Sam Burns is one of six Americans who secured automatic qualification to the U.S. Presidents Cup team and will represent the United States at Medinah Country Club Sept. 24-27, 2026, captain Brandt Snedeker confirmed when he announced his six additional picks on Sept. 1.
- Sam Burns is an automatic qualifier to the U.S. Presidents Cup team for Medinah Sept. 24–27, 2026.
- Burns’ season included multiple top-10s at majors and career-high PGA Tour earnings, cited in regional reporting as factors in his points standing.
- Brandt Snedeker’s finalized U.S. roster pairs established stars with three rookies; exact pairings and match strategy are still to be determined.
Lead: Burns locked into U.S. side for Medinah
The 30-year-old from Shreveport, Louisiana, earned one of the six automatic berths in the U.S. Presidents Cup points standings and was listed among the qualifiers named by Snedeker. Snedeker completed the 12-man roster by adding six captain’s picks, creating a team that pairs established stars with three Presidents Cup newcomers.
What the roster looks like
According to Snedeker’s announcement, the six players who qualified automatically were Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns, Russell Henley and Collin Morikawa. Snedeker’s six captain’s picks were Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Chris Gotterup, Jacob Bridgeman and Jackson Koivun. Sources reporting the roster include the Associated Press and regional coverage in Louisiana.
Burns’ recent form and Presidents Cup history
Reporting from the Shreveport-Bossier Journal notes Burns has been a regular in international team competition: this will be his third straight Presidents Cup appearance and his fifth consecutive international-team selection overall when combined with his Ryder Cup outings. The same report details that Burns has previously gone 0-3-2 in his 2022 Presidents Cup debut and 3-0-1 as a captain’s pick in 2024.
Local coverage also summarised Burns’ 2026 season statistics: the report stated he posted six top-10 finishes, four top-five finishes, and career-high official PGA Tour winnings of $9.4 million for the season to date. It also said Burns finished tied for fourth at the Memorial, was runner-up at the U.S. Open, third at the Open Championship, and had a career-best seventh at the Masters, and that he ranked fourth on Tour in strokes gained: putting. These results and the Presidents Cup points totals were cited as the basis for his automatic qualification in reporting by the Shreveport-Bossier Journal.
Why Burns matters to the U.S. team
Burns brings match-play experience and recent major contention to a U.S. side that has relied on depth. Regional reporting highlighted his consistent record in team events and his strong putting statistics this season, which could be an asset in four-ball and foursomes formats where short-game prowess and putter form can swing matches.
Snedeker’s roster combines automatic qualifiers who earned spots across the 2025–2026 points window with selected players aimed at pairing flexibility. Multiple sources reporting the full roster emphasised the inclusion of both veterans and three Presidents Cup rookies among the captain’s additions.
Event logistics and format
Media accounts of Snedeker’s announcement say the Presidents Cup will be contested at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago from Sept. 24–27. Snedeker told journalists the U.S. will open Thursday with four-ball (best-ball), move to foursomes (alternate shot) on Friday, return to four-ball Saturday morning and play foursomes Saturday afternoon, followed by 12 singles matches on Sunday. Medinah has been noted by reporting as a venue with a unique place in U.S. golf history, having hosted multiple major international events.
What’s settled and what remains open
- Settled: Sam Burns is an automatic qualifier and part of the 12-man U.S. Presidents Cup team for Medinah; the full roster and match schedule formats were announced by Brandt Snedeker and reported by multiple outlets.
- Unresolved: Final pairings, which players Burns may be partnered with in team sessions, and the U.S. team’s strategy for matching up against the International side will be determined closer to the event and during team practice sessions, and were not specified in the roster announcement reporting.
Timeline — key moments leading to Burns’ selection (based on reporting)
- 2025–2026: Presidents Cup points accumulated across the qualifying period determined the six automatic U.S. qualifiers.
- 2026 season: Burns recorded multiple top-10 and top-5 finishes in big events, including a runner-up at the U.S. Open and third at the Open Championship, cited in regional coverage as contributing to his points position.
- Sept. 1, 2026: Brandt Snedeker announced his six captain’s picks and finalised the 12-man U.S. roster, confirming Burns among automatic qualifiers.
- Sept. 24–27, 2026: The Presidents Cup will be contested at Medinah Country Club.
Context and implications
Multiple reports underlined that the United States has dominated recent Presidents Cup history and entered Medinah with a long winning streak in the event. Burns’ inclusion preserves continuity for the U.S. side: he brings match experience and recent form at major championships that, according to regional reporting, helped place him among the top six in the points standings.
For Burns personally, the Presidents Cup represents another opportunity to convert strong individual major finishes into team success; reporting indicates the U.S. has yet to suffer a defeat in the event in recent decades and will rely on a mix of veterans and newcomers to maintain that record.
Attribution and sources
This article reports only facts contained in the supplied evidence: the Associated Press coverage of the U.S. team announcement and regional reporting from the Shreveport-Bossier Journal, supplemented by contemporary accounts of Brandt Snedeker’s captain’s picks published by media outlets that covered the roster announcement. Direct quotations and figures are attributed to those sources as summarised in their reports.
Key takeaways
- Sam Burns qualified automatically for the 2026 U.S. Presidents Cup team and will play at Medinah Sept. 24–27.
- Burns has prior Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup experience and posted strong results this season, according to regional reporting.
- Brandt Snedeker completed the U.S. roster with six captain’s picks, including three first-time Presidents Cup participants.
