Captain Mike Weir picked three Canadians for his International Presidents Cup, but not national hero Nick Taylor nor Adam Hadwin.
Weir selected Canada’s Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes along with South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout, South Korea’s Si Woo Kim and Australia’s Min Woo Lee.
Of the six captain’s picks, Hughes and Lee are first-time participants, with Kim making his Presidents Cup debut in 2017, and Bezuidenhout, Conners and Pendrith doing so in 2022. In total, five countries are represented on the International Team: Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa and the South Korea.
Leaving off Taylor, who won the 2023 RBC Canadian Open in dramatic fashion in a playoff and the 2024 WM Phoenix Open with another riveting playoff putting performance, is the biggest surprise, but Taylor’s game has cooled off since that February win, which was his top-10 finish. He was 12th in the point standings. Australian Cam Davis, ranked No. 8, was the highest-ranked player that wasn’t chosen.
“I knew when it came to this point in the process, there’s gonna be some tough calls and it’s unlikely that all the guys in the mix are gonna make the team,” Weir said in the lead up to making his picks. “You know that as Captain, there’s gonna be some tough calls.”
The Presidents Cup returns to The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal the week of Sept. 24-29, 2024. Here’s a closer look at the six players Weir picked.
International Team golfer Corey Conners stands on the 14th hole during a practice day for the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Quail Hollow Club. (Photo: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports)
Corey Conners is one of three Canadians chosen by Weir. Conners is a two-time Tour winner and making his second appearance in the Presidents Cup. He putted poorly in 2022 and finished a dreadful 0-4 in his matches so he still has something to prove. One of the game’s top ball strikers, Conners finished seventh in the point standings after a season in which he recorded three top-10 finishes including a season-best, solo-sixth-place effort at the RBC Canadian Open.
Captain Weir on Conners: “Corey is one of the best ball-strikers on the PGA Tour and his ability to consistently put himself and his playing partner in a position to attack is invaluable in team competition. He has looked towards the 2024 Presidents Cup for two years now, and I know he’s eager to compete in front of his fellow…
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