The United States looked headed for a tense finish at Medinah, but Sunday turned into a historic comeback. Team USA erased a 3-point deficit in the singles session, defeating the International Team 17-13 for an 11th consecutive Presidents Cup victory.
President Donald Trump watched the decisive day from Medinah Country Club as the event’s honorary chairman. He greeted players before the singles matches and later presented the Presidents Cup trophy to U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker.
The victory was especially memorable because the Americans had struggled during the opening 3 days. After trailing 10.5-7.5 entering Sunday, the U.S. produced the biggest final-day comeback in Presidents Cup history, winning 9 singles matches and collecting 9.5 of 12 singles points.
Team USA turns a difficult week around
The International Team controlled much of the competition before Sunday, putting the Americans under unusual pressure. The U.S. entered the final day needing a major turnaround after falling behind 10.5-7.5 through the first 3 days.
That deficit made the singles session critical. Unlike the earlier team formats, each American player had to handle a one-on-one match against an International opponent, leaving little room for a slow start or costly mistakes.
Instead, the Americans immediately changed the tone. Cameron Young defeated Ryo Hisatsune 3 and 2, giving Team USA an early point and helping create momentum across a lineup filled with experienced players and talented newcomers.
Trump watches the comeback from the first tee
Trump arrived before the singles matches and received a strong reaction from sections of the Medinah crowd. As honorary chairman, he greeted players from both teams before settling in to watch the decisive competition.
The president kept his remarks brief, telling the crowd that spectators had come to watch golf rather than listen to a long speech. He then watched the opening matches as the American comeback began to take shape.
Snedeker later credited Trump with bringing energy to the team. The captain said Trump told him he would provide energy that day, while Snedeker jokingly suggested Trump could take the credit if the Americans completed the comeback.
The Americans dominate the singles session
The final-day numbers tell the story clearly. Team USA won 9 of the 12 singles matches and halved another, collecting 9.5 points while the International Team managed only 2.5.
Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Justin Thomas, Chris Gotterup, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Jackson Koivun and Jacob Bridgeman all recorded crucial victories as the Americans steadily erased the International advantage.
Morikawa and Koivun produced particularly important moments on the back nine. Their strong finishes helped maintain the American surge before Bridgeman delivered the clinching point against Australia’s Min Woo Lee.
Jacob Bridgeman delivers the winning point
Bridgeman entered Sunday as a Presidents Cup rookie, but he handled the pressure of the final match with the competition still alive. His match against Min Woo Lee ultimately decided the championship.
The American secured the winning point with a 1-up victory, completing a remarkable performance in his first Presidents Cup appearance. His closing stretch gave Team USA the exact result it needed after falling behind earlier in the week.
Bridgeman’s clinching moment also highlighted the depth of Snedeker’s team. The Americans did not depend on a single superstar to carry the final day; several players delivered points as the pressure shifted from match to match.
Medinah adds another dramatic chapter
Medinah already carried a famous place in golf history before the 2026 Presidents Cup. The Chicago-area club hosted the 2012 Ryder Cup, when Europe famously rallied from a 10-6 deficit to defeat the United States 14.5-13.5.
That history gave this Presidents Cup an unusual backdrop. The American team was not facing the same 4-point deficit as in 2012, but another comeback at Medinah inevitably invited comparisons to the venue’s previous dramatic Sunday.
This time, however, the home crowd celebrated. The Americans reversed the script by producing the largest final-day comeback in Presidents Cup history, turning a 3-point deficit into a 4-point overall victory.
The victory extends America’s Presidents Cup dominance
The 17-13 result marked the United States’ 11th consecutive Presidents Cup victory. The Americans have now won 14 of the 16 editions overall, with the International Team’s only outright victory coming in 1998.
The streak is even more striking considering how close the 2026 event appeared to be after 3 days. The International Team led entering Sunday and had repeatedly challenged the Americans before the singles matches completely changed the contest.
For Snedeker, the result also carried personal significance because he was part of the U.S. team that lost the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah. His new role as captain ended with a trophy on the same course that had previously delivered disappointment.
Trump joins the celebration after the final point
Once Bridgeman secured the decisive point, the mood at Medinah shifted completely. Trump remained at the venue for the trophy presentation, congratulating the players and taking part in the closing celebration.
Trump also presented challenge coins to members of Team USA and their families. His presence made the closing ceremony a notable part of an event that had already produced one of the Presidents Cup’s most dramatic final days.
The president later described the comeback as one of the greatest in golf history. Regardless of the broader attention surrounding his appearance, the result itself was clear: Team USA had transformed a difficult week into another Presidents Cup triumph.
Team USA leaves Medinah with a lasting moment
The final 17-13 score does not fully capture how quickly the competition changed on Sunday. The International Team held the advantage entering singles, but the Americans steadily won match after match until the comeback was complete.
The victory also reinforced the importance of depth in team golf. Scheffler, Morikawa, Koivun, Cantlay, Young, Thomas and others all contributed during the decisive session, giving Snedeker enough points to overcome the deficit.
For golf fans, Medinah now has another comeback to remember. Fourteen years after Europe created the “Miracle at Medinah,” the United States produced its own unforgettable rally, this time leaving with the Presidents Cup rather than watching it slip away.
Fun fact: Medinah hosted the 2012 Ryder Cup before welcoming the Presidents Cup in 2026. Europe famously rallied from 10-6 down there in 2012, winning 14.5-13.5. The 2026 Presidents Cup therefore gave the venue another historic comeback story.
TL;DR
- Team USA defeated the International Team 17-13 at Medinah.
- The Americans entered Sunday trailing 10.5-7.5.
- Team USA won 9 of 12 singles matches.
- Jacob Bridgeman secured the decisive point against Min Woo Lee.
- The victory was America’s 11th straight Presidents Cup title.
- President Donald Trump attended as honorary chairman and presented the trophy.
- Medinah produced another historic comeback, 14 years after the 2012 Ryder Cup.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
