Wyndham Clark says what he’s heard about Royal Montreal which could disadvantage USA at the Presidents Cup

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Wyndham Clark is fine-tuning his game ahead of the 2024 Presidents Cup, which gets underway at Royal Montreal Golf Club in under two weeks.

Clark automatically qualified for Jim Furyk’s 12-man United States team after producing some excellent performances toward the end of the PGA Tour season.

The 2023 US Open winner is currently participating in the Procore Championship in Napa, where he hopes to stay sharp ahead of the trip to Quebec.

Speaking ahead of the event at the Silverado Resort, Clark shared what he’s heard about Royal Montreal, having never seen the course before.

Wyndham Clark expects true Canadian test at Royal Montreal Golf Club

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The 30-year-old’s caddie, John Ellis, has previously played Royal Montreal on the Canadian circuits, and Clark has admitted he expected a typical tree-line Canadian test.

“I haven’t played it, but my caddie played it whilst he was on the Canadian Tour, and what I know from Canadian golf is its typically pretty tree-lined, high rough back to front greens, and you don’t hit as many drivers, which is what I’ve heard about this place,” Clark told the Talk of the Tour Podcast.

“It’s going to be a lot of making sure you get the ball in play, and then it’s a second shot golf course, really.”

The 2023 US Open champion then suggested that Royal Montreal’s narrowness could, in fact, disadvantage the USA side.

Clark added: “It takes out Team USA’s advantage of the distance and hitting it far, but then again, I feel we have advantages at all levels. We have some of the best iron players and putters in the game.”

The history of Royal Montreal Golf Club ahead of the Presidents Cup

Royal Montreal is set to provide an unknown test, with several players yet to see the course in person.

The club is one of the five founding clubs of the Royal Canadian Golf Association. The Canadian Open, which Robert MacIntyre won this year, was first played at Royal Montreal in 1904.

Furthermore, the venue does have Presidents Cup pedigree. Royal Montreal hosted the 2007 edition, which saw Jack Nicklaus’ USA clinch a five-point victory over Gary Player’s International side.

This year’s captains, Jim Furyk and Mike Weir, both featured 17 years ago.