Presidents Cup 2026: An embarrassing Chris Gotterup vacation photo, the worst texter and the funniest guy—the U.S. dishes the dirt on their team group chat
Few things are more important in team sports than team chemistry. That may sound obvious, but the U.S. has struggled to grasp the concept in recent years, appearing fragmented and listless in international competition.
The Presidents Cup has been the lone exception to that rule over the past half decade. That’s partly due to the enormous talent gap between the U.S. and International teams ... but also maybe the group chat. Don’t believe us? You don’t have to. Just listen to the red, white and blue discuss their team group chat on Wednesday at Medinah, less 24 hours before the start of 2026 President Cup.
Where to even begin? Young gun Jackson Koivun names Gotterup as the funniest guy in the chat. Every group needs one, and as Gotterup’s recent social media posts have proven, he has that gear. Gotterup, however, says the he laughs have been at him not with him due to an embarassing vacation photo of him that Jacob Bridgeman posted in the chat. No one would reveal the nature of the photo (team solidarity!), but Xander Schauffele shed a bit more light on the classified image.
“Some things didn’t go his [Gotterup’s] way,” Schauffele said, barely able to contain the giggles. “I think Bridgeman maybe leaked it in there, and with AI now, some things got out of hand.”
According to Captain Brandt Snedeker, the group chat got so good, that even Scottie Scheffler had to chime in. But unlike some big U.S. stars of yesteryear who always underperformed in team competitions, Scheffler’s rare appearances in the chat aren't due to aloofness or status. It’s because he, in a reveal so on brand we can’t possibly doubt its authenticity, sucks at texting.
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“I’m probably the worst texter on the team easily,” Scheffler said on Wednesday. “I don’t know how the other team [the Internationals] text, but I’m probably worse than them too, and some of those guys, English is their second language.”
This will all be music to the ears of U.S. golf fans, who will desperately hope the stars n’ stripes can build some good vibes before a tough road Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in 2027. But first things first, they have to win and win convincingly this weekend at Medinah. Maybe then we’ll finally get see that Gotterup vacation photo …
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