This week on Road to the Tour, presented by Hilton, we focus on the Canadian Men’s Amateur event. This is an important event on the calendar for all amateur players in Canada, and something they prepare all summer for.

Rest and Relax like a Pro, start planning your next stay with Hilton today.

Vancouver, B.C. – Golf Canada in partnership with Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) announced today the final field of competitors set to challenge for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open taking place August 22-27 at the Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, B.C.

Defending champion Paula Reto leads a stellar field of competitors that includes nine of the top-10 and 22 of the top-25 players on the Race to CME Globe standings. The field will also include 16 of the LPGA Tour’s in-year winners and all 2023 Major winners including two-time major champion and new world no. 1 Lilia Vu.

Nine of the top-10 players on the Rolex World Ranking will compete in Vancouver including Canadian sensation and CPKC ambassador Brooke Henderson (World no. 10) along with fellow top-10 world-ranked stars Lilia Vu (no. 1), Nelly Korda (no. 2), Jin Young Ko, (no. 3), Celine Boutier (no. 4), Ruoning Yin (no. 5), Lydia Ko (no. 6), Hyo-Joo Kim (no. 7) and Allisen Corpuz (no. 8). Other international fan-favourites set to compete include world no. 11 Minjee Lee, world no. 19 Linn Grant, world no. 15 Nasa Hataoka, world no. 21 Lexi Thompson, and world no. 31 Rose Zhang. 

Henderson, the 25-year-old 13-time LPGA Tour winner will lead a 10-player Canadian contingent including Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont. and Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. along with Team Canada professionals Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., and Sarah-Eve Rhéaume of Quebec City. The group will be joined by five Team Canada amateurs including 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont., Lauren Zaretsky of Thornhill, Ont., Brooke Rivers of Brampton, Ont., and Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C.

Vancouver resident and Shaughnessy member Victoria Liu will compete at her home golf club on a tournament exemption.

The field for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open will include 16 in-year winners including all 2023 LPGA Tour Major winners as well as eight past CPKC Women’s Open champions – Paula Reto (2022), Jin Young Ko (2019), Brooke Henderson (2018), Sung Hyun Park (2017), Ariya Jutanugarn (2016), Lydia Ko (2012, 2013 & 2015), So Yeon Ryu (2014) and Cristie Kerr (2006).

Originally scheduled to host the CPKC Women’s Open in 2020 but cancelled due to the global pandemic, the A.V. McCann designed Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club becomes the only golf club in the past 20 years to host both of Canada’s National Women’s and Men’s Open Championships. Shaughnessy is also one of only six Canadian golf clubs to host the CPKC Women’s Open, RBC Canadian Open, Canadian Women’s Amateur and Canadian Men’s Amateur Championships.

“The field is set, and after a three-year delay we are extremely proud to the welcome the world’s best players back to Vancouver and Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club for the 49^th playing of the CPKC Women’s Open,” said Ryan Paul, Tournament Director of the CPKC Women’s Open. “Canadian golf fans and event enthusiasts from across British Columbia are in for a showcase of world class golf and a festival experience as we celebrate the return of the LPGA Tour to the incredible city of Vancouver.”

The remaining four exemptions into the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open will be awarded later this week and the final four qualifier spots will be announced on Monday, August 21 following the Monday Qualifier set for Point Grey Golf & Country Club. 

A full field list of players confirmed to compete in the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open is available online here.

The field of 156 competitors will vie for the $2.5 million USD purse with the champion taking home $375,000.

Tickets for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country are available here – children 12-and-under get FREE admission all week long.

CPKC HAS HEART CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT BC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION…

CPKC and Golf Canada are proud to support the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation as the primary charitable beneficiary for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open. Among the charitable engagements tournament week will be the Birdies for Heart hole on no. 16 at Shaughnessy with a $5,000 donation made for every birdie made on the hole during the four rounds of the competition. In addition, CPKC is also proud to support a community beneficiary in Royal Inland Hospital Foundation in support of cardiac care. In nine years of title sponsorship of the CPKC Women’s Open, more than $16 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in the event’s host communities.

