Presidents Cup Snubs: Spaun's Injury, Griffin's Case Left Out

By Staff Writer

September 2, 2026

3 min read

Bryan Berlin / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Key takeaways

J.J. Spaun withdrew from the Tour Championship after five holes on Aug. 27 with a right shoulder injury, finishing 30th in the FedExCup for $355,000.
The PGA Tour's playoff rules shortened the field to 29 players rather than adding an alternate.
Five days later, U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker's six Presidents Cup picks did not include Spaun (10th in points) or Ben Griffin (8th).
Snedeker instead picked Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Jacob Bridgeman, Chris Gotterup and Jackson Koivun.
At the 2025 Ryder Cup, Spaun earned more points than three of this year's automatic qualifiers and one captain's pick.

J.J. Spaun's 2026 season ended awkwardly at East Lake and then again at the podium, five days apart, in ways that turned out to be connected.

Why did Spaun withdraw from the Tour Championship?

Spaun woke up on the Tuesday of tournament week with sharp pain near his right shoulder blade, which he attributed to a poor night's sleep. He and his physio worked through it, but the pain flared badly during a Tuesday range session. He played five holes of Thursday's first round anyway, going bogey-double bogey-bogey before hitting his tee shot on the par-5 sixth and withdrawing at 4 over, saying he could not complete a backswing.

The withdrawal fixed his finish at 30th in the final FedExCup standings, worth $355,000. Under the PGA Tour's playoff rules, a qualified player who cannot compete shortens the field rather than triggering an alternate, so the Tour Championship continued with 29 players instead of 30.

Why weren't Spaun and Griffin picked for the Presidents Cup?

The top six players in the U.S. Presidents Cup standings after the BMW Championship qualified automatically: Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Sam Burns, Wyndham Clark, Russell Henley and Collin Morikawa. Snedeker's six captain's picks went to Chris Gotterup (7th in the standings), Xander Schauffele (9th), Justin Thomas (11th) and Jacob Bridgeman (12th), plus Patrick Cantlay (13th) and Jackson Koivun. Griffin, who had been 5th entering the BMW Championship before finishing 8th, and Spaun, 10th, were left off.

Snedeker did not cite Spaun's injury as a factor, and no captain has published a detailed rationale for skipping either player. Speaking to reporters, Snedeker said depth made the decision difficult.

It's tough. It's not fair to a lot of these guys.— Brandt Snedeker

Both snubbed players had strong showings in last year's Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, where the U.S. lost despite a deep roster.

Player	2025 Ryder Cup record	Points	2026 Presidents Cup status
J.J. Spaun	2-1-0 (3 matches)	2	Not selected
Justin Thomas	2 pts (4 matches)	2	Captain's pick
Ben Griffin	1-1-0 (2 matches)	1	Not selected
Patrick Cantlay	1-3-1 (5 matches)	1.5	Captain's pick
Russell Henley	3 matches	0.5	Automatic qualifier
Collin Morikawa	3 matches	0.5	Automatic qualifier

Spaun's 2026 season before the injury included a win at the Valero Texas Open, his third Tour title and first since the 2025 U.S. Open, along with four top-10s and 15 cuts made in 22 starts. He shared the first-round lead at the BMW Championship before rounds of 72 and 73 dropped him to a tie for 22nd, and entered the Tour Championship ranked 16th in the world.

Frequently asked questions

Why was J.J. Spaun left off the 2026 Presidents Cup team?

He sat 10th in the U.S. points standings, in range for one of Snedeker's six captain's picks, but withdrew from the Tour Championship with a shoulder injury five days before the roster was announced. Snedeker has not given a specific reason for the snub.

Why did Spaun withdraw from the Tour Championship?

A right shoulder injury that flared during a Tuesday range session. He played five holes of the first round, going 4 over, before withdrawing, saying he could not complete a backswing.

Did Spaun still get paid despite withdrawing?

Yes. His withdrawal locked in a 30th-place finish in the FedExCup, worth $355,000.

Who were Brandt Snedeker's 2026 Presidents Cup picks?

Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Jacob Bridgeman, Chris Gotterup and Jackson Koivun, joining automatic qualifiers Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Sam Burns, Wyndham Clark, Russell Henley and Collin Morikawa.