Surveying the 2026 Presidents Cup Landscape for Team USA

Ah, yes. Presidents Cup discourse. A surefire sign that we’ve reached the post-major season. 

Today we’re looking at the American side for the 2026 matches at Medinah Country Club, September 24-27. Who belongs on the team depends on what you think the objective of this exhibition should be. I’ll also note that four weeks remain in the season, which is plenty of time for the picture to change. There is always a temptation to lock in names much earlier than necessary, so consider this a snapshot as of today. 

Let’s get into it, with a few notes to follow. 

1. On Tuesday afternoon, captain Brandt Snedeker was asked whether the Americans need some new young blood on the team. “I think the golf dictates who needs to be on the team,” he answered. “I'm not into, ‘Oh, let's just take a young kid because we need a young kid on the team.’ That doesn't make any sense to me. I think you take the best players who give you the best opportunity of winning… I view it as you want the 12 best players on that team to give you the best chance of winning to make a great team.”

That is well said, and the exact perspective Snedeker should have. His job is to win the Presidents Cup. Period. His goal is not to take actions that give the Americans the best chance of winning next year’s Ryder Cup. He probably has aspirations of captaining a Ryder Cup team someday and wants to prove himself by winning the Presidents Cup. There is no faulting Snedeker for this approach. 

Would I like to see Presidents Cups used as a testing ground for the next generation of potential stars? Absolutely. That is reflected in how I put together this exercise. Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay have combined for 13 Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup appearances and 83 major championship starts. We know who they are. 

I’d much rather see new faces and learn a little more about how their games stack up. Frankly, the result of the Presidents Cup doesn’t really matter all that much. If anything, it would actually be good for all parties involved if the Americans lost. It would add some juice to an event that could use it. And a slice of humble pie wouldn’t be a bad thing for the Americans headed into next year’s Ryder Cup. The lone party who wouldn’t benefit is Snedeker, and that’s precisely why his incentives are different. His job is to win, not help prepare for future events. 

Even considering Snedeker’s goals, though, there’s still a compelling case for players like Jackson Koivun and Michael Thorbjornsen over someone like Cantlay. I fear that Snedeker will default too heavily toward the veterans and those ranked higher in the points list, even if one of the younger talents proves to be in better form over the next month. Time will tell.  

2. When discussing captain’s picks, it’s worth understanding how Team USA’s qualification criteria works. Players’ positions in the standings get cited constantly, but the methodology behind those standings matters. The U.S. team’s points list is determined by the FedEx Cup points players have accrued since the start of 2025, with greater weight given to the current season. Players receive one point per FedEx Cup point earned in 2025, two points per FedEx Cup point earned in majors and at the Players in 2026, and 1.5 points per FedEx Cup point earned in all other events in 2026. Beyond determining the six automatic qualifiers, the standings shouldn’t carry much weight at all. Finishing seventh instead of 11th doesn’t necessarily mean you’re the better player or a better fit for Medinah. The most interesting example to examine through this lens is Ben Griffin, who currently ranks fifth in the standings, largely due to a significant point total in his breakout 2025 season. This year has not been as strong. Wins in soft fields more than nine months ago — like at the Charles Schwab or the Zurich or the World Wide Technology — should count for something. But only being separated by one place in the standings from Sam Burns — who contended late in three of the four majors this year — is a pretty good indicator that the points system shouldn’t be treated as gospel. The gap between Burns and Griffin is considerably larger than the standings suggest. Griffin has been playing well enough since May that he still belongs in the conversation for a captain’s pick if he does slip out of an auto-qualification spot. But the case for picking Griffin — or any other player, for that matter — should not revolve around their standing in the points list. 

3. I hope Snedeker is keeping a close eye on Ryan Gerard, who is currently 15th in the points list. He deserves a serious look. Since the start of 2026, Gerard has three runner-up finishes on Tour, second behind only Scottie Scheffler, and six top-10 finishes, tied for seventh-most on Tour. At 27 years old, he is on a strong trajectory and could very well find himself in contention for a Ryder Cup spot next fall. Even if Snedeker’s goals are purely to win in Chicago and nothing to do with preparing Gerard for the future, the player in front of him right now warrants a captain’s pick if he finishes the season strong. If Ryan plays well over the next month and isn’t on the team, Snedeker may be leaving a valuable weapon at home, likely in favor of someone less dangerous. 

4. Akshay Bhatia and Jacob Bridgeman are in the same camp. Both are young and have big-time wins earlier this season but have been quieter as of late. Making the team is an uphill battle, but one strong playoff performance could completely change the conversation. For reasons already stated, I’d be inclined to give both of these under-27 players some team golf experience, but that won’t be part of Snedeker’s calculus. They’ll need to do something special over the next month, but both deserve to be on the radar. 

5. Neither golfer is likely going to make the team, but I’m giving Patrick Reed and Jake Knapp honorable mentions. Reed has won twice on the DP World Tour this season and posted respectable enough major results (T-12, T-10, MC, T-46). His PGA Tour suspension will also have expired by the time the Presidents Cup arrives. Will he get picked? Almost certainly not. But if you enjoy good theater, it wouldn’t get much better than a Reed pick. Knapp’s season, on the other hand, has been incredibly unfortunate. The 32-year-old started the year blazing hot, opening with seven top-12 finishes in his first eight starts before a thumb injury derailed his form. He hasn’t finished inside the top 12 since the Masters. He has a tall mountain to climb to be seriously considered for a spot, but a couple of big playoff weeks could put him back in the conversation.