Team USA’s comeback at the Presidents Cup ended the way the U.S. always seems to want these things to end: with another win, another trophy, and another reminder that this group can survive a shaky start and still close the door.
Down by three points going into Sunday’s singles, the Americans flipped the script at Medinah and secured an 17-13 victory. Jacob Bridgeman finished the job with a short par putt on the 18th hole, sealing the U.S. team’s eleventh straight Presidents Cup win.
Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas got the rally moving early, and rookie Jackson Koivun kept the momentum rolling later in the day with a comeback win over Si Woo Kim, 2-up. Those three helped set the tone for a final session that belonged to the home side once the pressure got highest.
Scheffler, whose record in team events had been a talking point before the week, answered it in the best way possible. The world No. 1 opened Sunday with a 2-and-1 win over Nico Echavarria, and the match’s sharpest moment came on the 14th hole.
After a fan yelled during Echavarria’s tee shot, the ball ended up in the right rough on the long par-4, and Scheffler conceded a 32-foot par putt to keep the hole even. Both players walked away with pars.
A classy move from Scottie Scheffler. After a fell yelled in Nico's swing, Scottie conceded a 32-footer to tie the hole. pic.twitter.com/CL6w1fl52s
Koivun, meanwhile, looked every bit like the next name U.S. golf wants to build around. The 21-year-old PGA Tour rookie, who was in college just a few months ago, had the pressure of a captain’s selection on his shoulders and still went out and delivered. After falling behind early against Si Woo Kim, he fought back and closed out a 2-up win after sticking his approach shot on 18.
JACKSON. FREAKING.
KOIVUN. 😱😱😱📺: NBC pic.twitter.com/dm5syO6D8F
Koivun finished 2-0-1 in his three matches, and he looked like he belonged in the format from the jump.
Thomas did what Thomas always seems to do in these events: bring production and edge. The captain’s pick went 2-1-1 across four matches and set the tone Sunday with a 5-and-3 win over Corey Conners. His presence was felt beyond the score line, too, with the kind of intensity U.S. teams lean on in Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup play.
JUSTIN THOMAS IS HERE TO PUT ON A SHOW! 🇺🇸📺 Presidents Cup on NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/5L8KQFDgAl
His Presidents Cup record now stands at 12-4-3, and after another strong week at Medinah, he looks like a safe bet to be back in the mix at the Ryder Cup next year in Ireland.
Gotterup was another American who made the most of his first team appearance. The 27-year-old from New Jersey played with the same fire that Thomas brought all week, and after losing his opening match in Thursday’s four-ball session, he won three straight, including a 1-up victory over Christiaan Bezuidenhout on Sunday. Gotterup has won four events over the last 14 months and climbed to No. 7 in the world golf rankings during that run.
"This is by far the most nervous, fun, pressure-packed environment that I've ever been a part of,” Gotterup said after his win on Sunday. “I didn't feel like I had my best stuff this week and getting thrown into this without your A game is stressful, but I felt like I handled it really well.”
Brandt Snedeker, the surprise captain choice, walked away with the win, but the week did not come easy. He had only played in one Presidents Cup in his own career, and even with the U.S. rallying on Sunday, he said after Saturday’s sessions: “They look to me to put them in the best position where they're comfortable,” Snedeker said after Saturday’s sessions.
“I hold myself to a high standard. I don't think I've done the best job for them in that room.
They've given me everything I could possibly ask for, and I've just got to figure out ways to get these guys in better situations. I don't think I've held up my end of the bargain.”
Some of his pairings and lineup choices drew questions over the first three days, and the final-day setup left the International side with a chance to push. But the U.S. talent eventually overwhelmed that opening, and Snedeker finished as a winning captain despite a rough stretch in the middle of the week.
The International team had its best shot in a long time to end the drought and claim its first Presidents Cup win since 1998. Instead, it managed only two singles victories on Sunday, from Tom Kim and Sungjae Im, and watched the Americans celebrate again.
For now, the streak keeps going. And the International side will have to wait until 2028 for another crack at making it a tighter fight.
In Other News...
Trump And Scottie Scheffler Gave Golf Fans A Presidents Cup Moment
President Trumps appearance at Medinah Country Club already gave the Presidents Cup a little extra pageantry, but a brief moment with Scottie Scheffler quickly became the days most replayed snapshot. Trump was there as the tournaments honorary chairman, and when the World No. 1 came through for a handshake, the interaction was short enough to leave fans leaning in and guessing. The clip captured just enough of the exchange to make it feel bigger than a passing greeting, which is often how golfs biggest events end up producing their most talked-about moments.
Scheffler has generally framed his dealings with Trump as rooted in golf rather than politics, which only added to the curiosity around the encounter. For a sport that likes its marquee events polished and orderly, the scene was a reminder that one unexpected handshake can take on a life of its own, especially when it involves a president, the games top player, and a phrase nobody could quite make out. For now, the buzz is less about what was said than how quickly a few seconds turned into the kind of Presidents Cup theater fans keep replaying. [Read more 🡒]