HAMILTON, Ont.  — Using a loonie as his ball marker, Rory McIlroy fired a final round 9-under par 61 to win Canada’s National Open Championship, the RBC Canadian Open in his first appearance.

McIlroy’s 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score ever carded at the RBC Canadian Open. The previous record of 263 was held by Johnny Palmer (1952), Scott Piercy (2012) and Tim Clark (2014). His final round 61 is also the best final round at the 110-year-old event, breaking the record of 62 held by Andy Bean (1983).

The 30-year-old entered Sunday’s final round sharing the lead with Americans Matt Kuchar and Webb Simpson. He started his round by lipping-out a chip for eagle on the first hole, en route to birding four of his first five holes. With the win the Northern Irishman claimed his 16^th PGA TOUR title.

“It’s been a while since I played like this and sort of put my foot down, but it was so nice to do it today,” said McIlroy. “I’m very proud of what I’ve done today. Hopefully this sets up well for the rest of the year, too.”

McIlroy becomes only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, having won the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014. He joins an exclusive club that includes Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods.

“The reception from the Canadian crowds have been incredible this week,” added McIlroy. “They couldn’t have been any better. They’ve been so welcoming all week. I can’t wait to come back next year.”

McIlroy is the first golfer to win the RBC Canadian Open on his first attempt since Chez Reavie in 2008 and the first European to capture the title since Sweden’s Carl Pettersson in 2010.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry and American Web Simpson finished tied for second at 15-under par 265 for the tournament. Americans Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker finished tied for 4^th at 13-under.

Adam Hadwin fired an even-par 70 in the final round, finishing as the low Canadian at 12-under par 268 on the tournament. Hadwin was awarded the Rivermead Cup for the fourth time of his career as low Canadian.

“The crowd was amazing all week,” said Hadwin. “That reception coming up 18 was something special. I pictured it with being a few more [strokes] under earlier in the week, but they were amazing. I’m just disappointed I couldn’t get it done in front of them.”

By virtue of his sixth-place finish, Hadwin qualifies for the 2019 Open Championship being held July 14-21 at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. Also earning an exemption in the 2019 Open Championship was Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell. New for 2019, the RBC Canadian Open is included in The Open Qualifying Series. Up to three players who are not already exempt earned places in the 148^th Open Championship at Royal Portrush

The 2020 RBCCO is being held at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto from June 8 to 14.

Click here to view the full leaderboard for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.

ANCASTER, Ont. – Golf Canada’s plans to elevate the RBC Canadian Open have paid off.

Laurence Applebaum, Golf Canada’s CEO, called the 2019 edition of the tournament a success on Sunday, even as the national sport organization was still adding up its figures.

“I can categorically say that the RBC Canadian Open 2019 will be a record year,” said Applebaum at a morning news conference before most pairings had teed off in the final round of the national championship. “It’s going to be a record on basically every single metric we look at.”

Golf Canada reported a 65 per cent increase in attendance, a total of approximately 120,000 people over seven days. Beer sales, always a point of pride for the only Canadian stop on the PGA Tour, doubled from last year’s event at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Setting the stage for a thrilling Sunday finish at the #RBCCO

Tickets ➡️https://t.co/7mfBsjhFcY pic.twitter.com/ZoSzqMSSUn

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) June 9, 2019

That growth was part of a plan initiated by Golf Canada, lead sponsor RBC, and the PGA Tour, to raise the RBC Canadian Open’s profile.

The overall purse was increased to US$7.6 million for 2019, up from $6.4 million. The date was also moved from late July to the first week of June, a more advantageous position in golf’s calendar, a week before the U.S. Open instead of a week after the British Open.

A pair of concerts were added to the event, with country music stars Florida Georgia Line playing on Friday night and Kingston, Ont., rock group the Glorious Sons performing on Saturday night.

“I think we saw on Friday and Saturday that music and golf do work together,” said Mary DePaoli, executive vice-president and chief marketing officer for RBC. “Anecdotally there were so many people that came to hear music but got here early to see some golf.”

