Canadian Golfers Face Fierce Battle for Presidents Cup Spots

Five Canadian golfers are vying for a place in the Presidents Cup on home soil. However, International Team captain Mike Weir doubts that they will all make the cut. With six automatic qualifiers and six captain's picks, tough decisions lie ahead for Weir as he assembles his team.

Five Canadian golfers are vying for a place in next month's Presidents Cup on home soil, but International Team captain Mike Weir expressed doubts on Tuesday about the entire group making the cut.

Weir's team will consist of six automatic qualifiers and six captain's picks, requiring him to possibly set aside national sentiments in favor of strategic choices against a strong U.S. side set to compete Sept. 26-29 at Royal Montreal. With less than two weeks before the automatic qualifications are finalized, no Canadians are currently among the top six. Leading the pack is Corey Conners at No. 7, followed by Nick Taylor (11), Adam Hadwin (12), Taylor Pendrith (13), and Mackenzie Hughes (15).

"Obviously I love all the guys; they're all great," said Weir, the first Canadian to compete in a Presidents Cup in 2000, during a virtual summit. "There are going to be some tough decisions. Sure, I'd love for all of them to make the team, but it's unlikely." No more than two Canadians have ever been on a single International Team since the competition began in 1994. Weir noted that analytics, potential pairings, and individual match-ups against U.S. players will also influence his final decisions.

Current automatic qualifiers for the International Team would be Hideki Matsuyama, Tom Kim, Im Sung-jae, Jason Day, Adam Scott, and An Byeong-hun if the qualification process ended today. Weir, who was the first Canadian to win a men's major at the 2003 Masters, acknowledges tough conversations lie ahead when he must deliver the disappointing news to those who don't make the cut.

"When I took this gig a couple of years ago, Ryder Cup captains like Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, and Bernhard Langer told me that's the toughest part," Weir said. "The great part is announcing who made the team, but the toughest part is informing those who will be very disappointed—that's just part of the role of being captain."

(With inputs from agencies.)