The First Look: Presidents Cup
3 Min Read
The Presidents Cup returns to Canada and The Royal Montreal Golf Club with a hungry International Team, led by Canadian Mike Weir as team captain, looking to defeat an American side full of the PGA TOUR’s best, including FedExCup champion Scottie Scheffler.
This marks the 15th playing of the Presidents Cup, which returns to Royal Montreal for the first time since 2007 when the U.S. Team beat the Internationals 19.5-14.5.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s competition.
U.S. Team:
- Automatic qualifiers: Scottie Scheffler (second Presidents Cup), Xander Schauffele (third), Collin Morikawa (second), Wyndham Clark (first), Patrick Cantlay (third), Sahith Theegala (first).
- Captain's picks: Sam Burns (second), Tony Finau (third), Russell Henley (first), Keegan Bradley (second), Brian Harman (first), Max Homa (second)
- Captain: Jim Furyk
International Team:
- Automatic qualifiers: Hideki Matsuyama (sixth Presidents Cup), Sungjae Im (third), Adam Scott (11th), Tom Kim (second), Jason Day (fifth), Byeong Hun An (second)
- Captain's picks: Corey Conners (second), Min Woo Lee (first), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (second), Taylor Pendrith (second), Si Woo Kim (third), Mackenzie Hughes (first)
- Captain: Mike Weir
Course: The Royal Montreal Golf Club, par 70, 7,279 yards (yardage subject to change). The club, on Île Bizard about 35 minutes from downtown Montreal, lays claim as being the oldest club in North America. Founded in 1873, the course – which has moved locations twice – has been home to the RBC Canadian Open 10 times, most recently in 2014. Royal Montreal was renovated by Rees Jones in 2004 (a robust effort that included redesigning 17 greens and rebuilding 70 bunkers) and then again leading into this year’s Presidents Cup by PGA TOUR design services. That team lengthened it by about 300 yards and reworked a few bunkers. The front nine has a classic parkland feel while the back nine boasts water hazards on six holes including the final five in a row.
Presidents Cup record:
| Year | Course | Winner | Score |
| 2022 | Quail Hollow Club | U.S. | 17.5-12.5 |
| 2019 | Royal Melbourne GC | U.S. | 16-14 |
| 2017 | Liberty National GC | U.S. | 19-11 |
| 2015 | Jack Nicklaus GC - Korea | U.S. | 15.5-14.5 |
| 2013 | Muirfield Village | U.S. | 18.5-15.5 |
| 2011 | Royal Melbourne GC | U.S. | 19-15 |
| 2009 | Harding Park GC | U.S. | 19.5-14.5 |
| 2007 | Royal Montreal GC | U.S. | 19.5-14.5 |
| 2005 | Robert Trent Jones GC | U.S. | 18.5-15.5 |
| 2003 | Fancourt Hotel and CC | TIE | 17-17 |
| 2000 | Robert Trent Jones GC | U.S. | 21.5-10.5 |
| 1998 | Royal Melbourne GC | International | 20.5-11.5 |
| 1996 | Robert Trent Jones GC | U.S. | 16.5-15.5 |
| 1994 | Robert Trent Jones GC | U.S. | 20-12 |
Storylines: The Presidents Cup features four days of competition with five matches on both Thursday and Friday, eight matches on Saturday (morning and afternoon) and 12 singles matches on Sunday … The U.S. Team is looking to win the Presidents Cup for the 10th time in a row … World No. 1 Scheffler returns to action after capturing the TOUR Championship and winning the FedExCup for the first time … Matsuyama, a two-time winner this season, is the International side’s top-ranked player … International Team Captain Weir picked three countrymen to represent the International Team at Royal Montreal: fellow Canadians Conners, Pendrith and first-timer Hughes. Pendrith was the lone Canadian to make it to the TOUR Championship after his maiden victory earlier in the year. Weir defeated Tiger Woods in 2007 in Sunday Singles the last time the Presidents Cup was at Royal Montreal ... Bradley was picked by Captain Furyk to play on the team and will no longer be one of Furyk’s captain's assistants (he was replaced by Brandt Snedeker) … Day returns to the Presidents Cup for the first time since 2017. He was a captain’s pick for the International Team in 2019 when it was in Australia but withdrew due to injury … Scott, making his 11th Presidents Cup start, has played 49 matches in his Presidents Cup career … Homa was a sparkplug for the U.S. Team in 2022, going 4-0-0. He is the only player on either side who has played in at least one Presidents Cup and has not suffered a loss … There are six Presidents Cup rookies this year (four on the U.S. Team and two on the International side) … Medinah Country Club near Chicago will host the Presidents Cup in 2026 while Kingston Heath Golf Club in Australia will host in 2028 … Justin Trudeau, who has been Canada’s 23rd Prime Minister since 2015, has accepted an invitation to be the Honorary Chairman.
Last time: The U.S. won 17.5-12.5 at long-time PGA TOUR stop Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina. The Americans started hot, going 4-1 on the first day, and never looked back. They went 4-1 again on Friday’s second day before the International Team staged a bit of a comeback Saturday, going 5-3 across the eight matches. Schauffele beat Conners 1-up in Singles to clinch it. Jordan Spieth was the biggest points-getter on either side, going 4-0-0. Im and Sebastian Muñoz were top performers for the Internationals with 2.5 points each.
How to follow (all times ET)
Television:
- Thursday: 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)
- Friday: 1-6 p.m. (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App)
- Saturday: 7-8 a.m. (Golf Channel/NBC Sports App), 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
- Sunday: noon-6 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)
- Thursday: noon-6 p.m.
- Friday: 1-6 p.m.
- Saturday: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Sunday: noon-6 p.m.