Presidents Cup 2026 recap: U.S. rallies at Medinah to win 11th straight

The U.S. won 21 holes on the back nine on Sunday, 11 of them on pars.

As the International side kept missing putts down the stretch, the scoreboard kept seeing red tallies. Nine singles win and another tie — good for 9 and 1/2 points.

It was an incredible effort but was it historic? Turns out, yes! The 9 1/2 points on Sunday eclipsed the Americans 8 1/2 to 3 1/2 singles session domination at Bethpage Black last year at the Ryder Cup.

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U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker gave out special shoutouts to Presidents Cup rookies Jackson Koivun and Jacob Bridgeman after winning at Medinah.

Bridgeman sealed the victory for the Americans, earning his first Presidents Cup point in the process.

Koivun overcame an early deficit Sunday to beat Si Woo Kim and finish with a perfect record in his debut in red, white and blue.

While Snedeker heaped praise on the star rookie performances, he said his entire roster “fought for each other” this week.

“Those guys were ready to walk through that door for me,” he said.

“I’m tired of hearing how these guys aren’t close; I’m tired of hearing how we can’t play team golf,” he added. “Guys just proved it right then and there.”

Geoff Ogilvy wasn’t in the mood to second guess his decision to play five of his players all five sessions at Medinah following his team’s 17 to 13 defeat on Sunday.

The International side came short again despite carrying a three-point advantage into Sunday singles.

The Americans responded with a historic trouncing, winning nine of the 12 matches.

“Obviously we came here with high hopes,” Ogilvy said. “We had a really good team and a great environment. We had a pretty good plan, and I feel like the plan went pretty well the first three days. First four sessions, you couldn’t ask for more than to have a three-and-a-half point lead going into singles in the U.S., that’s a hard thing to do. We did the hard work the first three days.

He noted that Chicago got louder and louder as the day went on.

“I feel like it’s such a momentum game. Just somewhere in the middle of the day -- it was sort of on a knife edge for a long time there in the middle of the day,” Ogilvy added. “You have a couple putts go in at the right time and the momentum goes our way, and it just didn’t do that today.”

The final score on Sunday at Medinah will go down 9 1/2 to 2 1/2, with Russell Henley and Nick Taylor drawing a tie in the final singles match of the day.

It is a historic beatdown for the U.S., the largest margin of victory in singles in Presidents Cup history.

The Americans won nine of the 12 matches to complete the largest last-day comeback in 16 tournaments.

The U.S. extends its record to 14-1-1 overall over the International side.

A look from 18th green when Jacob Bridgeman clinched the cup for the United States.

Xander Schauffele got the U.S. to 16 1/2 points, besting 2026 Open champ Ryan Fox, 2 and 1, at Medinah.

The Kiwi was pesky down the stretch in this singles match though, winning holes 15 and 16 with birdies with his back against the wall.

Schauffele, who closed out the Internationals at Quail Hollow in 2022, was in position to lay the hammer again but missed his putt at the 16th hole to keep Fox alive.

Jacob Bridgeman’s par putt on 18 sealed it for the U.S.

The two-time Tour winner edged Min Woo Lee and ignited the Medinah crowds with a massive roar.

Bridgeman’s par putt completes an American comeback. The U.S. started the day trailing by three points.

If you watch Jackson Koivun’s approach shot on the final hole at Medinah it’s not much of a surprise he wound up with a birdie putt.

In case you don’t believe us, here’s the highlight:

American teammates came onto the 18th green to embrace Jackson Koivun after the 21-year-old pushed the U.S. to 14 1/2 points by beating Si Woo Kim 2 up.

Koivun got his birdie putt to fall on the final hole as Kim pushed his.

The Americans are close to completing their comeback, leading 14 1/2 to 12 1/2 with three matches left to play.

Koivun is the third straight American singles winner on 18, joining Chris Gotterup and Collin Morikawa.

It’s another 18th hole victory for the Americans as Collin Morikawa has punched out Hideki Matsuyama with a birdie putt to put the U.S. up by a single point with four matches left.

Morikawa’s 30-foot birdie at the par-4 15th hole was the signature moment of this singles match. He tied it up at 15 and then ended it four holes later.

