AVONDALE, La. — Geoff Ogilvy didn’t need much convincing when the text from Cam Davis came through a few weeks ago.
“Hey, do you want to play,” it read.
“For me, it was a pretty quick yes,” Ogilvy said with a smile on Tuesday afternoon at TPC Louisiana.
On the surface, the pairing makes perfect sense. Two Australians. Two players who have developed a relationship through Presidents Cup experiences. One, 48, a major champion in the later stages of his career. The other, 31, still very much in his competitive prime and looking to rediscover his best form.
But at this year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, Ogilvy isn’t just a veteran teeing it up in a unique team format. He’s the captain of the 2026 Presidents Cup International team, and that adds a second layer to everything he does here this week.
The balancing act is familiar territory for anyone who has worn a captain’s badge while still competing. Last year, European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald spoke candidly about the challenge of toggling between roles and said he struggled with it until he cut back his playing schedule. He talked about the desire to compete, to find rhythm and momentum, while also feeling the responsibility of watching, evaluating and quietly guiding a group of players with an eye on a bigger prize.
Ogilvy is navigating a similar dynamic.
On one hand, he’s here to compete alongside Davis, chasing the same late-Sunday adrenaline that makes this event one of the more entertaining stops on the PGA Tour. The Zurich’s alternating formats, four-balls and foursomes, offer a rare chance to play team golf outside of the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup, and for players, that change of pace can be refreshing.
“It’s more fun than playing on your own,” Ogilvy said.
At the same time, this is also part of the job.
This week provides a window into something that’s difficult to replicate anywhere else. Foursomes, which is also referred to as alternate shot, is a format that exposes both strengths and vulnerabilities. It demands trust, communication and a willingness to adapt, qualities that don’t always show up in a standard 72-hole stroke-play event.
“Match play is a very different animal, and a team event is a totally different environment to this,” he said. “There’s a few international pairings out there. Chemistry is very important.”
Watching how players interact, how they respond to pressure alongside a partner, and even how they handle the emotional swings of team golf can offer subtle clues that don’t show up on a stat sheet.
“Obviously there are players that are generally very suited to alternate-shot foursomes golf, and there are others that make lots of birdies and they’re really suited to (four-ball),” Ogilvy said. “Some players also get better in a team environment than they would normally be individually.”
That’s where this week becomes more than just a tournament.
Ogilvy has already begun laying groundwork for the camaraderie he wants in his Presidents Cup team. Organized dinners and informal gatherings are designed to start to bring players together. In a sport built around individual schedules and routines, those moments of connection don’t happen automatically, but they matter when you want to build a team.
For Ogilvy, the Zurich Classic becomes a natural place to reconnect, to remind players that the Presidents Cup is only five months away, and to subtly reinforce the idea that individual performance this season carries a larger meaning.
He isn’t forcing partnerships or dictating schedules, something Donald also avoided last year. He’s creating opportunities. A text here. A conversation there. He’s getting the WhatsApp chat going again.
For Davis, who remembers being an 11-year-old back in Australia glued to the TV watching Ogilvy win the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, his relationship with Ogilvy doesn’t add pressure to this week. It’s a chance to compete in a different format, get back on track and play alongside someone he knows and respects.
Davis brings power and a well-rounded game, while Ogilvy’s experience offers a steadying influence. In a treat format, that combination could prove useful, especially if they find themselves in contention late in the week.
And if they do, that would only add another layer to a week that, for Ogilvy, is already about much more than just one tournament.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Geoff Ogilvy juggles playing Zurich Classic as Presidents Cup captain