CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith made Canadian history twice at the Presidents Cup and, although they’re disappointed in the result, they’re ready for more.

It was the first time two Canadians had ever played at the prestigious best-on-best tournament that sees 12 Americans take on 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe. When the longtime friends were partnered on Friday they became the first-ever Canadians to play together at the storied tournament.

But Conners, from Listowel, Ont., lost to Xander Schauffele 1 up in Sunday’s seventh match to clinch the American victory. Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., also lost his match in the event’s final round when he dropped a 3 and 1 decision to Tony Finau.

Ultimately, the United States beat the international team 17.5 to 12.5 for its 12th Presidents Cup title.

The Canadians were the only members of the international team not to earn a point over the four-day, five-session tournament. Conners said he was disappointed to not maintain the international team’s momentum in the final round.

“All the guys were ready to go today,” said Conners by the 18th green. “Some of the guys got some points early to keep us in it.

“I’m really disappointed not to be able to add to our total, but it was a fun week.”

The biennial event alternates between courses in the U.S. and international locations. The next edition will be at Royal Montreal Golf Club, which last hosted in 2007 when Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., had a legendary showdown with Tiger Woods in the final round.

“It’s definitely going to be a goal of mine to make that team,” said Pendrith, who like Conners made his Presidents Cup debut. “This week was great, and I’m hungry to get some points.”

The U.S. dominated the first two days of play, building a commanding 8-2 lead. But the internationals gained ground on Saturday, finishing the fourth session just four points back.

With the U.S. leading 11-7 and needing just 15.5 points to win, American captain Davis Love III was aggressive in his picks for individual play, putting Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth – his most consistent players – into Sunday’s first two matches.

That gamble produced mixed results with South Korea’s Si Woo Kim beating Thomas 1 up but Spieth topped Australia’s Cam Davis 4 and 3.

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama tied Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay downed Australia’s Adam Scott 3 and 2.

Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz kept the internationals in it with a 2 and 1 victory over Scottie Scheffler before Pendrith and Conners lost their matches as the Americans clinched their title.

Finau jumped out to a 2 up lead in his match against Pendrith, but the Canadian answered back with birdies on the third and fourth holes to tie it.

Pendrith made a 33-foot chip in on the par-3 sixth hole for a birdie and his first lead of the match. He also birdied the next hole, but Finau birdied on Nos. 9 and 12 to tie the match, then pulled ahead with birdies on Nos. 13, 16 and 17.

“I felt like I played decent today in the middle of the round and had some chances on the back nine,” said Pendrith by the 17th green. “No. 15 stings. No. 16, I hit a good putt, but Tony played really good as well.

“He made seven or eight birdies or something like that. Can’t really do much about that.”

Schauffele and Conners were tied through the first five holes, but the American eagled and had a birdie on Nos. 6 and 7 to take a lead. He added to that when Conners bogeyed No. 10. The Canadian rallied with three consecutive won holes, starting with No. 12, to even the score.

Conners bogeyed the par-4 15th hole, which Schauffele parred, and the American held on the rest of the way.

“It was a good battle. I feel like every match I got down, every match I fought back,” said Conners. “Ultimately I came up a little short, but good stuff.”

Play continued, however, with the remaining matches being seen to completion. South Korea’s Sungjae Im bested Cameron Young 1 up. Billy Horschel conceded to South Korea’s K.H. Lee for a 3 and 1 internationals win.

Max Homa fended off fan favourite Tom Kim of South Korea for a 1 up win, Collin Morikawa beat Chile’s Mito Pereira 3 and 2, and in the day’s final match South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout downed Kevin Kisner 2 and 1.

Ryan Hart, the executive director of the 2024 Presidents Cup, said he hopes that Royal Montreal will truly feel like an away game for the Americans.

“All the structures will be wrapped black and gold,” said Hart, gesturing to the white-sheathed structures at Quail Hollow. “So (the international team) can come out and we can hopefully have the entire country feel like they are part of the international team and cheer them on to victory.”

The atmosphere at the Presidents Cup has changed in the 15 years since Canada last hosted the event. Organizers said that 40,000 spectators attended the Presidents Cup every day, a massive gathering for golf that was amplified because those crowds were concentrated around just four or five groups the first three days of the tournament.

Pendrith said that it was the most people he had ever played in front of but he feels like he rose to the occasion.

“Obviously, the stakes were really high. Lots of pressure,” said Pendrith. “But the first day, I feel like I handled it pretty well.

“Really, all week, it was a lot of fun, and it will be a good experience to move forward.”

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Canada’s Taylor Pendrith thought he and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama were going to earn some points back for the international team when they were announced as partners for Saturday’s afternoon session at the Presidents Cup.

