Presidents Cup profiles: Ben Coley profiles the Internationals

Hideki Matsuyama

• Presidents Cup record: 7-10-5
• Foursomes: 2-5-1
• Fourballs: 3-4-2
• Singles: 2-1-2

An ever-present since his 2013 debut, Matsuyama's record isn't a bad one once you consider the wider context of USA dominance. He's not lost a singles match since doing so that week and has had to cope with a high turnover when it comes to partners, which may explain some heavy foursomes defeats.

Has played more with Adam Scott than anyone else on this team and these two former Masters champions are of similar demeanour. Another option could be Taylor Pendrith, because they played together (albeit losing twice) in fourballs last time, they both use a Srixon ball, and they're two of the form players for their side.

Matsuyama has winning records in both 'home' Presidents Cups and though lacking experience in Canada, you feel he has to play a key role having played so well in 2024. Two big wins and an Olympics bronze set him up perfectly for this and if there's to be an overdue upset, he'll surely have been a massive part of it.

Sungjae Im

• Presidents Cup record: 5-3-2
• Foursomes: 0-3-1
• Fourballs: 3-0-1
• Singles: 2-0-0

Starred on debut at Royal Melbourne, where he shared overall top-scorer honours and ended the week with a crushing singles win. Made it 2-0-0 in that format with a gutsy win against Cam Young in 2022 and his form throughout the last six months has been typically solid, albeit absent of the (PGA Tour) silverware his talents merit.

As with so many in this side, the unknown is where Mike Weir looks for partners. Im hasn't won a match with any one of his teammates and went 0-2-0 with Corey Conners at Quail Hollow, although they were poorly drawn against a Spieth/Thomas juggernaut that week and could be given another opportunity.

It's perhaps more likely that he plays with a countryman, given that he's one of four Korean players. He and Tom Kim get along really well and it seems a bit of a no-brainer to pair them together at some stage, while he did also win an Asian Games gold alongside Si Woo Kim. Si Woo does play a different ball to the other three Koreans, however.

Adam Scott

• Presidents Cup record: 18-25-6
• Fourballs: 5-10-4
• Foursomes: 8-10-2
• Singles: 5-5-0

Veteran Aussie who hasn't missed a Presidents Cup since his 2003 debut and has played a whopping 49 of a possible 50 sessions, including all five two years ago.

Singles record had been 5-3-0 until the last two, in which he's suffered defeats, and it's in foursomes that he's been most reliable as a partner, no doubt a calming influence at times. Won one of those with Matsuyama in 2022, but interestingly played twice with Ben An in 2019 and they went undefeated.

Perhaps then we'll see a reprisal of the broom-handle boys and whether he plays every session or not, Scott is one of the form picks for the hosts having gone close to winning a couple of times lately. Will be desperate to get one of these before his time is up.

Tom Kim

• Presidents Cup record: 2-3-0
• Foursomes: 1-1-0
• Fourballs: 1-1-0
• Singles: 0-1-0

Some may be surprised to see that he returned a losing record on debut given the fanfare around his performance, but there's no doubt he was a key part of the away side's rally. Having made a slow start, he won two matches on Saturday and while coming up short in the singles, ran into an on-song Max Homa and took him down 18.

Since then has established himself as a world-class player with better still to come but does have to recover from a draining summer, which first saw him lose a play-off for the Travelers, then miss out on a medal after a late collapse in Paris, which resulted in some teary footage doing the rounds on social media.

After that, another late collapse saw him exit after the first FedEx Cup Playoffs event so he's been absent for a month. If sharp, you'd fancy him to show his mettle and bounce back with a big performance, likely alongside Si Woo Kim (also played Zurich Classic together in 2023) and perhaps also Sungjae Im at some stage.

Jason Day

• Presidents Cup record: 5-11-4
• Foursomes: 0-5-3
• Fourballs: 3-4-1
• Singles: 2-2-0

Remarkably it's seven years since he played in one of these but yet to miss a session when he has, although that run could be under threat this time. It's not that he arrives in poor form as such – it's that he's played only OK for the last few months and simply isn't the player he was when last taking part.

Then there's his record in foursomes. So far, Day has played eight of them, and he's never won one. Yes he's had some tricky partners (Baddeley, Bowditch), but he's had some elite ones too and it just hasn't worked. Whether that's his slow pace of play or the fact that his iron play can drop or just bad luck, who knows, but he's certainly not the guaranteed call-up he once would've been.

Wonder whether he might play a role similar to that of Justin Rose at last year's Ryder Cup, but then again the two rookies have similar weaknesses to his. Hard to weigh up but is a former winner of the Canadian Open who could play a key role in the singles if not before.

