Canada's Taylor Pendrith ready for his Presidents Cup redemption

Taylor Pendrith was ready to accept whatever decision was made. There were some friends to catch up with back in Canada, and his nearly 2-year-old son, Hayes, was just about to start soccer in Florida. His PGA TOUR season had been amazing. In his own words, it was his best ever. If it was time for a break, then so be it.

Pendrith’s countryman and International Team Captain Mike Weir, however, had other plans. His decision really was an easy one after Pendrith’s summertime stretch.

Weir called on a Monday. He told Pendrith that he wanted him on the team. As one of three Canadians on the 12-man roster, Pendrith, who grew up about 45 minutes from Toronto, would be part of a crucial Canadian contingent at Royal Montreal.

It's a big role for Pendrith, an important promotion from two years ago, when he went 0-4 as a captain’s pick at Quail Hollow. But a lot has changed since then. He won’t be a Presidents Cup rookie this time. He’ll have the comfort of playing in his home country. Pendrith also picked up his first PGA TOUR win this year, qualified for his first TOUR Championship and developed into one of the PGA TOUR’s best putters. He ranked in the top 10 of both Driving Distance and Strokes Gained: Putting this season, a potent combination for team play.

Earlier this season, during the week of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, Weir hosted a dinner in the Dallas metroplex at an upscale Japanese restaurant where about 15 International Team hopefuls were in attendance. Pendrith was one of them. Weir put the word out: He thought the winner that week was going to come from that room. He was right, as Pendrith went on to win for the first time on TOUR. Hayes ran out onto the green and was in Pendrith’s arms when he did his post-round victory interview. His wife, Meg, who had been a nurse in Canada through the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, was there, too, by his side through his entire golfing journey.

“Mike added a little bit of motivation at that dinner to make the team, maybe fired me up a little bit, and I was able to win that week," said Pendrith on Weir's influence. "But he's been great. He is available if you ever have any questions and has been great to the Canadian guys.

"Obviously, he's the legend in Canada and wants us to succeed and follow in his footsteps.”

The good play continued after that. He finished T10 in the following week’s Wells Fargo Championship, a Signature Event played at Quail Hollow, the venue for Pendrith’s Presidents Cup debut. A T16 at the U.S. Open marked the best major finish of his career. Then there were back-to-back top-fives in July and a trio of top-25s in the FedExCup Playoffs. He’s now 44th in the world ranking, the best of his career.

Pendrith was picked alongside fellow Canadians Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes to play at Royal Montreal. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them, to play a Presidents Cup on home soil. And for Conners and Pendrith, the duo is looking to make an immediate splash after a tough Presidents Cup debut in North Carolina. The Canadian pair went an unfortunate 0-8 in 2022.

To Pendrith’s credit, he played well that week. Two of his losses came on the final hole, and he lost his Sunday Singles match against Tony Finau on No. 17. He said he felt like he learned a lot about his game – and himself – that week. Pendrith admitted recently to Canadian media that he was “definitely surprised” when he got the call to join the team in 2022, as it had been a “weird year.”

“I wouldn’t say I was super uncomfortable, but there were a lot of guys on that team who I hadn’t even met before, hadn’t talked to,” Pendrith explained. “I hit some shots that week that were very memorable to me, and can lean back on those times and my individual performance on the PGA TOUR, and can bring that into (this year’s Presidents Cup).

“It’s a team week. I’m going to do whatever they ask of me and perform at my highest, and hopefully we do great.”

Pendrith was the lone Canadian to make the TOUR Championship at East Lake – his first time making the season finale – and his steady play was handsomely rewarded with a pick by Weir. Pendrith had 14 top-25 finishes this season including five straight to end his year. He finished fifth in consecutive weeks at the Barracuda Championship and the 3M Open, which catapulted him up the Presidents Cup standings. He finished 10th at the end of it all.

“He knows he can play and compete very nicely with the top players in the game, and he knows what to expect. He’ll be more comfortable,” Pendrith’s long-time coach Derek Ingram said. “It’s also a 'friendly fire' area in Canada who know Taylor Pendrith. He was the best Canadian on the PGA TOUR this year – the numbers don’t lie.

“He did a combination of things (right), and you combine that with a great attitude, things coming together and playing good and free and getting some rest, and you’ve got a season like that.”

Having three Canadians at the Presidents Cup this year will be a record number. Although it could have been higher – with both Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin in the mix. Weir admitted in emotional interviews that it was “difficult” and “terrible” to have to make the calls to those TOUR winners. But the trio of Conners, Hughes and Pendrith are exceptionally familiar with each other. They all grew up together in Ontario, were teammates on Golf Canada’s national squad and at Kent State University.

Pendrith is ready to play with his friends (literally the best of friends: Pendrith was Conners’ best man, Conners returned the favor to Pendrith, and they both were in Hughes’ wedding party) in front of their home-country fans. He’s ready to play for his captain – the biggest PGA TOUR star, non-Tiger Woods division, responsible for him wanting to pursue this pro-golf dream – and make his second time at the Presidents Cup even more memorable.

It would be a dream finish to the best of seasons.

"I think having those guys there and having Weirsy being the captain, it's going to be a very good week,” Pendrith said, “And I'm super excited to get going."