Presidents Cup MVPs, critiquing captains and format changes

Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us at @golf_com. This week, we discuss Presidents Cup MVPs, second-guessing for the captains, format changes and more.

The 15th Presidents Cup concluded on Sunday in Montreal just like many of the previous editions: with the Americans winning yet again. This time it was 18.5-11.5 to give the U.S. its 10th straight win over the Internationals. What was the difference?

Jack Hirsh, assistant editor (@JR_HIRSHey): Let’s not fool ourselves, this was a lopsided fight. The Americans had five players in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking while the Internationals had just Hideki Matsuyama. It goes the other way too as Max Homa was the worst ranked American at 25th, while Mackenzie Hughes is 62nd. Plus the International team is hurt a lot harder by LIV defectors without Cam Smith, Joaco Niemann and Co., while the Americans are just deeper and can replace Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau with other top-25 players. This is all to say the talent disparity may just be insurmountable over the course of 30 matches.

Sean Zak, senior writer (@sean_zak): The difference, if there was one, was that it felt contentious, which I think is important. Of course the Americans want to win, but it’s good for the event if they want to beat this International team. It’s good that Wyndham Clark and Ben An became soft-enemies. It’s good that Si Woo Kim taunted the Americans and that Tom Kim was running his mouth a bit. Creating a bit of a rivalry, even if the result is the same, makes for some staying power for this event. 

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

Who is taking home MVP honors for each side, and whose performance was most disappointing?

Hirsh: For the American side, it’s hard to argue against either 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 exactly by the book. For most disappointing, despite a 3-2-0 record, I’ll go with Scottie Scheffler. He just didn’t seem 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 rose to the occasion this week, it was Tom Kim’s energy that brought the Internationals back in it Friday despite not even playing. He had the moxie all day Saturday and Sunday, too, even starting a few controversies! Most disappointing was Min Woo Lee for the simple reason of him playing just twice all week.

Zak: Xander Schauffele was the top man for the red, white and blue. Furyk would have never considered sitting him, and could pair him with anyone. He pulled Tony Finau — who was one of the worst performers of the week, possibly most disappointing! — along for a couple wins and then waxed Jason Day in the opening Singles match. 

As for the INTs, it was Si Woo Kim. Best performer analytically, one of the best putters all week, the pot-stirring, etc. He showed out just like he did at Quail Hollow. I look forward to watching him shush the crowd in Chicago in two years. 

Melton: I’ll give some love to Team USA’s other top-scorer in Collin Morikawa who joined X and Cantlay with four points. He’s now 10-5-1 in team events for the Americans. Brian Harman was an obvious disappointment for the Americans as he was the lone man without a point.

For the Internationals, Hideki Matsuyama was impressive if only for taking down Scottie Scheffler in Sunday singles. As for biggest disappointment, Sungjae Im only scoring one point in five matches is a tough look.

Any second-guessing for captains Furyk or Weir? What letter grade would you assign them for their performances this week and why?

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

Furyk gets a solid B+ as he successfully rode his hot players, allowing them to carry struggling players like Tony Finau and hide others like Brian Harman and Max Homa.

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

Melton: 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 many buttons to come away with a victory.

Keegan Bradley earned 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 next one is even bigger yet when he captains the U.S. Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black in 2025. How important do you think his experience this past week in Montreal will be to his captaincy a year from now: a little, a lot, or somewhat in-between?

Hirsh: It was almost poetic for Keegan to get the winning point when at the 2014 Ryder Cup, he lost the clinching point. It’s been a whirlwind of a year for him after he was left off the Ryder Cup team last year and then gets named captain for the next one. I think, if nothing else, his confidence may be at an all-time high, at least at the level when he won the PGA back in 2011. Going 2-1-0 this week makes me wonder what his odds really are of being a playing-captain at Bethpage.

Zak: It’ll definitely be important for his captaincy, but I’m not convinced it’ll mean great things. I think Keegan starring a bit is only going to embolden the calls for him to be a playing-captain next fall, which is exactly what Team Europe wants. It’s a truly chaotic event and that’ll only create more chaos in the run-up. Luke Donald had to be grinning all week seeing this result manifest. 

Melton: It was certainly a neat scene seeing Keegan clinch for the Americans, but I’m not sure this week’s experience will mean much for Bethpage. The Ryder Cup is a whole different ball game. 

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

Hirsh: It’s tough to say “no” to that question, but it would also stink if there was no U.S. vs. The World match anymore. I think it’s clear this event needs to move to a co-ed model. There shouldn’t be any shame in it given how much the Ryder Cup was elevated by opening up to continental Europe.

Zak: It would be fantastic to see the Presidents Cup move to a co-ed model. It makes tons of sense. But the PGA Tour doesn’t always move in the direction of obvious, common sense. They’re 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 fine. The Internationals will win soon. 

Melton: It definitely needs changing. It’s no fun watching a sporting event where the outcome is all but certain before it even begins. The co-ed idea is a popular one, but it feels like wishful thinking to hope for it to actually happen. Perhaps the Internationals should start the week with a three-point headstart? It wouldn’t be the first time the PGA Tour staged a handicapped event.

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

Hirsh: Until this week, it seemed there was no controversy, no bad blood between the U.S. and International teams. Remember Tom Kim partying with the U.S. team two years ago at Quail Hollow? I don’t think that will happen again this year. We were all glued to the Ryder Cup last year because of “Hat Gate,” and then this year, people became more intrigued when you raise questions of sportsmanship. So, for organizers, I’m not sure there’s much to do, as it really comes down to players going at each other and really caring about winning at all costs.

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

Melton: Not sure Medinah is quite in the same tier as Royal Melbourne and Kingston Heath, but I understand (and agree with) your point, Sean.