Magnolia Lane and Butler Cabin await.
The golf season kicks off with the Masters—and the world will turn its attention to Augusta National for many reasons. But for Canadian golf fans, it has to feel like this year might be the best shot a Canadian has of putting on the green jacket since Mike Weir in 2003.
The 2022-2023 PGA Tour season has been an exciting one for Canadian Golf. Canadian fans have hunkered down and watched compatriots on the West Coast and Florida swings while snow covered the ground and temperatures remained below freezing back home.
As we look ahead to the 2023 Masters, a record five Canadian golfers sit within the Top 100 of the PGA Tour’s Official World Ranking. They are; Corey Conners (28), Mackenzie Hughes (57), Adam Svensson (56), Adam Hadwin (65), and Nick Taylor (63). While only Conners, Hughes, Svensson and past champion Mike Weir have qualified to play at Augusta, the 2022-23 season has all the beginnings of being a historic one Canadian golf.
Let’s take a deeper look at the Canadians in the field for the 2023 Masters.
Mike Weir
The only Canadian to win the Masters (and a major at that) has a lifetime invitation to tee it up at Augusta National. Undoubtedly the most successful Canadian golfer of all time, Weir has finished in the Top 10 of each of the PGA Tour’s four major tournaments. At age 52, the Brights Grove, Ont., native now plays on the PGA Champions Tour. Weir is a Canadian golf icon that fans would love to see make a run at the 2023 Masters, and he’s been very consistent on PGA Tour Champions, with a win and numerous strong finishes.
Corey Conners
The highest-ranked Canadian on the PGA Tour’s Official World Rankings is no stranger to Augusta National. The native of Listowel, Ont., has finished in the Top 10 in the last three Masters and has an ace to his name at the 6th hole.
The 2019 and 2023 Valero Texas Open champion seems to find his groove around this time each season, just in time for a crucial spring on tour. Conners is not only the favourite for top Canadian finisher at the 2023 Masters, but very well could make a push for the top of the leaderboard.
Mackenzie Hughes
The two-time PGA Tour winner has secured an invitation to the Masters for the third consecutive year and the fourth time in his career. While his best finish at Augusta was T40 in 2021, Hughes currently sits at 19 in the FedEx Cup rankings, suggestive of his top-of-the-leaderboard capabilities. Hailing from Hamilton by way of Kent State, Hughes hopes to make Canada proud at the 2023 Masters.
Adam Svensson
Adam Svensson will be the only Canadian making their Masters debut in 2023. The 2022-23 season has already been a career year for the 29-year-old BC native, whose victory at the RSM Classic in November remains the most recent Canadian win on the PGA Tour.
As the 36-hole leader at the 2023 PLAYERS Championship, Svensson has already tasted the top of the leaderboard in a big tournament. Svensson’s strong ballstriking skills suggest that once he gets comfortable in Georgia, he could well become a factor in years to come.