The Presidents Cup will go as follows:

Thursday: Five “Foursome” matches

Friday: Five “Fourball” matches

Saturday morning: Four “Foursome” matches

Saturday afternoon: Four “ Fourball” matches

Sunday: Twelve Singles matches

That’s 30, if you’re counting at home. This means the winner needs 15.5 to win (matches tied after 18 awards each team with 0.5 points). Unlike the Ryder Cup, a 15-15 tie means a shared championship rather than the previous winner “retaining the cup”

in case you forgot what’s what:

Current Odds to Win:

U.S. -250
International +250
Tie 14/1

Quick Fun Facts

• Six of the 24 golfers are making their debut, 4 for the U.S. and 2 for the Internationals. (14 players debuted in 2022)

• Adam Scott is playing his ELEVENTH Presidents Cup. He needs one more to catch record-holder Phil Mickelson.

• No one on the U.S. Team has played more than twice before

• Keegan Bradley is playing his second Cup, the first since 2013

• The U.S won 17.5 - 12.5 last time out at Quail Hollow, marking their 9th straight win.

• Patrick Cantlay/Xander Schauffele will likely set the record for most matches played together this week as they sit one behind Fred Couples and Davis Love III with seven.

Who’s playing with who?

“Pairings for Session One (Thursday Fourball) are made at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, September 25 from the Interview Room in the Media Center. The captain of the defending team (U.S.) will choose who goes first to start the draw, and the cap”

I’ll try to make sure and post a link to the YouTube feed for this on our Twitter.

But for now, let’s take a look at the golf course we’ll be playing on for this year’s Cup. From Ron Klos’ course preview on BetspertsGolf.com:

Royal Montreal Golf Club

Host of five Canadian Opens, the Blue Course was called “spectacular” by Nicklaus when he captained the Presidents Cup in 2007. One of the finest tests of golf in Canada, it is regularly counted among the premier courses in the world. At 7,279 yards, the stock par 70 course has a typical allotment of four par 3s and only two par 5s. It’s a fairly easy walk with only 25 feet of elevation changes across the property. The front nine features heavily tree-lined playing corridors, while the back nine presents water intruding upon the line of play on six holes, including the concluding stretch of five holes.

Off the tee, both power and control are necessary to set up easier approach shots. Fairways average between 26-30 yards wide in the landing zones. As is the choice of the home captain, Mike Weir has a say in the agronomy and is expected to request especially thick, 4-inch rough that will produce a penalty for missed fairways. More evidence of Royal Montreal favoring accuracy over distance comes in the form of past winners here for the Canadian Open including two of the most accurate drivers of their time in Scott Verplank (2001) and Tim Clark (2014).

Dick Wilson’s original design featured elevated greens and sparse, strategic fairway bunkering. That character remains, with smaller-than-average putting surfaces at an average size of 5,000 square feet that are well protected by cashew-shaped greenside bunkers. Players who miss greens will face delicate uphill pitch shots to save par.

Agronomically, greens are a mix of bentgrass and poa. Many are “T-shaped” and the larger ones present a variety of potential sucker pin positions that will create drama in this match-play format. The multi-tiered contours will present another challenge for golfers whether chipping or putting. Avoiding three-putts will be huge factor in determining numerous matches.

Course renovation architect Rees Jones sees the closing stretch as ideal for match-play drama, starting with the reachable par-5 12th and long par-3 13th. Water bordering angled edges on the fairways of the closing holes will pose both a strategic and execution concern. The best “total drivers” of the ball will be able to separate themselves here. “The 14th, 15th and 16th holes, with the water, will be challenging depending on where they put the pins,” Jones said. “Those are going to be the key holes of the matches.”

This year, the already demanding 18th hole will typically play into the wind and is now 20 yards longer than it was in the 2007 Presidents Cup. The fairway, which is protected by a bunker on the right, has been narrowed down to just 25 yards wide. Water looms dangerously on the entire left side. The tee shot, however, is only the initial challenge. The green is considered the most difficult on the course. The putting surface features a small and relatively flat back plateau, while the front of the green is steeply sloped. It’s sure to provide a dramatic finish for the matches that last until this closing hole.

Seeking impartial news? Meet 1440.

Every day, 3.5 million readers turn to 1440 for their factual news. We sift through 100+ sources to bring you a complete summary of politics, global events, business, and culture, all in a brief 5-minute email. Enjoy an impartial news experience.

Join for free today!

Are you interested in advertising with us? We’d love to connect.

Betting

Much like the Ryder Cup last year, I expect this to be a bit one-sided, but in the favor of the U.S. of A in this case. I didn’t do a ton of modeling since more of the partnerships are guesses, and while I respect the team the Internationals have put together, the U.S. just has more high-end golfers and better options for alternate shot teams.-

I don’t go crazy with my bets on these and I’ll likely be looking at adding some individual bets and matchups tomorrow once we have teams for Thursday, my bets will all be based around the final score.

USA -3.5 -125. 
Playing a full unit on this and splitting up another on four ways on:

USA wins by 4-6 points +400

USA Wins 17.5-12.5, exact score +1100

Morikawa top overall point scorer +900

Top Rookie/Debutant Min Woo Lee +550.

Weather

I mean, it’s Canada in Autumn, it’s gonna be a little chilly out on the range. It’s in Canada, so apparently, they’re hitting me with millimeters and Celsius, but the more important thing is the heavy rains coming in on Thursday. I'm not sure that matters much to the handicap or how I’ll be betting anyone; it's just something to keep an eye on as they may have to mash two sessions in on Friday, which could change some captain’s decisions.

News and Notes

“All Claire” Edition

As always, bet responsibly, have fun, and go America!

Twitter | YouTube | Website | The Rabbit Hole