The Hamilton Golf and Country Club hosted the Canadian Open for the first time since 2007. It will welcome the national championship in 2023. St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto will hold the event in 2020 and 2024, with the hosts for 2021 and 2022 expected to be announced by the end of this year.

A beautiful sunny day greeted the players for the 2019 NB Ladies Four Ball. For the third year in a row, The Gowan Brae Golf and Country Club has proven to be a top-notch host once again. The ladies returned to the par 72 (Robby) Robinson design which features its signature holes of 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 along the Bay of Chaleur.

This year’s event would see 24 teams of two from across New Brunswick compete for both the gross and net championships on this picture-perfect Sunday.

Last year’s gross champions, Kristi Roach of The Riverside Country Club and Morgan Matchett of Miramichi Golf & Country Club nor last year’s net champions, the twin duo Alexandria and Amelie Guitard of Royal Oaks, would return to defend their titles. This opened the field for new Champions to be crowned today.

It looked like Allison Chisholm and Andrea Garland of the Riverside Country Club and Kelly Maher and Molly MacDermaid from Gowan Brae didn’t get enough of each other’s company after 18 holes together so they went to a playoff to determine this year’s champion. After both teams shot a very fine 2 over par 74 it took three extra holes for the dynamic duo/hometown favourites Kelly Maher and Molly MacDermaid to pull off the victory. During their regulation round, their birdies on holes 2 and 4 with bogeys on 3, 6 and 8 gave them a 1 over 37 on the front nine and they matched that number on the back with a lone bogey on number 10 and 8 straight pars after that. Chisholm and Garland had an even par 36 on the front with birdies on number 2 and 8 with bogeys to offset those on holes 3 and 4. On the back nine they were even par going into hole 18 after a birdie on number 12 and a bogey on 13 but unfortunately, took a double bogey on 18 to send them to a playoff.

The playoff started on hole number one and sudden victory would end the match. Both teams parred the 1^st and 2^nd holes but Mahar and MacDermaid’s par on the par 3, number 3 was the winning hole. MacDermaid also won Saturday’s Ladies Gowan Brae Scramble with her sister Katie, so she had a very successful weekend with both partners.

The net division winners were another team from Gowan Brae as Micheline Roussel and Katherine Cooney came in with an 8 under par 64. It was a great day for Roussel as she broke 100 for the first time with a 96! What a great day to have your best score ever! They won by a shot over the tournament runner-ups Allison Chisholm and Andrea Garland as well as 3^rd division 1^st low gross winners Phyllis Roy and Joanne Bepperling.

The second division winners of Brenda Parrot and Nancy McKay used their home-course knowledge of Gowan Brae to beat Fredericton duo Colleen Phillips and Joyce Pederson by a shot. The net winners in this division were the ever-consistent, mother-daughter team of Kathy and Kathryn Meagher out of the Fredericton golf club who won by 3 over their closest competitors.

Since the 3^rd division net winners were the overall tournament net champions, the 3^rd division net went to next in line, Beth Leroux from West Hills Golf Course and Judy Astle who represents Old Mill Pond. The 3^rd Division gross winners were Phyllis Roy and Joanne Bepperling who play their golf here at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club.
For more information on the 2019 NB Ladies Four Ball including full results please CLICK HERE.

For more information on the Gowan Brae Golf Country Club please visit:  https://www.gowanbrae.ca/en/index

Joly, Que. – Golf Canada’s fourth junior golf championship of 2019 is set to begin Friday as the Future Links, driven by Acura Québec Championship gets underway at Club de golf Les Boisés de Joly.

With support from Golf Québec, the Future Links, driven by Acura Québec Championship is the fourth of eight junior championships presented in partnership with Acura this summer. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will begin with a practice round on June 6, before the tournament gets underway with round one on June 7.

Located less than an hour south of Québec City, Club de golf Les Boisés de Joly was completed in 2010. A Graham Cooke & Associates designed course, it boasts high-quality greens and unique architecture that makes the course one of the best in the region, and an ideal destination for golfers.

