The format of the event is also drawn from the Ryder Cup, consisting of twelve 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 (sometimes called "foursome" and "four ball" matches) However, unlike the Ryder Cup, all twelve players must play both matches on Friday (six matches per Friday 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 one match on Saturday.
The format of the Presidents Cup is different from that of 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 sixteen four-ball and better-ball matches on the first two days. This use of twelve players on all three days arguably led to the United States' victory.
The event was created and is organised by the PGA Tour. At the inaugural Presidents Cup former U.S. President Gerald Ford was Honorary Chairman. Subsequent events saw former President George HW Bush, Australian Prime Minister John Howard and then-President Bill Clinton in the chair. [1]
There is no prize money in 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. [2]
In 2005, Jack Nicklaus captained the United States team and Gary Player captained the International team.
Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus were the captains for the third straight time in 2007 at Royal Montreal Golf Club in the Montreal suburb of Île Bizard. The teams were announced August 13, one day after completion of the year's final major, the PGA Championship.
The first Presidents Cup, created to give non-European players a chance at top-flight match play in the tradition of the Ryder Cup, was held in 1994. Here's a look at each competition, beginning with the year and final score.
1994: U.S. 20-12
Course: Robert Trent Jones GC (Prince William County, Va.)
Captains: Hale Irwin (U.S.), David Graham (Australia)
1996: U.S. 16 1/2-15 1/2
Course: Robert Trent Jones GC
Captains: Arnold Palmer (U.S.), Peter Thomson (Australia)
1998: International 20 1/2-11 1/2
Course: Royal Melbourne GC (Melbourne, Australia)
Captains: Jack Nicklaus (U.S.), Thomson
2000: U.S. 21 1/2-10 1/2
Course: Robert Trent Jones GC
Captains: Ken Venturi (U.S.), Thomson
2003: Tie, 17-17*
Links Course at Fancourt Hotel and CC (George, South Africa)
Captains: Nicklaus, Gary Player (South Africa)
2005: U.S. 18 1/2-15 1/2
Course: Robert Trent Jones GC
Captains: Nicklaus, Player
2007: U.S. 19 1/2-14 1/2
Course: Royal Montreal GC (Montreal)
Captains: Nicklaus, Player
*The 2003 competition, postponed from 2002 in the wake of 9/11, was at first to be settled with a sudden-death playoff between Tiger Woods and Ernie Els (South Africa). When the two deadlocked through three holes, the two teams agreed to share the Cup.
The rules now state that in the event of the tie, there will be no playoff and the Cup will be shared.
