MONTREAL, QUEBEC – SEPTEMBER 28: Scottie Scheffler of the U.S. Team celebrates on the 17th green during Saturday Morning Four-Ball on day three of the 2024 Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club on September 28, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Getty Images
The game of golf is typically an individual sport, but on occasion it can lend itself to the team aspect. As it pertains to professional golf, there are two main events which draw the most attention from the team perspective.
The biggest event of them all is the Ryder Cup, but with that event happening every other year the other signature event is the Presidents Cup.
What’s the difference between the two events?
The Ryder Cup pits the United States vs. Europe. Meanwhile, the Presidents Cup has the United State facing off against the International team. In the Presidents Cup any golfer who doesn’t reside from Europe or the United States is permitted to be a part of the International team. This is the event where you’ll see players from Canada, New Zealand, Asian countries, South Africa, and more.
Many view the Presidents Cup as lesser than, when comparing to the Ryder Cup, but that is likely because it has been dominated by the United States since its inception. Not because the event itself isn’t great.
Let’s take a look at the details of the upcoming Presidents Cup:
- Dates: September 24-27, 2026
- Location: Medinah, Illinois
- Course: Medinah Country Club
- Course Details: Par 70, 7,548 yards
- Field: Team USA and Team International Rosters
- Total Purse: None. Each competitor receives an equal share of the funds generated by the tournament, which they then direct to charities of their choice.
- History: United States: 13 wins / International: 1 win / Ties: 1
- Captains: United States – Brandt Snedeker / International – Geoff Ogilvy
- Thursday – 12:30pm – 7:00pm EST – Golf Channel
- Friday – 2:00pm – 7:00pm EST – Golf Channel
- Saturday – 8-9am EST – Golf Channel / 9-7pm EST – NBC
- Sunday – 12:00pm – 6:00pm EST – NBC
Presidents Cup Format
- Thursday – 5 Four-ball Matches (Best Ball)
- Friday – 5 Foursome Matches (Alternating Shot)
- Saturday – AM: 4 Four Ball Matches / PM: 4 Foursome Matches
- Sunday – 12 Singles Matches
- Scoring – First team to 15.5 points wins the Presidents Cup
2026 Presidents Cup Odds
- United States to win (-600)
- International Team to win (+465)
- Presidents Cup to end in a tie (+1425)
When it comes to picks and predictions for a team event like the Presidents Cup, know there are significantly fewer picks to be made considering the field and format.
Nonetheless, here are some picks I like for the 2026 Presidents Cup:
Top Point Scorer 2026 Presidents Cup
As you’ll see in these picks, I firmly believe Scottie Scheffler is the man to play this weekend to maximize your plays. I realize Scheffler’s last team performance at Bethpage Black was less than memorable, but Scheffler is clearly the best player on either team.
His Presidents Cup record is 3-5-1 in his career, far from stellar, but he was 3-2 in his last Presidents Cup and we know Scheffler was playing great golf to end the 2026 season. On top of all that, he won’t be sitting out any matches, unless Brandt Snedeker has a very odd reason behind that decision. That means he has every opportunity to be the top point scorer, and I don’t see why that wouldn’t work in our favor at +340 odds.
Top Debutant Scorer
The top debutant is a player who is participating in their first Presidents Cup, and while I was really interested in taking Jackson Koivun, I do wonder if Snedeker will ease the 21 year-old player into the lineup to let him get his feet wet. Meanwhile, Chris Gotterup seems built for these types of events, so I’ll go with the man who won three times on your this season at +210.
Top USA Qualifier
In this category, top qualifier, this is referring to the six players who earned their spot on the team by qualifying via points. For the United States this would be Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns, Russell Henley, and Collin Morikawa. I’ll take Scheffler among this group at +142.
Top Team Points Scorer
- United States: Scottie Scheffler (+255)
- International: Tom Kim (+670)
A fun play in this team event is picking which player you think will lead their team in points when the tournament comes to a close Sunday. They don’t have to be the overall point scorer, just for their respective team.
For the United States, I’m going to continue to hammer the Scheffler button at +255. Some might hate this decision, but if he picked up where he left off, and that is a big ‘if’, I think we can really maximize our return for this event.
For the International team, I like Tom Kim at +670. Kim had an up-and-down 2026 season, but he did win a tournament and has proven to take this team event seriously. It was Kim who was the fire trying to ignite the International Team in 2024, but just couldn’t match the firepower of the United States team. I like Kim with those odds to be the top scorer for the International team.
Best Prop Bets, Parlays And Bonus Plays For The 2026 Presidents Cup
For bonus plays, these are picks which I don’t necessarily hang my hat on, but still provide value for some who want more exotic plays outside of the aforementioned picks. Sometimes bonus plays are parlays, double chances, triple chances, and even some fun plays for that particular event.
Here are the bonus plays for the 2026 Presidents Cup:
Correct Score: United States wins 18.5 – 11.5 (1050)
Leave a comment