“Golf Québec and Golf Canada are pleased to present the 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Québec Championship in Joly,” said Éric Couture, tournament director for Golf Québec. “The eight regional championships are fantastic opportunities for Canada’s premier junior golfers to showcase their skills. We look forward to this strong field of juniors attempting to navigate the challenging course at Club de golf Les Boisés de Joly.”

The field will consist of 87 junior golfers in the Junior Boys’ Division with the top five earning exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship from August 11-15 at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, N.B. Should there be a tie for the fifth position, a playoff will be conducted following the conclusion of play.

The Junior Girls’ Division will consist of 33 golfers with the top five (including ties) earning an exemption into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship from July 29 – August 2 at Lethbridge Country Club in Lethbridge, Alta.

Four additional Future Links, driven by Acura Championships will span the country this year;

• June 14-16 – Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie – Yorkton, Sask. – Deer Park Golf Course
• July 16-18 – Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic – Fredericton, N.B. – Mactaquac Golf Course
• 20-22 – Future Links, driven by Acura Fall Series – Lachute, Que. – Club de golf Lachute
• 27-29 – Future Links, driven by Acura Fall Series – Crown Isle Golf Resort – Courtenay, B.C.

Additional information about the 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship can be found here.

Results for the previous 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Championships can be found here: Pacific, Ontario, Western.

NOTABLES

Brandon White, Bourget, Ont.
Currently ranked T1 on the Golf Québec Order of Merit, White finished second at the Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship.

Emily Romancew, Pierrefonds, Que.
The defending champion has already won three tournaments this season, including the Québec Junior Open.

Robbie Latter, Mississauga, Ont.
Latter is looking to defend his title at the Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship.

Élizabeth Labbé, Lévis, Que.
Labbé placed second at the Quebec Girls’ Provincial Junior Championship in July 2018.

Malik Dao, Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot
The younger brother of Team Canada National Junior Squad member Celeste Dao is looking to become the second family member in three years to win the tournament.

FAST FACTS

In 2019, Golf Canada is conducting its eight regional Future Links, driven by Acura Championships in conjunction with the Provincial Associations.

Top five finishers in the Boys’ Division earn exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

Top five finishers (including ties) in the Girls Division earn exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Emily Romancew of Pierrefonds, Que. and Robbie Latter of Mississauga, Ont. won their respective divisions at the 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship. Both are back to defend their titles.

Current Team Canada National Junior Squad members Monet Chun and Celeste Dao won the Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

ANCASTER, Ont. – Although his students at the University of Florida weren’t surprised that J.C. Deacon made the RBC Canadian Open, he was definitely taken aback.

Deacon has been the head coach of the Gators’ golf team for five years and likes to take a round in with his student-athletes from time to time to show that he’s still got it. The Toronto native put those skills to the test on Monday at the RBC Canadian Open’s final qualifier and was one of four players to make the cut, putting him into his first career PGA Tour event.

“You know what’s weird? My students aren’t that surprised,” said Deacon, who carded a 4-over 74. “They’re happy for me, but I play with them enough and shoot enough 65s, 66s, not all the time but often enough that they could say ‘OK, we can see coach doing that.”’

Deacon, however, was surprised enough that he hadn’t made any travel or accommodation plans and had to quickly bring his family up from Gainesville, Fla., for the event at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

“It was unexpected, to be honest,” said Deacon. “Definitely wasn’t planning on being here. Had to fly my family up a couple of days after that.

“It’s been fun. I take pride in my golf game and want to be good and want to impress my kids that play for me. I want to make sure that if they’re not playing their best, I can handle them.”

Deacon was a star in the NCAA ranks, helping UNLV to a Mountain West title in 2002 by tying for second in the individual contest. He competed in the 2002 and 2003 NCAA championships and was a member of the Golf Coaches Association of America All-American Scholar Team and the Academic All-Mountain West Team in 2004.

He went on to play professionally on the Gateway Tour and Canadian Tour. He was a U.S. Amateur semifinalist in 2005 before capturing two Minor League Golf Tour Titles in 2007, taking top honours at the Emerald Hills Classic and the Miami Shores Shootout.

