The Presidents Cup begins on Thursday at Royal Montreal Golf Club. The best-on-best match-play tournament sees 12 American golfers take on 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the elite men’s golf event:

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME — Despite the high quality of the golfers in the tournament, the Presidents Cup is unique on the PGA Tour because there is no prize money. Mackenzie Hughes, one of three Canadians on the International team and a member of the PGA Tour’s player advisory council, said he is OK with that arrangement.

“I love these competitions. I love the game,” said Hughes, who is playing in the Presidents Cup for the first time. “If you said, ‘hey, you have to pay to play in this,’ I would love to pay to play in this. 

“There would be guys, I’m sure, on the other side that have won multiple majors and maybe feel like they deserve to be paid to be here. I never feel that way. I feel like it’s an honour that doesn’t need to come with any monetary value.”

POUTINE IS UNREAL — The International team is made up of golfers from five countries: Canada, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and South Africa. To overcome the cultural and linguistic differences, captain Mike Weir has introduced the golfers to Canadian culture, like hockey and poutine. Australia’s Min Woo Lee tweeted that Quebec’s signature dish was “unreal” and elaborated at a news conference on Wednesday.

“It looked amazing, and I tried it, and it was even better than it looked,” said Lee. “I thought it was a bit more complicated, but it was just fries, cheese curds, and gravy. It was unbelievable.”

DARK CLOUDS — A thunderstorm is forecast for the Montreal area on Thursday, with heavy rain expected through the daylight hours at Royal Montreal on L’Ile Bizard, Que. Temperatures are expected to reach a high of 21 Celsius, despite the rain. The weather is expected to clear on Friday, but the temperatures will remain relatively cool.

SCOTT IS DUE — Australia’s Adam Scott had been a mainstay on the International team, participating in 11 Presidents Cups. However, the Internationals are winless in that span, last winning in 1998.

“I absolutely do not feel bad for Adam Scott,” said American Xander Schauffele. “I like Adam Scott a lot, but I do not feel bad for him at all. 

“I’m stubborn, and the more I get knocked down, the harder I push back up. If I had lost 10 times in a row, I’d come back champing at the bit even harder than ever. I’m sure that’s what they’re doing.”

PRIME MINISTER’S CUP — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was named the honorary chair of the Presidents Cup on Sept. 9. It’s expected that he’ll be at Royal Montreal on Sunday to hand the trophy to the winning team as part of the tournament’s championship ceremony.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2024.

Rahontsá:waks Albany’s father had already planned to take his son to watch Thursday’s opening matches of the Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club.

Little did he know, the 12-year-old would end up being part of the day’s festivities, one of four First Tee participants selected to carry the flags of the United States, Canada, Quebec and the International Team at the event’s Opening Ceremonies.

“It was just like, what are the odds of having this opportunity?” Rahontsá:waks’ mother, Lacey Paul, says.

Rahontsá:waks, Nashtyn Mayo and Aronhiakèn:ra Martin were chosen from the Kahnawá:ke Mohawk Territory First Nations reserve and First Tee – Quebec’s partner, Club 24 Athletics. Club 24 seeks to build future leaders in the indigenous community through educational support and sports participation.

The fourth flag bearer, Jarred Pompey, is from nearby Montreal and a member of First Tee – Quebec, too. Earlier this year, he caddied at a charity shootout in conjunction with the Presidents Cup media day where First Tee – Canada received a $250,000 donation from the biennial match-play competition.

The other charitable beneficiaries of the Presidents Cup are McGill University Health Centre Foundation, One Drop Foundation and Montreal Children’s Hospital.

On a recent Zoom call, it was hard to tell who was more excited – Rahontsá:waks, whose name in Kanien’kéha, which is the Mohawk language, means “He shakes the Earth” – or his mother.

Paul, who works for the Kahnawá:ke Tourism office, was about to go into a strategic planning meeting when she was notified that her son had been chosen. She remembers bursting with pride and telling anyone who would listen.

“To see our little guy represent Kahnawá:ke on the international stage, it truly is an honor, to have and see indigenous representation at the Presidents Cup,” Paul says.

Kahnawá:ke, which comes from the Mohawk word meaning “place of the rapids,” is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, about an hour from Royal Montreal.

Paul is fiercely proud of her son and other indigenous athletes like Notah Begay III, a Native American and five-time winner on the PGA TOUR. Performers like Lily Gladstone, an actress raised on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana who was nominated for an Academy Award last year, have also raised awareness of the indigenous community.

“We have so many children who excel in sports that we’re going places,” Paul says. “The world is opening up, and seeing all the indigenous – the actors, the soccer players, the lacrosse players, the hockey players, even Brandon Montour who played for Florida Panthers. He’s from Six Nations.

