Looking at Team USA’s six Presidents Cup automatic qualifiers for 2024

Following the completion of the 2024 BMW Championship the first six players of the Presidents Cup teams were locked in for the upcoming event. Here’s a look at the six American players who are set to face Team International at Royal Montreal Golf Club in September. 

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER

Scheffler will be making his second Presidents cup appearance for Team U.S.A. thanks to his terrific 2023 and 2024 seasons. Scheffler’s first appearance in the Presidents Cup wasn’t one to remember as he boasted a 0-3-1 record in 2022.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE

Schauffele will be back on Team U.S.A. for his third consecutive Presidents Cup. His good friend and usual playing partner Patrick Cantlay is also on the team, which should help make a comfortable pairing for the two-time major champion. Schauffele has a 6-3-0 career record in the tournament.

COLLIN MORIKAWA

Much like Scheffler, Morikawa will be making his second appearance on the American Presidents Cup team. Morikawa was a little bit more successful than Scheffler in 2022 at Quail Hollow, putting out a 2-1-0 record.

WYNDHAM CLARK

Clark is a Presidents Cup rookie after his big 2023 and hot start to 2024 kept him near the top of the U.S. point total. He’s only made one other team appearance as a professional, which was at last year’s Ryder Cup where he went 1-1-1 in three matches.

PATRICK CANTLAY

Cantlay has been a mainstay on American teams going back to the 2019 Presidents Cup. He’ll most likely spend time with his close friend Xander Schauffele. Much like Schauffele, Cantlay has a 6-3-0 record in the Presidents Cup.

SAHITH THEEGALA

Theegala is a true rookie when it comes to representing the U.S.A. in team events as a professional. The 26 year old locked down the final automatic bid for the Americans and will be getting his first taste of Presidents Cup action at Royal Montreal Golf Club. 

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The final major championship of the 2024 men’s golf season is set to get underway this week. So far in 2024 there have been no “playoffs” needed to settle a champion. In fact, we are closing in on 10 consecutive majors without needing a playoff to determine the winner. Below is a look at major tournaments since 2010 that needed extra golf to settle who the champion would be! 

But before the list, here’s a look at the playoff format of each of the major championships....

The Masters - The Masters uses a sudden-death playoff format that starts on the 18th hole. Should a second playoff hole be needed they go to the 10th hole. The 18th hole and 10th hole run parallel to each other on the course. The playoff rotates through those two holes until there is a winner. 

PGA Championship - The PGA Championship uses a three-hole aggregate playoff format. The holes are determined based on the setup of the course the tournament is being played on. Should the playoff be tied through the three hole aggregate it moves to a sudden death format. 

U.S. Open - The U.S. Open uses a two-hole aggregate playoff format. Much like the PGA Championship, the holes used are based off of the course being played, and the playoff becomes a sudden death if it is tied after the aggregate playoff.  The U.S. Open used to use an 18-hole playoff but changed to a two-hole aggregate in 2018. 

The Open Championship - The Open Championship uses the same playoff format as the PGA Championship, which is a three-hole aggregate playoff. 

Martin Kaymer took home his first major championship at Whistling Straits in 2010 with a playoff victory over Bubba Watson. Kaymer shot even par in the three hole playoff while Watson shot one-over par.

Keegan Bradley won his first major championship in his first major championship appearance at the 2011 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club. Bradley shot one-under par in the playoff to beat Jason Dufner by a stroke.

Bubba Watson won his first of two Green Jackets in a playoff over Louis Oosthuizen in 2012. After both men parred the first playoff hole they played the 10th hole. Watson hit a ridiculous shot from the trees and ultimately ended the playoff with a par and a bogey from Oosthuizen.

A year after Bubba Watson's victory on the second playoff hole at the Masters, Adam Scott pulled off the same feat. The Aussie found himself in a playoff with 2009 champion Angel Cabrera. Scott would win the playoff with a birdie on the second playoff hole and become the first Australian born golfer to win the Masters.

When Zach Johnson won The Open Championship in a playoff it was a four hole playoff. Johnson outlasted Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen in the playoff at St. Andrews. Johnson played the four holes at on-under while Oosthuizen shot even par and Leishman shot two-over par.

Sergio Garcia's long awaited major championship victory came in a playoff at the 2017 Masters. Garcia and Justin Rose faced off in the playoff and Garcia won on the first playoff hole with a birdie putt to claim the Green Jacket.

The last major to go to a playoff was the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills. Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris competed in a three-hole playoff for the Wanamaker Trophy. Thomas would ultimately claim his second PGA Championship title by playing the playoff at two-under par.