2026 Presidents Cup Preview: Koivun's Debut and Scott's Milestone at a Rebuilt Medinah

Medinah Country Club is no stranger to golf miracles. In 2012, it hosted the Ryder Cup's most famous comeback. Now, from September 24 to 27, 2026, the 7,548-yard Course No. 3 will host the 16th Presidents Cup. The stakes are clear: the United States is hunting its 11th consecutive victory, while the International Team is desperate to end a 28-year drought dating back to 1998.[6]

The historical ledger is brutally lopsided. The Americans hold a 13-1-1 all-time record, making them heavy -400 favorites to hoist the trophy again. But International Captain Geoff Ogilvy arrives in Chicago with a unique ace up his sleeve: his own architectural firm, OCM Golf, led the 2024 redesign of the very course they are playing on.[5][6]

Ogilvy, alongside Michael Cocking and Ashley Mead, transformed Medinah No. 3. They widened the playing corridors, expanded the greens, and introduced strategic fescue rough. Distance alone will no longer break the par-70 layout; angles and approach strategies will dictate the match play outcomes, potentially neutralizing the Americans' raw power advantage.[5]

U.S. Captain Brandt Snedeker's roster is a terrifying mix of established major champions and explosive youth. The automatic qualifiers—Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns, Russell Henley, and Collin Morikawa—form a ruthless core. But it is Snedeker's six captain's picks that have electrified the golf world.[1][2]

Snedeker selected Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Chris Gotterup, Jacob Bridgeman, and 21-year-old phenom Jackson Koivun. Koivun's inclusion makes him the youngest American to play in the Presidents Cup since Jordan Spieth in 2013, injecting pure firepower into a veteran locker room.[2][3]

Koivun's 2026 season defies logic. Just months after dominating the collegiate ranks at Auburn—where he won a program-record 11 tournaments—he turned professional and immediately dismantled the PGA Tour. In just his third pro start at the 3M Open, Koivun shot a tournament-record 25-under par to beat World No. 1 Scheffler by three strokes.[3][4]

"It's an incredible honor to be selected for the 2026 United States Presidents Cup Team," Koivun said following the announcement. "I'm grateful for the confidence Captain Snedeker and the team have shown in me." Snedeker didn't pick the 21-year-old merely to season him for future Ryder Cups; he picked him because his 6-1 NCAA match-play record proves he is a ruthless head-to-head competitor right now.[1][4]

Snedeker was equally effusive about Bridgeman, who won the Genesis Invitational earlier this year. "What impressed me most wasn't just his win at Riviera but the way he continued playing consistent golf throughout the season," Snedeker noted, pointing to Bridgeman's top-four finish at the Tour Championship.[2]

On the other side of the aisle, the International Team is leaning heavily on its spiritual leader. Adam Scott will tee it up for his 12th Presidents Cup, officially tying Phil Mickelson for the most appearances in the event's history. Scott's longevity is staggering; he has been a fixture in this tournament since 2003.[1][6]

"He has just the ultimate respect of every player in the locker room," Ogilvy said of the 46-year-old Australian. "He's been doing it for so long and the kids, when he starts talking, they all stop, they all listen." Finding the right partner for Scott in the opening Four-ball and alternate-shot sessions will be one of Ogilvy's most critical tasks.

Scott is joined by automatic qualifiers Si Woo Kim, Ryan Fox, Hideki Matsuyama, Tom Kim, and Min Woo Lee. Ogilvy rounded out the squad with captain's picks Corey Conners, Nico Echavarria, Sungjae Im, Ryo Hisatsune, Nick Taylor, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout. It is a roster representing seven different countries, unified by a shared desire to break the American stranglehold.[2]

Tom Kim will be essential to that mission. The South Korean star emerged as the Internationals' emotional provocateur during the 2022 and 2024 editions. If the underdog squad is going to rattle an American team playing on home soil, they will need Kim to ignite the crowds and get under the skin of his opponents.[1]

The math is simple, but the execution is agonizing. There are 30 total points available across the four days of Four-ball, Foursomes, and Singles matches. A team needs 15.5 points to claim the cup. Snedeker has already announced that Thursday's opening round will feature five Four-ball matches, setting the stage for an immediate birdie barrage.[2][6]

For the Americans, anything less than a victory is a historic failure. For the Internationals, Medinah represents the ultimate opportunity to flip the script on a course their captain literally built. When the first tee shots fly on September 24, 28 years of history will be on the line.[5]