“So, I think right there, it’s opening up a world like this international stage.”

Rahontsá:waks expects to be nervous on Thursday at Royal Montreal. But he is hoping for a chance to see his favorite player, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, and pick up any pointers he can during his visit to the prestigious competition that began in 1994. He’s been a member of the Club 24 program since it started three years ago and recently started competing in nine-hole events.

Club 24 Athletics seeks to build future leaders in the indigenous community through educational support and sports participation. (Courtesy Lacey Paul)

“It’s really nerve-wracking,” says Rahontsá:waks, flashing an engaging smile. “I never really played competitive golf, but I liked it. I made new friendships with other kids, and I want to go back to playing them next year, too, or even the 18-hole tournaments.”

Rahontsá:waks, who also plays lacrosse and hockey, started going to the golf course with his older brother, Tehorahkwaneken, during the COVID-19 lockdown. Tehorahkwaneken, who was recently invited to play in an amateur tournament in Dubai, attended the Hernan Rey Golf Academy in Orlando for the last two years.

Paul has seen her younger son grow beyond simply mastering the rules and fundamentals of the game. At 12, he’s become more self-confident and mature than he once was.

“But you’re still a kid,” she says. “(He’s learned) to play the game of golf and to have patience. … And that also golf is a mental game. And just for the love of golf to keep pursuing the game.”

According to Martin Barnard, CEO of the Golf Canada Foundation, the return of the Presidents Cup to Royal Montreal was the catalyst for the launch of First Tee – Canada. In a partnership announced in 2020, the PGA TOUR committed $250,000 to the effort, and the first chapters were created in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic a year later. There are now six chapters serving all 10 Canadian provinces.

“It is really a three-way partnership between Golf Canada, PGA TOUR and the Golf Canada Foundation, and that announcement really spurred all of this tremendous growth that’s happened since 2020,” Barnard said. “When we launched, we had to sort of set about saying, ‘Okay, we need the support of the philanthropic community. We needed the support of some of the corporate partners that we had as well.’ …

“And last year we were thrilled to announce that we’ve reached more than 100,000 kids through the program in Canada and more than 19 million raised since that time.”

Barnard says First Tee, which uses the game of golf to develop character and life skills, works with its local chapters to make sure they bring kids from a variety of backgrounds into the program to “better represent the fabric of Canada.” The partnership with the Presidents Cup will only add to that legacy.

“It’ll be hundreds of thousands of kids, to be honest, that’s affected by this announcement and by this tournament coming to Canada,” he says. “As you know, International Team Captain Mike Weir is an advocate for this. He’s been amazing. He’s given a ton of his time and energy into promoting First Tee. And so really at the end of the day, because the TOUR and the Presidents Cup got behind us, we were able to raise a lot of money.”

And many more kids like Rahontsá:waks will benefit.

A combination of intangibles and data-driven analysis has Corey Conners thinking the International team is due at this year’s Presidents Cup.

Conners, from Listowel, Ont., is one of three Canadians donning the black and gold of the International team for this week’s Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club. The United States has historically dominated the best-on-best tournament that sees 12 Americans face 12 players from around the world — excluding Europe — in match play.

“I think everybody on our team knows we’ve been trending in the right direction. We’ve got a good plan in place,” said Conners after a practice round on Tuesday. “We can definitely do it.

“They’ve had our number in the Presidents Cup, but I think everyone on the team, the captains, are instilling a lot of belief in us.”

The 32-year-old Conners also played in 2022 when the Internationals lost to the Americans 17 1/2 to 12 1/2 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. It was the U.S.’s ninth straight win, and 10th out of 12 Presidents Cups. The Internationals earned a decisive victory in 1998 and the tournament ended in a draw in 2003.

Conners and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., were two of eight rookies on the International team two years ago, but this year’s group only has Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Australia’s Min Woo Lee as first timers. Conners said that having one Presidents Cup under his belt has taught him what to expect.

“It’s a demanding week,” said Conners, who did not earn a single point in 2022. “The crowds in the last Presidents Cup were pretty crazy.

“I’m excited to feel the hometown support here this time, but definitely learned some things and excited to get another crack at it.”

But the Internationals won’t just be relying on momentum, a partisan crowd, and good clubhouse vibes to end their losing skid.

Instead, captain Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., relied heavily on advanced analytics in choosing his team and will use the same data to strategize in real-time when the four-day, five-round match-play competition begins on Thursday.

“I think through the whole process for me these last couple years is relying on those numbers, relying on having the ear of my five assistant captains and talking to them throughout this whole process helps with the pairings, helps with the picks,” said Weir.

“Once the guys get on the course, you start to maybe see some different things. As a captain, you’re kind of rolling around a little bit more so you have the guys out there to really keep a closer eye on maybe an individual match and give you that feedback. You can make the adjustments, if needed.”

