This year’s Presidents Cup was a simple repeat of those from the last two decades: Team USA dominated Team World.
The tournament began with the same energy and flair of the Ryder Cup—the sport’s biggest international contest—and both teams made big moves throughout the first two days. Team USA closed out Thursday with a 5-0 lead but Team World—which excludes European golfers—stormed back on Friday to even out the score, leaving the air thick with tension on Saturday morning.
But that tension would not last long.
The Americans sealed their victory after outmatching Team World over the weekend, dropping just two matches during the foursomes and four-balls on Saturday and three singles on Sunday. Surprisingly, one of the American losses came from world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who lost by one hole to Hideki Matsuyama. The match between both teams’ top-ranked players was one to watch going into Sunday, and Matsuyama ultimately came out on top after a back-and-forth back-nine.
Team USA was evidently the more talented team before the tournament began, as nine of the world’s top 20 golfers were scheduled to play for the stars and stripes in Montreal. Team World had only two golfers in the top 20, which put them at a disadvantage from the get-go. The situation this year was no different from years past with its typical uneven matchups, and the tournament receives way less attention than the Ryder Cup between the Americans and the Europeans.
Why, then, does the Presidents Cup take the Ryder Cup’s place in off years?
The Ryder Cup is and has been the marquee international competition in golf since it was first played in 1927. Although for the past several years the victors have been the hosting team and the outcomes haven’t been as exciting, the hype leading up to each tournament makes for much more intense and competitive golf than the Presidents Cup. Fans also have higher expectations for the Ryder Cup, as the best golfers from America and Europe comprise a field of evenly distributed top-ranked players.
The past two decades of Presidents Cups show that the competition is unfair before the first ball leaves the tee box and the build-up lacks the Ryder Cup’s excitement. Although the tournament gives non-European golfers a chance to come together and play on an international level, it’s likely the American players don’t treat it the same as they do the Ryder Cup given the latter’s history.
The contrast between the two competitions leads to one conclusion: the Ryder Cup should take the place of the Presidents Cup and be played every year.
In addition to the differences in intensity and skill, a tournament with an almost guaranteed outcome isn’t worth the time. Though there have been close calls in prior tournaments, namely in 2019 when the Americans capped off a huge comeback during Sunday’s singles, Team USA is too much for Team World to handle.
The Ryder Cup is the event all golf fans want to see, and the two-year gap between each tournament leaves an unnecessary void in the sport that can easily be filled if it were to be hosted annually. An annual Ryder Cup would provide golf with a high-stakes international competition that other leagues like the NFL and NBA don’t have and make up for the lack of an event like the All-Star or Pro Bowl game.
At the very least, the powers that be could reformat the Presidents Cup to make for more fair competition. Whether Team World should include Europeans or the event should take place every few years instead of every two, the Ryder Cup needs to become a larger part of the sport due to its status as one of golf’s most unique events. Giving the Ryder Cup a bigger platform will help the sport as a whole continue on its upward trajectory.