Presidents Cup Tees Off at Medinah as Team USA Chase an 11th Straight Win
Brandt Snedeker's Americans face Geoff Ogilvy's Internationals from Thursday, with Scottie Scheffler in the first match.
The 16th Presidents Cup starts on Thursday, 24 September, at Medinah Country Club's No. 3 course near Chicago. The US team go in as heavy favourites, while the International team are trying to end a long losing run.
For fans in Malaysia, the first match tees off at 12.35am on Friday. Play continues through the early hours each morning until Sunday's singles.
The captains and the teams
Team USA, captained by Brandt Snedeker, with vice-captains Jim Furyk, Keegan Bradley, Gary Woodland and Webb Simpson: Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns, Russell Henley, Collin Morikawa, Jacob Bridgeman, Patrick Cantlay, Chris Gotterup, Jackson Koivun, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas.
International Team, captained by Geoff Ogilvy, with vice-captains Trevor Immelman, Tim Clark, Taylor Pendrith and Camilo Villegas: Si Woo Kim, Ryan Fox, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee, Tom Kim, Adam Scott, Sungjae Im, Nico Echavarria, Corey Conners, Nick Taylor, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Ryo Hisatsune.
Asian fans have plenty to follow: five of the 12 Internationals are from Japan (Matsuyama, Hisatsune) and South Korea (Si Woo Kim, Tom Kim, Sungjae Im).
A one-sided rivalry so far
The Americans have won the last 10 editions, and the overall record is 13 wins, one tie and one International win. Their most recent victory was 18.5-11.5 at Royal Montreal in 2024. CBS Sports reports that seven of the world's top 10 players are on the US team, compared with only two top-25 players on the International side.
Their best player has a weak record in this event, though. CBS notes that world No. 1 Scheffler is 3-5-1 in Presidents Cup matches. Adam Scott (20-28-6) and Matsuyama (9-13-5) also have losing records for the Internationals.
Koivun, 21, is one of the youngest Americans ever to make his Presidents Cup debut. "I'm so impressed by this young man," Snedeker said.
Thursday's opening fourballs (Malaysia time, Friday)
- 12.35am: Scheffler/Burns vs Min Woo Lee/Sungjae Im
- 12.53am: Young/Schauffele vs Matsuyama/Hisatsune
- 1.11am: Thomas/Koivun vs Conners/Echavarria
- 1.29am: Clark/Morikawa vs Fox/Scott
- 1.47am: Gotterup/Cantlay vs Tom Kim/Si Woo Kim
Format
According to Sky Sports, there are 30 points available over four days:
- Thursday: fourballs
- Friday: foursomes
- Saturday: fourballs and foursomes
- Sunday: 12 singles matches
The Internationals need 15.5 points to win the trophy. As defending champions, the US need 15 to keep it.
Key takeaways
- The Presidents Cup runs from 24 to 27 September at Medinah, near Chicago.
- Team USA are trying to win for the 11th time in a row.
- Five of the 12 International players come from Japan and South Korea.
- The first match starts at 12.35am Friday, Malaysia time: Scheffler/Burns vs Min Woo Lee/Im.
FAQ
How many points does each team need? There are 30 points in total. The US keep the cup with 15, and the Internationals need 15.5 to win it.
When did the International team last win? In 1998 at Royal Melbourne, which is still their only win. The US has won the last 10 in a row.
Who are the captains? Brandt Snedeker for the US and Geoff Ogilvy for the Internationals.
Sources: Sky Sports, CBS Sports, Golf Channel