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.

by Golf NB 

NB Ladies Four Ball –Pairings & Tee-Times

The Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club’s par 72 C.E. (Robby) Robinson design will again play host to the NB Ladies Four Ball on June 9, 2019.  This year’s version of the event will see 24 two player teams compete for both gross and net championships.

With two the time defending champions, Kristi Roach from The Riverside Country Club and Morgan Matchett of the Miramichi Golf & Country Club and perennial contenders Sandy Comeau & Leanne Richardson of the Country Meadows Golf Club, not in the field the pre-event favorite would have to be the Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club teams of Molly MacDermaid & Kelly Maher, Kathy Grebenc & Shelagh Eddy and the 2015 NB Ladies Four Ball Champions, the Miramichi Golf & Country Club tandem of Keren Flett & Paula Napke-Flanagan.

In the net division everyone’s eyes will be on two time champions (2010, 2016) Beth Leroux of the West Hills Golf Course and her partner Judy Astle of the Old Mill Pond Golf & Country Club, while 2017 Net Champions Barbara Henderson (Fredericton Golf Club) & Elin Maher (Fredericton Golf Club) will both return with new partners and clubmates, Valarie Whyte & Heather Neilson as they both search for their second Ladies Four Ball Net title.

• For more information on the 2019 NB Ladies Four Ball please CLICK HERE.
• For more information on the Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club please CLICK HERE.

ANCASTER, Ont. – Now that Mackenzie Hughes is a two-time winner of the Rivermead Cup as low Canadian at the RBC Canadian Open, he’s looking for a bigger prize this week.

The Dundas, Ont., golfer, who will tee it up about 10 minutes away from where he grew up starting Thursday at the Hamilton Golf & Country Club, is one of 26 Canadians looking to end one of those most prominent droughts in sport in this country.

“Being the low Canadian has been nice the last couple of years, but I certainly come here hoping to get a different kind of trophy,” Hughes said at a news conference Tuesday. “I know it’s a big ask and we only get one crack at the Canadian Open every year, but I feel like I’ve been trending in the right direction. Especially at this tournament the last couple years, I’ve been playing well. It’s just a matter of putting it all together for four rounds.”

Pat Fletcher was the most recent Canadian to win the event in 1954 – and the pressure only intensifies for Canucks with each passing year.

But Brooke Henderson managed to end another lengthy golf drought last year, becoming the first Canadian since 1973 to win an LPGA Tour at home as she captured the CP Women’s Open in Regina.

With eight Canadians seeing fairly regular time on the PGA Tour this season and many more getting their shot on the top circuit this week, there are plenty of opportunities for the host country.

Hometown fan favourite @machughesgolf chats #golf ahead of this week’s #RBCCO ??⛳️ pic.twitter.com/4Drwvn3Lfz

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) June 4, 2019

Hughes figures to have some of the most vocal support. He tied for eighth last year at Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ont., the best result for a Canadian since David Hearn was third in 2015. Hughes also was low Canadian in 2017 at Glen Abbey, tying for 32nd.

The 28-year-old is coming off a tie for eighth at the Charles Schwab Classic and just missed his second career PGA Tour win earlier this year in the Dominican Republic, settling for a tie for second.

“I think there’s an advantage for sure (playing close to home),” Hughes said. “I’ve got some comfort and familiarity walking around the property knowing certain holes and how they play in different winds. Granted, it’s been a long time, but I still have the rounds logged here to know this place pretty well.”

Hughes made his PGA Tour debut at the Hamilton course in 2012, shooting 1-over 71 in both rounds and missing the cut.

“I didn’t know what to expect back then,” he said. “It was my first PGA Tour event and it was a little more deer in the headlights than it is now. Now, I feel quite comfortable and ready to play golf rather than just get caught up in all the distractions.”

Hughes knows he’ll see many familiar faces at the course – he ran into his Grade 6 teacher this week. He’s embracing the attention.

“I’ve been through this now the last few years. definitely the last two,” Hughes said. “When I came here in 2017, I had won the (PGA Tour’s RSM Classic) the prior fall. I had a bit of experience dealing with extra requests. It’s all part of playing in you’re home country, especially when you’re playing close to home. I don’t think it really takes too much energy out of you. It’s just about managing your time and making sure you need to get what you need to get it done.”

After a pro-am event Wednesday, the first round of the 72-hole tournament is Thursday.

Marquee groupings for the first two rounds include a trio of Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., with Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald, a threesome featuring Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., with previousCanadian Open winners Dustin Johnson and Jim Furyk and an all-Canadian trio of Mike Weir, Nick Taylor and David Hearn.

Four of the top six golfers in the world rankings are in the event this year – No. 1 Brooks Koepka, No. 2 Johnson, No. 4 Rory McIlroy and No. 6 Justin Thomas.

HAMILTON, Ont. – The start times for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open Championship Pro-Am at Hamilton Golf & Country Club for Wednesday, June 5 have been released.

