August 2026 - Medinah's Next Moment

Captains Snedeker, Ogilvy finalize preparations for Presidents Cup
This article appeared in the August 2026 edition of Chicago District Golfer.
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2026 Presidents Cup captains Geoff Ogilvy (left) and Brandt Snedeker (right)

Brandt Snedeker has mixed memories about the last time he played a team event at Medinah Country Club. It was 2012, and Snedeker was selected as a captain’s pick to play in his first Ryder Cup. He will never forget what he experienced on the first tee when he and Jim Furyk were set to begin their Friday morning match against Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell.

“I still get chills thinking about walking to the first tee, being the first team out, and hearing the roars of that crowd,” Snedeker said. “The emotions, the nerves, the complete utter shock and disbelief that I actually was a part of it. It’s something I will never forget.”

But then came Sunday, and a different set of emotions. With a 10-6 lead going into singles, the U.S. team went from looking to have almost a sure victory to watching the Europeans hoist the Ryder Cup with a shocking 14.5-13.5 comeback triumph. Snedeker lost his singles match to Paul Lawrie, 5 and 3.

“Sunday night was probably one of the lowest points in my career,” Snedeker said. “Being a part of the reason why we weren't able to touch the cup was really tough. You put so much in it, and then you realize how awful it is to lose.”

Fast-forward 14 years later, and Snedeker is now looking to create a much happier ending, and an ultimate memory for him, at Medinah. Snedeker will be the captain of the U.S. team when it takes on the International Team, led by captain Geoff Ogilvy, in the Presidents Cup Sept. 22-27 on Course No. 3. This will be the 16th meeting in the biennial (non-Ryder Cup year) matches pitting 12 Americans against 12 top players in the world outside of Europe. Scottie Sche􀀠ler and Cam Young are expected to head the U.S. squad, while Si Woo Kim, Hideki Matsuyama and Adam Scott will look to anchor Ogilvy’s crew.

As captain, Snedeker will have a much greater impact on the U.S. team than when he was only 1 player out of 12. He is using the gut-wrenching feeling he experienced on that Sunday in 2012 as motivation to ensure he doesn’t feel it again on the last Sunday in September of 2026 at Medinah.

 The Presidents Cup will introduce Medinah's $25 million renovation of its Course No. 3 for the first time to an international TV audience.

“I think every experience you have in the game of golf is something you can use for motivation, whether it’s positive or negative,” Snedeker said. “I have tons of memories from that week, some great ones, some terrible ones. I’m trying to be aware of both of those going into [the Presidents Cup], knowing what’s on the line. I’m using that as motivation to work our tail off, make sure we check every box, and get our guys ready to have a great week.”

Speaking of motivation and bad memories, the International Team and Ogilvy have cornered the market in the Presidents Cup. The U.S. has dominated with a 13-1-1 record since the event began in 1994. While there have been some close matches in the series (see sidebar below), the International’s lone win was in 1998. That means long-time fixtures like Scott, who will be playing for the 12th time assuming he makes the team, never have had the chance to touch the Cup.

Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open champion, desperately wants to change that history. He has been a part of the losing side seven times as a player and assistant captain.

“That’s a lot of disappointing Sundays,” Ogilvy said. “Every trophy ceremony, when we watch the U.S. Team with the trophy, it looks like a lot of fun. It’s equally as disappointing to be on the other side of things.

“Disappointment usually fuels motivation. So, the group is very passionate and very determined to sort of balance the ledger, if you like, and start winning this tournament a bit more regularly.”

Indeed, given the history of the Presidents Cup, the pressure would seem to be squarely on Snedeker. The U.S. will be the overwhelming favorites, as it could have as many as 10 players ranked in the world’s top 20 based on the rankings at the end of June. Meanwhile, the International side might only have one or two players in the top 20 if there aren’t any dramatic changes in the rankings.

Paul Azinger, the winning 2008 Ryder Cup captain for the U.S., says, “There always will be pressure on the next American captain not to lose [the Presidents Cup].”

For his part, Snedeker says the U.S.'s past dominance has nothing to do with this year’s Presidents Cup.

“I’m going to tell our guys, while the history might be slanted in our favor, we’ve never won anything together,” Snedeker said. “We’re going to be 0-0 when the matches start. We’ve got to go in with the mindset that we’ve accomplished nothing and go win the Cup.”

Tiger Woods and Abraham Ancer at the 2019 Presidents Cup.

