Things are coming down to the wire in the Presidents Cup.
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MONTREAL – The games are getting smaller in the Presidents Cup, which means only one thing: the stakes are getting bigger.
After one tense Saturday’s showdown at Royal Montreal, we’ve officially reached the highlight reel of the week: Sunday singles matches.
Twelve golfers will head into Sunday’s head-to-head matches with 12 points on the line – nearly half the total points for whole Presidents Cup. The rules are simple: each match is worth one point and the first team with 15.5 wins the Cup. (Current score is Americans 11, Internationals 7.)
After one visibly numb (and sometimes, cold) Saturday in Montreal, we turn our attention to Sunday with weary breath. Singles matches are traditionally the best time in the schedule to deliver high-octane entertainment, and with tensions already simmering, that entertainment could be even spicier than usual.
Below, we rank all 12 matches on Sunday according to our (highly subjective) measure of must-see. You can tune into the action from noon to 6pm ET on NBC.
Ranking of all 12 Presidents Cup singles matches by must-see
12. Brian Harman vs. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (2:07 pm)
The penultimate game of this Presidents Cup features two of the least-seasoned members of each team: Brian Harman for the Americans (0-2-0 so far) and Christiaan Bezuidenhout for the Internationals (1-1-0). Harman has a legendary record as a US Walker Cupper and he will be looking to bounce back from two mostly dreadful alternate performances; while Bezuidenhout was part of the big wave of alternative international kicks on Friday, but took part in the entirety of Saturday’s marathon session.
11. Sahith Theegala vs. Byeong Hun An (1:43 p.m.)
Sahith Theegala has been one of the Americans’ most exciting rookies this week (Freudian…or we must say Mongolian slips aside), while Ben An has quietly been a strong force on the international side. We didn’t hear from either player on Saturday, but on Sunday, this match is in prime position to decide the tournament.
10. Tony Finau vs. Corey Conners (1:19 p.m.)
Conners will surely have the Canadian faithful out in full force, while Finau has proven almost impervious to trash talkers. Energy will be high here, although the setting may not be pretty.
9. Wyndham Clark vs. Min Woo Lee (1:31 p.m.)
Lee has been one of the surprise ghosts of this year’s Presidents Cup, not playing a single match since the four-ball first loss alongside compatriot Adam Scott. Mike Weir admitted on Saturday that he would have hoped to include the young Australian more, but the cards did not work out for Lee as he started the week with perhaps the best haircut of the event. He will be looking to electrify the crowd – and perhaps prove Weir wrong – with his performance on Sunday.
On the other hand, Wyndham Clark has been the picture of average in his Team USA career, following a 1-1-1 performance at the ’23 Ryder Cup with a 1-2-0 performance in Montreal. Another win would get him back to .500 for his Team USA career, which somehow feels perfectly reasonable.
8. Max Homa vs. Mackenzie Hughes (2:19 p.m.)
This ranking has more to do with the stage of the schedule than the quality of the opponent. The final match of the 2024 Presidents Cup is against a guy who has played ORDER better than his 0-2-0 record (Max Homa) against a guy who has played suggests ORDER better than his 1-2-0 record suggests (Mackenzie Hughes). The two golfers have brought a lot of energy this week and, if the Cup comes down to them, they could make me look very foolish for ranking them so low.
7. Patrick Cantlay vs. Taylor Pendrith (12:50 p.m.)
The guy who couldn’t buy a putt on Saturday (Pendrith) against the guy who couldn’t miss (Cantlay). What could go wrong? In all seriousness, though, with Cantlay turning into a full-on apex predator in the biggest moments under the American flag, this could mark the emergence of a new Captain America. This is worth the price of admission alone.
6. Xander Schauffele vs. Jason Day (12:02 p.m.)
of first Sunday’s game pits arguably the best American player in this Cup (Xander Schauffele) against perhaps the most surprising leader of the internationals (Jason Day). Both golfers have been playing inspired golf all week, and this is an embarrassing paradise. In every sense of the word, it’s a tone-setter for what’s to come.
5. Russell Henley vs Sungjae Im (12:38pm)
Most finishers on this list fall into what could it be category; this falls perfectly into what has already been. Henley and Im were part of one cold handshake at the end of a slugfest in Saturday’s alternate shootout. With Im becoming a certified flusher and Henley playing the best golf of his life, fireworks feel almost guaranteed.
4. Keegan Bradley vs. Si Woo Kim (1:02 p.m.)
The future blood of Americans against the current blood of internationals. It’s a match that needs no introduction, although I fear how Keegan’s New England roots will respond to a yuppie party like Si Woo’s.”night-night. Prepare your popcorn.
3. Collin Morikawa vs. Adam Scott (1:55 p.m.)
Collin Morikawa has quietly had a pretty dominant week in Montreal (he’s 3-1-1), which caps a season in which he was quietly one of the most dominant players in the world. On Sunday, he can pick up the exclamation point that was missing from his regular season on the PGA Tour against Adam Scott, the leader of this international team.
Morikawa has to be careful though, Scott has played great golf and he will be one harsh away with the Cup on the line.
2. Sam Burns vs. Tom Kim (12:14 p.m.)
Burns, the guy who said he doesn’t mind responding to the haters, and Tom Kim, the guy who never had the heart to stir up haters in Montreal. After Kimi sports commentary against the Americans on Saturday night, that will have a lot of extra attention, and Kim’s admission that he is “so motivated” to get a win on Sunday means the fireworks are coming.
1. Scottie Scheffler vs. Hideki Matsuyama (12:26 p.m.)
Considering that both of these golfers are the top players on their respective teams, this matchup is a true heavyweight matchup. Considering the way their match ended on Saturday – with Scheffler, the World No. 1, hanging on the rim after a proverbial Tomahawk choke – the return match on Sunday is sure to be extra spicy. And considering the way the 30 minutes leading up to that match went, you can bet Scottie will show up with a bee on his cover.
In other words: Grab your butts, people, this is going to be uncomfortable.
