Why is Brandt Snedeker Team USA's captain for the Presidents Cup at Medinah?
This article appeared in the August 2025 edition of Chicago District Golfer.
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Brandt Snedeker will lead the United States team in the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club.
It’s a question golf fans have been asking since April when nine-time PGA Tour winner Brandt Snedeker was named captain of Team USA for next year’s Presidents Cup matches, Sept. 22–27, at Medinah Country Club. Why was Brandt Snedeker chosen to lead the U.S. Presidents Cup team against the Internationals in the first big event at Medinah’s Course No. 3 since it was renovated by an Australian firm headed by “Rest-of-the-World” captain Geoff Ogilvy?
Snedeker’s playing record reached its apex more than 10 years ago, meaning he has slipped from the collective memory of the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately sports culture. The Nashville native came out of Vanderbilt in 2004, won the PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year award in 2007, finished third in the 2008 Masters and was relevant in the majors through 2015. He won the Tour Championship and the FedExCup in 2012 before it had garnered the credibility it has today, and reached his highest-ever world ranking, No. 4, in 2013.
He has a 2-3-0 record representing Team USA as a player in the 2013 Presidents Cup and a 4-2-0 mark in a pair of Ryder Cup appearances, including Medinah 2012, where he was paired with Jim Furyk, who shared a lingering memory.
“I pull hooked one o the first tee pretty far left, to the left of the fairway bunker, and kind of way out there, and Brandt just chuckled and said, ‘If Jim Furyk’s that nervous, I guess I’ll be alright,’” recalled the 17-time PGA Tour winner and captain of the 2024 U.S. Presidents Cup team. “At the time, I was the veteran player and he was the younger guy. I just loved having him as a partner because he’s a fierce competitor. He enjoyed the team aspect and consistently says and does the right thing. He’s got your back.”
The reason Snedeker seems an unlikely choice for captain is that he came out of the shadows. Snedeker likely never would have gotten the opportunity but for Keegan Bradley’s superior play at the end of last season. Bradley, who had been named 2025 Ryder Cup captain, was slated to be one of Furyk’s assistants for the ‘24 Presidents Cup in Montreal (which the U.S. won convincingly). But when Bradley’s putter got hot, he made the FedExCup Playoffs then won the BMW Championship and earned a roster spot as a player. Clearly, Bradley could not serve. Enter Snedeker.
“Brandt was a great assistant captain,” said Furyk, winner of the 2003 U.S. Open at Olympia Fields Country Club south of Chicago. “We all know he’s a bright guy, extremely smart, went to Vanderbilt and he carries himself very well. But I think where he shines is with player relationships. He has a unique ability to be very serious and organized, yet he’s a fun-loving guy. Our team loved having him on the staff, and his selection is a great choice...I kind of brought him in a little later than I probably should have, especially looking back at how great he was.”
That intensity, coupled with Snedeker’s exceptional people skills, could make for a potent combination and an exceptional selection.
“I definitely feel the weight and responsibility of it,” Snedeker said earlier this season in a conversation during a practice round. “I think any captain will tell you that his biggest worry is making sure to check all the boxes, get everybody as prepared as possible, and let them go have fun and enjoy the experience.”
Davis Love III was the winning captain for the 2022 Presidents Cup and 2016 Ryder Cup, a team that included Snedeker as a player.
“When we had him on teams, especially in ‘16, he saw the guys that needed some leadership,” Love recalled. “And he wasn’t a captain; he was a player. But he was a playing captain. He brought guys along. He made things happen. Brandt’s always been fun and funny but he’s also passionate and he gets very emotional. We wondered that week, who was going to cry more? Is it going to be Davis or is it going to be Brandt?”
This September, Snedeker, now 44, will serve as a vice-captain to Bradley on Long Island, New York.
“You make so many great memories those weeks and spending time with those guys is such a unique experience,” Snedeker said. “I think our job is to take everything possible off their plate and get them set up for success.”
Now with some experience under his belt, Snedeker seems to have a good handle on what he must accomplish.
“We just step out of the way and let them do their thing. I’m not hitting a shot that week, I’m not hitting a putt that week, thank God,” Snedeker said. “My role is just making sure they know we care about them, know we love all of them, know that we’ve got their back no matter what, and that we’ll do everything pos sible to make sure they can be successful in Bethpage.”
Throughout his playing career, Snedeker has been approachable and authentic, which should serve him well.
“You can’t be someone you’re not. You can’t be a rah-rah guy if you’re not a rah-rah guy or vice versa,” Snedeker said. “I think the biggest thing is just making sure that guys understand me to be who I am, and play to my personality while surrounding them with some great assistant captains and support staff. This team, the players and caddies, the wives and families will all know that I’m there for them and will do everything possible to make sure they have a great time and enable their success.”
Furyk said Snedeker’s greatest strength might be his special ability to read a room.
“Reading the room is a great way to put it,” Furyk said. “Throughout the week, there’s going to be some highs and some lows. In Montreal, we go 5 and 0 in the first session, and we go 0 and 5 in the second. I mean, huge emotional swings. As captain, we don’t see as much golf as we’d like and rely heavily on our assistant captains. They’re involved intimately with the group that they’ve been assigned that day. They see every shot. I mean, it’s gut-wrenching for them to have to watch instead of being out there playing, but they’re my eyes, my ears. When it’s time to get to work and get to the business, Brandt is a guy you want on your team.”.
So, what are the primary responsibilities of a team captain? According to Snedeker, it’s remaining keenly aware of both individual member and team needs, while building trust with all concerned.
“We’re paying close attention to how these guys are playing, what’s going on in their personal lives, on and off the golf course, so that we can help if needed,” Snedeker said. “We work on building these relationships because those weeks are so stressful. We play to their strengths and weaknesses. So, when they get there, it’s one less thing to worry about. They know that you have a relationship with them and no matter what happens, you have their back.”
Snedeker and Love share the same agent and know one another very well. The 21-time Tour winner is convinced the right man is in charge.
“I’m happy for Brandt, but I’m also so happy for the team because they’re going to get somebody that really cares and is really passionate. And Brandt’s friends in the business world will tell you the same thing, not just golfers, that, ‘Hey, this is a smart guy,’" Love added. “There are several PGA Tour sponsors and several other CEOs that I know that rely on Brandt as an advisor in the sports world because he’s very intelligent, very thoughtful.”
And now you know why Brandt Snedeker was chosen to be captain of the 2026 U.S. Presidents Cup team.
George McNeilly is an award-winning broadcaster and writer who has covered professional golf, the Olympics on four continents and 17 Super Bowls. He spent 11 years as a senior ESPN executive and currently teaches Sports Business Models at Full Sail University in Florida when not out on the PGA Tour.