Coming off another disappointing performance in the Ryder Cup, the Americans are again wondering whether their International counterparts have their number. Luckily for the United States, the Europeans who give them fits are sidelined for the Presidents Cup with players from everywhere else across the world arriving in Chicago to compete at Medinah No. 3.
The U.S. has won 10 straight trophies in this biennial competition, and while the 2024 Presidents Cup had extra juice with three Canucks on the International side and the event hosted in Montreal, this year the Americans enter as even more substantial favorites on home soil.
The United States opens at -550 to win the Presidents Cup with an expected advantage of 7 points, nearly double their odds from two years ago. The International side is a substantial underdog at +500, and it has neither much experience nor familiarity to buck the trend of American victories dating back two decades. In fact, the Internationals have only won once out of 14 playings of the event ... back in 1998 across the globe in Australia.
The 2026 competition sees the United States boasting a roster with three of the top five and eight of the top 11 players in the Official World Golf Rankings, led by No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and No. 3 Cameron Young. On the International side, Si Woo Kim is the highest-ranked competitor, falling below all eight of his opponents at No. 14 in the OWGR.
Ultimately, the question will be whether the Americans remain dominant in this event -- a level of play they have not been able to achieve at the Ryder Cup -- or the Internationals break a long losing streak and come out on top in Chicago.
Let's take a look at how our CBS Sports experts believe the 2026 Presidents Cup will play out this week.
2026 Presidents Cup predictions, expert picks
Odds via FanDuel
United States MVP
Sam Burns: Coming off a career-best season in terms of total strokes gained and ball striking, Burns will be able to show off the well-rounded nature of his game in this format. He was the only player in 2024 not to lose a match (3-0-1), and there is a good chance he plays all five sessions with partners such as Patrick Cantlay in four-ball and Collin Morikawa in foursomes. Both of those combinations are a recipe for success for a player who is in form, confident and more than capable with the putter in hand in match-play situations. Top American: 13/2 | Top scorer: 9-1 -- Patrick McDonald
Cameron Young: Young might just be a killer in match play. He was the highlight of an otherwise dismal Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black (3-1-0), and his style of golf works incredibly well in this format. Young gets to be super-aggressive because the penalty for a bad hole is only losing the hole itself, not derailing an entire round. When he gets hot, he can go on a tear and push himself or his team to a big advantage. He ought to be out in at least four sessions this Presidents Cup (if not all five, depending on the score on Saturday), and if he doesn't take home at least three points for the U.S., it'd be a surprise. Top American: 10-1 | Top scorer: 11 Top American: 13/2 | Top scorer: 9-1 -1 -- Robby Kalland
International MVP
Min Woo Lee: While he was not allowed to cook in Montreal two years ago, as he played in just one of the team sessions, the International team does not have that luxury this time around. Lee is a much more complete player than he was in 2024; his ability to take what the golf course gives him has grown, complementing his natural aggressive style of play. Lee remains volatile, but that volatility can be dangerous if channeled effectively in this competition. Top International: 9-1 | Top scorer: 30-1 -- McDonald
Si Woo Kim: The International side's best player must live up to the billing this week. Kim is one of the most beloved players on the PGA Tour, and his positive energy is infectious. That makes him the perfect player to lead this International side, but that only matters if he carves out points for his squad. Kim will likely be out in all five sessions, given the lack of depth on the International team, and if he can manage 2.5 points or more, he can light a fire under his teammates. Perhaps we'll see another iconic celebration from him like his "night night" in 2024 -- although, he says he's learned to save that until he's actually won the match this time around. Top International: 11/2 | Top scorer: 16-1 -- Kalland
Breakout candidate
Jacob Bridgeman (United States): Seen as a surprise pick by some, but Bridgeman has been playing great golf for two straight years now. He is the best putter on the PGA Tour and made just about 90% of his takes inside 10 feet this past season. Coming off a win, he should be running downhill and could be paired with another rookie, his good friend Chris Gotterup, in either format. His improved iron play and pinpoint wedge play make him a good partner whom teammates will want to play with. -- McDonald
Chris Gotterup (United States): Jackson Koivun is rightfully getting all the attention as the most exciting debutant, but Gotterup is also making his team competition debut. Like Young, Gotterup's game seems extremely well-suited to match play, and he can bring some needed fire and emotion to the U.S. squad. The Americans are always in search of potential core pieces for Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup squads, and Gotterup can make a statement at Medinah that he's going to be a fixture of U.S. teams for the foreseeable future.
Surprise prediction
Justin Thomas struggles: He's 10-3-2 in the Presidents Cup and has never lost in a team session; all three tallies in the second column have come in Sunday singles. A winner at a past version of Medinah, Thomas will be seen as the sparkplug for this American side, but those days may be coming to an end. The two-time major winner had a season similar to 2023, which included the worst iron season of his career. Things can flip in this type of setting, yes, but he is closer to the bottom of this U.S. team than the top. -- McDonald
Jackson Koivun notches the winning point in Sunday singles: There is going to be some pressure on the 20-year-old to live up to the hype this week -- especially after J.J. Spaun's win in England last week as the biggest snub off the U.S. roster. One thing that should help Koivun is that he has more recent match play experience than anyone on either side, thanks to his collegiate career. That will show up in singles, where I'd anticipate he'll be sent out right in the middle on Sunday, and, if things go as expected, one of those players in the middle matches will have a chance to earn the winning point. It'd be fitting if that player is Koivun to announce his presence as a future star for the U.S. team. -- Kalland
Winning side
Odds: United States -550, Internationals +500, Tie +1800 Handicap: United States -7 (+115)
United States (17-13): It is such an uphill climb for the International side. They need their top six players to outperform the U.S. top players, while hoping for any sort of contribution from the bottom half, which played less-than-inspiring golf in 2026. Scottie Scheffler will look like Scottie Scheffler and be complemented on his wings by the likes of Burns, Morikawa and Wyndham Clark for a big U.S. win that will leave golf fans flipping to the NFL on Sunday once those games begin. -- McDonald
United States (17.5-12.5): The U.S. will ultimately overwhelm the International squad with its talent and depth and cruise to an 11th consecutive win -- third straight by five points or more. The team has plenty of experience, but it also has just enough youth to keep things fresh and bring needed energy to the team room. A talent gap on paper doesn't always mean dominance on the golf course, but in this case, it should show up in another fairly lopsided result. -- Kalland
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