Nine years can change a lot. But some scenes have a way of coming back around. In 2017, Donald Trump stood on the 18th green at Liberty National, handing out trophies as the U.S. Team celebrated a Presidents Cup victory at home. Trump was the event’s Honorary Chairman. Now, in 2026, he is back for another Presidents Cup, only this time, the backdrop is Medinah Country Club, and he returns as both the sitting U.S. president and Honorary Chairman. And considering his turbulent history with the PGA Tour, this will certainly draw attention.

The PGA Tour has now made Trump’s return official. On August 30, they named Donald Trump the 2026 Presidents Cup’s Honorary Chairman, confirming the appointment in a statement from CEO Brian Rolapp.

“We are grateful to President Trump for accepting our invitation to serve as Honorary Chairman for the 2026 Presidents Cup,” Rolapp said. “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.”

Trump shared his reaction on Truth Social after accepting the role.

“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,” he wrote.

“This will be a particularly exciting event. Both teams are “loaded” with talent. I look forward to being there, and greeting all of these fantastic athletes, on both teams! Thank you for your attention to this matter. See you in Chicago!”

His social media post raised eyebrows, considering his bittersweet history with the PGA Tour.

Back in 2016, the PGA Tour pulled a World Golf Championship event from Trump’s Doral resort in Florida and moved it to Mexico. While Trump criticized it publicly, the Tour pointed to sponsorship and market considerations behind the move.

But the Honorary Chairman role has been an important part of Presidents Cup history. Donald Trump now joins six former U.S. presidents who have held the position, along with leaders from Canada, Australia, South Korea and South Africa.

• Barack Obama held the role twice, in 2009 and 2013.
• George W. Bush served in 2005.
• Gerald Ford was the first U.S. president to hold the position in 1994.

From hardwood to soccer’s biggest stage and IndyCar, Trump has spent the summer making his presence felt at major sporting events. He attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals, the 2026 World Cup final and the IndyCar Freedom 250. Now, his sports circuit appears ready for its next stop. Golf.

Medinah’s Course No. 3, host to five major championships, will now host the Presidents Cup.

The U.S. side will have a new man at the helm as Brandt Snedeker takes the captain’s chair for the first time, with the Presidents Cup returning to American soil. Across the competition, Geoff Ogilvy will lead the International Team. They are still chasing a victory that has eluded them since 1998 in Melbourne.

Interestingly, history heavily favors the Americans. The U.S. Team has claimed 13 of the 15 Presidents Cups contested so far.

Beyond the title: What will Trump’s role look like?

While the title may sound powerful, the job is mostly about being there when it matters. Trump’s role is ceremonial, with his responsibilities limited to attending the event and presenting the trophy.

So, he will not have the power or say over the U.S. Team, the captain, the format, or any decisions, as reported by GolfRaw.

Trump also won’t be in the team room plotting pairings or deciding which players take the course in Friday’s foursomes. Those calls belong entirely to the captains.

All about the tickets

The ticket demand shows how big this event is expected to be. General admission tickets went on sale on September 9, 2025. Presidents Cup executive director Joie Chitwood said at the time that fans would get to watch 24 of the PGA Tour’s biggest stars compete for their countries, while also experiencing the culture and spirit of Chicago.

Resale tickets are going for about $106, and single-day passes for the weekend rounds have already climbed past $150. That’s a lot of money changing hands for an event that pays its players nothing.

Every dollar the Presidents Cup raises goes to charities the players choose themselves, the same setup it’s had since the first tournament in 1994.

And Trump’s presence does something ordinary matches can’t: it turns the Presidents Cup into a geopolitical event, not just a golf tournament. He’s the latest in a line that already includes Ford, Clinton, Bush and Obama, though holding the title hasn’t always meant showing up.

Clinton did, playing a round in 2000, but Obama skipped his own Presidents Cup in 2009, and Bush’s 2005 turn amounted to little more than a White House photo op.

Matches get underway September 24 at Medinah, with Snedeker and Ogilvy running the two teams and Trump back in the same ceremonial role he held at Liberty National. Golf aside, that’s the real deal here: a former president in the room gets the Tour more attention than any ad buy could.