Byeong Hun An

• Presidents Cup record: 1-2-2
• Foursomes: 0-1-1
• Fourballs: 1-0-1
• Singles: 0-1-0

Deservedly back in the team having done just about everything but win since returning to the PGA Tour, where his long-game is generally excellent and his putting has more good weeks than it once did.

Debut came five years ago at Royal Melbourne, where he played all five sessions, and don't be put off by the fact he only won one of them. Lost 1up to Woods/Thomas alongside Matsuyama and 2&1 in the singles, so was never disgraced as one of just five players asked to play five times.

Ended the year in decent shape and while he's only played once in Canada, was runner-up in the Canadian Open on that occasion. Royal Montreal is a different test to Glen Abbey but much of his best golf has come at similar courses and with plenty of likeable pairings options, is set for another busy week.

Corey Conners

• Presidents Cup record: 0-4-0
• Foursomes: 0-2-0
• Fourballs: 0-1-0
• Singles: 0-1-0

Lost all four matches on a nightmare debut and while fairways-and-greens golfers like him often make for the most difficult match play opponents, his timid putting was a major issue throughout the week.

On the flip side, three of four defeats were close, including in the singles against Xander Schauffele, and he has at least doubled his PGA Tour tally in the meantime having won the Texas Open again last April.

Perhaps the biggest positive is that he not only played in the Procore Championship but played well, and having last missed a cut at the 2023 US Open, he's one of the most reliable golfers in the world. With the support of the home crowd and a point to prove, this is a massive week in his career. I hope he's up to it.

Min Woo Lee

• Presidents Cup record: Rookie

Cocksure Aussie with world-class potential who has shown it in flashes this year, twice finishing second and generally playing well in his first full PGA Tour campaign. Like Conners, he's been out to play the Procore and while not at his best on the greens again, hopefully it'll have knocked off the rust.

Easy to see him playing the Tom Kim rookie role and while captaincy these days has become so data-driven that compatriot pairings can't be assumed, surely there's a good chance he's paired with Adam Scott at some stage. That blend of explosive youth and calm experience would be mouthwatering and Scott played with Cam Davis two years ago, in a similar situation.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout

• Presidents Cup record: 1-0-1
• Foursomes: 0-0-0
• Fourballs: 0-0-1
• Singles: 1-0-0

Quiet South African who went unbeaten on his debut at Quail Hollow, but only featured twice and was undeniably well-drawn, facing Cam Young and Kevin Kisner together, then Kisner in the singles. Anchor match ultimately didn't mean much as the contest was over by the time Bezuidenhout won it 2&1.

Still, did what he could in the circumstances and with Royal Montreal arguably a better course for him, remaining unbeaten through two appearances isn't out of the question. However, I say that because after ending the year in modest form, his long-game a bit shaky, I wouldn't expect him to feature much despite his putting prowess.

Taylor Pendrith

• Presidents Cup record: 0-4-0
• Foursomes: 0-1-0
• Fourballs: 0-2-0
• Singles: 0-1-0

Endured a miserable debut when something of a surprise selection, and like Conners it was largely down to some poor pressure putting. That department of his game has improved since, though, and while selected again there was never really any doubt this time, not since his PGA Tour breakthrough in May.

Has continued to thrive since and, having made it all the way to East Lake, was eighth in scoring in the TOUR Championship. With his irons excellent and having improved leaps and bounds with the putter, this big-hitter will hope to enjoy a much more productive second try in front of home fans.

Si Woo Kim

• Presidents Cup record: 4-3-0
• Foursomes: 1-2-0
• Fourballs: 2-0-0
• Singles: 1-1-0

Made his debut as the reigning PLAYERS champion in 2017 and restored pride after a chastening foursomes defeat on day one, winning a point in the fourballs and then losing a closely-fought singles match. Returned in 2022 when paired with the now-absent Davis at first, winning one and losing one, before he and Kim won their fourball in the fourth session to inject hope into the Sunday singles, which he then led out and delivered another point.

Some would argue he's been quiet this year but it's actually been his best yet from an underlying data perspective, and fair to say that if the man could putt (yet to produce a single year of positive strokes-gained putting numbers), he'd be world-class. Could certainly make a world-class partner, though, likely with Kim again.

Mackenzie Hughes

• Presidents Cup record: Rookie

The last of three Canadian picks and a surprise one, given that both Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin were ahead of him in points, as was Davis. The latter was desperately unlucky to miss out but Hughes is a gritty character who might just revel in having something to prove, something we saw a hint of when fourth in the Procore.

You'll seldom see Hughes hit the ball as well as he did in that event and as one of the very best putters on the PGA Tour, suddenly there's potential for quite an active role in a team he was a bit fortunate to make. Still, hard to deny he'd be a risky foursomes pick even if he has often stepped up on home soil in the past.