Presidents Cup Picks, Prediction, Odds, and Line Movement for Thursday September 24 2026

The 2026 Presidents Cup begins Thursday at Medinah Country Club, where Team USA tries to extend one of the most one-sided records in international golf. The Americans have won 13 of the first 15 Presidents Cups, with one tie, and enter the 16th edition as substantial favorites against Geoff Ogilvy's International Team.

Thursday's opening session features five Four-ball matches beginning at 12:35 p.m. ET. Every player plays his own ball in Four-ball, with the lower score from each two-man team counting on each hole. That makes birdie creation especially important and gives captains more freedom to combine aggressive scorers with steadier ball strikers.

Presidents Cup Tournament Information

Event: 2026 Presidents Cup Dates: September 24-27, 2026 Course: Medinah Country Club, Course No. 3 Location: Medinah, Illinois Thursday Format: Five Four-ball matches First Tee Time: 12:35 p.m. ET Total Matches: 30 Points Needed to Win: 15.5

Medinah No. 3 will play as a par 70 measuring approximately 7,548 yards for the event. The course looks significantly different from the version last seen in major professional competition. The OCM design team, which includes International captain Geoff Ogilvy, completed a major transformation that widened fairways, enlarged greens and significantly increased the amount of bunkering.

The Presidents Cup routing also changes the normal sequence of holes, with the members' fifth becoming the opening hole. That brings out-of-bounds into play immediately and pushes several of Medinah's most dramatic holes into positions where they are more likely to affect close matches.

Presidents Cup Odds and Line Movement

Team USA opened the week as a huge favorite and has remained there.

DraftKings listed the Americans at -420 on Tuesday, with the International Team at +460 and a tie at +1425. A Wednesday market snapshot still had the U.S. around -420 but pushed the Internationals to +550 and the tie to +1800. By Thursday morning, broader comparison prices had moved as far as roughly -500 on the Americans, +700 on the Internationals and +2200 on a tie.

Those figures come from different published market snapshots rather than one sportsbook's continuous price history, but the direction is clear: the market has become increasingly reluctant to oppose Team USA.

The Thursday session is more competitive. Current Day 1 prices show the United States around -155 at the best available number, the International Team at +250 and a 2.5-2.5 tie at +600.

Thursday Presidents Cup Four-ball Matches

12:35 p.m. ET: Scottie Scheffler / Sam Burns vs. Min Woo Lee / Sungjae Im 12:53 p.m. ET: Cameron Young / Xander Schauffele vs. Hideki Matsuyama / Ryo Hisatsune 1:11 p.m. ET: Justin Thomas / Jackson Koivun vs. Corey Conners / Nico Echavarria 1:29 p.m. ET: Wyndham Clark / Collin Morikawa vs. Ryan Fox / Adam Scott 1:47 p.m. ET: Chris Gotterup / Patrick Cantlay vs. Tom Kim / Si Woo Kim

The Americans send world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler out first with Sam Burns, although the close friends are still looking for their first victory together after going 0-3-1 across previous Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup appearances as a pairing. Scheffler's individual Four-ball Presidents Cup record is a much stronger 2-0-1.

Match 3 is one of the more intriguing spots on the board. Justin Thomas owns a 10-3-2 Presidents Cup record and is a perfect 6-0 in Four-ball, but rookie Jackson Koivun immediately faces an experienced ball striker in Corey Conners and first-time International Nico Echavarria. Thomas and Koivun were around -130 in the Thursday three-way market, with Conners and Echavarria at +180 and the draw +550.

Why Clark and Morikawa Stand Out Thursday

The fourth match provides the best combination of price and pairing strength.

Collin Morikawa has been excellent in this competition. He enters Medinah with a 6-2 overall Presidents Cup record, including a perfect 2-0 mark in Four-ball. His controlled iron play gives the U.S. pairing a dependable foundation while Wyndham Clark brings the more aggressive scoring profile that can be especially dangerous in better-ball golf.

The challenge is substantial.

Ryan Fox arrives as the reigning Champion Golfer of the Year, while Adam Scott makes his record-tying 12th Presidents Cup appearance. Scott's experience is difficult to match, and Fox has enough power and scoring upside to turn holes quickly in Four-ball.

That explains why the market has kept this match close. Clark and Morikawa were available around even money in an earlier Thursday snapshot. Current U.S. comparison odds have shortened the American pair to approximately -115, with Fox and Scott at +160 and the draw at +500.

What Will Decide Thursday at Medinah?

Four-ball rewards players who can attack.

One player can recover from his partner's mistake, which reduces the damage from an occasional aggressive drive or approach. That puts a premium on pairings with enough firepower to generate repeated birdie opportunities rather than simply avoiding bogeys.

Medinah's wider playing corridors should encourage aggression off the tee, while the enlarged greens and extensive new bunkering make approach position and putting opportunities critical. The redesigned course should produce several holes where players have to decide whether to attack rather than simply protect par.

Clark and Morikawa have a useful combination for that environment. Morikawa can create chances through precision, while Clark has the length and scoring ability to win holes outright.

Best Bet - Clark/Morikawa to Win -115

Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa are the Thursday selection at -115 in the three-way match market against Ryan Fox and Adam Scott.

Morikawa's Presidents Cup record is the strongest concrete advantage in the matchup. He has won six of eight matches overall and both of his previous Four-ball appearances. Clark adds the type of aggressive scoring ability that becomes more valuable when both players get to play their own ball.

Fox and Scott are dangerous enough to keep this from becoming a heavily juiced U.S. price, which is exactly why the matchup remains attractive near pick'em.

The Americans do not need Clark and Morikawa to play conservatively. Morikawa can provide the steady stream of quality approaches while Clark attacks birdie opportunities. That combination gives the U.S. pair the edge in what should be one of Thursday's closest matches.

Presidents Cup Prediction

Prediction: Team USA leads 3-2 after Thursday's Four-ball session.

The International Team has enough strength in the final three matches to prevent an opening-day runaway, but the Americans still carry more depth across the five pairings. Scheffler and Burns should set the tone at the front of the order, while Clark and Morikawa provide the strongest betting opportunity at the current price.