Tuesday At The (Mixed) Presidents Cup
Sorting out the usual pre-match issues. Plus, some lively press conference moments and a potential injury issue for the International men.*
Thanks to the inclusion of the world’s best women, even the usual early-week Presidents Cup monotony felt fresh and exciting at Royal Montreal.
As at any Cup event, Tuesday saw the few spectators who could get on site due to traffic issues watch the 32 players hit shots and test putts with little of the energy seen when the matches commence Thursday. Predictably, Captains, Vice Captains, and players on each side talked in generalities about finding the best foursomes duos based on their preferred golf balls while dodging questions about pairings (as if the other side will somehow benefit from knowing likely duos).
Tuesday’s news at Royal Montreal came from a few press conference moments, during which we learned of one potentially problematic international injury. A USA philosophic dispute over analytics arose when Captains were asked about the women’s tee locations.
“We have thoughts, plus we are getting feedback from players and our analytics crews,” USA Captain Jim Furyk said. “We’re all still trying to get on the same page and get everyone acclimated.”
Asked what he meant about being on the “same page,” Furyk declined to elaborate. But co-Captain Stacy Lewis intimated that her Solheim Cup analytics team has reached different conclusions than Furyk’s numbers-crunchers.
Lewis is again relying heavily on Justin Ray, who aided in successful Solheim Cup preparations that saw Americans regain the Cup two weeks ago. Furyk is leaning on the secret USA “Task Force” modelers even after last year’s humiliating Ryder Cup loss in Rome.
“Just dialing in the algorithms and still training our AI models,” Lewis conceded before refusing to answer a question from writer Alex Miceli about whether it’s “a little late in the proceedings” to still not be on the same page.
“We’ll get there I’m sure, it’s only Tuesday and it’s way more important that we find people who are good personality fits in Foursomes and Four-ball,” an exasperated Lewis said after a third question about the apparent numerical divide. “Plus we have to find some balls compatibility. Golf balls.”
USA’s practice round pairings signaled possible match scenarios. But they also saw one player going out solo and two other men playing less than 18 holes to stick with their prescribed rest and recovery programs.
“Nothing to see there, just traffic-related stuff,” Furyk said of Scottie Scheffler going out by himself, while ignoring a question about the International team taking a bus to bond as a team. The Americans arrived separately with their physios, instructors and family members via Genesis courtesy cars.
The USA’s on-course pairings:
Scheffler went out with caddie Ted Scott while vice-captain Stewart Cink trailed in a cart. “It was Ted’s idea when he heard about the possible traffic jams,” said Furyk. “Scottie doesn’t handle early morning traffic very well.”
Patrick Cantlay and Nelly Korda teed off an hour later as coach Jamie Mulligan monitored his star pupils. Allisen Corpuz joined them and Xander Schauffele caught up to the group for the back nine.
Sahith Theegala, Collin Morikawa, Alison Lee and Lilia Vu went out in an all-southern California grouping.
Rose Zhang, Lauren Coughlin, Max Homa and Wyndham Clark were off in the third group out.
Megan Khang and Ally Ewing waited most of their round behind the foursome. They were eventually joined by Keegan Bradley at the third hole after the 2025 Ryder Cup captain was stuck in traffic. One social media poster suggested he overslept.
Cantlay, Korda, Schauffele and Corpuz provided the most press center fodder. Cantlay was grilled about his decision to wear a cap on Tuesday following last year’s Ryder Cup when he memorably refused to don one in a purported pay protest.
Asked if the PGA Tour figured out a compensation package to his liking, Cantlay denied money was ever the issue.
“No, they just found a brand that fits me,” he said.
Captain Furyk confirmed.
“We finally found one that had that odd of a shape that it would actually fit on there,” he joked.
Asked about a report from Sports Business Journal that Netflix saw a massive decline in “Full Swing” Season 2 viewership and whether he felt somewhat responsible by not agreeing to let the streamer inside the Ryder Cup team room, Cantlay stared for 34 seconds at the Score Golf questioner.
