It was predictable and Mike Weir made it official at a press conference in Orlando earlier this afternoon. Golfers in the Saudi-sponsored LIV Series are officially banned from the Montreal edition of the Presidents Cup.
When asked about the few international players who could interest the team through their performance, the captain of the international team confirmed that the PGA Tour, the organizer of the competition, had informed him that they do not have any players from the controversial, by Greg Norman can choose a guided circle.
The same goes for American team captain Jim Furyk.
Among the internationals leaving are Cameron Smith, Abraham Ancer, Louis Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann. They will not be present in the corridors of the Royal Montreal at the end of September.
AFP
“We are in an unfortunate situation. They are ineligible and we hope they become eligible in Chicago in 2026. “It's a shame because we want to bring in the best players, but those who left knew what it was about,” noted the Canadian, who likes the look of his provisional lineup.
On the United States side, Furyk will obviously have to ignore Brooks Koepka, winner of last year's PGA Championship of America at Oak Hill, Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson, among others.
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Clear rules
It is important to remember that to participate in the Presidents Cup tournament, golfers must be full members of the PGA Tour. However, those who joined the ranks of LIV Golf lost their rights because they surrendered their membership cards or were officially suspended during their visit to the Norman circuit.
Although the PGA Tour and the head of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) buried the hatchet last June by announcing an agreement to everyone's surprise, it is still not approved. PGA Tour management is still evaluating the options available to it to create the strategic alliance its members desire.
This door closed to LIV Golf representatives therefore does not bode well for the map of an alliance between the PGA and the PIF, as desired by its leaders in June.
Three Canadians in good shape
Six months after the first tee shot at Royal Montreal, three Canadians are currently in a good position in the competition's points system. Nick Taylor (4th), Adam Hadwin (9th) and Corey Conners (12th) are in the top 12. The Maple Leaf has never had more than two members in the international lineup.
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“Our team is taking shape. If there are two, three or four Canadians at the end, that will create more excitement. It will only be beneficial because they will create a different buzz,” explained Weir, who brought together several of his hopefuls at a dinner on the sidelines of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill this evening.
In addition to the Canadians, Tom Kim, Jason Day and Hideki Matsuyama currently make up the captain's top three.
Preparations in advance
At Royal Montreal, preparations have progressed to avoid summer scares. Presidents Cup Director Ryan Hart even stated that his team is working ahead of schedule.
“We started building the infrastructure in early October, which allowed us to build the crew cabins and the merchandise kiosks and progress certain other modules on the route by early December,” he said. he explained in a telephone interview with Le Journal.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/AGENCE QMI
“Even if the winter was milder in southern Quebec, we can only resume work on the route towards the end of April to avoid damaging the terrain,” added the man, who took advantage of the winter period to optimize transport logistics between downtown Montreal and L'Île-Bizard. You have to be careful with the wet and rainy weather in spring.”
On the same note, the CEO confirmed that general admission ticket sales will begin on April 11th.
Golf in Lacolle
With the good weather and mild temperatures last week, many golf clubs are preparing for the new season. Practice areas welcome golfers especially in Lanaudière, Estrie and Montérégie.
In Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, the International 2000 Golf Club courses have been open since last weekend. According to weather forecasts, almost 300 fans of the little white ball travel there every day.
“It’s crazy,” a staffer said on the phone during the Journal’s call this morning.
Sébastien St-Jean / JdeM
In Longueuil, the Parcours du Cerf opened its practice area in the morning.
Golf lovers of all conditions do not hesitate to write to us at the beginning of the season and tell us where you play at [email protected]