Presidents Cup captain ‘anxious’ over LIV Golf inclusion

International Presidents Cup captain Mike Weir says he is ‘anxious and hopeful’ awaiting for clarity over LIV golfers competing in next year’s event.

The 2024 match with the United States will take place in September at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Canada.

And the 53-year-old Masters champion admits he will look straight to Cam Smith, should the framework deal pave the way for the breakaway players to be included.

Weir told SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio: “I have not heard any news. I’m anxious and hopeful that we hear something sooner rather than later.

“Hopefully by the end of the year, so I can start formulating things in my head of potential guys over there who could make the team.

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“They are at a disadvantage because of the world ranking points, so right now Cam Smith is the only guy that’s still up there.

“Cam Smith, in particular, has been playing great over there on LIV, and he’d be one of our horses for sure.

“I can’t say until it’s all finalised, but if it is, then I’ll definitely look at those guys, and assume I’ll have a few conversations with them.”

Players who jumped ship to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league were not eligible to compete at the 2022 Presidents Cup.

The biennial event is a PGA Tour-sanctioned tournament, so the likes of Smith and Joaquin Niemann were banned from competing.

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The runaway American success at Quail Hollow missed other notables including Dustin Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, and Charles Schwartzel.

But Weir, who was assistant captain to Trevor Immelman for that defeat, hopes the proposed merger can rejuvenate his hunt for a rare international success.

The United States has won the last nine Presidents Cups, last falling to defeat in 1998.

That triumph at Royal Melbourne Golf Club remains the international team’s only win since the competition began in 1994.

Jim Furyk will debut as Team USA captain at next year’s event and will have a decision to make about LIV Golf’s Brooks Koepka.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.