Presidents Cup
Encyclopedia
The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf
matches between a team representing the United States
and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe
. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup
. The Presidents Cup is held biennially. Initially it was held in even numbered years, with the Ryder Cup being held in odd numbered years. However, the cancellation of the 2001 Ryder Cup
due to the September 11 attacks pushed both tournaments back a year, and the Presidents Cup is now held in odd numbered years. It is hosted alternately in the U.S. and in countries represented by the International Team.
. The format is drawn from the Ryder Cup, consisting of 12 players per side and a non-playing captain, usually a highly respected golf figure. The captains are responsible for pairing the teams in the doubles events, which consist of both alternate shot and best ball formats (also known as "foursome
" and "fourball
" matches respectively). However, unlike the Ryder Cup, all 12 players must play foursome and fourball matches on Thursday and Friday (six matches per session, unlike the Ryder Cup with four matches), and only two players will sit out each session of Saturday matches (five matches per Saturday session, compared to four), and each player must play a one-on-one, singles match on Sunday.
Each match, whether it be a doubles or singles match, is worth one point. In the doubles matches a half-point is awarded to each team in the event of a tie. With 11 foursome doubles matches, 11 fourball doubles matches and 12 singles matches that represents a total of 34 points. To win the Presidents Cup a team must accrue a total of 17.5 points.
The format of the Presidents Cup differs from the Ryder Cup mainly in that it includes six extra matches, which prevents a team from hiding its weaknesses. By having all 24 players on the course for all three days there cannot be a situation such as in the 1999 Ryder Cup
when Europe kept three players (Jarmo Sandelin
, Jean van de Velde and Andrew Coltart
) on the bench for the 16 fourball and foursome matches on the first two days. This use of 12 players on all three days arguably led to the United States' victory.
Beginning in 2005, after Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus agreed because of fading light to call the entire match a tie in South Africa, all doubles matches played Thursday through Saturday may end in a tie. However, on Sunday, all singles matches ending in a tie at the end of the regulation 18 holes will be extended to extra holes until that match is won outright. All singles matches will continue in this format until one team reaches the required 17.5 point total and wins the Cup, or the final tally is even at 17-17 in which case the result is left as a tie. Once a team attains 17.5 points, all remaining singles matches will only be played to the regulation 18 holes and may end in a tie. This is done to preserve the individual player points for the event.
. At the inaugural Presidents Cup in 1994, former U.S. President Gerald Ford
was Honorary Chairman. Subsequent events saw former President George H. W. Bush
, then-Australia
n Prime Minister John Howard
, then-President Bill Clinton
, the former President of South Africa
Thabo Mbeki
, George W. Bush
and the Prime Minister of Canada
Stephen Harper
in the chair.
ESPN Presidents Cup History
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
matches between a team representing the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
. The Presidents Cup is held biennially. Initially it was held in even numbered years, with the Ryder Cup being held in odd numbered years. However, the cancellation of the 2001 Ryder Cup
2002 Ryder Cup
The 34th Ryder Cup Matches were held between 27–29 September 2002, on the Brabazon Course at The Belfry in Wishaw, Warwickshire, England ....
due to the September 11 attacks pushed both tournaments back a year, and the Presidents Cup is now held in odd numbered years. It is hosted alternately in the U.S. and in countries represented by the International Team.
Format and strategy
The scoring system of the event is match playMatch play
Match play is a scoring system for golf in which a player, or team, earns a point for each hole in which they have bested their opponents; this is as opposed to stroke play, in which the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes...
. The format is drawn from the Ryder Cup, consisting of 12 players per side and a non-playing captain, usually a highly respected golf figure. The captains are responsible for pairing the teams in the doubles events, which consist of both alternate shot and best ball formats (also known as "foursome
Foursome (golf)
A foursome, also known as alternate shot, is a type of match in the sport of golf.Golfers compete in teams of two, using one ball, and taking alternate shots until the hole is completed. Team members also take turns in teeing off on each hole, i.e...
