Canada's Taylor Pendrith puts figurative 'A' on golf shirt for Presidents Cup

International team players Taylor Pendrith of Canada, and Corey Conners of Canada, right, as they wait for the trophy presentation at the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Royal Montreal Golf Club Sunday, September 29, 2024 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Taylor Pendrith was making other plans when he learned that he’d be taking on a new role for the International team as an assistant to captain Geoff Ogilvy at this week’s Presidents Cup.

“I was actually planning my mother-in-law’s surprise 60th birthday party, and I’d missed a call from Geoff because I was setting things up,” said Pendrith on Monday. “I went out and took the call, and he told me the news, and I went back in and told my wife, and she was shocked.

“I was a little shocked too. It’s not something that at this point in my career I was thinking about, but obviously I’m super honoured and proud to to be in this role and be here with the guys.”

Unlike hockey, the captain and his assistants don’t play in the Presidents Cup but act more like coaches, following play in golf carts and relaying information from pairing to pairing.

As a result, the captains and their assistants for the best-on-best tournament that sees the top American golfers on the PGA Tour take on the elite from around the world — minus Europe — are older players who are retired or semi-retired.

For example, Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., captained the International side at the 2024 edition at Royal Montreal Golf Club. His assistants were Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, Ogilvy and Camilo Villegas.

All of them were over 40 at the time and Weir and Els were already regulars on the Champions Tour. Immelman had been CBS’s lead golf analyst for a year, and Ogilvy only played in one PGA Tour event that year. Only Villegas, who was 42 at the time, had played a full season in 2024.

At 35 years old, Pendrith is still very much in his prime. Indeed, when play teed off at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago on Thursday morning he officially tied Ian Baker-Finch for the youngest-ever captain’s assistant.

“It was a huge goal of mine to make the team as a player, and I just didn’t have a great year on the golf course,” said Pendrith, who was 95th on the FedEx Cup standings at the end of the season. “(Ogilvy) had a secondary prize for me, and wanted me to be an assistant captain. Obviously, it’s something that I can’t say no to.

“I want to be a part of the team. It’s my favourite week of the year, so I accepted, and it’s been really fun.”

Pendrith has played in the last two editions of the biennial event. He was shut out in his four match play appearances at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., in 2022 but earned two points in five chances at Montreal in 2024.

“It’s a pressure that you can’t really produce in practice,” said Pendrith. “It’s such a big week. You’re playing for more than yourself. You have your team and all the countries that are represented on this team.”

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., is playing in the Presidents Cup for a third time and Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is making his debut.

Taylor said he was pumped to have Pendrith as part of the captain’s staff.

“To pick his brain with his experience playing in this twice and now being there for us, anything he can do to help us being an assistant captain it’s huge, especially for me being my first time,” said Taylor. “It’s a familiar face, someone I’m very comfortable talking to and being around and I’m definitely going to take his advice whenever I can.”

Pendrith said his advice for Taylor and fellow International team rookies Ryan Fox of New Zealand, Nico Echavarria of Colombia, and Ryo Hisatsune of Japan was simple.

“Just enjoy it and have fun. It’s it’s so much fun being here with the guys in the team room and all of that, so try not to put too much pressure on yourself,” said Pendrith. “Obviously, everybody wants to do good and play well and get points for the team and do well for their teammates, but to just really enjoy it and have fun because it is a pretty special week.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2026.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press