2026 Presidents Cup: Both Teams Are Set—and Why Jason Day Is Missing

The rosters for the 2026 Presidents Cup have been finalized. U.S. Captain Brandt Snedeker and International Team Captain Geoff Ogilvy have each named their six captain’s picks, thereby completing both 12-player squads. Practice rounds begin Tuesday at Medinah Country Club near Chicago, with competition taking place September 24–27.

With the rosters now complete, attention shifts from the selection process to the pairings. The U.S. enters the week as the clear historical favorite: the International Team has won the competition only once, in 1998. On the U.S. side, Scottie Scheffler is the center of attention; on the International side, it’s Adam Scott, for whom this marks his twelfth Presidents Cup appearance of his career. Another topic of conversation is a prominent name that’s missing: Jason Day.

The 2026 Presidents Cup and Its Selection Process

The Presidents Cup is a match play competition organized by the PGA Tour and held every two years between the United States and an international team composed of professionals from outside Europe. It alternates on the calendar with the Ryder Cup. Each team consists of six players who qualify automatically via a points list and six players nominated by their respective captains. Snedeker and Ogilvy announced their nominations on September 1, 2026, about three weeks before the tournament begins.

The 2026 Presidents Cup Teams at a Glance

Snedeker nominated Jacob Bridgeman, Patrick Cantlay, Chris Gotterup, Jackson Koivun, Xander Schauffele, and Justin Thomas. They join the automatically qualified Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns, Russell Henley, and Collin Morikawa. Ogilvy selected Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Corey Conners, Nico Echavarria, Ryo Hisatsune, Sungjae Im, and Nick Taylor, who join the automatically qualified Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, Si Woo Kim, Min Woo Lee, Tom Kim, and Ryan Fox.

Why Jason Day Is Missing from the International Team

The most prominent name missing from Ogilvy’s list is Jason Day. Captain Ogilvy has explained why: In his own words, the deciding factor was not Day’s current form, but a specific injury situation.

Ogilvy pointed to the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, when the injured Viktor Hovland was unable to compete in Sunday’s singles match and his match against Harris English had to be split. According to consistent reports from Golfmagic and GOLF.com, Ogilvy said this situation was “somewhat on his mind” when making the decision about Day.

Day has been struggling with recurring back problems for months. In August, his 18-year streak of consecutive FedExCup Playoff appearances came to an end after he missed the cut at the Wyndham Championship—his first missed playoff event since 2008. Ogilvy cited the decision not to nominate Day as a precautionary measure: Day needs to “take care of his back and get back to 100 percent.”

Adam Scott Sets a Record at the Presidents Cup

For Adam Scott, this nomination marks his twelfth appearance at the Presidents Cup. With this, the Australian ties Phil Mickelson, who previously held the record alone for the most appearances in the competition’s history. According to reports from Golf Digest, Yahoo Sports, and CBS Sports, his appearance at Medinah marks this career milestone—for an International Team that has been waiting for its second title since 1998, it is one of the week’s most notable storylines.

Outlook: Five Sessions at Medinah

The rosters are now set; no changes are possible before the start of the practice rounds on Tuesday. From the 24 names, both captains will select their pairings for five sessions in the formats of foursomes, four-ball, and singles. The practice rounds will take place on September 22 and 23, and the competition begins on September 24 at Medinah Country Club in Illinois.

Ogilvy’s reasoning for leaving Day off the roster could have repercussions beyond this week: The fact that a captain justifies a non-selection by citing a specific, named precedent from another competition sets a standard against which other captains—whether for the Ryder Cup or the Solheim Cup—will have to measure themselves in the future.