American captain Jim Furyk estimates that his side really started to use analytics to help strategize in 2016, but now it’s become the standard across the PGA Tour.

“It’s just a process that we’ve built up over time,” said Furyk. “Our analytics team trusts us as captains now as far as what we see and the advice that we can give and vice versa.

“We’ve really kind of leaned on them and, I think, built a process that we’re comfortable with.”

Conners uses analytics but also relies on his previous experiences on a course.

“I try and simplify things as much as possible, but certainly looking through the yardage book and knowing my game, just trying to stick to my strengths as much as possible,” said Conners, noting he played Royal Montreal as an amateur at the 2014 RBC Canadian Open.

“I wouldn’t say I’m crunching too many numbers.”

Conners — who graduated Kent State University with a degree in actuarial mathematics — said it’s not about being intimidated by the numbers, just keeping his mind clear when he’s on the course.

“I’m not afraid of them,” said Conners with a laugh. “It’s been cool to be a part of this team again and learn from some of the captains and some of the analytical guys on how they get things done.

“I’m good with numbers, but I just try to simplify things as much as I can.”

Weir and Furyk will announce their first-round pairings on Wednesday. The opening round the following day will be foursomes. Heavy rain is expected on both days.

Herb Page was going about his business on a Tuesday morning when Mackenzie Hughes, one of his former star players on Kent State University’s men’s golf team, reached out to him on FaceTime.

Hughes said he just wanted to say hi because he was killing time at the kind of corporate function PGA Tour players are often invited to speak at. But just as Page bit on his story, Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners leaned into the frame on Hughes’s phone.

All three were in the midst of a practice round at Royal Montreal Golf Club, scouting the course ahead of the Presidents Cup. The three Canadians, all Kent State grads, would be named captain’s selections to the International team a few hours later and they wanted to surprise their collegiate coach with the news.

“I just about cried,” said Page, adding that he had goosebumps from retelling the story. “They’re better people than they are golfers. I know that’s a kind of a catchphrase, but even after they graduated, they keep me in the loop. I’m still part of their little journey.”

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Hughes was a year ahead of Pendrith and Conners on the Golden Flashes, but they all overlapped at the university in northeastern Ohio in the early 2010s. They all turned pro and are now three of the top Canadians on the PGA Tour.

Canadian golf legend Mike Weir made them three of his six captain’s picks on Sept. 3 for the Presidents Cup which starts this Thursday at Royal Montreal. Their inclusion on the International team’s roster is the first time three Canadians have played in the best-on-best match-play tournament, with Hughes from Dundas, Ont., Pendrith from Richmond Hill, Ont., and Conners from Listowel, Ont.

It was the morning of Weir’s announcement that Hughes played his small “prank” on Page.

“It just meant so much to me. I couldn’t have been happier,” said Page, who retired from coaching five years ago. “It’s just the way these three young men are, who they are and what they stand for. It was pretty cool.

“He got me so bad. I cannot believe how he did it. It was crazy.”

Hughes said that Page, who is from Markham, Ont., left an indelible mark on him, Pendrith and Conners and there was no way they wouldn’t tell him directly about being named to the Presidents Cup.

“My time at Kent State really helped shape the player I am,” said Hughes. ” (Page) was like a father figure to me at Kent State, someone that I really trusted and really respected his opinion.

“He’d be the first to tell you that there was lots of tough love, and some tough conversations that we had, and that’s what I think helps you grow and evolve as a person and a golfer.”

An argument could be made that the Kent State Golden Flashes of the early 2010s is one of the most well-rounded men’s golf teams in NCAA history.

Although other teams can claim more PGA Tour wins — the 1995 Stanford University team, for example, went on to win 86 titles on the PGA Tour, but 82 of them are thanks to Tiger Woods with Notah Begay III adding four — the Canadian trio at Kent State with American John Hahn has arguably been the most successful collectively with five wins between Hughes, Pendrith and Conners.

“It was a pretty stout team,” said Hughes, noting that Hahn went on to play on the European DP World Tour. “Now, at the time, I don’t think we quite had it all together and everyone clicking as a team.

“But you look back on it and individuals that were playing and what they’ve achieved it was a pretty awesome group.”

Page, who recruited and coached that team, is more effusive.

“That era was pretty darn good, Pretty darn good,” he said. “Of course, during that era, Alabama was making runs with Justin Thomas and Texas was making runs with Jordan Spieth.

“The thing about all three (Kent State golfers), they just got better and better and better. They weren’t superstars, nationally ranked, coming out of Ontario. I don’t want to say this in a bad way, but it’s not like I had to fend off tons of schools to get them to come to Kent State.”

Hughes has added Page to his VIP guest list at Royal Montreal Golf Club so that his old coach won’t miss a single swing by his former student-athletes when play begins on Thursday.

