MONTREAL – The International Presidents Cup team enjoyed some team bonding in one of the most Canadian ways imaginable: by attending a Montreal Canadiens pre-season ice hockey game.
It was Corey Conners’ first time visiting Montreal’s Bell Centre, a building he called “unbelievable,” packed with history and with fans.
Conners is not a first-timer this week at the Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club. He made his debut in the competition in 2022, and he played Royal Montreal back in 2014 when it hosted the Canadian Open.
What is new for Conners is the chance to be one of the central figures of this International team, the object of the Canadian crowd’s affections and hopes.
“Embracing the Canadian fans,” Conners said on Sept 24, when asked what he wants to see from his team.
“We haven’t got to experience it yet, but I think try and help get the guys going. I’ve been telling them how amazing the atmosphere is going to be, how many Canadian fans and fans from all over the world are going to be showing up and cheering us on. It’s going to be awesome to get things started.”
International captain Mike Weir, Canada’s golf hero and only men’s Major champion, selected Conners, Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith among his six captain’s picks for the roster. Conners, Hughes and Pendrith all represent Canada and played together as college teammates at Kent State.
“We all go way back. We’re great friends,” Conners said.
“We’ve spent a lot of time together. We know each other’s games really well. It’s awesome to be a part of the team with those guys. They’re really talented players. That’s pretty cool. I don’t think any of us kind of dreamed of being here when we were all at Kent State together or growing up on the Canadian national team.”
The game of golf has been booming in Canada, and Conners, Pendrith, Hughes, Nick Taylor and Adam Svensson all won on the PGA Tour in the past two years.
“It’s really exciting to be a Canadian golfer right now,” Pendrith said.
“Golf is so popular in Canada. The Canadians have been doing so well on the PGA Tour. It seems like every time there’s an event, there’s a record number of Canadians in the field or on the team. It’s just fun to be a part of. Awesome guys to be around as well. We all just kind of push each other.”
While pointing out that he is representing “the shield” that serves as the International team’s logo this week, Conners knows that the people in the crowd will be behind him for a more close-to-home reason.
“There’s a difference, in this event, between the crowds that are rooting for you and rooting against you in a sense,” he said.
“People are all golf fans, and it’s exciting to come and watch. But I’m embracing the people that are going to be behind us and behind the International Team, behind the Canadians and me especially. It will be great.”
The US are once again heavy favourites, but Weir said on Sept 24 his squad should not be underestimated in their bid to snap the Americans’ dominance.
The US are 12-1-1 in the biennial competition that began in 1994, having lost in 1998 and settled for a tie in 2003, but Weir is not bothered by past results and knows that matchplay golf can be unpredictable and serve as a great leveller.
“Golf’s golf, and there are going to be challenging matches no matter what, the odd time there’s a team that runs away with a match here and there, but most of the matches are always tight,” Weir said. REUTERS