Mike Weir is back in the captain’s chair, but in a more laid-back fashion compared to Montreal one year ago.
Weir, who captained the International side at the Presidents Cup in 2024, will be at the helm of Team International for the Skechers World Champions Cup, which also includes Team Europe and Team USA and features players from PGA Tour Champions, the men's senior circuit.
Jim Furyk will captain the Americans while Darren Clarke will captain Europe. The rosters were announced Wednesday.
“It’s way different than the Presidents Cup obviously,” Weir told Sportsnet.ca. “That was a couple of years’ worth of work, a lot of logistical things, but I think with veteran guys and guys my age, most people know what to do and what they expect.”
The event, which is contested across nine-hole matches, will take place Dec. 4-7 at Feather Sound Country Club in Clearwater, Fla. There are team formats and singles play, with points earned for each hole won in each of the event’s 24 matches.
Weir said he’s leaning on analytics to capture data on the golf course via drone footage, and with just six players on his team, there is a little work underway to try to find a couple pairings that will maximize opportunities to earn points.
“It’s an exciting tournament and exciting format. I’m pumped about it,” Weir said.
Weir’s International side will include Steven Alker, Angel Cabrera, K.J. Choi, Y.E. Yang and himself. The sixth and final spots for the teams are play-in positions determined based on the Charles Schwab Cup standings at the end of the regular season, which wraps up Sunday at the SAS Championship. Weir will also name one non-playing vice-captain at a later date.
New Zealand's Alker has won once already this season and was the Player of the Year in 2024, while Argentina's Cabrera has won two senior majors in 2025.
“We have a steady team. We have steady players. Angel is probably the most powerful player on our team. We’re not a super long team so we’re going to keep the ball in play and do it with short game and good putting and win our points that way. There are veteran guys who have played well in big moments. Our team is laid back," Weir said.
"There won’t be tons of fist pumping." Then, he continued, with a laugh: "Maybe some."
Weir said he paid close attention to September's Ryder Cup, in which a mighty American squad fell to Europe for the second time in a row. Europe's success continues to inspire belief in the International side for the Presidents Cup, which returns in 2026 at Medinah Country Club, just outside Chicago.
He explained the International side is trying to grow a financial nest egg so it can “do more and more like the Europeans.” Things were better for Weir than they were for Trevor Immelman in 2022, and they'll improve once more for captain Geoff Ogilvy in Chicago.
“It’s an interesting time,” Weir said. “Hopefully we can (get) some horses like Rory (McIlroy) and Jon Rahm. We need to get some of these younger guys winning tournaments and up there in the top 10 in the world — hopefully that’ll happen. There is a lot of talent but hopefully we can get guys up there more consistently and that builds on itself.”
Perhaps, they'll even get some leadership momentum if Weir is able to help lead his team to a win in December.
The World Champions Cup debuted in 2023 but was postponed last year due to weather concerns.
Team USA won the inaugural event, when Canadian Stephen Ames teed it up for Team International.