“I’m flying in Monday night because I’m going to be there the whole damn week,” said Page with a chuckle. “And I’m not flying out until Monday morning because when they raise that cup, I’m going to be there.”

PONTE VEDRE, FLA. – The PGA TOUR has released its nominees for their 2023-24 PGA TOUR Tournament Awards, with the 2024 RBC Canadian Open receiving three award nominations.

The 2024 RBC Canadian Open was won by Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre who finished at 16-under, to edge Ben Griffin by one at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Hamilton, Ont. in June. It was the Scotsman’s first PGA TOUR victory, having previously won twice on the DP World Tour, the 2020 Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown and the 2022 Italian Open. One month later, McIntyre went on to win the 2024 Genesis Scottish Open for his fifth professional tournament win. The 28-year-old was also part of Europe’s 2023 Ryder Cup winning team. Equally as special as earning his first PGA TOUR victory, MacIntyre did so with his father Dougie on the bag, caddying his son in Hamilton.

“We are appreciative and honoured to be nominated for three prestigious PGA TOUR Tournament Awards following the 2024 RBC Canadian Open,” said Ryan Paul, Tournament Director, RBC Canadian Open. “These nominations reflect the hard work, dedication and passion of our team, RBC and all of our proud partners, our proud host club, our incredible volunteers and our fans. Together we are continually driven to deliver an exceptional experience for everyone involved in our National Open Championship. We are incredibly grateful to be nominated again this year.”

The 2024 RBC Canadian Open picked up nominations in the following three categories:

Best In Class Element: This award recognizes a ‘Best in Class’ element at the tournament or associated with the tournament. It is to highlight a service, an event, a venue, a campaign, a program, an activity, an operation procedure or anything would represent a ‘Best in Class’ element that others should consider following or incorporating into their own events.

Best Marketing Initiative: Criteria include the development and execution of a marketing campaign designed to increase ticket sales and attendance.

Best Volunteer Program: Conducts effective volunteer recruitment outreach, training and onboarding programs. Meets and/or exceeds the standard committee numbers required, promotes year-round engagement, communication and feedback. Showcases an outstanding element of their volunteer program, diverse and inclusive culture, embraces the Volunteer Excellent Program and implements appreciation programs leading to higher retention.

Winners will be announced at the 2024 PGA TOUR Tournament Awards Celebration, which take place Wednesday, December 11 in Orlando, Fla. 

The 2025 RBC Canadian Open will be held June 3 – 8 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ont.

Mackenzie Hughes might just be what the International team needs as this year’s Presidents Cup.

Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., is one of three Canadians on the squad competing in the match-play event at Royal Montreal Golf Club next week. 

His putting skills, cool demeanour under pressure, pre-existing connections with teammates and clubhouse leadership could help the team — made up of non-American players outside Europe — end a nine-tournament losing skid to the United States at the biennial event.

“I’ve had this one circled on the calendar for a few years now,” said Hughes on joining fellow Canadians Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners as captain’s picks on the 12-player International team. “I pretty much knew that when it was announced the tournament would be in Canada and that Mike Weir was going to be the captain, you pretty much knew where that was going to go.

“To get that call from (Weir) is really special because he’s the guy that I looked up to, we all looked up to, as Canadian golfers.”

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Pendrith and Conners are returning to the team after a disappointing 17 1/2 to 12 1/2 loss to the United States at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C. in 2022.

Hughes was ranked 14th on the International team standings in 2022 and could have easily been included on that squad after Australia’s Cameron Smith and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann were ruled ineligible after jumping ship to the rival LIV Golf circuit.

However, captain Trevor Immelman of South Africa instead chose the lower ranked Christiaan Bezuidenhout (16th) of South Africa, Pendrith (18th), South Korea’s Kim Si-woo (20th) and Australia’s Cameron Davis (25th).

“I certainly wanted to be on that team but also I understood the picks,” said Hughes, who lives in Charlotte and plays at Quail Hollow regularly. “I think that like a lot of guys that don’t get picked you more so look back on your own play and I wish I had made that selection easier for them.

“I didn’t do myself any favours in the six weeks leading up to it and that’s a hard pill to swallow.”

It may have been a costly oversight on Immelman’s part, as finishing holes was an issue for the International team in 2022 and Hughes is one of the best putters on the PGA Tour. This season he’s third in shots gained around the green and fifth in shots gained from putting.

“It doesn’t mean that just because I was there it would have turned the tide, but I’d like to think maybe I could have helped,” said Hughes. “That’s why you play the matches. You have to get out there and do it.”

This year Hughes made it easier for Weir, the Canadian golf legend from Brights Grove, Ont., to choose him. Hughes is 51st in the FedEx Cup Fall standings and has made the cut seven tournaments in a row, including a tie for fourth at last week’s Procore Championship.