Deacon played in 35 events over a three-year span (2008-10) on the Canadian Tour and made 17 cuts. His best finish came at the 2008 Saskatchewan Open, where he shared a spot for fourth place.

Still, an appearance at a PGA Tour event eluded him – including missing out on a couple of U.S. Open qualifiers – before Monday. He was grateful to finally soak it in.

“It’s cool leading up but when you get inside the ropes and start playing the competitive edge starts kicking in,” said Deacon. “I got off to a terrible start, I was 2 over through three. That’s not good enough. I’m not good enough to handle stuff like that.

“Gotta be better tomorrow, gotta get off to a quicker start. I did have fun. It’s so cool seeing my mom and dad and my wife is here.”

HAMILTON, Ont. — American Keegan Bradley carded a scorching 63 to grab sole possession of the lead at 7-under par following a sunny and warm opening-round of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

Bradley tallied five consecutive birdies from holes 7 through 11 to catapult up the leaderboard. Additional birdies on holes 13 and 17, to go along with a bogey-free round put him in the lead.

“That was probably my best streak of the year if not maybe ever,” said Bradley, a four-time PGA TOUR winner, including the 2011 PGA Championship. “I felt so comfortable and dialed in. Sometimes you can get a little anxious when you’re playing really well, but I felt very calm the whole day.”

This is Bradley’s fourth appearance at the RBC Canadian Open. His best finish came in 2018 where he tied for fourth.

“This is a really great course, I’ve never played it,” said Bradley. “Every time I come to play in Canada, I always love the courses we play. This one is really great. Today, I was in complete control of my ball. And then when you couple that with feeling good on the greens, that’s when a 63 or a good, nice round happens.”

Abbotsford, B.C., native Nick Taylor also got hot during his first round. Four straight birdies on holes No. 1 through 4 (after a 10^th hole start) moved the Canadian into a tie for second at 6-under par 64.

“I really haven’t had a lot of success at the RBC Canadian Open,” said Taylor. “I think I probably put a little too much pressure on myself. This year has been consistent. It’s small things I have been working on. Last week, just a slight bit different routine to line up and be more consistent with my alignment. Obviously, it was great today.”

Taylor, Shane Lowry, Sungjae Im, Erik van Rooyen and Roberto Castro sit one-back of Bradley at 6-under.

Taylor has never finished better than T53 at the RBC Canadian Open, but the 2014 Sanderson Farms champion currently leads the 26 Canadians in the field. He is paired with fellow Canucks David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Mike Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont., for the first two rounds.

“Usually we don’t get those crowds that early,” said Taylor. “The Canadian fans that are here are so great. It’s been fun.”

Adam Hadwin, also of Abbotsford, B.C., finds himself T6 at 5-under. Hadwin’s bogey-free opening round of 66 is the lowest of his career at the RBC Canadian Open.

“It’s a really great start to the week, really solid golf,” said Hadwin. “Only missed a couple of greens. I’m coming away feeling pretty confident that I may have left a couple out there.”

Mackenzie Hughes of nearby Dundas, Ont., is also in the hunt. The hometown favourite was inches from getting an ace on No. 16 and was at 6-under walking up to the 18^th tee box. His tee shot found the bunker and Hughes hit the bunker’s lip trying to reach the green in two. He went on to make a double-bogey six to finish T15 at 4-under.

“It was really fun, but I kind of spoiled it there at the end,” said Hughes. “I was 6-under through 17 and it was pretty stress-free for the most part. All-in-all it’s a great day score-wise, just not the way I wanted to finish. I have to get over it now, there’s three rounds of golf to be played.”

Hughes sits tied with fellow Canadians Hearn and Toronto’s Drew Nesbitt, who also carded 66s.

Second-round tee times begin at 7:00 a.m. Friday.

ANCASTER, Ont. – As soon as Mackenzie Hughes’s partners were done teeing off at No. 13 of Hamilton Golf and Country Club on Thursday, he bent down, opened up a small bag and pulled out a jersey.

It took a moment for fans to realize what he was doing, but as Hughes straightened out the familiar black and red of a Kawhi Leonard Toronto Raptors jersey, the cheers rose to a crescendo, with spectators pounding on the boards that surround the hockey-themed hole at the RBC Canadian Open known as The Rink.

