US TEAM RALLIES TO RETAIN PRESIDENTS CUP AT MEDINAH
US Captain Brandt Snedeker being interviewed on TV after their Presidents Cup win at Medinah (PGA Tour)
The United States produced a remarkable final-day turnaround at Medinah Country Club on Sunday, overcoming a three-point deficit to defeat the International team 17-13 and retain the Presidents Cup.
Trailing 10½-7½ after Saturday's play, the Americans dominated the decisive singles session, collecting 9½ of the available 12 points. The comeback was the largest final-day recovery in Presidents Cup history.
The International team appeared firmly in control after a powerful opening two days. They led 7-3 after sweeping all five Friday foursomes matches, matching a feat they had achieved at the 2024 Presidents Cup in Canada. Australian veteran Adam Scott, competing in his record 12th Presidents Cup, warned at the time that the tournament was far from settled.
“There's a lot of golf left,” Scott said after Friday's session.
His prediction proved accurate, although the International team's advantage ultimately disappeared on Sunday.
The American comeback began early. Cameron Young defeated Ryo Hisatsune 3 and 2 before Justin Thomas and Scottie Scheffler added convincing victories. Scheffler defeated Nico Echavarria 2 and 1, while Thomas beat Corey Conners 5 and 3.
One of the day's defining performances came from 21-year-old rookie Jackson Koivun. Facing Si Woo Kim, the International team's highest-ranked player, Koivun recovered from being two holes down and eventually won 2-up. He took control with a run of three consecutive victories on holes 11 through 13 before closing the match with a birdie on the 18th.
US captain Brandt Snedeker praised the rookie's composure, saying: “The kid is special. He's different.”
The pressure then shifted to Jacob Bridgeman. With the overall result still unsettled, the American rookie faced Min Woo Lee in a tight match that reached the 18th hole all square. Bridgeman made par to win 1-up and provide the 15½ points required for the United States to secure the Cup.
Bridgeman's winning putt triggered celebrations around the 18th green, although several matches were still being completed. Xander Schauffele later defeated Ryan Fox 2 and 1, while Russell Henley halved with Nick Taylor, establishing the final 17-13 score.
For the International team, Tom Kim supplied one of the week's strongest individual performances. He defeated Wyndham Clark 3 and 2 in Sunday's singles and finished the competition with four points, while Nick Taylor remained unbeaten after recording two wins and a half.
The result extends the United States' extraordinary Presidents Cup record. The Americans have now won 11 consecutive editions of the competition and remain unbeaten in the event since the International team's victory at Royal Melbourne in 1998. The overall series record now stands at 14 US victories, one International victory and one tie.
Snedeker said afterward that his players had maintained their belief despite the difficult position.
“I think these guys never lost faith,” he said.
The 2026 Presidents Cup ended with an outcome that looked unlikely only 24 hours earlier: an International team that had controlled the middle of the competition left empty-handed, while the Americans celebrated another victory on home soil.
For the United States, the challenge now moves beyond Medinah. The next major team test will come at the 2027 Ryder Cup in Adare Manor in Ireland, but for one dramatic Sunday in Chicago, the Presidents Cup belonged once again to the Americans.