Mike Weir has plenty of tough decisions leading up to the 2024 Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club in late September.
As captain of the International Team, Weir has been keeping tabs on players who could potentially take on the powerhouse Americans at the biannual best-on-best men’s tournament.
“This is crunch time for a lot of players,” said Weir in Calgary on Tuesday at a press conference ahead of the 2024 Rogers Charity Classic at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club. “We have six automatic spots off the world rankings and then there’s six picks with a lot of Canadians in the mix, so hoping they’re going to really play well the next couple weeks and that I can pick them for the team.”
With Olympic gold medallist Scottie Scheffler and recent two-time major champion Xander Schauffele leading the American side, Weir will count on leadership from Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, fresh off winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, who is atop the International standings.
Tom Kim and Sungjae Im are second and third in the International Team rankings, while fellow South Korean national Byeong Hun An is in sixth. Veteran Australian golfers Jason Day and Adam Scott are sitting comfortably in fourth and fifth.
Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., who competed at the 2022 edition of the Presidents Cup along with Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is currently in a good position in seventh spot in the International standings.
Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin, both of Abbotsford B.C., are holding down the 11th and 12th spots, while Pendrith is right behind them in 13th and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., isn’t far back in 15th.
“As I’ve said all along, it’s an international team,” said Weir, who will rely on help from his captain’s assistants Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, Geoff Ogilvy and Camilo Villegas to select the best squad. “It’s not Team Canada, so you have to be fair to everybody. A lot of guys are playing well.
“I really like our team the way it’s shaping up. Guys are very excited. I’ve been engaged with the players since the get-go, since I became the captain. Players have reached out to me and they’re very engaged and excited to be on the team.”
While he’ll be taking part at the Rogers Charity Classic (formerly Shaw Charity Classic) for the fourth straight year, Weir will have the upcoming Presidents Cup on the top of his mind.
“Even though I’m working on my game and playing, my mind is constantly thinking about it,” said the 54-year-old Canadian Golf Hall of Famer from Brights Grove, Ont. “Calls before rounds, calls after rounds, texting with guys, our analytics guys. I’m trying to get all the information I can in regards to the players so I can make the best decision upcoming in the next couple weeks.
“I don’t want to make a decision on a whim. I want to have all the information and stats on the players so I can make an informed decision. Yeah, a little bit harder to play but still fun. I found a nice balance.”
That being said, Weir will still do his best to have a good showing at the annual PGA Tour Champions tournament.
“It’s always great to come home, for sure,” said Weir, who’s best showing at the senior-circuit stop in Calgary was a tie for ninth in 2021. “This is the only time we get to do that on the Champions Tour right now. It’s a great golf course. From the first time I played here a few years ago, I really liked the golf course. I’d like to play a little better on it hopefully this year, but always enjoy playing here.
“The city is great. Great restaurants, great food. The fans come out here better than probably any other event on the Champions Tour, so I think all the players enjoy coming here to Calgary.”
Three business leaders in Quebec alongside the Presidents Cup make
major philanthropic contributions to First Tee in Quebec and across Canada
MONTREAL, QUE. (August 6, 2024) – The Presidents Cup, Golf Canada and Golf Canada Foundation are proud to announce First Tee – Canada has been named as one of the 2024 charitable beneficiaries of the upcoming Presidents Cup and will receive a $250,000 donation from the event, returning to The Royal Montreal Golf Club Sept. 24-29.
In conjunction with being named a beneficiary of the Presidents Cup, philanthropists Paul Desmarais Jr., Jean C. Monty and Rémi Racine have each made $1 million USD gifts to support the continued growth of First Tee in Quebec and across Canada.
Today, at the Presidents Cup media day, two lucky First Tee – Québec participants had the opportunity to caddie for Montreal Canadiens players Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Suzuki and Caulfield put their golf skills to the test as they went head-to-head in a three-hole match play competition, followed by a cheque presentation to Golf Canada Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Martin Barnard.
“Gifts of this nature are pivotal for our program,” said Barnard. “They allow us to implement more programming across all six Canadian chapters, introduce more children to golf and make a bigger impact in local communities. The pace of growth for First Tee in Canada has been incredible and that’s owed to likeminded individuals who share the vision of championing youth.”
First Tee – Canada is Golf Canada’s youth development program that provides accessible and inclusive life-enhancing experiences through golf for children who may have otherwise not had the opportunity.
The launch of First Tee in Canada was announced in 2020 by PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan at a global press conference which revealed the 2024 Presidents Cup would be returning to Montreal.
“It feels like a full circle moment as we celebrate the new announcements today in collaboration with the Presidents Cup and reflect on the growth of First Tee in Canada over the last few years,” said Laurence Applebaum, Chief Executive Officer, Golf Canada. “We are now proudly operational in every province and earlier this year, surpassed 100,000 participants. First Tee – Canada’s success would not be possible without a generous network of supporters like Paul Desmarais, Jr., Jean C. Monty, Rémi Racine and the PGA TOUR.”
