Presidents Cup star downs beer on first tee in wild scenes before team suffers 5-0 whitewash

The Presidents Cup is taking place this week in Montreal and Canada's Mackenzie Hughes helped get the crowd going by chugging a beer on the first tee

Mackenzie Hughes delivered an unforgettable start to the Presidents Cup in Montreal, firing up the crowd by chugging a beer on the first tee, marking the 15th event in style.

The Canadian is a key member of an international squad aiming to curb Team USA's relentless streak of nine consecutive victories. With Ontario's Mike Weir captaining the team, Hughes, Taylor Pendrith, and Corey Conners are among the proud Canadians rallying for the challenge.

Although not featuring in the initial four-ball lineup, Hughes made his presence felt by downing a Stella Artois. The 33 year old golf pro dropped to one knee, tipping the drink back as spectators roared, despite a little spillage on his knitwear.

The crowd was thoroughly entertained by Hughes' performance, elevating their cheers with each swig he took. Nonetheless, Team USA secured a solid 5-0 lead, boasting top golfer Scottie Scheffler in their ranks, who had a minor spat on the fairway with good pal Tom Kim.

Kim, aged 22, punctuated a 27-foot birdie at the seventh with a fist pump and a victorious cry. Scheffler retorted, "What was that? ", after executing his play on the green.

The incident sparked controversy when Kim headed off to the next hole after a birdie putt on the eighth, ignoring Scheffler's attempt; Sky Sports' analyst Paul McGinley called this "disrespectful". Kim later commented, "There was no reason to stay there and look at him putt. It doesn't help us at all," regarding the exchange.

"It wasn't trying to be cheap or do anything like that. We were focused on our own game. He's a good friend. But at the same time, this week I don't like him. I want to beat him so bad, and I'm sure he feels the same way."

US assistant captain Kevin Kisner was also unimpressed with Kim's behaviour, stating: "They took gamesmanship too far and over the line on sportsmanship and lost some integrity,".

The pairings for Friday's matches have already been decided. Five foursome matches are due to kick off at The Royal Montreal Golf Club at 1.05 pm.

The matchups will see Cantlay/Schauffele vs Matsuyama/Im, Theegala/Morikawa vs Scott/Pendrith, Homa/Harman vs Bezuidenhout/Day, Clark/Finau vs Conners/ Hughes, Scheffler/Henley vs Si Woo Kim/An.

Team USA's pursuit of a tenth consecutive Presidents Cup will also carry on into Saturday and Sunday. Unlike the Ryder Cup, Europeans are not permitted to compete for Team International in the Presidents Cup. LIV Golfers were also barred from competing in the Presidents Cup due to their PGA Tour suspensions.