" and "fourball
Fourball
A Fourball match is a type of golf match used in match play competitions.A fourball match consists of two teams of two players competing directly against each other. All four golfers play their own ball throughout the round, and each hole is won by the team whose member has the lowest score...
" matches respectively). However, unlike the Ryder Cup, all 12 players must play foursome and fourball matches on Thursday and Friday (six matches per session, unlike the Ryder Cup with four matches), and only two players will sit out each session of Saturday matches (five matches per Saturday session, compared to four), and each player must play a one-on-one, singles match on Sunday.
Each match, whether it be a doubles or singles match, is worth one point. In the doubles matches a half-point is awarded to each team in the event of a tie. With 11 foursome doubles matches, 11 fourball doubles matches and 12 singles matches that represents a total of 34 points. To win the Presidents Cup a team must accrue a total of 17.5 points.
The format of the Presidents Cup differs from the Ryder Cup mainly in that it includes six extra matches, which prevents a team from hiding its weaknesses. By having all 24 players on the course for all three days there cannot be a situation such as in the 1999 Ryder Cup
1999 Ryder Cup
The 33rd Ryder Cup Matches, also known as the "Battle of Brookline", were held between September 24–26 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts....
when Europe kept three players (Jarmo Sandelin
Jarmo Sandelin
Jarmo Sakari Sandelin is a Swedish professional golfer.Sandelin was born in Imatra, Finland but grew up in Sweden, and is now a Swedish citizen...
, Jean van de Velde and Andrew Coltart
Andrew Coltart
Andrew John Coltart is a Scottish professional golfer.-Junior and amateur:Coltart was born in Dumfries. As an amateur, he won the 1987 Scottish Boys Championship and the 1991 Scottish Amateur Stroke Play Championship, and participated in the 1991 Walker Cup.-Professional:Coltart turned...
) on the bench for the 16 fourball and foursome matches on the first two days. This use of 12 players on all three days arguably led to the United States' victory.
Ties
Until the 2005 event, prior to the start of the final day matches, the captains selected one player to play in a tie-breaker in the event of a tie at the end of the final match. Upon a tie, the captains would reveal the players who would play a sudden-death match to determine the winner. In 2003, however, the tiebreaker match ended after three holes because of darkness, and it was decided that the Cup would be shared by both teams.Beginning in 2005, after Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus agreed because of fading light to call the entire match a tie in South Africa, all doubles matches played Thursday through Saturday may end in a tie. However, on Sunday, all singles matches ending in a tie at the end of the regulation 18 holes will be extended to extra holes until that match is won outright. All singles matches will continue in this format until one team reaches the required 17.5 point total and wins the Cup, or the final tally is even at 17-17 in which case the result is left as a tie. Once a team attains 17.5 points, all remaining singles matches will only be played to the regulation 18 holes and may end in a tie. This is done to preserve the individual player points for the event.
History
The event was created and is organized by the PGA TourPGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
. At the inaugural Presidents Cup in 1994, former U.S. President Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
was Honorary Chairman. Subsequent events saw former President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
, then-Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Prime Minister John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
, then-President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, the former President of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a South African politician who served two terms as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008. He is also the brother of Moeletsi Mbeki...
, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and the Prime Minister of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
in the chair.
