Mike Weir: International Team believes in ability to win Presidents Cup | Golf Today | Golf Central

DECISIONS AND DO THE BEST JOBS WE CAN TO MAKE THOSE PICKS. >> THERE'S DATA, MIKE, BUT THERE'S ALSO OLD-FASHIONED MOTIVATION. YOU KNOW, THE GREAT NFL COACH BILL PARCELS USED TO SAY YOU ARE WHAT YOUR RECORD SAYS YOU ARE AND THE NATIONALS ARE 1-1-12 THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THIS COMPETITION. DO YOU USE THAT AS MOTIVATION AT ALL OR IS THAT UNHELPFUL FOR WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN A FEW WEEK'S TIME? >> I THINK IT'S LIKE AN UNSPOKEN THING THAT THE GUYS JUST KNOW. THE GUYS ARE, YOU KNOW -- YOU GET SICK OF LOSING, AND TAKE SOMEONE LIKE ADAM SCOTT WHO HAS BEEN -- THIS IS HIS 11th CUP, VERY MOTIVATED HAVING A GREAT SUMMER, SOMEONE LIKE THAT, THEY KNOW THE HISTORY AND THEY'VE BEEN PART OF THAT HISTORY FOR A LONG TIME AND WITNESS TO CHANGE THAT NARRATIVE. THE YOUNG GUYS ARE MOTIVATED TO GET IN THERE AND WIN AND BE PART OF A WINNING TEAM. SO IT'S NOT REALLY SOMETHING THAT WE TALK ABOUT OR HAS TO BE SAID. IT'S MORE THE GUYS ARE EXCITED TO BE PART OF A TEAM. THEY LIKE EACH OTHER. THEY LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING. THEY'RE BUYING INTO WHAT WE'RE DOING. SO THAT'S VERY EXCITING FOR ME. >> MIKE, YOUR PREDECESSOR AS THE INTERNATIONAL CAPTAIN HAVE SAID IT CAN BE TRICKY TO GET SOMETHING FOR THE PLAYERS TO COALESCE AROUND. IT'S EASY FOR THE EUROPEANS TO GATHER AROUND THEIR FLAG. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A GROUP OF 12 PEOPLE AND THERE'S A TENDENCY TO PICK GUYS FROM THE HOME COUNTRY TO GET THAT FAN INTEREST AS WELL. IN PARTICULAR WITH CONNERS AND PENDRITH BEING 0 FOR 8 BETWEEN THEM IN THEIR LAST PRESIDENTS CUP YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO FACE CRITICISM YOU'RE PUTTING PATRIOTISM OVER PERFORMANCE. WHAT WOULD YOUR ANSWER TO THAT BE? >> WELL, I THINK THEIR PERFORMANCE HAS EARNED THEM SPOTS ON THE TEAM, AND LIKE -- I MEAN ALL OF US GUYS THAT HAVE PLAYED THE GAME A LONG TIME, YOU KNOW YOU HAVE THESE STRETCHES AND THAT WAS THEIR FIRST TIME PLAYING IN CHARLOTTE AND DIDN'T GO THEIR WAY. IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING TWO YEARS LATER. IN MY MIND. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THREE GUYS ON THE TEAM, THREE CANADIANS ON THE TEAM IS THE MOST WE'VE EVER HAD WHICH IS FANTASTIC. IT'S THE TREND IN CANADIAN GOLF. WE HAVE PLAYERS AND A DEEPER CORE OF PLAYERS ACROSS CANADA TO CHOOSE FROM, COMPARED TO MAYBE MY ERA, WHERE THERE WASN'T AS MANY. SO THAT JUST SHOWS THE STATE OF CANADIAN GOLF AND HOW STRONG IT IS. TO YOUR GUYS' QUESTION EARLIER AND POINT THE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN FOUR OR FIVE, THAT'S A VERY TRUE FACT AND EXCITING FOR CANADIAN GOLF. BUT I THINK THOSE -- THE PICKS ARE WARRANTED AND THAT DESERVE IT THEY'VE PLAYED GREAT GOLF. >> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE UNITED STATES TEAM, SCOTTIE, XANDER, FIVE PLAYERS IN THE TOP NINE THAT ARE ON THIS TEAM SO