“Maybe if [Netflix]’d optimized their optionalities it would have turned out better for them,” Cantlay said, sounding like he’s picking up only the finest B-speak as part of Tour board duties.
Nelly Korda provided bulletin board material when asked about arriving Monday evening at the same time as several male International team members checking into their team hotel rooms.
“To be honest, it looked like a Louis Vuitton Fan Club meeting,” Korda said. “I mean, I went the Met Gala this year and didn’t see nearly that many L-V backpacks, handbags, suitcases and man-purses.”
Ouch.
Take that, Tom Kim, Sungjae Im and Shigeki Matsuyama (that we know of)!
As for the golf ball brand debate, the normally-reserved Corpuz unintentionally embarrassed her male counterparts who are known to cite the difficulty of adjusting to a Foursomes partner’s different ball brand.
“It’s like, 10 minutes on a Trackman to figure out because there just isn’t much difference between the balls,” the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open champion said. “Maybe it is easier for women to adjust because we don’t have lucrative ball deals like the men do. So we’re probably more used to just playing whatever and making it work.”
The International team presented a unified front by arriving via bus just hours after taking in Monday night’s Canadien’s game. Captain’s Weir and Webb sent out hoped-for pairings in Tuesday’s practice, most notably the historic Australian brother-sister team of Min Woo and Minjee Lee.
“We’ll see how they gel,” Weir said with eye wink. “Obviously, it’s pretty incredible to have this new format and a brother and sister on the team. My life could in danger if I don’t send them out. And that’s just with my co-Captain.”
That would be Australia’s Webb, who kept on her sunglasses and game face as Weir, of all people, tried to deliver the comic relief.
“We’re here to win,” Webb said to most questions, including her decision to pick Minjee Lee over the rising Haeran Ryu despite just three top 10’s this year.
Weir also sent the Canada pairing of Corey Conners and Brooke Henderson.
“Again, if I’d like to leave here with my dignity, it’s pretty clear those two will be teeing off at some point since we are in Canada, and they’re darn good golfers.”
But Weir’s witty ways disappeared when facing questions about pressure on his squad to perform after the addition of top international women (but without key male players who left for LIV).
“I would say that, no, I haven't thought about that,” he said.
Here were the International groups spotted on the course and what we know about the possible injury to a key male star:
First out was the all-Korean foursome of Sungjae Im, Tom Kim, Jin Young Ko and Amy Yang.
Adam Scott and Hannah Green joined Henderson and Conners second out but played through after Kim took too long on several holes.
Ben An and Ruoning Yin played with the Japanese duo of Hideki Matsuyama and Ayaka Furue.
Jason Day and Lydia Ko, who teamed up to win last December’s Grant Thornton, joined the Lees in the last group.
Day quit at the fourth hole, citing a possible “hip sprain.”
Seems the Australian veteran is no longer used to wearing normal-fitting clothes and first felt pain trying to hit drivers on the range. Day claimed his pants felt like “ballet tights” compared to the hipster Malbon painter pants this season.
Official uniform supplier B Draddy is reportedly cutting new slacks overnight to match Day’s Malbon specs.
Day later issued a statement from the International team’s recovery room saying the decision to wear “tight” pants was entirely his call and that he’s working with the physio squad to manage what was diagnosed as a “Grade 0.5 sprain.”
Day will not be required to play again until Friday’s men’s afternoon Foursomes session. If he cannot go, the Internationals must concede the match.
Back tomorrow with the Round One matches and a report on the stars expected to turn up for the Opening Ceremony in celebration of this historic gathering.
*Yes, this is fictional. However, coverage will be inspired by this week’s Presidents Cup and influenced by dreams of making the event stand out from the Ryder and Solheim Cups. Coverage of the actual matches is available across the multiple global golf outlets.