How Presidents Cup Captains Decide Their Pairings, Explained
By Staff Writer
1 min read
LoopGolf
Presidents Cup pairings come down to analytics, according to International team veteran Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who described the process ahead of next week's matches at Medinah Country Club.
How does analytics shape the pairings?
Bezuidenhout, who is making his third Presidents Cup appearance for the Internationals, discussed the selection process on GOLF's Subpar podcast with hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz. He said captains and vice captains lean on a dedicated statistics team to build out potential pairing combinations before each session.
Bezuidenhout said the captains and vice captains work through numerous pairing combinations with that stats team before settling on a lineup for each session. "I just trust the stats guy and captains to pick that right," he said, adding that his job is simply to go out and play his best once the pairings are set.
What's at stake at Medinah?
The International team, captained by Geoff Ogilvy, is looking to end a losing streak in the competition that dates back to 1998. Brandt Snedeker leads the U.S. side. The Presidents Cup follows the Walker Cup and Solheim Cup as the third team event on the fall calendar, and it begins next week outside Chicago.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the 2026 Presidents Cup being played?
The matches are being held at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago.
Who are the Presidents Cup captains this year?
Brandt Snedeker captains the U.S. team, and Geoff Ogilvy captains the International team.
How long has the International team's Presidents Cup losing streak lasted?
The International team has not won the Presidents Cup since 1998.
- Presidents Cup
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Medinah Country Club
- Brandt Snedeker
- Geoff Ogilvy
- team golf