CPKC WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT RETURNS TO KICK OFF TOURNAMENT WEEK…

Golf Canada and CPKC will host the sixth annual CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday, August 22 at nearby Marine Drive Golf Club as part of the weeklong excitement of the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open. The CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit will bring together like-minded businesspeople from across the country for a day of networking, empowerment, and philanthropy. The Summit will also raise awareness for the CPKC Women’s Open, with attendees receiving access to the tournament during the week and participating in clinics.

“THE RINK” FAN EXPERIENCE RETURNS…

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that the fan-favourite Rink hole spectator experience will return following a successful debut last year in Ottawa. The energetic hockey-themed hole, complete with fan-pounding rink boards, volunteers dressed as referees and a surrounding hospitality experience will be situated on par-3 17th hole at Shaughnessy.

CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN BROADCAST…

The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open will feature four days of domestic and international television broadcast coverage including Canadian broadcast partner TSN as well as international coverage on GOLF channel.

KIDS 12-AND-UNDER GET IN FREE…

Golf Canada and CPKC are committed to offering a fan friendly, family event with the CPKC Women’s Open. To introduce more juniors to the sport, children aged 12-and-under get FREE admission to the CPKC Women’s Open for the entire week.

GOLF CANADA MOBILE APP EXPERIENCE…

Spectators at Shaughnessy will experience the CPKC Women’s Open like never before by downloading the Golf Canada Mobile App on their iOS or Android device. Essential tournament features include a live map, leaderboard and pairings, tickets, breaking news, and unique events. Golf enthusiasts can also use the Golf Canada Mobile App to enhance their everyday golf experience while playing! Find golf courses, track your game, set up matches, follow friends, access GPS yardages and more. Click here to download.

ABOUT THE CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN 

The stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the CPKC Women’s Open from August 22-27, 2023, at the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, B.C. Through its CPKC Has Heart program, title sponsor CPKC will once again make a substantial donation to the host community of Canada’s National Open Golf Championship by supporting the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open is proudly sponsored by CPKC, BDO, Audi, RBC, theScore, Levelwear, Transitions, Titleist, FootJoy, Journie Rewards, Hilton, Sleeman Clear 2.0, Think Turkey, The Keg, Johnsonville, Cayman Islands, Masi, Celebrity Cruises, STALK&BARREL, Matt & Steve’s, Coca-Cola, Rolex and is supported by Sport Hosting Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, and the Government of Canada.

For information Click here.

ABOUT CPKC

With its global headquarters in Calgary, Alta., Canada, CPKC is the first and only single-line transnational railway linking Canada, the United States and México, with unrivaled access to major ports from Vancouver to Atlantic Canada to the Gulf of México to Lázaro Cárdenas, México. Stretching approximately 20,000 route miles and employing 20,000 railroaders, CPKC provides North American customers unparalleled rail service and network reach to key markets across the continent. CPKC is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpkcr.com to learn more about the rail advantages of CPKC.

Team Canada athletes will join international amateurs and professionals among the list of 11 exempt players to challenge for the 49^th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship

Vancouver (August 14, 2023) – Golf Canada, in partnership with the title sponsor CPKC, announced today the names of 11 players that have earned tournament exemptions into the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open, August 22-27, at the Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver.

Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. headlines the list of seven Canadians who have earned exemptions into the 2023 championship. The two-time Olympian and long-time LPGA Tour member will make her 18^th appearance at the National Open Championship where she posted a career-best 4th place finish in 2016. Sharp, who earned the exemption for winning the 2023 PGA of Canada Women’s Championship, is ranked 13^th on the 2023 Epson Tour points list in a season that features a victory at the Champions Fore Change Invitational and two other top-10 finishes.

