The Walker Cup just wrapped up, with Team GB&I securing a surprise comeback victory at Lahinch Golf Club. And now, the action moves to Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. With the professional biennial team championship set to begin on September 24, former Presidents Cup International Team captain Trevor Immelman has hit back at the event’s critics while speaking on the 5 Clubs Golf podcast.
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“Frankly, I get a little bit irritated when I read on social media or in articles about people saying that the Presidents Cup should change its format, it should do something different, it should get blown up,” he said. “It’s actually a little offensive to us. We love this event. We are passionate about this event. We love our team. We want to win this event. We love the opportunity of being able to play against the Americans. So, that’s something that always kind of gets under my skin a little bit.”
Immelman’s comments come in response to claims that the Presidents Cup has long been lopsided. There’s some truth to that, as the U.S. holds a dominant 13-1-1 overall record. The talent and depth gap between the American team and the Internationals has prompted repeated calls for format changes to create more parity. In 2015, the total points were reduced from 34 to 30 under pressure from International captains.
Many now want a further reduction to 28 points, arguing that fewer matches would lessen the impact of U.S. bench strength. Currently, the format is a four-day match-play event between 12-man U.S. and International teams. Thursday and Friday each feature five foursome matches. Saturday has eight mixed-session matches of four-ball and foursomes. Sunday features 12 singles matches.
The format provides 30 points, with one point awarded for a win and half a point for a tie. The first team to reach 15.5 points wins the Cup. So, Immelman remains adamant that the tournament is fine as it is. Whether it’s right is up for debate, but he has deep ties to the Presidents Cup. He debuted as a player in 2005 as a captain’s pick by Gary Player, earning a key PGA Tour exemption that helped launch his American career.
The 46-year-old then returned in 2007. Across those two appearances, he compiled a 1-6-1 record. Immelman later shifted to leadership roles, serving as an assistant captain under Ernie Els in 2019. In 2022, he became the youngest International Team captain at Quail Hollow, guiding the side to a 17.5-12.5 loss against the United States while building team culture.
The South African assisted Mike Weir again in 2024 and will return as an assistant for Geoff Ogilvy at the 2026 event in Medinah. Brandt Snedeker will captain the American side, with Jim Furyk, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, and Gary Woodland serving as assistant captains. But before the event kicks off, it has already produced some surprises thanks to Snedeker’s six U.S. Presidents Cup captain’s picks.
Jacob Bridgeman earned a spot despite a mid-season slump, helped by strong finishes at the BMW Championship and Tour Championship. Jacob Bridgeman secured a spot even though he experienced a mid-season slump. His strong finishes at the BMW Championship and Tour Championship aided his qualification. The boldest selection was 21-year-old Jackson Koivun, who had made only six professional starts but won the 3M Open and qualified for the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
That being said, it appears Trevor Immelman doesn’t think the tournament’s format needs any changes to make it more even. So, he will have to back his principles at the upcoming event.