The PGA Tour faces one of those weeks that runs the risk of going under the radar of the general public, but that delights the real enthusiasts. Anyone might think that the RBC Canadian Open is a second-tier tournament, given that a good part of the top players are missing, but the reality is that we are facing a capital letter golf event. First for the tournament, second for the course, third for what’s at stake, and fourth for the presence of some players who are not exactly extras.
The Canadian Open is one of the oldest tournaments in history. It was first held in 1904, so it’s time to stand up to talk about it. It has been played on nearly 40 different courses over the years and its winners include names like Walter Hagen, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Lee Treviño, Greg Norman, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy or Dustin Johnson. Quite something.
The Hamilton Golf and Country Club also deserves its distinction. It’s a great course. The club was launched in the 19th century and its first designer was Harry Colt, a luminary. The last time it hosted the Canadian Open was in 2019. Since then it has undergone a deep renovation and the most striking are the escape areas that have been created around the greens. These are areas with a lot of slope and very short grass, where the ball rolls almost at the same speed as the greens. On the 18th hole, for example, if you fall a little short in your approach shot to the green, the ball can come back and stay about 60 meters from the flag, tells us Jorge Campillo. That’s a serious escape.
Visually it’s a very beautiful course and it won’t be easy, although it is somewhat damp and receptive, so each day low rounds will be seen. McIlroy won in 2019 at this venue with a score of -22. It doesn’t seem that this week those records can be reached because the rough is tough, but it shouldn’t be too far off either. A great course.
What’s at stake is, no more and no less, than the entry into the next two designated, the Memorial Tournament and the Travelers, which are going to be played back to back with the US Open in between. That means that whoever gets a spot in the Aon Swing 5 gets into two top-notch events. Campillo, the only Spanish player present at the event, has his chances after his great performance at the Myrtle Beach Open. He is just over 40 points from Pierceson Coody, who occupies the fifth place in this ranking. Mathematically, at least, to have any chance, he should finish in the top 20, but if he gets a top 10 he would buy many tickets to be in those two great tournaments. It would mean a significant turnaround to his season. Beyond that, it would open the possibility of qualifying for the US Open.
And as for the participation, well, the top players are not there, but important names are not missing. Playing are Rory McIlroy, Tom Kim or Adam Scott, as well as the largest contingent of Canadians in history, a total of 28, with Nick Taylor, defending champion of the tournament, at the forefront.
