2019 Presidents Cup: Previewing the Match in Melbourne
The 2019 Presidents Cup takes place in Australia at Royal Melbourne Golf Club this week.
Over the course of four days, the United States team (captained by Tiger Woods) will play in 30 Presidents Cup matches against the International Team (captained by Ernie Els). The first day consists of six matches of Fourball. Friday consists of six matches of Foursomes (alternate shot).
Saturday will have five matches of Fourball in the morning followed by five matches of Foursomes in the afternoon. Finally, each of the twelve players competes in singles matches on Sunday. Players earn 1 point for a win and a half-point for a draw; both teams must secure 15.5 points for the victory.
This Presidents Cup is full of intrigue, particularly on the American side. Tiger Woods was announced as the United States captain in March 2018; since then, he has re-established himself as one of the worlds’ best players and picked up his 15th major at the 2019 Masters.
Of the 12 American participants (including Woods, the Playing Captain), 11 played in last week’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. Their bodies will be put to the test after a day-long flight across the globe, with only a few days to adjust their schedules to a different time zone.
Perhaps the most fascinating story just descended from the golf gods; Patrick Reed, controversially selected by Woods’ as a captain’s pick, vaulted himself into the news when he obviously altered his lie in the 3rd round of the Hero World Challenge.
While Reed dismissed any negative intentions, his shady past and previous cheating accusations do not permit him the benefit of the doubt. Some of the International Team players, like Australian Cam Smith, have gone on the record against Reed and hope the fans jeer the 2018 Masters Champion. Reed potentially playing the villain for Team USA only adds another layer of suspense to the bi-annual competition.
With all of these storylines swirling, let’s jump into a preview of the 2020 Presidents Cup, starting with the history of the event.