Presidents Cup 2026: Teams, Format, Odds & Predictions

The Presidents Cup 2026 will take place September 23-27 at the historic Medinah Country Club just outside Chicago, Ill. The biennial event features a team of United States golfers taking on an international team from around the world except Europe. The event has been held since 1994 with the US team dominating the competition winning 13 of the 15 Presidents Cups with one tie. Team USA features the best golfer on the planet in Scottie Scheffler, who recently won the FedExCup Championship with a season-ending win at the TOUR Championship. The Americans are heavy golf betting favorites to continue their dominance and win a 10th straight Presidents Cup trophy.

What Makes the Presidents Cup 2026 a Must-Watch Golf Event?

With some of the best golfers in the world competing in a high-intensity team match-play event, the Presidents Cup format is worth watching for any golf fan. It’s not quite the Ryder Cup since most of the top international players are from Europe, but it boasts the same high stakes drama. The Presidents Cup was created to give world-class players outside of Europe their own elite team match-play event.

The History Behind the Team Competition

• The concept of team match-play officially began with the Ryder Cup in 1927 after Samuel Ryder watched an unofficial match between American and British players.
• Before the 1970s American dominance made the Ryder Cup one-sided. The event expanded in 1979 to include all of continental Europe igniting the modern rivalry we see today.
• To include world-class players outside Europe the PGA Tour created the Presidents Cup in 1994.

How the Presidents Cup Differs From Other Golf Events

• The Presidents Cup is a pure team match-play event where players compete for country and charity rather than individual prize money.
• Rather than the lowest score winning a tournament, the Presidents Cup scoring format is based on each hole and not by counting total strokes.
• Unlike an individual stroke-play tournament, the Presidents Cup completely changes how golf is played, scored and experienced.

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Presidents Cup 2026 Schedule, Venue & Competition Format

The 2026 Presidents Cup features a four-day, team match-play format consisting of 30 total matches between a 12-player United States Teams and a 12-player International Team. Each match is worth one point with ties resulting in a half-point for each team. The first Presidents Cup team to accumulate 15.5 points is the winner. If the competition is tied after Sunday’s last match, the teams are declared co-winners with the defending champions retaining the trophy.

Tournament Date and Location

• The 2026 Presidents Cup spans four days from Thursday, September 24 to Sunday, September 27.
• Located in the Chicago suburb of Medinah, the Medinah Country Club serves as host. The 7,657-yard, par-72 championship Course No. 3 has hosted five major championships and the 2012 Ryder Cup. Ahead of this competition the course was redesigned with the help of International Team captain Geoff Ogilvy.

How Players Are Selected for Each Team

• The Presidents Cup roster for each team is selected through a two-part process that includes automatic qualification and discretionary captain’s picks.
• Each team gets six automatic qualifiers. Team USA’s top six qualify based on the FedExCup points standings. Six International Team players automatically qualify based on the Official World Golf Ranking.
• Captains and Vice Captains pick the other six golfers to round out their roster.

Match Formats and Scoring System

• The first day of competition has five four-ball (best ball) matches followed by five foursome (alternate shot) matches on Day 2. 
• The third day has four matches of each with the final day of competition consisting of 12 singles matches. Players are required to compete in one match prior to the Sunday singles matches. 
• A total of 30 points are available – one point per match – with the first team to 15.5 points winning the Presidents Cup.

Presidents Cup 2026 Players, Teams & Matchups

The 2026 Presidents Cup rosters have been finalized by US Team Captain Brandt Snedeker and International Team Captain Geoff Ogilvy. Team USA features a mixed squad of veteran Presidents Cup participants like Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas with exciting young Presidents Cup rookies Jackson Koivun, Jacob Bridgman, and Chris Gotterup. If experience matters the International Team has it with Adam Scott making his 12th Presidents Cup appearance and Hideki Matsuyama his seventh.

The US team features seven of the top 10 players in the most recent OWGR with Scottie Scheffler the No. 1 ranked player in the world. Cameron Young (3), Wyndham Clark (5), Russell Henley (6), Chris Gotterup (7), Sam Burns (9), and Xander Schauffele (10) are the others. The highest ranked player in the International team Presidents Cup lineup is No. 13 Si Woo Kim, who is also the only player among the top 20.

Team USA Players to Watch

• The recent FedExCup Champion and undisputed world No. 1 player, Scottie Scheffler anchors the American squad as the ultimate weapon for Captain Brandt Snedeker.
• By his standards it was a down season on the PGA Tour, but Justin Thomas has been a force in the Presidents Cup going 10-3-2 in his 15 career matches.
• A three-time winner on the PGA Tour, Chris Gotterup was a contender for Player of the Year. He earned his first Presidents Cup trip with an aggressive style that’s perfect for match-play.

International Team Players Who Could Make an Impact

• The top ranked player on the International Team, Si Woo Kim is the anchor. His exceptional iron play and overall consistency make him a threat in the alternate shot formats.
• Ryan Fox is the ultimate wildcard entering his first Presidents Cup. Following his win at The Open his confidence is high and his distance off the tee will negate the length of Medinah.
• An 11-time PGA Tour winner, Hideki Matsuyama is a former Masters champion who was ranked as high as No. 2 in the World. He’s earned 11.5 points in his Presidents Cup career.

