Captain Geoff Ogilvy leads the International Team into the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club against Team USA, seeking a first victory on American soil.
Team USA enters as heavy favourites after winning the last 10 editions of the biennial contest. The American squad has won every tournament since 2005 and has suffered only a single defeat in the entire history of the competition.
That solitary defeat occurred before seven of the 24 players competing in Illinois this week were born. All logic points toward that dominant American streak continuing at Medinah, but Ogilvy and his squad hope to produce a shock result live on Sky Sports Golf.
Fourteen years ago, Team Europe staged a historic final-day comeback at the same venue to win the Ryder Cup in a famous victory dubbed the Miracle at Medinah. The International Team now aims to draw similar inspiration from that venue history to halt American dominance.
Team USA Expectations and Pressure
Despite their long winning streak, nothing less than victory will be acceptable for Team USA. The Americans are competing 12 months after a humbling loss on home soil in the Ryder Cup, where only a singles fightback prevented a heavier defeat.
Brandt Snedeker emphasised that the host nation cannot rely on past successes when play begins in Illinois. He noted that the current squad must establish its own high standards rather than assume victory is guaranteed.
"It's the elephant in the room you have to address," Snedeker said. "Just because these last (Presidents Cup) teams have been successful, doesn't mean we're going to be successful."
Snedeker stressed that previous records mean nothing once the tournament starts. "We have to reset the bar for our team, tell them we have a standard to play to and we're 0-0. These 12 guys have accomplished nothing and we're going to hammer that into them," he added.
Talent Gap and Team Cohesion
On paper, Team USA holds a significant advantage in world rankings and overall PGA Tour success. The International roster features four tournament rookies and includes just three players ranked inside the world's top 30.
Ogilvy remains ready to embrace the underdog role against the star-studded American lineup. The Australian captain takes confidence from the Ryder Cup, where Team Europe has won nine of the past 12 editions despite often entering as paper underdogs.
Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee believes team unity can offset differences in individual rankings. He pointed to European performances as proof that collective effort can bridge a massive skill gap.
"These team events are so compelling of what Europe has done," Chamblee told Golf Channel. "Europe have shown that a cohesion of a team can overcome a huge talent gap."
Chamblee added that sport frequently rewards teams that fight against the odds. "Almost every time it [the Ryder Cup] is played, you [Europe] are the underdogs and just thrash the United States. Many people will think a massive victory for the United States is a foregone conclusion and they're a massive favourite, but sport loves an underdog," Chamblee said.
Recent Form and International Roster
The International Team represents a diverse lineup of players from outside the United States and Europe, drawing from seven different nationalities. The squad competes under a distinctive black and gold shield logo, which was introduced by former captain Ernie Els in 2019 to build team unity.
Several roster members arrive in Chicago following strong recent performances on tour. Nico Echavarria claimed victory at the Cognizant Classic on the PGA Tour this season, while Tom Kim secured an impressive win at the Genesis Scottish Open.
Veteran Adam Scott and Ryan Fox also head into the tournament following promising displays on the DP World Tour at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. The squad also features 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and Australian golfer Min Woo Lee.
Inspiration from European Success
Ryan Fox, the reigning Champion Golfer of the Year, revealed that the Internationals are looking directly to Team Europe for a blueprint to overcome the Americans.
"I think we can learn a lot from [Europe], just not being intimidated by it [playing Team USA]" said Fox, the reigning Champion Golfer of the Year, at Wentworth. "I feel like we know a lot of the European players really well and if these guys can do it, we can do it, too."
Fox explained that building a unified team culture has been essential to European success over the past decade. He believes the International squad is close to achieving that same mindset.
"We can definitely emulate them and take a little bit out of how they get together as a team. I think the European Team has done a really good job of that over probably the last decade, maybe even longer, just having one collective goal," Fox said.
"I feel like we're getting pretty close to that as an International Team - certainly feels like that this year," Fox added. "I think that's the way we win: have that collective goal, all buy into it, and it will be an exciting week for us."
Team Europe currently holds both the Ryder Cup and the Solheim Cup following victories in New York and the Netherlands. Masters champion Rory McIlroy expressed his backing for the Internationals while speaking at Wentworth, stating, "All we need now is the Internationals to do it (win) - that would be great."
Tournament Schedule and Previous Contests
While an International victory would break decades of American dominance, recent Presidents Cup history suggests the gap between the two sides is closing. Team USA required a dramatic final-day comeback to secure victory in 2019.
During the 2024 edition at Royal Montreal Golf Club, Team USA won the trophy but had to overcome being swept in a foursomes session, during which Si Woo Kim energized the crowd with a clutch shot.
Ogilvy, who assisted with the course redesign at Medinah, maintains that his side is closing in on a breakthrough. "Clearly winning something for the first time - the first time in a very long time - it's probably more difficult than if you're winning all the time," Ogilvy admitted. "But we're getting closer all the time."
Four days of tournament action begin live on Sky Sports Golf from Thursday, with all four days broadcast exclusively on the channel.
