The 16th Presidents Cup comes to Medinah Country Club's Course No. 3 outside Chicago, where Brandt Snedeker's heavily favored U.S. team faces Geoff Ogilvy's International squad. The Americans have won the last 10 editions, and the Internationals haven't lifted the Cup since 1998.
This year, there's a twist: Ogilvy's design firm, OCM Golf, spent the past few years completely rebuilding the course his team will play.
Presidents Cup Preview
Team USA: Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns, Russell Henley, Collin Morikawa, Chris Gotterup, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Jackson Kouvin, Jacob Bridgeman
Team International: Si Woo Kim, Hideki Matsuyama, Ryan Fox, Tom Kim, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Sungjae Im, Nico Echavarria, Corey Conners, Nick Taylor, Christian Bezuidenhout, Ryo Hisatsune
The format: Two 12-player teams compete for 30 match-play points over four days. Thursday has five foursomes matches and Friday five four-ball matches. Saturday brings four of each, and Sunday closes with 12 singles matches. The first team to 15.5 points wins.
The course: Medinah Country Club, known for Tiger Woods' 1999 PGA win and Europe's 2012 Ryder Cup comeback, was once defined by narrow fairways and thick rough. That identity collapsed at the 2019 BMW Championship, when Justin Thomas shot 61 and won at 25 under.
OCM's renovation, which ran from late 2022 to summer 2024, didn't just add length. It restored the Golden Age scale of Tom Bendelow's 1928 design:
- Wider fairways: Landing areas are now 40 to 60 yards wide, but asymmetrical. The safe side often leaves the worse angle.
- More strategic bunkering: There are about 100 bunkers, up from roughly 70, set on desirable lines and tight to greens.
- Bigger, bolder greens: They have more internal contour, short-grass surrounds, and firmer ground that rewards bounce and rollout.
- A more open landscape: Heavy tree removal and fescue restore the property's oak-savannah and prairie character.
The course plays 7,548 yards as a par 70.
Lake Kadijah takes center stage. The rebuilt closing stretch approaches the lake from several directions. The signature 16th is a drivable par 4 played diagonally over the water, ideal for match-play gambles. It's followed by a 200-plus-yard par 3 across the lake and a new 487-yard 18th.
Fewer than 40% of Presidents Cup matches reach the 17th hole. To bring the lake holes into play, the routing will start on Medinah's 5th hole, so those holes become the 12th through 14th of each match. The result should be a volatile, decision-driven Medinah where Ogilvy's design could be the Internationals' best weapon.
My Top 2 Bets for the Presidents Cup
USA Top Scorer: Cameron Young +990
This number is far too long for a player who should see as much volume as anyone on Team USA this week. I expect Young to play at least four of the five sessions, and possibly all five. Thursday's foursomes pairings drop today (Wednesday) at 4:45 PM ET, so we'll get an early read on how Snedeker plans to use him.
Young already has two team events under his belt. He went 1-2-1 as a rookie at the 2022 Presidents Cup. Last year at Bethpage Black, he posted a 3-1-0 record and was the standout star of the U.S. Ryder Cup team. His ultra-aggressive style is built for match play, where a birdie-or-bust approach gets rewarded rather than punished.
Medinah should only amplify that edge. OCM's redesign opened up the fairways, giving bombers like Young more room to swing freely. The lakeside stretch also rewards players willing to take on risk. Add in that he's coming off the best season of his career and has shown how hot his putter can get, and I love the spot for him this week.
International Top Scorer: Adam Scott +550
Scott arrives at Medinah in top form after finishing second at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth last weekend, and his game looks as dialed in as ever.
OCM's overhaul has turned Course No. 3 into an expansive layout that rewards elite ball-striking. Scott's precise tee-to-green game is an ideal fit, and his experience at Medinah should keep him comfortable when the pressure builds.
Scott is the clear veteran leader of this International team, making a record-tying 12th straight Presidents Cup appearance. Expect Captain Ogilvy to send him out for at least four sessions, and more time on the course means more chances to stack up points.