“Mac played very solidly all year. Really like his short game, an all-around short game,” said Weir on Sept. 3 after announcing his captain’s picks. “He’s one of the elite and best short game guys on the PGA Tour 

“I also love Mac’s grit. So that was the reason I picked him.”

Hughes’s intangible qualities go beyond grit. 

He, Pendrith and Conners will arrive at Royal Montreal as a unit within the International squad, having become close friends while playing on Kent State University’s men’s golf team before turning pro. They’re also part of a group of Canadians, including Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., that regularly practice together before PGA Tour events.

“To have those guys with me is really icing on the cake, it’s very special,” said Hughes. “Opportunities like this don’t come around very often: to play this kind of team competition, which is already hard to do, but to play with some of your best friends, it almost seems scripted.”

An 11-year professional, Hughes has also been a member of the PGA Tour’s player advisory council the past two years and has been an outspoken advocate for making professional golf more accessible to fans.

Although Weir relied heavily on analytics to make his captain’s selections, Hughes’s character came up again and again when asked why he was named to the team.

“I just have a gut feeling with Mac that he has what it takes in these big moments,” said Weir. “They’re big pressure moments, and I have a feeling he’s going to do great in those moments.”

DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., continues his chase for a spot in the Europe-based DP World Tour’s playoffs. The top 50 players on the Race to Dubai standings make the DP World Tour Championship and Cockerill moved eight spots up to 39th in the rankings after tying for ninth at last week’s Irish Open. He’ll be back at it on Thursday at the BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club in Surrey, England.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., is ranked 38th on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour’s points list. He leads the Canadian contingent into this week’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. He’ll be joined at Ohio State University Golf Club — Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio by Edmonton’s Wil Bateman (53rd), Etienne Papineau (65th) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., and Sudarshan Yellamaraju (99th) of Mississauga, Ont.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames is the lone Canadian at this week’s Pure Insurance Championship. He’s No. 2 on the senior circuit’s points list. The event will start Friday and be played at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course in Monterey, Calif.

LPGA TOUR — There are four Canadians in this week’s Kroger City Championship. Savannah Grewal (97th in the Race to CME Globe Rankings) of Mississauga, Ont., Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (115th), and Maude-Aimee Leblanc (142nd) of Sherbrooke, Que., will all tee it up at TPC River’s Bend in Maineville, Ohio.

EPSON TOUR — Vancouver’s Leah John is the low Canadian heading into the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout. She’s 54th in the second-tier tour’s points list. She’ll be joined by Maddie Szeryk (118th) of London, Ont., and Brigitte Thibault (119th) of Rosemere, Que., at Mystic Creek Golf Club in El Dorado, Ark.

The chase for the remaining PGA Tour cards for the 2025 season begins Thursday at the Procore Championship.

Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., is one of the players hunting to stay on the tour in the FedEx Cup Fall mini-season, and he’s using every tool at his disposal to secure one of the 55 remaining full cards or 25 spots with conditional status for next year. That includes relying on analytics to help him better strategize on the course.

“My focus is doing what I can possibly do, controlling what I can do to be the best golfer that I can be,” said Sloan. “I’m looking forward to this fall schedule, some good tournaments.

“There’s a lot of travel involved in the fall schedule, but it’s an exciting time for us. I’m really looking forward to it.”

The FedExCup Fall circuit is eight PGA Tour events that lets players lock up or improve their positions in priority ranking and secure additional playing opportunities for the next year, which begins at The Sentry on Jan. 2.

Only players ranked 51st or higher in the FedEx Cup standings through the playoffs can earn points in the fall months, meaning Taylor Pendrith (14th) of Richmond Hill, Ont., Corey Conners (39th) of Listowel, Ont., and Adam Hadwin (47th) of Abbotsford, B.C., have no need to play. Golfers ranked Nos. 51-70 in the FedEx Cup regular standings also already have their cards for next season, but can earn spots in the first two signature events after The Sentry.

Sloan enters play on Thursday at Silverado Resort’s North Course in Napa, Calif., 173rd in the FedEx Cup Fall standings. The top 125 players at the end of the RSM Classic on Nov. 24 will have full membership next season with Nos. 126-150 retaining conditional status.

“Got some good progress in last year, got it back out here on the PGA Tour,” said Sloan, who played on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour in 2023. “I think I’m more dialled into making strategy changes, how I play a golf course. 

“Basically using a lot of ShotLink data and using the statistics to improve the strategy. I’ve started to see in the last several months, that some of the numbers underneath the surface are rapidly improving so I’m really encouraged to see that.”

