From Moe Norman to Mike Weir and Sandra Post to Brooke Henderson, Canada has a rich golf history.

But there’s also a little-known golf hotbed in Lunenburg, N.S.

Located on the south shore of Nova Scotia, with a population of 2,396 according to the 2021 census, the port town is home to HB Studios, creator of the new “PGA Tour 2K23” video game.

Founded in 2000 by transplanted Englishman Jeremy Wellard, HB Studios collaborated with various publishers including Electronic Arts on an array of sports games. The studio recruited locally and all over the globe to get expertise in everything from cricket and rugby to soccer, football and golf.

“When I started here, I was definitely one of the local people,” said HB Studios creative director Josh Muise, who has more than 15 years experience with the company. “I was born on the East Coast and grew up out here. I remember walking through the studio the first day and the number of different accents that I came across was certainly delightful and kind of interesting to find in a small sleepy fishing village in Nova Scotia.”

The studio now also has an office in Halifax, with combined staff of about 100 and growing.

“This has become a really major project and it’s become a very big game,” Muise said of the golf title. “We’re very lucky to be able to continue attracting world-class talent and growing the franchise.”

Muise, 40, was born on Cape Breton Island and spent a lot of his school years in New Brunswick. While he admits to some reservations back in the day about moving to “a 1,200- to 1,500-person seasonal fishing village, as beautiful as it was in the postcards,” he is now an unabashed fan of Lunenburg.

“It’s been a wonderful transformation. The town has radically shifted in the last five, 10 years in particular, where you’re seeing a lot of new businesses and you’re seeing a lot of new people coming in. And it’s really become a hotbed.”

The trend toward working remotely has helped bring an influx of young high-tech workers looking to leave the city. The fact that Halifax is only an hour or so away adds to Lunenburg’s attraction.

HB Studios mirrors that growth, as shown by the fact that its newest title features Tiger Woods on its cover.

“The thing that we’re proudest of with that is that we feel like we earned the opportunity,” said Muise, whose name is pronounced muse. “We went from an independent golf game, not all those many years ago, to building up to earning ourself the spot to having the PGA Tour licence come into play and being part of our partnership, ultimately bringing in 2K (Games) and everything that they offer, and then leading up to bringing in Tiger Woods as well.

“The team worked very very hard to put a great game out there. We worked with the community. We were receptive to the feedback. And we kind of grew together. So for it all to culminate with the best, I would say, single-sport athlete of all time on the cover of the box, nothing could feel better.”

That first independent golf game was “The Golf Club,” released in 2014, which eventually became “The Golf Club 2019 featuring PGA Tour.”

In 2020, the studio released “PGA Tour 2K21” for 2K Games. A year later, 2K Games bought HB Studios and signed a deal with Woods.

Today the PGA Tour 2K franchise is the studio’s main focus with 2K Games’ expertise from its NBA franchise helping the studio with the complexities of golf licensing and partners.

Woods and Canadian Brooke Henderson are among the 16 playable pros available at launch in “PGA Tour 2K23,” which was released Oct. 14 for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One and PC via Steam. Basketball icons Michael Jordan and Steph Curry also appear in the game.

“Being a Canadian studio, it was important for us to try and bring in a great Canadian icon like Brooke,” said Muise.

“She’s a great ambassador for the sport. She’s an all time Canadian legend.” he added. “And (we’re) absolutely thrilled to have her as part of our roster.”

Gamers can also play St. George’s Golf and Country Club, set up in tournament condition as it was for the 2022 RBC Canadian Open in June.

The 2K franchise will have competition next spring, with Electronic Arts getting back into the game with “EA Sports PGA Tour,” boasting video game access to all four majors including the Masters.

“We know that there may be a new product coming into the space but ultimately we feel very confident and very comfortable that golf is where we want to be,” said Muise. “And golf is where we intend on staying. And we’re going to keep building on our current success and pushing it.”

JACKSON, Miss. – Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont, made birdie on his third time playing the 18th hole on Sunday, and it gave him a playoff victory over Sepp Straka in the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Hughes twice had to made tough par saves on the closing hole at the Country Club of Jackson, in regulation from 100 feet behind the green for a 3-under 69 to force a playoff and from a tough spot in a bunker to keep going.

