Canadian golf legend Mike Weir is counting down the days until he can hear the crowd cheering again at the Presidents Cup.

The Ontario native conducted site inspections and met with key organizers of the 2024 Presidents Cup at the Royal Montreal Golf Club on Tuesday.

Weir said that while the 12-on-12 tournament will feature some of the PGA Tour’s best players, the atmosphere is on a much different level than the men’s golf tour.

“There’s shouting, not just screaming,” said Weir, who is the first Canadian to captain the international team. It’s a different experience, not just for the players but also for the fans who are more involved. It’s more like a hockey game.”

The Presidents Cup pits 12 American players against 12 players from around the world except Europe. Because the event has fewer groups on the field at a time, spectators follow the players from hole to hole, creating a lively atmosphere.

The first hole of a Presidents Cup is particularly impressive. Players reach the tee through a tunnel and an announcer and video footage announce their arrival.

“The first tee experience is incredible,” Weir said. There is music when the players come out of the tunnel, there is a big screen and you can see the first tee shots.”

Weir and Jim Furyk, as non-playing captains of the International and U.S. teams, are responsible for almost every detail of their teams.

Although each team’s first eight players selected are automatically selected based on their ranking on the PGA Tour, Weir and Furyk can select the remaining four players themselves.

They are also responsible for setting up the team locker rooms where players and their spouses prepare for their games, designing team uniforms and bags, and determining when and how their teams practice.

Weir and Furyk must juggle these responsibilities while playing on the PGA Champions Tour, the senior tour in men’s golf.

“When I took the job, I knew my own game would be put on hold for a few years,” said Weir, who missed the last two Champions Tour tournaments so he could focus on preparing for the Presidents Cup. This team and the Presidents Cup have always been an important part of my career. Being a captain is my top priority in the golf world and my own game comes second.”

The Royal Montreal Golf Club will host the Presidents Cup from September 24th to 29th, 2024. This is the second time North America’s oldest golf club has hosted the event. Weir and Furyk both took part in the tournament representation in 2007.

“The terrain hasn’t really changed since 2007,” Furyk noted. You’ll add some spacing, but it’s still very similar. It has stood the test of time, that’s for sure. The event has grown in terms of viewership, television channels and global appeal. I think golf has also grown globally.”

Ontario natives Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith were part of the international team at Quail Hollow last year. It was the first time that two Canadians took part in the event.

The USA defeated the international players 17.5 to 12.5. Furyk said his team would be prepared to play in enemy territory if the tournament moved north of the border.

“We are the visiting team, so there will be a lot of fans rallying around the international team,” said Furyk. I think as a player you enjoy both scenarios. You like being part of the home team, you like the support, but it’s nice to play abroad every now and then and play the role of the villain.”