bargain.” Those are striking words to hear from a captain with the result still in the balance.

Losing this Presidents Cup would be one of the most unexpected results in team golf history, and Snedeker would bear the weight of captaining the sunken ship. The U.S. held a notable advantage on paper, with higher-ranked players and more previous success to rely on. Snedeker intimated that he hasn’t put them in the best position to capitalize on those advantages.

It would also mark the second consecutive home loss between the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. That has never happened before, and it would raise further alarm about the state of American team golf.

That sets up a nervy Sunday that Snedeker can't control. His legacy as captain is in his players' hands.

Adam Scott

Is this Scott’s last legitimate shot at winning the Presidents Cup? Victory has been elusive for the leader of the Internationals. He has played in 11 previous Presidents Cups and lost 10. The only other result was a tie in 2003, Scott’s debut.

Now is his chance to seize a legacy-sealing victory. Nobody would earn more praise and hoover up much-deserved credit than Scott. Players will tell you Scott has been a playing captain for years. He’s just never held the actual title.

And at 46, Scott’s days as an elite player are numbered. There’s no guarantee he’s playing on the roster in two years when it returns to his native Australia. For years, that Presidents Cup was earmarked as one that Scott would captain, not play. Yet much like Justin Rose, Scott has maintained strong play far longer than anyone would reasonably expect.

While the Internationals hold a lead, Scott hasn’t been the catalyst. He’s 1-2 and has a tough task in Singles, matched against Patrick Cantlay. The Internationals’ chances would shift dramatically if Scott can emerge victorious.

It’s now or never.

“The Shield”

The Internationals, led by Ernie Els, created The Shield ahead of the 2019 Presidents Cup to cultivate an overarching culture that would persist across continents, language barriers and generations of future members. To those on the outside, it's mostly a logo, but The Shield has been more than that. It was a full reassessment of processes, beliefs and strategy.

In the years since, every captain and player has credited The Shield with the group's growing camaraderie. It’s given them a common identity, and the renewed focus of its top stewards has done wonders to grow belief in the team.

Yet the results haven’t followed.

Sunday is the biggest stress test of Els’ creation. If they can hold off the Americans and win a Presidents Cup that nobody gave them a chance in, it would vindicate the mission. A collapse wouldn’t ruin the momentum, but it would dent internal belief that a win is coming. If it’s not coming now, when will it?

Scottie Scheffler

Can Scheffler put the finishing touches on a solid showing and dispel the growing narrative around his performance in team play?

Scheffler hasn’t played up to his standard, but he hasn’t needed to be at his best to be a productive cog for the U.S. The world No. 1 has gone 2-1-0 thus far, though his shaky performance was reason enough for Snedeker to sit him in Saturday Foursomes. The U.S. wound up losing the match Scheffler would have slotted into.

Can he ease worries about future team competitions? We may be too deep into that narrative to negate that completely, but a resounding Singles win against an outmatched opponent, Nico Echavarria, is a needed step in that journey. It’s also needed to keep the U.S. from an embarrassing defeat.

Justin Thomas

Thomas has had a solid but unspectacular week, 1-1-1 through Saturday’s play. He’s not the reason they are losing, but he also hasn’t lifted them when they’ve needed it. That describes Thomas’ last three appearances on Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams and each year we get a little further from the prime version of Thomas that made him a lock for these U.S. rosters.

Can we still consider him a lock if he loses a consequential Singles match to Corey Conners? That’s a difficult argument. Contrast that with the opposite outcome, which could be a pivotal early momentum swing for an historic comeback. That would solidify Thomas in lore as a match-play lion.