For those following intently this week, it’s probably been made clear that 15 1/2 points is required to clinch a Presidents Cup victory.
Five wins in the 12 Sunday singles and the International team wins the competition. That’s understood.
But what happens if the matches end 15-15? Unlike the Ryder Cup, the U.S. does not retain the cup in the event of a tie.
A tie is a tie, and both teams share the cup.
Oh, and in case you didn’t want to do the math: The Americans needs to win eight of the 12 single matches to avoid that scenario.
Has the Presidents Cup ever ended in a tie?
Yes, the 2003 Presidents Cup ended in a tie.
In that competition, Jack Nicklaus’ U.S. squad finished with 17 points. The problem is Nicklaus’ team and Gary Player’s Internationals were vying for 34 points back then.
And yes, you guessed it: Player and the International team earned the same total (17) at the Links Course at Fancourt in South Africa.
The tie in 2003 is important in understanding Sunday’s potential outcome as prior to that moment the cup had never been shared.
And that outcome only came because Tiger Woods and Ernie Els went toe-to-toe until darkness forced the hands of Nicklaus and Player who agreed on a split.
