PGA Tour names Trump honorary chairman for 2026 Presidents Cup
President Donald Trump will serve as honorary chairman for the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club near Chicago, the PGA Tour announced Saturday. Trump previously held the role in 2017.
President Donald Trump will return to a familiar role next month when the 2026 Presidents Cup tees off at Medinah Country Club near Chicago. The PGA Tour announced Saturday that Trump has been named honorary chairman for the tournament, scheduled for Sept. 22-27.
Trump previously served as honorary chairman of the 2017 Presidents Cup at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey, where he participated in the trophy presentation after the U.S. Team defeated the International Team, 19-11. PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp emphasized the event's tradition of engaging world leaders, saying, «The Presidents Cup has a proud tradition of engaging world leaders from across the globe and across political lines, and President Trump’s involvement continues that legacy.»
«His participation will help elevate the event on the international stage while furthering our mission of bringing people together through the game of golf,» Rolapp added. This year's tournament will feature a 12-man U.S. Team against a 12-man International Team, with Brandt Snedeker captaining the Americans and Australian Geoff Ogilvy leading the International Team.
Trump confirmed his acceptance in a Truth Social post later shared by the official White House account on X. «At the request of the PGA Tour, and its Great new Commissioner, Brian Rolapp, it is my Honor to accept being the Honorary Chairman of the upcoming Presidents Cup, which will take place at the Medinah Country Club in Chicago,» Trump wrote.
«This will be a particularly exciting event,» Trump added. «Both teams are 'loaded' with Talent. I look forward to being there, and greeting all of these fantastic athletes, on both teams!»
Trump becomes the seventh U.S. president to serve as honorary chairman of the Presidents Cup, joining Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford. The biennial competition pits a U.S. team against an international squad representing the rest of the world excluding Europe, which competes separately in the Ryder Cup.
Medinah Country Club, a venue with deep major championship history, last hosted the Ryder Cup in 2012, when Europe staged a dramatic comeback victory. The course has also hosted multiple PGA Championships and U.S. Opens, making it one of the most storied layouts in American golf.
The 2026 event marks the first Presidents Cup held at Medinah. The tournament was last played in 2024 at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Canada, where the U.S. Team extended its dominance in the series. The Americans have won the Presidents Cup 12 times in 14 editions since the event began in 1994, with the International Team claiming victory only in 1998 and the two sides tying in 2003.
