The Presidents Cup is heading to Medinah Country Club later this month, with Team USA and the International team set to converge for an exciting battle in the biennial team championship. However, ahead of the tournament, two-time major winner Justin Thomas, who is expected to compete in the event as a captain’s pick, withdrew from the Biltmore Championship.
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The tournament was expected to serve as preparation for the Presidents Cup, with Thomas’ absence raising questions about whether he would be ready for the action later this month. In the meantime, however, some have also wondered whether competing in fall events ahead of the Presidents Cup was mandated by Team USA captain Brandt Snedeker.
Did Team USA captain ask players to compete in fall events?
The simple answer is no. In fact, Snedeker preferred that players set to compete in the team championship rest before heading into the Presidents Cup.
“No, I don’t think there’s enough time in between [the] Tour Championship and Presidents Cup,” Snedeker told Golfweek when asked about it. “I feel like after [the] Tour Championship, guys have been playing six out of seven weeks or seven of eight weeks, and I feel like rest will be more important than making them go play.
“I think last year was a unique year, because there were four weeks off, a whole month off before. I think there are only three weeks this year. I trust the guys to be prepared and ready to go.”
The team, however, took a trip to Medinah last week, and this trip also included Justin Thomas.
“The team felt it would be beneficial to experience Medinah’s updated layout firsthand,” Snedeker said last month. “Any opportunity to gain familiarity with the course and better understand how it may play in a team competition setting is valuable as we continue preparing for Presidents Cup week.”
While Snedeker was okay with his players taking a break from competition, not every captain takes that approach.
Keegan Bradley felt the fall series event was key to success
Team USA captain Keegan Bradley believed keeping his players sharp before the 2025 Ryder Cup could be crucial to their chances at Bethpage Black. After the Americans struggled with rust in Rome in 2023, Bradley wanted his team to avoid another lengthy competitive break and identified the Procore Championship in Napa as an ideal tune-up.
Most of his expected team members planned to compete in the Fall Series event, although Bradley made it clear that participation would not be mandatory.
“No one is required to go,” Bradley told Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig. “The boys feel like this is the best course of action to be ready to play at their highest level at Bethpage.”
“I think the guys want to feel ready to go at Bethpage and they feel this is the best way to do it,” he said.
The strategy was influenced by Wyndham Clark’s admission that “a lot of us weren’t prepared” after taking five weeks off before the 2023 Ryder Cup.
That being said, it appears different captains take different approaches to prepare for team events. But only time will tell which one produces the desired result.