(L’Île-Bizard – Sainte-Geneviève) Even though the statistics point in favour of the American team this weekend at the Presidents Cup, Corey Conners refuses to believe that the international team will be the underdog on the fairways of the Royal Montreal golf club. Better yet, the Canadian believes that it has all the necessary elements to cause an upset.
In this sense, the Ontarian believes that a series of factors could allow his team to emerge victorious from this duel, which would allow the international team to sign a second victory in 15 editions of the prestigious team competition.
“I think everyone on the team believes in our chances. We’re going into this competition with the right mindset. We can obviously do it,” Conners said after a practice round Tuesday.
“Certainly, they’ve always dominated the Presidents Cup, but I think everyone on the team, including the captains, did a good job of giving us confidence going into the tournament,” added the 32-year-old golfer.
Conners also played in the 2022 Presidents Cup, which the United States won 17.5-12.5 at Quail Hollow Golf Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was the Americans’ ninth straight victory in the competition, and their 12the in 14 editions.
Conners and fellow Richmond Hill, Ont., native Taylor Pendrith were two of eight rookies on the international team then. This year, fellow Canadian Mackenzie Hughes and Australian Min Woo Lee are the only rookies in the international camp. Conners acknowledged that experience, in 2022, will be valuable this weekend.
“It’s a very demanding week,” admitted Conners, who was pointless in 2022. “The crowd at the last Presidents Cup was pretty loud.”
“I’m looking forward to feeling the crowd support here, but I’ve obviously learned a few lessons from my last experience and I’m very grateful to get another opportunity to show off,” he added. As for whether he’ll offer Hughes any advice on how to stay grounded, Conners said his countryman already has all the tools in his toolbox to shine.
” [Hughes] shines on the biggest stages. He is a “gamer”, he loves [l’affrontement direct]and his game is very well rounded – which will be key here. I talked to him a little bit about the logistics of the event, which surprised me a little bit last time in 2022, but he told me he’s ready and he’s looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great experience for him,” Conners summed up.
For his part, international team captain Mike Weir, who knows the course well since he played it as a player during the 2007 Presidents Cup, indicated that he would limit his advice to his protégés this weekend.
“You know, the Presidents Cup has changed a lot between 2007 and 2024, and golf has changed a lot,” the 2003 Masters champion said. “I might be able to give them some tips on some really specific shots, depending on the wind and all that, but these guys are professionals. They know what they’re doing, so I’ll stay back a little bit during the competition.”