Also accepting invitations are Team Canada professionals — Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., and Sarah-Eve Rhéaume of Quebec City — who will be making their fourth, and second respective starts in Canada’s National Open Championship. Thibault is currently the top-ranked Canadian on the Women’s All-Pro Tour while Rhéaume is competing in her rookie year on the Epson Tour.  

The group will be joined by four Team Canada amateurs, led by 17-year Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., who will compete in her first CPKC Women’s Open after earning an exemption through the 2023 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. Also accepting exemptions are fellow Team Canada athletes Katie Cranston, 19, of Oakville, Ont., and 19-year-old Lauren Zaretsky of Thornhill, Ont., making their second CPKC Women’s Open start along with 18-year-old Brooke Rivers of Brampton, Ont., who will make her first-ever start in the event.

Vancouver resident and Shaughnessy member Victoria Liu has also accepted an exemption to compete at her home golf club.

Rounding out the list of current exemptions are a trio of international talents including 2023 British Women’s Amateur champion Chiara Horder of Germany, American rising star amateur Gianna Clemente and Australian Gabriella Ruffels who currently sits no. 1 on the 2023 Epson Tour money list.

“Together with CPKC we are very proud to welcome this exceptional group of Canadian and international athletes to Vancouver for the CPKC Women’s Open,” said Tournament Director Ryan Paul. “Extending playing opportunities through tournament exemptions is an important component of the CPKC Women’s Open and we are very pleased that these talented amateur and professional players can join us at Shaughnessy for the 49th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship.”

The final five tournament exemptions into the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open have yet to be announced. Additionally, four playing spots will also be awarded through the Final Qualifier on Monday, August 21 at nearby Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver.

The group will join two Canadian LPGA Tour players at Shaughnessy including 13-time LPGA Tour winner Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont.

A stellar field for the 49^th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship will also include defending champion Paula Reto and world no. 1 Lilia Vu, along with global stars Nelly Korda, Minjee Lee, Jennifer Kupcho, In Gee Chun, Danielle Kang, Lexi Thompson, Jin Young Ko, Megan Khang, Sei Young Kim, Stacy Lewis, and Paula Creamer. Other fan favourites include 20-year-old sensation Rose Zhang and Lydia Ko who will be looking for her record fourth CPKC Women’s Open title.

The final field for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open will be released on Tuesday, August 15 after 5:00pm ET.

Tickets for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country are available here – children 12-and-under get FREE admission all week long.

CPKC HAS HEART CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT BC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION…

CPKC and Golf Canada are proud to support the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation as the primary charitable beneficiary for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open. Among the charitable engagements tournament week will be the Birdies for Heart hole on no. 16 at Shaughnessy with a $5,000 donation made for every birdie made on the hole during the four rounds of the competition. In addition, CPKC is also proud to support a community beneficiary in Royal Inland Hospital Foundation in support of cardiac care. In nine years of title sponsorship of the CPKC Women’s Open, more than $16 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in the event’s host communities.

CPKC WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT RETURNS TO KICK OFF TOURNAMENT WEEK…

Golf Canada and CPKC will host the sixth annual CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday, August 22 at nearby Marine Drive Golf Club as part of the weeklong excitement of the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open. The CPKC Women’s Leadership Summit will bring together like-minded businesspeople from across the country for a day of networking, empowerment, and philanthropy. The Summit will also raise awareness for the CPKC Women’s Open, with attendees receiving access to the tournament during the week and participating in clinics.

“THE RINK” FAN EXPERIENCE RETURNS…

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that the fan-favourite Rink hole spectator experience will return following a successful debut last year in Ottawa. The energetic hockey-themed hole, complete with fan-pounding rink boards, volunteers dressed as referees and a surrounding hospitality experience will be situated on par-3 17th hole at Shaughnessy.

CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN BROADCAST…

The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open will feature four days of domestic and international television broadcast coverage including Canadian broadcast partner TSN as well as international coverage on GOLF channel.