Charity
There is no prize money awarded at the Presidents Cup. The net proceeds are distributed to charities nominated by the players, captains, and captains' assistants. The first six Presidents Cups raised over US$13 million for charities around the world.Results
| Year | Venue | Winning Team | Royal Melbourne Golf Club Royal Melbourne Golf Club Royal Melbourne Golf Club is a golf club located in Black Rock, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia with two courses. Royal Melbourne has hosted numerous national and international events, including the 1959 Canada Cup , and the 1970 World Cup... (Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... ) | United States | 19 | 15 | International |  Fred CouplesFred Couples Frederick Steven Couples is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. A former World No. 1, he has won numerous events, most notably the 1992 Masters Tournament. In August 2011 he won his maiden senior major at the Senior Players Championship...  Greg NormanGreg Norman Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 |
Harding Park Golf Club Harding Park Golf Club TPC Harding Park, formerly Harding Park Golf Club and commonly known as Harding Park, is a municipal golf course owned by the city and county of San Francisco. It is now a part of the PGA Tour's Tournament Players Club network of courses, following an agreement between the tour and the city that... (San Francisco, California San Francisco, California San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland... ) |
United States | 19½ | 14½ | International | Fred Couples Fred Couples Frederick Steven Couples is an American professional golfer who competes on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. A former World No. 1, he has won numerous events, most notably the 1992 Masters Tournament. In August 2011 he won his maiden senior major at the Senior Players Championship... Greg NormanGreg Norman Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s... |
| 2007 |
Royal Montreal Golf Club Royal Montreal Golf Club The Royal Montreal Golf Club is the oldest golf club in the Americas, having been founded in 1873. In that year, a small group of eight gentlemen sat in a dockside office and formed the Montreal Golf Club... (L'Île-Bizard L'Île-Bizard, Quebec Ville de L'Île-Bizard is a former municipality located on Île Bizard, an island northwest of the Island of Montreal. It was originally incorporated as a municipality on July 1, 1855 as Paroisse de Saint-Raphael-de l'Ile-Bizard.... , Quebec Quebec Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level.... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... ) |
United States | 19½ | 14½ | International | Jack Nicklaus Jack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...  Gary PlayerGary Player Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six... |
| 2005 |
Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Robert Trent Jones Golf Club is a private golf club located in Gainesville, Virginia.RTJ is a par 72 course that can play between the yardages 5,570 and 7,425.-Founding and premises:... (Gainesville, Virginia Gainesville, Virginia -Demographics:Gainesville is currently the third-largest CDP in Prince William County. As of the census estimate of 2009, there were 28,662 people, 10,300 households, and 8,604 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,150.2 people per square mile . There were 10,300 housing units... ) |
United States | 18½ | 15½ | International | Jack Nicklaus Jack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a... Gary PlayerGary Player Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six... |
| 2003 |
Fancourt Hotel and Country Club Estate (George, Western Cape George, Western Cape George is a city with 203,253 inhabitants in South Africa's Western Cape province. The city is a popular holiday and conference centre and the administrative and commercial hub of the Garden Route.- Location :... , South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... ) |
Tied | 17 | 17 | Tied | Jack Nicklaus Jack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a... Gary PlayerGary Player Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six... |
| 2000 |
Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Robert Trent Jones Golf Club is a private golf club located in Gainesville, Virginia.RTJ is a par 72 course that can play between the yardages 5,570 and 7,425.-Founding and premises:... (Gainesville, Virginia Gainesville, Virginia -Demographics:Gainesville is currently the third-largest CDP in Prince William County. As of the census estimate of 2009, there were 28,662 people, 10,300 households, and 8,604 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,150.2 people per square mile . There were 10,300 housing units... ) |
United States | 21½ | 10½ | International | Ken Venturi Ken Venturi Kenneth Venturi is an American former professional golfer and golf broadcaster.-Early years and amateur career:Venturi was born in San Francisco, California. He learned golf from an early age, and developed his game at Harding Park Golf Course and other public courses in the area... Peter Thomson |
| 1998 |
Royal Melbourne Golf Club Royal Melbourne Golf Club Royal Melbourne Golf Club is a golf club located in Black Rock, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia with two courses. Royal Melbourne has hosted numerous national and international events, including the 1959 Canada Cup , and the 1970 World Cup... (Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... , Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... ) |