“I try to have some fun with that hole. Life’s short so, whatever, I’m just going to have some fun,” said Hughes, who donned a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey at last year’s version of the Rink at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. “The crowd enjoys that stuff so it’s fun for me to do.

“I love all these Toronto sports teams whether it’s Leafs, Raptors, Blue Jays. That was just a fun way to show my Toronto pride and Canada pride.”

Hughes, from nearby Dundas, Ont., walked up the fairway in the jersey to chants of “Let’s go Raptors” and went on to shoot a 4-under 66 to finish the first round in a tie for 15th. He would have been in an even better position if he hadn’t double-bogeyed the 18th hole, his only score worse than par on Thursday.

“Just spoiled it at the end there, but I was 6 under through 17 and it was pretty stress free for the most part,” said Hughes. “All in all it’s a great day score-wise, just not the way I wanted to finish.”

Hughes was one of five Canadians within three shots of first-round leader Keegan Bradley of the U.S., who fired a 7-under 63.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., led the Canadian contingent, shooting a 6-under 64. Taylor, who started on hole No. 10, made four birdies in a row to open his back nine.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford carded a 5-under 65, while David Hearn of nearby Brantford, Ont., and Drew Nesbitt of Shanty Bay, Ont., both tied Hughes.

There are 26 Canadians in the field at the national championship, and they’re all hoping to end a 65-year spell of futility. The last Canadian to win the event was Pat Fletcher in 1954 at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf and Country Club.

“We all obviously want to be the first one to win this, but we all want each other to do well,” said Hadwin, who briefly delayed his post-round news conference so that Hughes could concentrate on teeing off nearby. “Any Canadian winner is good.”

Bradley was convinced that his clubhouse lead would not withstand the afternoon groups, but it did. Roberto Castro of the U.S., was the only player that teed off in the second wave to reach second, tying Taylor, Ireland’s Shane Lowry, Korean Sungjae Im and South Africa’s Erik van Rooyen.

“Today I was in complete control of my ball,” said Bradley. “Then when you couple that with feeling good on the greens, that’s when a 63 or a good, nice round happens.”

A three-minute pause in play starting at 12:10 p.m. ET was held as six planes from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum flew over the course to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy, France.

The group of planes included a rare Lancaster Mk 10 bomber from the Second World War and a modern CC-130 Hercules.

“It’s obviously an emotional day for a lot of people,” said Hadwin. “To kind of see the planes that were used and then a couple newer age ones, it was pretty cool to stand on the fairway and see that.”

Like many Raptors fans, Hughes hopes that Toronto wins the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors and can re-sign Leonard, who will become a free agent this summer.

“I don’t think my wearing the jersey influenced him at all, but I hope that he stays,” said Hughes.

HAMILTON, Ont.  —  The 110th playing of Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship gets underway Thursday with 156 of the world’s best golfers, including 26 Canadians and world No. 1 Brooks Koepka, set to compete for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open Trophy and the champion’s share of the $7.6 million (US) purse.

Koepka, a four-time major champion and winner of the 2019 PGA Championship, is competing at Canada’s National Open Championship for the second consecutive year.

“It’s a good golf course, it’s definitely going to be a good test,” said Koepka. “It’s always a good tournament here. The rough’s up. You’ve got to hit the fairways, and these greens are quite slopey, so you’ve really got to control your spin.”

Rory McIlroy will be teeing off at the RBC Canadian Open for the first time in his career, and says he is excited to compete in Canada.

“I’ve heard a lot of great things about Hamilton,” said McIlroy. “I remember watching a little bit back in 2012, and then I’ve spoken to Brad Faxon a little bit, and he had a chance here back in ‘03, and he really raved about the golf course.”

While Koepka and McIlroy have limited RBC Canadian Open appearances between the two of them, Dustin Johnson is no stranger to Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship. This year will be the defending champion’s seventh RBC Canadian Open, and he experienced Hamilton Golf & Country Club for the first time during Wednesday’s Pro-Am.

