Notable Names Left Off Both 2026 Presidents Cup Rosters

By Staff Writer

September 22, 2026

2 min read

J.J. Spaun, the biggest surprise omission from the 2026 U.S. Presidents Cup team

Bryan Berlin / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Key takeaways

J.J. Spaun was left off the U.S. team despite saying earlier talks led him to expect a pick.
Bryson DeChambeau and Joaquin Niemann, second and third in the 2026 LIV Golf individual standings, are both ineligible as LIV players.
Patrick Reed has not played for the U.S. since the 2019 Presidents Cup.
Jason Day, a five-time International team member, missed selection after closing his season with three missed cuts in five starts.

Twenty-four players qualified for the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club, and several notable names did not, including reigning U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun and 2026 individual LIV Golf runner-up Bryson DeChambeau.

Which U.S. players missed out?

Spaun's omission was the biggest surprise on the U.S. side. Asked after his BMW PGA Championship win at Wentworth whether earlier talks with captain Brandt Snedeker had given him confidence about a pick, Spaun said it "led me to believe that I would make the team." Spaun was one of just three Americans with a winning record at the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.

Patrick Reed, once nicknamed "Captain America" for his Ryder Cup play, has not represented the U.S. since the 2019 Presidents Cup. He left LIV Golf at the start of 2026 and won twice on the DP World Tour this season, but he withdrew from the BMW PGA Championship with injury and was not picked. Jordan Spieth finished the season without a top-10 finish and was not seriously in contention for a spot. Brooks Koepka, eligible again after rejoining the PGA Tour this year, has not played on a U.S. team since the 2023 Ryder Cup and did not qualify or get a pick.

DeChambeau, who finished second to Jon Rahm in the 2026 LIV Golf individual standings, remains ineligible for U.S. teams as a LIV player. He missed the cut at the Masters, the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open this year.

Which International players missed out?

Joaquin Niemann, third in the 2026 LIV Golf individual standings, was left out under the same LIV eligibility rules that excluded DeChambeau. Fellow LIV player Lucas Herbert, who won twice on LIV this year and finished tied for sixth at the Open Championship, was also unavailable to International captain Geoff Ogilvy.

Former Open champion Cameron Smith, now outside the top 100 in the world after a form slump, is a LIV player and was ineligible regardless of his results. Marc Leishman, who played four straight Presidents Cups from 2013 to 2019, is also on LIV and did not qualify. Jason Day, a five-time International team member, closed his PGA Tour season with three missed cuts in his last five starts and was not selected.