How Players Qualify for the Presidents Cup Teams
The Presidents Cup teams — United States and International — are made up of 12 golfers per side. How are those golfers selected? What are the qualifying criteria? For both teams, it's a combination of points lists and captain's choice.
The specifics of Presidents Cup qualifying have changed multiple times over the course of the event's history. But going into the 2024 Presidents Cup, these are the criteria in use:
- Team USA: The top six golfers on the United States Presidents Cup points list automatically make the team. The team captain then fills out the roster with six captain's picks.
- Team International: The top six golfers on the Presidents Cup International Team Points List automatically make the team. The team captain then makes six captain's picks.
How Points Are Earned for the Point Lists
Players qualify for the Presidents Cup teams by finishing high enough on the teams' respective points lists. But how do the players earn those points? Here's how:
- Team USA: The points in the American point lists are FedEx Cup points, compiled beginning on January 1 of the year preceding the Presidents Cup, and up to a specific cutoff date in late August of the year of the Cup is being played. But points earned later in the process are increased to be worth more than points earned earlier in the time period.
- Team International: For the Internationals, the point rankings are simply the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The players on the points list are in the same order as their OWGR rankings.
