MONTREAL – “That’s right in three-putt range,” bellowed a fan as Russell Henley sized up his 25-footer for birdie on the 18th hole that would have salvaged a scrappy half-point for the U.S. team on Day 2 at the Presidents Cup.
“Geez, I thought Canadians were supposed to be nice,” shrugged a member of the American team just before Henley’s putt drifted right of the hole. Moments later, Si Woo Kim banged in a 15-footer to complete an unprecedented sweep of the foursomes session for the International team. The Rest of the World hadn’t won an alternate-shot session in this event since 2005 and had never been close to a sweep in the format.
Not only were the partisan galleries at Royal Montreal not particularly nice but they were loud and out in full force Friday, a raucous turnaround following a surprisingly subdued scene on Thursday.
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“I would say the crowd was in it from the get-go for us. We were definitely aware of some of the big cheers ahead of us knowing that some of the guys were winning holes,” said Corey Conners, who teamed with fellow Canadian Mackenzie Hughes to lead the Day 2 rout with a 6-and-5 victory over Wyndham Clark and Tony Finau. “Certainly for me, it inspired me to want to get some of those cheers for us.”
Following a wildly disappointing Thursday that saw the U.S. team sweep to what felt like an insurmountable 5-0 lead, the Canadian masses delivered from the opening tee, which was packed and partisan and loud.
The scene on the first tee was reminiscent to what has become the norm at the Ryder Cup but has been virtually nonexistent at the Presidents Cup — at least when the International team has hosted the matches. When the matches are played in the United States, like they were two years ago at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, the American crowd has been there for the home team. But for the International side, Friday felt like a celebration.
For arguably the first time in the 30-year history of the Presidents Cup the International team enjoyed a genuine home game.
“They were clearly more energetic today, bigger crowds,” said International captain Mike Weir. “I thought maybe half of Montreal took the day off of work. The crowds were that big out there and really energized from the get-go, from the first hole. It was fantastic.”
While the International team didn’t give the home crowd much to cheer about on Day 1, with the team leading a grand total of 10 holes during the five matches, there was a distinct difference on Friday, when galleries lined nearly every fairway and pelted the U.S. team with surprising viciousness.
“They were unbelievable today. They definitely brought it,” South Korea’s Tom Kim, who called out the fans on Thursday, said. “Obviously, these guys had to go out and play. I sat out, but the crowd, I think, plays a huge role.
“I think the reason why we were able to play so good today, other than these guys going out and performing, was our fans backed us up. I think that gives you momentum, that gives you energy. Just they played a huge factor in our win today.”
There have been plenty of moments for the International team when the Presidents Cup has been played outside the United States, with Weir’s singles victory over Tiger Woods on the final day at the 2007 matches – which were also played at Royal Montreal – near the top of the highlights. But that event, like most, was dominated by the Americans and ultimately Weir’s heroics were little more than empty calories.
The crowds at Royal Melbourne in Australia (1998, 2007, 2011 and 2019) and Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in South Korea (2015) were large and loud, but there was always the sense that the galleries were there to see Woods and the other American stars as much as they were to cheer for the home team.
When Ernie Els, the 2019 International captain, created the shield as the team’s logo, his hope was to have one flag his team could play for and the fans could cheer. On Friday at Royal Montreal, that vision became a reality.
Whether the International team can continue its inspired play and win for the first time since 1998 depends on Weir’s players believing in that vision as well as a surprisingly partisan and aggressive Canadian gallery.