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The 2026 Presidents Cup is set to begin on September 24 at the Medinah Country Club, located just outside Chicago, Illinois. While this event shares similarities with the Ryder Cup, several distinctive features mark its format and scheduling, which shape the competition between Team USA and the World team (excluding Europe and Great Britain).
Spanning four days, the Presidents Cup consists of 30 matches, each worth one point, in contrast to the Ryder Cup’s 28 matches. The tournament employs match play to decide the outcome of individual contests, with an important difference in scoring protocol: if the overall competition ends in a tie, the trophy is shared between the two teams.
Detailed Format and Schedule of the Presidents Cup
The opening day, Thursday, September 24, features a single session starting at 12:35 p.m. ET, with five matches played in the four-ball format. In this setup, pairs of players from each team compete using their best individual scores on each hole, with five points available.
On Friday, September 25, the format shifts to foursomes, or alternate shot, where pairs of teammates alternate hitting the same ball. This session also begins at 2:05 p.m. ET and includes five matches, again totaling five points.
Saturday, September 26 features two separate sessions. The morning session at 8:05 a.m. ET reverts to the four-ball format with four matches and four points on the line. Later that day, at 2:15 p.m. ET, the afternoon session returns to foursomes with another four matches available for four points.
The final day, Sunday, September 27, holds the climax of the event with 12 singles matches beginning at 12:02 p.m. ET. Each player competes head-to-head, and captains decide the playing order the night before. These matches collectively offer 12 points, concluding the competition’s 30-point total.
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