“Yeah, I’m over the moon. I had some moments today where I was tested and was able to pull through,” said Hughes. “It’s kind of my MO a little bit to scramble and save some pars. I had to do that a little bit today on the back nine. I did everything I possibly could, just grinded my butt off, and luckily it was good enough.”

Straka narrowly missed his birdie putt on the second playoff hole from 18 feet on the fringe. Hughes hit his approach to 8 feet and made the winning putt.

The victory comes one week after the Presidents Cup, and Hughes was disappointed not to be included on the International team at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he lives.

He wanted to use that as motivation, and it sure worked out that way. Hughes won for the second time on the PGA Tour, both in a playoff. His victory at Sea Island in 2016 didn’t finish until Monday morning, and this looked like it might be headed there with fading sunlight on the last hole they played.

Garrick Higgo of South Africa had a 68 and finished third.

Straka finished two groups ahead of Hughes and missed birdie chances of 20 feet and 18 feet on the last two holes for a 67 to finish at 17-under 271.

Hughes twice came up clutch with his putter down the stretch, even if the putts were for par. He was out of position on the par-5 14th, his wedge over a tree back toward the fairway came up short in a bunker, he had to lay up again and escaped with a 15-foot par putt.

On the closing hole, he was well left off the tee and punched under a tree and over the green against the grandstand. After free relief, he used putter from 100 feet away off the green with perfect pace for par.

On the first playoff hole at the 18th, Hughes came up short in a bunker with only about 15 feet from the edge of the bunker to the pin. He blasted out to 5 feet and made par.

That sent them back to the 18th for a third time, and Hughes closed him out.

Mark Hubbard, who went into the final round with a one-shot lead, managed only two birdies in his round of 74 and tied for fifth.

The final round featured five players who had at least a share of the lead at some point. That included Emiliano Grillo of Argentina, whose round came undone on the par-5 14th when he took a triple bogey without a penalty shot.

Higgo never was part of the lead, though he lingered the entire day and missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the 17th that ultimately kept him out of the playoff.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith made Canadian history twice at the Presidents Cup and, although they’re disappointed in the result, they’re ready for more.

It was the first time two Canadians had ever played at the prestigious best-on-best tournament that sees 12 Americans take on 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe. When the longtime friends were partnered on Friday they became the first-ever Canadians to play together at the storied tournament.

But Conners, from Listowel, Ont., lost to Xander Schauffele 1 up in Sunday’s seventh match to clinch the American victory. Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., also lost his match in the event’s final round when he dropped a 3 and 1 decision to Tony Finau.

Ultimately, the United States beat the international team 17.5 to 12.5 for its 12th Presidents Cup title.

The Canadians were the only members of the international team not to earn a point over the four-day, five-session tournament. Conners said he was disappointed to not maintain the international team’s momentum in the final round.

“All the guys were ready to go today,” said Conners by the 18th green. “Some of the guys got some points early to keep us in it.

“I’m really disappointed not to be able to add to our total, but it was a fun week.”

The biennial event alternates between courses in the U.S. and international locations. The next edition will be at Royal Montreal Golf Club, which last hosted in 2007 when Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., had a legendary showdown with Tiger Woods in the final round.

“It’s definitely going to be a goal of mine to make that team,” said Pendrith, who like Conners made his Presidents Cup debut. “This week was great, and I’m hungry to get some points.”

The U.S. dominated the first two days of play, building a commanding 8-2 lead. But the internationals gained ground on Saturday, finishing the fourth session just four points back.

With the U.S. leading 11-7 and needing just 15.5 points to win, American captain Davis Love III was aggressive in his picks for individual play, putting Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth – his most consistent players – into Sunday’s first two matches.

That gamble produced mixed results with South Korea’s Si Woo Kim beating Thomas 1 up but Spieth topped Australia’s Cam Davis 4 and 3.

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama tied Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay downed Australia’s Adam Scott 3 and 2.

Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz kept the internationals in it with a 2 and 1 victory over Scottie Scheffler before Pendrith and Conners lost their matches as the Americans clinched their title.

Finau jumped out to a 2 up lead in his match against Pendrith, but the Canadian answered back with birdies on the third and fourth holes to tie it.

Pendrith made a 33-foot chip in on the par-3 sixth hole for a birdie and his first lead of the match. He also birdied the next hole, but Finau birdied on Nos. 9 and 12 to tie the match, then pulled ahead with birdies on Nos. 13, 16 and 17.

