The 2026 Presidents Cup produced a dramatic finish at Medinah Country Club in Illinois. The United States entered Sunday trailing the International Team 10.5 to 7.5. President Donald Trump attended the final round as the event’s honorary chairman.
U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker later credited Trump with bringing energy to his team. The Americans then delivered a historic singles performance. They won the Presidents Cup 17-13.
Trump arrives at Medinah for final round
Trump attended Sunday’s final round at Medinah Country Club as honorary chairman of the Presidents Cup. He arrived before the 12 singles matches began and greeted players and caddies from both teams near the first tee. His appearance came with the United States trailing the International Team 10.5 to 7.5.
The Americans needed a major turnaround during the final session to retain the trophy. Trump had previously served as honorary chairman when the Presidents Cup was held at Liberty National in New Jersey in 2017. The role is traditionally offered to the leader of the country hosting the competition.
Before traveling to Medinah, Trump described serving as the honorary chairman as an honor. His appearance placed him at the course for the decisive day of the competition.
Snedeker makes his promise before his Sunday comeback
Snedeker later described an exchange with Trump before the Americans began their comeback. According to Snedeker, Trump told him that he planned to bring some energy because the U.S. team needed it. Snedeker responded with a promise of his own.
He said Trump would get the credit if the United States managed to complete the victory during Sunday’s singles session. That conversation gained more attention after the tournament ended. During his post-match comments, Snedeker thanked Trump and referred to their earlier exchange about bringing energy.
His remarks came after he praised his players for supporting one another during the comeback. The comments linked Trump’s presence to the team’s atmosphere rather than to the competitive actions that determined the matches.
Americans face major pressure entering Sunday singles
The International Team entered Sunday leading 10.5 to 7.5. It was the first time in Presidents Cup history that the International Team had held a lead on U.S. soil entering Sunday singles. The visitors needed 5 more points to win the Cup outright.
The United States needed 7.5 points to force a 15-15 tie and share the Presidents Cup, while 8 points were required to win it outright. The Americans had opened the tournament by winning Thursday’s 4-ball session 3-2. Momentum changed on Friday when the International Team swept all 5 foursomes matches.
The United States recovered some ground Saturday and collected 4.5 of the 8 available points. That improvement reduced the deficit but still left Snedeker’s team facing a difficult final session at Medinah.
Sunday singles quickly changed the entire contest
The United States quickly began cutting into the International Team’s advantage. Cameron Young delivered the first American point by defeating Ryo Hisatsune 3 and 2. More U.S. victories followed as the home team built momentum across Medinah.
The International Team had controlled the scoreboard heading into Sunday, but the situation changed as several singles matches began to shift toward the Americans. Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler, Chris Gotterup, Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, and rookie Jackson Koivun were among the American singles winners.
The United States won 9 matches and halved another to collect 9.5 of the 12 available points. That 9.5 to 2.5 result was the largest Sunday singles margin in Presidents Cup history and completely erased the earlier deficit.
Cantlay delivers a crucial moment during the American comeback
Patrick Cantlay produced one of Sunday’s biggest moments during his singles match against veteran Adam Scott. At the 16th hole, Cantlay holed a 57-foot birdie putt to move 2 up in the match. The dramatic conversion strengthened his position late in the contest.
It came while the United States was collecting the points needed to complete its comeback across Medinah. Cantlay went on to defeat Scott 2 and 1, securing another full point for the United States. Collin Morikawa also defeated Hideki Matsuyama as several important matches moved in the Americans’ favor.
Those victories helped the United States move closer to the 15.5 points required to win the Presidents Cup outright and complete its final-day turnaround.
Trump praises the dramatic American comeback afterward
Trump later praised the American performance while speaking to reporters after landing at Joint Base Andrews. He highlighted how well the team had played after beginning Sunday with a significant deficit. Trump described the result as a great comeback.
His comments followed a final session in which the United States erased a 3-point deficit to secure a 4-point overall victory. Trump also participated in the closing ceremony at Medinah after the result became official. He helped present the Presidents Cup trophy to Snedeker following the American victory.
Snedeker’s earlier promise to give Trump credit for bringing energy then became part of the post-match discussion. The ceremony concluded a final day that had started with the International Team holding a clear advantage.
Bridgeman clinches the Cup for Team USA
Jacob Bridgeman entered the competition as a Presidents Cup rookie, but he found himself in an important position late Sunday. He faced Australia’s Min Woo Lee in a singles match that remained close through the closing holes.
With the United States approaching the total needed to secure the trophy, Bridgeman had an opportunity to provide the decisive point for Snedeker’s team. Bridgeman defeated Lee 1 up and delivered the point that clinched the Presidents Cup for the United States. His closing par at the 18th hole completed the victory and started celebrations around the final green.
The rookie’s result capped a remarkable American singles session. The final team score was 17 to 13 in favor of the United States.
Victory extends the United States’ winning streak
The result gave the United States its 11th consecutive Presidents Cup victory. It also improved the country’s overall record in the competition to 14 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie. The International Team’s only victory came in Australia in 1998.
The 2003 Presidents Cup in South Africa ended in a tie after the teams could not be separated. For Snedeker, the comeback completed his first Presidents Cup as U.S. captain with a victory. The Americans entered Sunday behind 10.5 to 7.5 before producing a 9.5 to 2.5 singles performance.
Their 17- 13 overall victory extended a winning streak that has lasted since the 2003 tie. It also turned a difficult final day into another successful Presidents Cup for the United States.
Little-known fact: Medinah Country Club is a private, member-owned club in Medinah, Illinois, spanning 640 acres with 3 18-hole golf courses.
TL;DR
- The International Team entered Sunday leading the United States 10.5 to 7.5.
- Trump attended the final round as honorary chairman of the Presidents Cup.
- Snedeker credited Trump after their earlier conversation about bringing energy.
- Bridgeman delivered the point that clinched the Cup for the United States.
- Team USA won 17 to 13 for its 11th consecutive Presidents Cup victory.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
