CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The hype was real.
An hour before the Presidents Cup’s official starter called out Thursday’s first match, the massive, temporary stadium surrounding the first tee was filled nearly to capacity. Some were there to cheer on the International team, of course — among the more obvious in that bunch were fans dressed in Royal Canadian Mounted Police uniforms, waving the familiar red-and-white maple leaf flag.
But the overwhelming majority wore red, white and blue. They wore beads around their collars, painted stars and stripes on their faces, and hung American flags over the elevated railings.