“I felt like I played decent today in the middle of the round and had some chances on the back nine,” said Pendrith by the 17th green. “No. 15 stings. No. 16, I hit a good putt, but Tony played really good as well.

“He made seven or eight birdies or something like that. Can’t really do much about that.”

Schauffele and Conners were tied through the first five holes, but the American eagled and had a birdie on Nos. 6 and 7 to take a lead. He added to that when Conners bogeyed No. 10. The Canadian rallied with three consecutive won holes, starting with No. 12, to even the score.

Conners bogeyed the par-4 15th hole, which Schauffele parred, and the American held on the rest of the way.

“It was a good battle. I feel like every match I got down, every match I fought back,” said Conners. “Ultimately I came up a little short, but good stuff.”

Play continued, however, with the remaining matches being seen to completion. South Korea’s Sungjae Im bested Cameron Young 1 up. Billy Horschel conceded to South Korea’s K.H. Lee for a 3 and 1 internationals win.

Max Homa fended off fan favourite Tom Kim of South Korea for a 1 up win, Collin Morikawa beat Chile’s Mito Pereira 3 and 2, and in the day’s final match South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout downed Kevin Kisner 2 and 1.

Ryan Hart, the executive director of the 2024 Presidents Cup, said he hopes that Royal Montreal will truly feel like an away game for the Americans.

“All the structures will be wrapped black and gold,” said Hart, gesturing to the white-sheathed structures at Quail Hollow. “So (the international team) can come out and we can hopefully have the entire country feel like they are part of the international team and cheer them on to victory.”

The atmosphere at the Presidents Cup has changed in the 15 years since Canada last hosted the event. Organizers said that 40,000 spectators attended the Presidents Cup every day, a massive gathering for golf that was amplified because those crowds were concentrated around just four or five groups the first three days of the tournament.

Pendrith said that it was the most people he had ever played in front of but he feels like he rose to the occasion.

“Obviously, the stakes were really high. Lots of pressure,” said Pendrith. “But the first day, I feel like I handled it pretty well.

“Really, all week, it was a lot of fun, and it will be a good experience to move forward.”

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Canada’s Taylor Pendrith thought he and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama were going to earn some points back for the international team when they were announced as partners for Saturday’s afternoon session at the Presidents Cup.

Unfortunately for them, they drew the duo of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, the most reliable pairing for the United States.

After Matsuyama birdied the first hole for an early lead in the four-ball match, the Americans had six birdies to earn a 4 and 3 win, the one international loss in the day’s second session. The United States held an 11-7 lead when play wrapped.

“They just kept making birdies. Hideki hit an unreal shot on No. 1, and we went 1 up,” said Pendrith just off the 15th green at Quail Hollow Club after shaking hands with Spieth and Thomas. “I don’t know how many birdies exactly they had, but it seemed like a lot.”

Shortly after that defeat, South Korea’s Sungjae Im and Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz earned a 3 and 2 win over Tony Finau and Kevin Kisner.

Then South Korea’s Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim birdied No. 18 for a 1 up win over Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. Finally, Australia’s Adam Scott and Cam Davis held off Billy Horschel and Sam Burns for a 1 up victory as the internationals closed the gap on the host Americans.

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., and Matsuyama were consistently driving further and with more accuracy than Spieth and Thomas, but the internationals struggled with their chipping and putting as the Americans excelled.

“I think the pins, some of the pins, were pretty tricky,” said Pendrith. “I didn’t really have many great looks at birdie.

“Hitting into 30 feet with putts that break eight to ten feet, it’s tough to make those.”

It was the second time on Saturday that Spieth and Thomas had beaten a Canadian. In the morning session, Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Im also conceded to the Americans on the 15th green for a 4 and 3 loss.

Pendrith and Conners were paired together in Friday’s final match, a close 1 up loss to Horschel and Max Homa that was decided on the 18th hole. Conners was then in Saturday’s first match of the day, about 12 hours later.

“It was an early morning but I had a great sleep last night and I was raring to go again,” said Conners. “I was a little sore leaving the golf course after being close in that match so getting back this morning I was looking forward to playing again.

