The Presidents Cup is a biennial competition, played in alternating years with the Ryder Cup, that has been contested since 1994.
Two 12-man teams compete in a series of matches over four days to determine the champion. The two teams are the American side and the Internationals, whose 12 players can be pulled from any country that's not the United States or a European nation.
The United States is 10-1-1 in the history of the matches, only losing in 1998 at Royal Melbourne in Australia. The tie also came on foreign soil in 2003 at Fancourt in South Africa, when a playoff between Ernie Els and Tiger Woods for the Presidents Cup was called due to darkness and a tie declared by captains Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus.
Presidents Cup Format
The Presidents Cup is played over four days, unlike the Ryder Cup, which is played over three. The first day features five matches of match play in either the foursomes, also known as alternate shot, or fourball, also known as best ball, format. The teams compare scores to determine who wins the hole.
On Day 2, a similar schedule follows the Day 1 structure, but with five fourball or foursomes matches, where each player completes the hole individually, with the best score of each pair determining who wins the hole.
The third day has two sessions of four matches, one foursomes and the other fourballs.
The final day features 12 one-on-one matches, with the order determined by both captains in conjunction with each other (unlike the Ryder Cup, which is a blind draw submitted by each captain).
A point is earned for each match won, with the point split between both teams in the event of a tie. A total of 30 points are available (it was 34 points until 2015), with 15 required for the reigning champion (the United States) to retain the cup and 15.5 points to win the matches outright.
In the event of a tie, all singles matches on Sunday that end in a tie after 18 holes are to continue in sudden death until the matches are won outright and the whole points awarded, leading to a final tie at 15 points or one team winning the cup outright.
Presidents Cup History & Results
Year | Course | Location | US | Intl | Captains |
2022 | Quail Hollow GC | Charlotte, NC | 17.5 | 12.5 | US - Davis Love III, INTL - Trevor Immelman |
2019 | Royal Melbourne GC | Melbourne, AUS | 16 | 14 | US - Tiger Woods, INTL - Ernie Els |
2017 | Liberty National GC | Jersey City, NJ | 18.5 | 11.5 | US - Steve Stricker, INTL - Nick Price |
2015 | Jack Nicklaus GC Korea | Incheon, South Korea | 15.5 | 14.5 | US - Jay Haas, INTL - Nick Price |
2013 | Muirfield Village GC | Dublin, OH | 18.5 | 15.5 | US - Fred Couples, INTL - Nick Price |
2011 | Royal Melbourne GC | Melbourne, Australia | 19 | 15 | US - Fred Couples, INTL - Greg Norman |
2009 | Harding Park GC | San Francisco, CA | 19.5 | 14.5 | US - Fred Couples, INTL - Greg Norman |
2007 | Royal Montreal GC | L'ile-Bizard, Quebec, Canada | 19.5 | 14.5 | US - Jack Nicklaus, INTL - Gary Player |
2005 | Robert Trent Jones GC | Gainesville, VA | 18.5 | 15.5 | US - Jack Nicklaus, INTL - Gary Player |
2003 | Fancourt Resort | George, S. Africa | 17 | 17 | US - Jack Nicklaus, INTL - Gary Player |
2000 | Robert Trent Jones GC | Gainesville, VA | 21.5 | 10.5 | US - Ken Venturi, INTL - Peter Thomson |
1998 | Royal Melbourne GC | Melbourne, Australia | 11.5 | 20.5 | US - Jack Nicklaus, INTL - Peter Thomson |
1996 | Robert Trent Jones GC | Gainesville, VA | 16.5 | 15.5 | US - Arnold Palmer, INTL - Peter Thomson |
1994 | Robert Trent Jones GC | Gainesville, VA | 20 | 12 | US - Hale Irwin, INTL - David Graham |