GLOBAL UNITY

International Team united by the "Shield" ahead of Presidents Cup showdown

- JIM MCCABE

Should anyone ponder the notion of momentum in the biennial Presidents Cup, there are indicators. In Incheon, Korea nine years ago, the International Team finished one agonising point shy, losing 15 % to 14% to the powerhouse U.S. Team.

Four years later, in Melbourne, Australia, a 10-8 lead through the team sessions vanished as a Tiger Woods-led American fightback in the singles session on the final day left the International Team two points short.

Yes, the International Team is continuing to grow and strengthen and is matching up as well as ever against a formidable foe. And, yes, the closest contests in recent years have been on foreign soil. If critics are wondering how much stock to put into this team's rallying cry "The Shield unites us" - the answer is, a lot.

That's because the "rest of the world" talent pool is deeper than it has ever been and it's also because what awaits in late September is another "home" game for the International Team.

Correction, it's really not just another home game; it's a home game in a country that arguably knows how to plug in the electricity to support its own more than any other country. If Laurence Applebaum thought the Nick Taylor's 72-foot eagle putt to win the RBC Canadian Open in the summer of 2023 was "unbelievable for Canadian golf," the Golf Canada CEO might be offering a reassessment should the International Team upset the top-heavy U.S. team at Royal Montreal from 26-29 September.

That's because Canadian golf fans can support and roar, and get behind you so ferociously loud that you cannot hear yourself. Taylor discovered that on every tee box as he chased down Tommy Fleetwood last year. "The most unbelievable thing I will probably ever experience in my life," he said.