Changes are coming to the Presidents Cup, and they've been made just in time for the October matches in South Korea.
After significant lobbying from Internationals captain Nick Price and consultation with U.S. captain Jay Haas, the PGA Tour has approved the following changes:
- The total points will be reduced from 34 to 30, with 15.5 points to win and 15 to retain, where matches can now be halved
- There will be five four-ball matches on Thursday and five foursome matches on Friday, down from six for each respective session, with the host team's captain deciding which format goes first
- There will be two sessions on Saturday, with four four-ball matches in Session 1 and four foursome matches in Session 2, down from five in each session
- Each player will be required to participate in two of the first four sessions, whereas players were previously required to compete in three of the four team sessions
- All 12 players from each team will compete in Sunday singles matches, which will no longer have to go until a winner until the Presidents Cup is decided
These changes came about from PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, who made the mandate after the Internationals and U.S. could not come to a final agreement.
“For quite some time, the International team has been advocating for a reduction in total points, while the U.S. team felt strongly that the Presidents Cup format should remain as it has been,” said Finchem. “After numerous meetings and discussions, it was apparent that both captains felt passionate about their respective positions, as did their potential team members. But with no clear consensus between the two sides, it was up to me to make a decision that would be best for the event overall."