Patrick Cantlay sent Adam Scott packing at 17 when he sank his par putt to secure a 2 up win.

Scott, playing in his 12th Presidents Cup, now must wait and see if his teammates can pull off a back nine miracle at Medinah.

With Cantlay’s singles match win, the scoreboard is tied at 12 1/2 apiece.

Xander Schauffele has a sizeable lead over Ryan Fox in the final singles match of the day so that puts a lot of attention on Match 11 featuring Russell Henley and Nick Taylor.

Taylor tied it up with a birdie putt at the par-4 14th hole.

Taylor-Henley is one of three matches the International team has tied up as of 5:15 p.m. ET.

They sit with a 12 1/2 to 11 1/2 lead and need three points to win the tournament.

Chris Gotterup has finished his first Presidents Cup with a 3-1 record and tied Scottie Scheffler for best record on the U.S. team this week at Medinah.

It wasn’t without a little bit of drama as Christiaan Bezuidenhout pushed him to the final hole.

But at 18, the long-hitting American got the job done and cut the deficit to a single point.

Six matches remain unfinished, four of which are being led by the U.S.

A 57-footer from Patrick Cantlay ignited the Medinah crowd into a “USA! USA! USA!” chant in what was arguably the biggest made putt by an American this week at the Presidents Cup.

Cantlay raised his fist and then his putter after the birdie dropped in at the par-3 16th hole.

The roar was heard across the back nine as Cantlay got to 2 up with two holes to play on Adam Scott.

Jackson Koivun has gone 2 up on Si Woo Kim after winning his fourth out of five holes.

Koivun is playing a crucial, momentum-building role for the U.S. on Sunday.

The Americans trail by 2 points but are up in five of the remaining seven single matches.

Chris Gotterup, 3 up through eight holes, will head to the 18th hole with momentum swinging toward the International side.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout got his much-needed birdie at the par-4 17th to send this singles match to the final hole.

Gotterup and Bezuidenhout are the first match to play the 18th hole on Sunday.

Chris Gotterup jumped out to a big lead over Christiaan Bezuidenhout and is guaranteed at least a half point from their singles match at Medinah but the South African has refused to throw in the towel.

After Gotterup took a 2-up advantage after the par-4 12th hole, Bezuidenhout has matched him with four consecutive pars.

The match goes to the 17th hole where Bezuidenhout will need to win the hole to further extend the match. A tie will result in a Gotterup match win.

Make it three in a row for the rookie!

Jackson Koivun has won another hole over Si Woo Kim at Medinah.

Koivun is 1 up with five to play, as a massive momentum swing is building on the back nine.

The International team scored its second point of Sunday’s singles when Sungjae Im closed out his match over Sam Burns, 3 and 1.

Burns couldn’t find much momentum never leading the match and only holding a tie during five holes.

Im was dominant with six birdies including three over his final six holes.

Over that same stretch, Burns carded four pars, a bogey and a double at the par-3 13th hole.

The projected scoreboard at Medinah has the U.S. completing its comeback and winning the 2026 Presidents Cup 16 to 14.

That latest shift came after Jackson Koivun’s birdie putt at No. 12 that tied his singles match with Si Woo Kim.

Kim has been a stalwart for the Internationals so a win from Koivun could ultimately swing the entire tournament. A tie would also be pivotal for the Americans.

While technically the No. 9 match on the course, the Cup could all come down to Koivun vs. Kim.

After a thrilling hole-out at the 16th hole, Nico Echavarria has bowed out against the world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler birdie putt attempt at No. 17 gave Scheffler the 2 and 1 victory over Echavarria.

At 3-1-0 on the week, Scheffler is the leading point earner for the Americans this week. It’s also his best record in a Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup.

Scheffler’s win marks the third full point secured by the U.S. on Sunday. The Internationals carry a 11 1/2 to 10 1/2 point advantage with eight matches still on the course.

Current overall Presidents Cup score:
INT: 11.5
U.S.: 9.5

Thomas defeated Corey Conners 5&3

Here’s what happens if the Presidents Cup ends in a tie:

Presidents Cup: What happens if both teams finish with 15 points?

