Canadians and the RBC Canadian Open—they go hand-in-hand. The country’s national golf tournament usually has a significant gathering of Canadian PGA Tour pros, as well as aspiring amateurs, in the field. This year is a little different—the new date means the Mackenzie Tour/PGA Tour Canada, which usually receives a select number of exemptions, had to reconfigure how those slots in the tournament would be handed out. But there’s still a fair number of Canucks playing Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Ancaster, Ont.
Brooke Henderson made history last August, becoming the first Canadian female to win our national championship in 45 years. A male has not won since Pat Fletcher in 1954. Here are the guys that are up for the challenge.
Adam Hadwin
With three Top 10 finishes and more than $1.3-million in earnings, Hadwin’s year would appear to be a success. But as a former Top 50 player in the world (he’s currently ranked No. 77), Hadwin hasn’t performed as well as expected based on his own lofty standards. He missed the cut seven years ago when the tournament was last played at Hamilton, but his strong short game could put him in the mix at the classic course.
Corey Conners
He’s emerged as one of the game’s best ball strikers, and is now a PGA Tour winner. Though his putting can be suspect, there’s no doubting Conners’ ability with a driver or an iron—facets he’ll need to contend at Hamilton. He’s only made one previous cut at an RBC Canadian Open, but don’t be surprised if he plays well this year.
Mackenzie Hughes
Mac has snuck inside the Top 100 on the FedExCup thanks to his second-place finish in Punta Cana in March and T-8 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge in May. An honorary member at Hamilton G&CC, Hughes has homefield advantage having grown up in nearby Dundas.
Mike Weir
Weir, the 2003 Masters champ and eight-time PGA Tour winner, is playing largely on the Web.com Tour these days. But it wouldn’t be an RBC Canadian Open without the left-hander, who remains a popular figure at the tournament. Weir has played the Canadian Open for 30 years, and his game has shown some signs of life recently. He’s unlikely to turn back the clock to 2004 when he lost in a playoff to Vijay Singh, but it would be great to see Weir play the weekend at Hamilton.
David Hearn
With one Top 10 and four Top 25 finishes, Brantford’s Hearn is working hard to retain his status on the PGA Tour after a couple of mixed seasons. Still, it was only four years ago that Hearn finished in a tie for fourth at Glen Abbey.
Beyond the veterans, there are a number of Canadians who will show up and are fighting to hang onto their PGA Tour playing privileges. Nick Taylor pulled off some last-minute heroics to secure his PGA Tour privileges for this season, and Taylor, from Abbotsford, BC, is in the midst of a solid, if unspectacular year, ranked 108 on the FedExCup standings. He played at the RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton in 2012, missing the cut.
Similar to Hughes, Roger Sloan is in the FedEx mix due to a tie for second in Puerto Rico in February. But he hasn’t played particularly well since. Ben Silverman, who grew up near Toronto, has struggled for most of the year, and currently sits at 182 on the FedExCup standings. The one-time Golf Town employee needs the Canadian Open to jump start an otherwise lacklustre season. Adam Svensson’s rookie season hasn’t been what he expected. The British Columbia golfer has made only seven of 17 cuts and sits 175th on the FedExCup. Known as an excellent ball striker, Svensson, like Silverman, needs a strong Canadian Open to get his season moving in the right direction.
Canadians on the rise
Golf Canada has long supported the country’s up-and-coming golfers. Players like Hughes and Graham DeLaet made their debuts at the RBC Canadian Open as amateurs, and then went on to become PGA Tour stars. This year is no different. British Columbia’s Cris Crisologo is in his second year on the national team and made the cut at the Canadian Open last year, while Joey Savoie, who is the top-ranked amateur in Canada, and Napanee, Ont.,’s Josh Whalen is also in the field.
Coming to the RBC Canadian Open?
Calling all Golf Town Leaderboard Members! Join us at The Rink on the 13th tee box at our exclusive Golf Town Viewing Deck for a unique view of all the action! Plus receive a Free Golf Town rally towel Thursday – Sunday. Available while quantities last. There will also be a special Golf Town Future’s Bench to give juniors the opportunity to get an up-close look at all your favourite PGA Tour Stars.