Kim Si-woo, Tom Kim secure automatic Presidents Cup berths; Im Sung-jae likely captain's pick

Kim Si-woo and Tom Kim have both secured automatic berths on the International team for the 2026 Presidents Cup.

The two South Korean stars clinched their spots on merit, setting up what promises to be an exciting Presidents Cup for Korean golf fans. Im Sung-jae, who overcame an early-season injury to advance to the second round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, will now wait to see whether International team captain Geoff Ogilvy selects him as one of his captain's picks.

According to the Presidents Cup organizing committee's official announcement Tuesday, Kim Si-woo tops the International team points standings and enters the event as the team's marquee player, currently ranked 13th in the world. He played in 24 tournaments this season, finishing runner-up three times and recording 11 top-10 finishes in what has been the best season of his career.

Kim dramatically improved his putting — long considered his most glaring weakness — on his way to a world ranking of 13th. He also became the first Korean player to surpass $10 million in single-season earnings on the PGA Tour, earning his automatic Presidents Cup berth through sheer performance.

The 2026 event will be Kim's fourth Presidents Cup appearance, following stints in 2017, 2022 and 2024. His career record stands at 6-5. At the 2022 edition he went 3-1, capping his week with a victory over American star Justin Thomas in Sunday singles play.

Tom Kim qualified fifth in the International team standings. After enduring a prolonged slump since 2023, he revived his career by winning the Genesis Scottish Open in July and added a solo third-place finish at the US Open. He is expected to reprise his role as the team's energy catalyst.

The 2026 Presidents Cup will be Tom Kim's third consecutive appearance, dating back to 2022. His career record is 3-1-5. At his previous two Presidents Cups he served as a spark plug for the team and proved himself a clutch performer when points were on the line.

The six automatic qualifiers for the International team are Kim Si-woo (1st), Ryan Fox of New Zealand (2nd), The Open champion, Hideki Matsuyama of Japan (3rd), Min Woo Lee of Australia (4th), Tom Kim (5th) and Adam Scott (6th).

Im Sung-jae, who had been widely expected to qualify automatically, fell to ninth in the final standings and narrowly missed out. Still, his determined run through the playoffs after a serious right wrist injury early in the season has drawn widespread praise. The consensus is that captain Ogilvy will include him among his six captain's picks, given Im's consistently vital contributions in past Presidents Cups.

The 2026 Presidents Cup will be held in September at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois. On the American side, Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Young, Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns, Russell Henley and Collin Morikawa all earned automatic berths by finishing in the top six of the US team standings. The United States leads the all-time series 13-1-1.