The news is flooded with all kinds of Presidents Cup memorabilia, but the 2003 Presidents Cup still stands out among the others because of its epic ending. As the 2024 Presidents Cup unfolds at Royal Montreal Golf Club, golf enthusiasts can’t help but reminisce about the fascinating 2003 tournament. The historic tournament was held at the Fancourt Hotel and Country Club’s Links course in South Africa, and the event was a nail-biter.

Team USA, led by Jack Nicklaus and anchored by Tiger Woods, was put up against Team Internationals, which was led by Gary Player and featuring Vijay Singh and Ernie Els. The thrilling tournament saw Team Internationals starting strong with a 4-1 lead, and everyone was sure that they would take home the trophy. However, that thought didn’t last long as they were overtaken by the USA, who gained ground with a 9.5-6.5 advantage. Eventually, Team USA won the first three to tie the score at 17-17 and take home the trophy.

Gary Player recently went on his X account reminiscing about the moments that he still describes as the milestones of his career. “When Jack and I were captains in South Africa of the International and the US Teams, respectively, at Fancourt in 2003, we decided that the match should end in a tie after the third playoff hole between Tiger and Ernie.” He wrote. Vijay Singh’s 4-3 victory over David Toms and Tiger Woods’ thrilling 4-3 win against Ernie Els set the stage for a sudden-death playoff between Woods and Els. And it went exactly how Nicklaus may have planned it to go. In the playoff, Els made an incredible 12-footer on the second extra hole, trying to secure the trophy, but Woods’s impressive 15-footer for par could not be overtaken; hence, ultimately, Els sealed the tie with a six-footer.

“There couldn’t have been a better ending to the tournament. This was a highlight of my career, and it was extraordinary to be a part of it,” Player continued. He also took time to wish good luck to the golfer playing at the 2024 Presidents Cup. “Good luck to both teams this week at Royal Montreal; we can’t wait to watch the drama unfold. GP”. The tournament will be remembered not only for Woods’s exceptional play but also for the amazing sportsmanship that was displayed by captains Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. When many U.S. players were celebrating, one international golfer was saying goodbye to the President’s Cup forever.

The 2003 Presidents Cup was Nick Price’s last

Despite it being Nick Price’s last President’s Cup, the golfer sure had fun during the tournament. Price still remembers the nerves in his stomach as he watched Ernie Els face off against Tiger Woods in the 2003 Presidents Cup playoff. “I was coming up on my 47th birthday; my nerves weren’t very good. They were starting to get frayed,” he told Golf Digest.

He remembered watching the tournament on TV and described the event as the most nervous moment of his life. “All the times I’ve been watching golf on TV, I don’t think I’ve ever been as nervous for anyone in my life as I was for Ernie that day.” And as Woods claimed a stunning 15-footer for par on the third playoff hole, the tension was only building. Els responded with an amazing six-footer to tie, leaving the outcome hanging precariously in the balance.

Captains Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus made the bold decision to call a tie as the darkness of night was closing in. “You could hardly see, to be honest. It was so dark. I was sweating; I couldn’t look. I was pulling at grass and looking all over the place, but it was tough. Really, really tough,” Price continued. The 2003 Presidents Cup surely went down in history with everything that went down in the event. And more is yet to happen at the 2024 Presidents Cup at the Royal Montreal Golf Club. So are you excited, and who are you rooting for? Let us know in the comment section below!