The event will see 104 professional golfers take to the renowned Hamilton course to entertain a field of 204 amateurs as part of the PGA TOUR’s ‘Nine and Nine’ Pro-Am format where amateur participants will play nine holes each with a pair of PGA TOUR professionals. Click here for pairings and start times.

As well, the pairings and start times for the opening two rounds of the 110th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship on Thursday, June 6 and Friday, June 7 are now available online here.

HAMILTON, Ont. – James Allenby of Langley, B.C., Thomas DeMarco of LaSalle, Ont., Étienne Brault of Mercier, Que and JC Deacon of Toronto have all earned entry into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open through Final Qualifying at Heron Point Golf Links in Alberton, Ont.

Allenby was the low qualifier by carding a 4 under par 67. Four birdies on the final six holes helped him qualify for his first RBC Canadian Open.

“You just have to keep playing,” said Allenby of his four back nine birdies. “I can’t really tell you what it was. Two 30-footers went in and those are always nice. I’ve been putting well all year, so I’m not surprised, but I’m very happy. My mental game has really taken a step up this year, and that will help me get around [Hamilton Golf & Country Club].”

Allenby earned medallist honours at the B.C. Regional Qualifier in early May. He plays on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada and recently finished T2 at the Canada Life Open in Vancouver.

Amateurs DeMarco and Brault finished T2 with a 1 under par 70 and will be competing in their first RBC Canadian Opens. Their addition to the field brings the number of Canadian amateurs teeing off at Hamilton Golf & Country Club to six – Michael Anderson of Mississauga, Ont. qualified through the Quebec Regional Qualifier, while Team Canada National Amateur Squad members Chris Crisologo (Richmond, B.C.), Joey Savoie (La Prairie, Que.) and Josh Whalen (Napanee, Ont.) were granted exemptions.

Toronto native JC Deacon earned the final qualifying spot by shooting an even-par 71. At age 37, he will be competing in his first RBC Canadian Open. Deacon is the head coach of the University of Florida men’s golf team.

Click here for full results from the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier.

MILTON, Ont. – Four American touring professionals’ schedules got busier this month, as they earned coveted spots in the field for the 119th edition of the Men’s U.S. Open Championship, which runs from June 10 to 16 at Pebble Beach Golf Club in Pebble Beach, Calif.

Tom Hoge, 30, of Statesville, NC and Austria-born Sepp Straka, 26, of Vodesta, GA earned co-medalist honours at RattleSnake Point Golf Club in Milton, Ont., on a cool, windswept Monday as it hosted the first-ever U.S. Open Championship Sectional Qualifier contested in Canada.

Hoge, who shot a 3-under 69 during the morning 18-hole wave, heated up on the back nine of his afternoon match, firing four birdies before a pair of bogeys on 17 and 18 brought his total score to -5 for a share of the clubhouse lead.

Straka fired a 70 in the morning and stayed under the radar in the early afternoon after an opening double-bogey on his second 18 holes threatened his chances. He managed to notch three birdies between holes 12 and 16 to battle back and join Hoge at 5-under.

“I played well. First time trying to qualify for an Open so I’m really happy about the result, ” said a smiling Straka in the clubhouse as he waited for the outcome of the playoff. “It’s awesome to be heading to Pebble Beach, such an iconic place. It’s going to be sweet!”

Playoff golf was required to break a three-way tie for the final two qualifying spots following 36-holes of regulation golf. Harris English birdied his last hole of the day with a superb approach to the green to force extra holes. Alex Prugh of Spokane, Wash. and Nathan Lashley of Scottsbluff, Neb, who had both been waiting in the clubhouse at 4-under, were forced to return to the course for a tiebreaker.

Prugh and Lashley prevailed and will also be competing at Pebble Beach. English will serve as first alternate.

The field featured 37 competitors including PGA TOUR veterans, promising Canadian golfers, and a three-time winner of major tournaments in Padraig Harrington, who had a good start, but settled for a final score of 2-under.

The 36-hole sectional event was held on the CopperHead course at Rattlesnake Point. Included in the field was eight Canadian golfers, many of whom will move on immediately to Hamilton Golf and Country Club to compete in the 2019 RBC Canadian Open. David Hearn, of Brantford, Ont., was the low Canadian finisher in 12th position, shooting par on the day.

“The conditions were really windy today and it was tricky if you weren’t in control of your ball,” said Hearn, who was rushing home to Brantford before heading to Hamilton Golf and Country Club to prepare for his next challenge at the RBC Canadian Open.  “But the course was in great shape, there’s no doubt about it. The greens set-up was great, and when the conditioning is good, it’s a fair contest for everybody.”

A total of 927 players participated in 12 sectoral qualifications, including events scheduled in Canada, England and Japan. This is the first time in the history of the U.S. Open that a sectional qualification event has been held in Canada. For all scores and results of U.S. Open Sectional Qualifiers, click here. 

