Taylor Pendrith and Quail Hollow could be perfect match

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Toronto Maple Leafs fandom has been a bumpy road for Taylor Pendrith.

Pendrith, 31, grew up outside Toronto as an avid hockey player – “I had a pretty hard slap shot” – which meshed with his love for the Leafs. The team’s most recent title came in 1967, more than two decades before Pendrith was born, but he’s an eternal optimist, nonetheless.

Each season brings a new hope. Pendrith, an International Team rookie at this week’s Presidents Cup, intends to radiate that spirit of belief in the face of all odds at Quail Hollow Club.

In 13 prior Presidents Cups, the International Team holds a 1-11-1 mark, with an 0-7 record on United States soil. Pendrith was one of six captain’s picks for Trevor Immelman’s International squad, and he’s one of eight first-timers for the upstart contingent.

Pendrith’s competitive advantage fits Quail Hollow like a glove. It’s a big ballpark, and he finished 12th as a TOUR rookie in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, after ranking No. 3 on the Korn Ferry Tour in driving distance in 2020-21. He would pair well with anyone – he and Mito Pereira will take on Tony Finau and Max Homa in Foursomes on Thursday – and he believes the Internationals (+650 on BetMGM as of Wednesday afternoon) could pull the upset.

If so, Pendrith himself could prove the secret weapon.

“You could put him on the range against anybody, and you would be like, ‘Is that guy the No. 1 player in the world, or going to be?’” said International Team Captain’s Assistant Mike Weir, who grew up in Pendrith’s native Ontario and also spent a few years on developmental circuits before earning TOUR status.

“He’s kind of the modern build of player now, powerful, with all the shots. He fits well in our team. He’s a very likable guy, easy to pair up with anybody. I think he’s really enjoyed himself and fit in quite nicely.”

Indeed, when asked Wednesday of a pinch-me moment so far at Quail Hollow, Pendrith paused before smiling and remarking, “all of it.”

Pendrith wasn’t necessarily expecting to make this team. Two months ago, he was fighting for a spot in the FedExCup Playoffs. He suffered a rib injury during a warm-up at THE PLAYERS Championship in March, leading to a four-month hiatus. He started hitting balls the week prior to his hometown RBC Canadian Open in June – fighting to do anything in his power to play that event – but knew from experience (he lost his Korn Ferry Tour card in 2016 while playing through a palm injury) that rushing back was the worst idea.

“I was hitting 60-yard shots for three days, ice it down, see how I feel,” said Pendrith of this summer rehab process. “Then I went to 9-irons, 7-irons, 5-irons, 3-irons, and then finally hit a driver probably 10 days into it. It was a long progression, but I wanted to play it safe and make sure it was fully healed and ready to go.”

Pendrith stood No. 110 on the FedExCup upon his return at the Barbasol Championship in early July. He would have medical starts in 2022-23 if he needed them, but he had other ideas. He recorded six top-15s in his final seven starts, including a T8 at the BMW Championship, the second FedExCup Playoffs event. He nearly played his way into the TOUR Championship.

Suddenly he was squarely on Immelman’s radar, and with Pendrith’s brawny game off the tee matching the host venue’s demands, he was in. “It asks a lot of tough questions with your long game,” Immelman said Tuesday of Quail Hollow.

Pendrith’s neighbor in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida? Cameron Young, a U.S. Team rookie and a fellow member of Pendrith’s 2021 Korn Ferry Tour graduating class. The two have similar games; Young ranked No. 2 on TOUR last season in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, after finishing eighth on the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour in driving distance.

Both players faced early-career adversity – Young missed at First Stage of 2019 Q-School – and both have taken the fast track to their first Presidents Cup. But while Young has become fairly well known in America and is widely expected to be named Rookie of the Year, the same can’t be said of Pendrith. That could all begin to change at Quail Hollow.

“I think people are going to come to know Taylor Pendrith,” Weir said, “this week and going forward.”