So long stroke play, hello match play! The Presidents Cup is here to change up the standard way golf gets played, bringing a fun but extremely competitive atmosphere to Medinah Country Club this weekend.
Every other year, 12 of the top golfers from the United States square off against 12 of the best from across the world to take part in the Presidents Cup. Like the Ryder Cup, held in the off years, team play becomes the star of the show with different styles of golf on display. Unlike at the Ryder Cup, the U.S. has dominated the International team, winning 10 straight and 13 of the 15 tournaments in its 30-year history.
One big difference between the two international golf contests is the makeup of the International team. While the Ryder Cup pulls
from the best players in Europe, the Presidents Cup highlights those from the rest of the world. Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark and company will square off against the likes of Si Woo Kim, Adam Scott and Min Woo Lee.
Watch Presidents Cup live on Sling
U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker and International captain Geoff Ogilvy built the rosters and will construct the daily lineups over the next four days, looking to bring home the trophy. Here's what you need to know about the Presidents Cup format, as well as the daily schedule, team rosters and how to watch on TV and streaming.
How does the Presidents Cup work?
The Presidents Cup will involve three different types of play Sept. 24-27 at Medinah. The first three days will see four sessions of 2-on-2 team play with singles matches closing the competition, with the team captains choosing the lineups each day. Winning each matchup earns a point for the pair's or player's team, while a tie gives a half-point to each team. Whichever team reaches 15.5 points over the course of the weekend wins the trophy; they split it if the sides finish tied 15-15.
Throughout each match, scores will be kept based on which group is leading and by how many holes (for instance, the U.S. pair would be 2 up if it holds a two-hole lead). Not every stroke needs to be taken to finish a hole: Players will concede shots if it's impossible to tie or win the hole in order to keep play moving. If a group builds an insurmountable lead in a match (for instance, the U.S. pair remaining 2 up with one hole left to play), the match will end early (the U.S. group would win 2&1).
Presidents Cup format
Thursday will see the teams play five matches of four-ball, where each golfer plays his own ball on each hole. The player with the lowest score for each team counts for that hole, and the pair that wins the most holes earns the point for their team.
On Friday, teams will play five matches of foursomes, where teammates alternate taking the pair's shots for each hole. One player will tee off on odd-numbered holes, and the other tees off on the even-numbered ones. Once again, the pair that wins the most holes gets a point.
Saturday will see the most action with four four-ball matches in the morning and four foursome matches in the afternoon. The tournament concludes Sunday with 12 singles matches, where a U.S. golfer and an International golfer tee off in a more traditional pairing. The player who wins the most holes earns a point for his team.
Presidents Cup teams
United States (captain Brandt Snedeker)
- Automatic qualifiers: Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns, Russell Henley, Collin Morikawa
- Captain's picks: Chris Gotterup, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Jackson Koivun, Jacob Bridgeman
International (captain Geoff Ogilvy)
- Automatic qualifiers: Si Woo Kim, Hideki Matsuyama, Ryan Fox, Tom Kim, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott
- Captain's picks: Sungjae Im, Nico Echavarria, Corey Conners, Nick Taylor, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Ryo Hisatsune
Presidents Cup start time, dates, TV schedule, streaming info
All times Eastern.
- Thursday, Sept. 24: Golf Channel (12:30-7 p.m.) | Sling
- Friday, Sept. 25: Golf Channel (2-7 p.m.) | Sling
- Saturday, Sept. 26: Golf Channel (8-9 a.m.) | NBC (9 a.m.-7 p.m.) | Fubo (free trial)
- Sunday, Sept. 27: NBC (noon-6 p.m.) | Fubo (free trial)
The 2026 Presidents Cup begins with coverage on Golf Channel on Sept. 24-25 and switches to NBC for Sept. 26-27. Streaming options include Sling, which carries Golf Channel, and Fubo, which carries NBC and offers a free trial for new subscribers.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Presidents Cup format, schedule: Here's how the team golf event works
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