NBC Sports’ Dan Hicks says don’t count out Mike Weir, underdog Internationals at Presidents Cup

Dan Hicks has had a front row seat to some of golf's biggest moments since he became the lead announcer for NBC Sports in 2000.

His shouting of “Do you expect anything different?” at Tiger Woods' birdie putt during the 2008 U.S. Open ranks high among them, as does Bryson DeChambeau's victory over Rory McIlroy to win his second major title at last year's U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

He has also called every Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup since 2000 and has witnessed firsthand the Europeans dominating the Americans in one tournament and the Americans dominating the internationals in the other.

“I think it's a tale of two cups. Americans perform very differently in the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup,” Hicks said. Playthrough.

“Maybe it's because the Ryder Cup has more history. So the Americans [pressure]And when they go to the Presidents Cup, they just want to have fun, get together and play golf. And sometimes when they're relaxed, they play their best. So I think there's a point to that theory. I think it's proven. The Americans have won nine straight Presidents Cups.”

The Presidents Cup being played at Royal Montreal this week will mark the 15th running of the tournament, which began in 1994. An international team made up of players from countries outside of Europe has won only once, at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia in 1998. The two teams drew in South Africa five years later, but the United States defended the Presidents Cup by winning in 2000.

Since then, everything has been red, white and blue.

Once again, the Americans arrive in Canada with a better team on paper. Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, who had phenomenal 2024 seasons, lead the American team. But Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark are also having solid seasons. So are the other two automatic qualifiers for the Americans, Patrick Cantlay and Sahith Teegala. In fact, all 12 players on the American team are ranked in the top 25 players in the world. But the International team has only four, the highlight of which is Hideki Matsuyama, ranked 7th. Matsuyama had a great season, winning the Genesis Invitational and the FedEx St. Jude Championship, but the 2021 Masters champion has been plagued by several injuries this year.

Adam Scott, Tom Kim and Lim Sung-jae are the other international players ranked in the top 25.

But despite that margin and the fact that Hicks has never predicted an international team victory in the Presidents Cup, the longtime announcer says no one should predict a home team win.

“I've been in sports a long time and I know when these scenarios are presented, sometimes shocking, completely unexpected events occur,” Hicks said.

“We have four new guys on the U.S. team, and we don't know how they're going to play in their first international tournament. It's totally different. Everyone will say that, but for Sahith Teegala, Russell Henley and the guys who are playing for the first time, they're all going to have to play well. We can't expect to win the Presidents Cup unless everyone gives their all.”

“I know they had a lopsided win, but the last match at Quail Hollow was a little bit closer. The Internationals had their chances. They won a session late on Saturday and got a little bit of momentum. I mean, everyone in the world is expecting the Americans to win again and win comfortably. But golf is the craziest sport I've ever seen, and just when you think you've seen it all, you see something else. You never know what's going to happen.”

Perhaps nowhere exemplifies this mantra more than what happened at the 2007 Presidents Cup, the last time Royal Montreal hosted the tournament.

By Sunday morning, the U.S. had already accumulated 14.5 points and only needed to win one singles match to retain the Presidents Cup. The match was over. The U.S. would win again.

But Canadian Mike Weir, then ranked 46th in the world and one of the lowest-scoring players on the PGA Tour, faced off against the all-powerful Tiger Woods in the fourth match on Sunday. Thousands of Canadian fans flocked to the match, cheering on their countryman to pull off the ultimate upset. And Weir did just that, winning 1-up in a “little engine” sort of David slaying Goliath in one of the defining moments in the tournament's history.

“You would have thought that game would decide the Presidents Cup,” Hicks recalled.

Photo: Chris Condon/PGA Tour

“It was very important for Canadians to root for Mike Weir. I've never seen the Cup come together, so to speak, like that game. Even though the U.S. won, that game lit up the whole tournament. And now, 17 years later, I don't think that feeling will change when Mike Weir returns as captain of Royal Montreal. So, if anyone can do something special and achieve the unlikely, I wouldn't overlook Mike Weir and do it in his home country of Canada.”

Weir has selected three of his compatriots to travel with Royal Montreal this week – Corey Connors, Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith – to play for the internationals in their home country and are hoping to draw a similar crowd frenzy as they did in 2007.

But if the RBC Canadian Open goes well, it will.

Still, Hicks said Weir would be wise to rely on that year's wins to buy into the why-not-us mentality.

“If I was Mike Weir, I would bring up what happened and say to my team, 'Hey, nobody thought I could beat Tiger Woods, but I did. And nobody thinks you're going to win the Presidents Cup, but I say it can happen, and I've seen it happen, and I've done it,'” Hicks explained.

“I really want to rely on that win from all those years ago.”

Of course, to pull off an upset, everyone on the International team will have to play well, including Adam Scott, the only player who played in this year's Presidents Cup who also played in 2007. The Australian went 1-3-1-1 that week, beating Zach Johnson in a singles match whose outcome was long-determined. No player has lost more Presidents Cup matches than Scott, who will be playing for the 11th time this week. That said, only Ernie Els has won more games than Scott. Scott has given International 21 points in 10 Presidents Cup appearances, with a career record of 18 wins, 25 losses and 6 draws. Scott has played in every tournament since 2003, and Hicks has seen him plenty over the years.

“I think it's going to be important for Adam Scott to play well,” Hicks explained.

“He's the patriarch of the team so to speak. He'll be looked up to by Mike Weir as vice-captain, playing captain so to speak, but I think he'll be someone the younger players can rely on. I think we're lucky that Adam Scott is in such good form at the moment but can he keep up his form? The players have had a great year, they're going to be in the cup but sometimes they run out of gas.”

For Scott's sake, let's hope that doesn't happen this year. But he's 44 and has played in 21 events this season, most recently last week at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, where he finished tied for 57th. Still, Scott has two runner-up finishes and three top 10s in 2024, proving he's still one of the best players in the world.

Still, Hicks has his eye on another Australian player in Montreal this week.

“Ming Woo Lee is as charismatic as anyone and a joy to watch,” Hicks said.

“I think he's the type of player who will thrive in this environment. I think he's looking forward to it. I also think he's a player who loves being in the spotlight whenever he's in a championship race. He's one of those players who doesn't seem to be afraid of the moment. So, his attitude and the way he plays will fit this environment and I think he'll be a really fun player to watch.”

Lee is one of the longest driving players on the PGA Tour, ranking fifth in total driving distance and sixth in strokes gained off the tee. He plays like the energetic personality he is, full of creativity and fun. “Chef Ming Woo” has two top-10 finishes this year, a great run in his second full season on the PGA Tour, and he also won the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club in Brisbane last November. There are more wins to come, with a chance of winning a major championship in the near future. But Lee has to play well this week to help his team win the International Tour.

The whole team has to play well as a whole.

But as Hicks alluded to, never underestimate an international team, despite the odds. They have the talent to get the job done. Plus, they'll have the home crowd on their side. And who knows? Stranger things have happened. Bigger upsets have happened. Just ask the 1980 U.S. Men's Ice Hockey Team. Or the 2023 Farleigh Dickinson Team. Or Purdue. Or the 2001 New England Patriots. In fact, Shawn Michael proved anything can happen on any given week when he won at Oak Hill in 2003.

This week the same mantra applies.

Just ask Weir, who knows a thing or two about underdogs.

Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.