Team USA has historically dominated the Presidents Cup, losing just once, in 1998. So, after the International side swept Friday’s foursomes 5-0 and the Americans failed to make up the deficit on Saturday, U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker was ready to fall on the sword, taking responsibility for what he viewed as his own mistakes. However, although Team USA ultimately rallied on Sunday to complete the largest final-day comeback in Presidents Cup history, Kevin Kisner has since revealed what went wrong for the 45-year-old captain, offering insight into the decisions and circumstances that contributed to the Americans’ dramatic deficit.
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“I think the problem is you have the most self-centered, selfish profession in the world because it’s an individual sport that each person runs on their own,” Kisner said on the Fore Play Podcast. “They’re their own CEO of their own business all the time, and then they’re thrown into that leadership role, and it’s like, all of a sudden I do everything for everyone else. But for 25 years I’ve only done what’s best for me… all the time to make me the most successful I could be… I think that’s a tough part.
“I think that the team needs someone to help the captain with messaging, interviews, and team culture building,” he added, calling for a change. “There’s plenty of them out there. Every college football coach has one. Every NFL team has one… If that person was standing there… Brandt would have gone on with Cara Banks, the interview would have gone flawlessly, and y’all would have said, ‘Holy cow, he’s handling this perfectly.’”
Kisner was, of course, referring to Snedeker’s comments during an interview with NBC’s Cara Banks on Saturday. Speaking about the team’s struggles, the 45-year-old admitted, “So proud of how they’ve kind of hung in there this week despite all of my mistakes.” Snedeker later elaborated on his remarks, taking further responsibility for the situation and adding, “I tried to work my tail off to put these guys in the best situation possible, and I don’t think I’ve done a very good job this week to be where we are right now.”
Snedeker went on to explain that the players “look to me to put them in the best position where they’re comfortable,” before candidly admitting, “I don’t think I’ve held up my end of the bargain.” Those comments appear to form the basis of Kisner’s criticism of the U.S. captaincy. According to Kisner, one of the biggest shortcomings is the lack of adequate public relations training for the captain, particularly when dealing with the media during high-pressure events. He believes the team should have a dedicated PR professional working alongside the captain to help navigate those situations.
Having a dedicated PR professional would help the captain communicate his message more effectively during interviews while avoiding unnecessary missteps when speaking to reporters. However, Snedeker’s self-blame was hardly the only blunder he made during his media interactions, particularly in his conversations with NBC’s Cara Banks.
The 45-year-old captain also found himself in an awkward moment during a live interview with Cara Banks ahead of Saturday afternoon’s foursomes. While explaining the changes he had made to the lineup, Snedeker began outlining his strategy before hesitating mid-sentence, saying, “Yeah, we threw a couple of wrinkles in there, you know, obviously going with C.G. and, um…”
As he tried to recall the player’s name, Snedeker openly admitted, “Sorry, my head’s spinning a little bit right now.” He then paused again, struggling to gather his thoughts and finish his explanation.
Banks eventually stepped in to help, reminding Snedeker of the player’s name: “Cameron Young.”
“Thank you very much,” Snedeker replied before moving on with the interview.
The moment came just before another question about Snedeker’s decision-making. When Banks asked what made Russell Henley and Jacob Bridgeman such a strong foursomes pairing beyond their relationship, Snedeker pointed to Henley’s world ranking and Bridgeman’s recent victory. Rather than offering detailed analytical reasoning behind the pairing, his response focused primarily on their individual credentials and recent form.
When pressed further on the numbers supporting his decision, Snedeker could only offer a general response, saying, “I felt like they were. I felt like the numbers backed that up.” However, he did not provide any specific statistics to support the claim, instead pointing to the duo’s ability to “hit fairways and put pressure on groups.”
Perhaps U.S. team captains do need dedicated media training and support to help them navigate the demands of the spotlight. However, whether the team will ultimately adopt such an approach remains to be seen.