It’s the first time two Canadians have played at the prestigious Presidents Cup, which will move to Royal Montreal Golf Club for the next edition in 2024. Conners and Pendrith are the only players on the international team to not yet earn a point, with three of their four losses coming at the hands of Spieth and Thomas.

That led to Spieth and Thomas being asked why they hate Canada.

“That’s not a serious question, is it?” laughed Thomas.

“We love Canada,” said Spieth. “Remember in two years, that’s where we’re going to be.”

Added Thomas: “We love Canada.”

“We try to challenge whoever we’re going to play as best we could,” said Spieth, who has an impressive 8-2-0 record when paired with Thomas at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.

“We have full trust and belief that we can beat whoever we play,” said Thomas. “Whether it’s a Presidents Cup or a Ryder Cup or a money game, we enjoy the challenge and try to embrace it.”

The first team to 15.5 points will win the biennial event that sees 12 Americans take on 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe. Sunday’s round will be singles matches, with Pendrith playing Finau and Conners taking on Schauffele.

In morning play Saturday, Scott and Matsuyama beat Cameron Young and Collin Morikawa 3 and 2 in the day’s second match. Lee and Tom Kim beat Scheffler and Burns 2 and 1. The U.S. answered back as Finau and Homa topped Si Woo Kim and Davis 4 and 3.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Taylor Pendrith centred himself over the ball, took a breath, and rolled his putt 13 feet, five inches into the hole. He pumped his fist and embraced partner Corey Conners on the 18th green as the international team celebrated on the fairway and fans cheered.

Pendrith’s putt kept the hopes of a draw against Americans Billy Horschel and Max Homa alive in the second round of the Presidents Cup, a potentially critical half point for the international team.

But Homa extinguished those hopes a moment later when he drained his 11-foot putt for a bigger fist pump, a louder cheer, and a 1 up win over the Canadians. That victory also gave the Americans a commanding 8-2 lead over the internationals on Friday at Quail Hollow Golf Club.

“I still feel like there’s some adrenalin flowing,” said Conners on the lip of the 18th green after the loss. “It’s tough. We played against some world class players.

“The atmosphere’s pretty loud, there’s a lot going on. You try to enjoy it, but it’s definitely challenging.”

This year’s Presidents Cup is the first time two Canadians have played in the event that sees 12 Americans take on 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe. Conners and Pendrith had different partners in the first round, making Friday’s pairing the first time two Canadians have ever teamed up at the event.

“To pair up today is really special,” said Conners, who also went to Kent State University with Pendrith. “Hopefully we’ve got a couple more in us, and we’ll see if we can get some points the rest of the way.”

Conners, from Listowel, Ont., will be paired with South Korea’s Sungjae Im for foursome play in the third round Saturday morning. The pairings for Saturday afternoon’s fourth round will be announced after the completion of the third round.

The first team to 15.5 points wins the PGA Tour-sponsored event, with the Americans’ sizable lead putting Sunday’s fifth round at risk of not being played at all.

Im and Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz tied Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns in the day’s second match. Chile’s Mito Pereira and South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout also tied Kevin Kisner and Cameron Young in the third match to earn the internationals their second point of the tournament.

“We’ve just got to keep fighting, man,” said team captain Trevor Immelman of South Africa. “Keep putting one foot in front of the other.

“We feel like we’ve played some pretty good golf, some solid golf tee-to-green, particularly the last couple of days, but we have absolutely been outputted. No doubt about it.”

Perennial American pairing Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas beat Australia’s Adam Scott and Cam Davis 2&1 in the day’s first match. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele downed Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and South Korea’s Tom Kim 3&2.

Both of the Canadians showed off their specialties throughout the match. Pendrith had the longest drive on eight of the foursome’s holes, consistently hitting the fairway. Conners, meanwhile, was unerring in his approach shots, regularly dropping in closest to the pin.

Their displays of power and accuracy even wowed the loudly pro-American crowd at Quail Hollow, earning loud rounds of applause, whistles as the long shots flew through the air, and calls of “Maple syrup!” and “Peameal bacon!”

“We just try to play our own games,” said Conners. “I try to do what I do well. I try to get it on the fairway, get it on the green, have some birdie looks and free up Taylor to hit the balls and attack some of those pins.”

