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The United States team retained the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, after surviving a spirited comeback from the International Team, winning the golf tournament by 17.5 to 12.5 and securing the Americans’ ninth overall victory in a row.
Xander Schauffele rolled in the decisive putt in his match against Canadian Corey Conners on the 18th hole to clinch the US team’s overall victory, sparking scenes of jubilation on the green from Schauffele and other players whose matches had finished.
The Presidents Cup is a biennial competition between Americans and an international team open to players outside the United States and Europe. The US team has now won 12 out of 14 Presidents Cups in history, losing only one overall tournament.
US captain Davis Love III sent out two of his heavy hitters, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, in the opening two matches in an effort to prevent International Team momentum building. Spieth delivered for Love as he beat Australian Cam Davis with three holes to spare, but Thomas surrendered an early lead to lose on the final hole to South Korean Si Woo Kim.
Patrick Cantlay and Tony Finau added more points to the board for the United States, while Colombian Sebastián Muñoz shocked world No.1 Scottie Scheffler to give the International Team an inkling of hope, along with Japanese team veteran Hideki Matsuyama’s tied match with Sam Burns.
Photos: In photos: A history of the Presidents Cup
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After playing captain Tiger Woods inspired his side to a dramatic fightback victory in 2019, Team USA will be targeting a ninth straight Presidents Cup victory at Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, this week. Scroll through the gallery to look back at the previous 13 editions of the biennial event.
Photos: In photos: A history of the Presidents Cup
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Former US President Gerald R. Ford (pictured) served as the honorary chairman for the inaugural Presidents Cup, hosted at Robert Jones Trent Golf Club in Gainsville, Virginia in September 1994.
Photos: In photos: A history of the Presidents Cup
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Captained by Hale Irwin (pictured center-right), the US Team eased to a comfortable 20-12 victory over David Graham’s International Team at the maiden event, with 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples registering a flawless 3-0-0 record in his matches.
Photos: In photos: A history of the Presidents Cup
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The 1996 Presidents Cup was one of the closest run in the tournament’s history. As the event returned to Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Arnold Palmer — pictured with honorary chairman former President George H.W. Bush — captained the US to a nail-biting 16.5 – 15.5 victory over Peter Thomson’s International side.
Photos: In photos: A history of the Presidents Cup
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As the 3rd edition of the event, in 1998, saw the tournament leave the US for the first time, so too did the trophy, as the International Team registered its only Presidents Cup win to date. Under Thomson’s captaincy, it did so in some style too, roaring to a 20.5 – 11.5 victory at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia.
Photos: In photos: A history of the Presidents Cup
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It was back to Virginia for the 2000 Presidents Cup, as US Captain Ken Venturi oversaw a commanding 21.5 – 10.5 victory over Thomson’s side. Two-time Open champion Greg Norman (R) featured again for the International Team, with 42nd US President Bill Clinton (L) the event’s honorary chairman.
Photos: In photos: A history of the Presidents Cup
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History was made at the 5th edition of the tournament, in 2003, as George, South Africa, played host to the Presidents Cup’s sole tie — a 17-17 stalemate. Gary Player (L) captained the International Team for the first time in his home country, agreeing to share the trophy with US skipper Jack Nicklaus (R) after three tied playoff holes between Ernie Els and Tiger Woods.
Photos: In photos: A history of the Presidents Cup
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Woods (L) and David Toms (R) celebrate another US triumph following a 18.5 – 15.5 victory at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in 2005. Chris DiMarco fittingly clinched victory for the Americans having secured a team-best 4.5 points.
Photos: In photos: A history of the Presidents Cup
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US player Woody Austin walked to the 14th green in a dive mask on the final day of the 2007 Presidents Cup (a reference to the fact that he’d fallen in the water earlier in the tournament), as his team swam to a leisurely 19.5 – 14.5 win at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Quebec, Canada.
Photos: In photos: A history of the Presidents Cup
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Tiger fever hit San Francisco in 2009, as a scintillating 5-0-0 performance from Woods (L) powered the US Team — captained by Fred Couples for the first time — to a 19.5 – 14.5 win and a sixth Presidents Cup victory at Harding Park Golf Club.
Photos: In photos: A history of the Presidents Cup
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Woods’ teammate Jim Furyk took charge with a flawless five-point performance of his own as the Presidents Cup returned to Royal Melbourne in 2011. Yet it was Woods who clinched the decisive point in a 19-15 American victory.
Photos: In photos: A history of the Presidents Cup
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Team USA clocked its fifth successive victory as Muirfield Village Golf Club, Ohio, hosted the 10th edition of the Presidents Cup, in 2013. President Barack Obama served as honorary chairman for the second time, and welcomed both rosters to the White House the following year.
Photos: In photos: A history of the Presidents Cup
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The Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea, took center stage as the Presidents Cup traveled to Asia for the first time, in 2015. Home hero Bae Sang-Moon impressed, but couldn’t prevent an agonizing 14.5 – 15.5 loss as the International Team suffered defeat for the sixth-straight time.
Photos: In photos: A history of the Presidents Cup
Rob Carr / Getty Images
A string of former US Presidents — Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton (L-R) — descended upon New Jersey for the 2017 Presidents Cup at Liberty National Golf Club. Incumbent President Donald Trump handed the trophy to US captain Steve Stricker following a 19-11 American victory.
Photos: In photos: A history of the Presidents Cup
Rob Carr / AsiaPac / Getty Images
Hosting the Presidents Cup for the third time, Royal Melbourne teed up an enthralling contest in 2019. Captained by South African icon Ernie Els, the International Team held a two-point lead after the first three days, only for playing captain Tiger Woods to kickstart a stunning fightback on Sunday to clinch a 16-14 US win.
Much of the build-up to the competition was dominated by how the teams and overall tournament had been affected by players joining the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series and thus being ineligible to compete in this year’s edition.
Eight of the International Team’s 12 players made their Presidents Cup debut this year, and six US players were also participating for the first time.
The 2024 Presidents Cup is set to take place at the Royal Montreal Golf Club in Canada from September 24-29 of that year. The same venue hosted the 2007 edition of the competition.