Both captains share the same expectations on one front: They expect the Medinah crowds to be loud, louder and loudest. Ogilvy recently spent quite a bit of time in the area with his OCM Golf design firm doing the renovation for Medinah’s Course No. 3

“Chicago is a great golf town,” Snedeker said. “I think the enthusiasm for the event is going to be huge.”

Snedeker knows how electric the atmosphere was for the 2012 Ryder Cup. He recalled the crowds gathering at 5:30 a.m., more than two hours prior to the first match of the day, chanting “USA, USA.”

“I’m super excited for us to have a homefield advantage, and we will have one,” Snedeker said. “Chicago shows up for big events. You get that crowd going, and the players really feed off that. That kind of energy makes it feel like they’re our 13th player.”

Snedeker has already enjoyed a huge career highlight in 2026. Overcoming several injury-plagued seasons, the 45-year-old won his first PGA Tour event in eight years with his victory in the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic in May. It was an emotional win for Snedeker, who thought his best golf was behind him.

That win, though, he says was for him and his family. Snedeker knows 2026, and his career for that matter, would go to another level if, as the U.S. captain, he gets to hoist the Presidents Cup at Medinah.

“There’s something about putting that USA logo on your chest and going out there playing for something bigger than yourself,” Snedeker said. “You’re playing for your country; the other guys in that team room; the fans. I look forward to the challenge for our guys. They’re going to be ready to go. I can’t wait to get [to Medinah] and show everyone what we can do.”

Ed Sherman is a former golf writer for the Chicago Tribune and a frequent contributor to Chicago District Golfer.

Most Memorable Presidents Cups
2003: U.S. 17, International 17 - Tie
It is unlikely that any future Presidents Cup will top what happened in South Africa in 2003. U.S. captain Jack Nicklaus took an American team led by Tiger Woods to face his old pal Gary Player’s team, which featured Vijay Singh and Ernie Els. The matches went back and forth throughout the entire competition, climaxing with Woods beating Els in singles to produce a 17-17 tie. Back then, the rules stated that in the event of a tie, each team would choose a player to compete in a sudden-death playoff. Woods and Els went back to the course. On the second extra hole, Els rolled in a 12-footer for the half. On the third playoff hole, under almost total darkness, Woods holed a double-breaking 15-footer for par. Under incredible pressure, Els matched it with a six-footer. At that point, Nicklaus and Player decided against resuming the playoff the following morning and declared the matches a tie.

“I have never seen two teams that played harder or played better,” Nicklaus said. “I did not find a team that deserved to lose.”

2015: U.S. 15.5-International 14.5
This one came down to the final singles match in South Korea, pitting home country favorite, Sang-moon Bae, against Bill Haas, the son of U.S. captain Jay Haas. Bill carried a 1-up lead going into 18. If he lost the hole, the match and the competition would end in a draw. Neither player played the hole well, but after Bae scuffed a chip shot, he wound up conceding the hole. The son came through for his dad.

2019: U.S. 16, International 14
The home crowd in Australia was hoping to see a victory, with the International team holding a 10-8 lead going into singles. However, playing captain Tiger Woods had something to say about that. As only he could, he set the tone for the final Sunday, leading off singles with 7 birdies in 16 holes to post a resounding 3-and-2 victory over Abraham Ancer. His fellow Americans followed suit to win in what likely will be Woods’ last Presidents Cup as a player. Woods holds the all-time records for both the most match wins (27) and the most singles wins (7).
—Ed Sherman

The Ryder Cup Dilemma
Why has the U.S. fared so much better in the Presidents Cup than the Ryder Cup? U.S. Presidents Cup captain Brandt Snedeker is among those who have tried to figure out the answer to that question.

The U.S. is 13-1-1 against the International Team in the Presidents Cup since the competition debuted in 1994. Meanwhile, in that same time frame, the U.S. is 4-11 against Europe since the 1995 Ryder Cup.

“I wish we could figure that out,” Snedeker said. “I think if we could figure it out, that [Ryder Cup] record would be a lot different.

“I don’t know if there is more of a relaxed factor for us in the Presidents Cup. The Ryder Cup sometimes takes on a life of its own. When the product gets so big, it gets in the way of your ultimate goal. I think in the Presidents Cup we seem to come together as a team a bit more and we have a clear vision of what needs to be done.”
—Ed Sherman