NASSAU, Bahamas – Corey Conners was a 15-year-old with a growing interest in golf when the Presidents Cup was last played in Canada. 

He wasn’t at Royal Montreal in 2007 when crowd favorite Mike Weir stunned Tiger Woods in his Sunday singles match. He didn’t need to be.

“I certainly remember him beating Tiger in singles. Quite a proud moment for Canadians, Tiger’s the best player in the world for decades and he’s able to take him down was pretty special,” Conners said.

It was probably a similar feeling on Wednesday when the PGA Tour announced that Weir will captain the International team in two years when the matches return to Royal Montreal. For Conners, who was born and raised in Ontario, it was an inspired choice that goes beyond national rooting interest.

“I certainly didn’t have my best stuff at [the Presidents Cup in September] and he said we can all relate to those situations. He was really encouraging and really helpful and kind of knowing what to expect each day and getting me in the right frame of mind,” Conners said. “He made me feel a lot better after the rounds when I came off the course disappointed.”

Conners described Weir as a mentor and added that he’ll have extra motivation to earn a spot on the 2024 International team to play at home and for Weir.