FAR. HOW DO YOU BEAT THEM? >> YEAH. NO DOUBT THEY'RE A STRONG BUNCH AND, YOU KNOW, GOLF IS GOLF, AND NO ONE THOUGHT I WOULD MATCH UP AGAINST TIGER VERY WELL WHEN I PLAYED HIM HERE YEARS AGO, RIGHT. IT'S JUST A FACT. BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE HEART AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND OUR GUYS BELIEVE THAT, THAT WE CAN WIN, AND MATCH PLAY IS DIFFERENT. IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ANIMAL. SO I BELIEVE IN THESE GUYS. I TOTALLY BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PERFORM REALLY WELL. I THINK WE HAVE A GREAT CHANCE TO BRING THE CUP BACK TO OUR SIDE. EXCITED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN A FEW WEEKS. >> AS THE HOST CAPTAIN, MIKE, YOU HAVE A SIGNIFICANT VOICE IN THE FORMAT AND THE ORDERING OF THE FORMAT BETWEEN FOURSOMES, FOURBALLS. WHAT HAVE YOU OPTED FOR AND WHY? >> YEAH. WE'RE STARTING WITH FOURBALL ON THURSDAY, AND IT'S JUST -- THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. THE TOUR -- I THINK THEY WANT TO ANNOUNCE THAT PRETTY SOON. THE STATS HAVE SHOWN THAT THAT'S KIND OF FAVORABLE FOR OUR TEAM, AND WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE SOME STRONG PAIRINGS THERE AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE STARTING WITH. >> MIKE, ARE THERE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO TO THE GOLF COURSE KIND OF BEND IT MORE TOWARDS YOUR TEAM'S STRENGTHS? HOW AGGRESSIVE WILL YOU BE IN THAT REALM OR LAISSEZ-FAIRE LWIL YOU BE IN THAT REGARD. >> WE'VE BEEN DOING THINGS AROUND THE GOLF COURSE TO MAKE SURE OR TRY TO FIND LITTLE ADVANTAGES, AND WE'RE OUT HERE NOW AT ROYAL MUN TRONTREAL, THE COURSE LOOKS IN GREAT CONDITION AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO A FEW THINGS TO FIND THOSE LEDGES TO PUT THEM AT OUR ADVANTAGE, HOPEFULLY. >> WE'RE THREE WEEKS AWAY FROM THE PRESIDENTS CUP. ONE THING THAT BECAME APPARENT IN ROME AT THE RYDER CUP WAS THE GAP BETWEEN THE END OF THE PGA TOUR PLAYOFF AND ALMOST A MONTH TO THE PRESIDENTS CUP AND LOT OF GUYS DID NOT COMPETE AT ALL IN THAT WINDOW. DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF WHETHER OR NOT ANY OF YOUR TEAM WILL COMPETE ANYWHERE BETWEEN NOW AND THE PRESIDENTS CUP TO TRY TO MAINTAIN SOME KIND OF COMPETITIVE SHARPNESS? >> YEAH. I THINK SOME OF OUR GUYS ARE GOING TO PLAY. I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY GUYS ARE PLAYING NAPA AND THERE'S THE BMW TOURNAMENT OVER ON THE DP WORLD TOUR THE WEEK BEFORE AT WENTWORTH, SO SOME OF OUR GUYS ARE GOING TO PLAY. LOOK, THEY'VE HAD BIG YEARS. IT'S NOT AS LONG AS A GAP. THE RYDER CUP HAS THREE WEEKS IN BETWEEN, LIKE YOU SAID. WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT GUYS KNOW WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO STAY SHARP, WHETHER THAT'S PLAYING, WORKING WITH THEIR COACHES OR WORKING ON THINGS THEY NEED FOR ROYAL MONTREAL. MYSELF AND THE OTHER CAPTAINS ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE GUYS KNOW WHAT TO WORK ON AN