Presidents Cup 2026: Preview

The 2026 Presidents Cup will be contested at Medinah Country Club's Course No. 3 in Medinah, Illinois, just west of Chicago, from September 22 to 27, 2026. It pits a United States team captained by Brandt Snedeker against an International side, drawn from outside Europe, led by Geoff Ogilvy. With the matches now only months away, the field and the form lines are starting to take shape.

The venue

Medinah No. 3 is one of the great American championship courses, a long, tree lined parkland that has hosted multiple U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships and the 2012 Ryder Cup, remembered for Europe's extraordinary final day comeback. The club has reworked the routing for the Presidents Cup, and the course's length and demanding par 4s will reward precise iron play and put a premium on driving. For more American golf, see our guide to golf in the United States.

The captains and teams

Brandt Snedeker and Geoff Ogilvy, both popular former major and world golf championship winners, bring a new generation of leadership. Each side fields twelve players, with six automatic qualifiers and six captain's picks. The United States determine their automatic places through a weighted points standing, while the Internationals use the world ranking. The American side will again start as heavy favourites, having lost the Presidents Cup only once since the event began in 1994.

The storylines

The central question, as ever, is whether the International team can finally turn competitiveness into a result. Recent editions have been closer than the history suggests, and a passionate, well drilled International side at a neutral but American venue will fancy their chances of making it tense into Sunday. Watch the captain's picks closely on both sides, because depth and pairings tend to decide a cup like this more than the marquee names.

Planning around it

Chicago is one of the most underrated golf cities in America, and the Presidents Cup is a fine excuse to explore it. The region around Medinah offers a wealth of strong public and resort golf, and the wider Midwest, from the Kohler courses in Wisconsin to the resorts of northern Michigan, makes a natural extension. If you are building a trip, our best courses in the United States list is the place to begin, and our concierge can shape an itinerary around the event week.

Our take

Medinah is a heavyweight venue and a smart choice for a team event, big enough for huge galleries and demanding enough to identify the best play. The United States remain the side to beat, but the International team has been trending in the right direction, and a Chicago crowd will make for a real occasion. We will revisit this preview as the rosters lock in through the summer.