2026 Presidents Cup Format: How It Works, Sessions & Points
The 2026 Presidents Cup format is a four day match play contest: 30 matches, five sessions, and 12 players on each side. Team USA plays the International team, and the first side to 15.5 points wins the Cup.
The 16th Presidents Cup runs Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 September 2026 at Medinah Country Club, Course No. 3, in Medinah, Illinois. Brandt Snedeker captains the United States. Geoff Ogilvy captains the International team. This page explains every session, both team formats, the points maths and the tie rule.
| Event | 16th Presidents Cup |
| Dates | 24 to 27 September 2026 |
| Venue | Medinah Country Club, Course No. 3, Medinah, Illinois |
| Teams | United States v International (12 players each) |
| Total matches | 30 across 5 sessions |
| Match formats | Four-ball, foursomes, singles |
| Points to win | 15.5 |
| If tied 15 to 15 | Cup is shared |
| All-time record | USA 13 wins, International 1, one tie |
| Prize money | None. Players allocate funds to charity |
2026 Presidents Cup Format Session by Session
Five sessions decide the Cup. Thursday and Saturday morning are four-ball. Friday and Saturday afternoon are foursomes. Sunday is 12 singles matches, one for every player.
| Day | Session | Format | Matches | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 24 Sept | Round 1 | Four-ball | 5 | 5 |
| Fri 25 Sept | Round 2 | Foursomes | 5 | 5 |
| Sat 26 Sept (am) | Round 3 | Four-ball | 4 | 4 |
| Sat 26 Sept (pm) | Round 4 | Foursomes | 4 | 4 |
| Sun 27 Sept | Round 5 | Singles | 12 | 12 |
One detail most guides miss: the International captain chooses which format opens the Cup, and the sessions alternate from there. Reports from Medinah say Ogilvy has opted to start with five four-ball matches, the same opening used at Royal Montreal in 2024. The official schedule of events lists the tee windows but does not name the format for each day, so treat Thursday four-ball as expected rather than locked until the PGA TOUR confirms it.
Not every player plays every session. Thursday and Friday use 10 players a side, so two sit out. Saturday sessions use eight a side, so four sit out. Every player must play at least one match before Sunday, and all 24 play the singles.
First tee times for all five sessions are on our 2026 Presidents Cup schedule page.
Four-Ball, Foursomes and Singles Explained
All three are match play. You win a hole, you go one up. The match ends when a team leads by more holes than are left, which is why you see scores like 4 and 3.
Four-ball (best ball)
Two against two. Each of the four players plays their own ball for the whole hole. The lower score of each pair counts as the team score. Scoring is aggressive because a partner can attack a pin knowing the other is safe.
Foursomes (alternate shot)
Two against two with one ball per pair. Partners alternate shots until the ball is holed, and they also alternate who tees off, one taking the odd holes and one the even. It is the tightest session to watch because a single loose swing puts your partner in trouble.
Singles
One against one, 12 matches on Sunday. With 12 points on the table in a single day, the Cup is usually decided here.
How Points and the Tie Rule Work
- Every match is worth 1 point. There are 30 points in play.
- A halved match splits the point, 0.5 to each side.
- The first team to 15.5 points wins the Presidents Cup.
- At 15 to 15 the Cup is shared. There is no playoff and no holder advantage.
- Matches level after 18 holes are halved. Between 2005 and 2013 singles went to extra holes, but that rule was dropped in 2015.
Once a side reaches 15.5 the Cup is decided, but the remaining matches are still played out to settle the final margin. The running total is tracked on our Presidents Cup standings page.
How Captains Set the Pairings
Presidents Cup pairings are not drawn blind. Captains alternate in a snake order: one names a pairing, the other answers with a pairing and then names the next one, and so on until the session is filled. That makes it a reactive game of match-ups rather than a sealed envelope, and it is a real difference from how Ryder Cup line-ups are exchanged.
Line-ups are released the evening before each session, so you know the pairings roughly 12 hours ahead.
