Brandt Snedeker wasn’t afraid to think outside the box.
The U.S. Presidents Cup captain selected former college phenom Jackson Koivun, who won the PGA Tour’s 3M Open in just his third start as a professional. Koivun will be joined by a trio of U.S. team stalwarts in Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, as well as Chris Gotterup, who was narrowly on the wrong side of the cutoff for the six automatic selections. Gotterup is one of three rookies added to the team Tuesday, along with Koivun and Jacob Bridgeman.
The 16th edition of the Presidents Cup will be played Sept. 24-27 at Medinah Country Club in Chicago. Here’s a closer look at the six U.S. captain’s picks.
Chris Gotterup- Age: 27
- World Ranking: No. 9
- Previous appearances: None
- Presidents Cup record: Rookie
Gotterup was the odd-man out at No. 7 for the final automatic qualifying spot. But he helped his chances by being in the trophy hunt at the BMW and Tour Championship with a pair of T-4s. He likely would have been a pick anyway after three wins during the regular season, tied for the most on Tour this season. He made a late run for the U.S. Ryder Cup team at Bethpage last year but didn't get the call. Gotterup will be a rookie on the team and making his first appearance in international competition. He could team well with close friend and fellow captain's pick Jacob Bridgeman.
Xander Schauffele- Age: 32
- World Ranking: 10
- Previous appearances: 2019, 2022, 2024
- Presidents Cup record: 10-4-0
Not the best year by his high standard ― no wins and only three top 5s ― but Schauffele has been showing signs of returning to his 2024 form, which included two majors, after being sidelined with an injury for a chunk of last season. He’s also part of a deadly tandem with Cantlay at this event since 2019. Schauffele clinched the winning point for the U.S. team at the 2022 Presidents Cup.
Justin Thomas- Age: 33
- World Ranking: 21
- Previous appearances: 2017, 2019, 2022
- Presidents Cup record: 10-3-2
The words of 2023 U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson still hold true: “You just don’t leave JT at home.”
Thomas is built for match play, with a combined Presidents and Ryder Cups record of 19-9-4. He gets up for these international affairs like few others. He also shot 25 under and won the BMW Championship in 2019 at Medinah No. 3., site of the Presidents Cup. He torched the place so much so that the club ponied up for a renovation that was conducted by OCM, the design firm of which International Team captain Geoff Ogilvy is the ‘O.’
Thomas had a winless campaign after off-season back surgery. He made it to the BMW Championship but failed to get back to East Lake. He recorded just two top-10 finishes, with a T-4 at the PGA Championship his best result.
Patrick Cantlay- Age: 33
- World Ranking: 27
- Previous appearances: 2019, 2022, 2024
- Presidents Cup record: 10-4-0
Cantlay’s winless drought stretches four years and he needed a runner up at the BMW Championship to make it to East Lake. But he’s been an absolute beast in match play ― America's Ian Poulter ― and should be wearing a hat!
Jacob Bridgeman- Age: 26
- World Ranking: 28
- Previous appearances: None
- Presidents Cup record: Rookie
Bridgeman won the Genesis Invitational at Riviera in February as part of a breakout season in 2026. A year ago, he made it all the way to the Tour Championship without a win. This time, he made 22 of 23 cuts, recorded 11 top-25s and capped off the FedEx Cup season with six straight top-30 finishes, including a solo ninth and a T-4 in the last two weeks. That's the type of hot hand Snedeker was looking for, not to mention he led the entire PGA Tour this season in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Jackson Koivun- Age: 22
- World Ranking: 66
- Previous appearances: None
- Presidents Cup record: Rookie
Koivun set all sorts of records at Auburn and proceeded to validate the hype around him by winning the 3M Open in just his third start as a professional. He also made it into the FedEx Cup Playoffs in just five starts, tying Tiger Woods' mark for the fewest. Every indication is he’s the real deal. At last year’s Walker Cup, he had a record of 3-1, including 2-0 in singles at Cypress Point. If Snedeker was seeking good putters out of his captain’s picks, he’s found one of the best strokes in the game.
Adam Schupak is a senior writer for Golfweek, covering the PGA Tour.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: 2026 Presidents Cup captain's picks: Jackson Koivun among 3 rookies chosen for U.S. squad
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