KIDS 12-AND-UNDER GET IN FREE…

Golf Canada and CPKC are committed to offering a fan friendly, family event with the CPKC Women’s Open. To introduce more juniors to the sport, children aged 12-and-under get FREE admission to the CPKC Women’s Open for the entire week.

GOLF CANADA MOBILE APP EXPERIENCE…

Spectators at Shaughnessy will experience the CPKC Women’s Open like never before by downloading the Golf Canada Mobile App on their iOS or Android device. Essential tournament features include a live map, leaderboard and pairings, tickets, breaking news, and unique events. Golf enthusiasts can also use the Golf Canada Mobile App to enhance their everyday golf experience while playing! Find golf courses, track your game, set up matches, follow friends, access GPS yardages and more. Click here to download.

ABOUT THE CPKC WOMEN’S OPEN 

The stars of the LPGA Tour will challenge for the CPKC Women’s Open from August 22-27, 2023, at the Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, B.C. Through its CPKC Has Heart program, title sponsor CPKC will once again make a substantial donation to the host community of Canada’s National Open Golf Championship by supporting the B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation. The 2023 CPKC Women’s Open is proudly sponsored by CPKC, BDO, Audi, RBC, theScore, Levelwear, Transitions, Titleist, FootJoy, Journie Rewards, Hilton, Sleeman Clear 2.0, Think Turkey, The Keg, Johnsonville, Cayman Islands, Masi, Celebrity Cruises, STALK&BARREL, Matt & Steve’s, Coca-Cola, Rolex and is supported by Sport Hosting Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, and the Government of Canada.

For information visit www.cpkcwomensopen.com.

ABOUT CPKC

With its global headquarters in Calgary, Alta., Canada, CPKC is the first and only single-line transnational railway linking Canada, the United States and México, with unrivaled access to major ports from Vancouver to Atlantic Canada to the Gulf of México to Lázaro Cárdenas, México. Stretching approximately 20,000 route miles and employing 20,000 railroaders, CPKC provides North American customers unparalleled rail service and network reach to key markets across the continent. CPKC is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpkcr.com to learn more about the rail advantages of CPKC.

This week on Road to the Tour presented by Hilton, all eyes are on Johnny Travale as he takes his game to the next level. Tune in to see how Johnny has official turned professional, and what lead him to achieve this goal.

Rest and Relax like a Pro, start planning your next stay with Hilton today.

This week on Road to the Tour, presented by Hilton, the spotlight is placed on Team Canada coaches and the impact they have on players’ growth. These coaches are committed to the performance of Team Canada athletes and play a key part in the development of all players.

Rest and Relax like a Pro, start planning your next stay with Hilton today.

(September 1, 2022) – Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada are committed to providing opportunities for people with disabilities to experience the physical, psychological, and social benefits golf can offer.

As part of this commitment, the national golf organizations have launched the EDGA 359 Pilot Project, presented by Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada, partnering with EDGA (formerly the European Disabled Golf Association) on coach training designed to demystify adaptive golf and give coaches the confidence needed to launch and develop programs for golfers with disabilities across Canada.

“Through this coach training, we are eager to increase support for golfers of all abilities and make our sport inclusive of more Canadians,”  said Laura Wilson, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Safe Sport for Golf Canada.

Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada have invited Mark Taylor, PGA Fellow Professional, Head of Development/Coach Education, and Instruction for EDGA to educate coaches in Canada who will be involved in the future recruitment and support of golfers with disabilities. PGA of Canada Technical Director Glenn Cundari will co-facilitate the sessions. 

The EDGA curriculum is a three-step curriculum that identifies a participation pathway for golfers with disabilities. The training will provide coaches with the knowledge and skills to support golfers at each stage of the pathway from Sample – Participant – Compete. The first two stages of training will be piloted to provide coaches (PGA of Canada professionals, Physical Therapists, trainers, etc.) in Canada with the training, confidence and resources needed to develop and expand programs for golfers with disabilities.

