The 2026 Presidents Cup gets underway Thursday, September 24, at Medinah Country Club in Illinois, with the United States facing the International Team in four days of match-play golf. It is the 16th edition of the event.
The Captains
United States: Brandt Snedeker
International: Geoff Ogilvy
The U.S. enters as defending champion after defeating the International Team 18½–11½ at Royal Montreal in 2024.
Overall, the Americans lead the Presidents Cup 13-1-1, with the International side’s only victory coming in 1998 and the 2003 competition ending in a tie.
Team USA
Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns, Russell Henley, Collin Morikawa, Chris Gotterup, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Jackson Koivun and Jacob Bridgeman.
Scheffler, the world’s No. 1-ranked player, is the centerpiece of the American lineup. Schauffele, Thomas, Cantlay and Morikawa also bring substantial Presidents Cup experience.
International Team
Si Woo Kim, Hideki Matsuyama, Ryan Fox, Tom Kim, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Sungjae Im, Nico Echavarria, Corey Conners, Nick Taylor, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Ryo Hisatsune.
Presidents Cup
Matsuyama, Scott, Fox and the two Kims provide a combination of major-championship experience and Presidents Cup familiarity. Adam Scott is making his 12th consecutive Presidents Cup appearance.
Medinah Factor
Medinah’s Course No. 3 is hosting the Presidents Cup for the first time. The course has previously staged the 2012 Ryder Cup, 2019 BMW Championship, PGA Championships and U.S. Opens, giving it a substantial championship pedigree.
The match-play format could make course management particularly important. Players must adapt quickly because the week is not simply about cumulative stroke-play scores—each hole can swing an individual match.
Tournament Format
There are 30 total points available:
Day
Format
Thursday, Sept. 24
5 Four-ball matches
Friday, Sept. 25
5 Foursomes matches
Saturday, Sept. 26
4 Four-ball + 4 Foursomes
Sunday, Sept. 27
12 Singles matches
A team needs 15½ points to win. If the competition finishes 15-15, the Presidents Cup is tied and the existing champion retains the Cup.
Key Storylines
1. Can the International Team finally break through?
The International side has not won since 1998 and has never won on U.S. soil. Medinah gives Ogilvy’s group another opportunity to change that history.
2. Scheffler leads a deep American group
The U.S. has several players with significant Presidents Cup experience, while newcomers such as Koivun, Bridgeman and Gotterup will experience the pressure of team match play for the first time.
3. International veterans must produce early
Matsuyama, Scott, Si Woo Kim and Ryan Fox will be important in establishing momentum before
Sunday’s singles.
4. The pairings could decide the week
Unlike conventional tournament golf, captains have to create effective partnerships. Four-ball rewards scoring and aggressive play, while foursomes places greater emphasis on consistency and teamwork.
Thursday’s tournament coverage is scheduled for 12:30–7 p.m. ET,
Friday from 2–7 p.m. ET,
Saturday from 9 a.m.–7 p.m. ET, and Sunday singles from noon–6 p.m. ET.
Bottom Line
The 2026 Presidents Cup brings together 24 elite golfers, two experienced captains and 30 match-play points at one of America’s most historic golf venues. The central storyline is the long-running U.S. dominance, while the International Team enters with the opportunity to challenge that history behind veterans such as Matsuyama and Scott and captain Geoff Ogilvy.