Putting was the Canadians’ Achilles heel early in the match, however, as Horschel and Homa took a 2 up lead on the front nine. Conners birdied the par-4 11th hole and the par-4 13th to tie the match. Homa then birdied the par-4 No. 17 to set up his and Pendrith’s fateful putts.

“It stings a little bit. Max made two really nice putts on the last two holes,” said Pendrith, who is from Richmond Hill, Ont. “We battled very hard but didn’t have our best stuff early in the round. Good enough to stick around.”

Officials said that about 40,000 fans attended each of the first two days at the Presidents Cup, with a similarly large crowd expected on Saturday and, if play continues, the same number on Sunday. The most notable people in Friday’s crowds were former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, who arrived at Quail Hollow Club several hours before Scott, Davis, Spieth and Thomas teed off in the day’s first group.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Taylor Pendrith woke up early on Thursday morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. Thoughts of his first tee shot at the Presidents Cup were running through his head, keeping him awake.

But when Pendrith laid into a 308-yard drive on the first hole at Quail Hollow Club, he felt like he belonged at the prestigious international event.

“I knew I was going (to) be nervous. I think if you’re not nervous, there’s something wrong with you,” said Pendrith. “It’s obviously a huge event with tons of history and to be a part of the squad is amazing.

“I was thinking about that tee shot for a long time but I stepped up and hit a really good one and just trusted my skills.”

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., debuted for the international team at the Presidents Cup on Thursday. Pendrith and partner Mito Pereira of Chile battled with American Tony Finau and Max Homa until the 18th hole, eventually losing 1 up as the United States took a 4-1 lead overall.

“I think me and Mito did a good job today staying in it, giving ourselves lots of chances and staying patient,” said Pendrith, as he and Pereira rallied from a two-shot deficit after six holes to carry a tie into the final hole. “Lots of confidence moving forward to tomorrow.

“If we can come out and steal a couple of points I think we’ll be right in it.”

Conners and Pendrith, close friends who were teammates and roommates at Kent State University, will be paired together for Friday’s final match as the event’s format switches from foursomes to four ball.

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It’s the first time two Canadians have played in the best-on-best tournament that sees 12 Americans take on 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe.

Conners and South Korea’s Sungjae Im fell to Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas 2&1 in Thursday’s second match. They shook hands on the 17th green with a tie out of reach.

“We just didn’t get off to the best start in the match,” said Conners. “We battled back nicely but just couldn’t get the important putts to go in at the end there.”

South Korea’s Si Woo Kim and Australia’s Cam Davis were the only international pairing to win. After seven holes they were trailing Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns 3 up but closed out with six birdies in their last 10 holes, including four in a row on Nos. 15-18, to beat the Americans 2 up.

“It’s always more satisfying when you start off not having your best stuff and then you find a way to turn it around, especially against the calibre of players that are playing here,” said Davis.

“I was just really proud of the way I started hitting good shots when it mattered, and I was really proud of the way Woo started getting the putts at perfect speed.”

Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele beat Australia’s Adam Scott and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama 6&5. Americans Cameron Young and Collin Morikawa downed Tom Kim and K.H. Lee, both from South Korea, 2&1.

Typically a biennial event, the 2021 Presidents Cup was postponed one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Venues alternate between the U.S. and international locations, with Royal Montreal Golf Club scheduled to host the Presidents Cup in 2024.

This year’s edition is undeniably on American soil, with fans wearing star-spangled outfits, loudly cheering their team, and booing when international fans tried to get their own chants going.

The internationals weren’t without their supporters, however. A pair of fans from Winnipeg were dressed as Mounties despite the 35 degrees Celsius heat, with a Canadian flag draped off the grandstand tightly hugging the first tee box. They chanted Conners’s and Pendrith‘s names when they were introduced to the crowd, even if they were quickly drowned out by “U-S-A” chants.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this before. It was crazy. It was so much fun,” said Pendrith. “Tons of people, good support for the international team.

“The first tee shot was quite the experience, got up there and hit it right down the middle and settled in after that.”

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Finding chemistry on the eclectic Presidents Cup international team can be a challenge, but Canadians Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith are bringing their own spark to captain Trevor Immelman’s squad.

Conners and Pendrith played together on Golf Canada’s amateur teams before becoming teammates at Kent State University and were even the best man at each other’s weddings. They’ll be making their Presidents Cup debuts on Thursday as the best-on-best tournament tees off at Quail Hollow Golf Club outside Charlotte, N.C.

