It’s time for your yearly patriotic golf to show through as the 2026 Presidents Cup takes place at the Medinah Country Club, just outside of Chicago this week.
The first-round matches are on Thursday, with the second round taking place on Friday. Saturday will see the third and fourth round matches take place. Sunday is the 12 singles matches.
The Opening ceremonies are set for 30 minutes before the matches on Monday.
Format
There are 30 matches making up the Presidents Cup, with the first team to 15.5 points declared the winner.
There will be 18 Foursomes and Four-Ball matches, along with 12 singles matches on the last day.
Foursomes: Is also known as “alternate shot.” Each match will feature teams of two American golfers facing teams of two International golfers. In foursomes, one player from each team tees off, then his partner hits the next shot, and so on, alternating throughout the match. This is widely regarded as the most difficult format in team match play competition.
Four-Ball: Is also known as “better ball.” Each four-balls session will feature teams of two American players facing teams of two International players. But unlike foursomes, in four-ball matches, each golfer plays his own ball throughout the match. Each team takes the lowest score between the two players on each hole. For example, if a player makes a par but his partner makes a birdie, only the birdie would count on the pair’s scorecard.
Singles: Just like it sounds. There are 12 singles matchplay, one-on-one events. Provided the first three days are close, this is always the most intense day of the competition.
TV schedule for the week:
Thursday, September 24: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (Golf Channel); Friday, September 25: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, September 26: 5-6 a.m. (Golf Channel); 6 a.m.-4 p.m. (NBC)
Sunday, September 27: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (NBC).
USA Roster: Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark
Sam Burns, Russell Henley, Collin Morikawa, Chris Gotterup (captain’s pick), Xander Schauffele (captain’s pick), Justin Thomas (captain’s pick), Jacob Bridgeman (captain’s pick), Patrick Cantlay (captain’s pick), Jackson Koivun (captain’s pick).
International Roster: Si Woo Kim, Ryan Fox, Hideki Matsuyama, Min Woo Lee, Tom Kim, Adam Scott, Corey Conners (captain’s pick), Nico Echavarría (captain’s pick), Sungjae Im (captain’s pick), Ryo Hisatsune (captain’s pick), Nick Taylor (captain’s pick), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (captain’s pick).
By Dennis Miller