The Shield unites us, says International Team captain Mike Weir

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The Shield unites us, says International Team captain Mike Weir

Published: 24 Sep. 2024, 15:33 Updated: 24 Sep. 2024, 18:03

International Captain Mike Weir during the Presidents Cup Captains Day at Royal Montreal Golf Club near Montreal, Canada on Sept. 12. [GETTY IMAGES]

Canadian golf legend Mike Weir will captain the International Team which will face the U.S. Team in the Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club starting on Thursday. Weir, who played in five Presidents Cups and has been a captain’s assistant in the last three editions, is excited at the opportunity to lead his team on his home ground. This is his blog ahead of the biennial competition.

It’s such a great honur to be captain of the International Team, especially when it is being played in my home country. As a player and captain’s assistant previously, my experiences in this team event have been some of the most memorable of my career.

When I was appointed captain nearly two years ago, it was something I did not take lightly. I’ve been in a good space with my own game and more importantly, my life to accept this role, and I’ve been doing everything that I can to make this special for our team. I’m super honoured to have this opportunity.

Mike Weir and his caddie Brennan Little of the International Team look over a putt as Tiger Woods of the U.S. Team looks on during the final day of 2007 The Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Canada on Sept. 30, 2007. [GETTY IMAGES]

I've tried to learn from all our past captains, from Nick Price to Ernie Els and Trevor Immelman, and build on what they've incorporated to make our team better prepared. They’ve been a big part of the Presidents Cup over the years and you know, Ernie is one of the best match play players of all time. I’ve picked insights from all of them that we can implement for our team strategy. It's invaluable information, and I'm glad Ernie and Trevor are part of my team as captain’s assistants, along with Geoff Ogilvy, Shigeki Maruyama and Camilo Villegas.

The Presidents Cup matches are pressure packed and push players to play their best every day during the week. The matches test you, not only your physical game, but your mental game too. And then you get to take those experiences forward into your career and individual game and it really helped springboard my golf career for sure.

I know everyone speaks about our team’s record in the Presidents Cup where our only win was back in 1998 but I don't spend a lot of time thinking about how many years it has been since we last won. All I am thinking about are the things that we've done well and the things that we will keep doing to increase our chances at Royal Montreal. It's no secret it can be a struggle to form unity with all the cultural differences the International Team has had to deal with over the years, so that's why we've implemented a lot more engagement amongst our players by playing practice rounds and hosting dinners to get the guys together and more familiar with one another.

These days, the Korean players aren't playing by themselves, they're playing with the Canadians, the South Africans and Australians, and are sitting with each other at dinners and things like that. Everybody is more comfortable, and I think that's a big factor. It’s also not only the players that we’re looking to form a strong bond, but with their families and caddies too. I believe we are really united now. We are a big family, win or lose.

As our captain in 2019, Ernie created the Shield as our new International Team logo and it has been pivotal in rallying and uniting our players and creating our identity. With the help of a SEAL Team Six member, Ernie created this emblem and he’s spoken to all our players about what it means and how it is meant to connect all of us together. Our players have bought into this and are fully vested in our team strategy and the way we've tried to build our team. The Shield is going to be an important element in our quest to succeed and we also saw in 2022, when Trevor was captain, there is a strong sense within our team room that everybody is united by the shield.

I’m so looking forward to leading our guys out at Royal Montreal which is a great venue and hosting the Presidents Cup for the second time following the 2007 edition. I know we will receive great support from Canadian fans to make it a very good week for our team.

Assistant Captain Mike Weir of the International Team takes part in a press conference during a practice round prior to the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sept. 21, 2022. [GETTY IMAGES]

There have been heartbreaks over the years for sure. In 2007, I was thankful that captain Gary Player picked me and I beat Tiger Woods in the Sunday Singles in front of a Canadian fans which was a special moment. However, I did feel a little empty because we didn't win as a team. In Australia in 2019, we led by a couple of points going into Sunday but didn't quite get it done in the Singles. It was so close, a chip or a putt here or there for any of our guys and it could have gone our way. At Quail Hollow, we put up a great fight too. Watching our players, you want it so bad for them and you feel for them. There have been tough moments but I think it makes us hungrier going forward.

The times we’ve seen the U.S. Team celebrating their wins, I want that for our guys. Every time it doesn't happen, it's been extremely disappointing. I believe we have a really strong team this week, with young up-and-coming players with great energy to complement our veterans who will provide leadership. We've been part of this for a long time and we're super hungry, and players like Adam Scott are hungry for it. I feel like it's our time to get over the line in Montreal. And we're going to be doing everything we can to get there.

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

BY MIKE WEIR [kjdsports@joongang.co.kr]