When does the Presidents Cup start, who is playing and how to watch: Ultimate Guide

Twenty-one years of history stand in the International Team’s way as the Presidents Cup returns this week at a new-look Medinah Country Club outside Chicago on Friday morning (AEST).

Brandt Snedeker’s Americans are the defending champions, having won the 2024 contest at Royal Montreal 18.5-11.5.

Meanwhile, Australian captain Geoff Ogilvy will lead an International team featuring Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Ryan Fox, Hideki Matsuyama, Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim.

46-year old Scott will make history with his 12th appearance for the International team, tying Phil Mickelson’s tournament record.

But the Australian has never claimed victory, with his debut in the famous tie in 2003 in South Africa the closest he’s come.

The USA team is as imposing as ever, with five of the top seven of the World Golf Rankings, including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, suiting up.

Watch The 2026 President’s Cup LIVE & EXCLUSIVE 25-28 September on Fox Sports, available on Kayo | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.

Every round of the Presidents Cup will be broadcast live and exclusively on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports from Friday 25 September to Monday 28 September (AEST).

The first day’s coverage begins at 2:30am (AEST) on Friday 25 September. The second day’s coverage begins at 4am (AEST) on Saturday 26 September, before the third day’s coverage begins at 10pm (AEST) on the same day. The final day’s coverage begins at 2am (AEST) on Monday 28 September.

Day 1: Five four-ball matches will be played in pairs where the best ball between the pair counts on a hole. The pairings are yet to be announced.

Day 2: Five foursome matches will be played in pairs in an alternate shot format. One ball is played between the pair, one player tees off and their partner hits the next shot as it alternates. As was the case at the 2024 Presidents Cup, one player tees off on all the odd-numbered holes and their partner does likewise on all the even-numbered holes.

Day 3: Eight matches in total will be played, with the morning featuring four four-ball matches, followed by four foursomes matches in the afternoon.

Day 4: Twelve singles matches will be played, in which every member of both teams plays as they go head-to-head with an opponent in match play.

How is the winner decided?

Overall, there are 30 matches at the Presidents Cup, with 30 points in total up for grabs.

The first team to 15 ½ points is declared the winner.

Team USA have won the last ten tournaments, including the 2024 edition 18 ½ – 11 1/2.

The closest Team International have come since their first and only win in 1998 is a 14 ½ – 15 ½ loss in 2015.

Captain Brandt Snedeker caused a stir when he left out JJ Spaun, Ryan Gerard and Ben Griffin from his team despite strong qualification rankings and Gerard’s third placing at the Tour Championship.

Spaun in particular said he played with a “chip on his shoulder” when winning the DP World Tour’s PGA Championship in the days before the Presidents Cup.

Among the surprises is young gun Jackson Koivun, who burst onto the scene when he won the 3M Open in just his third professional start earlier this year. The 21-year old is the first player since Jordan Spieth in 2013 to be picked for the tournament after starting the year without a tour card, having been picked just three months after leaving college to turn pro.

Automatic qualifiers: Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns, Russell Henley, Collin Morikawa

Captain’s picks: Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Chris Gotterup, Jacob Bridgeman, Jackson Koivun

The International team is headed by Adam Scott, who qualified for his record-equalling 12th tournament.

Making captain Geoff Ogilvy’s job tougher is the unavailability of several LIV Tour stars, including Australians Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert as well as Joaquin Niemann.

Automatic qualifiers: Si Woo Kim, Hideki Matsuyama, Ryan Fox, Tom Kim, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott

Captain’s picks: Corey Conners, Nick Taylor, Nico Echavarria, Sungjae Im, Ryo Hisatsune, Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Medinah’s Course No. 3 could scarcely be more different to the 2024 Presidents Cup course at the Royal Montreal.

One of the world’s most iconic golf courses, it completed sweeping renovations in 2024, which have seen the fairways widened and brought a long rough into play, among other changes.

The wider fairways give players more room off the tee, but the trade-off is the threat of the long rough if you miss.

Interestingly, Ogilvy’s OCM firm oversaw the renovation, meaning the International captain knows the redesigned layout intimately, giving the team a potentially handy advantage.

The routing has also been adjusted specifically for the Presidents Cup, with the finishing stretch moved so that holes 15 through 18 now form the closing sequence.

This is intended to show off the course’s iconic finishing stretch with live play, with organisers reporting only 40 per cent of tournament matches make it to the 17th hole.