“To be here with him is really special, and if we have a partnership, I think we can certainly feed off of one another,” said Conners before Wednesday’s first-round draw. “If I hit a poor shot, I know he’s going to bail me out, and if he struggles on a hole, I’m going to be giving it my all to give us a chance to win the hole.

“We’re certainly great friends and have played a lot of golf together, so I’m very confident in his ability.”

Although Immelman split the Canadians up in the first round’s draw on Wednesday afternoon, it’s likely they will have a chance to play together at the PGA Tour event that sees 12 Americans face 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe.

Conners, from Listowel, Ont., will partner with South Korea’s Sungjae Im against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in the second match of the first round. Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., will team with Chile’s Mito Pereira against Tony Finau and Max Homa in the day’s fifth match.

Pendrith said he’s enjoying sharing the honour of playing on the international team with one of his best friends.

“To be with him is really cool and comforting,” said Pendrith. “He’s probably the person I’ve played my most rounds of golf with, ever.”

Conners was an automatic selection after finishing the PGA Tour season fourth on the international team standings. He rose up from sixth after Australia’s Cam Smith and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann jumped to the Saudi-backed LIV Tour on Aug. 30, disqualifying themselves from the PGA Tour-backed Presidents Cup.

Pendrith was officially selected by Immelman on Sept. 6 after he missed four months of the PGA Tour season with a fractured rib.

The two friends have very different play styles, with Pendrith renowned for his long drives and Conners considered a surgeon with his irons.

On paper the Presidents Cup result seems like it could be a foregone conclusion.

The American team’s average world ranking is 11.58, while Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama – currently No. 17 on the world rankings _ is the highest-rated member of an international team depleted by the defections to the LIV Tour. The betting line reflects that, with oddsmakers putting the Americans as -700 favourites.

History is also not on the internationals side. The United States has won the biennial event 13 times, with the internationals winning in 1998 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia and the two sides tying in 2003 at Fancourt Hotel and Country Club in George, South Africa.

Australia’s Adam Scott has played in nine of those losses and assistant captain Geoff Ogilvy, also from Australia, said those losses have served as a motivation for his countryman.

“He just wants to win it for everybody,” said Ogilvy, adding that Scott is like a fifth assistant captain. “It’s like he wants to win it for everybody who never got a chance to win one.”

However, the players on the international squad have combined for 33 victories on the PGA Tour, including Conners’ win at the 2019 Valero Texas Open. Assistant captain Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., said there’s a lot of positivity in the international locker room.

“The mood has been great. The guys are very enthusiastic. We feel they’re up for the challenge,” said Weir. “Their games look great. There’s a great buzz in our team.”

The next Presidents Cup will be in 2024 at Royal Montreal Golf Club, which hosted the event in 2007.

Canada’s Taylor Pendrith has been named to the international team at the upcoming Presidents Cup.

Corey Conners, from Listowel, Ont., was an automatic selection after finishing the PGA Tour season fourth on the international team standings.

It’s the first time that more than one Canadian will compete in the best-on-best tournament that sees a team from the United States play an international squad.

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., was a captain’s selection, officially chosen by South Africa’s Trevor Immelman on Tuesday. It’s an impressive turnaround after Pendrith missed four months of the PGA Tour due to a broken rib.

Since Pendrith returned to play at the Barbasol Championship on July 10 he has been in the top 13 at five of six events, including tying for second at the Rocket Mortgage Classic on July 31.

“Taylor really, in the last couple months, burst on to the scene, quite honestly,” said Immelman. “He sort of disappeared off of our radar a little bit because we weren’t quite sure how he was going to come back.

“But turns out, when he came back, he played some unbelievable golf.”

Quail Hollow Club outside of Charlotte, N.C., will host the Presidents Cup starting Sept. 20. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, will be one of Immelman’s assistant captains.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., were also considered for the event.

Immelman said that Hadwin and Hughes made his short list but that Pendrith’s impressive distance off the tee – his average of 316.1 yards per drive is 10th best on the PGA Tour – was an undeniable asset for his team.

“Hadwin has played a couple Presidents Cups, so he had that as a little bit of an edge in our decision-making process,” said Immelman. “Mac Hughes also a great putter, lives in Charlotte, so those were his advantages.

