Kim Si-woo, Im Sung-jae, Kim Joo-hyung vow to seize early momentum at 2026 Presidents Cup

Three of the International team's top players — Kim Si-woo, Im Sung-jae and Kim Joo-hyung — declared their determination to win at the 2026 Presidents Cup in pre-tournament interviews ahead of the event, which runs for four days starting Friday at Medinah Country Club in Chicago, Illinois.

The International team has not lifted the trophy since the 1998 Royal Melbourne edition, and all three players pointed to the same formula for ending that 28-year drought: seizing early momentum and embracing responsibility to the team.

Kim Si-woo, who has a strong record in Presidents Cup play, set a clean sweep as his personal target. "This is a stage I've been waiting two years for, so I'm excited — and I'm ready," he said. "My goal, for the team and for myself, is to play all five matches and earn five points."

After assessing Medinah's course conditions as excellent, Kim identified early control of the match as the decisive factor in an away environment. "In the last edition, we lost every match on day one and then won every match on day two," he said. "This time, we need to build confidence quickly over the first two days and drive the momentum — that will make the back half of the week much easier."

Im, making his fourth Presidents Cup appearance, said the team's tight bond was the key to victory. "From my rookie year to now, the Presidents Cup has always had a special excitement that no regular tour event can match," he said. "Unlike individual play, every shot carries a mix of responsibility to your partner, a sense of accountability when things go wrong, and a rush of achievement when they go right — that's what makes team match play so compelling."

He added that his long friendships with Kim Si-woo and Kim Joo-hyung would deepen their on-course chemistry. "We've been close for a long time, so when we're on the same team we lean on each other even more," Im said. "If the International team, which has won this event only once in its history, can claim the title this time, it will be one of the most meaningful moments of my career."

Kim Joo-hyung, playing in his third Presidents Cup, offered a tactical read of the course and made no effort to hide his competitive instincts. After studying Medinah's No. 3 course, he said hitting fairways would be essential to creating scoring opportunities. He singled out holes 12, 13 and 14 as the pivotal stretch. "Those holes combine risk and reward in a way that can completely shift the momentum of a match," he said.

On the prospect of a hostile American crowd, Kim said the pressure would only raise the stakes. "I expect the crowd to be even louder than last time, but earning points under that kind of pressure means so much more for the team," he said. "I want to bring real energy to the team at the critical moments, driven by youth and a will to win."

The three players share a clear strategic blueprint: bank as many points as possible in the foursomes and fourball team matches before Sunday's singles, where the United States has traditionally dominated. "The American team is especially strong in the final-day singles," Kim Joo-hyung said. "In the early team matches, where we have a partner to rely on, we absolutely have to stick together and take the lead."