Nigh on half a century ago, golf’s greatest champion, Jack Nicklaus, took it upon himself to pen a letter. Written from the heart, it turned out to be a highly significant missive, one which transformed the fortunes of an historic, but faltering occasion that is now arguably the most popular event in the game.

It was in the wake of the 1977 Ryder Cup matches at Royal Lytham (a “contest” which produced the then-inevitable victory for the United States over the perennially hapless Great British and Ireland squad) that the Golden Bear wrote to Lord Derby, president of the British PGA. Jack had a suggestion. Because the result of the trans-Atlantic biennial contest had reached a state of acute predictability, it was clear that GB&I needed reinforcements. So how about adding men from the continent of Europe to the Old World squad?

As any golf fan surely knows, that very thing made the Ryder Cup almost instantly competitive. Since 1979, the Europeans have won 13 times, the Americans on nine occasions (one match, in 1989, was drawn).

Okay, now fast forward to 2026 and more numbers. This time we’re talking Presidents Cup, the other biennial contest between the US and an International squad drawn from anywhere on the planet other than Europe. First played in 1994, the Americans have failed to win only twice.

In other words, the Presidents Cup of today is pretty much the Ryder Cup circa 1977; a match fast descending into irrelevance. In other words, the Internationals need some help, or at least a change or two in the rules. In other words, the PGA Tour – which owns and runs the event – needs to replace its long-ingrained self-interest with an uncharacteristic mixture of humility and common sense.

So what sort of thing needs to happen if the Presidents Cup is to be dragged back from the edge of the cliff? The first is obvious, although well-founded scepticism abounds.

Cam smith is but one of many stars the Internationals desperately need, but who aren’t allowed to select for duty owing to their LIV status. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

“While there is a divide in the game at the moment and LIV players are not part of the PGA Tour, no one has suffered more than the International team at the Presidents Cup,” says former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, now a pundit on America’s Golf Channel. “They have lost almost half of their side on occasion; players who would certainly have strengthened their hand. I know nothing is going to change in the foreseeable future. Maybe the next match will see something happen, but it isn’t going to change this year – and maybe not next time, either.”

Let’s talk specifics. Since the emergence of LIV, players who made the jump to the Saudi-backed circuit have been banned from the Presidents Cup. That had some effect on an American side unable to select the likes of Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau, but it had much more of a negative impact on the International team.

Many are those who have been deemed ineligible for a side clearly needing to select its best 12 players: Ben An. Abraham Ancer. Dean Burmester. Branden Grace. Lucas Herbert. Marc Leishman. Joaquin Niemann. Louis Oosthuizen. Carlos Ortiz. Charlie Schwartzel. Cam Smith. Throw in the fact that newly minted Open champion Ryan Fox was not “qualified” for the 2022 matches simply because he wasn’t yet a member of the PGA Tour and that’s a lot of talent for a second-best team to give up.

Then there is the number of days and matches involved in a Presidents Cup. Where the Ryder Cup is held over three days and involves 28 matches, the Presidents Cup takes four days and 30 matches to complete.

“I like that, at the Ryder Cup, four players sit out each of the first four sessions,” says McGinley. “They don’t do that in the Presidents Cup, though, which plays into the already sizeable advantage owned by the Americans. Leaving guys out brings tactics into the equation. Plus, it would balance out the teams. The role of the captain is also enhanced. It’s not about who you play, it’s about who you leave out. Then you have to manage those who are left out. So fewer matches would enhance the Presidents Cup product.”

Still, for all that the International side is on the wrong end of an obvious PGA Tour bias, it says here the Americans must lose at some point. Look at the dynamics of what a good team is. It is not always 12 brilliant players. It is three or four superstars, who, if they play well, lead their team-mates to almost certain victory. So what the Internationals need more than anything is their best players winning at least three-and-a-half points each. If they do that, they win.

See? It’s easy when you know how.