Nick O’Hern, an International team member in 2005 and 2007, says one of his most distinct memories of Royal Montreal was of Woody Austin playing a shot, then falling in a pond. The next day Austin walked the hole wearing goggles.

Ian Baker-Finch, who won’t be on site working for the broadcaster, but rather in his “kissing babies” role as Chairman of the PGA of Australia, reckons the course will be
a brilliant host of the Presidents Cup.

“It is a really big property and a great tournament venue,” he says. “The clubhouse is amazing. They are very proud of the course and it will be in wonderful condition. And it’s great for spectators.”

Whether they get behind their team and turn Montreal into what Mike Weir calls "away ice" for the Americans, remains to be seen.

“When we were there in 2007, the only players the fans really knew from our team, outside obviously Mike Weir, were Ernie [Els] and Vijay [Singh],” Baker-Finch says.

“And the American team had Tiger [Woods], Phil [Mickleson], Zach Johnson, Jim Furyk – they were the superstar players.”

Woody Austin ... going.
... going...
... gone.
The Great Return of Woody Austin. ALL PHOTOS: Getty Images.

According to O’Hern, “the only downside I found from Royal Montreal, because it’s in North America, is that it didn’t really feel like a home game for us.”

“It seemed as though almost half the spectators were still barracking for the Americans,” O’Hern says.

“Whereas if you go to somewhere like down here in Australia, you really feel as though we got 90 percent of the support.

“But hopefully the Canadians get behind them and the rest of the world.

“But they’re very much a long shot again.”

Gelling as a team has long been an issue for the Internationals, given the cultural, language and geographical differences between its members, according to O’Hern.

“When I played, there were plenty of Aussies on the team, so that certainly helped. It was Michael Campbell, a Kiwi. You had South Africans. You had Vijay [Singh] from Fiji … we had Angel Cabrera, who didn’t speak much English and KJ [Choi] didn’t either, although, you know, they understood a lot.

“But Ernie Els a few years ago [in 2019] at Royal Melbourne did a great job of getting everyone on the same page. And I think Trev Immelman continued that last time [in 2022]. So hopefully Mike Weir can certainly rally them around.”

Mike Weir rallies fans at Royal Montreal. PHOTO: Getty Images.

Former International team vice-captain Baker-Finch tells Golf Australia magazine that the International team won’t ever engender the support Europe and United States does.

“Will the International team ever be supported like the U.S team is? No, we can’t ever have that. We will never have something chanted like ‘USA, USA’. Where the American team goes, that follows.

“And Europe, historically, it was always their tour versus the PGA Tour. So they were the underdog. It is a bit like following Queensland in State of Origin. We wanted to beat them because we hated them.”

Gary Player was O’Hern’s captain at Royal Montreal in 2007 while Baker-Finch was vice-captain. Player’s job was, effectively, be Gary Player. A counter-punch to Jack Nicklaus, Player did the front-facing media side of things. In team meetings, he played the part of motivator. Baker-Finch’s gig was nuts and bolts.

“Finchy was awesome for that,” O’Hern says. “He really looked into the pairings, the match-ups, things like that. Gary was more about fire-up speeches: ‘Come on, boys, we can do it’ type stuff.

“But Finchy was great. It was a shame he never got to be captain because he certainly deserved it.”

 

Tough bridge to cross: a significant hurdle for the International Team is the all-conquering Team USA. PHOTO: Getty Images.

Baker-Finch tells Golf Australia magazine his time involved with the Internationals is over. “I am too old!” he jokes. “I think they’ll be looking at someone else, and that’s how it should be.”

Yet captain Weir could do worse than consult the 64-year-old “Sparra”. Baker-Finch reckons pairings are key for the International team. He likes the simple idea of pairing men from the same country together.

“Jason Day and Min Woo Lee would be a good pairing. The Korean guys might go together, Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Ben An.

“Hideki [Matsuyama] could play with anyone. He has a really strong and quiet presence about him. There is leadership in him.”

If Weir isn’t sure how to pair his players, he could do what Baker-Finch did: ask them.

“Before each event, we asked every player who they wanted to play with and who they didn’t want to play with,” he says. “Today, it’s very much in the data. But back then it was as simple as what ball they use and who they are comfortable with around 18 holes.”

International team heads (L-R) Camilo Villegas, Trevor Immelman, Ernie Els, Mike Weir and Geoff Ogilvy. PHOTO:Getty Images

O’Hern says Weir is a “Finchy-type guy”.

“He is pretty methodical and technical about things. But number-one, he’s a great bloke.

“It is a very big ask for the Internationals to win, especially in Canada.

"But, you know, Mike is a good guy and he’ll have figured out all the angles to work around.”