Why was Im Sung-jae selected for the 2026 Presidents Cup International Team?

Geoff Ogilvy described Im as invaluable to the International Team and called him a birdie machine. Im also brings experience, as this will be his fourth Presidents Cup appearance.

When and where is the 2026 Presidents Cup being held?

The event is scheduled for Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois, from Sept. 24 to 27. It is a biennial match play competition between the International Team and the U.S. team.

Which Koreans are on the International Team for the 2026 Presidents Cup?

Im Sung-jae will join Kim Si-woo and Tom Kim on the team. Kim Si-woo was the top International Team player at No. 13 in the latest world rankings.

Im Sung-jae to compete at Presidents Cup as captain's pick

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Summary

Korean PGA Tour veteran Im Sung-jae will compete for the International Team at the Presidents Cup as a captain's pick. Geoff Ogilvy named him and five others on Tuesday, and the event will be held at Medinah Country Club in Illinois from Sept. 24 to 27. Im will be one of three Koreans on the team, alongside Kim Si-woo and Tom Kim. He is set for his fourth Presidents Cup appearance.

Key Facts

The Presidents Cup will be played at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois, from Sept. 24 to 27.
Im Sung-jae was one of six captain's picks announced by International Team captain Geoff Ogilvy on Tuesday local time.
Kim Si-woo and Tom Kim were among the six automatic qualifiers for the International Team based on world ranking positions Monday.
Im is ranked No. 57 and has posted five top-10 finishes in 22 starts this year after missing the first two months with a wrist injury.
This will be the 16th edition of the competition, with the United States having won 13 times and the lone International victory coming in 1998.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 2, 2026 9:19 am KST

Im Sung-jae of Korea hits from the fifth tee during the third round of the BMW Championship golf tournament in St. Louis, Aug. 22. AP-Yonhap

Korean PGA Tour veteran Im Sung-jae will tee off at the upcoming Presidents Cup as a captain's pick for the International Team.

Geoff Ogilvy, captain of the International Team, consisting of non-European and non-American golfers, selected Im and five others on Tuesday (U.S. local time), putting them alongside six automatic qualifiers who had made the team based on their world ranking positions Monday.

The Presidents Cup is a biennial match play event pitting the International Team against the U.S. side. This year's event will be played at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois, from Sept. 24 to 27.

Im will be one of three Koreans on the team. Kim Si-woo and Tom Kim, two other PGA Tour members, were among the six automatic qualifiers, with the former being the top International Team player at No. 13 in the latest world rankings.

Im, No. 57, has been one of the most consistent players on the PGA Tour since winning the Rookie of the Year award in the 2018-2019 season. He missed the first two months of this year due to a wrist injury and went on to post five top-10s in 22 starts. He finished the season with five top-15 finishes in his last six tournaments.

"Sung-jae is invaluable to the International Team. He is a birdie machine," Ogilvy said. "He is also one of the funniest guys in the team room. Everybody loves Sung-jae."

Im will be making his fourth Presidents Cup appearance. In 2019, 2022 and 2024, Im went 6-7-2 (wins-losses-halves)

The five other captain's picks were: Corey Conners and Nick Taylor of Canada, Nico Echavarria of Colombia, Ryo Hisatsune of Japan, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout of South Africa.

This will be the 16th edition of the competition. The United States has so far won 13 times, and the two sides ended in a tie in 2003. The lone International victory came in 1998.

The Americans will be favored once again this year, with this year's team featuring world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and major champions, such as Wyndham Clark, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas.

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