The Most Dramatic Comebacks in Presidents Cup History

Match play golf is uniquely dramatic. Unlike stroke play where leads gradually evaporate, match play allows for sudden momentum swings that can erase seemingly impossible deficits. The Presidents Cup has produced several incredible comebacks that remind us: it's never over until it's over.

1. Team USA's 2017 Sunday Rally (Liberty National)

The Situation: Entering Sunday singles with a 11-9 lead, Team USA looked vulnerable. The International Team needed only 4.5 points from 12 singles matches—a realistic target that would tie the overall score and retain the Cup.

The Comeback: What followed was one of the most dominant Sunday performances in Presidents Cup history. Team USA won 7.5 points from the 12 singles matches, with several players coming from behind in their individual matches.

Patrick Reed trailed Emiliano Grillo most of the day but birdied three of the final four holes to win. Jordan Spieth made a crucial birdie putt on 15 to defeat Charl Schwartzel. Phil Mickelson, at age 47, came back to defeat Jason Day in a thrilling match.

The American onslaught was relentless. Every time the International Team threatened to claim a crucial point, an American player responded with clutch shots and putts. The final score of 19-11 made it look comfortable, but the day began with genuine uncertainty.

The Lesson: In team competition, momentum is contagious. Once a few matches swing one direction, others tend to follow. Team USA's early Sunday victories created energy that carried through the entire day.

2. Tiger Woods' Personal Rally (2009, Harding Park)

The Situation: Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker faced a 5-down deficit with six holes remaining in their Saturday afternoon fourball match against Y.E. Yang and Ryo Ishikawa. The match seemed lost.

The Comeback: What followed was pure Tiger magic. Woods made eagle on the 13th hole, birdie on 14, and another birdie on 15. Suddenly, they were only 2-down with three to play. The momentum shift was palpable.

On the 16th hole, Woods drained a long birdie putt to win the hole. On 17, another birdie pulled them even. The 18th was halved, resulting in an improbable tie after being dormie 5 (5-down with 5 to play)—a position considered mathematically impossible to recover from.

While the match ended tied rather than won, the comeback was so dramatic that both teams treated it like a victory for Team USA. The psychological impact—proving that no lead is safe against Woods—energized the American team.

The Lesson: Individual brilliance can change team fortunes. Tiger's legendary competitive fire refused to accept defeat, and his partners and teammates fed off that energy. Superstar performances create momentum that transcends single matches.

3. The International Team's Near-Miracle (2019, Royal Melbourne)

The Situation: Team USA held a comfortable 10-8 lead entering Sunday singles. History suggested they would cruise to victory—American teams had never lost when leading after Saturday at the Presidents Cup.

The Comeback: The International Team stormed out Sunday morning, winning early matches and pulling ahead in several others. At one point, they led in 7 of the 12 singles matches simultaneously. The roar from the home crowd at Royal Melbourne was deafening.

Abraham Ancer defeated Brooks Koepka 3 & 2. Louis Oosthuizen beat Dustin Johnson. C.T. Pan upset Webb Simpson. The International Team was executing their Sunday plan perfectly, capitalizing on home crowd energy.

For several hours, an International victory seemed not just possible but likely. They needed just 8 points from 12 singles matches—a realistic target they appeared to be reaching.

The Ending: Ultimately, Team USA steadied with Patrick Reed defeating C.T. Pan in a crucial late match, and Tiger Woods securing a key half-point to clinch the Cup. But for most of that Sunday, the International Team proved that no lead is truly safe, and home crowd support can fuel incredible performances.

The Lesson: Even in defeat, the comeback showed what's possible with home advantage and belief. Had a few putts fallen differently, we might remember this as the greatest comeback in Presidents Cup history rather than a near-miss.

4. Ernie Els & Jeff Maggert vs. Tiger & Mark O'Meara (1998)

The Situation: In the singles matches of the International Team's only Presidents Cup victory, several individual comebacks contributed to the overall triumph. Ernie Els' match against Tiger Woods was particularly memorable.

The Comeback: Els found himself 2-down with four holes to play against the world's dominant player. Rather than wilting under Tiger's intimidation, Els elevated his game, winning holes 15, 16, and 17 with brilliant shotmaking to go 1-up with one to play.

The 18th hole was halved, giving Els a dramatic 1-up victory over Woods at the height of Tiger's powers. This single match exemplified the International Team's overall comeback that week—refusing to be intimidated and making clutch shots when everything was on the line.

The Lesson: Belief matters. Els played aggressively rather than defensively, trusting his game against the best player in the world. That confidence—multiplied across the International team—produced their only victory.

5. Individual Sunday Heroics Throughout History

Beyond complete team comebacks, individual Sunday matches have produced countless dramatic turnarounds:

• Phil Mickelson vs. Ryo Ishikawa (2009): Mickelson trailed early but stormed back to win, providing crucial momentum.
• Bill Haas vs. Sangmoon Bae (2015): Haas was 5-down with six holes remaining but won four straight holes to nearly pull off an impossible comeback.
• Justin Thomas vs. Marc Leishman (2019): Thomas came from behind to secure a crucial point when Team USA needed it most.

Why Comebacks Matter

These comebacks reveal essential truths about match play golf:

1. Momentum is Everything: In match play, winning one hole energizes your team and deflates opponents. Momentum swings can be sudden and devastating.

2. Every Shot Matters: Unlike stroke play where one bad hole is just one bad score, in match play every hole is binary—win, lose, or tie. This makes clutch shots exponentially more important.

3. Pressure Affects Everyone: Even world-class players feel pressure protecting leads. The psychology of "not losing" versus "trying to win" affects decision-making and execution.

4. Team Energy Is Contagious: When one match swings dramatically, nearby matches often follow. Players feed off each other's energy and success.

5. Never Give Up: The most important lesson from these comebacks is simple: keep fighting. In match play, the next hole is a new opportunity. Deficits that seem insurmountable can evaporate quickly.

The Future of Comebacks

As the Presidents Cup continues, we'll undoubtedly see more dramatic comebacks. The format guarantees it—match play's volatility ensures that no lead is truly safe and no deficit is truly insurmountable.

These comebacks are why we watch. They provide drama, tension, and memorable moments that stroke play tournaments rarely produce. They remind us that in golf, as in life, perseverance and belief can overcome seemingly impossible odds.

The next time you see a team or player facing a large deficit at the Presidents Cup, remember these comebacks. History shows that miracles can happen—and often do—when everything is on the line.