World No 1 Scottie Scheffler has said there are no advantages to being the favourites or the underdogs in this week’s Presidents Cup between Team USA and the International Team, live on Sky Sports Golf.
The four-day event starts on Thursday and is played across five sessions, with Jim Furyk captaining a strong United States team and former Masters champion Mike Weir leading the International line-up on ‘home soil’ at the Royal Montreal Golf Club.
“Can there be [an advantage]? I guess you could say one team would have nothing to lose if they’re the underdog, but at the same time, when you’re the underdog – I’ve been the underdog plenty of times in my career – I still wanted to win just as bad as I did when I was the favourite. That stuff for me never really applied too much,” Scheffler said.
“I’m probably not the best guy to ask that to. I’m internally motivated. I like to try to prove myself, almost to myself sometimes. I love coming out here and competing because it’s what I love to do.
“I try to do my best to block out the noise at times, and I think at times throughout the year it can be challenging when either I’m having a rough year or I’m having a great year. Both sides of the coin can be challenging.
“I do my best to stay just as even keel as I can and not really think too much about that stuff because the score is 0-0. It doesn’t matter who’s favoured and who’s not favoured. We’ve got to go out there and play.
“My job is to go out in the first match and do my best and try to get a point for our team. Outside of that, I don’t really think about if we’re favoured to win the match or not.
“My job is to win. All I can try to do is win one point in Thursday’s match.”
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Speaking on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, Simon Holmes says the only way the International team can beat the USA at the Presidents Cup is if the Canadian players rise to the occasion on home soil
A two-time Ryder Cup competitor (2021, 2023), 2022 Presidents Cup winner and 2024 Olympic gold medallist for the USA, Scheffler said competing for your country brings with it a different type of energy and pride.
“I think there’s a big difference. That’s probably why you saw me so emotional after the Olympics,” he said.
“I really do take a lot of pride in playing for my country. I’ve had the opportunity to do it a few times, and it’s very special.
“Coming here to foreign soil for us and trying to compete and bring back the cup, I think will be pretty fun.
“When you’re in these team events, it’s a bit more relaxed at the beginning of the week. You see guys in a different environment. When you’re sitting with a guy at dinner at night that you may have never had dinner with, you see him.
“So getting more time with each other in a more relaxed environment is important. That’s why the memories are so fond. You get to know guys better and make great friends. Going out and competing together is a lot of fun.”
Captains Furyk, Weir ready for Presidents Cup pressures
International Team captain Mike Weir told media on Tuesday…
“Jim [Furyk] knows how close it’s been the last few years. It’s a tight, intense competition. The score the last bunch of years has gone the US’ way, but they’ve been very competitive matches.
“I think it’s heading the right direction no matter what happens. Sure, it’s competitive. We want to win. We’re not putting any of that extra, ‘we need to do this to elevate the event’.
“It’s just a great competition, and we’re not adding any layers on top of that.
“This is at home in front of your own fans. I guess for me I used the energy in a positive way when I was here in 2007. I didn’t take it as pressure. I took it as, ‘just embrace it’. I don’t know if I’ll ever have this kind of chance again to play in front of my home country fans. So I just tried to embrace it.
“That will probably be most of the message, is enjoy yourself.”
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Highlights from the final day of the 2022 Presidents Cup, held at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina
Team USA captain Jim Furyk told media on Tuesday…
“I would say it’s just an extremely emotional week as far as there’s ups, there’s downs. The US team gets on a run, then the International team gets on a run. It’s kind of a rollercoaster ride all week.
“These guys expend a ton of energy. A lot of it is probably just letting [players] know how much. It’s a marathon. It’s a week long, and make sure that you save some energy for the end and pace yourself on the way.
“I’ll make some different changes. I’ll run this team a little different. I’ll draw from some good experiences that we’ve had in the past.
“The biggest question I always get asked from 18 is, if you had the chance to go back and do something differently, would you?
“First time I heard the question, I started laughing. My answer was very simple. How arrogant would you have to be to say. ‘Nope, we didn’t win, but I wouldn’t do anything different at all?’ Of course I would. I’d go back and change it.”
Who will win the Presidents Cup? Watch the 2024 contest from September 26-29 live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday September 26 from 4.30pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the Presidents Cup and more with NOW.
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