The Presidents Cup, a biennial team showdown organized by the PGA Tour, pits the United States against an International side that represents every golf‑playing nation outside of Europe. First contested in 1994, the event alternates between American venues and overseas locations, having visited Canada, South Korea, Australia and South Africa in its history. After the Ryder Cup shifted to odd‑numbered years because of the Covid‑19 postponement in 2020, the Presidents Cup settled into even‑numbered years to avoid a calendar clash.
The 2026 edition will be staged from September 24 to 27 at Medinah Country Club in Illinois. Medinah is no stranger to marquee tournaments; it hosted the 2012 Ryder Cup and has been the setting for multiple U.S. Opens and PGA Championships.
Looking ahead, the 2028 Cup is slated for Kingston Heath Golf Club in Victoria, Australia, while the 2030 competition will move to Bellerive Country Club in Missouri. Team USA’s qualification window opened in January 2025 and closed after the BMW Championship in August. Players accumulated points based on their PGA Tour performances, with the top six point‑earners earning automatic berths.
In 2025 each FedExCup point translated to one qualification point, while in the previous season the conversion rate was 1.5 points. For 2026, points earned at The Players Championship or any major counted double, reflecting the heightened importance of those events.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler topped the U.S. standings after an eight‑win run during the qualification period. He was followed by Players champion Cameron Young and U.S.
Open winner Wyndham Clark, with Sam Burns, Russell Henley and Collin Morikawa completing the automatic qualifiers. Captain Brandt Snedeker, who served as a vice‑captain in the 2024 Presidents Cup and the 2025 Ryder Cup, then exercised his captain’s picks to round out the squad, adding Jacob Bridgeman, Patrick Cantlay, Chris Gotterup, Jackson Koivun, Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas.
The International Team’s selection process ran from September 8, 2025, through the Tour Championship on August 30, 2026. Rather than PGA Tour points, the International side relied on Official World Golf Ranking points to allocate its six automatic spots. South Korean Si Woo Kim led the rankings, securing his fourth Presidents Cup appearance. Newcomer Ryan Fox earned a place by winning The Open at Royal Birkdale, while veterans Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee, Tom Kim and Adam Scott also qualified automatically.
Geoff Ogilvy, the newly appointed International captain, filled his remaining slots with Sungjae Im, Nico Echavarria, Corey Conners, Nick Taylor, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Ryo Hisatsune, creating a roster that spans seven different nationalities. Snedeker’s leadership team includes former major champions Gary Woodland, Jim Furyk, Keegan Bradley and Webb Simpson, all serving as assistants. On the International side, Ogilvy—who has competed in three straight Presidents Cups as a player since 2007—has assembled a support crew of Trevor Immelman, Tim Clark, Taylor Pendrith and Camilo Villegas. Ogilvy replaces long‑time International captain Mike Weir, marking his first year at the helm.
Historically, Team USA has dominated the competition, winning ten straight Cups through 2024 with an 18.5‑11.5 victory over the International side. The Americans captured 7.5 of the 12 points available in the final singles session, extending a run of 13 wins in the previous 14 editions. The International Team’s only successes have been a tie in 2003 and a solitary win in 1998, making them clear underdogs once again. The format mirrors the Ryder Cup in many ways, featuring fourball, foursomes and singles matches over four days.
Thursday kicks off with fourball, where two players from each side play their own balls and the lower score of the pair counts for the hole. Friday’s schedule shifts to foursomes, a more demanding alternate‑shot format in which each team uses a single ball and players take turns hitting shots. Saturday presents a double‑session: a second round of fourball in the morning followed by another set of foursomes in the afternoon.
The competition culminates on Sunday with 12 singles matches, each pitting a U.S. player against an International opponent. In total, 30 points are on the line; the defending champion needs 15 points to retain the Cup, while either side must reach 15.5 points to claim outright victory.
The PGA Tour continues to enforce its ban on LIV Golf participants, meaning players who have switched to the breakaway circuit are ineligible for the Presidents Cup. Notable exclusions include Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, who finished third on the LIV season‑long points list and played in the 2019 Cup before departing the PGA Tour, and Australia’s Lucas Herbert, another LIV standout.
Former International representatives such as Open champions Cameron Smith and Louis Oosthuizen are also barred, as is U.S. star Bryson DeChambeau, who has aligned himself with LIV.
Sky Sports will broadcast every session live. Thursday’s fourball coverage begins at 5:30 pm UK time (11:35 am local time in Illinois), with the first tee‑off at 5:35 pm.
Friday’s foursomes start at 7:00 pm UK time (1:05 pm local). Saturday’s morning fourball will be shown on Sky Sports+ at 1:00 pm, while the afternoon foursomes air on Sky Sports Golf at 7:00 pm. Sunday’s singles commence at 5:00 pm on Sky Sports Golf and continue well beyond the final match.
The Presidents Cup shares the Sky Sports lineup with the DP World Tour’s Open de France and the LPGA’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, the first LPGA event since the Solheim Cup. Fans wondering who will lift the trophy this year can tune in to Sky Sports for uninterrupted coverage from Thursday through Sunday.
Whether you are a die‑hard supporter of Team USA or rooting for the International challengers, the 2026 Presidents Cup promises high‑stakes drama, world‑class golf, and the chance for new heroes to emerge on the global stage.