“I like the golf course. You need to hit it in the fairway,” said Johnson. “The rough’s pretty deep, but it’s not overly long. It’s kind of an old school course. But I like it so far, what I’ve seen.”

For information is available at rbccanadianopen.com.

ANCASTER, Ont. – A couple of key changes have stacked the odds against Dustin Johnson as he tries to defend his RBC Canadian Open title.

The No. 2 golfer in the world pulled away from the field after a nearly two-hour rain delay to win his first RBC Canadian Open last year, firing 6-under 66 in last year’s final round to finish at 23 under. But this year the only Canadian stop on the PGA Tour has moved from Glen Abbey Golf Club, a course Johnson is familiar with, to Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

More importantly, the tournament has moved up in the golf calendar, making it a lead-in event to the U.S. Open and drawing a significantly stronger group of competitors.

“I mean, it’s a really good field. It’s a golf course I haven’t played. That definitely adds a little bit more difficulty to it,” said Johnson on Wednesday morning. “I don’t know the golf course as well as I know Glen Abbey, where I played a lot of Opens.”

Johnson is joined by top-ranked Brooks Koepka, fresh off of his PGA Championship win, No. 4 Rory McIlroy and No. 6 Justin Thomas, who was added to the field on Friday.

 

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Defending champ @djohnsonpga feels the love from ?? #RBCCO

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Historically, the RBC Canadian Open was held in September, but starting in 2007 it was played in late July, the prime golf season. Unfortunately, it was also the week after the British Open, causing many of the PGA Tour’s top players to miss the tournament as they recovered from the challenging major.

Now in early June, many golfers are using the Canadian event as a tune-up for the U.S. Open.

“This isn’t just a preparation week. This is a very prestigious tournament, one of the oldest tournaments in the world that I would dearly love to be able to add my name to,” said McIlroy, who has never played a competitive tournament in Canada. “I’m fully focused on this week, but knowing that if I play well here, this week, and have good control of my ball and my distance control, that will serve me well going into next week. ”

One problem for Johnson, Koepka and McIlroy is that none of them had a chance to play a full practice round. Due to off-site sponsor obligations and a pro-am tournament on Monday, they were half-round as part of a pro-am on Wednesday.

“I like the front nine. It’s the only nine I’ve seen, but yeah, I like the golf course,” said Johnson, whose brother Austin serves as his caddy. “(Austin) went out Tuesday and kind of looked at it. He’s good enough now where he can got a pretty good beat on the course.”

https://t.co/XWINChL7of

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) June 5, 2019

That lack of familiarity may give the 26-player Canadian contingent a brief edge, at least for the first round.

Mackenzie Hughes of neighbouring Dundas, Ont., has played Hamilton dozens of times. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., took in a practice round in May and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., played in the RBC Canadian Open when it was last in Hamilton in 2012.

“I think it’s a huge advantage. There’s an added comfort level, just knowing the course and knowing what to expect,” said Conners. “I’m really happy that I got the chance to play a few weeks ago. I got a plan together and to be familiar with the terrain, know what to expect and just definitely an added comfort level for the Canadians.”

A total of 26 Canadians will be competing for the national championship. No Canadian has won the event since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

On top of the 20 that were announced in the final field on Friday, James Allenby of Langley, B.C., Thomas DeMarco of LaSalle, Ont., Etienne Brault of Mercier, Que, and Toronto’s JC Deacon all qualified on Monday at Heron Point Golf Links in Alberton, Ont.

Albin Choi and Richard Lee, both from Toronto, were also late additions to the field with exemptions.

“We all – I’ve been in here probably four, five, six years in a row now – and all we’ve talked about is 1954,” said Hadwin. “Until one of us does that, I think it’s going to hold a lot of value for us.”

Golf Canada, in partnership with RBC, the City of Hamilton and the Hamilton Golf and Country Club Foundation, along with the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board and Hamilton Catholic District School Board, announced today a number of youth initiatives that will make the 2019 RBC Canadian Open more junior-accessible than ever before, while creating a meaningful golf legacy in the Hamilton Wentworth region.