Once every two years, twelve Americans and twelve of the best players from everywhere outside Europe square off with no prize money on the line and nothing but pride, a trophy, and bragging rights to play for. In 2026 that fight comes to Chicago. The Presidents Cup runs September 22 to 27 at Medinah Country Club, and if you have ever wanted to watch the world’s best grind through match play with a partisan crowd roaring on every putt, this is your year and your zip code.
Here is the who, what, where, and why, plus how to watch from the couch if you cannot get there.
Why Go
Start with the obvious. The Americans have owned this event, leading the all-time series 13-1-1 and rolling to an 18.5 to 11.5 win in Montreal in 2024. The International side, captained this time by Geoff Ogilvy, would love nothing more than to spoil the party on U.S. soil. Brandt Snedeker captains the home team. Both are first-time Presidents Cup captains, which adds a layer of intrigue to every pairing decision.
Then there is the golf course, and this is where Medinah gets interesting. Course No. 3 is one of the most decorated layouts in American golf. It has hosted three U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships, and the 2012 Ryder Cup, the one Europe stole on Sunday in the comeback they still call the Miracle at Medinah. But the course you will see in 2026 is not the one Tiger Woods won majors on. Between 2022 and 2024 the club spent 23.5 million dollars on a full redesign by OCM, the Australian firm led by, yes, Geoff Ogilvy. The same man who reimagined the back nine is now trying to win on it as the International captain. You cannot script that.
The new finish is the headline. The par-4 16th is a drivable Cape-style hole that dares you to bite off as much of Lake Kadijah as your nerve allows, and the par-3 17th now plays back across the same water. In a Sunday singles match with the Cup on the line, that two-hole stretch could decide everything. Match play, water, and a stadium crowd is the best theater in golf.
Where to Buy Tickets
Buy from the source. Tickets are on sale now at presidentscup.com, and the only safe resale market is the event’s official Ticketmaster page, where listings are verified. Anything else is a gamble, and the PGA Tour will not bail you out if a third-party ticket turns out to be a screenshot.
A few things worth knowing. You can buy single-day grounds tickets for any day, Tuesday practice rounds through Sunday singles, with a limit of six per day per transaction. Two kids age 15 and under get in free with each ticketed adult, no pre-registration needed, which makes this a rare big-time sporting event you can actually bring the family to without taking out a loan. If you want to upgrade, the Captains’ Club featuring Michelob Ultra is an open-air sports-bar setup with views of holes 3, 4, and 5, and the International Club sits above Lake Kadijah looking out at the 9th green and 10th tee.
Where to Park
General parking is sold separately from your ticket and goes on sale closer to the event, so keep an eye on the official Presidents Cup site and its social channels for the on-sale date and the lot location. Plan on a shuttle from a remote lot to the grounds, which is standard for an event this size. If parking sells out or you would rather not deal with it, rideshare drop-off and the surrounding suburban Metra options are worth a look. Either way, do not show up planning to park in the neighborhood. Medinah sits in a residential stretch of DuPage County, and local enforcement will not be charmed by your out-of-state plates.
What You Can Bring In
The Presidents Cup runs the standard PGA Tour bag policy, which means travel light. Here is what makes it through the gate:
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Bags no bigger than 6 by 6 by 6 inches, or a clear plastic bag up to one gallon.
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Your phone, on silent, used within the Tour’s mobile device policy.
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A still camera with a lens under 6 inches, but only during the practice rounds, and with no case.
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An umbrella without a sleeve, a collapsible chair without a bag, and binoculars without a case.
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Sunscreen, an empty refillable bottle, and a little patience for the security line.
What gets you turned away: backpacks, coolers, oversized bags, selfie sticks, and cameras on competition days. There is usually no bag check on site, so if it is on the no list, leave it in the car.
How to Watch If You Cannot Make It
No flight to Chicago? You are still covered. The Presidents Cup airs across NBC, Golf Channel, and Peacock, with streaming through the NBC Sports app, the same lineup that carried the 2024 matches. Expect Golf Channel to handle the early-week and Thursday and Friday coverage and NBC to take over for the weekend, with Peacock streaming alongside. The hour-by-hour 2026 schedule usually drops in the weeks before the event, so confirm exact times closer to game week. Sunday singles is the one to clear your calendar for. Twelve matches, every point live, and the Cup almost always decided in the final hour.
The Part That Is Not Golf
You are 30 minutes from downtown Chicago, so do not waste the trip. Late September is prime time in the city. Baseball is still going, the steakhouses are in midseason form, and the bourbon and cocktail scene downtown is as good as any in the country. Book one night in the Loop or River North, eat a steak the size of your sand wedge, and let someone else drive. The golf is the reason you came. The city is the reason you will want to come back.