The ShotLink System is a data platform for collecting and disseminating scoring and statistical data on every shot by every PGA Tour player in real-time. In practical terms, it allows golfers like Sloan to better understand the odds of making certain shots in recurring situations.

“It’s not like we’re trying to find, you know, a better swing path or better release or anything mechanical,” said Sloan, who has a member of his team who is “good with numbers” sift through all the data for him. “This is literally just the decision-making of each and every shot from certain points on the golf course. 

“It’s pretty neat to be able to make those adjustments, the improvements in certain statistical categories, without really ever touching the putting stroke or the full swing, or any of the mechanics.”

For Sloan, it’s meant changing his strategy in two areas. 

“One is par-3 strategy and then the second is my strategy into the green beyond 150 yards from the rough,” he said. “Those are two categories that I’ve given a lot of strokes back to the field, and just adjusting those strategies, I’ve seen an incredible improvement in my par-3 scoring average and my strokes gained to the green has improved dramatically. And again, we haven’t touched the golf swing. 

“What it boils down to, for me personally in those two areas, was I’m ultra-aggressive. I’m way too aggressive in those areas where I just need to back off a little bit.”

Conners will be in the field at the Procore Championship, as will Presidents Cup International teammate Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., who is 52nd in the FedEx entering play on Thursday.

Nick Taylor (58th) of Abbotsford, Adam Svensson (75th) of Surrey, B.C., Ben Silverman (107th) of Thornhill, Ont., and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., will also tee it up.

DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., is the lone Canadian in the field at the Amgen Irish Open. He’s 47th in the Race to Dubai Rankings, the points list of the European-based circuit and 279th in the official world golf rankings. He’s still within the provisional cutoff of the tour’s championship Nov. 14-17. This week’s field is tougher than usual, however, as world No. 3 Rory McIlroy and No. 32 Shane Lowry are also playing in their national open at Royal County Down Golf Club in Newcastle, Northern Ireland.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., leads the Canadian contingent into the Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation. He’s 38th on the second-tier tour’s points list. He’ll be joined by Edmonton’s Wil Bateman (48th), Etienne Papineau (63rd) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., and Sudarshan Yellamaraju (96th) of Mississauga, Ont., at Vanderbilt Legends Club North Course in Franklin, Tenn.

EPSON TOUR — Vancouver’s Leah John rocketed 66 spots up the Race for the Card points list thanks to her third-place finish at last week’s Guardian Championship. That puts her at 54th in the points list heading into the Tuscaloosa Toyota Classic. Maddie Szeryk (117th) of London, Ont., and Brigitte Thibault (118th) of Rosemere, Que., will also play on Friday at Ol’ Colony Golf Course in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

MONTREAL – Justin Trudeau, the 23^rd and current Prime Minister of Canada, has accepted an invitation to serve as Honorary Chairman of the 2024 Presidents Cup when the competition returns to The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, September 24-29. 

“Sending my best wishes to all the golfers – and especially our Canadian stars – participating in the Presidents Cup, this year in Montreal. With the Olympics, the Paralympics, and so many other tournaments, this summer has shown us all the power of sport to inspire and unite. I encourage Canadians to keep that cheer going with the Presidents Cup – let’s watch, celebrate, and enjoy a historic and incredible tournament,” said Prime Minister Trudeau.

“With the return of the Presidents Cup to Canada, we are honored to have the support of Prime Minister Trudeau as our honorary chairman for the 2024 event,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “The Presidents Cup has customarily honored world leaders throughout its 30-year history, and Prime Minister Trudeau’s addition will greatly enhance our efforts to promote the global nature of golf through spirited team matches.”

Prime Minister Trudeau is part of a distinguished group of world leaders who have previously held the position of Honorary Chairman at the Presidents Cup. 

• 2022 – 46^th U.S. President, Joe Biden
• 2019 – Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Australia
• 2017 – 45^th U.S. President, Donald J. Trump
• 2015 – President Park Geun-hye, South Korea
• 2013 – 44^th U.S. President, Barack Obama
• 2011 – Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Australia
• 2009 – 44^th U.S. President Barack Obama
• 2007 – Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Canada
• 2005 – 43^rd U.S. President, George W. Bush
• 2003 – President Thabo Mbeki, Republic of South Africa
• 2000 – 42^nd U.S. President, William Jefferson Clinton
• 1998 – Prime Minister John Howard, Australia
• 1996 – 41^st U.S. President, George H.W. Bush
• 1994 – 38^th U.S. President, Gerald R. Ford

The Presidents Cup, a team match play competition featuring 24 of the world’s top golfers – 12 from the United States and 12 from around the world, excluding Europe – is held biennially, and since 1996 has alternated between the United States and international venues. The U.S. Team has won 12 of the 14 previous Presidents Cups, and the only win by the International Team came at the 1998 event in Melbourne. A historic 17-17 tie came in 2003 when the event was held in South Africa.

