3 biggest surprises from the U.S. Presidents Cup picks

The rosters are set, the hour-long television special is over, and the Presidents Cup has taken shape. U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker had six automatic picks and six captain’s picks to make. A few choices seemed obvious, but the bottom of the roster remained a major question mark. GOLF.com’s Dylan Dethier identified three surprises in Snedeker’s selections.

1. Jacob Bridgeman gets the call

At the beginning of the 2026 season, Jacob Bridgeman seemed like a no-brainer for the U.S. side. His first eight starts produced seven top-20 finishes, three top-five finishes and a statement victory at the Genesis Invitational.

After that, his golf remained remarkably consistent but dipped slightly. His T13s became T33s, and he recorded just one top-20 finish in his next 13 starts. Bridgeman missed only one cut during that stretch, but by the time the playoffs arrived, he was on the edge of the conversation.

That made it especially interesting to see how much his playoff performance changed his case. His ninth-place finish at the BMW Championship and T4 at the Tour Championship provided an impressive bookend to his breakout season.

It also helps that Bridgeman is statistically the best putter on the PGA Tour.

2. An American in Europe

After finishing third outright at the Tour Championship, Ryan Gerard took a red-eye to Europe for this week’s Omega European Masters, where he is the betting favorite. One reason for the trip, he said, was to prepare for a potential Presidents Cup selection.

“Full transparency, if I get a Presidents Cup spot, I’d love to kind of roll into there being a little bit more prepared,” Gerard said. “I like to play a lot of golf. And if I don’t, I’ll probably just stay over there and play Wentworth and the France Open after that.”

On Tuesday, Gerard earned the unfortunate and unofficial distinction of being the first man out when Snedeker left his name unmentioned. Gerard was one of the hottest players on the U.S. side, entering with five top-10 finishes in his last 11 starts, but it was not enough to leapfrog veterans such as Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay.

Based on Gerard’s Sunday comments, it sounds like his fall European trip will continue. That will give him a few more chances to show the U.S. side what it is missing.

3. The rookie

Jackson Koivun has made just six starts as a professional. His third start was a statement victory at the 3M Open, where he held off world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and validated the hype that had followed him throughout his time as Auburn’s star.

Koivun also made the FedExCup Playoffs, an especially impressive accomplishment given his limited number of starts.

But a solid, if unremarkable, finish to his PGA Tour season — T31 in Detroit, T29 in Greensboro and T24 in Memphis — left his Presidents Cup future uncertain. Would a U.S. team known for playing it safe really roll the dice on an unproven 21-year-old?

Yes.

Snedeker seemed slightly gleeful as he announced Koivun with the final pick of the session, knowing he had saved the biggest and boldest move for last. The decision echoed Europe’s selection of Ludvig Aberg for the 2023 Ryder Cup, when Aberg was a recent college graduate.

Koivun will be the youngest player at Medinah by far. He will also be among the most talented.

Game on.