Medinah Country Club in Chicago’s northwest suburbs is the venue for the 16th Presidents Cup, featuring the best male golfers from the United States and non-European countries. This team match-play event occurs biennially, pitting the U.S. against an International team comprising golfers from outside the U.S. and Europe. The initial matches were held in 1994, alternating with the Ryder Cup, which involves European players. Due to the Sept. 11 attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic, schedules for both events were postponed by a year. The U.S. hosts the Presidents Cup every four years; Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia was the inaugural venue, followed by others including Harding Park in San Francisco and Quail Hollow in Charlotte. The International team has hosted matches in Australia, South Africa, Canada, and South Korea.

Current Leaders in the Series

The U.S. team has excelled in the Presidents Cup, boasting a 13-1-1 record against the International team. Unlike the Ryder Cup, where Europe has won 11 of the last 15 iterations, the U.S. has clinched the last 10 versions of the Presidents Cup, remaining undefeated on home soil. The International team won only once, in 1998 at Royal Melbourne, Australia. The teams drew in 2003 at Fancourt, South Africa, when a sudden-death playoff between Tiger Woods and Ernie Els was halted due to darkness.

Understanding the Format

The Presidents Cup format resembles the Ryder Cup, employing two-man partner matches in “foursomes” (alternate shot) and “fourball” (best ball), culminating in singles matches on the final day. However, Presidents Cup matches span four days, unlike the Ryder Cup’s three. Each match provides one point, and with 30 total matches — nine foursomes, nine fourball, and 12 singles — a team requires 15½ points to win the cup. In a 15-15 tie, the cup is shared, contrary to the Ryder Cup, where the holding team retains it. Matches persist even after the cup is secured. Scores in match play are based on holes won. A team that leads by more holes than remaining automatically wins. If a match remains tied through 18 holes, each team receives half a point. In foursomes, partners alternate tee shots; in fourball, the better score from each team counts.

Event Schedule

Host captain Brandt Snedeker has outlined the format order: Day 1 consists of five fourball matches, Day 2 features five foursomes matches, and Day 3 includes four matches each of foursomes and fourball. All players compete in singles on the final day.

• Tuesday: Practice rounds, gates open at 9 a.m.
• Wednesday: Practice rounds, gates open at 9 a.m.
• Thursday: Gates open at 9 a.m., Opening ceremony at 11 a.m., Round 1 begins at 11:35 a.m.
• Friday: Gates open at 10 a.m., Round 2 begins at 1:05 p.m.
• Saturday: Gates open at 6:30 a.m., Round 3 starts at 7:02 a.m., Round 4 begins at 1:15 p.m.
• Sunday: Gates open at 9 a.m., Round 5 starts at 11:02 a.m., followed by the Closing ceremony.

Captains Overview

U.S. Captain Brandt Snedeker is a seasoned golfer with 14 professional wins, 10 on the PGA Tour. His record includes victories in the 2012 Tour Championship and the 2018 Wyndham Championship, notably achieving a 59 during the latter. Known for his putting prowess, Snedeker participated in two Ryder Cups and one Presidents Cup, marking nine top-10 finishes in major tournaments from 2008 to 2017. Snedeker attended Vanderbilt University, hailing from Nashville, Tennessee. His assistant captains include Keegan Bradley, Jim Furyk, Webb Simpson, and Gary Woodland.

International Captain Geoff Ogilvy, recognized by his 2006 U.S. Open victory, achieved this alongside 12 other professional wins, including two WGC Match Play Championships. He also played in three Presidents Cups. Born in Adelaide, Australia, Ogilvy co-founded OCM Golf, a course architecture firm responsible for renovating Medinah’s No. 3 course. His assistant captains are Tim Clark, Trevor Immelman, Taylor Pendrith, and Camilo Villegas.

U.S. Team Members

The U.S. team’s top six players secured their position based on FedEx Cup points accumulated from Jan. 1, 2025, to Aug. 23, 2026. Brandt Snedeker selected six additional players.

• Scottie Scheffler: World ranking 1, four-time major champion, three Presidents Cup teams.
• Cameron Young: World ranking 3, seven worldwide wins, two Presidents Cup teams.
• Wyndham Clark: World ranking 5, two-time U.S. Open winner, two Presidents Cup teams.
• Sam Burns: World ranking 9, six wins, three Presidents Cup teams.
• Russell Henley: World ranking 6, nine wins, two Presidents Cup teams.
• Collin Morikawa: World ranking 11, two major titles, three Presidents Cup teams.
• Jacob Bridgeman (Captain’s pick): World ranking 29, one worldwide win.
• Patrick Cantlay (Captain’s pick): World ranking 27, nine wins.
• Chris Gotterup (Captain’s pick): World ranking 7, six wins.
• Jackson Koivun (Captain’s pick): World ranking 65, one win.
• Xander Schauffele (Captain’s pick): World ranking 10, two major titles.
• Justin Thomas (Captain’s pick): World ranking 22, two PGA Championships.

International Team Members

The International team includes the top six from the world rankings as of Aug. 31, with Geoff Ogilvy selecting six more players.

• Si Woo Kim: World ranking 13, 5 wins, four Presidents Cup teams.
• Ryan Fox: World ranking 24, 20 wins, one major title.
• Hideki Matsuyama: World ranking 26, 21 wins, seven Presidents Cup teams.
• Min Woo Lee: World ranking 30, 5 wins, two Presidents Cup teams.
• Tom Kim: World ranking 31, 13 wins, three Presidents Cup teams.
• Adam Scott: World ranking 52, 33 wins, four Presidents Cup teams.
• Christiaan Bezuidenhout (Captain’s pick): 10 wins, three Presidents Cup teams.
• Corey Conners (Captain’s pick): 2 wins, three Presidents Cup teams.
• Nico Echavarria (Captain’s pick): 7 wins.
• Ryo Hisatsune (Captain’s pick): 4 wins.
• Sungjae Im (Captain’s pick): 7 wins.
• Nick Taylor (Captain’s pick): 6 wins.

Presidential Attendance

Honorary chairman status goes to U.S. President Donald Trump, who intends to attend the event, as confirmed in a recent social media post. Trump conveyed enthusiasm for the talent on both teams but did not specify which day he would be present. As the honorary chairman in 2017 at Liberty National, Trump attended the last match day, becoming the first sitting president to do so. Bill Clinton is the only other sitting U.S. president to have attended a Presidents Cup, as reported by ESPN. Last year, Trump attended the opening day of the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.

Other Major Events at Medinah

Medinah Country Club has hosted several notable events, including:

• 1949 U.S. Open: Cary Middlecoff
• 1975 U.S. Open: Lou Graham
• 1990 U.S. Open: Hale Irwin
• 1999 PGA Championship: Tiger Woods
• 2006 PGA Championship: Tiger Woods
• 2012 Ryder Cup: Europe Triumph