How the 2026 Presidents Cup Format Differs From the Ryder Cup
The two events look alike, but the details separate them.
| Presidents Cup | Ryder Cup | |
|---|---|---|
| Days of play | 4 | 3 |
| Total matches | 30 | 28 |
| Points to win | 15.5 | 14.5 |
| Tie result | Cup is shared | Holder retains it |
| Opponent | USA v International (no Europe) | USA v Europe |
| Prize money | None, charity allocation | None, charity allocation |
| Run by | PGA TOUR | PGA of America and Ryder Cup Europe |
| Years | Even | Odd |
The shared Cup rule is the one that matters most. In 2003 at Fancourt the match finished 17 to 17, a sudden death playoff between Tiger Woods and Ernie Els was stopped after three holes in darkness, and captains Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player agreed to share the trophy. That night led directly to the rule in place today.
How the Presidents Cup Format Has Changed
- 1994 to 1998: three days, 32 matches, 16.5 points to win.
- 2000: stretched to four days, still 32 matches, with singles given their own day.
- 2003 to 2013: 34 matches, 17.5 points to win.
- 2015: cut to 30 matches and 15.5 points. Level matches are halved instead of going to extra holes.
- 2019: the minimum was eased to one team match per player before singles, down from two.
The 30 match structure has now been used at five straight Presidents Cups. Medinah is the sixth, and nothing about it changes for 2026.
Who Plays at Medinah
Each team has 12 players: six who qualify automatically and six captain’s picks, announced on 1 September 2026. The US six qualify on FedExCup points. The International six qualify on world ranking.
- United States: Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns, Russell Henley, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Chris Gotterup, Jacob Bridgeman, Jackson Koivun.
- International: Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Si Woo Kim, Tom Kim, Ryan Fox, Sungjae Im, Corey Conners, Nick Taylor, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Ryo Hisatsune, Nico Echavarria.
One quirk worth knowing: Geoff Ogilvy, the International captain, is a principal of OCM Golf, the firm that led Medinah No. 3’s $23.5 million renovation. The course reopened in 2024. The visiting captain knows this layout better than anyone in the field, which is why the format choice he controls, the opening session, is worth watching.
Full rosters and qualifying detail sit on the 2026 Presidents Cup teams page.
Presidents Cup Format FAQ
How does the 2026 Presidents Cup format work?
It is four days of match play with 30 matches across five sessions: five matches on Thursday, five on Friday, four in the morning and four in the afternoon on Saturday, and 12 singles on Sunday. Each match is worth one point, and the first team to 15.5 points wins the Cup.
How many points are needed to win the Presidents Cup?
15.5 of the 30 available points. If the score finishes 15 to 15 the Cup is shared, with no playoff and no advantage for the holder. That has happened once, at Fancourt in 2003.
What is the difference between four-ball and foursomes?
In four-ball all four players play their own ball and the better score of each pair counts. In foursomes each pair shares one ball and alternates shots, including alternating who tees off on odd and even holes.
Which format is played first in 2026?
The International captain chooses the opening format and the sessions alternate from there. Geoff Ogilvy is expected to open with five four-ball matches on Thursday 24 September, the same choice made in 2024. The official schedule lists tee times but not the format for each day.
How many players are on each Presidents Cup team, and does everyone play?
Twelve a side, six automatic qualifiers and six captain’s picks. Two players sit out each Thursday and Friday session and four sit out each Saturday session. Every player must play at least one match before Sunday, and all 24 play the singles.
How is the Presidents Cup format different from the Ryder Cup?
The Presidents Cup runs four days with 30 matches and needs 15.5 points. The Ryder Cup runs three days with 28 matches and needs 14.5. A tied Presidents Cup is shared, while a tied Ryder Cup is retained by the holder. The opponent is an International team rather than Europe.
Do Presidents Cup matches go to extra holes?
No. Since 2015 any match still level after 18 holes is halved and each side takes half a point. Matches also end early once a lead is bigger than the number of holes remaining.
Is there prize money at the Presidents Cup?
No. There is no purse. Each player directs an equal share of the money the event generates to charities of his choice.
Final word
The 2026 Presidents Cup format comes down to simple maths: 30 matches, one point each, 15.5 to lift the Cup at Medinah. Team golf Thursday through Saturday, then 12 singles on Sunday that almost always settle it. Bookmark this page. We confirm the opening format and update the session line-ups as the PGA TOUR releases them.
Last updated 9 September 2026. Session structure, match counts, team sizes and the no purse rule are taken from the official Presidents Cup FAQ and the PGA TOUR format explainer. Format history is cross-checked against past Cup scorelines. Rosters are current as of the 1 September captain’s picks.