The PGA of Canada is committed to supporting a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive sporting and workplace experience in Canadian golf. The launch of this inclusive coaching context is one of our priorities to the 88 recommendations we have committed to as an organization from our EDI task force report – said PGA of Canada Chief Innovation Officer Matt Allen.

EDGA has been providing training and resources to sport federations for more that 20 years.  

Through the EDGA 359 project, two coach training clinics will be piloted this year—one in Nova Scotia at Glen Arbour Golf Course, just outside of Halifax and one in Ontario at Lionhead Golf and Conference Centre in Brampton. Once the pilot workshops are completed this fall, Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada will look to roll out EDGA workshops nationally beginning in 2023.

EDGA 359 – Pilot Workshops:

Nova Scotia Clinic:

Glen Arbour Golf Course
September 9-10

Level 1   

Combined Level 1 & 2

Ontario Clinic:

Lionhead Golf Course
September 13-14

Level 1

Combined Level 1 & 2

The training will take place at a similar time as the 2^nd annual Canadian All Abilities Championship, which is being contested this year September 13-14 at Essex Golf & Country Club in Lasalle, Ont. The EDGA 359 Pilot Project is legacy component to the event with up to 50 new coaches trained to support golfers with disabilities.

The EDGA 359 pilot clinics will be supported respectively by the Nova Scotia Golf Association and Golf Ontario.

Jackie Roberts-Amos remembers sharply the details of the day she learned about her daughter Aurora’s broken heart. She had been sent to CHEO for a fetal ultrasound 24 weeks into her pregnancy. Ultrasounds were nothing new to Jackie; she already had two young boys at home, a three-and-a-half-year-old and a two-year-old. But this one would be different. 

She and her husband, Rob, were seated in a stark room, waiting and wondering. And waiting.  

“Dr. Jane Lougheed came into the room, along with a nurse and a social worker,” Jackie recalls. “Nobody brings in a team to give you good news. I just remember looking around for something to brace myself physically. There weren’t any arms on the chair, so I remember grabbing the bottom of my chair to steady myself.” 

What followed was a blur. The cardiologist had two diagrams and began with, “This is a normal heart… and this, is your daughter’s heart.”  

“Until that moment, I didn’t know that something could be so fundamentally wrong with someone’s heart and that they could survive! We felt helpless. I did everything right during my pregnancy and could not protect my baby from this.”  

Aurora was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect called truncus arteriosus type 1. The baby has one large artery, instead of the usual two arteries, for blood flowing in and out of the heart. These babies also have a single truncal valve instead of two valves to control this blood flow. For Aurora, the wall separating the two ventricles never completely closed, leaving a large hole between the two chambers.  

The only option: open heart surgery.  

“But Aurora has always been feisty,” Jackie says with a smile, recalling when Aurora was in her belly. “After months of hearing the rumbling noises of Aurora moving around, her brothers Liam and Connor were disappointed to learn they were going to have a human sister, and not the baby dragon they had been hoping for,” she says with a laugh.  

So, the CHEO team got to work. “It was incredible,” Jackie recalls. “Dr. Lougheed laid out the path.” Aurora would be born at the Ottawa Hospital General Campus and be transported to CHEO, where Dr. Gyandeeo Maharajh would fix her tiny heart.  

At two weeks of age, Aurora had her first surgery. She would spend most of her first five months at CHEO, except for a short ten days at home, before being readmitted to CHEO for a life-threatening blood infection that required specialized IV antibiotics.  

Aurora bounced back and grew into an active kid who loves sports. Limitations weren’t in her playbook. Aurora has had a lot of cardiac catheterizations, a procedure in which a thin, flexible tube is guided through a blood vessel to the heart to diagnose or treat the heart. These tweaks allow more time for her between surgeries. The very nature of her heart condition is not something that is ever truly fixed. She outgrows her previous repairs and new ones need to happen.  

