The Presidents Cup is always a lot of fun. While the stakes aren't as high as the Ryder Cup, I genuinely enjoy watching it every other year. It has lacked competitiveness at times, but we've always seen plenty of passion from both teams.
There are a lot of ways you can bet on the Presidents Cup. You can bet on which team will lift the trophy, individual matches, the golfer who will earn the most points overall (or on their own team), and so many other props.
Let's take a look at my Presidents Cup picks and PGA Tour predictions for this week's tournament at Medinah Country Club. Make sure to download the Action Network App for more picks and analysis!
Presidents Cup Preview
This year's Presidents Cup will be held at Medinah Country Club (Course No. 3), which is a Par 70 that measures 7,548 yards. This is a home game for Team USA, and they picked a venue that should really suit their strengths. Many of the golfers on the International Team play their best golf on shorter courses that demand accuracy off the tee.
This is an extremely long Par 70 that should reward elite drivers of the ball. Team USA should certainly have the advantage in that regard. The course features average-sized bentgrass greens and water hazards on five of the holes. It should play fairly difficult, but that will all depend on the setup of the course.
If you aren't familiar with the Presidents Cup format, here's a quick recap:
- Four-day, team match play event
- Every match is worth 1 point
- Thursday (Round 1) – 5 matches: four-ball (best ball)
- Friday (Round 2) – 5 matches: foursomes (alternate shot)
- Saturday (Round 3) –4 matches: four-ball (best ball)
- Saturday (Round 4) – 4 matches: foursomes (alternate shot)
- Sunday (Round 5) – 12 matches: Singles (1v1 match play)
There are 30 points available. If there's a tie (15-15), then Team USA will retain the trophy. In order for the International Team to win the Presidents Cup, they will need to score at least 15.5 points.
Presidents Cup Predictions, Picks
As mentioned at the top, there are so many ways to bet the Presidents Cup. Here are my four favorites:
To Win: Team USA -420 (DraftKings)
The last time Team USA lost the Presidents Cup was in 1998. For those of us born before 1990, that might not seem like it was that long ago, but it has been 28 years since the International Team has won this event.
The last time Team USA lost the Presidents Cup at home was… never.
I know it's not exciting betting something at -420 odds, but this screams value to me if you don't mind making a slightly larger wager than usual.
The course sets up well for the Americans, and there's a huge gap in talent between the two teams. I have a model that creates player ratings each week based on the course they are playing.
The combined rating for Team USA is 671, while the combined rating for the International Team is 376. Of the top 12 golfers in my model, there's only one from the International Team.
I think this might be the most lopsided Presidents Cup in a long time.
Top Debutant: Chris Gotterup +210 (DraftKings)
Once again, this isn't like your typical golf bet at +5000, but that's because it's not a long shot.
Chris Gotterup has already picked up five PGA TOUR wins in his short career, including three this year. He's a bomber off the tee, which should really come in handy at this course. He's also an excellent putter, which is critical in match play.
Ultimately, I expect Gotterup to play more matches than any of the other debutants, and that's really half the battle when it comes to betting this market.
Team USA Top Points Scorer: Patrick Cantlay +850 (bet365)
Believe it or not, Scottie Scheffler has not played well in these team events.
Between the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, he's 3-6-3, which is why I'm perfectly fine betting on other golfers to be the top scorer this week.
For Team USA, I like the odds on Patrick Cantlay. In his Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup career, he's gone 16-9-2, which is one of the best marks of any golfer teeing it up this week.
He also has an excellent track record playing with Xander Schauffele, and he's been terrific in the match play event in Austin.
International Team Top Points Scorer: Sungjae Im +780 (DraftKings)
I have no interest in betting anyone on the International Team to be the top points scorer overall, but I do like this market for their team specifically.
After a rough start to the year, Sungjae Im has really picked up his play over the last few months. In fact, he posted 4 straight top-15 finishes to end the season.
While it's tough to have a good record in this event if you play for the International Team, Im has gone 6-7-2 in his career. If he plays well, he could easily play four or even five matches.
My official prediction: USA 18.5 – International 11.5
Enjoy the event!