But at the end of the day, we had to try and find a way to blend different things together, whether it be through team chemistry, whether it be through matchups with the golf course and how we believe the golf course is going to be set up.“

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Quail Hollow Club outside of Charlotte, N.C., will host the Presidents Cup starting Sept. 20.

WILMINGTON, Del – Corey Conners orchestrated a late round charge, making birdies on three of his final four holes, to extend his season on the PGA TOUR.

Conners of Listowel, Ont., finished four shots back in a tie for fifth. Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., finished in a tie for eighth, while Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., finished in a group tied for 44th.

Conners qualified for the Tour Championship at East Lake, as he secured a top-30 ranking in the FedExCup Playoffs standings with the finish on Sunday. He is ranked 24th out of the 30 entrants.

The 30-year-old shot a two-under 69 in the final round.

“It’s always a goal at the start of the year,” Conners told TSN. “I feel like I’ve has a solid season. Still trying to get in the winner’s circle again, but a lot of really solid play, giving myself some chances, and really excited to be going back to East Lake.”

The Canadian also earned a spot on the International Team for the President’s Cup, joining Mike Weir, Graham DeLaet and Adam Hadwin as the only Canucks to accomplish the feat.

“Again, another huge goal of mine after missing out last time,” Conners told TSN. “Beyond excited. I think Trevor has been great trying to get the guys together, and he’s a great captain. Easy guy to get behind and really motivating.”

One good break. One great shot. That’s what it took Sunday for Patrick Cantlay to win the BMW Championship for the second straight time with a finish that was nothing like last year except for his clutch moments.

One other difference: The victory didn’t give him the No. 1 seed going into the FedEx Cup finale next week at East Lake in Atlanta.

That was of little concern to Cantlay after his birdie-par finish for a two-under 69, giving him a one-shot victory over Scott Stallings at Wilmington Country Club.

“I was glad not to go six holes in a playoff,” Cantlay said, referring to his unlikely playoff win last year at Caves Valley over Bryson DeChambeau.

This looked to be headed that way when Cantlay and Stallings were tied down the stretch, with Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele lurking.

Tied with two holes to play, Cantlay took an aggressive line to cut off the corner of a dogleg and figured he was headed for a cluster of bunkers. But the ball landed short of the last bunker, took a big hop over the sand, and tumbled into the first cut and rolled out to the fairway, just 64 yards from the hole.

“I thought hitting it on that line, it would for sure be in a bunker,” he said. “Got an excellent break — maybe one of the best breaks I’ve gotten coming down the stretch — and when you get a break like that you need to pay it off.”

That he did, hitting a spinner with a wedge that skipped and stopped 5 feet behind the hole for birdie and a one-shot lead. Stallings in the group ahead narrowly missed a birdie putt from just inside 10 feet on the last hole for a 69.

Cantlay needed par to win and fanned his drive into a bunker, the ball above his feet, 158 yards to pin on a steeply pitched green.

“I tried to slice an 8-iron about as hard as I could and went to about where I thought I could get it, and it was one of the best shots I hit all week,” he said.

His putt caught the lip of the cup, leaving him a tap-in, about the easiest shot he had all day.

Cantlay, who finished at 14-under 270, became the first player to win the BMW Championship in consecutive years since the FedEx Cup began in 2007. No one has ever repeated in any of the playoff events. The victory, his second of the year, moved him to No. 3 in the world.

He played all four rounds with Schauffele, and only later did he realize he could have used a little help from his best friend on tour. Schauffele (71) missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the last hole that would given him third place and moved Scheffler to fourth.

That would have made Cantlay the No. 1 seed, which comes with a two-shot lead before the Tour Championship begins. Now he will start two shots behind Scheffler, who had missed a short par putt on the last hole that ultimately didn’t cost him in the FedEx Cup.

Stallings has gone 238 starts since his last victory eight years ago at Torrey Pines, and he played like that drought might end. But he missed four birdie chances inside 18 feet at the end, the last one from just inside 10 feet.

The consolation prize is his first trip to the Tour Championship.

“That was the biggest goal of the year,” Stallings said. “Better late than never.”

Stallings wasn’t alone. Adam Scott is making his way back to East Lake. He was at No. 77 in the FedEx Cup when the post-season started and a tie for fifth last week moved him to No. 45.

