Canadian golfers Nick Taylor and Corey Conners have brushed off the controversy surrounding the proposed renaming of Lake Ontario to Lake America, stating their focus remains on the upcoming Presidents Cup. The two athletes expressed amusement rather than engagement with the political naming debate.
"I think we’ll leave the naming of lakes out of it," Taylor said Tuesday, laughing at the suggestion. Conners echoed this sentiment, adding, "I don’t think anyone would be too excited about that prospect. I don’t know who’s in charge of lake naming."
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in August directing that Lake Ontario be renamed Lake America for U.S. federal use. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the proposed change.
When asked if the naming dispute provided any extra motivation to defeat the American team, Taylor stated, "No, that has nothing to do with my motivation. But our motivation is to come in here and win, so we have plenty of that." Conners similarly affirmed that his drive to win stems from loyalty to his teammates, Canada, and the captains, not from the lake naming issue.
The Presidents Cup, a team golf competition, features 12 American golfers competing against a team of 12 international players. The International team this year represents seven countries: Canada, Australia, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, and South Korea.
Conners described the efforts made by Captain Geoff Ogilvy to unite the diverse team, stating, "He’s done a really great job of getting us together all throughout the year, giving us something to play for." He highlighted the team's shield logo as a rallying point and noted the growing closeness among players.
Taylor added that team dinners, practice rounds, and course visits have fostered strong relationships. "There’s obviously challenges with everyone growing up in different spots and obviously having different backgrounds," Taylor said. "We made an effort to get to know each other and the camaraderie has been great."
He shared an anecdote about a practice round with Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim, which strengthened their bond and earned him the nickname "Brother Kim." "It doesn’t matter who you are, the more time you spend with somebody and you’re all rallying together for one common goal, it’s easy to build relationships and make that stronger," Taylor concluded.
The competition is scheduled to begin Thursday at Medinah Country Club.