Canadian Mike Weir will lead the International Team as captain when the event returns to The Royal Montreal Golf Club for the first time in 17 years, while Jim Furyk will captain the U.S. Team.

As host of the 2007 and 2024 Presidents Cups, The Royal Montreal Golf Club will become the second international venue to host the event more than once, joining The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, a three-time host.

For more information about the Presidents Cup, or to purchase tickets, please visit PresidentsCup.com. 

Mike Weir held a dinner for about 20 potential International Team players in early May to try and create a sense of camaraderie in the months leading up to the Presidents Cup.

The Canadian Golf Hall of Famer told the assembled players that it would be great if one of them could win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and build some momentum for the International Team.

Flash forward to that weekend and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., was claiming his first PGA Tour win.

“Mike was texting me throughout the week, and he texted me on Saturday night before the final round, and had a lot of motivational things to say,” said Pendrith on Wednesday. “He said ‘you don’t need to be anybody else. Just go out there and play your game and take care of business.'”

Pendrith has handled his business on the PGA Tour since that win, earning a spot on the International Team a second consecutive time.

He, Corey Conners, and Mackenzie Hughes were named to the Presidents Cup on Tuesday, the first time three Canadians will get to play in the event. It’s good timing for them as the prestigious best-on-best tournament will be in Canada for the first time since 2007 when Royal Montreal Golf Club will host the event Sept. 24-27.

“Mike added a little bit of motivation at that dinner to make the team, maybe fired me up a little bit, and I was able to win that week,” said Pendrith on Weir’s influence. “But he’s been great. He is available if you ever have any questions, and has been great to the Canadian guys.

“Obviously, he’s the legend in Canada, and wants us to succeed and follow in his footsteps. The three of us are super pumped, and want to make him proud.”

The team dinners are actually part of the International Team’s strategy.

South Africa’s Trevor Immelman introduced the bonding exercise when he was the team’s captain in 2022, to try and overcome the cultural differences inherent in a team that can feature players from around the world — save Europe and the United States.

Weir said he thinks the tactic is working and that Pendrith’s victory after his speech in Dallas has been something of a rallying point for the International Team.

“There’s a sense within our team room that everybody really likes each other. We’re more familiar with one another,” said Weir after announcing his six captain’s picks on Monday. “Hopefully that leads to good play. When you’re a little bit looser and you know one another, you tend to play a little bit looser.

“Hopefully that leads to the guys really playing free and good.”

Pendrith, Conners, and Hughes have played together as a team in various combinations before. All three played together at Kent State University, Conners and Hughes represented Canada at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and Pendrith and Conners played for the Internationals at the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte.

“It’s going to be comfortable to see some very familiar faces in the team room, and we’re all good buddies and want on each other to do extremely well,” said Pendrith. “If we play together, that’s great. If we don’t, then we’re going to do what’s best for the team.

“I think having those guys there and having Weirsy being the captain, it’s going to be a very good week, and I’m super excited to get going.”

Pendrith said he learned a lot in Charlotte, when the Internationals fell to the United States 17 1/2 to 12 1/2. Potentially the biggest lesson for him was the importance of winning the first hole on the first day.

“We’ve got stats and data guys on our team who have so much information, it’s almost overwhelming, but they’re so smart,” he said. “I feel like we’re all buying into it, really trusting them and I think getting off to a good start in the match is huge.

“I don’t know the exact number, but if you win the first hole, you have X per cent chance of winning the match. So that’s what we’re really focusing on, is getting off to a good start.”

This year’s Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club will be the most Canadian version of the international men’s golf event, ever.

Taylor Pendrith, Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes were named to the International Team on Tuesday for the upcoming best-on-best tournament that sees 12 players from around the world — excluding Europe — face 12 golfers from the United States in match-play competition. It’s the first time three Canadians have played in the prestigious international event at the same time.

Canadian golf legend Mike Weir used three of his six captain’s selections on Pendrith, Conners and Hughes. He also picked South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout, South Korea’s Si Woo Kim and Australia’s Min Woo Lee to be on his team.

Weir, who is from Brights Grove, Ont., said it was a nice bonus to have the most-ever Canadians on the International Team when Royal Montreal hosts the Presidents Cup from Sept. 24-29, but the decision was based purely on putting forward the most competitive team possible.

“You have to be fair to the whole international community. I think I was very justified on the three (Canadian) picks,” said Weir after practice with the captain’s picks at Royal Montreal. “I think it just shows the state of Canadian golf that we can pick three for five or six guys that were in the mix.

“You do want the Canadian fans. I think they’re going to be very engaged with all our International players but having some Canadians on there brings a little bit more juice, so to speak, to our team.”

