The United States turned a three-point Presidents Cup deficit into its 11th straight title at Medinah Country Club on Sunday. Brandt Snedeker’s team trailed 10.5-7.5 before 12 singles matches began. The Americans then produced the biggest final-day comeback in Presidents Cup history, winning 9.5 of 12 points.
Jacob Bridgeman clinched the 17-13 victory with a 1-up win over Min Woo Lee. President Donald Trump attended the event as the honorary chairman and spoke with Snedeker before the matches. Afterward, Snedeker credited Trump with bringing energy to the team. Trump later praised the U.S. team for the turnaround.
Snedeker gave Trump a post-match shoutout
Snedeker made the Trump reference during his post-match remarks after the Americans completed their comeback. The U.S. captain said Trump had told him before the singles session that he was going to bring energy because the team needed it.
Snedeker then connected that conversation to a promise he had made before the round. He said that if the Americans completed the comeback, Trump would get the credit, adding a direct thank-you to the president.
The comments came after Snedeker had accepted responsibility for some U.S. struggles. The Americans had been outplayed in several team sessions, and Snedeker acknowledged Saturday that he had not handled all of his decisions as well as he wanted.
Trump watched the Americans erase the deficit
Trump arrived at Medinah before the 12 singles matches and greeted players and caddies from both teams on the first tee. He served as honorary chairman, a role he previously held at the 2017 Presidents Cup, when the United States also won.
Trump kept his remarks at the opening of the singles session short. A media outlet reported that he told the crowd, “These people want to see golf,” before turning his attention to the competition.
The visit came with the United States facing an unusual position in the event. The International Team had taken a 10.5-7.5 lead, the first time the Americans had entered the final singles session trailing on home soil, and the visitors were seeking their first Presidents Cup victory since 1998.
The U.S. singles performance changed everything
The Americans quickly attacked the deficit, with Cameron Young and Justin Thomas delivering early points. Scottie Scheffler, Chris Gotterup, and other U.S. players followed with wins that shifted the scoreboard in the home team’s favor.
Two important swings came from Collin Morikawa and Jackson Koivun. Morikawa rallied against Hideki Matsuyama, while 21-year-old rookie Koivun made a late surge against Si Woo Kim that helped keep the American charge moving.
Patrick Cantlay also produced a major moment against Adam Scott, holing a birdie putt from roughly 57 feet on the 16th hole. Bridgeman then supplied the clincher, making a short par putt at the 18th to defeat Min Woo Lee and secure the 17-13 result.
The singles session ultimately turned a difficult opening position into a dramatic finish for the United States. The Americans collected enough points across the afternoon to erase the International team’s advantage, with the late matches providing the final push toward the overall victory.
Fun fact: Medinah’s Course No. 3 also hosted the 2012 Ryder Cup, where Europe erased a four-point deficit on Sunday to win 14.5-13.5, creating the famous “Miracle at Medinah” comeback.
Trump responded by praising the team
After the victory, Trump described the comeback in strong terms while speaking to reporters after returning to Joint Base Andrews. AP reported that he said the U.S. team played “unbelievable golf” after entering the final day with a large deficit and coming out with a “tremendous victory.”
His comments came after Snedeker had publicly credited Trump’s presence and encouragement before the final session. Snedeker said Trump told him he would “bring some energy” for the team, and the captain later thanked the president after the U.S. victory.
The response did not change the competitive record that produced the trophy. The U.S. players won nine of the 12 singles matches, tied one, and lost two, turning the 10.5-7.5 deficit into a four-point final margin.
Snedeker’s victory followed a difficult week
The final-day result reshaped the conversation around Snedeker’s captaincy. On Saturday night, with the Americans three points behind, he said he did not think he had “held up” his end of the bargain and accepted responsibility for lineup and matchup decisions.
Sunday produced a different scene. Snedeker watched his players deliver the largest final-day comeback in Presidents Cup history, and Bridgeman’s clinching putt ended the International Team’s hopes of winning its first title since 1998.
The victory moved the United States’ all-time Presidents Cup record to 14-1-1. It also extended an American winning streak that began in 2005, while the 2026 comeback added another chapter to Medinah’s history of high-profile team-golf reversals.
The Presidents Cup stays in American hands
The 17-13 score completed a tournament that swung repeatedly at Medinah. The United States won the opening fourball session 3-2, the Internationals answered with a 5-0 foursomes sweep, and the visitors remained ahead entering Sunday.
The Americans’ final-day surge made the closing score look comfortable, but the route there was anything but straightforward. Snedeker’s team entered Sunday needing a major singles response, and the players delivered it by winning 9.5 of the 12 available points.
Trump’s presence became part of the final-day story because of his role as honorary chairman and his interaction with the U.S. team. Snedeker’s decision to credit him added another notable moment to a comeback ultimately decided by the players’ performances across 12 singles matches.
TL;DR
- The United States beat the International Team 17-13 at Medinah to win its 11th straight Presidents Cup.
- Brandt Snedeker credited Donald Trump for bringing energy to the team before Sunday’s singles matches.
- Trump later praised the comeback and said the U.S. team played “unbelievable golf.”
- The Americans erased a 10.5-7.5 deficit by winning 9.5 of 12 singles points.
- Jacob Bridgeman clinched the title with a 1-up victory over Min Woo Lee.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