Unfortunately for them, they drew the duo of Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, the most reliable pairing for the United States.

After Matsuyama birdied the first hole for an early lead in the four-ball match, the Americans had six birdies to earn a 4 and 3 win, the one international loss in the day’s second session. The United States held an 11-7 lead when play wrapped.

“They just kept making birdies. Hideki hit an unreal shot on No. 1, and we went 1 up,” said Pendrith just off the 15th green at Quail Hollow Club after shaking hands with Spieth and Thomas. “I don’t know how many birdies exactly they had, but it seemed like a lot.”

Shortly after that defeat, South Korea’s Sungjae Im and Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz earned a 3 and 2 win over Tony Finau and Kevin Kisner.

Then South Korea’s Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim birdied No. 18 for a 1 up win over Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. Finally, Australia’s Adam Scott and Cam Davis held off Billy Horschel and Sam Burns for a 1 up victory as the internationals closed the gap on the host Americans.

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., and Matsuyama were consistently driving further and with more accuracy than Spieth and Thomas, but the internationals struggled with their chipping and putting as the Americans excelled.

“I think the pins, some of the pins, were pretty tricky,” said Pendrith. “I didn’t really have many great looks at birdie.

“Hitting into 30 feet with putts that break eight to ten feet, it’s tough to make those.”

It was the second time on Saturday that Spieth and Thomas had beaten a Canadian. In the morning session, Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Im also conceded to the Americans on the 15th green for a 4 and 3 loss.

Pendrith and Conners were paired together in Friday’s final match, a close 1 up loss to Horschel and Max Homa that was decided on the 18th hole. Conners was then in Saturday’s first match of the day, about 12 hours later.

“It was an early morning but I had a great sleep last night and I was raring to go again,” said Conners. “I was a little sore leaving the golf course after being close in that match so getting back this morning I was looking forward to playing again.

It’s the first time two Canadians have played at the prestigious Presidents Cup, which will move to Royal Montreal Golf Club for the next edition in 2024. Conners and Pendrith are the only players on the international team to not yet earn a point, with three of their four losses coming at the hands of Spieth and Thomas.

That led to Spieth and Thomas being asked why they hate Canada.

“That’s not a serious question, is it?” laughed Thomas.

“We love Canada,” said Spieth. “Remember in two years, that’s where we’re going to be.”

Added Thomas: “We love Canada.”

“We try to challenge whoever we’re going to play as best we could,” said Spieth, who has an impressive 8-2-0 record when paired with Thomas at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.

“We have full trust and belief that we can beat whoever we play,” said Thomas. “Whether it’s a Presidents Cup or a Ryder Cup or a money game, we enjoy the challenge and try to embrace it.”

The first team to 15.5 points will win the biennial event that sees 12 Americans take on 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe. Sunday’s round will be singles matches, with Pendrith playing Finau and Conners taking on Schauffele.

In morning play Saturday, Scott and Matsuyama beat Cameron Young and Collin Morikawa 3 and 2 in the day’s second match. Lee and Tom Kim beat Scheffler and Burns 2 and 1. The U.S. answered back as Finau and Homa topped Si Woo Kim and Davis 4 and 3.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Taylor Pendrith centred himself over the ball, took a breath, and rolled his putt 13 feet, five inches into the hole. He pumped his fist and embraced partner Corey Conners on the 18th green as the international team celebrated on the fairway and fans cheered.

Pendrith’s putt kept the hopes of a draw against Americans Billy Horschel and Max Homa alive in the second round of the Presidents Cup, a potentially critical half point for the international team.

But Homa extinguished those hopes a moment later when he drained his 11-foot putt for a bigger fist pump, a louder cheer, and a 1 up win over the Canadians. That victory also gave the Americans a commanding 8-2 lead over the internationals on Friday at Quail Hollow Golf Club.

“I still feel like there’s some adrenalin flowing,” said Conners on the lip of the 18th green after the loss. “It’s tough. We played against some world class players.

“The atmosphere’s pretty loud, there’s a lot going on. You try to enjoy it, but it’s definitely challenging.”

This year’s Presidents Cup is the first time two Canadians have played in the event that sees 12 Americans take on 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe. Conners and Pendrith had different partners in the first round, making Friday’s pairing the first time two Canadians have ever teamed up at the event.

“To pair up today is really special,” said Conners, who also went to Kent State University with Pendrith. “Hopefully we’ve got a couple more in us, and we’ll see if we can get some points the rest of the way.”

