Who Runs The Presidents Cup?

Since the inaugural edition of the Presidents Cup in 1994, it has become an established part of the golf calendar, and is traditionally held biennially in even-numbered years.

It resembles the Ryder Cup in many ways, including its two teams of 12 players and match play format, but it is decidedly different in other areas, including who runs it.

The Presidents Cup is run by the PGA Tour, which also created it. That's unlike the Ryder Cup, which is jointly run by the PGA of America and Ryder Cup Europe.

But why did the PGA Tour establish it? Another key aspect that sets the Presidents Cup apart from the Ryder Cup helps explain the decision.  

While both the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup feature a US team, in the former contest, the Americans take on a team of Europeans, but in the latter, its opponent is a team made up of international players, not including those from Europe.

That difference means that world-class players denied the opportunity to appear in the Ryder Cup can pit their wits against the Americans in a similar match while growing the game globally, hence why the PGA Tour created it.

The PGA Tour's sole responsibility for the Presidents Cup is reflected in the qualifying process. For example, the qualifying criteria for the US team states that a player must be a PGA Tour member to automatically make the team.

Meanwhile, for both the US and International teams, the criteria stipulates that “all players (automatic qualifiers and captain’s picks) must be eligible to compete in PGA Tour-sanctioned competitions," which further emphasizes that the Presidents Cup is a contest with the PGA Tour pulling the strings.

The PGA Tour's responsibility for the Presidents Cup also explains why, for the second edition in a row, the 2024 match will not feature players from LIV Golf.

That was made clear soon after the first tournament on the rival circuit began in 2022, when PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan published a strongly worded letter that spelled out in no uncertain terms who is running the show regarding the Presidents Cup.

The letter explained that LIV golfers were "suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play, including the Presidents Cup.”

Another sign that the PGA Tour is behind the Presidents Cup comes at the trophy ceremony, where Monahan speaks.

While comparisons with the Ryder Cup are inevitable whenever the Presidents Cup comes around, the organizations that run the two contests mark one of the big elements that sets them apart. Where the Presidents Cup is concerned, it was a PGA Tour venture from the start, and remains firmly under its control three decades on.