Australian Jason Day has backed his heavy underdog teammates on the International side to at least threaten an upset Presidents Cup victory over an American squad led by winning machine Scottie Scheffler.
The Americans have won 12, and tied one, from 14 previous editions of the biennial competition which launched 30 years ago in 1994. This week, the 15th Cup is being held at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Canada. The Internationals have only won once, in 1998 at Royal Melbourne, while they also tied with the US in South Africa in 2003.
Former world No.1 Day, though, is not intimidated by the US team’s record. Given the Presidents Cup is four days of matchplay golf sessions, anything can happen. Day would know having won the World Golf Championships-Match Play event twice (2014, 2016).
If the Internationals are to have any hope, they would need to channel their comrades in Europe who, every two years, manage to dominate a very similar US team at the Ryder Cup when it’s on European soil. They also threaten and occasionally win the editions held in the US. Europe’s secret sauce seems to be an eagerness to leave egos at the door and a reverence for the team’s legacy that is so strong its bottom six players are inspired to become world-beaters for a week while its great players regularly live up to their billing.
Day feels that since South African great Ernie Els captained the side in 2019, when he created a shield the International team now plays under, the rest-of-the-world crew have a unity not too dissimilar to Europe. Canadian golf legend Mike Weir is skipper this year.
“I think what Ernie Els, Nick Price, Trevor Immelman and Mike Weir have done tremendously is build a team environment for us to get behind and drive and have that passion” Day said. “I think that’s the one thing that we were potentially lacking was potentially that, and I think since those guys have really changed the environment and what we play for, I think that’s helped a lot.
“We know that we’re stepping in the right direction. [Winning is] going to happen at some point. We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing. The guys have gotten a lot closer, and not necessarily the same guys over and over again, but I’m just saying that the actual team element, the team environment has shifted a lot since when I first started [in 2011].”
Still, the top three on the US team are Scheffler, who won seven PGA Tour events, including the Masters and Players Championship, and an Olympic gold medal, this year, as well as 2024 Open and PGA champion, Xander Schauffele, and Collin Morikawa. Day knows it will be a tall order to try and topple the Americans at Royal Montreal when the Presidents Cup starts Thursday night (AEST).
“The US team is very strong, regardless,” Day said. “Every time they play the Europeans, every time they play the Ryder Cup, they’re very strong. Every time they play the Presidents Cup, they’re very strong. We know that from the get-go.”
Day is joined on the International team by fellow Australians Adam Scott, who is making a record-increasing 11th appearance for the side, as well as Min Woo Lee.
“I remember meeting ‘Minners’ when he was still an amateur and a junior,” Day said. “I’ve said this to him, point blank, ‘Dude, you’ve got all the talent in the world to be the next best player, the No.1.’ I think he’s finally understanding that there needs to be a certain work ethic that comes with that and a certain lifestyle that comes with that. I think he’s starting to understand what it takes to be the best.”