Conners, from Listowel, Ont., will be paired with South Korea’s Sungjae Im for foursome play in the third round Saturday morning. The pairings for Saturday afternoon’s fourth round will be announced after the completion of the third round.

The first team to 15.5 points wins the PGA Tour-sponsored event, with the Americans’ sizable lead putting Sunday’s fifth round at risk of not being played at all.

Im and Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz tied Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns in the day’s second match. Chile’s Mito Pereira and South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout also tied Kevin Kisner and Cameron Young in the third match to earn the internationals their second point of the tournament.

“We’ve just got to keep fighting, man,” said team captain Trevor Immelman of South Africa. “Keep putting one foot in front of the other.

“We feel like we’ve played some pretty good golf, some solid golf tee-to-green, particularly the last couple of days, but we have absolutely been outputted. No doubt about it.”

Perennial American pairing Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas beat Australia’s Adam Scott and Cam Davis 2&1 in the day’s first match. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele downed Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama and South Korea’s Tom Kim 3&2.

Both of the Canadians showed off their specialties throughout the match. Pendrith had the longest drive on eight of the foursome’s holes, consistently hitting the fairway. Conners, meanwhile, was unerring in his approach shots, regularly dropping in closest to the pin.

Their displays of power and accuracy even wowed the loudly pro-American crowd at Quail Hollow, earning loud rounds of applause, whistles as the long shots flew through the air, and calls of “Maple syrup!” and “Peameal bacon!”

“We just try to play our own games,” said Conners. “I try to do what I do well. I try to get it on the fairway, get it on the green, have some birdie looks and free up Taylor to hit the balls and attack some of those pins.”

Putting was the Canadians’ Achilles heel early in the match, however, as Horschel and Homa took a 2 up lead on the front nine. Conners birdied the par-4 11th hole and the par-4 13th to tie the match. Homa then birdied the par-4 No. 17 to set up his and Pendrith’s fateful putts.

“It stings a little bit. Max made two really nice putts on the last two holes,” said Pendrith, who is from Richmond Hill, Ont. “We battled very hard but didn’t have our best stuff early in the round. Good enough to stick around.”

Officials said that about 40,000 fans attended each of the first two days at the Presidents Cup, with a similarly large crowd expected on Saturday and, if play continues, the same number on Sunday. The most notable people in Friday’s crowds were former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, who arrived at Quail Hollow Club several hours before Scott, Davis, Spieth and Thomas teed off in the day’s first group.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Taylor Pendrith woke up early on Thursday morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. Thoughts of his first tee shot at the Presidents Cup were running through his head, keeping him awake.

But when Pendrith laid into a 308-yard drive on the first hole at Quail Hollow Club, he felt like he belonged at the prestigious international event.

“I knew I was going (to) be nervous. I think if you’re not nervous, there’s something wrong with you,” said Pendrith. “It’s obviously a huge event with tons of history and to be a part of the squad is amazing.

“I was thinking about that tee shot for a long time but I stepped up and hit a really good one and just trusted my skills.”

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., debuted for the international team at the Presidents Cup on Thursday. Pendrith and partner Mito Pereira of Chile battled with American Tony Finau and Max Homa until the 18th hole, eventually losing 1 up as the United States took a 4-1 lead overall.

“I think me and Mito did a good job today staying in it, giving ourselves lots of chances and staying patient,” said Pendrith, as he and Pereira rallied from a two-shot deficit after six holes to carry a tie into the final hole. “Lots of confidence moving forward to tomorrow.

“If we can come out and steal a couple of points I think we’ll be right in it.”

Conners and Pendrith, close friends who were teammates and roommates at Kent State University, will be paired together for Friday’s final match as the event’s format switches from foursomes to four ball.

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It’s the first time two Canadians have played in the best-on-best tournament that sees 12 Americans take on 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe.

Conners and South Korea’s Sungjae Im fell to Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas 2&1 in Thursday’s second match. They shook hands on the 17th green with a tie out of reach.

“We just didn’t get off to the best start in the match,” said Conners. “We battled back nicely but just couldn’t get the important putts to go in at the end there.”

South Korea’s Si Woo Kim and Australia’s Cam Davis were the only international pairing to win. After seven holes they were trailing Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns 3 up but closed out with six birdies in their last 10 holes, including four in a row on Nos. 15-18, to beat the Americans 2 up.

“It’s always more satisfying when you start off not having your best stuff and then you find a way to turn it around, especially against the calibre of players that are playing here,” said Davis.

“I was just really proud of the way I started hitting good shots when it mattered, and I was really proud of the way Woo started getting the putts at perfect speed.”

Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele beat Australia’s Adam Scott and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama 6&5. Americans Cameron Young and Collin Morikawa downed Tom Kim and K.H. Lee, both from South Korea, 2&1.

