The 2026 Presidents Cup is here, and Team USA is a massive favorite to win the event for an 11th consecutive time ahead of the opening matches at Medinah Country Club in Chicago on Thursday, Sept. 24.
My top Presidents Cup picks and golf picks expect the star-studded Americans to steamroll the International squad again this week thanks to the strong play of Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, and Justin Thomas.
⛳ Key takeaways
- Best early pick: Team USA to win (82%) - The Americans are considerably more talented and have dominated this event to the tune of a 13-1-1 record that includes 10 consecutive victories
- Course: Medinah Country Club (No. 3) features wide fairways and massive multi-tiered greens, offering a long 7,548-yard layout optimized for aggressive match-play strategy
- Weather: Early forecasts call for comfortable, overcast autumn conditions with highs around 19°C to 23°C and light winds
- Trading volume: There's been an initial $148,520 traded as of Monday, Sept. 21, with more action expected ahead of the opening matches Thursday, Sept. 24
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📇 Presidents Cup top picks
| Golfer |  Probability |
|---|---|
| Team USA to win | 82% |
Percentages courtesy of Kalshi.
Kalshi is a regulated financial exchange where you trade on real-world event outcomes. Instead of traditional odds, prices are listed as percentages (0-100%), representing the market’s estimated probability of an event occurring.
📊 Presidents Cup odds
The 2026 Presidents Cup runs at Medinah Country Club from Thursday, Sept. 24, through Sunday, Sept. 27.
Team USAPercentages courtesy of Kalshi.
The Americans were trading as high as 85.9% in May, so while Team USA is still a colossal favorite, the long number attached to the International Team has garnered attention from traders.
Additionally, while the Americans could see their number dip even further, I’m not anticipating it because they’re the superior team by a significant margin.
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🏆 Who will win the Presidents Cup?
Pick: Team USA to win (81%)
The Americans have a 13-1-1 all-time Presidents Cup record that includes 10 consecutive tournament victories. With the 2026 edition returning to home soil, I'm fully confident the U.S. side will make it 11 straight wins to 88%.
There is a huge talent gap between the two teams.
Team USA has seven of the top eight players in true strokes gained tee-to-green in 2026 in this event, in addition to having 10 golfers ranked inside DataGolf’s Top 15, while the International team only has Si Woo Kim.
Finally, on top of the highlighted sheer mismatch of talent, the Americans also have a huge experience edge in match play because they also play the Ryder Cup biennially.
💰 Presidents Cup prop picks
Once captains announce the daily team pairings, I expect to see more prop options available.
Pre-tournament futures focus heavily on top point scorer markets for both the highest overall earner or individual top team scorers for the U.S. and International squads. Traders can also target exact tournament winning margins and daily session scores, in addition to match-by-match props, including head-to-head match moneylines, and totals for holes played.
🚩 Course breakdown: Medinah Country Club
- Par & Yardage: Par 70, 7,548 yards
- Design & Architecture: Complete 2024 redesign by OCM Golf (led by International captain Geoff Ogilvy), which doubled fairway acreage and expanded green sizes by 40%
- Tournament Routing: The Presidents Cup will begin on the members' 5th hole to ensure matches reach the dramatic Lake Kadijah water holes (tournament holes 12 and 13)
The newly transformed Course No. 3 shifted from traditional penal rough in favor of wider fairways, massive multi-tiered greens, and clear sightlines across the property. This places a massive premium on creative shot-making and tactical angles rather than just straight driving.
Players are forced to challenge cross-bunkers and navigate complex green run-offs, and the layout rewards aggressive risk-taking to suit match play perfectly.
Players to watch:
- Scottie Scheffler: While his match-play track record doesn’t jump off the page, Scheffler is the World No. 1 for a reason and checks all the stylistic and statistical boxes to lead his side to victory
- Patrick Cantlay: This is the fourth consecutive Presidents Cup for Cantlay (10-4-0), and in addition to finishing second in the 2019 BMW Championship at Medinah, he also paces this event in true strokes gained on approach across his past 10 tournaments
- Si Woo Kim: A tee-to-green specialist with a 6-5-0 Presidents Cup record, Kim also gained true strokes across the board during his only competitive tournament at Medinah
🔢 Key stats & player profiles to target
- True strokes gained approach, true strokes gained tee-to-green
- Birdie-or-better percentage
- True strokes gained off-the-tee
- True strokes gained around-the-green, scrambling percentage
- Match play experience
Players to watch:
- Collin Morikawa: The ball-striking precision has translated to a 6-2-0 Presidents Cup record, and Morikawa finished the 2026 season fourth in birdie-or-better percentage
- Justin Thomas: Elite 10-3-2 Presidents Cup record, and he also won the 2019 BMW Championship at Medinah
- Ryan Fox: The reigning Open Champion winner finished sixth in Par 4 birdie-or-better percentage in 2026, and Fox will be a key rookie for the International squad
📺 How to watch the Presidents Cup
- Thursday: 12:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. ET on Golf Channel / Peacock
- Friday: 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. ET on Golf Channel / Peacock
- Saturday: 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. ET on Golf Channel / 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. ET on NBC & Peacock
- Sunday: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. ET on NBC & Peacock
Presidents Cup FAQs
What is the Presidents Cup?
The Presidents Cup is biennial men's team golf tournament featuring a 12-player squad from the United States playing against a 12-player International Team representing the rest of the world outside of Europe.
Who is the 2026 Presidents Cup favorite?
Team USA is an 82% favorite at Kalshi.
When is the 2026 Presidents Cup?
The 2026 Presidents Cup will be played from Thursday, Sept. 24 to Sunday, Sept. 27.
Where will the 2026 Presidents Cup be played?
The 2026 Presidents Cup will be played at Medinah Country Club in Illinois.
Who won the last Presidents Cup?
Team USA won the last Presidents Cup in 2024. The final score was 18.5-11.5 over Team International.
Are Presidents Cup odds the same across all sportsbooks?
You'll see slight to significant variations in odds across sportsbooks and prediction markets for the Presidents Cup; it's always good practice to check multiple sports betting sites for the best odds.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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