MONTREAL – After strolling the fairways of the Royal Montreal golf club as a player on the international team in 2007, Mike Weir hoped that his return to Canadian soil – this time as captain – would put an end to the drought of Internationals at the Coupe des Presidents.
And after the selection of local favorites Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes to the team, the pawns seemed well in place for a little magic against the powerful American team.
The Internationals aroused passions and offered magical performances, but the result remained the same as in 2007: a triumph for the United States – the tenth in a row.
Despite a result that certainly left a bitter taste, the Canadian representatives admitted to having experienced a particularly special week. A rookie with the team this year, Hughes captured the hearts of local fans on the first day when he downed a beer in seconds in front of the bleachers on the first hole.
We knew from the outset that Hughes was the ideal candidate to energize Montreal fans and he is the Canadian who took advantage of this advantage the most. Hughes was often seen with his fist in the air after a good shot and he frequently asked the crowd for encouragement… he took full advantage of his Montreal adventure.
“Being with this group was the highlight of my career, Hughes told a press briefing on Sunday evening. It was fantastic to fight with these guys. I had the chance to play a few duels with Corey [Conners]it was special. Like Mike said, we are competitors and the results are not pleasant. But the memories we made and the emotions on the field on Friday are things I will remember for a long time. »
“As a rookie, I had the chance to play alongside some of the best players in the world. It was magical. I knew it would be and the experience lived up to expectations and then some. »
Conners and Hughes teamed up for three of the five sessions this week, and perhaps the highlight of their week was their resounding 6&5 victory Friday over Wyndham Clark and Tony Finau, the heart of an unexpected domination Internationals.
We heard after Friday’s session how special the day had been for the international players, who revived hopes after being swept aside the day before. The golf was of high quality and the emotions were captivating.
For Hughes and Conners, this spectacular comeback was even more special. Two Canadians, but above all two friends who brought to life a great moment in Canadian golf.
“Friday was a big day for the team. I played with Macwith whom I have a long friendship, and I had the chance to share this moment with him, admitted Conners. Sharing this dominant day with the whole team was certainly special. I think it’s a positive week. We are competitors, we are good players and we can compete with the Americans. »
In 2007, Weir had the chance to make the fans roar at Royal Montreal on the final day with a victory over world No. 1 Tiger Woods. No less than 17 years later, the Canadian captain still had kind words for the fans.
“I’m going to try not to get emotional, but I’ll start with this: the fans were incredible this week. I’m proud to be Canadian seeing all this support. They brought energy all week. Saturday was a long day, but they were there from 6 a.m. until dark. It’s a big commitment,” Weir said during the final ceremony.
It was a different experience for Weir as captain. He made decisions in the hope of leading the Internationals to the promised land, in vain. Not surprisingly, Weir admitted he was going to have to take a step back to analyze some of these decisions.
“The foursomes were dynamite on Friday. We wanted to bring this rhythm to Saturday so that’s why we kept the groups we had. When we lose the cup, we question our decisions. In my career, every time I came up short, I took a step back to analyze. That’s what I’ll do,” Weir said.
After a year off in 2025, the Presidents Cup will head to Chicago for the 2026 edition. We still don’t know the composition of the team and it’s difficult to say if so many Canadians will be on the team.
What we do know, however, is that Hughes’ participation this year has only fueled his desire to represent the Internationals.
“I can’t wait for Chicago, I want to be on the team a few more times. I know what these teams are capable of. The matches were close, but the result didn’t do it justice. »
