Matt Kuchar, C.T. Pan named Junior Presidents Cup captains at Medinah
Cameron Jourdan- Matt Kuchar and C.T. Pan have been named captains for the 2026 Junior Presidents Cup.
- Kuchar will lead the U.S. team, while Pan will guide the International squad.
- The event features 24 of the world's top junior male golfers and precedes the Presidents Cup.
Matt Kuchar and C.T. Pan have both made plenty of memories playing in the Presidents Cup. Now, they're set to give back to the next generation of American and International junior golfers.
On Wednesday, the Presidents Cup and American Junior Golf Association announced Kuchar and Pan as captains for the 2026 Junior Presidents Cup at Medinah, with Kuchar being tabbed to lead the Americans while Pan guides the International side. The fifth edition of the Junior Presidents Cup will be contested outside of Chicago on Medinah's No. 1 and No. 2 courses Sept. 21-22, with the 2026 Presidents Cup beginning Thursday, Sept. 24 at Medinah's No. 3.
The Junior Presidents Cup is a two-day, team match-play competition featuring 24 of the world’s top junior boys 19 years old and younger – 12 from the United States and 12 from around the world, excluding Europe – that takes place just days before the start of the biennial Presidents Cup. The teams will compete in six four-ball and foursomes matches on Monday, Sept. 21, followed by 12 singles matches on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
Kuchar, a five-time member of the U.S. Presidents Cup team, said he was asked about his interest in leading the Junior squad earlier this year on a visit to Ponte Vedra Beach to meet new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp.
"It's an amazing opportunity," said Kuchar, who still hopes to lead a Presidents Cup team in the future. "Being a dad, a parent of sports, sports dad, and as my son, Cameron, kind of evolved with with junior golf, I've enjoyed that same role in junior golf and watching these kids get better, getting to know some of the other families. It's been more fun than I thought I'd have just watching. I think I'm a great fit, and I'm excited to be a part of it."
Kuchar has represented the United States in five Presidents Cups (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019), holding a 6-9-4 record. The 47-year-old also competed in four Ryder Cups (2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016) and served as a vice captain under Jim Furyk in 2018. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Kuchar earned the bronze medal.
In his junior career, Kuchar played in 13 AJGA tournaments. He was named a Rolex Junior All-American in 1994 and 1995 with five top-3 finishes. Kuchar’s son, Cameron, was named a Rolex Junior All-American in 2025.
"Cameron seems to know just about everybody, and if they know Cameron, they know at least of me," Kuchar said. "I think it's great to already have a built-in relationship and bond with a lot of these kids. I'm a believer that the more comfortable you are in a situation, that you tend to do better. I think if you're comfortable, if you're enjoying yourself, that's how I felt, that if I'm having fun, if I'm comfortable in a situation, I'm in a better place to play better golf and perform better. And I think the goal is to make sure these kids are enjoying what they're doing, because I think if you're enjoying it, you're probably gonna perform better."
Pan brings plenty of international experience as captain of the International squad. A three-time Olympian for Chinese Taipei, Pan competed in Rio (2016), Tokyo (2020), where he captured the bronze medal, and Paris (2024). He was a standout performer at the 2019 Presidents Cup, posting a 2-1-0 record and thrilling fans alongside Hideki Matsuyama with back-to-back Four-ball victories. He was the first player from Chinese Taipei selected to the Presidents Cup team.
Pan’s maiden PGA Tour win came at the RBC Heritage in 2019. Pan was also a successful junior golfer, playing in ten AJGA tournaments. He was a Rolex Junior All-American in 2009 and had seven top-10 finishes. Since 2019, Pan has hosted seven AJGA tournaments domestically and supported the AJGA’s International Pathway Series.
Pan said when he found out the news, he initially got a text message from the Tour and thought he was in trouble. Then he got on the phone and found out the news, and he went and jumped on his bed, waking up his wife to celebrate.
"It was early in the morning, and she was like, 'you're crazy,'" Pan said. "But I told her the news, and we were so excited. It's my first time being a captain or co-captain. It's going to be a learning opportunity, not only for the kids but for me, too. I'm so excited."
The U.S. leads the Junior Presidents Cup series, 4-0. In 2024, the U.S. side won 15-9 at Le Club Laval-sur-le-Lac in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.