Nico Echavarria climbs to No. 4 in the International Team Standings with win at Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches
CHICAGO – The 2026 Presidents Cup standings continue to take shape as the PGA TOUR season continues its push toward the global team event, September 22-27 at Medinah Country Club’s Course #3. Colombia’s Nico Echavarria made a statement in his push toward being an automatic qualifier, winning the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches and jumping six spots to No. 4 in the International Team standings.
Echavarria’s win at the Cognizant Classic marked his third career PGA TOUR victory and signified a turnaround in a season that had included four missed cuts in his first six starts before breaking through with a top-10 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and this week’s victory. The win also moved him up 40 spots to No. 6 in the FedExCup standings and secured exempt status through 2028, including entries into THE PLAYERS, Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship and the remaining five Signature Events this season.
Echavarria’s surge in the standings reinforces his stated ambition to represent the International Team. During his winner’s press conference on Sunday, the 31-year-old shared remarks about his desire to make the team:
“To be honest, it's been in my mind for a long, long time,” he said. “After I made the Olympics and after I made the Masters last year, I changed my screen saver on my phone to the Presidents Cup, the International logo. It's been there for a long time. I haven't changed it. It's been on my mind since a long time ago. I went on that trip with the guys to see Medinah last year, and it was incredible. We had a great time. It's very present.”
With his third career TOUR win and his highest-ever position in the International Team standings, Echavarria has firmly positioned himself as a leading contender for Geoff Ogilvy’s team as the anticipation toward Medinah gains momentum.
The 2026 International Team will be comprised of six (6) automatic qualifiers and (6) Captain’s Picks, with the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) used to determine the former. The automatic qualifiers will be determined following the TOUR Championship.
The 2026 U.S. Team will be comprised of six (6) automatic qualifiers and six (6) Captain’s Picks, with the ranking determined through a weighted system based on FedExCup Points from January 1, 2025, through August 23, 2026. The six automatic qualifiers will be determined following the 2026 BMW Championship.
General admission tickets for the Presidents Cup are now on sale to witness the 16th edition of the PGA TOUR’s biennial global team competition, set to be contested at Medinah Country Club’s Course #3, September 22-27, 2026. The ticket launch features options for General Admission as well as Captains’ Club and the International Club.