Pendrith, Conners set to make a Canadian mark at Presidents Cup

It has been a whirlwind year for PGA Tour rookie Taylor Pendrith.

The Richmond Hill, Ont., native missed four months due to a broken rib and came back as one of the hottest golfers on Tour, including tying for second place at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.

His recent stretch has culminated into the biggest achievement of his young career when it was announced he’d received a spot for the Presidents Cup, scheduled for Sept. 19 to 25.

Pendrith will join fellow Canadian Corey Conners on the International Team, which marks the first time two Canadians will on the team at the same time.

Also joining the team are South Korea’s K.H. Lee and Si Woo Kim, Columbia’s Sebastian Munoz, South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout, and Australia’s Cam Davis. Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, Mito Pereira, Sungjae Im, Tom Kim, and Conners had automatically qualified for the team.

“I’m super exciting and I’m honoured to join that team,” Pendrith told TSN1050 on Tuesday. “[To] be a captain’s pick and be on the International Team, it’s going to be a really cool experience.”

“I love what his game bring to the team,” Conners told TSN150 on Wednesday. “He’s played some really great golf towards the end of the summer coming back from in injury.”

Pendrith and Conners know each other well both on and of the course. The two played together for the Canadian national team, in the NCAA as teammates at Kent University and practice together on Tour stops. They are close enough off the course to be each other’s “Best Man” at their weddings.

“Taylor and I have been really good friends for quite a while,” said Conners. “We’ve been on a lot of teams together whether it be the national team with Team Canada or Kent State University. “I can’t say enough good things about him as a person and on the golf course.”

Pendrith admits that he has not had a ton of match-play experience but he believes that the strengths of his game will play well into that style of tournament.

“I think there’s aspects of team play that I can strive on,” said Pendrith. “I drive the ball pretty well and can set up my partner. I’m going to try to do the best a can for my partner and ultimately my team.”

The International team are underdogs in this tournament with FanDuel placing the odds at -550 for the United States Team to win. Historically, the International Team has struggled in the Presidents Cup going 1-11-1.

As well, the tournament will be held at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., so American team will have home course and fan advantage.

Despite the odds, Pendrith believes that International Team captain Trevor Immelman has put together a group that can compete with anyone in the world.

“I think we have 12 really solid players,” said Pendrith. “These are phenomenal players and champions who have been on Presidents Cups teams before. The captains and assistant captains have played in tons [of match-play].”

The Presidents Cup is coming at a time where the PGA Tour’s roster has been in flux. In recent months the Tour has seen players like Cam Smith, Joaquin Niemann and Abraham Ancer, among others, leave for the LIV Golf Tour, making them ineligible for the Presidents Cup.

This led to changes being made to PGA Tour events where there will be bigger purses for 12 events on the PGA Tour and the top players agreeing to take part in each of those events as well as the four majors.

The changes a lot have led to players like Pendrith getting new opportunities within the PGA Tour.

“It’ been a weird year for golf,” said Pendrith. I’ve spent the last 10 years of my life trying to get to the PGA Tour and I got some good opportunities through that [and] I’ve got a really good opportunity coming in the next couple of weeks.”

“I think the [PGA] Tour is playing the long game,” said Conners. “[they’re] trying to continue to grow the brand and it’s definitely really excepting to be a part of. When I tee it up, I want to beat the best players in the world and I’m going to have lots of opportunities to be able to do that.”

“I feel really fortunate to be a top player on the PGA Tour.”