2026 Presidents Cup: U.S. Comes Back from Behind to Claim Its 11th Consecutive Victory

Team USA won the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club on Sunday with the biggest final-day comeback in tournament history. The U.S. team trailed 7.5–10.5 going into the final day, won the singles matches by a record margin of 9.5–2.5, and turned the tournament around for a 17–13 victory. This marks the team’s eleventh consecutive Presidents Cup victory (14th title overall)—once again denying the International Team its first title on U.S. soil.

2026 Presidents Cup: Results from the Final Day at Medinah

The International Team entered Sunday with the best position in its history on U.S. soil: After a 5–0 sweep in the foursomes on Friday and another strong showing on Saturday, the score stood at 10.5–7.5—the largest three-day lead an International Team had ever held in a Presidents Cup. From the twelve singles matches, Captain Geoff Ogilvy’s team would have needed just five more points to clinch the title. Team USA, on the other hand, needed at least eight of the twelve points to reclaim the Cup.

In the end, the U.S. team completely turned the tables: They won the singles 9.5–2.5—the largest Sunday margin in tournament history—and easily surpassed the required 15.5-point mark. This continued the streak that began with the International team’s only victory to date, in 1998 at Royal Melbourne.

The Moment That Decided the Presidents Cup

The decisive point came from a rookie: Jacob Bridgeman sank a short Par putt on the 18th green and won his singles match against Min Woo Lee—one of the Internationals’ strongest players this week—by 1 up. It was Bridgeman’s first point in his Presidents Cup debut—and also the point that pushed the U.S. team over the decisive threshold.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day came from another rookie. Jackson Koivun, whose selection had sparked debate leading up to the event, defeated Si Woo Kim, the Internationals’ highest-ranked player. The 21-year-old won five of the last eight holes. “I put him in a big situation today—a really big one,” said U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker after the victory over Koivun. “That was a huge match. If we were going to have any chance at all today, he had to win it.” All three U.S. rookies—Bridgeman, Koivun, and Chris Gotterup, who won decisively against Christiaan Bezuidenhout—earned their points on Sunday.

Morikawa, the veterans, and the turning point on the 15th

The backbone of the turnaround was the experienced players, many of whom had narrowly missed out on the Ryder Cup the previous year. The quartet of Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, and Xander Schauffele never trailed in any of their matches—four expected points, four points earned. Cameron Young set the tone early with his victory over Japanese rookie Ryo Hisatsune.

The decisive moment came in the match between Collin Morikawa and Hideki Matsuyama. On the 15th green, Morikawa was still down by 1, while Matsuyama had a Birdie putt from close range. Morikawa then sank a Birdie putt of his own from about nine meters, while Matsuyama missed from less than one and a half meters—turning what looked like a looming 2-down deficit into a tie, which Morikawa converted into a 1-up victory with a Par on the 18th. “Hole 15 was the decisive moment. That’s match play in a set,” Morikawa said after the round.

Scheffler and a Moment of Fair Play

Perhaps the most remarkable scene away from the scoring was provided by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler in his match against Nico Echavarria. On the 14th hole, a spectator shouted loudly in the middle of Echavarria’s backswing, causing the Colombian to miss his tee shot. Scheffler confronted the fan right there by the rope and then let his opponent make a Par putt on the green. “There’s just no place for that,” Scheffler said afterward. “To be honest, that was a major distraction.” Echavarria praised the gesture: “We have the world No. 1 here, and he’s a true gentleman. I didn’t expect him to let me make that Par putt.” Scheffler never relinquished his lead and improved his record for the week to 3–1.

Medinah and the Legacy of 2012—This Time the Other Way Around

The course itself had actually made recent history seem to be stacked against the Americans: At the 2012 Ryder Cup in Medinah, Europe had turned around a 10–6 deficit on the final day and completed the “Miracle of Medinah” with a 14.5–13.5 victory. In 2026, the pattern was reversed: This time, it was the host U.S. team—not the visiting team—that erased the deficit on the final day—and that was exactly what Snedeker had counted on. “I told the guys last night, I know what this place does to you. I’ve been where the other team is now,” he said, referring to his own defeat as a player in 2012.

Snedeker’s Turnaround: From Self-Doubt to Victory Captain

This success also marks a personal turnaround for the captain. As recently as Saturday evening, Snedeker had spoken openly about his own mistakes in team selection and pairings. After the victory, he sounded relieved: “I’m tired of hearing that these guys aren’t close-knit. I’m tired of hearing that we can’t play team golf. These guys proved it right here.” U.S. assistant Jim Furyk, who will lead the Ryder Cup team in Ireland in 2027, summed up the day: “These guys saw it through in a way I’ve never seen before.”

Outlook: Eleventh Straight Victory, Next Chapter Unwritten

For the International Team, its first victory on American soil—and only its second title ever—remains out of reach, despite having the best position in its history heading into the final day of the Presidents Cup. Captain Geoff Ogilvy expressed both disappointment and pride: “It was one of those days; it felt like we were on a knife’s edge for much of the day,” he said. “In the final hours, it just started to slip away from us.” Looking ahead, he remained determined: “We’ll be back, and when we crack this, it’s going to be really good.”

For veteran Adam Scott, who has now played in twelve Presidents Cups without a title, Sunday was another learning experience: “The conditions are definitely getting tougher to play in, and this one was harder. There are no excuses, but we have to learn from this.” The next Presidents Cup will be held in Australia in 2028. Meanwhile, Team USA has extended its longest active winning streak in team golf to eleven consecutive victories (14 titles in total).

Video highlights of the 2026 Presidents Cup