Full Breakdown
Brandt Snedeker Shapes Team USA for the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah
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Core Event: Line-ups and Stakes for the 2026 Presidents Cup
The 2026 Presidents Cup will be contested at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago over four days, beginning Thursday. Team USA, captained by former PGA Tour winner Brandt Snedeker, entered the competition with 12 automatically qualified players—Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns, Russell Henley, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Chris Gotterup, Jacob Bridgeman and rookie Jackson Koivun. Snedeker’s final captain’s pick, announced on September 1, was the 21-year-old Koivun, the world’s No. 1 amateur who won in his third PGA Tour start.
Geoff Ogilvy captained the International side, selecting Si-Woo Kim (world No. 13), Ryan Fox (2023 Open champion), Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee, Tom Kim and Adam Scott as automatic qualifiers. His six picks added Corey Connors, Sung-jae Im, Nick Taylor and three others, creating what Ogilvy described as one of the strongest International squads ever assembled.
Background & Context
The United States holds a 13-1-1 all-time record in the Presidents Cup and is aiming for an 11th consecutive victory. The only International win came 26 years ago in Australia.
Data & Statistics
- U.S. roster: 12 players; 10 within the top 25, with Cantlay at No. 28 and Koivun the top amateur.
- International roster: Six automatic qualifiers; Kim ranked No. 13, Fox a recent Open winner, and Tom Kim a current PGA Tour victor.
- Historical record: U.S. 13 wins, 1 loss, 1 tie; last International triumph in 1998 (Australia).
- Captain’s picks: Snedeker selected Koivun; Ogilvy added Connors, Im, Taylor and three additional players.
Official Statements & Responses
Snedeker emphasized that the Presidents Cup is not a “training session,” insisting the captain’s picks must improve the team’s chance to win. He argued that the 12-player field represents the best available talent and that placing a rookie in a developmental role would be “laughable.”
Ogilvy noted a temporary course advantage from his design firm’s renovation of Medinah, describing any edge as “more psychological than real.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “Our job as captain and vice captains for the Presidents Cup it put the best 12 players on the field,” — Snedeker
- “Clearly winning something for the first time — the first time in a very long time — it's probably more difficult than if you're winning all the time,” — Geoff Ogilvy
- “We have an advantage right now,” — Geoff Ogilvy
What’s Next
The competition will unfold over four days, with singles matches concluding on Sunday. Both captains have highlighted the importance of early momentum and the potential for match-play variance to influence the final outcome.