Tag: Presidents Cup

Categories
Highlights Tours

Presidents Cup 2024: Team USA Dominates the Saturday Matches

Patrick Cantlay celebrates after a putt on the 18th green during the Saturday Foursomes of the Presidents Cup 2024 (Photo: Getty)
Patrick Cantlay celebrates after a putt on the 18th green during the Saturday Foursomes of the Presidents Cup 2024 (Photo: Getty)

The Presidents Cup 2024 is turning into an up-and-down affair for the international team. After a disastrous 0:5 start to the tournament, the team fought back furiously the following day and went into Saturday’s fourballs and foursomes with a 5:5 score. There, however, the Americans dominated again and won both rounds 3:1. So the defending champions will go into the twelve singles matches on the final day with a score of 11:7.

Presidents Cup 2024: Team USA with 11:7 Lead Going Into the Final Day

There were not many positives for the international team in the Saturday fourballs and foursomes. The Americans got the day off to a perfect start with victories in the first two fourballs of the morning. The first point was secured by the duo of Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa against Adam Scott and Taylor Pendrith (2&1), the second by Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele against Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes (3&2). In the third match of the day, Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim gave Team International some breathing space: the duo won against Keegan Bradley and Wyndham Clark with a comfortable 4&3 and the shot of the day. However, the next setback came in the fourth game of Saturday’s fourballs. There, the Americans in the form of Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns managed the third point of the day against Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im (2&1).

The afternoon’s foursomes were similarly modest from the international team’s perspective. In the first foursome, Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley increased the score to 9-6 for Team USA in the overall standings (3&2) in their clash with Hideki Matsuyama and Sungjae Im. The rest of the afternoon was to develop into a thriller. All three remaining matches were decided on the last hole: First, Taylor Pendrith and Adam Scott took the second and so important point of the day for Team International. With a one-shot lead, they went up against Max Homa and Brian Harman on hole 18, where a par was enough to win the match (2 up). The international team failed dramatically on the last two holes: both the Conners/Hughes duo against Morikawa/Burns and the Kim duo against Cantlay/Schauffele were tied on hole 18, but in both cases the Americans held their nerve and won the two holes in front of their home fans. To euphoric cheers, Patrick Cantlay put the finishing touches to what was a bitter day for the international team.

So Team USA goes into the final day with an 11:7 lead. Despite the good starting position for the defending champions, everything is still wide open. After all, a whole twelve points are still up for grabs in the individual matches. It remains exciting in Canada.

Categories
Highlights Tours

2024 Presidents Cup: All You Need to Know About the Team Competition

All you need to know about the 2024 Presidents Cup. (Image: Getty)
All you need to know about the 2024 Presidents Cup. (Image: Getty)

From September 26 to 29, the 15th edition of the Presidents Cup will take place at The Royal Montreal GC. The twelve best golfers from the USA will compete against the twelve best international players (excluding Europe). The tournament is played over four days. The first team to reach 15.5 points wins the golden cup.

All you need to know about the Presidents Cup

The schedule for the 2024 Presidents Cup

Unlike the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup does not take place over three days, but four. Five fourball matches are played on Day 1, followed by five foursomes on Day 2. On Saturday, the tournament is played in two sessions, first four fourballs and then four foursomes. Sunday traditionally sees the twelve singles duels.

The golf course

The Royal Montreal GC in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, is the venue for the 15th edition. The course is a par 70 and has a parkland-style front nine. On the back nine, water hazards come into play on the last five holes. The Royal Montreal GC is the oldest golf club in North America and was founded in 1873.

How many points does a team need to win and what happens in the event of a tie?

A team needs 15.5 points to win the Cup – one point more than in the Ryder Cup. This is because 30 matches are played at the Presidents Cup, two more than at the Ryder Cup. The scoring system for the matches is the same: one point is awarded for a win, half a point is awarded to both teams if a match is tied after 18 holes. If the Presidents Cup ends in a draw, the two teams share the cup – another significant difference to the Ryder Cup.

2024 Presidents Cup: Team USA

The team is made up of six qualified golfers and six captain’s picks. Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay and Sahith Theegala have qualified.

Sam Burns, Tony Finau, Russell Henley, Keegan Bradley, Brian Harman and Max Homa were selected for the team by US captain Jim Furyk.

The International Team

Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), Sungjae Im (South Korea), Adam Scott (Australia), Tom Kim (South Korea), Jason Day (Australia) and Byeong Hun An (South Korea) made it into the team by qualifying. Min Woo Lee (Australia), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (South Africa), Si Woo Kim (South Korea) and the three Canadians Taylor Pendrith, Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners were selected for the team by captain Mike Weir.

