The U.S. Presidents Cup roster is officially set for Medinah, and captain Brandt Snedeker has opted for a combination of proven match-play experience and intriguing young talent as the Americans pursue an 11th consecutive victory in the biennial competition.
Snedeker announced his six captain’s picks Tuesday during the live Presidents Cup Selection Special on Golf Channel from PGA Tour Studios in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Among his selections are several familiar faces who have delivered in Presidents Cup competition before, along with three first-timers who will get their first taste of the event at Medinah.
One of those newcomers is particularly notable: a 21-year-old who was still playing college golf just a few months ago.
Snedeker Balances Experience With New Blood
Captain Snedeker’s final picks include:
- Chris Gotterup
- Xander Schauffele
- Justin Thomas
- Patrick Cantlay
- Jacob Bridgeman
- Jackson Koivun
The headline selection is Koivun, the young phenom whose rapid rise from Auburn standout to Presidents Cup rookie has unfolded in a matter of months. Koivun was 48th on the U.S. points list and 66th in the Official World Golf Ranking, making him easily the boldest of Snedeker’s six selections.
Koivun defeated world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at the 3M Open and managed to play his way into the FedExCup Playoffs despite making only five professional starts. Now, just three months removed from college golf, he will represent the United States for the first time.
“It’s rare to see a player this young demonstrate the level of poise and confidence that Jackson has, even before turning professional,” Snedeker said. “We’ve had the opportunity to speak on several occasions, and his maturity and work ethic have always stood out.”
Presidents Cup U.S. Rookies
Gotterup and Bridgeman make their debuts alongside Koivun, giving Snedeker three rookies among his six captain’s selections. But the captain balanced that youth by leaning heavily on three of the most experienced American match-play competitors of the past decade: Schauffele, Thomas and Cantlay.
Gotterup entered the selection process with one of the strongest resumes of anyone outside the automatic qualifiers. Seventh in both the U.S. standings and world ranking, he won three times during a season worthy of Player of the Year consideration.
Bridgeman brings a different weapon. The 12th-ranked player in the U.S. standings led the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting this season and demonstrated his ability to withstand pressure when he held off a dangerous group of challengers at Riviera.
Schauffele owns a 10-4-0 Presidents Cup record and has never lost a Singles match in the competition. Cantlay also enters with a 10-4-0 career mark, and the two have developed into one of the most dependable American partnerships in team golf.
Schauffele is 4-1-0 in Presidents Cup Foursomes, with every one of those matches played alongside Cantlay.
Thomas brings another 10 victories to the roster. He is 10-3-2 across three previous Presidents Cups and an extraordinary 6-0-0 in Four-ball. After missing the 2024 Presidents Cup in Montreal, Thomas returns as one of the most experienced and emotional figures on the American side.
Scheffler Leads Six Automatic Qualifiers
Snedeker’s selections join six players who had already secured their places through automatic qualification: Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Russell Henley, Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa.
Scheffler once again arrives as the centerpiece of the American team. The world No. 1 will make his third Presidents Cup appearance and sixth overall appearance in a U.S. team event. His career Presidents Cup record sits at 3-5-0, but he improved considerably in Montreal with a 3-2-0 performance.
One of the most obvious pairing possibilities at Medinah is a Scheffler-Henley reunion. Henley went 3-1-0 in his Presidents Cup debut in 2024 and has played all five of his career Four-ball and Foursomes matches across the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup alongside Scheffler.
Young enters the competition in a dramatically different position than in his Presidents Cup debut. After emerging as one of the bright spots for the Americans at last year’s Ryder Cup, he followed with a career season that included victories at THE PLAYERS Championship and the Cadillac Championship.
Clark also qualified automatically after a late-season surge highlighted by his victory at the BMW Championship.
Burns returns after collecting 3.5 of a possible four points in Montreal, while Morikawa brings a 6-2-0 career Presidents Cup record and considerable flexibility as a partner.
The U.S. has won the last 10 Presidents Cups and has dominated the series for decades, making anything short of another victory a significant disappointment. At the same time, a substantial portion of this roster experienced the historic home Ryder Cup loss last fall.
Ogilvy Completes International Team With Six Captain’s Picks
International Team captain Geoff Ogilvy also finalized his roster, selecting:
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Corey Conners
- Ryo Hisatsune
- Nico Echavarria
- Sungjae Im
- Nick Taylor
Bezuidenhout, Conners and Im have all appeared in multiple Presidents Cups, while Hisatsune, Echavarria and Taylor will make their debuts at Medinah.
Bezuidenhout brings an impressive 3-1-1 record across two previous appearances, including two Singles victories, while Im will make his fourth Presidents Cup appearance and owns a 6-7-2 career record.
Conners returns for a third consecutive competition after recording seven top-25 finishes on the PGA Tour this season.
“Christiaan has experience in this event that would have been difficult to leave on the table,” Ogilvy said of Bezuidenhout. “He knows what to expect and he delivers.”
Presidents Cup International Rookies
At 23, Hisatsune is one of the International Team’s emerging talents. He recorded five top-10 finishes this season, including a career-best T2 at the Farmers Insurance Open, and advanced to the BMW Championship for the first time.
Echavarria brings winning form after capturing his third PGA Tour title at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches. He also becomes the third Colombian to compete for the International Team, joining Camilo Villegas and Sebastian Munoz.
Taylor, meanwhile, finally gets his opportunity after narrowly missing out on playing in front of his home Canadian fans in 2024. The five-time PGA Tour winner made 21 cuts in 23 starts this season and reached the FedExCup Playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
“Nick was gutted to miss out on the opportunity to be on the International Team in Canada last time, but he gets his chance this year,” Ogilvy said.
Presidents Cup Captains Finalize Rosters With Several Surprises