Now on it’s 16th staging, The Presidents Cup is a biennial event pitting 12 of the best American golfers against the world’s 12 (except Europeans). The games are very similar in format to the Ryder Cup, with foursome and fourball matches contested during the first two or three days, and a culminating singles day, pitting all 12 team members against the opposing side’s own 12.
The Presidents Cup came a few decades after the Ryder Cup, but filled a much-needed void. While the Ryder Cup has witnessed epic battles between the US and GBandI, initially, and the entire Europe since the 80s, there was no opportunity for non-Europeans golfers to experience the same electric atmosphere of the Ryder Cup.
International legends like Gary Player never had the chance to play in a similar event. But starting in 1994, professionals like South African icon Ernie Els, Australian greats like Greg Norman began to have the chance to face the Americans head to head, just like in the Ryder Cup.
Today, Asian major champions like Hideki Matsuyama, recent major winners like New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, and PGA Tour mainstays like Si Woo Kim, Sungjae I’m, and Min Woo Lee, all of Korean heritage, finally have a chance to test their skills against the Americans.
The inaugural President’s Cup in 1994 came at a time when golf was gaining popularity, but hasn’t experienced the explosive growth brought about by Tiger Woods. The exhibition, created by the PGA Tour and hosted by heads of state of the host country, filled an important void in extending golf’s reach to a worldwide audience. No longer were audiences limited to watching American pros and European pros battle it out in unique formats.
Since the Presidents Cup was established, any golfer from any corner of the globe can, if he gets high enough in the world golf rankings, be part of the team.
As much as the previous editions of the Presidents Cup were a treat to watch, most years weren’t as nail-biting as hoped for. Of the 15 stagings, the US team came out on top 13 times, with one loss and one tie. Unlike in the Ryder Cupwhere the competition is much closer, the International team just hasn’t been able to stand toe to toe with the Americans except for one win in 1998 and a draw in 2003.
Still, seeing the top international players trade swings and putts against the USA’s best makes for great watching. This year’s line-ups seem competitive, maybe more than other years’.
Team USA 2026
Captain: Brandt Snedeker
Automatic Qualifiers: Scottie Sche?er, Wyndham Clark, Russell Henley, Cameron Young, Sam Burns, Collin Morikawa
Captain’s Picks: Chris Gotterup, Xander Schau?ele, Jackson Koivun, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Jacob Bridgeman
Team International 2026
Captain: Geo? Ogilvy
Automatic Qualifiers: Si Woo Kim, Ryan Fox, Min Woo Lee, Hideki Matsuyama, Tom Kim, Adam Scott
Captain’s Picks: Sungjae Im, Casey Conners, Christian Bezuidenhout, Nico Echevarria, Nick Taylor, Ryo Hitatsune
By the time this article comes out, it’ll be Singles Sunday. On the outset, Team USA is up in the major winners’ count 5-3 for the Internationals. Both teams have depth, as well as unknowns. While there won’t be any guarantees, but just looking at the team compositions, it would seem pretty even, if a bit advantageous for the USA, but only slightly. Here’s hoping for an action-packed and close Presidents Cup this week!