The Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup share enough similarities to make it easy to compare the two contest, including the fact that each uses a match play format with fourball, foursomes and singles sessions. Meanwhile, each features two teams of 12 players.
However, there are some crucial differences between the two matches, giving each their own identity. Here are some of the most significant.
The Teams
The Presidents Cup features an International Team
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Both the Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup feature two teams of 12, one of which is always the US, but their opposition differs between matches.
When the Ryder Cup began in 1927, it featured a US team against Great Britain. The US opposition became Great Britain and Ireland in 1973 before it expanded to include any European from 1979, which is how it remains today.
On the other hand, the Presidents Cup has always seen the Americans face an International Team comprising players from anywhere in the world except Europe, hence why you’ll never see players like Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm or Viktor Hovland in the Presidents Cup.
The Locations
Ryder Cup matches away from the US are always held in Europe
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Because of the different opposition the US faces in each match, the locations also have some differences.
Team Europe Ryder Cup home matches naturally take place within the continent, while home matches for the Presidents Cup International Team are held in countries around the world except Europe. For example, the 2024 match is being held at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Canada.
Team Selection Process
Scottie Scheffler topped the US points list for the 2022 Presidents Cup
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The ways players are selected also differ between the Presidents Cup and the Ryder Cup.
The six automatic qualifiers of the Presidents Cup’s International Team are based on their positions in the world rankings. The automatic qualifiers in the US Team earn their places via the number of FedEx Cup points each wins over the qualifying period.
In the Ryder Cup, the Europeans had used two points lists to determine automatic qualifiers – a European Points List based on Race to Dubai Ranking points and a World Points List based on Official World Golf Ranking points accrued during the qualifying…
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