Mike Weir 'deals with the reality' of being the captain of the underdog team at the 2024 Presidents Cup

Mike Weir is the first Canadian to captain the International team at the Presidents Cup, and he is doing so in a big way in his home country. But he has not lost sight of the fact that his team are not the favourites to win the event.

For Weir, being the underdog is a "fact" that he and his players have to deal with. He reflected on the subject during his press conference at the Royal Montreal Golf Club, the venue for the event.

Here's part of what Mike Weir had to say (via ASAP Sports):

"I think it's just a fact, just dealing with reality. I think that's the thing for me, even as a player myself, trying to deal with reality and what's in front of you. No doubt, that's what's in front of us."

He added:

"So we've got a tall challenge, but the guys are up for it, they're ready for it, and they're embracing that."

Weir also said he is not focused on this being the team that breaks the nine-edition losing streak to the Americans. In his words, the number of young players in the squad makes that aspect less important:

"We've got a lot of young guys on the team, and they're not remembering past defeats or anything like that. I guess they hear it from you all and they read about it, but they're not very focused on that. So, yeah, not really leaning into that."

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Why are Mike Weir's International team considered the underdogs at the Presidents Cup?

The international team at the Presidents Cup has traditionally been defeated by the Americans. In fact, of the 14 editions that have taken place, Team USA have won 12, lost one and drawn one.

This is the main reason why Mike Weir's men are considered the underdogs of the event. There is also a marked difference in the quality of the players between the two teams, as reflected in their respective world rankings:

U.S. Team:

• Scottie Scheffler (1)
• Xander Schauffele (2)
• Collin Morikawa (4)
• Wyndham Clark (6)
• Patrick Cantlay (9)
• Sahith Theegala (11)
• Keegan Bradley (13)
• Russell Henley (14)
• Sam Burns (19)
• Brian Harman (22)
• Tony Finau (23)
• Max Homa (25)

International Team:

• Hideki Matsuyama (7)
• Adam Scott (18)
• Sungjae Im (21)
• Tom Kim (24)
• Jason Day (33)
• Byeong Hun An (34)
• Corey Conners (37)
• Min Woo Lee (40)
• Taylor Pendrith (44)
• Christiaan Bezuidenhout (45)
• Si Woo Kim (49)
• Mackenzie Hughes (61)

The International team's last (and only) victory in the Presidents Cup was in the 1998 edition at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia. Peter Thomson was the International captain as they defeated the Americans, led by Jack Nicklaus, 20.5 to 11.5.

Five years later, in 2003, the International team led by Gary Player drew 17-17 with their opponents in South Africa. Weir was part of that team as a player.