The International team led, 10 1/2 to 7 1/2, over the U.S. heading into Sunday’s singles matches at Medinah, but what happens if they tie.

• Steve Coulter,

• Steve Coulter,

Young defeated Ryo Hisatsune 3 & 2 to get the first point on the board for the United States in singles

Overall current Presidents Cup score:
INT: 10 1/2
USA: 8 1/2

Increases his lead to 2 over Adam Scott

Xander Schauffele won the 5th hole vs. Adam Fox — it was the first win of their singles match

• Scheffler is 4UP
• Thomas is 4UP
• Young is 3UP
• Gotterup is 2UP
• Henley is 2UP
• Cantlay is 1UP
• Bridgeman is 1UP

Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim are the only leaders on the board for the International squad right now in Sunday singles

3 matches are tied

Sungjae Im is 1UP over Sam Burns

Russell Henley birdied the third to go 1UP over Nick Taylor

U.S. now leads singles 7-4, 1 match tied

Min Woo Lee birdied the fourth hole to win it and cut Jacob Bridgeman’s lead to 1.

U.S. leads final day singles 6-4, 2 matches tied

Tom Kim takes the lead over Wyndham Clark.

U.S. leads 6-4, 2 matches are tied up

He pitches out of the rough with this second at the par-4 second, then hits the flagstick with his third shot. His ball caroms 40 feet from the hole and he loses to drop 1 down to Cantlay.

The U.S. leads in five of the nine matches on the course. The Internationals lead in one.

Thomas wins the sixth and is now 5 up over Conners. If he had gone out first, he might have finished up in time to see the last match tee off.

The U.S. leads in three and four are tied. Clark just took a 1-up lead over T. Kim with a birdie at the sixth while Gotterup moved 1 up over Bezuidenhout thru two.

And then there is Thomas, now 4 up through five vs. Conners, who missed another 4-footer to win the fifth.

David Frost over Kenny Perry, 7 and 6, in 1996.

Justin Thomas is now 4 up through four on Corey Conners.

After falling 2 down early, Young birdies Nos. 5 and 6 to tie his match against Hisatsune.

Echavarria wins the third hole with a birdie and is back to even with Scheffler.

Scottie’s buddy, Sam Burns, hooked his tee shot O.B. off the tee to lose the second hole to Sunjae Im and is 1 down.

Conners’ 4-foot par putt at the third does a 360 and comes right back towards him. Thomas makes a similar-length putt and is now 3 up thru three.

And just like that, he’s 1 up over Echavarria.

Current tally: U.S. up in two matches, INT up in one, two tied.

Among those knotted is Clark vs. T. Kim. Kim won the third to draw even and then Clark missed a 10-footer to win the fourth.

Hisatsune follows his two-putt birdie at the par-5 third with another birdie at the par-4 fourth to go 2 up on favored Young.

The Canadian duo of Conners and Taylor have had a seriously difficult time this week avoiding the out-of-bounds fence along the first three holes. Conners went OB again on the second and lost the hole to Thomas.

Thomas, 2 up thru 2.

Thomas saves par and Conners makes bogey. That’s JT, 1 up thru 1.

Meanwhile, Hisatsune birdies the par-5 third to go 1 up over Young.

Early on: U.S. leads two matches, INT leads one.

Their match is underway. Scheffler, surprisingly, sat Saturday afternoon’s foursomes session. Echavarria hasn’t played since Thursday’s fourballs.

The gimmie birdie — combined with Tom Kim missing from 15 feet — wins the hole and puts the first color on the today’s board: Red.

Clark leads Kim, 1 up thru 2.

On the first tee with NBC’s Cara Banks, U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker again said his messaging “hasn’t been clear enough” with his team this week. But he implored his guys to do today what they do best: play as individuals.

Hisatsune left his 20-foot birdie putt short. Young had about 12 feet to win the hole and did the same.

Tied thru 1.

First match off: Cam Young vs. Ryo Hisatsune.

Matt Fitzpatrick just won his fourth worldwide event of the year at the DP World Tour’s French Open.

That the International team has led entering the final session. They won in 1998, tied in 2003 and lost in 2019.

It’s the first time, however, they’ve held that advantage on foreign soil.

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