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, Korea’s Sungjae Im and Byeong Hun An, as well as Australia’s Adam Scott and Jason Day had already been automatically selected as the top six golfers on the International Team rankings following the completion of the BMW Championship on Aug. 25.

Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, both from Abbotsford, B.C., had been vying to join the team but missed out. Weir said that it was tough to not include them on the team and have four or even five Canadians playing on home soil.

“Both those calls to those guys were extremely difficult,” said Weir. “The way they handled it just showed me a lot about their character, which I already knew, but even made me respect them even more.

“I just told them that they’re going to be on these Cups going forward, and stay engaged with this Presidents Cup team.”

Weir’s International side will face off against Jim Furyk’s U.S. squad in the match-play competition. 

Furyk named his six captain’s picks to the U.S. team shortly after Weir’s announcement. Keegan Bradley, Sam Burns, Tony Finau, Brian Harman, Russell Henley and Max Homa were all added to the squad.

They join world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 2 Xander Schauffele, No. 4 Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay and Sahith Theegala.

Furyk said it was a long process to settle on his lineup after being appointed captain a year ago.

“It seems like the train is moving really slowly to get to this point but it picks up a lot of speed for the next three weeks getting us to Royal Montreal,” he said. “Good to have 12 guys on our team. 

“I know they’re bonding, gelling, talking a lot about the event, and now we’ll put some finishing touches on our pairings and getting these guys ready to go in three weeks.”

The U.S. beat the Internationals 17 1/2 to 12 1/2 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte in 2022. It was the Americans’ ninth consecutive victory at the event. 

Indeed, the International team has only won the event once in 14 tries, emerging victorious at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 1998 when captain Peter Thompson led them to a 20 1/2 – 11 1/2 triumph over Jack Nicklaus’s American squad. 

“I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about how many years it’s been, but I think the things we’ve done to increase our chances are a lot of the little things behind the scenes,” said Weir. “It’s no secret that we’ve struggled to form unity with all the cultural differences and things the International Team has had to deal with over the years.

“That’s why we’ve implemented a lot more engagement amongst the players playing practice rounds and us doing some dinners to get the guys together to get more familiar with one another.”

The three Canadians have that familiarity baked in. All three grew up playing against each other in Ontario junior competitions and then attended Kent State University together. 

Their playing styles are complementary as well. 

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., has one of the biggest drivers on the PGA Tour. Conners, from Listowel, Ont., is arguably the best ball striker in the world. Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., is renowned for his accuracy with his putter.

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Corey Conners

• Country: Canada
• Age: 32
• PGA TOUR Wins: 2
• Presidents Cup: 1 (2022), 0-4-0

2024 Highlights: Has notched three top-10 finishes in 2024 including a season-best, solo-sixth-place effort at the RBC Canadian Open.

Captain Weir on Conners: “Corey is one of the best ball-strikers on the PGA TOUR and his ability to consistently put himself and his playing partner in a position to attack is invaluable in team competition. He has looked towards the 2024 Presidents Cup for two years now, and I know he’s eager to compete in front of his fellow Canadians.”

Mackenzie Hughes

• Country: Canada
• Age: 33
• PGA TOUR Wins: 2
• Presidents Cup: First appearance

2024 Highlights: Has recorded three top-10 finishes including a season-best T3 at the Valspar Championship. Only missed four cuts in 22 starts, marking a career best.

Captain Weir on Hughes: “Canadian golf fans have followed Mackenzie’s career for nearly two decades and it’s incredible to know he’s going to make his Presidents Cup debut in his home country. He is steady and calm under pressure and is without doubt one of the best putters on the PGA TOUR, which is a great combination for our team.”

Taylor Pendrith

• Country: Canada
• Age: 33
• PGA TOUR Wins: 1
• Presidents Cup: 1 (2022), 0-4-0

2024 Highlights: Picked up the first win of his PGA TOUR career at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Recorded five additional top-10 finishes while advancing to the TOUR Championship for the first time.

Captain Weir on Pendrith: “Taylor is in the midst of his best year on the PGA TOUR, and it was great to see him breakthrough for his first win in Dallas and advancing to the TOUR Championship. He has built a reputation as one of the longest hitters in our game, and that length should be advantageous in match play competition at Royal Montreal.”

Weir’s International side will face off against Jim Furyk’s U.S. squad in the match-play competition, Sept. 24-29, at The Royal Montreal Golf Club.

Pendrith and Conners — close friends — also played for the International Team at the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte.

That was the first time two Canadians had played at the elite event.

Ultimately, the Internationals lost 17 1/2 to 12 1/2 to the United States.

The International team has only won once in the event’s history, emerging victorious at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 1998 when captain Peter Thompson led them to a 20 1/2 – 11 1/2 triumph over Jack Nicklaus’s American squad.