While not as prestigious as the Ryder Cup, the 2026 Presidents Cup is a great second place to watch team golf. This year, at Medinah No. 3, 12 of the best golfers from the United States and International (aka-non European) teams duke it out to take home the title of Presidents Cup Champions. This event has historically been dominated by the United States team, who owns a 13-1-1 record since the event debuted in 1994.

Presidents Cup 2026 Predictions

On paper, this should be a blowout win for the United States team. Based on the Official World Golf Rankings, the U.S. has to get down to their 9th lowest ranked player before an International player supersedes them as Si Woo Kim is the 13th ranked player in the world. That said, the International team has the two most experienced players with Adam Scott (11 Presidents Cups) and Hideki Matsuyama (6) but also features 4 rookies in Ryan Fox, Nico Echavarria, Ryo Hisatsune, and Nick Taylor. The U.S. has just three rookies in Chris Gotterup, Jackson Koivun, and Jacob Bridgeman, but has a max of 3 Presidents Cups worth of experience (shared by Xander, JT, and Patrick Cantlay). The U.S. side is currently -400 favorites, so I had to take a bit of a unique approach to the bets this week.

 

 

Presidents Cup Free Picks Featuring Sam Burns & Si Woo Kim

Si Woo Kim Top International Point Scorer (+445 at DraftKings)

With Si Woo being the highest ranked player on the roster, I'm expecting him to be in not only ever single match, but also match up against Scottie Scheffler as much as possible. Scottie has certainly not been his best in team events, sporting a 3-5-1 record in the Presidents Cup and a 3-6-3 record in the Ryder Cup. If Si Woo can win or split his matches against Scottie, that likely puts him in a great spot to lead the International team, as he's also the most likely to win his singles matches. Si Woo will need to get hot with the putter, but he lead the PGA Tour on Strokes Gained: Approach this season, and finished 2nd Tee-To-Green. In contrast, he ranked 109th in putting. If he gets hot on these pure bentgrass greens though, he's going to be a force for the International Team.

 

Sam Burns Top U.S. Point Scorer (+850 at DraftKings)

There is a legitimate argument that nobody was hotter than Sam Burns coming into the PGA Tour Playoffs, and that nobody is in a better position to lead this U.S. team to victory. Burns had 4 top 5 finishes this year, with all 4 coming since June at the Memorial, and perhaps most importantly, it looks like he'll be paired with Scottie Scheffler frequently. Where Scottie is the best ball-striker on the planet, Burns is one of the best putters on the planet, which makes this pairing potentially deadly. Burns also has a distinct advantage in my mind as he's one of the best bentgrass putters as well. Burns also performs best in strong field events this year, and this is about as strong as it gets. When you factor in the odds discount you get from guys such as Scottie, Xander, and Cantlay, it's hard to pass on Burns at this number.

 

 

Presidents Cup Top Debutant Scorer: Jacob Bridgeman (+375 at DraftKings)

Bridgeman not being the favorite after winning this past weekend is wild to me. Bridgeman has had a bit of a bumpy season, but one thing has remained consistent for him, and that's the flatstick. In 2026, he led the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting and Total Putting, finished 2nd in Putting Average,5th in Putts Per Round, and 6th in One-Putt Percentage. We're talking about an elite roller of the golfing ball. Yes, he may lack distance off the tee which can come into play at this 7,500 yard course, and his irons can get wonky but he's peaking at the right time, and I'm not sure this value can be passed on.