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Road to Montreal: Team USA expected to start fast
Published
The Presidents Cup tees off this week, with Canada playing host for the first time since 2007. The event will again take place at Royal Montreal Golf Club.
Seventeen years ago, Jack Nicklaus led his American squad to a 19.5-14.5 win over Gary Player and the International side at the Royal Montreal Golf Club.
This year, International captain Mike Weir will look to lead the team to its first Presidents Cup win since 1998.
Team USA enters the week as the expected heavy favourites (-250) to win the event for a tenth straight time.
Let’s look at a few markets FanDuel has to offer on the early part of the Presidents Cup.
SESSION 1
DAY 1 WINNER
USA -145
Internationals +210
Tie +500
Team USA has done one thing very well over the past nine Presidents Cups: start fast.
The Americans won the opening session in seven of the past nine Presidents Cups and are -145 favourites to do it again this year. Below is a year-by-year breakdown of each opening session since 2005.
Presidents Cup Session 1 history
| Year | USA | International |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 | 4 |
| 2017 | 3.5 | 1.5 |
| 2015 | 4 | 1 |
| 2013 | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| 2011 | 4 | 2 |
| 2009 | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| 2007 | 5.5 | 0.5 |
| 2005 | 2.5 | 3.5 |
Over the nine events Team USA has won 31.5 points compared to just 18.5 for the International team.
The International team has led after the opening session just twice, most recently in 2019 when they won four points on Thursday in fourball matches. The other was 19 years ago in foursomes.
Since it was held at Royal Montreal in 2007, Team USA has held a 14.5 - 7.5 lead on the opening day when the event is played internationally.
SESSION 2
USA -145
Internationals +210
Tie +500
While Team USA has done an excellent job starting this event fast over the last 20 years, the International team also finds a way to limit the damage on Day 2.
Over the last nine President Cups, the Americans have won the session just twice on Day 2, with the International team winning twice and the session being tied five times.
Presidents Cup Session 2 history
| Year | USA | International |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 2017 | 1.5 | 3.5 |
| 2015 | 3 | 3 |
| 2013 | 3 | 3 |
| 2011 | 3 | 3 |
| 2009 | 3 | 3 |
| 2007 | 1.5 | 4.5 |
| 2005 | 3 | 3 |
A TAKE YOU DIDN’T ASK FOR
As someone who thinks the Internationals can pull off the upset this year, I’m very interested in their price to win session one, given the format to start the week.
While the Americans hold a commanding 31.5 - 18.5 lead over the Internationals in session one over the last nine Presidents Cups, it was the International side that won the opening session in 2019 – the last time the event was played internationally.
Thursday's opening matches will feature the four-ball format, a style of play that has been much more friendly to the International side with Team USA holding a stronger edge in the alternate-shot format.
Since 2005, there have been four President Cups played internationally, with Team International winning the four-ball session three times (2019, 2015, 2007) and tying the fourth (2011).
The team holds a 15 - 7 lead in those 22 matches.
I fully expect the local Montreal crowd to bring the heat right from the start of the event and perhaps give the Americans a shock to their system to kick things off.
So, I will play the Internationals at +210 to be the Day 1 winner this year at the Presidents Cup.