Typically a biennial event, the 2021 Presidents Cup was postponed one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Venues alternate between the U.S. and international locations, with Royal Montreal Golf Club scheduled to host the Presidents Cup in 2024.

This year’s edition is undeniably on American soil, with fans wearing star-spangled outfits, loudly cheering their team, and booing when international fans tried to get their own chants going.

The internationals weren’t without their supporters, however. A pair of fans from Winnipeg were dressed as Mounties despite the 35 degrees Celsius heat, with a Canadian flag draped off the grandstand tightly hugging the first tee box. They chanted Conners’s and Pendrith‘s names when they were introduced to the crowd, even if they were quickly drowned out by “U-S-A” chants.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this before. It was crazy. It was so much fun,” said Pendrith. “Tons of people, good support for the international team.

“The first tee shot was quite the experience, got up there and hit it right down the middle and settled in after that.”

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Finding chemistry on the eclectic Presidents Cup international team can be a challenge, but Canadians Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith are bringing their own spark to captain Trevor Immelman’s squad.

Conners and Pendrith played together on Golf Canada’s amateur teams before becoming teammates at Kent State University and were even the best man at each other’s weddings. They’ll be making their Presidents Cup debuts on Thursday as the best-on-best tournament tees off at Quail Hollow Golf Club outside Charlotte, N.C.

“To be here with him is really special, and if we have a partnership, I think we can certainly feed off of one another,” said Conners before Wednesday’s first-round draw. “If I hit a poor shot, I know he’s going to bail me out, and if he struggles on a hole, I’m going to be giving it my all to give us a chance to win the hole.

“We’re certainly great friends and have played a lot of golf together, so I’m very confident in his ability.”

Although Immelman split the Canadians up in the first round’s draw on Wednesday afternoon, it’s likely they will have a chance to play together at the PGA Tour event that sees 12 Americans face 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe.

Conners, from Listowel, Ont., will partner with South Korea’s Sungjae Im against Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas in the second match of the first round. Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., will team with Chile’s Mito Pereira against Tony Finau and Max Homa in the day’s fifth match.

Pendrith said he’s enjoying sharing the honour of playing on the international team with one of his best friends.

“To be with him is really cool and comforting,” said Pendrith. “He’s probably the person I’ve played my most rounds of golf with, ever.”

Conners was an automatic selection after finishing the PGA Tour season fourth on the international team standings. He rose up from sixth after Australia’s Cam Smith and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann jumped to the Saudi-backed LIV Tour on Aug. 30, disqualifying themselves from the PGA Tour-backed Presidents Cup.

Pendrith was officially selected by Immelman on Sept. 6 after he missed four months of the PGA Tour season with a fractured rib.

The two friends have very different play styles, with Pendrith renowned for his long drives and Conners considered a surgeon with his irons.

“To get paired with him would be great,” said Pendrith. “He’s obviously an unbelievable iron player. If I drive it well and set him up well, he can do his job in the fairways, and I think it would be a great pairing.”

On paper the Presidents Cup result seems like it could be a foregone conclusion.

The American team’s average world ranking is 11.58, while Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama – currently No. 17 on the world rankings _ is the highest-rated member of an international team depleted by the defections to the LIV Tour. The betting line reflects that, with oddsmakers putting the Americans as -700 favourites.

“We’re embracing (being underdogs). We’re ready to go. All 12 of us are ready to go. We’re here and we’re ready to battle, and it’s going to be a fun week.”

Taylor Pendrith

History is also not on the internationals side. The United States has won the biennial event 13 times, with the internationals winning in 1998 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia and the two sides tying in 2003 at Fancourt Hotel and Country Club in George, South Africa.

Australia’s Adam Scott has played in nine of those losses and assistant captain Geoff Ogilvy, also from Australia, said those losses have served as a motivation for his countryman.

“He just wants to win it for everybody,” said Ogilvy, adding that Scott is like a fifth assistant captain. “It’s like he wants to win it for everybody who never got a chance to win one.”

However, the players on the international squad have combined for 33 victories on the PGA Tour, including Conners’ win at the 2019 Valero Texas Open. Assistant captain Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., said there’s a lot of positivity in the international locker room.

“The mood has been great. The guys are very enthusiastic. We feel they’re up for the challenge,” said Weir. “Their games look great. There’s a great buzz in our team.”

The next Presidents Cup will be in 2024 at Royal Montreal Golf Club, which hosted the event in 2007.