Scott made eagle on the 12th hole and hit some superb lag putts on firm, crispy greens at Wilmington for a 71 to tie for fifth.

Needing a par on the last hole, Scott tugged his tee shot to the edge of a bunker, meaning he had to stand in the sand and try to hit out of a sticky first cut with the golf ball about thigh-high. He pulled that into a bunker, then hit a splendid shot to tap-in ran.

“I guess that’s the beauty of the FedEx Cup playoffs the way they are. You can scratch it around a lot for the year and have a couple good weeks and get heavily rewarded by getting to East Lake and being in that top 30 and all the perks that come with it,” Scott said.

Aaron Wise had a 73 and earned the 30th spot. He was among four players who moved into the top 30 who are eligible for the Tour Championship. The others were Stallings, Scott, Aaron Wise and K.H. Lee, who had a 65 on Sunday to tie for fifth.

WILMINGTON, Del. – Adam Scott felt he was playing well enough that he should start seeing some better scores at some point. That moment appears to have arrived at just the right time.

Scott put together another tidy round Friday except for one hole _-a double bogey on the 17th – for a 2-under 69 that gave him a one-shot lead going into the weekend at the BMW Championship.

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler opened with three straight birdies and then cooled for 67, while Jordan Spieth’s hopes for a bogey-free round ended by a few inches when his tee shot caught the sticky first cut instead of the fairway. His bogey gave him a 67.

They were one shot behind, along with Cameron Young (68) and Corey Conners (67).

Scott, who was at 8-under 134, wasn’t sure how much golf would be on is plate in August. He was No. 77 in the FedEx Cup, not assured of even making it to the BMW Championship, until a tie for fifth last week in the FedEx Cup playoffs opener.

That was enough of a spark, and now he’s looking to cash in as one of the top 30 players who make it to the FedEx Cup finale next week in Atlanta for the Tour Championship.

“I’m in great shape going into the weekend. I don’t even know when the last time I led a tournament was,” Scott said.

He won at Riviera in 2020. His last 36-hole lead was at Doral for a World Golf Championship in 2016, which he went on to win.

“I certainly haven’t had my best stuff for quite a while. It’s been a battle for sure,” he said. “But that’s how this game is. I’d like to make the most of this position now over the next 36 holes.”

A brief look behind would remind him it won’t be easy, and the Australian knows this.

Spieth has looked solid over two days at Wilmington Country Club, with only one bogey in each round. He missed the cut last week and feels his postseason didn’t start until Monday when he arrived at Wilmington. That’s not just about trying to erase a bad memory.

Spieth headed to southern tip of Baja California after the British Open, wanting a break before the hectic finish to the season. One problem. Upon returning to Dallas, every course he plays was closed, and his only option was hitting from a stall in a practice facility.

Only when he arrived in Tennessee last week did he realize his swing had stayed on vacation, and his coach wasn’t available to join him until Delaware. He turned it around quickly.

“I feel like I’m doing everything good, nothing spectacular, but I feel like in every facet of my game, it’s trending and improving, and I know what to do to get it better and better,” Spieth said. “Certainly feels really good. Coming into the weekend, it’s a good opportunity to just have a lot of trust, focus on trying to win this golf tournament, not think about next week.”

Scheffler also missed the cut last week and joined Spieth and others at Pine Valley on Sunday. And then he opened with three short birdies, didn’t make too many mistakes the rest of the way and will be in the final group with Scott on Saturday.

Conner is at No. 29 and is in a great spot to protect his position for East Lake. Young seems to play great every week – twice contending in majors, five runner-up finishes for the season. One win would tick a lot of boxes on his list of goals.

Xander Schauffele holed out with a wedge on the 17th hole for an eagle and a 69, and he was in he group two shots behind that included defending champion Patrick Cantlay and Rory McIlroy, who chipped in for birdie on his final hole for another 68.

Scott didn’t get a finish quite that good. He was sailing along on a warm, breezy afternoon when he pushed his tee shot near a tree. The lie was clean, but his punch shot toward the fairway hung up in rough. From there he didn’t reach the green or get up-and-down, and all that meant a double bogey.

“It’s a good reminder for the weekend that I’ve really got to keep it under control and don’t want to have too many get off the map and get out of position around here,” Scott said.