Presidents Cup: Format, schedule, teams, TV for Royal Montreal

The Presidents Cup returns to Royal Montreal, the oldest golf club in North America. It last hosted the competition in 2007.

The Americans won handily that year, defeating the Internationals by a score of 19.5 to 14.5. But the highlight of the event came during Sunday Singles, when Canadian Mike Weir bested World No. 1 Tiger Woods in a thrilling 18-hole match, 1-up. It felt like all of Canada willed their hero to victory on that Sunday as Weir took down the greatest player of his generation on home soil.

Seventeen years later, Weir hopes to play the role of a triumphant underdog once more. He is the captain this week, leading the 12 Internationals at Royal Montreal against the heavily favored Americans. His team features two rookies, Min Woo Lee and Mackenzie Hughes, but it also boasts major champions Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott, and Jason Day. Yet, only four players on the International side rank among the top 25 players in the world. The Americans, meanwhile, have all 12 of their players within the top 25 of the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).

Of course, two of the best International stars on the planet are Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann, both of whom play on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit. But since the PGA Tour facilitates the Presidents Cup, no LIV players will compete this week. That hurts the Internationals more than Americans, as Smith and Niemann would serve Weir well as worthy competitors.

On the flip side, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, World No. 2 Xander Schauffele, and World No. 4 Collin Morikawa highlight the red, white, and blue. Led by Jim Furyk, who won the 2003 U.S. Open at Olympia Fields, the Americans have twice as many rookies as the Internationals in Brian Harman, Sahith Theegala, Wyndham Clark, and Russell Henley. Clark and Harman played in last year’s Ryder Cup, while Theegala and Henley will play on a U.S. team for the first time.

The U.S. has not lost since 1998. The only instance in which they did not win this century came in 2003, when the Americans and the Internationals tied in South Africa. Since the U.S. won the Presidents Cup in 2000, they retained the Cup. They have won nine in a row since.

U.S. Team

Photo by Chris Condon/PGA Tour via Getty Images

Scottie Scheffler (OWGR: 1)

Xander Schauffele (2)

Collin Morikawa (4)

Wyndham Clark (6)

Patrick Cantlay (9)

Sahith Theegala (11)

Keegan Bradley (13)

Russell Henley (14)

Sam Burns (19)

Brian Harman (22)

Tony Finau (23)

Max Homa (25)

International Team:

Photo by Chris Condon/PGA Tour via Getty Images

Hideki Matsuyama (OWGR: 7)

Adam Scott (18)

Sungjae Im (21)

Tom Kim (24)

Jason Day (33)

Byeong Hun-An (34)

Corey Conners (37)

Min Woo Lee (40)

Taylor Pendrith (44)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout (45)

Si Woo Kim (49)

Mackenzie Hughes (61)

Format

Unlike the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup lasts four days and features 30 matches. The team that wins 15.5 points first wins the Presidents Cup.

Thursday — Foursomes

All 12 players from both teams will play on Thursday, as six matches will take place. The format on Day One is Foursomes, or Alternate Shot, which not only entertains but also speeds up the pace since only two golf balls are in play.

Friday — Fourballs

Like Thursday, all 12 players from both sides will play on Friday since six matches are scheduled. The format for Day Two is Fourballs, with each player playing their own ball. The lowest score on a given hole between the two players wins that hole. Fourballs tend to last much longer because everyone plays their own ball and the numerous strategies employed.

Saturday — Morning Foursomes, Afternoon Fourballs

Day Three of the Presidents Cup resembles the first two days of the Ryder Cup in that four matches take place in the morning, and four more go out in the afternoon.

That also allows the captains to decide who wants to rest and sit out a session, as only eight players will tee it up on either side in each session. The morning session will feature foursomes, and the afternoon will be fourballs.

Sunday — Singles

All 12 players will match up on Sunday, playing mano a mano. Not unlike the Ryder Cup, one U.S. player will square off against one International player in an 18-hole match play match.

How To Watch:

Golf Channel and NBC Sports will broadcast the Presidents Cup once again.

Thursday: 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. (Golf Channel)

Friday: 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (Golf Channel)

Saturday: 7 a.m.-8 a.m. (Golf Channel); 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (NBC)

Sunday: 12-6 p.m. (NBC)

During the linear television broadcast, coverage will also stream on Peacock, the NBC Sports app, and NBCSports.com.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.