Matchups That Could Decide the Competition

• The daily Presidents Cup matchups will be determined by captains just before each session. The makeup of each team points to a few potential blockbuster matchups, though.
• US Team Captain Brandt Snedeker is expected to pair Scottie Scheffler with steady Russell Henley, a duo with a history of playing their alternate shot matches together. 
• Snedeker used his captain’s picks to retain the veteran stability of Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, one of the team’s most successful pairings in best-ball format.

Presidents Cup Odds & Betting Preview

With a roster that boasts seven of the top 10 ranked players in the world and 11 of the 12 players ranked among the top 30, the United States Team is a heavy Presidents Cup favorite to win its 11th consecutive trophy. With Presidents Cup odds hovering around -400, Team USA has an implied win probability of 80 percent. The International Team has not won the Cup since 1998 giving the Americans huge historical momentum that heavily weighs the outright price.

Which Team Enters as the Betting Favorite?

• With a commanding 13-1-1 advantage in the Presidents Cup series and with a star-studded roster, Team USA is positioned as a heavy -400 favorite.
• Since the top European golfers are excluded from this event the International team has struggled. They currently boast Presidents Cup odds of -350.
• With no playoff or extra holes there is the possibility of a tie match. Odds don’t favor it, though, with a 15-15 draw priced at +1000.

Factors That Can Influence Team Odds

• The Americans feature star power with players like Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas, making them formidable across multi-format matches and influencing Presidents Cup odds.
• International Captain Geoff Ogilvy helped with the recent renovation of the host course. His knowledge of the layout could influence how he sets his team pairings to offset the talent gap between the squads.

Betting Markets to Follow During the Competition

• For bettors who find little value backing the Americans at their price, betting alternative markets like Day 1 Leader or Handicap Betting offers a better payout, particularly on the International side.
• Players like Tom Kim, Sungjae Im and Min Woo Lee are notorious for jumping out to early leads in the emotional environment of team match-play.
• Some lucrative betting markets to follow during the competition include Live Matchup Betting, Next Hole Winner, Session Winner and Top Team Point Scorers.

Presidents Cup Predictions & Betting Picks

While the price on Team USA is steep, their depth and historical dominance, bolstered by the experience and exquisite form of players like Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Wyndham Clark and Chris Gotterup, make an outright US victory the most logical Presidents Cup betting pick. Don’t overlook the International Team, though, with stalwarts Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im offering decent value in four-ball markets to steal individual matches if paired effectively.

Projected Winning Team

• With their unmatched roster depth Team USA is the overwhelming favorite in Presidents Cup predictions with an 80 percent win probability.
• With seven of the top 10 ranked players in the World, including No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, the US has a huge talent edge. However, the team match-play format is more stressful than a regular stroke-play event.
• Playing at Medinah Country Club gives the Americans a favorable setup suited for the long, aggressive style of play for golfers on the roster.

Best Betting Value Before the Competition Begins

• Because the outright line is high, finding the best Presidents Cup betting picks ahead of the competition is targeting props and looking for format discrepancies.
• In the Top Point Scorer markets look to fade big-name players. Scottie Scheffler has just 3-5-1 record in this tournament while Collin Morikawa is 6-2-0 in his two Presidents Cups.
• Christiaan Bezuidenhout is a sleeper for the Internationals who excels in team competitions. The South African has a 3-1-0 career Presidents Cup record.

Players and Matchups Worth Monitoring

• Exact team and matchups are announced closer to session starts so making Presidents Cup betting picks will require monitoring specific team strengths and course configurations.
• Jackson Koivun is a Team USA player worth monitoring. His fearless play makes him a threat in any format and his odds are soft due to his rookie status and age. His individual point-scorer or matchup lines could hold strong value.
• Collin Morikawa has a game fit for Medinah making him a player to likely be heavily utilized by Team USA across every format.
• The highest ranked player on the International Team, Si Woo Kim will be asked to shoulder a heavy burden for his squad.

Who Will Win the Presidents Cup 2026?

With a roster of top PGA Tour professionals, Team USA is overwhelmingly projected to win the 2026 Presidents Cup. Led by the No. 1 ranked player in the world Scottie Scheffler and a plethora of major champions, Team USA is priced in the -400 range. The talent gap between the squads is wide with the Americans boasting seven players ranked in the top 10. The highest ranked International golfer is Si Woo Kim at No. 13. 

Seven players return from the victorious 2024 squad and the Americans are looking to get more from Scheffler. He was 3-2-0 in 2024 but his career record is just 3-5-1. Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay and Collin Morikawa all secured four points helping the Americans to an 18.5-11.5 win in 2024. There is plenty of talent on the International Team with former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and No. 13 Si Woo Kim. Eight players from the last Presidents Cup are back competing looking to get the first International Team win in nearly three decades.

Predicted Winning Team

• Since the teams played to a tie in 2003, the Americans have dominated winning the last 10 Presidents Cups with most not very close. That along with a wide talent gap makes the Americans the team who will win the Presidents Cup.

One Player Who Could Change the Outcome

• The veterans on the Team USA roster provide stability leaving 21-year-old Jackson Koivun as the ultimate X-factor. His ceiling is higher than anyone else on the back end of the roster, but his youth and inexperience can also be a detriment.
• Any hope the International Team has of pulling off the upset rests in their designated energy guy Tom Kim. Kim needs to repeat his passionate performances from previous Cups to spark his teammates.