U.S. Open qualifying began earlier this spring with 8,602 players competing in 110 local qualifiers. One local qualifier was held in Canada on May 13 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont.

The Canadian sectional is being held the same week as the RBC Canadian Open, and several PGA TOUR players will be playing both the RBC Canadian Open and the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier.

Canadians Nick Taylor and Mike Weir already qualified for the 119th U.S. Open via the sectional qualifying event on May 20 in Dallas.

DUBLIN, Ohio – Jack Nicklaus is a gracious tournament host at the Memorial who doesn’t mince words, and it paid off for Patrick Cantlay.

When they bumped into each other earlier in the week in the grill room, Nicklaus told him he had to learn how to finish. And then when Cantlay saw him again at lunch going into the weekend, Nicklaus told him how.

Nicklaus said to have fun, to look around at all the fans having a great time, to relax and to go win the golf tournament.

Cantlay had a blast Sunday with the best closing round by a winner in the 44 years of the Memorial. He rallied from four shots behind with an 8-under 64, a round so under control that Cantlay’s longest putt for par was from 8 feet on the final hole, with Nicklaus watching behind the 18th green.

He poured it in to secure a two-shot victory over Adam Scott.

“I finished it,” Cantlay said to Nicklaus as he walked off the green.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., tied for 52nd at 1 over for the tournament, 20 shots off the lead. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., tied for 62nd at 4 over.

Martin Kaymer, trying to end five years without a victory, started with a two-shot lead and never recovered from a four-hole stretch on the back nine when he made consecutive bogeys and failed to birdie the par-5 15th. He closed with a 72 and finished third.

Scott was the last player to have a chance and ran off three straight birdies until narrowly missing birdie putts on the last two holes. He shot 68.

“Being able to win on this golf course, in front of Jack, making that putt on the last hole, I can’t tell you how good it feels,” he said.

Engaging in private, Cantlay doesn’t smile much on the golf course and isn’t about to force one. But the advice from Nicklaus – Cantlay first met him when he won the Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation’s best college player in 2011 – stuck with him.

Look around, soak it up and enjoy it.

“I definitely said that to myself down the stretch today on the back nine,” said Cantlay, who finished at 19-under 269. “It put me a little more at ease, and I hit a lot of really nice, quality shots with the lead.”

Cantlay first caught Kaymer with a 3-wood to 10 feet for a two-putt birdie on the 11th. Kaymer, in the group behind him, matched the birdie. That was his last one. Cantlay followed with an 18-foot birdie putt on No. 14 and a 5-iron that set up a long two-putt birdie on the par-5 15th.

By then, Kaymer was making bogeys and Scott was stuck in neutral until it was too late.

“I knew that you can’t really make any mistakes coming down the stretch,” said Kaymer, whose last victory was by eight shots in the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. “But all credit to Patrick. He played a great round of golf. He deserved to win – 19-under par is amazing.”

Scott finished at 19 under at Torrey Pines and lost two by to Justin Rose. He was 17 under at the Memorial – only six players have done better at Muirfield Village, one of them being Cantlay on Sunday.

“It’s disappointing not to win, for sure,” Scott said. “I really played good golf this week, and it just wasn’t good enough.”

Cantlay’s only disappointment was that it took him 19 months to win for the second time on the PGA Tour. But then, he hasn’t been around as long as it seems. Cantlay was low amateur in the 2011 U.S. Open, and the next week shot a 60 at the Travelers Championship.

But his career took a severe turn on and off the golf course, first with a back injury that kept him out of golf entirely for two full years and left him wondering if he would ever make it back. Then, he was out of dinner one night with his best friend and caddie, Chris Roth, when Roth was stuck by a car and killed.

Cantlay says it changed him as a person, but he keeps that separate from his golf.

His golf has been good for a long time, and this was a big step.

There some atonement at Muirfield Village for Cantlay. A year ago, he took a two-shot lead to the back nine and didn’t make a birdie the rest of the way, missing a playoff by one shot. This time, he putted for birdie on every hole on the back nine until the 18th.

“I was looking for a little redemption this week,” Cantlay said. “And that has to do with me feeling really comfortable on the golf course and liking it a lot. Not to mention I’ve been playing really well, so it feels like a win has been coming. You always have to put yourself in contention. And you start winning a couple, and you figure out how to do it, and hopefully it keeps happening.”

Tiger Woods knew he had no chance to win the Memorial from 11 shots behind going into the final round, though he still put on a show and got what he needed out of his final event before the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. He went out in 31 and was 7 under for his round through 12 holes until a sloppy bogey on the 14th and a closing bogey for a 67. He wound up in a tie for ninth at 9-under 279.

“The goal today was to get to double digits (under par) and get something positive going into the Open,” he said. “I got to double digits, I just didn’t stay there.”