The Presidents Cup brings together 24 of the world’s top golfers, but not all of them will compete in every session at Medinah Country Club.
The event features a 12-man United States team against a 12-man International team made up of golfers from outside the United States and Europe. The Presidents Cup takes place every other year, alternating years with the Ryder Cup.
Unlike a regular golf tournament, the Presidents Cup uses match play and several different formats over four days. That setup also means some golfers will be listed as “idle” during certain sessions.
Those players haven’t been eliminated, benched for the rest of the tournament or removed from the team. They’re simply sitting out that particular session.
What Does ‘Idle’ Mean at the Presidents Cup?
The “idle” designation comes down to the number of available spots in each team session.
Each Presidents Cup team has 12 golfers, but Thursday features only five four-ball matches. With two golfers from each team competing in every match, only 10 players from each side can participate.
That leaves two golfers from each team without a match.
U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker chose Russell Henley and Jacob Bridgeman to sit out Thursday’s opening session. International captain Geoff Ogilvy left Nick Taylor and Christiaan Bezuidenhout out of his opening lineup.
The four players are listed as idle for the session, but they remain active members of their teams and can return to the lineup later.
Captains decide who plays based on factors such as matchups, pairings, rest and their plans for later sessions.
Every golfer eventually gets into the competition because all 12 players from each team must participate in Sunday’s singles matches.
How Does the Presidents Cup Format Work?
The Presidents Cup takes place over four days, compared to three days for the Ryder Cup.
Thursday begins with five four-ball matches. Friday switches to five foursomes matches.
Saturday features two sessions, with four-ball in the morning followed by foursomes in the afternoon. The tournament concludes Sunday with 12 singles matches, when every golfer faces an opponent one-on-one.
There are 30 points available during the tournament.
A team receives one point for winning a match. If a match ends tied, each side receives half a point. The first team to reach 15.5 points wins the Presidents Cup.
What Is the Difference Between Four-Ball and Foursomes?
Four-ball and foursomes involve two-player teams, but the formats work very differently.
Foursomes is also known as alternate shot. The two golfers on each team play one ball and alternate shots until completing the hole.
Four-ball allows all four golfers in the match to play their own ball throughout the hole. Each team’s lower score counts as its score for that hole.
For example, if one player makes a four and his teammate makes a three, the team’s score is three.
Sunday eliminates the team pairings entirely. Each golfer plays his own ball against one opponent in singles competition.
Who Is Playing in the 2026 Presidents Cup?
Six golfers from each side earned automatic spots through qualifying, while Snedeker and Ogilvy each selected another six players to complete their teams.
The U.S. roster includes Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns, Russell Henley, Collin Morikawa, Chris Gotterup, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Jackson Koivun and Jacob Bridgeman.
The International Team consists of Si Woo Kim, Hideki Matsuyama, Ryan Fox, Tom Kim, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Sungjae Im, Nico Echavarria, Corey Conners, Nick Taylor, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Ryo Hisatsune.
Snedeker previously served as an assistant captain at the 2024 Presidents Cup and will be a vice captain for the 2027 Ryder Cup. Ogilvy played in three Presidents Cups and served as an assistant captain at the previous four events.
How to Watch the Presidents Cup
Golf Channel will broadcast Thursday’s opening session from 12:30 to 7 p.m. ET. Friday’s coverage runs from 2 to 7 p.m. ET.
Saturday begins on Golf Channel from 8 to 9 a.m. ET before coverage moves to NBC from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.
NBC will broadcast Sunday’s final day from noon to 6 p.m. ET.
Presidents Cup 2026 Format: How Matches Work and Why Some Golfers Are ‘Idle’