PGA Props Picks: Presidents Cup Predictions
Golf's Presidents Cup is often forgotten about by American sports fans due to the excitement of college and pro football, as the competition has been played in mid or late September ever since the inaugural event in 1994. As you may know, this is truly the Presidents Cup. Every two years, the Americans faced off against the International Team over four rounds. However, this year, we will see five rounds of play over four days.
Historically dominated by Team USA, the Presidents Cup has been one-sided, with the only International Team win coming in 1998.
We've seen golf's best, like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, in the Presidents Cup. This year will be no different, as FedEx Cup Champion and World #1 Scottie Scheffler leads a favored USA Team against Hideki Matsuyama, Corey Conners, and company. Team USA is currently (-250) to win, which is pricey, and I don't want to bet against Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and Collin Morikawa.
Instead, let's attack this one from a fun perspective, targeting interesting prop bets that pay out much higher than simply taking the Americans to handle business. First, though, let's quickly go over the format.
The first round will be 2x2 match play in a four-ball format. Each teammate plays his own ball, and they take the best of the two scores. The second round will be foursomes, which is still 2x2, but teammates will alternate shots. The third and fourth rounds, consisting of both four-bal and foursomes, are both played on Saturday. Ultimately, Sunday will be twelve 1x1 matches.
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Top USA Points Scorer
Scottie Scheffler: +400
Scheffler has yet to shine at the Presidents Cup. He's still searching for his first winning round here at 0-5-3. It's difficult to make the argument for value, considering his history at the event and now being the favorite as the top performer. However, what's a Presidents Cup MVP after winning your second Masters, Olympic gold, and the FedEx Cup just this year?
Xander Schauffele: +450
A lot of people like Schauffele in this situation. He has a much better Presidents Cup record than the guy above, but the San Diego native is a bit wreckless off the tee.
Collin Morikawa: +600
SoCal’s Morikawa has the style and strength to outplay everyone at the Royal Montreal Golf Club. This course punishes heavy hitters off the tee with consistency. Even more reliably, accurate and precise drivers of the ball succeed. The Cal grad was one of only four golfers who hit more than 70% of fairways in 2024, ranking second. We have taken some time off since the FedEx Cup Championship, but don’t forget the 72-hole winner was Morikawa. He actually outplayed the champion, Scheffler.
It doesn’t stop there. He also ranked first on the PGA Tour in average putts per round. I am all over Morikawa in this spot.
Patrick Cantlay: +650
Sam Burns: +750
Wyndham Clark: +850
Max Home: +1100
Saheeth Theegala: +1600
Brian Harman: +1600
Tony Finau: +1800
Pick: Collin Morikaawa (+600)
Top International Team Rookie Matchup
Mackenzie Hughes: -140
Min Woo Lee: +100
We are sticking with the same formula in this matchup bet of top International Team rookies Mackenzie Hughes and Min Woo Lee. They both rank around 60th on Tour in driving accuracy. However, the difference in putting skill is stark. Hughes was a top 20 putter on Tour this year, while Lee was outside the top 100.
Pick: Mackenzie Hughes (-140)
Top International Wildcard (Captain’s Pick)
Corey Conners: +330
Si Woo Kim: +350
Mackenzie Hughes: +400
Christiaan Bezuidenhout: +400
Min Woo Lee: +450
Taylor Pendrith: +600
Mackenzie Hughes isn't the worst play ever, but I like Lee here, as he has the best driving accuracy out of this group. Corey Conners of Canada is right there with him and will be his country's soil. However, he can't putt. Kim has him beat in the #1 predictor, which is driving accuracy. He's also a more well-rounded golfer.
Pick: Minn Woo Lee (+350)
Thursday Day 1 Winner (Four-Ball)
USA: -145
International: +190
Tie: +500
Taking the US to win it all is too pricey, as we said. So, let's attack Day 1. We chose this day because that's when we will be playing four-ball. This format has fewer holes in it, meaning the better golfers win at a higher clip. The variability is higher with the alternating shots foursome style.
There is also much less of a chance of a tie in this round compared to some later ones, with only four matches.
Bet on the three best golfers over the past six months to set the tone for Team USA, winning at least the first round of the Presidents Cup.
Pick: Team USA (-145)
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