Presidents Cup 2024 Tips: 7/2 USA to edge victory

• USA dominate this event but away games have been tight

• In-form Collin Morikawa can top score for visitors

• Hideki Matsuyama is worth a bet for top overall scorer

When the Internationals won the the first Presidents Cup to be held outside of the United States - a 20.5-11.5 hammering at Royal Melbourne in 1998 - it looked as if the trophy could change hands fairly frequently.

The two teams also played out a 17-17 tie at Fancourt, South Africa in 2003 to back the idea up.

But since Tiger Woods and Ernie Els shook hands on a tie after three holes of their playoff in 2003, the Americans have won nine in a row.

And the market expects that sequence to extend into double figures at Royal Montreal this week with Jim Furyk's side 4/111.36 to beat Mike Weir's 5/23.50 Internationals. A tie is 14/115.00.

Before getting stuck into some tips, let's look at the teams and format.

Internationals

Captain: Mike Weir
Vice captains: Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, Geoff Ogilvy, Camilo Villegas

Team: Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im, Adam Scott, Tom Kim, Jason Day, Byeong Hun An, Corey Conners, Min Woo Lee, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Taylor Pendrith, Si Woo Kim, Mackenzie Hughes

USA

Captain: Jim Furyk
Vice captains: Stewart Cink, Justin Leonard, Kevin Kisner, Brandt Snedeker

Team: Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay, Sahith Theegala, Sam Burns, Tony Finau, Russell Henley, Keegan Bradley, Brian Harman, Max Homa

The format is a little different compared to the Ryder Cup with 30 points up for grabs rather than 28. Not as much is crammed into the first two days, meaning the event takes place over four.

Format

Thursday: 5 x foursomes
Friday: 5 x fourballs
Saturday: 4 x foursomes + 4 x fourballs
Sunday: 12 x singles

Back USA Winning Margin by 1-3 points @ 7/24.50

Home advantage has become a big thing in these team formats when home skippers can set the course up to maximum advantage.

Take the Ryder Cup. But for that miracle European win at Medinah in 2012, every Ryder Cup has been won by the home team since 2006.

And while the United States keep winning the Presidents Cup wherever it's held, the last two away contests were tight.

The Americans secured victory by a single-point margin in South Korea in 2015 and won by two back at Royal Melbourne in 2019.

Contrast that to the last two Presidents Cups in the United States when the hosts won by eight at Liberty National and five at Quail Hollow.

The counter-argument is that 'home' advantage this time is rather diluted.

Royal Montreal will be teeming with Americans too, those actually living over the border or those making a short hop across it.

While Australia and South Korea were far from home, Montreal is not. And most of the Americans will feel just as, or even more than, at home than some of the Internationals.

And yet there is something to be said for Mike Weir setting up the course to suit his team. The home Canadian hero is a canny operator and will want to get the most out of it.

Home advantage will help the Internationals and should lead to a close contest.

But although this isn't the strongest ever United States team to head overseas, overall it looks good enough to take a narrow victory.

Let's head to the Winning Margin market and go for a USA victory by 1-3 points.

That gives us scorelines of 15.5-14.5, 16-14 and 16.5-13.5.

Back Collin Morikawa to be Top USA Points Scorer @ 13/27.50

It's tempting to look down the betting to pick out a bigger-priced top points scorer.

After all, nine of the 12 Americans played at least four matches in the last Presidents Cup, with just three contesting all five.

Two of those, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas aren't here this time (Sam Burns was the other maximum man although he didn't win a match) so we can take a fresh look.

Montreal history suggests straight hitters do well here and that points me in the direction of Collin Morikawa, who finished 2nd in Driving Acccuracy on the PGA Tour in 2024.

He also ended the season on a high note, shooting the lowest 72-hole aggregate score in the Tour Championship to finish runner-up to Scottie Scheffler in the overall standings.

Morikawa played just three matches in the last Presidents Cup. But he won two and I can see Jim Furyk, a fellow straight hitter, really putting value in what Morikawa has to give.

The 27-year-old is a big-time player as shown by two Major wins already. This season he finished in the top 16 in all four.

There's also a potential partnership with Scheffler in there so overall Morikawa has plenty going for him at 13/27.50. The each-way terms are 1/5 Odds, 3 Places.

Back Hideki Matsuyama to be Top Overall Points Scorer @ 16/117.00

I can't quite settle on a good bet for Top International although the idea that they're more competitive in home Presidents Cups may open a window.

And that comes by playing one of Weir's team in the Top Overall Points scorer market.

Looking at the last two away Presidents Cups, no American has got over 3.5 points.

That allowed Sungjae Im and Abraham Ancer to finish joint-top overall alongside Justin Thomas in South Korea in 2015 and Louis Oosthuizen to win this market with 4.5 points at Royal Melbourne in 2019.

And here's something I've unearthed. Justin Thomas (not playing here) at Le Golf National in 2018 is the only American player to have scored over 3.5pts in an away Ryder Cup since 1981!

Quite simply, they're not as individually potent in road games. It leaves scope for an International to get to four and that could be the winning number.

Realistically, there aren't too many capable of it but Hideki Matsuyama has to be one of them.

The Japanese star's best golf has been scintillating this season, leading to victories in Signature events at the Genesis Invitational and FedEx St Jude Championship.

He added a bronze in the Olympics and there's every reason to think that Weir leans on his best player.

Matsuyama has played at least four sessions out of five in all his five Presidents Cups, contesting all five twice.

Back him for Overall honours at 16/117.00 with each-way terms of 1/5 Odds, 4 Places.

Now read Steve Rawlings on the Open de Espana