The Presidents Cup is contested over three days and 32 matches, each of which is worth one point.

Winning the Presidents Cup requires earning at least 16½ points. Unlike the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup will not end in a tie. If the Presidents Cup is deadlocked at the end of singles play, there will be a sudden death playoff between two players designated in advance by the respective captains.

The first day of competition features ten matches between two-man teams. Friday morning there are five four-ball, or bestball matches, with five foursomes, or alternate shot matches, in the afternoon, The format for the second day of play is identical.

The final day of the competition features 12 singles matches.

The order of play is determined by the captains. International captain Peter Thomson will announce the player or team that will be playing in the first match. U.S. captain Jack Nicklaus will then announce who the U.S. opponent will be, followed by who he will be sending out in the second match. Thomson will then decide who to oppose against Nicklaus' choice in match No. 2 and make his own selection for match No. 3. The format will be repeated until all matches are filled.

All 32 matches are contested under a match-play format. Players compete against each other, not the course, and the score reflects the number of holes won rather than strokes. The winning player or team receives one point, the loser none and each participant receives a ½ point in the event the match is tied after 18 holes.

A match is over when each player or team has completed 18 holes or when one has mathematically clinched victory.