Keys to victory: What each team must do to win the Presidents Cup

There's no hiding the fact that the Presidents Cup has been a lopsided affair since its inception in 1994. The Americans own a 12-1-1 record and have won nine straight editions.

Some are going as far as saying the Americans need to lose in Montreal to give the competition more life, a sentiment U.S. captain Jim Furyk vehemently disagreed with.

Despite the one-sided record, Presidents Cups - especially those played outside the United States - have been closer than recent Ryder Cups. The 2019 event at Royal Melbourne was only decided by two points, and just one point separated the sides in 2017 in South Korea.

You have to go back six Ryder Cups to find a finish where the teams were separated by four points or fewer.

Could this be the year the Internationals finally break through? Oddsmakers have given Mike Weir's team a 30% chance of an upset (+230 odds), so snapping the losing streak is well within reach.

Let's look at what it will take for each team to hoist the Presidents Cup on Sunday.

United States

Best players must step up

It may sound simple, but the Americans need their best players to be their best players.

Scottie Scheffler is undoubtedly the world's No. 1 player, but his recent track record in team competitions doesn't reflect that. He's a combined 2-5-3 in the most recent Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, including a winless showing at Quail Hollow two years ago.

A repeat performance from Scheffler, or Xander Schauffele or Collin Morikawa going pointless, would open the door for the International side. The last thing the Americans will want is to rely on off-form players like Brian Harman or Max Homa or rookies Sahith Theegala or Russell Henley to earn crucial points late Sunday with the cup on the line.

Four-ball success

The last two Presidents Cups outside the U.S. have been so close largely due to the Internationals' success in the four-ball format. They have a 12-6 point advantage over the Americans in the format, according to the Twenty First Group's Justin Ray.

The Americans coming away with even a split of the two four-ball sessions would be a huge win considering the U.S. typically dominates the foursomes (alternate shot) and Sunday singles sessions.

Wear them down with depth

One of the key differences between the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cups is that there are five matches in the opening two sessions. That means each team only sits two players, making it harder for the International team to hide its weaker links and allowing the Americans' depth to thrive.

Being able to roll out Sam Burns, Keegan Bradley, Henley, and Theegala, all of whom are considered depth pieces, is a luxury and makes the Americans so difficult to beat.

Internationals

Fairways, fairways, fairways

While home teams can't construct the course in their favor quite like they can in the Ryder Cup, the International side does have some say in how Royal Montreal will be conditioned.

While walking the course, it quickly became evident the course will reward those playing from the fairway, as the small greens are difficult to hit if playing out of the rough.

"The fairways are really important to hit out here," Corey Conners said Tuesday. "The rough can be penalizing and a little bit thick."

The International team must play from the fairway more often than the Americans, or they'll have no hope of pulling off the upset. Going toe to toe with the powerful U.S. side off the tee won't bode well for the Internationals, who, outside of Taylor Pendrith and Min Woo Lee, aren't a group of long hitters.

The Internationals will need to be accurate and hope the U.S. puts itself in some trouble by spraying it off the tee if they're to claim their second Presidents Cup. But if the Americans are driving it long and straight, this event will be over before it begins.

Unsuspecting spark plug

It goes without saying that the Internationals need Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott, Tom Kim, and Jason Day to be at their best, or they'll have next to no chance.

They'll also need someone, maybe two players, further down the roster to step up and steal the spotlight.

Lee and Mackenzie Hughes fit the bill. Lee is one of few players wearing black and gold who can keep up with the Americans' distance. Hughes is arguably the best putter in the competition, and if his flatstick gets going early Thursday, he'll be tough to beat in a match-play format, especially behind the full support of the Canadian crowd.

Foursomes success

The Internationals' inability to earn points during the foursome sessions has been the main contributor to their lack of success. Since 2007, the Americans have outscored the Internationals 56.5 to 23.5, according to Ray.

Alternate shot tends to favor the elite ball-strikers, and the U.S. has always been blessed with a plethora of those, this year's team included. It will be an uphill battle for the Internationals in alternate shot, but maintaining a reasonable deficit could be the deciding factor this week.