American dominance will continue at the Presidents Cup

Welcome back to SI Golf’s Fact or Fiction, where our outfits for this week are set just like the Presidents Cup teams.

We are here to discuss a range of statements that writers and editors can declare as “fact” or “fiction” and briefly explain. The answers can also (occasionally) be “neutral” as there are many grey areas in golf.

Do you agree or disagree? Let us know on the SI Golf X Account.

The 15th Presidents Cup takes place this week at Royal Montreal and the USA has lost only once. The American team has nine players in the top 20 of the official world golf rankings, compared to just two at the Internationals, so the Cup returns to the USA on Sunday night.

Bob Harig: FACT. It is difficult to imagine a different outcome, although what is on paper is hardly an indicator of what will happen. Just think of the Ryder Cup. Perhaps some US players who are in poor form, together with some rusty players on the international team, will give some hope and they will be motivated enough.

John Pluym: FACT. Why even play the event? It will be a loss and no one will watch. It’s time for the PGA Tour to make big changes to the dominant event. And don’t we say that about many golf events?

Jeff Ritter: FACT. There have been some editions of this event where the excitement has continued deep into the weekend, but I don’t think this will be one of them. The U.S. team roster is so much stronger than the international team from top to bottom that it would be a surprise if this wasn’t an easy week of work for the U.S. team.

John Schwarb: FACT. Golf’s most one-sided team competition continues. After another U.S. victory, will the PGA Tour finally be motivated to make sweeping changes? But don’t wait too long.

Two weeks ago, the PGA Tour’s Procore Championship, its first “FedEx Fall” event, had 69,000 television viewers for the final round, up from 298,000 last year. With a busy day in the golf world (Solheim Cup on Sunday, LIV Golf, Irish Open with Rory McIlroy in attendance) and the NFL, the tour should be given a breather.

Bob Harig: FACT. Although ratings were much higher last year, there is undoubtedly a large portion of golf fans who no longer play during football season. When you consider all the other golf games currently being played, it’s a hard sell. It’s an age-old problem that led to the PGA Tour ending its regular season in August. If you play this time of year, you have to understand how difficult it is to get an audience.

John Pluym: FICTION. Why not move the tournament up a day so the final round is on a Saturday rather than a Sunday? That way there won’t be as many head-to-head races with so many big events, especially on an NFL Sunday.

Jeff Ritter: FACT. As Pluym mentions, NFL ratings seem to be increasing with each season, and that is eating into the sport of professional golf. Fall golf should be a time to experiment with new formats (team events, match play, mixed play, etc.) and maybe even a few Saturday wins. What do they have to lose?

John Schwarb: FACT. These ratings have become a whipping boy on social media, but what do people expect? The Tour is now in the business of major events, and virtually any other event without stars — especially those whose sole purpose is to sort out the base for next year — will fail miserably. And, again, football season. These events are designed to fail with audiences, so we shouldn’t be surprised if that happens.

Tickets for the 2025 Ryder Cup play dates cost $750, including food and non-alcoholic beverages. Other than the always sold-out Masters, there is no golf tournament worth paying $750 for a ticket.

Bob Harig: FACT. The beauty of the Masters is that it actually charges a more reasonable price (about $100 a day) and makes money through crowds, particularly through merchandise sales. While the Masters brings in a lot of money and a Ryder Cup is a cash cow for the PGA of America – and the DP World Tour when it’s held in Europe – the high price is just wrong.

John Pluym: FICTION. It’s the Super Bowl of professional golf, and at $750, it’s a bargain. You’re not just paying for great golf on the course; the atmosphere off the course is incredible. At the Ryder Cup, you’re paying for three days of fantastic golf. And I think that’s better than paying $10,000 or more for a ticket to watch three hours of football on Super Sunday.

Jeff Ritter: FICTION. There’s nothing quite like the first tee shot of a Ryder Cup opening session, and that’s no different at Augusta. The scene at Bethpage is more like a soccer game than a golf match, and is well worth the price of admission.

John Schwarb: FICTIONIf Tiger Woods announced his retirement in advance and declared that a tournament would be his very last (and again assuming it’s not the Masters), $750 would be a bargain.