Seven first-time Presidents Cup players will compete at Medinah Country Club, with both captains leaning on newcomers who have already established themselves on the PGA Tour.
The rosters are set for the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club from Sept. 24-27, and seven of the 24 players will be experiencing the event for the first time. Brandt Snedeker and Geoff Ogilvy each leaned on newcomers when finalizing their teams, and the resulting group is unusually accomplished for a set of first-timers.
Here is a look at each of them.
Chris Gotterup, United States
Gotterup is a rookie in name only. He won three times on the PGA Tour this season, tying Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark and Matt Fitzpatrick for the most victories in 2026, and enters the matches as a legitimate Player of the Year candidate. He sits seventh on the U.S. points list and seventh in the Official World Golf Ranking.
The frustrating part of his 2025 season was narrowly missing a captain's pick for the Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black. He removed all doubt this year. Gotterup's length off the tee makes him a natural fit for team formats, particularly in four-ball, where his ability to make birdies in bunches can carry a pairing.
Jacob Bridgeman, United States
Bridgeman's calling card is the putter. He led the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting this season, which is exactly the kind of skill that wins matches at this event. His signature moment came in February at Riviera, where he outlasted a chasing pack led by Rory McIlroy to win the Genesis Invitational.
He closed the year strong as well, posting top-10 finishes at both the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship. What he gives up off the tee can be covered by the right partner, which frees him to do what he does best on the greens.
"Jacob has quickly proven himself as one of the brightest young players on Tour," Snedeker said. "What impressed me most wasn't just his win at Riviera but the way he continued playing consistent golf throughout the season. He'll bring some new and exciting energy as a first-timer to the team this year."
Jackson Koivun, United States
The boldest selection on either side. Koivun is 21 years old and roughly three months removed from Auburn, yet he beat Scheffler head-to-head at the 3M Open and played his way into the FedEx Cup Playoffs on the strength of just five professional starts.
He was 48th on the U.S. points list and 66th in the world ranking, numbers that ordinarily disqualify a player from consideration. Snedeker took him anyway, betting on a player whose fearlessness has been evident since the day he turned pro.
Ryan Fox, International
The Champion Golfer of the Year gets his Presidents Cup debut after winning The Open. Fox is the only first-timer to qualify automatically this year and becomes the first player from New Zealand to compete in the event since Danny Lee in 2015.
A major title tends to travel well into team competition, and Fox arrives with as much momentum as anyone on Ogilvy's roster.
Nico Echavarria, International
Echavarria was the only one of Ogilvy's six captain's picks to win on the PGA Tour this season, taking the title at PGA National during the Florida Swing. That victory is a meaningful separator on a team where several selections were made on consistency rather than results.
Ryo Hisatsune, International
The 23-year-old Japanese player profiles as a strong four-ball option, and the reason is straightforward. Hisatsune ranked second on the PGA Tour in total birdies this season while making 23 of 25 cuts and qualifying comfortably for the BMW Championship.
His selection also marks the first time another Japanese player has made the International team alongside Hideki Matsuyama, which creates an obvious pairing possibility.
"Ryo has achieved a lot in a short time being only 23," Ogilvy said. "After experiencing success in Japan and Europe, fans on this side of the world are getting to know him better with his regular appearances on PGA Tour leaderboards. His quality performance, charming personality and top-notch attitude make him a winner."
Nick Taylor, International
The most overdue debut on either team. Taylor has built a long and successful career without ever getting the call, and Ogilvy finally made it happen. He joins Corey Conners to give the International side two Canadians at Medinah.
The stakes are considerable for the newcomers on Ogilvy's side. The International Team has not won since 1998 at Royal Melbourne, on the Sandbelt where Ogilvy grew up. He will try to end that drought at Medinah No. 3, a course he helped redesign.
