With the announcement of the six wildcard selections for the 2026 Presidents Cup on Tuesday, the US Team and the International Team are all set to square up later this month. However, amongst other big names, 2025 US Open winner J.J. Spaun has not been called up.

US team captain Brandt Snedeker and International team captain Geoff Ogilvy's wildcard picks have sparked debate among fans.

Ryder Cup players, major champions, and proven winners miss out on the 16th edition of the biennial event being held from September 24 to 27 at Medinah Country Club on American soil.

According to Bunkered’s John Turnbull, these are the biggest snubs from the two teams. 

International Team Snubs

Aldrich Potgieter

21-year-old Aldrich Potgieter has shown flashes of his brilliance and could have been an exciting pick for the International team. However, the 2025 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year still has to work on his consistency. The South African has missed the cut in five of his last seven starts and has just two top-10 finishes on the Tour this season. 

Casey Jarvis

Ogilvy went for another South African in Christiaan Bezuidenhout. Although a top-12 finisher, Jarvis misses out despite having an amazing season. 

The 23-year-old enjoyed two wins earlier this season on the DP World Tour, in Kenya and his nation. However, a lack of PGA Tour starts must have been the main reason he missed out.

US Team Snubs

Akshay Bhatia

World No. 33 Akshay Bhatia finished 14th on the points list and looked likely to be picked. The 24-year-old started the year strongly with a win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

However, missing the cut at three of the four majors did not help his cause. Despite being a top putter, Bhatia ranked 135th in SG: Off the Tee throughout the season. The three-time PGA Tour winner will have to wait for his Presidents Cup debut. 

Ben Griffin 

World No. 23 Ben Griffin did not make it into the US team. Heading into the BMW Championship, the 30-year-old was ranked fifth in the points standings. However, in the end, he dropped down to eighth and thus missed out on the automatic qualification. 

After a breakthrough 2025 season, which included three PGA Tour wins and a Ryder Cup debut, Griffin has failed to record a top-ten finish in his last six starts. His recent run of form puts him out of the team. 

JJ Spaun 

2025 US Open winner JJ Spaun is one of two Americans, alongside Griffin, in the top 25 in the world left off the team. However, both have been left out for different reasons.

Spaun’s injury at the Tour Championship last week certainly marred his chances to make his Presidents Cup debut. The world No. 17 withdrew in the first round due to a shoulder injury. At the moment, Spaun’s focus is to assess his lingering medical issue. 

Ryan Gerard

World No. 22 Ryan Gerard looked all set to make it into the US Team. In fact, the 27-year-old headed to Europe to play the Omega European Masters to keep himself prepared for the prestigious biennial competition. 

“Full transparency, if I get a Presidents Cup spot, I’d love to roll into there being a little bit more prepared,” Gerard said. 

As things have come to pass, Gerard will not tee up at Medinah Country Club. Despite having no wins this season, the American registered seven top-10 finishes, including two as runner-up. He also turned up the heat at the Tour Championship, finishing solo third. 

However, Snedeker has gone for a much younger talent in Jackson Koivun. The rookie has just five pro starts on the PGA Tour, including a win at the 3M Open in July.

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Written by

Avishek Sarkar