Nick Taylor will be adding another line to his very impressive resume when the Presidents Cup tees off on Thursday.
Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., has already won the Canadian Amateur Championship, five PGA Tour events including the national title at the RBC Canadian Open in 2023, and became an Olympian at the 2024 Paris Games. The 38-year-old was named to the International team for the men’s golf tournament that sees the top players from the United States take on the world’s elite, minus Europe.
“Certainly I think there will be jitters,” said Taylor on Tuesday during a news conference at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago. “It’s one of those where I know my game can stack up.
“Playing golf is the important thing here and accepting those jitters, the nervousness, it’s a good thing. It’ll be fun.”
Taylor’s five wins put him behind just Canadian Golf Hall of Famers Mike Weir and George Knudson (both have eight) for most career titles on the PGA Tour by a Canadian. He finished this past season 65th on the FedEx Cup standings, the PGA Tour’s rankings.
He’s not the only Canadian golfer donning the black and gold shield of the International team this week. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., will play in the event for a third time and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., who competed in the last two Presidents Cups, is back as an assistant to captain Geoff Ogilvy of Australia.
Conners was 60th on the FedEx Cup rankings by season’s end and Pendrith was 95th.
All three are good friends and Taylor and Conners were Olympians together in Paris.
“It means the world. We represented Canada in the Olympics at Paris. We travel a lot together and our families are very close,” said Taylor about being named to the team with Conners on Sept. 1. “He’s someone I’ll be able to lean on.”
Conners — who is four years younger than Taylor — said he’s been advising Taylor on the intricacies of the Presidents Cup’s different formats.
Thursday will have five matches total, either four-ball (best ball) or foursomes (alternate shot). Friday will also have five matches and will be the opposite of what was done on Thursday.
Saturday has eight matches in total, four-ball and foursomes split between the morning and afternoon.
Play on Sunday will have 12 singles matches with all 24 players competing.
“They’re not something we’re familiar with,” said Conners on explaining the subtleties of the competition to Taylor. “Having some questions about alternate shot or questions about best ball and teeing off first.
“We talked about game plan a little bit on this golf course (Medinah), what we think might be the best and some pointers about the first tee, the atmosphere there, just trying to prepare yourself.”
Because there are, at most, 12 pairings on the course at any given time, the galleries are much deeper at a Presidents Cup. The first two days the tens of thousands of fans in attendance will be crowded around just four or five holes at a time as they follow the matches around the course. Mix in spectators’ national loyalties and things can get raucous pretty quickly.
“The pressure is ramped up. It’s a big stage,” said Conners. “Playing with teammates, it’s definitely different, but I’ve tried to give advice (to Taylor) whenever I can. Certainly not overstep.
“He’s stepped up in a lot of big moments, and he’s a seasoned PGA Tour pro, but it’s fun to have the fellow Canadians alongside.”
Playing well under pressure is one of the reasons Ogilvy used one of his captain’s selections on Taylor.
“Look, big-time player,” said Ogilvy on Sept. 1. “He holed some big putts in some big moments, and that’s what you need to do in tournaments like this.”
Taylor said he intended to follow Ogilvy’s lead.
“Which is pretty laid back,” said Taylor. “I think it’s going to be a lot of fun, a lot of great energy. Our purpose is to have our energy built up as one that will be powerful when we get out on the golf course.
“I’m really excited to play and try to earn as many points as possible, but for us to kind of get together, and we have so many countries around the world, to represent as one is going to be really special.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2026.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
