Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 2

Snedeker Leaves Out 2 Ryder Cuppers for 2026 Presidents Cup as Gut Picks Favor Youth

Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 2

Snedeker Leaves Out 2 Ryder Cuppers for 2026 Presidents Cup as Gut Picks Favor Youth

Q: Will the gamble on rookie Jackson Koivun pay off, or will Medinah's pressure crack the young star?

The pick looks more likely to pay off than backfire, though Koivun is still the roster’s biggest volatility play. The case for him is unusually strong for a 21-year-old. Koivun did not just arrive with hype; he won the 3M Open in only his third PGA Tour start and did it by holding off Scottie Scheffler. That week he showed the trait captains value most in team events: he stayed composed when the pressure rose, closing with a bogey-free 66 and a key par putt on 18. His amateur record also points to a player comfortable on big stages, from a No. 1 world amateur run to multiple national player-of-the-year sweeps at Auburn and U.S. team experience in events like the Walker Cup. There are reasons for caution. Match play at Medinah is not a regular Tour stop, and rookies can be exposed by the format, crowd energy and momentum swings. Koivun is also less proven over a long stretch against elite fields than omitted veterans such as Ben Griffin or Ryan Gerard. His playoff run showed some of that learning curve; he admitted the grind of consecutive Tour weeks wore on him, and mistakes under pressure did appear. Still, the American team is built to protect that risk. With Scheffler, Morikawa, Schauffele, Thomas and Cantlay supplying experience, Snedeker does not need Koivun to carry the team. He needs upside, energy and one or two productive sessions. On the evidence so far, Koivun looks mentally advanced enough to deliver that.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 2

Brandt Snedeker finalized the U.S. Presidents Cup team by bypassing J.J. Spaun and Ben Griffin, both 2025 Ryder Cup players, with Medinah opening on Sept. 24.
Four of Snedeker’s six captain’s picks came from Nos. 7-12 in the standings, but he skipped Griffin at No. 8 and Spaun at No. 10 for Patrick Cantlay, Jacob Bridgeman and 21-year-old Jackson Koivun.
Ryder Cup results sharpened the scrutiny: Spaun went 2-1-0 for 2 points in 3 matches, Griffin went 1-1-0, while Cantlay managed 1.5 points in 5 matches and Justin Thomas had 2 points in 4.
Snedeker said 15 to 17 players had a “legit chance” and called the process “not fair,” adding that he ultimately “trusted my gut”; Spaun’s Tour Championship injury withdrawal may also have weighed on the call.