Upon receiving the Presidents Cup charter from Royal Montreal Golf Club representative Michael Richards, Mayor Gavin Newsom jokingly said “it’s ours to screw up.”

While it was just another light moment Thursday as the PGA Tour officially struck the drive counting down to the 2009 Presidents Cup at Harding Park Golf Course, the pressure is truly on San Francisco to build its golf image.

Following The City’s handling of a World Golf Championships event in 2005 — which featured 73 of the world’s best players and won by Tiger Woods — the PGA awarded the Presidents Cup to Harding Park, making it the first time the biennial event has been played on the West Coast. The other four times it has been played on U.S. soil, it was held at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club outside of Washington, D.C.

“The Presidents Cup is a bigger task, it’s a bigger event,” PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said. “It is global in nature. The telecast goes to 240 countries and 500 million homes. It represents the best in golf. It represents sportsmanship and includes the themes of patriotism and international goodwill.”

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And charity. Players do not get paid for the competition, which alternates years with the more prestigious Ryder Cup. Instead, the PGA has contributed $17.75 million to charities worldwide selected by the participants.

While the 24 participants for the Americans and Internationals — non-Europeans who are not eligible for the Ryder Cup — are determined based on their performance through the 2009 PGA Championship (10 from each side qualify on points while there are two captain’s picks), the leaders of the teams have not been determined.

Jack Nicklaus and South African Gary Player have been widely hailed for their captainships and bringing a gentlemanly aspect to the event, which began in 1994.

Finchem was noncommittal about whether the two legends would return to their roles, only saying a decision would be coming in the next few weeks.

Hosting the event brought an estimated $85 million to the Montreal economy last year, filling up all of the city’s hotel rooms and keeping the restaurants busy, Richards said.

When San Francisco hosted the WGC’s American Express Championship in 2005, The City lost $140,000 in expenses. That prompted Supervisor Sean Elsbernd to have San Francisco amend its agreement with the PGA to guarantee a shortfall would not happen again.

sdrumwright@examiner.com

Presidents Cup

» WHEN: Oct. 8-11, 2009

» WHERE: Harding Park Golf Course, par 71, 7,137 yards

» WHO: United States vs. International (non-Europeans)

» SERIES: U.S. leads 5-1-1

» TICKETS: Daily passes range from $35 to $75

» ON THE WEB: www.presidentscup.com

Other future major events

» 2010 U.S. Open, Pebble Beach Golf Links (June 17-20)

» 2010 Champions Tour’s Charles Schwab Cup, Harding Park (TBA)

» 2011 Champions Tour’s Charles Schwab Cup, Harding Park (TBA)

» 2012 U.S. Open, Olympic Club (June 13-16)

» 2013 PGA Tour’s BMW Championship (FedEx Cup finale), Harding Park (TBA)