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By John Maginnes
PGATOUR.com Contributor

MONTREAL -- I'm not sure, but this week's Presidents Cup could be the first international team competition played in a city where the language is different from the native tongue of any of the players or caddies.

Tony Navarro (WireImage)

According to a survey, nearly 75 percent of the households in Montreal speak French -- more than in any city outside Paris. But the people here aren't snooty French. They don't mind speaking English. All of the street signs and billboards are in French, but waiters and hotel workers are friendly and bilingual.

While much of Canada is Americanized, Quebec and Montreal have clung to the history and their language. Walking down Rue St. Catherine, you pass patisseries and coffee shops reminiscent of an aging European city. Interesting, considering that Montreal is only a stone's throw from the States.

Of course, I was reveling in the local culture reading an entertainment paper at an outdoor café when I saw an article announcing the opening of Montreal's first Hooters. When I think of great French food, I always think wings, draft beer and orange gym shorts.

That is just one of the many signs that the world is ever-shrinking, which is certainly true in the golf world as well. The International Team is made up of players from as far away as Fiji and South Korea. But the Fijian lives in Florida and has an American caddy. The South Korean lives in Houston, and his caddy is a craggy old Brit.

As a matter of fact, there are four U.S. caddies on the International side. American Tony Navarro has caddied in nearly every Presidents Cup, but he has never looped for an American in this competition. He was the long-time caddy for Greg Norman and now caddies for another Aussie in Adam Scott.

Earlier this week, I was having a conversation with Joe Damiano, Stuart Appleby's longtime looper, about the number of American caddies on the International side.

Steve Williams (WireImage)

We agreed that the American side was all American -- but then we realized we were wrong. Joey reminded me that we had overlooked someone. The caddy who has been in the highest tax bracket over the last several years isn't American at all. As a matter of fact, if he were a player he would be on the International Team. I am referring to Steve Williams, the Kiwi who caddies for Tiger Woods.

Lest you think that there is some sort of a patriotic conflict when a caddy and player don't share nationalities in these international team competitions -- perish the thought. Ten percent of what any of these players make each year will buy a lot of loyalty and a few chicken wings up the street.

Not to mention, these players and caddies are all very familiar with each other. Prior to the start of the Thursday Foursomes matches, Steve Williams stood chatting with Ian Baker-Finch, the assistant captain of the International Team, moments before Tiger and Charles Howell III took on K.J. Choi and Nick O'Hern.

Like the city that is hosting this week The Presidents Cup is unique. There is a friendliness this week that you don't often see -- particularly when international bragging rights are at stake. But that is par for the course in Montreal.

If you think those electric Smart cars motoring down the highways here look a little unusual, how about French-Canadians cheering on a large Argentine as one of their own.

Some of the scenes you see at a Presidents Cup may go against type. Woody Austin wearing a shirt absent of hot sauce bottles bobbing in the bayou is certainly a rarity. Heck, someone wearing a red shirt playing with Tiger is something that you don't see very often, either.

Early in the week, Jack Nicklaus said that he was just glad that it wasn't snowing in Montreal in late September. Well, there are still three days and four sessions of matches to go, and snow is about the only thing that we haven't seen.