The teams are set. On Tuesday, U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker and International captain Geoff Ogilvy each revealed their six captain’s picks for the 2026 Presidents Cup, completing both 12-man rosters ahead of the biennial showdown at Medinah Country Club near Chicago from September 21–27. There were debutants, a 21-year-old bolter, and a few names left watching from home. Here’s the full breakdown — and what club golfers can actually take from it.
What Happened
Snedeker used his six selections on Jacob Bridgeman, Patrick Cantlay, Chris Gotterup, Jackson Koivun, Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas. They join the six automatic qualifiers — Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Russell Henley, Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa — to form a formidable American lineup.
On the International side, Australian captain Geoff Ogilvy added Sungjae Im, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Corey Conners, Nico Echavarria, Ryo Hisatsune and Nick Taylor to his automatic qualifiers: Si Woo Kim, Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, Ryan Fox, Tom Kim and Min Woo Lee. It is a globe-spanning squad drawing on Korea, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Japan and Colombia.
The Storyline: A 21-Year-Old Bolter
The headline pick is Jackson Koivun. At just 21, and only months after turning professional and leaving Auburn, Koivun has been named to his first Presidents Cup team — an extraordinary rise for a player who was competing in college golf a year ago. He is one of three American debutants alongside Bridgeman and Gotterup, signalling that Snedeker is willing to blend proven Ryder Cup steel (Cantlay, Thomas, Schauffele) with fresh, fearless talent.
For the Internationals, the inclusion of Colombia’s Nico Echavarria and Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune reflects Ogilvy’s push to reward in-form players over reputation. Adam Scott, a Presidents Cup stalwart, once again anchors the side, while Hideki Matsuyama brings major-championship pedigree.
Snubs and Surprises
Every team announcement is defined as much by who is left out as who gets in. The depth of American golf meant several accomplished names missed the cut for Snedeker’s twelve, and the decision to back a rookie like Koivun over more experienced options will be scrutinised if the U.S. stumbles at Medinah. For the Internationals, Ogilvy’s picks lean toward players trending upward rather than established veterans — a calculated gamble for a team that has historically struggled to topple the Americans.
Why It Matters
This is the 16th edition of the Presidents Cup, and the venue carries history: Medinah is where Europe staged the “Miracle at Medinah” comeback in the 2012 Ryder Cup. The International team has won the event only once, and enters as underdogs again — but the mix of youth and world-ranking firepower on both sides makes for one of the more intriguing team lineups in recent memory. With Scottie Scheffler anchoring the U.S., the pressure is squarely on Ogilvy’s men to spring a surprise on American soil.
What This Means For You
Team match play rewards two skills that every weekend golfer can sharpen: putting under pressure and tidy short-game control. When holes are won and lost on the greens, the players who roll the ball to tap-in range from distance take the stress out of match play — the exact skill our lag putting guide is built to develop. Just as important is a repeatable routine: elite players lean on the same pre-shot routine on the 1st tee and the 18th green, and it is the simplest way for amateurs to steady their nerves in a match.
Around the greens, the Presidents Cup will be decided by up-and-downs. If you want to convert more of your own, work on the fundamentals in our guides to chipping from a tight lie and dialling in your wedge distances with the clock system. These are the shots that separate a halved hole from a lost one — at Medinah and at your home club.
Key Takeaways
- Both 12-man Presidents Cup rosters are now set after captains Brandt Snedeker (U.S.) and Geoff Ogilvy (International) announced their six picks on Sept. 1.
- 21-year-old Jackson Koivun is the standout selection, one of three American debutants alongside Jacob Bridgeman and Chris Gotterup.
- Scottie Scheffler anchors a deep U.S. side; Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama headline the Internationals.
- The event runs September 21–27 at Medinah Country Club near Chicago — site of the 2012 “Miracle at Medinah.”
- Match play rewards pressure putting and short-game control — skills any amateur can practise.
Source: Presidents Cup and PGA Tour official announcements, September 1, 2026.
