For three days at Medinah, the International team finally looked like the side that would end America’s run. They swept a session, led by three points going into Sunday, and needed just five of the 12 singles points to win. They got two and a half. The U.S. won 17–13 for its 11th straight Presidents Cup, and the comeback raised as many questions as it answered.
The short version
- Final: USA 17, International 13 (Sept. 24–27, Medinah Country Club No. 3, Illinois).
- The Internationals led 10.5–7.5 after Saturday, then the U.S. won Sunday singles 9.5–2.5.
- 21-year-old rookie Jackson Koivun was the only player on either side to go unbeaten.
- It’s the 11th U.S. win in a row. The Internationals’ only win came in 1998.
- Next up in team golf: the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor, Sept. 17–19, 2027.
How the Week Unfolded
| Session | USA | INT | Running score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday fourballs | 3 | 2 | USA 3–2 |
| Friday foursomes | 0 | 5 | INT 7–3 |
| Saturday a.m. fourballs | 2.5 | 1.5 | INT 8.5–5.5 |
| Saturday p.m. foursomes | 2 | 3 | INT 10.5–7.5 |
| Sunday singles | 9.5 | 2.5 | USA 17–13 |
Friday was the shock. A 5–0 foursomes sweep is rare in either team event, and it handed Geoff Ogilvy’s side a lead it held all the way to Sunday morning. Brandt Snedeker’s Americans steadied on Saturday but still trailed by three heading into singles.
Sunday: Where It Flipped
Singles have been the American strength for years, and Medinah was the clearest example yet. The U.S. took 9.5 of 12 points. Golf Digest’s recap noted that only Tom Kim, Sungjae Im and Nick Taylor really delivered for the Internationals on the final day, which is not enough when you need five points.
The organizers also changed how the course played. Medinah No. 3 was rerouted so rounds started on what is normally the 5th hole, which pushed the water holes around Lake Kadijah to the end of matches. The idea was to put the most dangerous shots of the day where close matches get decided.
Players Who Stood Out
- Jackson Koivun (USA): 21 years old and only a few months into his pro career, he went unbeaten in his debut. He’d already won the 3M Open this summer, and he’s the betting favorite at this week’s Bank of Utah Championship.
- Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns (USA): the most reliable U.S. pairing in fourballs. Scheffler finished with two points. Here’s his full 2026 season and the clubs in his bag.
- Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim (INT): three points each, the best on the International side.
- Min Woo Lee (INT): 2.5 points from four matches (2 wins, 1 loss, 1 halve).
- Adam Scott (INT): his 11th Presidents Cup at age 46, but just one point this time.
The Internationals have won one Presidents Cup since 1994. When a team can sweep a session and still lose by four, the event has a competitiveness problem.
The Uncomfortable Questions
Snedeker pushed back on the idea that the matches are lopsided, saying he’s tired of hearing the two teams aren’t close. But the bigger-picture critics have a point, and they come at it from both sides:
- For the Internationals: they keep building leads and keep losing singles. One win in 32 years makes it hard to call this a rivalry.
- For the Americans: they struggled again in the team formats. Golf Digest argued that U.S. team golf has no institutional memory, because the PGA Tour runs the Presidents Cup and the PGA of America runs the Ryder Cup, each with a different captain every two years.
What Comes Next in Team Golf
The Ryder Cup returns Sept. 17–19, 2027 at Adare Manor in County Limerick, Ireland’s first since 2006. Luke Donald will captain Europe for a third straight time, the first European to do that since Bernard Gallacher in the 1990s. Jim Furyk gets a second shot as U.S. captain after 2018. Europe is the defending champion after winning at Bethpage Black in 2025, so the question Medinah raises is simple: can this U.S. group play the team formats well enough to win on the road?
On the women’s side, Europe beat the U.S. 15–13 at the Solheim Cup in the Netherlands two weeks earlier. Our LPGA season breakdown covers that one.
Who won the 2026 Presidents Cup?
The United States, 17–13, at Medinah Country Club near Chicago, Sept. 24–27, 2026.
How many times have the Internationals won the Presidents Cup?
Once, in 1998 at Royal Melbourne. There was also a tie in 2003. The U.S. has won every other edition, including 11 in a row through 2026.
When is the next Ryder Cup?
Sept. 17–19, 2027, at Adare Manor in Ireland. Luke Donald captains Europe and Jim Furyk captains the U.S.
Sources
Divot Depot Tour News
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