2024 Presidents Cup preview: Key questions for the United States and International teams
By Adam Woodard
In two days the International team will take on a daunting task and look to accomplish something they haven’t done since 1998: defeat the United States.
The 2024 Presidents is being held this week, Sept. 26–29, at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Canada, which previously hosted the 2007 edition of the biennial bash between 12 American players and 12 international players (Europe excluded).
In the 14 previous competitions, the U.S. team has dominated with a 12-1-1 record and currently holds a nine-event win streak. The lone tie came in 2003 in South Africa, and the last and only International win was five years prior in Australia.
Here are five key questions for the week, where the answers will decide the result.
1. Do the Internationals have a chance?
On paper, it’s not looking good. The U.S. roster boasts five of the top 10 players in the world, and all 12 players are ranked inside the top 25. On the International side, eight of the players sit outside the top 25.
If the Internationals are to achieve the upset, they’ll need a few things to happen. Arguably their most energetic and outgoing player, rookie Min Woo Lee – to put it in his terms – will need to cook. The home country Canadians will need to actually earn a point (more on that to come). On top of that, veteran leaders like Adam Scott (ten appearances), Hideki Matsuyama (five appearances) and Jason Day (four appearances) will need to deliver early and often.
The Internationals can’t let the Americans get out to an early lead.
2. Is it Furyk redemption season?
The last time American golf fans saw Jim Furyk as the captain of a team event was when he oversaw an awful performance at the 2018 Ryder Cup, where Team Europe drubbed Team USA, 17.5-10.5.
After a 3-1 start to the competition, the Americans lost two of the next three sessions by a 7-1 margin and were down 10-6 entering Sunday Singles. How much of that abysmal showing was actually on Fuyrk is still up for debate. Sure, three of his four captain’s picks – Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods – failed to earn a point. And yes, the course fit wasn’t great for long-ball hitters, so the strategy off the tee and with regard to pairings should’ve been changed. Given the personalities in that team room, Furyk held a losing hand from the start, and he picked some of the cards.
This year he has a chance to get back in the good graces with the U.S. fans, and the deck is stacked in his favor.
3. Will the Canadians show up?
Seeing as zero Canadians automatically qualified, Mike Weir used three of his six captain’s picks on his fellow countrymen Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes, but left off Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor.
Hughes is making his Presidents Cup debut this week, while Conners and Pendrith infamously both went 0-4-0 two years ago at Quail Hollow. I would like to think the trio will deliver in front of what’s sure to be a raucous home crowd, but it’s tough to wash away the memories of 2022.
Weir somewhat controversially left off Hadwin and Taylor. The pair finished just behind Pendrith on the International points list and just ahead of or tied with two other captain’s picks, Si Woo Kim and Hughes. If things don’t go well once again for the Canadian contingent, expect some flack to head Weir’s way.
4. Can Scheffler get off the schneid?
Scottie Scheffler is the No. 1 player in the world, and has been for some time. His results in team competitions, however, aren’t anything to brag about. Scheffler went 0–3–1 in his 2022 Presidents Cup debut at Quail Hollow and at last year’s Ryder Cup he went 0–2–2. That’s right, he’s winless in his last eight team matches.
Their past record together of 0-3-1 be damned, expect Scheffler to be paired with is his good friend Sam Burns once again this week. Who knows, maybe this time it’ll work.
5. Who will be the breakout American star?
American stalwarts Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, who went 5-0-0 and 4-1-0 in 2022, respectively, are nowhere to be seen. Max Homa was the new kid on the bock last time out for the Americans, and he dazzled with a 4-0-0 showing. Who could be that player this year?
As far as rookies go, that’d be Sahith Theegala. The 26-year-old can get hot at the snap of a finger and lives for match play (and mind games). When he was a rising star in the amateur ranks, he would intentionally hit shanks on the range to mess with other players. Simply put, Theegala is built for team events like the Presidents Cup.
Other rookies for the U.S. include a trio of thirty-somethings in Wyndham Clark (30), Russel Henley (35) and Brian Harman (37). Henley nearly played his way onto the team automatically and deserved a pick, while Harman is a bit of a head scratcher. Speaing of players in their late 30s, look to 38-year-old Keegan Bradley and 2025 Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley to make some waves.
MORE TOP STORIES FROM THE BIG LEAD
NFL: Should the “two-high” safety formation be banned?
WNBA x MLB: Phillies invite Caitlin Clark to broadcast booth
GOLF: There’s now a Ryder Cup path for LIV players
SPORTS MEDIA: Candidates to replace Woj as ESPN’s NBA Insider