Presidents Cup MVPs, criticizing captains and format changes

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The 15th Presidents Cup ended Sunday in Montreal like many of the previous editions: with the Americans winning again. This time it was 18.5-11.5 to give USA its 10th straight win on internationals. What was the difference?

Jack Hirsh, assistant editor (@JR_HIRSHey): Let’s not kid ourselves, this was an uneventful fight. The Americans had five players in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking while the internationals had only Hideki Matsuyama. It also goes the other way around as Max Homa was the lowest ranked American at 25th, while Mackenzie Hughes is 62nd. Plus, the international team is hurt much more severely by LIV defectors without Cam Smith, Joaco Niemann and Co., while the Americans are deeper and can replace Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau with other top-25 players. That means the talent disparity could be insurmountable over 30 games.

Sean Zak, senior writer (@sean_zak): The difference, if there was one, was that it felt controversial, which I think is important. Of course the Americans they want to win, but it’s good for the event if they want to beat THIS The international team. It’s good that Wyndham Clark and Ben An became gentle enemies. It’s good that Si Woo Kim made fun of the Americans and that Tom Kim was beating his mouth a little. Creating a little rivalry, even if the result is the same, creates some staying power for the event.

Zephyr Melton, assistant editor (@zephyrmelton): The Americans were just the deeper and more talented team. They didn’t do anything special and didn’t need any heroism. To use a football cliché, they just went out there and showed their stuff. When you have such a talent advantage, that’s all you have to do to come out victorious.

Who is taking home the MVP awards for each side and whose performance was the most disappointing?

Hirsh: For the American side, it’s hard to argue against Patrick Cantlay or Xander Schauffele, especially when they played together twice. I’ll give the nod to Schauffele because his first point in the opening singles match was right out of the book. For the most disappointing, despite a 3-2-0 record, I’ll go with Scottie Scheffler. He just didn’t look like the guy who won seven times this week and I had higher expectations for him, especially losing a 1 up lead on the back nine.

For the Internationals, as much as I think Si Woo Kim really stepped up this week, it was Tom Kim’s energy that brought the Internationals back on Friday despite not even playing. He had moxie all day Saturday and Sunday, too, even starting some controversy! The most disappointing was Min Woo Lee for the simple reason that he only played twice during the week.

Zack: Xander Schauffele was the best player for the red and blue. Furyk would never have thought of sitting him down and could team him up with anyone. He drew Tony Finau – who was one of the worst performers of the week, possibly the most disappointing! — combined for a pair of wins and then waxed Jason Day in the opening singles match.

As for INTs, it was Si Woo Kim. The best performer analytically, one of the best players all week, stirring the pot, etc. It was shown just like in Quail Hollow. I look forward to watching him shut down the crowd in Chicago in two years.

Melts: I’ll give some love to Team USA’s other scorer in Collin Morikawa who joined X and Cantlay with four points. He is now 10-5-1 in tag team games for the Americans. Brian Harman was a notable disappointment for the Americans as he was the only man without a point.

For the Internationals, Hideki Matsuyama was impressive, if only to shut out Scottie Scheffler in Sunday’s singles. As for the biggest disappointment, Sungjae Im scoring just one point in five games is a tough look.

Any second guesses on Captains Furyk or Weir? What letter grade would you assign to their performances this week and why?

Hirsh: I’ll start with the low hanging fruit Weir sends out exactly the same players as Saturday afternoon as he did on Saturday morning, something no Presidents Cup captain had ever done. It backfired when, at the end of the 36-hole day, the internationals let several close matches go the other way, clearly feeling the fatigue. He gets a D- from me.

Furyk gets a solid B+ after successfully riding his hot players, allowing them to contain tough players like Tony Finau and hide others like Brian Harman and Max Homa.

Zack: I like to call these events the Olympics of Hindsight because you can always disagree with a move that ultimately ended in defeat. But that Saturday 36-hole call from Weir is as odd as they come. If it worked, we would have loved it. But it didn’t happen, so it’s a bit of a surprise. C-minus for Weir and a B-plus for Furyk.

Melts: SZ nailed it. Weir’s decision-making was strange at the time and looks even worse after the fact. I’ll give Furyk a passing grade, but he didn’t need to push too many buttons to get a win.

Keegan Bradley won the deciding point to clinch the win for the Americans, beating Si Woo Kim 1 up. This was his first team event (dating back to the 2014 Ryder Cup) in a decade, and his future is even bigger when he leads the US Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black in 2025. How important do you think the experience his past A week in Montreal will be his captain in a year: a little, a lot, or somewhere in between?

Hirsh: It was almost poetic for Keegan to get the winning point when at the 2014 Ryder Cup, he missed set point. It’s been a whirlwind of a year for him, as he was left out of the Ryder Cup team last year and then named captain for next year. I think, if nothing else, his confidence might be at an all-time high, at least where it was when he won the PGA in 2011. Going 2-1-0 this week makes me wonder what the realistically his chances of being a game captain at Bethpage.

Zak: It will certainly be important to his captain, but I’m not convinced it will mean big things. I think Keegan’s role will only slightly encourage calls for him to captain the game next autumn, which is exactly what Team Europe wants. It is a truly chaotic event and it will only create more chaos in the future. Luke Donald had to smile all week seeing this remarkable result.

Melts: It sure was a nice scene watching Keegan stick it out for the Americans, but I’m not sure this week’s experience will mean much to Bethpage. The Ryder Cup is a completely different ball game.

The United States has now won 13 of 15 Presidents Cups, and the Internationals haven’t won in more than two decades. Does the Presidents Cup need fixing? And if so, how would you change it?

Hirsh: It’s hard to say no to that question, but it would also stink if there were no more USA vs. World games. I think it is clear that this event should move to a common model. There should be no shame in that given how much the Ryder Cup was lifted by opening in continental Europe.

Zack: It would be great to see the Presidents Cup move to a co-edited model. It makes a lot of sense. But the PGA Tour doesn’t always move in the direction of clear, common sense. They are the owners of this entity, so it would require perhaps the most progressive move the Tour has made in decades. I don’t see it happening. That said, ehhh, I think the event is mostly good. Internationals will win soon.

Melts: It must be changed. It’s no fun watching a sporting event where the outcome is certain before it starts. The merged idea is a popular one, but it feels wishful thinking that it actually happens. Maybe the internationals should start the week with a three-point start? It wouldn’t be the first time the PGA Tour hosted a handicap event.

Is there something the Presidents Cup does well that the Ryder Cup doesn’t (or vice versa) that players, captains or organizers can learn from?

Hirsh: Until this week, there seemed to be no controversy, no bad blood between the American and international teams. Remember Tom Kim celebrating with Team USA two years ago at Quail Hollow? I don’t think it will happen again this year. We were all stuck on the Ryder Cup last year because of Hat Gate, and then this year, people got more intrigued when you raise questions about sportsmanship. So for the organizers, I’m not sure there’s much to do as it really comes down to the players going against each other and genuinely interested in winning at all costs.

Zack: I’m not sure Royal Montreal is the best example of this, but the Presidents Cup has at least visited/or planned to visit some other top courses. The European Ryder Cups are more focused on parking, space and global cities than on vibrant golf courses. It’s not a big deal, but it’s a deal that the Prez Cup has been to Royal Melbourne several times and will visit Kingston Heath and Medinah for its next two iterations.

Melts: I’m not sure Medina is on the same level as Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath, but I understand (and agree with) your point, Sean.