OAKVILLE, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the 10 athletes who have been selected to represent the 2021 Team Canada Young Pro Squad. Comprising the 2021 Women’s Young Pro Squad will be returnees Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.), Jaclyn Lee (Calgary, Alta.), and Maddie Szeryk (London, Ont.). After becoming a first-time mom in July, Golf Canada is also pleased to welcome back Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec City, Que.) to the Young Pro Squad as she makes her return to the LPGA Tour.

The 2021 Men’s Young Pro Squad features a six-pack of familiar athletes led by Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.). Other members of the Men’s Young Pro Squad for 2021 include Jared du Toit (Kimberley, B.C.), Chris Crisologo (Richmond, B.C.), Stuart Macdonald (Vancouver, B.C.), Joey Savoie (La Prairie, Que.), and Hugo Bernard (Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.).

For the bulk of the athletes returning to the Young Pro Squad, 2021 is an opportunity to build of off the adversity of 2020 and take a next step in their developing careers.

“This is a very exciting time for young professional golfers in Canada, and we are really looking forward to seeing their continued success in 2021,” said Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer Kevin Blue. “For most of the athletes returning to the Squad, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on scheduling, training, and competition in 2020. With the support of our key partners and the drive these athletes have to overcome adversity and succeed, I’m positive we’ll see even more great results from this talented group of athletes.”

Men’s and Women’s National Team coaches Derek Ingram and Tristan Mullally – both award-winning PGA of Canada members – will continue as head coaches for the Young Pro Squad.

Now in its eighth year, the Team Canada Young Pro Squad helps to bridge the gap for top-performing amateurs transitioning into professional golf. Click here to read Team Canada Young Pro Squad player bios.

EMERGING PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Golf Canada Foundation has also announced the creation of a new award – the Emerging Professional Player of the Year Award, presented by Andrew Cook. The inaugural recipients of the award are Young Pro athletes Taylor Pendrith and Maddie Szeryk who will each receive $10,000 towards their continued development in professional golf.

Andrew Cook, a proud Trustee of the Golf Canada Foundation and past President with Golf Canada, established a $20,000 fund to annually recognize a top male and female emerging Canadian professional golfer from the Young Pro Squad having success on golf’s developmental.

“I am very pleased to partner with Golf Canada and Golf Canada Foundation to launch the Emerging Pro Player of the Year Award, as an additional incentive to Canadian professionals around the globe,” said Cook. “As a long-time volunteer of the game, I appreciate the power our heroes have in inspiring the next generation of young players, and my wife (Anne) and I are excited to help continue the tremendous success of the Young Pro Program.”

“We are so excited to announce Taylor and Maddie as our first Emerging Professional Players of the Year,” said Martin Barnard, CEO of the Canada Foundation. “Thanks to the continued generosity of Andrew Cook, we are able to reward these two deserving young professionals with additional financial support that will have an important impact as they chase their dreams.”

Pendrith, a long-time part of Golf Canada’s National Team as an amateur and now a professional, had a breakout year on the Korn Ferry Tour. He currently sits second on the Korn Ferry Tour’s Season Long Points List thanks to five top-3 finishes in 2020. Pendrith also finished T23 at the U.S. Open (finishing as Low Canadian) and jumped from 399th to 128th in the Official World Golf Ranking – all of this just one year after he played on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada.

Szeryk notched her second win as a professional in 2020 in her second year as a pro. In 2020, she also recorded her career-low Symetra Tour finish (T11, FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship) and ended the year as Top Canadian on the Symetra Tour. There were only 10 events on the Symetra Tour last year and the gap between men’s and women’s professional golf opportunities widened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Current and former team members of the Young Pro Squad, which was established in 2014, have accounted for 43 wins across various professional golf tours including a record nine LPGA Tour wins by Brooke Henderson along with PGA TOUR wins from Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners.

Funding for this program, in large part, comes from the Golf Canada Foundation with generous contributions from founding partners RBC and Canadian Pacific, as well as supporting partners Citi Canada and Bear Mountain Resort – the Official Training Centre of Golf Canada’s National Team program.

“RBC is proud to support the next generation of Canadian golfers through the Young Pro program” said David Agnew, CEO, RBC Wealth Management Canada, “It’s exciting for us to watch golfers we supported as amateurs, like Corey Conners, Brooke Henderson and Mackenzie Hughes, succeed as professionals.”

“From the CP Women’s Open and our deep involvement with Team Canada to ambassador partnerships with Brooke Henderson and Lorie Kane, CP is proud to support these talented athletes representing Canada on the world stage,” added James Clements, Canadian Pacific. “As the best team in the railroading business knows, precision and excellence require a strong team. We are extremely proud to be part of the great team supporting these young professionals in their golf journey.”