Guide to Sunday Singles at Presidents Cup
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 14: Justin Thomas of the United States team plays his shot from the first tee during Saturday four-ball matches on day three of the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Course on December 14, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
The final day at Royal Melbourne will determine the 2019 winners
MELBOURNE, Australia -- It's the final day of the Presidents Cup, the conclusion to the week-long competition at Royal Melbourne.
The International Team will take a 10-8 lead over the Americans into Sunday Singles. It's the first time in 16 years the Internationals have led going into the final session.
To get you prepped for the big day in Australia, here's a guide to Sunday Singles at the Presidents Cup. For previews of all 12 matches, click here.
HOW IT WORKS
There will be 12 Singles matches played at Royal Melbourne, each worth a single point. If a match is tied after 18 holes, each side receives a half-point.
In a change inspired by the events of the 2003 Presidents Cup, if the score is deadlocked at the end of Singles play, the competition will be deemed a tie and the teams will share the Presidents Cup.
WHERE WILL THE MATCHES END?
Eighteen matches have been played in the first three days at Royal Melbourne. Nearly half of those matches have ended at the 18th hole. Here are the holes in which each match ended.
| Par-5 15th | 3 matches |
| Par-4 16th | 5 matches |
| Par-4 17th | 2 matches |
| Par-4 18th | 8 matches |
PREVIOUSLY AT ROYAL MELBOURNE
How Sunday played out at the Presidents Cups previously held at Royal Melbourne.
2011 -- The U.S. entered Sunday with a four-point lead and built it to five points after Hunter Mahan's 5 and 3 win over Jason Day in the first completed match. The Internationals won the next three to reduce the deficit to two points but that's as close as they would come. Tiger Woods eventually clinched the Cup in the 10th completed match (11th scheduled) of the day.
1998 -- The Internationals led by nine points entering Sunday so it was a relatively stressfree day. Australian Craig Parry led off by beating Justin Leonard, 5 and 3, in the most lopsided win of the day, and Nick Price put it away in his win in the second match over David Duval.
SUNDAY RESULTS
How previously Sunday Singles have played out at the Presidents Cup.
| Year | Margin entering Singles | Singles results | Cup winner |
| 2017 | USA 11-point lead | Int'l 7.5, USA 4.5 | USA |
| 2015 | USA 1-point lead | Int'l 6, USA 6 | USA |
| 2013 | USA 6-point lead | Int'l 7.5, USA 4.5 | USA |
| 2011 | USA 4-point lead | Int'l 6, USA 6 | USA |
| 2009 | USA 3-point lead | USA 7, Int'l 5 | USA |
| 2007 | USA 7-point lead | Int'l 7, USA 5 | USA |
| 2005 | Tied | USA 7.5, Int'l 4.5 | USA |
| 2003 | Int'l 3-point lead | USA 7.5, Int'l 4.5 | Shared |
| 2000 | USA 8-point lead | USA 7.5, Int'l 4.5 | USA |
| 1998 | Int'l 9-point lead | Int'l. 6, USA 6 | Int'l |
| 1996 | USA 1-point lead | Int'l 6, USA 6 | USA |
| 1994 | USA 4-point lead | USA 8, Int'l 4 | USA |
THE CLINCHERS
In two of the previous 12 Presidents Cup, the outcome was decided on the 18th hole of the final Singles match -- 2005 with American Chris DiMarco winning, and 2015 with American Bill Haas winning. Current U.S. playing captain Tiger Woods and assistant captain Fred Couples are the only two golfers who have clinched the Presidents Cup more than once.
Here's a look at each Presidents Cup-clinching match:
2017 - Daniel Berger (4th Singles match, defeated Si Woo Kim, 2 and 1)
2015 - Bill Haas (12th Singles match, defeated Sangmoon Bae, 2 up)
2013 - Tiger Woods (9th Singles match, defeated Richard Sterne, 1 up)
2011 - Tiger Woods (11th Singles match, defeated Aaron Baddeley, 4 and 3)
2009 - Tiger Woods (9th Singles match, defeated Y.E. Yang, 6 and 5)
2007 - Stewart Cink (8th Singles match, defeated Nick O'Hern, 6 and 4)
2005 - Chris DiMarco (12th Singles match, defeated Stuart Appleby, 1 up)
2003 - Tied. Tiger Woods and Ernie Els halved three sudden-death holes with pars. The match was called because of darkness and deemed a tie, with the teams opting to share the Presidents Cup.
2000 - Davis Love III (5th Singles match, defeated Ernie Els, 4 and 3)
1998 - Nick Price (2nd Singles match, defeated David Duval, 2 and 1)
1996 - Fred Couples (12th Singles match, defeated Vijay Singh, 2 and 1)
1994 - Fred Couples (10th Singles match, defeated Nick Price 1 up)
LINEUP RESULTS
Records for each team for the match lineups in Presidents Cup history.
| Singles match | USA wins | Tie | Int'l wins |
| No. 1 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| No. 2 | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| No. 3 | 7 | 1 | 4 |
| No. 4 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| No. 5 | 5 | 2 | 5 |
| No. 6 | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| No. 8 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| No. 9 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| No. 10 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| No. 11 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| No. 12 | 7 | 1 | 4 |
BY THE NUMBERS
12 - Singles matches played by Phil Mickelson, the most in Presidents Cup history. Tiger Woods and Adam Scott will play their ninth Singles matches, moving into a tie for second.
6 - Singles matches won by Tiger Woods, the most in Presidents Cup history. Adam Scott has won five.
5 -- Singles matches lost by Phil Mickelson and Stuart Appleby, the most in Presidents Cup history.
12 - Holes played when David Frost defeated Kenny Perry, 7 and 6, in 1996 Sunday Singles. It's the shortest Singles match in Presidents Cup history.