International Team united by the shield ahead of Presidents Cup showdown

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International Team united by the shield ahead of Presidents Cup showdown

Published: 19 Sep. 2024, 10:01 Updated: 19 Sep. 2024, 17:17

Tom Kim and the International Team celebrate his hole-winning putt to win match 1 with teammate Kim Si-woo against Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele of the United States during Saturday afternoon four-ball matches on day three of the 2022 Presidents Cup in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sept. 24, 2022. [GETTY IMAGES]

Should anyone ponder the notion of momentum in the biennial Presidents Cup, there are indicators. In Incheon nine years ago, the International Team finished one agonizing point shy, losing 15 and a half to 14 and a half to the powerhouse U.S. Team.

Four years later, in Melbourne, Australia, a 10-8 lead through the team sessions vanished as a Tiger Woods-led American fightback in the singles session on the final day left the International Team two points shy.

Yes, the International Team is continuing to grow and strengthen and is matching up as well as ever against a formidable foe. And, yes, the closest contests in recent years have been on foreign soil. So if critics are wondering how much stock to put into this team’s rallying cry — “The shield unites us” — the answer is, a lot.

That’s because the “rest of the world” talent pool is deeper than it has ever been and it’s also because what awaits in late September is another “home” game for the International Team.

Correction, it’s really not just another home game; it’s a home game in a country that arguably knows how to plug in the electricity to support its own more than any other country. If Laurence Applebaum thought the Nick Taylor’s 72-foot eagle putt to win the RBC Canadian Open in the summer of 2023 was “unbelievable for Canadian golf,” the Golf Canada CEO might be offering a reassessment should the International Team upset the top-heavy U.S. team at Royal Montreal from September 26-29.

That’s because Canadian golf fans can support and roar, and get behind you so ferociously loud that you cannot hear yourself. Taylor discovered that on every tee box as he chased down Tommy Fleetwood last year. “The most unbelievable thing I will probably ever experience in my life,” he said.

And Mike Weir felt similarly when he salvaged a big slice of joy out of a team loss in the 2007 edition at Royal Montreal by beating the world’s No. 1 Tiger Woods, 1-up, in a Sunday singles showcase. “For me being from Canada, to have this kind of support, it's overwhelming, really, and I'm having a tough time putting it into words what it really means to me because it's so shortly after,” said Weir, moments after he beat Woods in front of a raucous crowd.

An International Team flag is displayed prior to the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne on Dec. 9, 2019. [GETTY IMAGES]

“But I need when I look back on my career, this may be something, maybe even more special than the Masters, the support I've gotten here.”

Here’s a wild guess, but should Weir, as captain, leads his International Team to a rare win in late September, his singles victory some 16 years ago over Woods will be a distant memory. As the 15th playing of the Presidents Cup approaches, there’s no denying the might of the Americans, who have won this competition nine straight times. Top 10 players and major winners world dot the line-up — Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, and Wyndham Clark — but there is an indelible spirit that galvanizes the International Team.

“It’s this shield, this shield that we have,” said Weir, who as a Canadian icon was the logical and most compelling pick to be captain of the 2024 International Team. As a captain’s assistant in 2019, Weir was there when captain Ernie Els revealed the team’s new logo, the Shield, and the impact is real.

“We are a culmination of guys coming from all over the world trying to come together for one week,” added the 2003 Masters champion. “We feel like we’re all part of the same team. [The shield] has brought us closer.”

Whether it can close the gap between the two sides and perhaps give the Internationals their first win since 1998 remains to be seen. But not to brush a little disrespect on the shield, which is a valuable motivating tool, the determining factor in the International Team’s pursuit of victory will revolve around the players.

They are the ones who have to hit the shots and make the putts, and that is Golf 101, be it a medal tournament or a team format such as the Presidents Cup. In many past editions of the biennial competition, there was a wide gap in talent. But no more and look no further than Canada.

For years, Weir carried the flag on his back for an entire nation. He was the only Canadian on the 2007 team, courtesy of a captain’s pick from Gary Player. But a quick scan of the pro golf landscape paints a bright picture for Canada — Taylor (four), Corey Conners (two), MacKenzie Hughes (two), Adam Hadwin (one), and Taylor Pendrith (one) combine for 10 PGA Tour wins in recent years. Pendrith and Taylor own victories this season and as the PGA Tour schedule sprints toward the 2024 finish line, all five of those Canadians are inside the Top 50 on the FedExCup standings.

Toss all of that into the recipe and what you get is this: There’s a very strong likelihood that this year’s International Team will feature at least three Canadians and the chances of four being on Captain Weir’s roster is very plausible.

An Byeong-hun celebrates holing a birdie putt on the 17th hole in his match with Adam Scott against Tony Finau and Matt Kuchar of the United States during the afternoon four-ball matches in the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne on Dec. 14, 2019. [GETTY IMAGES]

But positive signs are elsewhere, starting with the fact that the team’s best player, Hideki Matsuyama won earlier this year and has finished top 10 in the U.S. Open and Players Championship. Aussies Jason Day and Adam Scott, a team fixture since 2003, have played consistently well in 2024 and not to be overlooked is another Aussie, Cam Davis, who recently won on the PGA Tour and gained valuable Presidents Cup experience in 2022. There’s also the strong possibility that Min Woo Lee, a swashbuckling golfer nicknamed The Chef, could make his debut.

The eclectic mix of nationalities is not only the flavour of the International Team, it is its strength and it has changed dramatically for the better. In 2007 at Royal Montreal, for instance, the team was dominated by South Africans and Australians. Those nations will still be represented, of course, but with an influx of quality global players from Japan and Korea (Matsuyama, Tom Kim, Im Sung-jae, An Byeong-hun) and these wildly popular, and talented Canadians, this gathering at Royal Montreal will likely look markedly different than the one 17 years ago.

Indeed, the shield is united.

Fans can watch the Presidents Cup on JTBC Golf and Sports, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.

BY JIM MCCABE [kjdsports@joongang.co.kr]