This time of year is meant for football in Chicago, but an entirely different show will stroll into town this week as the 2026 Presidents Cup heads to Medinah No. 3, where the United States and International squads face off in the 16th edition of the team event. In recent years, blowouts have become commonplace as the red, white and blue have been near-unbeatable, but let's never forget: This is golf, and upsets are never too far away. The American team, led by captain Brandt Snedeker, features seven of the top 10 players in the world with 10 total sitting inside the top 25 of the Official World Golf Rankings.
Only Jackson Koivun and Patrick Cantlay are outside that mark. Meanwhile, the International team, led by captain Geoff Ogilvy, has only two players inside the top 25: Si Woo Kim and Ryan Fox. Kim was one of the best players on the PGA Tour to not win this season, while Fox makes his team debut after raising the Claret Jug at Royal Birkdale this past summer.
Fox headlines a group of four International rookies, including Nick Taylor, Ryo Hisatsune and Nico Echavarria. The U.S. split their captain's picks between experience and debutants with Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele and Cantlay earning the nod alongside newcomers Chris Gotterup, Jacob Bridgeman and Koivun. Adam Scott is set to tie Phil Mickelson in terms of most appearances in the Presidents Cup with No. 12 on the horizon, while world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler hopes to mirror Phil Mickelson's performance in this event, as the latter presently stands as the all-time points leader.
In total, U.S. team members have won 12 major championships and 91 PGA Tour events; their average age is 30. Meanwhile, the International team has combined to claim three major championships and 49 PGA Tour wins; its average age is a tad older at 32. Numbers paint a lopsided picture, but in a sport played on grass and in the elements, variables have a funny way of creeping in, especially in these team events where underdogs never quit barking.
When sifting through Scheffler's résumé, eyes gravitate towards the majors and the one missing (U.S. Open), but there is another hole in the world No. 1's reign up to this point: His play in team competitions. For as dominant as Scheffler has been when the format is 72 holes of stroke play, he has looked just as beatable when the screws get turned and either four-ball or foursomes is the poison of choice over 18 holes.
Of notable players to win multiple majors and appear in multiple Presidents Cups since 2000, Scheffler is the only one to have a record under .500 at 3-5-1. Mind you, this includes two of the all-time greats in Tiger Woods and Mickelson, and it only comes in two prior Presidents Cup appearances for Scheffler, who made his debut just four years ago at Quail Hollow. A small sample size can be blamed, but it is important for the U.S. at large that Scheffler looks, well, like Scheffler in these competitions.
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