This week, we head to Medinah Country Club in Chicago, Illinois, for the 2026 President's Cup
Typically, as we prepare for a tournament, we pick two intriguing options to lead the field after Round 1. However, things will be a bit different.
Thursday will feature four-ball play, also known as "better-ball," and we'll determine which team leaves the day atop the board.
Here are my favorite President's Cup first-round leader picks and PGA Tour predictions for Thursday's opening round. Make sure to download the Action Network app for more picks and analysis!
President's Cup First-Round Leader Picks
Thursday Leader Pick: USA (-152 at DraftKings | Play to -165)
1998. That is the last time the United States did not secure victory at the Presidents Cup, and that trend is unlikely to break this year at Medinah.
Multiple variables are working in the Americans' favor. First, home-course advantage.
Will the crowd be as rowdy as it would be for the Ryder Cup? Absolutely not, but the Midwestern crowd will still show up and boost the Americans.
Second, the United States team is simply better. It's better both at the top and in terms of depth, with the undisputed best player in the world, Scottie Scheffler, followed by Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Russell Henley, Chris Gotterup, Sam Burns, Xander Schauffele, and Collin Morikawa.
The international side doesn't include a single player ranked higher in the OWGR than any of those eight golfers. In fact, the International team only has two golfers inside the OWGR's top 25.
The Americans have 10.
The DataGolf rankings are even more lopsided. Entering this week, all 12 United States golfers rank inside the top 26.
Only three international golfers fit that criterion.
A tie is possible on opening day, which is why this number is so low. That said, a tie result is +530, and with how lopsided these teams are and the Americans' home advantage, it's worth buying the discounted price on their side in the three-way market.
The United States has dominated the opening round in each of the past two editions of this tournament, winning 5-0 in 2024 and 4-1 in 2022. The Americans have not lost the opening four-ball round in the Scottie Scheffler era, and that's unlikely to change Thursday.
