Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-28 · by Jay Cohen The Associated Press
Jackson Koivun, 21, capped his debut in the Presidents Cup with a crucial win over Si Woo Kim in singles play, helping the US team secure a 17-13 victory against the International squad at Medinah Country Club near Chicago. Despite being one of the youngest players and having limited professional experience, Koivun went undefeated in his three matches and was praised by captain Brandt Snedeker for his maturity and performance under pressure during the final day's rally.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-28,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The 2026 Presidents Cup golf competition concluded with Team USA securing a 17-13 victory over the International team at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago. Prior to the final day's play, Team USA had trailed by 10.5 points, but they rallied on Sunday to win nine of the twelve singles matches and claim their eleventh consecutive Presidents Cup title. President Donald Trump attended as honorary chairman, addressing the crowd briefly before the start of the matches and receiving both support from fans and protests from opponents outside the venue. The tournament's history shows that Team USA had never previously faced such a deficit heading into Sunday play; this comeback was described by Trump as "a great victory." With eight of the world's top 11 golfers on their roster, the American team managed to outperform their international counterparts despite entering with a significant disadvantage. This marked another instance where Trump received credit for sports victories during his presidency, even though his direct influence on the game remains debatable. Protests against Trump were held alongside demonstrations supporting him as he visited Chicago for the event. Overall, it was a dramatic turn of events that highlighted Medinah's historical significance in golf competition history.
Written for “Presidents Cup Golf Tournament” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 13 other(s) covering the same event.
MEDINAH, Ill. (AP) — Jackson Koivun crushed his tee shot on No. 18 and twirled his driver in the air as he strutted toward the fairway.
asserted
he → crush → fairway
The 21-year-old Koivun looked quite comfortable in his Presidents Cup debut.
asserted
Koivun → look → debut
The former Auburn star defeated Si Woo Kim 2 up in singles on Sunday, part of an epic rally for the Americans in a 17-13 victory over the International squad.
asserted
star → defeat → squad
He went 2-0-1 in his three matches at Medinah Country Club in suburban Chicago.
asserted
He → go → Chicago
“I put him in a big spot today, a really big spot,” U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker said.
asserted
Snedeker → put → spot
If we were going to have any chance today, he had to win that match.
asserted
he → go → match
The guys were cheering in the room last night when we made that decision to put him in that spot.
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we → cheer → spot
The whole team went crazy because they knew they wanted the kid to go up against Si Woo, and he delivered today in a big way.”
asserted
he → go → way
Koivun led the Tigers to the NCAA title in June.
asserted
Koivun → lead → June
Almost two months later, the California native won the 3M Open in his third professional start, holding off Scottie Scheffler on the way to the victory.
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native → win → victory
Despite his lack of experience, Koivun was selected by Snedeker for the American team.
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Koivun → select → team
He became the first player since Jordan Spieth in 2013 to start a year without a tour card and play in the Presidents Cup.
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He → become → Cup
“I had some goals, but for it to come this quickly is definitely shocking, and I’m just thankful and grateful for the trust the captains put in me to put me out in three of the five matches,” Koivun said.
asserted
Koivun → have → matches
Koivun teamed with Justin Thomas for a 4-and-3 victory over Corey Conners and Nico Echavarria in fourballs on Thursday.
asserted
Koivun → team → Thursday
He rested during Friday’s foursomes — a 5-0 sweep for the International team — before playing with Thomas again on Saturday in a fourballs match against Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im that was halved.
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that → rest → Lee
“He’s really just — he gets it.
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he → ’ → it
He’s very mature,” Thomas said.
asserted
Thomas → ’ → ?
“It just was really cool to kind of just watch him do his thing.
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him → watch → thing
I’ll never in my life forget the smile he had on his face when he
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he → forget → face
put the tee in the ground on Thursday morning and he was about to hit
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he → put → morning
Koivun fell behind at the beginning of his singles match against Kim, losing two of the first four holes.
asserted
Koivun → fall → holes
He got one back when he made an 18-footer for birdie on No. 5, a 480-yard, par-4.
asserted
he → get → .
But Kim restored his 2-up lead when he birdied No. 9 and Koivun missed a 6-footer.
asserted
Koivun → restore → footer
Koivun rallied with an impressive finish, winning five of the last eight holes.
asserted
Koivun → rally → holes
He tied the match with a 12-footer for birdie on No. 12.
asserted
He → tie → .
He opened a 2-up lead on No. 15, when he hit it into 7 feet and Kim missed a 6-footer.
asserted
Kim → open → footer
Up one going into No. 18, Koivun showed no signs of any nerves.
asserted
Koivun → go → nerves
He blasted a 310-yard drive into the fairway and an 8-iron from 159 into 8 feet, punctuating each swing with a twirling club and a confident walk toward the green.
asserted
He → blast → green
Koivun’s victory guaranteed at least a tie for the U.S., and the Americans closed it out from there.
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Americans → guarantee → it
Koivun was one of the first players to hold the Cup during the closing ceremony, capping a valuable experience for the phenom.
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Koivun → hold → phenom
“Yeah, I think I’ll just take a lot of knowledge that I can be out here and I can compete,” he said.
asserted
he → think → knowledge
“It’s just exciting being able to call these guys my friends, and now when I go to tournaments it’s not like, ‘Oh, there’s so and so.’
asserted
it → ’ → tournaments
It’s like, ‘I was on a team with them and we won the Presidents Cup.’”
asserted
we → ’ → Cup
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