Why are there no LIV golfers? And other interesting facts

LIV Golf players

Because the Presidents Cup is organized by the PGA Tour, no LIV golfers are allowed to take part in the competition. This affects the International Team in particular, as top players such as Cam Smith, Joaquin Niemann and Louis Oosthuizen are missing.

Differences to the Ryder Cup

While 28 matches are played over three days at the Ryder Cup, there are 30 matches over four days at the Presidents Cup. Furthermore, in the event of a final tie, the cup does not go to the defending champion but is shared. The setup of the course is not subject to the home team, but to the PGA Tour – another significant difference.

Do the players earn money for competing?

Not for themselves, but each participant will receive an equal share of the event proceeds for a charity of their choice.

The trophy

The golden trophy designed by Tiffany & Co. weighs around 28 pounds. The original can be found in the World Golf Hall of Fame in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Categories
Highlights Tours

Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup rescheduled for 2021 and 2022 respectively

The 2020 Ryder Cup is postponed until next year. (Picture: Getty)

The PGA of America, Ryder Cup Europe and the PGA Tour jointly announced today that both The Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup have been rescheduled and will now be played one year later than originally planned. 

The 43rd Ryder Cup, scheduled for the week of September 22-27 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin, has been rescheduled for the week of September 21-26, 2021. 

Ryder Cup rescheduled

Likewise, the 2021 Presidents Cup, initially scheduled for September 30-October 3, 2021 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, will now be played September 19-25, 2022.

Additionally, as a result of the Presidents Cup date change, the Wells Fargo Championship will be played at its traditional venue at Quail Hollow in 2021 and at TPC Potomac in 2022, during Presidents Cup year.

The decision to reschedule The Ryder Cup was made based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and in conjunction with the state of Wisconsin and Sheboygan County, with the health and well-being of all involved as the top priority.

“Unlike other major sporting events that are played in existing stadiums, we had to make a decision now about building facilities to host The 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits,” said PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh.

“It became clear that as of today, our medical experts and the public authorities in Wisconsin could not give us certainty that conducting an event responsibly with thousands of spectators in September would be possible. Given that uncertainty, we knew rescheduling was the right call.

“We are grateful to Commissioner Jay Monahan and our partners at the PGA TOUR for their flexibility and generosity in the complex task of shifting the global golf calendar.

“As disappointing as this is, our mandate to do all we can to safeguard public health is what matters most. The spectators who support both the U.S. and European sides are what make The Ryder Cup such a unique and compelling event and playing without them was not a realistic option.

“We stand united with our partners from Ryder Cup Europe, the NBC Sports Group, Sky and our other broadcast partners around the world. We look forward to delivering The Ryder Cup’s renowned pageantry, emotion and competitive drama to a global audience in 2021.”

Presidents Cup is also postponed

Guy Kinnings, Europe’s Ryder Cup Director, said: “The Ryder Cup is rightly celebrated as one of the world’s greatest sporting occasions, made special and totally unique in our sport by the fervent atmosphere created by the passionate spectators of both sides.

“While that point is significant, it is not as important as the health of the spectators which, in these difficult times, is always the main consideration. We considered all options including playing with a limited attendance but all our stakeholders agreed this would dilute the magic of this great occasion.

“We therefore stand beside our partners at the PGA of America in the decision to postpone The Ryder Cup for a year and join with them in extending our thanks to the PGA Tour for their willingness to help by moving the date of the Presidents Cup.

“We also thank NBC, Sky and our many broadcast partners around the globe, in addition to the worldwide partners of this great event, whose support and commitment are second to none.”

With the decision to play The 2020 Ryder Cup in September 2021, all subsequent Ryder Cups after Whistling Straits will also shift to odd years: 2023/Marco Simone Golf and Country Club (Rome, Italy); 2025/Bethpage Black (Farmingdale, New York); 2027/Adare Manor (County Limerick, Ireland); 2029/Hazeltine National Golf Club (Chaska, Minnesota); 2031/Europe (to be determined); 2033/The Olympic Club (San Francisco); 2035/Europe (to be determined); 2037/Congressional Country Club (Bethesda, Maryland).

Off the momentum of the 2019 Presidents Cup played in Melbourne, Australia, the 14th playing of the Presidents Cup, will now be hosted for the first time in the Southeast United States at Quail Hollow Club in 2022. 

“These two premier international team events are lifted by the spirit of the fans,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. “With the uncertainty of the current climate, we fully support The Ryder Cup’s decision to delay a year in order to ensure fans could be a part of the incredible atmosphere in Wisconsin, and the delay of this year’s Presidents Cup was the right decision in order to allow for that option. 

“We are thankful that our global partners, our friends at Quail Hollow Club and all associated with the Presidents Cup and the Junior Presidents Cup have approached this change with a unified, positive spirit. We are confident the move will give us even more runway as we bring the Presidents Cup to Charlotte in 2022.”

(Text: European Tour)