Presidents Cup: International team ‘Shield’ pops up around the world

Ahead of the Presidents Cup getting under way at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Canada today, the International team has gone all out to ensure maximum support as they bid to end a dismal losing run in the event. 

The side, captained this year by former Masters champion Mike Weir, are out to stop the United States from making it ten wins in a row in the biennial dust-up.

The Internationals, indeed, have won only once outright in the history of the contest, with many commentators openly predicting that won’t change this week.

However, those closest to the side are confident of upsetting Jim Furyk’s Americans by rallying the support of the respective nations represented in Weir’s 12-man line-up.

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That included arranging for the team’s Shield emblem to appear in different locations across the world.

Highlights included:

Tokyo, Japan
Residents and visitors in Tokyo’s bustling Shibuya district were met with posters appearing featuring the International Shield emblem.

Seoul, South Korea
The vibrant neighbourhoods of Hongdae and Itaewon featured impressive graffiti Shields stencilled across the sidewalks of Seoul.

Cape Town, South Africa
The Shield’s arrival in South Africa saw the emblem come to life on an mural in trendy Green Point.

Melbourne, Australia
In Australia, the Shield emerged as a huge sand-sculpture at St Kilda’s beach, Melbourne.

Canada
The Shield’s unveiling at the home of this year’s Presidents Cup appeared as a giant motif etched into countryside earth.

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The Shield was introduced in 2019 as a way to unify the International side and, speaking earlier this week, captain Weir explained how it has helped.

“I’ve learned a lot through some coaches that I’ve talked to, some Team Canada coaches – Ken Hitchcock we had up here a couple weeks ago, we had Coach Cooper, Jon Cooper from Tampa in. He’s going to be the next, obviously, Team Canada coach. Just talking to them, they get a bunch of different cultures on a hockey team. So learning from those guys and trying to implement some of those things into our team.

“It’s different than the US team. It just is. We have, obviously, all these cultural differences. Not that they don’t have differences too, but ours is just some cultural things. It’s gotten a lot better, and our guys have a great vibe going. I like where our team is at right now.”

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor