Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we preview the Presidents Cup and look at the PGA Tour’s latest schedule news.
The Presidents Cup begins Thursday at Medinah Country Club outside of Chicago, with the Americans attempting to win their 11th straight. The U.S. holds a 13-1-1 all-time record in the event and is the favorite once again. What has to go right for the Internationals to pull off the upset? And will they?
Dylan Dethier, senior writer (@dylan_dethier): On paper it looks as lopsided as ever — perhaps even more so than usual. But this event does have a habit of getting slightly closer than you’d expect, at least until late on Sunday. It would be awesome for the Internationals to contend; their blueprint for getting there is channeling the energy of Si Woo and Tom Kim plus the unpredictable nature of match play. Look, they have plenty of good golfers too; why not Adam Scott, Min Woo Lee, Ryan Fox, Hideki Matsuyama and Co.? I dunno. I’m hoping desperately for a fun Sunday finish.
Josh Schrock, associate news editor (@Schrock_And_Awe): They need their top players — Hideki, Si Woo, Tom Kim and Adam Scott — to be a firewall and then hope that the match play variance works in their favor in singles. If their big names get beat up, they don’t have a chance.
Zephyr Melton, associate game-improvement editor (@zephyrmelton): They need … a miracle? Only kidding (kind of). But without the talent they lost to LIV, along with being without stalwart Jason Day, I just don’t see a path to victory for the Internationals.
Take your pick: Which players will be the respective MVPs for each squad, and which one player might we be sleeping on who has a big week at Medinah?
Dethier: The U.S. team will be anchored by Sam Burns, who doubles as the U.S. sleeper. We are, as always, sleeping on Sam Burns. Ryan Fox is your man on the International side; this is somehow his event debut, and I’d expect him to go all out.
Schrock: The internationals will be anchored by Tom Kim, and the Americans will lean on Xander Schauffele, who I feel is close to being back to top form. I think we’re sleeping on Chris Gotterup’s potential to have a big week and make everyone re-debate why he should’ve been at Bethpage.
Melton: U.S.: Wyndham Clark (with a hot putter). International: Si Woo Kim. As far as sleepers go, I could see Jacob Bridgeman and Ryan Fox having solid weeks.
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp spoke to the media last week and explained the Tour’s new eligibility rules for its Championship Series and Challenge Series for 2028. Our Dylan Dethier broke down the most important subplots here, but what bit from what Rolapp laid out was of most interest to you?
Dethier: My key takeaway is that down the line, we’re going to have a meritocratic system with a ton of promotion and relegation — but in the short-term transition phase you will see plenty of familiar names protected, at least for a year or two, thanks to grandfathered-in exemption categories. That’s hardly the worst thing in the world, but we’re not quite ripping the band-aid off of the old system here.
Schrock: Agree with Dylan. It’s interesting that several names are already in the Championship Series, which you wouldn’t expect. Max Homa being in off stacking wins in 2023 (that will be five years past when this starts) and Brian Campbell being in off a weird two-win-and-not-much-else 2025 come to mind.
Melton: I’m just excited for the talking to be done and hypothesizing to be done. Wake me up in a few years when this all blows over.
And what still has you scratching your head?
Dethier: I’m obsessed with these weird loopholes and details, so I’d like to see Vijay Singh take advantage of his Life Member status to play 15 events on the PGA Tour in 2027 and then trigger a Career Money List exemption for 2028, boosting him to the top tier around his 65th birthday. I’m pretty sure this could happen, under the rules. (I do not think it will, though it illustrates a path available to plenty younger and slightly less accomplished pros.)
Schrock: Very curious to see how the DP World Tour pathways get ironed out. Rolapp said he expected the pathway from the DPWT to the PGA Tour to continue, but it’s unclear what that will look like at the minute.
Melton: I’m a bit confused how this “meritocratic” system is kicking off with a bundle of exemptions for (some) lackluster names. I suppose there has to be some regard for winning recently, but there are some head-scratching names qualified for several seasons.
Last week, GOLF unveiled its latest ranking of the Top 100 Resorts in the World. What tops your list as the favorite golf resort you’ve ever visited?
Dethier: Bandon Dunes is still the best. But Adare Manor seems like a pretty dreamy home base to any Irish adventure, and that’ll turn plenty of heads (and book plenty of trips) around the Ryder Cup next fall. More generally, it’s almost impossible to skim through that list without getting some serious wanderlust — and firing out a group text.
Schrock: As an Oregon native, Dylan nailed it. It’s Bandon. Everyone else is playing for second. (No, I haven’t been to them all but am open for invitations.)
Melton: I haven’t visited a ton of resorts on our list, but one I did get to check out earlier this summer was Erin Hills. It’s always fun to walk the fairways where major championships have been played.