The program is delivered at golf courses, schools and community centres and provides accessible pathways of participation for children from all backgrounds. First Tee – Canada combats typical barriers of entry including affordability, transportation and perception or unfamiliarity to the sport. First Tee – Canada proudly offers over 70 per cent of programming at no cost to participants and over 50 per cent of participants identify as equity-deserving.
By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, First Tee creates active learning experiences that continue to foster life skills like inner strength, self-confidence, resilience, honesty, and respect.
“The impact First Tee has on the future of our sport is crucial,” said Ryan Hart, Executive Director, Presidents Cup. “The Presidents Cup is a proud supporter of First Tee and is pleased to showcase First Tee – Canada on our international stage. First Tee – Canada’s focus on making golf courses accessible, inclusive and empowering spaces for children and families is so important. As the Presidents Cup moves on to new stages in 2026 and beyond, we are grateful to have played a role in the greater development of the First Tee – Canada through this year’s event in Montreal and will be proud to see this chapter continue to flourish for years to come.”
The Presidents Cup will be taking place September 24-29 at The Royal Montreal Golf Club. Following the event, on Monday, September 30th, Laval-sur-le-Lac will play host to the third annual First Tee – Québec Cup, an exclusive fundraising event to help meet the growing demand for programming across the province. More information about the fundraising event can be found at the First Tee – Québec Cup website.
Golf Canada and Golf Canada Foundation are continuously pursuing gifts to deliver programming to more children across Canada. To date, First Tee – Canada has received nearly $16 million in donations to support the launch and growth of six chapters and the onboarding of over 80 golf facilities, 80 community centres, and 200 schools.
“We are excited the Presidents Cup is coming back to Canada at Royal Montreal Golf Club,” said Paul Desmarais Jr. “As a proud supporter of the event and First Tee I am thrilled that the tournament is giving back to benefit youth in Quebec and across Canada.”
To learn how to support First Tee – Canada, please email Adam Hunter. To find a chapter near you, visit firstteecanada.ca.
John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press
It’s not that Mike Weir wants the fans at Royal Montreal Golf Club to be hostile toward the United States team when the Presidents Cup comes to Canada, but he definitely doesn’t want the Americans to be comfortable. Weir, from Brights Grove, Ont., is the first Canadian to captain the International Team at the best-on-best men’s tournament. Beyond selecting the squad’s players he is responsible for the tournament’s design aesthetic and, maybe most important, he has to set the tone with fans.
“When the U.S. goes overseas to play, it’s a totally different atmosphere than when they’re playing at home and traditionally, in the Presidents Cup, there hasn’t been that much of a contrast and that is our challenge,” Weir said. “Letting them know that you need to get behind our guys and make them feel supported and through that is making the other side feel a little bit uncomfortable.”
Weir said Presidents Cup organizers are teaming up with the Montreal Canadiens and their owner Jeff Molson to promote a hockey-like atmosphere.
“We don’t want it to be that over the top, but we want it to feel like the crowd is really, really with us,” he said.
The International Team’s only victory over the U.S. came at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia in 1998. It also earned a tie in 2003 at Fancourt Hotel and Country Club in George, South Africa, in 2003.
Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., hosted the biannual event in 2022, with the U.S. winning 17 1/2-12 1/2. Although thousands of American fans are expected to stream across the border in September when the 12-on-12 tournament is in Montreal, Weir hopes to make it truly feel like an away game and get a result like Australia 26 years ago.
“We’ve put a lot of thought into it and we continue amongst our team to talk about that home course, home country advantage,” said Weir. “We’re trying to engage a lot of the fans around the country with a lot of stuff that will be upcoming that we’re doing.
“We want the whole country to be involved and engaged. … We do want it to feel like it’s a home advantage for us.”
Royal Montreal hosted the Presidents Cup in 2007, when the United States beat the Internationals 19 1/2-14 1/2. Weir battled Tiger Woods in a climactic matchup that captured the imagination of many Canadian golf fans.
Weir said that, in its way, that experience was instructive in his current role as a non-playing captain.
“Tiger was playing and I think fans were excited to see him,” said Weir. “I felt like the fans were fantastic, but they were very cordial to the U.S. side.
“We want them to be a little bit louder and a little bit more raucous than the past.”
The 2022 edition of the Presidents Cup was the first time that more than one Canadian played in the event, with Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., earning his way on to the team as an automatic selection and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., picked by captain Trevor Immelman of South Africa.
Weir, and the Canadians on the PGA Tour, are hoping to have even more of a maple flavour at Royal Montreal. The top six players on the U.S. and International rankings are automatically chosen, and then Weir and U.S. captain Jim Furyk get to pick their next six players.
Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is currently fourth in the International Team rankings. Adam Hadwin, also from Abbotsford, is ninth and Conners in 12th, meaning they could be easy choices for Weir to add.
Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., are 16th and 17th respectively, making them possible reaches. Pendrith is 22nd.