International | 20½ | 11½ | United States | Jack Nicklaus Jack Nicklaus Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a... Peter Thomson |
| 1996 |
Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Robert Trent Jones Golf Club is a private golf club located in Gainesville, Virginia.RTJ is a par 72 course that can play between the yardages 5,570 and 7,425.-Founding and premises:... (Gainesville, Virginia Gainesville, Virginia -Demographics:Gainesville is currently the third-largest CDP in Prince William County. As of the census estimate of 2009, there were 28,662 people, 10,300 households, and 8,604 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,150.2 people per square mile . There were 10,300 housing units... ) |
United States | 16½ | 15½ | International | Arnold Palmer Arnold Palmer Arnold Daniel Palmer is an American professional golfer, who is generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men's professional golf. He has won numerous events on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, dating back to 1955... Peter Thomson |
| 1994 |
Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Robert Trent Jones Golf Club is a private golf club located in Gainesville, Virginia.RTJ is a par 72 course that can play between the yardages 5,570 and 7,425.-Founding and premises:... (Gainesville, Virginia Gainesville, Virginia -Demographics:Gainesville is currently the third-largest CDP in Prince William County. As of the census estimate of 2009, there were 28,662 people, 10,300 households, and 8,604 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,150.2 people per square mile . There were 10,300 housing units... ) |
United States | 20 | 12 | International | Hale Irwin Hale Irwin Hale S. Irwin is an American professional golfer. He is one of the few players in history to have won three U.S. Opens and was one of the world's leading golfers for much of the 1970s and 1980s. He has also developed a career as a golf course architect.Irwin was born in Joplin, Missouri, but was... David GrahamDavid Graham (golfer) Anthony David Graham is a former professional golfer from Australia.Born in Windsor, Australia, Graham turned professional in 1962 at age 16 and spent much of his career in the United States, playing on the PGA Tour. Turning age 50 in 1996, he joined the Senior PGA Tour, later known as the... |
ESPN Presidents Cup History
Perfect performances
| Golfer | Team | Record | Year | Overall Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark O'Meara Mark O'Meara Mark Francis O'Meara is an American professional golfer who was a prolific tournament winner on the PGA Tour and around the world from the mid 1980s to the late 1990s... |
United States | 5-0-0 | 1996 1996 Presidents Cup 16½ United States – 15½ InternationalThe 2nd Presidents Cup Matches were held in 1996 between September 13 and September 15. They were played at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, USA. The United States team won the competition by a margin of 16½–15½. The honorary chairmen... |
Won |
| Shigeki Maruyama Shigeki Maruyama Shigeki Maruyama is a Japanese professional golfer.Maruyama was born in Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. He attended Nihon University and turned professional in 1992. He is known for his ever-present smile on the golf course which has given rise to his nickname of the "Smiling Assassin"... |
International | 5-0-0 | 1998 1998 Presidents Cup International 20½ - United States 11½The 3rd Presidents Cup Matches were held in 1998 on December 11-13. They were played at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia. The International team won the competition by a margin of 20½–11½. This was the first time the International team won... |
Won |
| Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
United States | 5-0-0 | 2009 2009 Presidents Cup United States 19½ - International 14½The 8th Presidents Cup Matches were held October 8–11, 2009 at the Harding Park Golf Club in San Francisco, California. The United States team won the golf competition by a margin of 19½–14½, their second consecutive win by that exact score and third in a row... |
Won |
| Jim Furyk Jim Furyk James Michael Furyk is an American professional golfer, 2010 FedEx Cup champion, and 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 2003 U.S. Open. Furyk is known for consistently playing at the top level and for a visibly unconventional, looping golf swing... |
United States | 5-0-0 | 2011 2011 Presidents Cup United States 19 - International 15The 9th Presidents Cup Matches were held from 17 to 20 November 2011. They were played at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia. The United States team won by a score of 19 to 15 over the International team. Jim Furyk won all five of his... |
Won |
See also
- List of American Presidents Cup golfers
- List of International Presidents Cup golfers
- Handa CupHanda CupThe Handa Cup is a series of senior women's golf matches between a United States team and an World Team drawn from players from the rest of the world. It was founded in 2006 and is an event on the LPGA Legends Tour.The scoring system of the event is match play...
, a similar event in which ladies compete