After the Montreal fans were labeled “a little too quiet” on Thursday, the home crowd showed up in a big way on day two to inspire the Internationals to a sensational turnaround at the Presidents Cup.
Fans at the Royal Montreal Golf Club received some criticism from International duo Tom Kim and Taylor Pendrith after the opening session, which the Americans dominated to claim a 5-0 lead, with the crowd not making as much noise as the home team had hoped for.
"We need to get louder, I think, the next few days here and really feel the home support," said Pendrith.
“I think it was a little too quiet today being on home soil,” Kim added. “I wish they would have helped us out a bit more, especially being in Canada. I know how much they love golf.”
But there were no such complaints on day two as the Canadian crowd rallied to inspire the Internationals to a 5-0 sweep in the Friday foursomes to level the match heading into the weekend.
Kim, who sat out on Friday but continued to play the role of head cheerleader from the sidelines, said the crowd was a “huge factor” in the Internationals’ comeback.
“They were unbelievable today,” he said of the crowd. “They definitely brought it. Obviously these guys had to go out and play. I sat out, but the crowd, I think, plays a huge role.
“I think the reason why we were able to play so good today, other than these guys going out and performing, was our fans backed us up. I think that gives you momentum, that gives you energy. They played a huge factor in our win today.”
Canadian duo Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes, who claimed a dominant 6&5 win over Wyndham Clark and Tony Finau, also hailed the impact of the home support.
“I would say the crowd was in it from the get-go for us,” Conners said. “We were definitely aware of some of the big cheers ahead of us knowing that some of the guys were winning holes. Certainly for me, it inspired me to want to get some of those cheers for us.
“The atmosphere was great, and cheering on the other guys. Being at home feels pretty special and getting all the support we got out there on the golf course and the whole team got was amazing.
“It was really vital to our success. They were cheering us on the whole way. It was just a blast to play in front of the fans in our home country and to get the victory. A really special day.”
Hughes added: “Obviously Corey and I were excited to play together, but we also wanted the crowd. The crowd delivered in a big way today. Corey and I won the match, but the crowd was the third member of our team.
“They were huge today. We felt their energy on every tee, every green, walking down every hole. That was big for us, and we need more of that this week.”
Internationals captain and fellow Canadian Mike Weir noted the difference in support from day one.
“They were clearly more energetic today, bigger crowds,” he said. “I thought maybe half of Montreal took the day off of work. The crowds were that big out there and really energized from the get-go, from the first hole.
“It was fantastic. I certainly hope it’s just as loud this weekend. I believe it will be. We’re really hoping they come out loud and strong like they did today.”
Captain @MWeirsy is loving the energy ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/W3r19mAuHfSeptember 27, 2024
The Americans also felt the “energy on the international side”, but welcomed the bigger, louder crowds.
“Yesterday the crowds weren’t nearly as big yesterday as they were today,” USA captain Jim Furyk said. “Yesterday we had the momentum, so the crowds that were here we were able to silence a little bit.
“Opposite thing today. More people here today, a lot louder on the first tee, and the Internationals gave them a lot to cheer for, a lot of big moments, a lot of great shots. My hat’s off to them. Those guys played really well.”
“The atmosphere was a lot different,” Finau added. “The energy was a lot different today than it was yesterday. There were a lot more people, which just brought energy to the event today compared to yesterday. From an environment standpoint, there’s no question that there was more energy on the international side, and the Canadian fans definitely showed up today.
“I hit the first tee shot yesterday in our group, and I hit the first tee shot today. It was night-and-day difference, I think just the noise and the energy. We love that, and although we didn’t show out today, hopefully the fans come back out over the next couple days for the show.”
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler was determined to silence the crowd with an improved performance on Saturday.
“I thought today the crowd did a great job, got into it, gave the guys some good energy, and they fed off of it,” he said. “It’s our job to go out there tomorrow and do our best and hopefully keep them a little bit quieter.”
