The 16th edition of the Presidents Cup takes place at Medinah Country Club, site of some compelling competitions over the years.
Will this be one of them? Or will it be an American blowout? GolfChannel.com writers and editors weigh in with predictions:
WINNING TEAM AND SCORE?
Rex Hoggard: U.S., 17 ½-12 ½. On paper this shouldn’t even be that close but the International side can count on solid weeks from Ryan Fox, Si Woo Kim and veteran Adam Scott, who at 46 is likely playing his final Presidents Cup. But the American depth is too much to overcome.
Brentley Romine: U.S., 19-11. An eight-point rout would tie the record for margin of victory in the 30-point era (since 2015). The Americans are just too good, too deep, and frankly, if they get most of the matchups they want, the result could get even more lopsided. Cue the calls to blow this thing up! For the record, though, I don’t agree significant changes need to be made; let the Internationals keep trying like a young son trying to beat his dad in 1-on-1 in the driveway.
Marisa Marcellino: U.S., 23-7. Why such a blowout? It’s in Chicago. Medinah is less than 30 miles from the United Center where Hall of Famer and scratch golfer, No. 23 Michael Jordan, won six NBA championships. The Americans are feeding off that home turf Chi-town energy this week and will score to match His Airness. Aside from the Jordan lore, the U.S. squad is stacked, and the Internationals will struggle getting points on the board.
Steve Coulter: U.S., 17-13. Can’t underestimate how much hearing about the lopsided nature of this tournament will motivate the International team. It’s a mismatch without question but there are U.S. players who have not shown their best in cups, and the nerves will only increase if performance doesn’t match expectations early. While I don’t expect this to be tight coming down the stretch, there could be a few points stolen by Presidents Cup veterans like Hideki Matsuyama and Adam Scott.
TOP U.S. POINT EARNER:
Hoggard: Scottie Scheffler. The world No. 1 won two of his last three starts and is quietly burning to improve on his surprisingly pedestrian record, 3-5-1, in the matches. He will be teamed with Sam Burns, who is also poised for a breakthrough week.
Romine: Scottie Scheffler. His record in cups (6-11-4) is abysmal when you consider what he’s done outside of these team events. But a reunion with Sam Burns will work this time, and with Scheffler a guarantee to play all five sessions, the floor for the world No. 1, in my opinion, is 3-1-1.
Marcellino: Scottie Scheffler. He’s the best in the world for a reason and fresh off his 2026 Tour Championship victory, he wants to keep the ball rolling. Plus, Remy needs to see his dad win while representing the United States.
Coulter: Scheffler might be the favorite but I’ll take a flier on his close friend and Thursday partner, Sam Burns. The glue guy for this American squad, Burns doesn’t a flashy overall record at the Presidents Cup (3-3-3) but what he does have is an impressively complete game — from off the tee to around the green. He’s yet to have his moment in 2026 despite knocking on the door a handful of times. Why can’t it be at Medinah?
TOP INTERNATIONAL POINT EARNER:
Hoggard: Si Woo Kim. He is captain Geoff Ogilvy’s top-ranked player and best statistical matchup. If the International team is going to have any chance, the South Korean will need to be nearly perfect.
Romine: Si Woo Kim. Like Scheffler, this is a volume play. Also, Kim will be paired with stronger partners (i.e. Tom Kim) than Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama, who could draw rookies. Si Woo just enjoyed the best ball-striking season of his career, and he’s already proven he can elevate his game in this event.
Marcellino: Ryan Fox. After winning at Royale Birkdale, the Kiwi proved he has ice water running through his veins and can perform on any stage. Fox will be channeling his All Blacks heritage this week at Medinah and will look to put the International squad on his back.
Coulter: Min Woo Lee. It’s hard to pick against Si Woo — the best approach player on Tour — as he’ll certainly get the best chances, like Brentley mentioned. But, his putting is just questionable enough to raise an eyebrow and pry open the proverbial door for Min Woo to slide in and steal the show for Captain Ogilvy’s team. Min Woo is coming in rested and off a T-4 at the Tour Championship and appears to have a game that is a perfect match for Medinah.
TOP ROOKIE:
Hoggard: Jacob Bridgeman. While all eyes will be on super rookie Jackson Koivun, U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker surprised many when he made Bridgeman one of his six picks. He was the best putter on Tour this season and last week’s victory at the Biltmore Championship, which featured a final-round 61, was an unquestionable confidence boost.
Romine: Jackson Koivun. Why stray from the chalk now? Koivun is partnered with Justin Thomas, which will be a very comfortable pairing for him. Koivun’s match-play credentials as an amateur were off the charts, and as arguably the best pressure putter in the world (sorry, Jacob Bridgeman and Sam Burns), Koivun’s Cup legend starts this week.
Marcellino: Jackson Koivun. The young man was made for this type of match-play competition and proved it time and again during his stellar collegiate career at Auburn. And after winning on the PGA Tour, he’s proven no light is too bright. This is his moment.
Coulter: Chris Gotterup. There’s no doubting Koivun’s match-play resume but Gotterup could theoretically lead the team in scoring this week and is coming in as one of the more underdiscussed names — and perhaps undervalued in our pre-tournament player rankings — despite being a contender for PGA Tour player of the year.