“You’ve got to give credit to Golf Canada and their development program that they’ve put together,” Weir said of the number of eligible Canadians. “A lot of those guys grew up together, were in that junior program together, and the development program.
“They’ve continued to elevate their games and elevate their careers.”
There are no Canadians currently playing LIV Golf, the team-based circuit backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Weir confirmed that LIV Golf players like Chile’s Joaquin Niemann will not be eligible to play in the Presidents Cup.
Weir held a dinner with approximately 15 of the possible players who could play for the International Team ahead of this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Taylor, Hadwin, Svensson, Conners and Hughes are all in the field at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Fla., this week.
KORN FERRY TOUR — Edmonton’s Wil Bateman is the top-ranked Canadian on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour. He’s ranked 12th heading into this week’s Astara Chile Classic at Prince of Wales Country Club in Santiago. There are six other Canadians in the field, including Etienne Papineau (28th) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., Myles Creighton (54th) of Digby, N.S., and Sudarshan Yellamaraju (105th) of Mississauga, Ont. Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald, Jared du Toit of Kimberley, B.C., and Thomas Giroux of Georgetown, Ont., enter the tournament unranked.
CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames, currently ranked second in the Schwab Cup standings, will be in the field at the Cologuard Classic at La Paloma Country Club in Tucson, Ariz. Weir, when he’s done with his responsibilities at Bay Hill, will also play at the Cologuard Classic when it tees off on Friday. Weir is 38th on the Schwab Cup list.
DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., is in the opening group at the Jonsson Workwear Open 2024 at Glendower Golf Club in Dowerglen, Edenbale, South Africa. He’s 13th in the Race to Dubai Rankings.
LPGA TOUR — Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., are in the field at Blue Bay LPGA at Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course in China. Both are currently unranked on the Race to CME Globe standings.
EPSON TOUR — Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., leads the Canadian contingent into the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic on Friday at the Country Club of Winter Haven in Winter Haven. She’ll be joined by Hamilton’s Alena Sharp, Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., Kate Johnston of Ayr, Ont., and Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., in the first event on the 2024 tour’s calendar.
International and U.S. Teams starting to take shape for 2024 Presidents Cip
MONTREAL, Quebec, Canada – Canadian Nick Taylor notched the fourth win of his PGA TOUR career on Sunday by defeating Charley Hoffmann with a birdie-3 on the second playoff hole at the WM Phoenix Open. With the victory, the 35-year-old moved up 11 spots in the Presidents Cup’s International Team standings to No. 3, trailing only Tom Kim and Jason Day with just over seven months until the event returns to The Royal Montreal Golf Club.
The victory was Taylor’s first since his dramatic walk-off playoff win at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, where he became the first Canadian to win the national open in 69 years. With the win at TPC Scottsdale, he moved up to No. 6 in the FedExCup, but also inside the top-5 of the International Team standings, with an eye on playing for Captain Mike Weir in Montreal this September.
“Yeah, this fall, again, looking at goals for the season, what I’ve done so well I think the last year has been process goals, but you want something to look forward, and the Olympics and the Presidents Cup were big time on the top of my goal list,” said Taylor when asked about his goals for representing Canada later this year.
The 2024 International Team will be comprised of six (6) automatic qualifiers and (6) Captain’s picks, with the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) being used to determine the former. The automatic qualifiers will be the top six eligible international players in the OWGR after completion of the 2024 BMW Championship. There are currently six Canadian players inside the top 20 in the standings: Taylor (3), Corey Conners (10), Adam Hadwin (13), Adam Svensson (16), Mackenzie Hughes (18) and Taylor Pendrith (20).
“It was an exciting finish to the WM Phoenix Open yesterday and to see the clutch play of Nick down the stretch to close in on Charley for the win was tremendous,” said Weir. “As captain, to have players who embrace the moment like he did yesterday is big for us, and these things can build momentum for Nick as well as the International Team.”
Top-6 International Team standings:
1. Tom Kim
2. Jason Day
3. Nick Taylor
4. Sungjae Im
5. Emiliano Grillo
6. Ryan Fox
For the U.S. Team, Sahith Theegala and Sam Burns made the biggest moves at the WM Phoenix Open, using top-5 finishes to move up to No. 5 and No. 10 in the standings, respectively.
The 2024 U.S. Team will be comprised of six (6) automatic qualifiers and six (6) Captain’s picks, with a weighted system based on FedExCup Points from January 1, 2023, through August 25, 2024. The automatic qualifiers will be the top six eligible U.S. players in the OWGR after completion of the 2024 BMW Championship.
Top-6 U.S. Team standings:
1. Scottie Scheffler
2. Wyndham Clark
3. Chris Kirk
4. Collin Morikawa
5. Sahith Theegala
6. Eric Cole
To view the complete 2024 Presidents Cup standings for both teams, please click here.
For more information about the Presidents Cup, please visit PresidentsCup.com.
