Brandt Snedeker made his six captain’s picks for the 2026 Presidents Cup on Tuesday, and whenever picks in these types of team tournaments are made, there’s always going to be lots of chatter about the guys who didn’t get their names called and the guys who did.
That’s no different this year. Snedeker, a PGA Tour veteran who has never served as a captain before in a Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup, made three bold moves with his picks to fill out Team USA’s 12-man roster and he should be commended for doing so.
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The U.S. team will be the heavy favorites to beat the International team at the Presidents Cup, which will be played at Medinah Country Club just outside of Chicago on Sept. 24-27. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be pressure on Snedeker and his squad to get yet another win in this event.
Let’s take a look the captain’s big decisions on Tuesday and explain why they were the right moves.
Picking 21-year-old PGA Tour rookie Jackson Koivun over a number of veteran players
Jackson Koivun made the jump from college golf to the PGA Tour this summer and it didn’t take him long to find success as he got his first win in just his third start as a professional. Immediately after his victory at the 3M Championship in Minnesota, golf fans across the board called for Snedeker to pick him for the Presidents Cup team for one important reason: so he could get some valuable experience in a team event that will likely have him ready for future Ryder Cup appearances.
The Presidents Cup is an important competition for Team USA but it’s a few steps behind the Ryder Cup. By adding Koivun, who had an incredible college career at Auburn and excelled in big-stakes match play competitions while with the Tigers, this should help him feel more comfortable when he gets the call for the Ryder Cup team. There’s no guarantee that he will play in a Ryder Cup but considering his potential it feels safe to say that he has everything it takes to be a factor in those for years to come.
Jackson Koivun is ready to rep the red, white and blue 🇺🇸@PresidentsCup | @PGATOURU pic.twitter.com/msk9TbNfOC
— PGA Tour (@PGATour) September 1, 2026
Snedeker could have taken the safe way out for himself and picked someone with more experience but he did the opposite and showed some guts in doing so. Koivun doesn’t have to be the star of this team. He can get a feel for what it’s like to compete in these big events, he can hopefully get some wins under his belt and then he can hopefully enjoy celebrating with his teammates at the end of the singles round on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Snedeker didn’t pick Ben Griffin, even though he finished eighth in Presidents Cup standings
Ben Griffin had a breakout year on the PGA Tour in 2025. He won three times, had 11 top-10 finishes and made his first Ryder Cup team. Nobody would have batted an eye if his name got called by Snedeker on Tuesday, but it didn’t and now he’ll watch the Presidents Cup from home.
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It was the right move by Snedeker but it couldn’t have been an easy phone call for him to make. Griffin finished eighth in the President Cup standings, just behind Chris Gotterup who made the team after winning three times on the PGA Tour this past season. While Griffin’s 2025 season was fantastic, his 2026 season was a bit of a step back. He didn’t get any wins, missed the cut six times and finished his year with two missed cuts, a T42 at the St. Jude Championship and a T44 at the BMW Championship. Griffin missed out on making it to the Tour Championship and it’s safe to say his struggles down the stretch led to him being left off this team.
Snedeker didn’t pick J.J. Spaun, who won the U.S. Open in 2025
J.J. Spaun lit up the golf world at Oakmont in 2025 when he capped off his U.S. Open win by draining a 64-foot birdie putt on the final hole. It was a magical moment for a guy who had never won a major championship before and it immediately thrusted him into the top tier of golfers on the PGA Tour.
But like Griffin, Spaun’s 2026 season didn’t go the way he hoped. He missed the cut at the Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open. He made it to the weekend at the British Open but finished tied for 40th.
He then struggled down the stretch and ended his season by withdrawing from the Tour Championship during the first round due to a shoulder injury. We don’t know how severe that injury is or whether or not he could have returned for the Presidents Cup but now we don’t have to spend any time speculating if he would be ready for Medinah because he is not on the team.
It couldn’t have been easy for Snedeker to pass on a player who won the U.S. Open just over a year ago, but it was the right call by the captain and one that shows just how seriously he is taking his duty of leading his team against the International team later this month.
