Presidents Cup Format: Number Of Matches, Points And Scoring Explained

It’s easy to make comparisons between the Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup. After all, each is a match play contest involving two teams of 12, while both take place biennially. 

The Ryder Cup consists of just three days of action with a total of five sessions - a set of foursomes and fourball sessions on each of the first two days and a Sunday singles session to conclude. 

However, the format of the Presidents Cup, which sees Team USA compete against the International Team representing the rest of the world minus Europe, is played over four days and has some other key differences.

Presidents Cup Scoring And Format

The scoring system for the Presidents Cup is match play, with a total of 30 matches over four days of action, and 30 points available. One point is awarded to the winner of each match with half a point awarded to each in the event of a halved match.

The first three days feature a combination of either foursomes or fourball with the last day comprising 12 singles matches.

Fourball features teams of two playing their own golf ball, with the better score of the pair counted on each hole. Foursomes features teams of two taking alternate shots with the same ball. The singles matches put one player against another in head-to-head match play. The player with the lowest score wins each hole until the match is either won or halved.

The first two days each feature five doubles matches of either fourball or foursomes played in morning and afternoon sessions. Whichever format isn’t used on the opening day is used on Friday (so, if Thursday has foursomes, Friday will feature five matches of fourball).

The third day features eight matches of both fourball and foursomes over morning and afternoon sessions. Whichever format wasn’t played on day two is played in the morning session, with the other played in the afternoon.

Finally, the remaining 12 points are up for grabs on Sunday as all 24 players compete in the 12 singles matches.

How Many Points Are Needed To Win The Presidents Cup?

Teams need to reach 15.5 points to win the Presidents Cup (unlike 14.5 points for an outright win in the Ryder Cup).

The need to reach 15.5 points from the 30 on offer has been in place since 2015 (before that, there had been 34 points to play for, after the initial 32 points when the Presidents Cup began in 1994).

What Happens If There Is A Tie In The Presidents Cup?

Another key difference between the Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup is what happens in the event of a tie.

In the Ryder Cup, if the teams can’t be separated after the 12 singles matches, the previous holder keeps the trophy. However, it's different for the Presidents Cup, and the current rule can be traced to the 2003 edition.

Back then, the two teams were tied at 17-17 after the singles matches, leading to Team USA captain Jack Nicklaus and International Team leader Gary Player choosing Tiger Woods and Ernie Els to play in a sudden-death match to determine the outcome. After three holes and with night beginning to fall, neither could be separated, and the captains agreed the trophy should be shared, which is how it stands today.

In any case, traditionally, the contests have not been so tight and the 2003 march remains the only tie, with the US having triumphed in 12 editions and the International Team just one, way back in 1998.