She would need another open-heart surgery in 2017. Jackie saw it coming as she noticed Aurora slowing down on the ice while playing hockey, becoming winded and short of breath. They would once again entrust their daughter to Dr. Maharajh, who is beloved by the family.  

“We love how he is a man of precision and science, but a spiritual person as well,” Jackie says. “We know there is someone protective in there. It is like he has his own special superpowers. You can tell he is not your average person, but he is so humble and unassuming. He cares and you can feel it.” 

Jackie remembers sitting in the cardiology family room while Aurora underwent an 11-hour surgery. “The thing about that room is,” Jackie begins, “The walls are covered with photos of families who have been through it. Those pictures are so reassuring when you’re waiting for that update, waiting for it to be over; they give you hope that it’s going to be OK for you, too.” 

Aurora will need at least one more surgery. Jackie and Rob will sit in that room again. 

But for now, at age 12 Aurora is thriving. She is a self-described ‘sporty’ kid. Raven haired, with clear blue eyes, she knows what she wants. She stretches herself between school, sports, drawing and being whisked away through the magic of her Harry Potter books. She is a natural athlete and is excited to be the ambassador for the CP Has Heart campaign. She figures it is the perfect segue into learning how to play golf from the absolute best! “I’ve only ever played mini golf,” she says, laughing. “But I want to learn!” 

“She’s got this quiet strength and determination,” her mother says. “She focuses on what she needs to do and just goes for it!” All of this happens under the watchful eyes of big brothers Liam and Konnor, now 16 and 14. “Most of the time they treat her like one of the guys,” Jackie laughs. “But then suddenly they become protective of her. They are being cautious with masks and things like that to keep her safe from COVID-19.” 

That protection extends to the CHEO family, too. “Dr. Lougheed, the technicians, nurses, the people who book the appointments. Everyone,” Jackie says. “Aurora was never ‘just a patient’ or ‘some procedure’ that you do and move on. We are eternally grateful for that.” 

What does CHEO mean to Aurora? “For me, my team takes such good care of me, and I appreciate them all so much. But for our community, CHEO means help for kids. No matter what, we get the specialized care we need, in a place that’s meant just for us.” 

Golf Canada and RBC are pleased to announce the final field vying for the US$8.7 million purse at the 2022 RBC Canadian Open, June 6-12 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in partnership with nearby Islington Golf Club as the official practice facility. 

After a wait of 1,093 days and two years of cancellation due to the global pandemic, 2019 champion and world no. 7 Rory McIlroy returns to Canada looking to defend his title against a stellar field of PGA TOUR stars led by world no. 1 and 2022 Master champion Scottie Scheffler, world no. 3 and 2022 The Players champion Cam Smith, world no. 4 and 2022 PGA champion Justin Thomas and world no. 9 Sam Burns, a 3-time PGA TOUR winner in 2022.

Other notable additions to the field for the 111th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship include world no. 15 Matthew Fitzpatrick, world no. 16 Tony Finau, world no. 23 Tyrell Hatton and big-hitter Cameron Champ along with past Major winners, Shane Lowry, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose, Jason Dufner and Danny Willet. 

Team RBC will be represented at St. George’s by a collection of international and Canadian talents including world no. 38 Harold Varner III and 2013 RBC Canadian Open champion Brandt Snedeker along with world no. 34 Corey Conners and fellow Canadian PGA TOUR players Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor, Roger Sloan, Michael Gligic, Adam Svensson, and Taylor Pendrith.

The field for the celebrated return of the 2022 RBC Canadian Open includes five of the top-10 players in the world (Scheffler, Smith, Thomas, McIlroy, and Burns) and the top-four players on the current FedEx Cup ranking. Seven major championship winners (accounting for 11 titles) will compete along with eight 2021-22 PGA TOUR in-year winners, six past champions of the RBC Canadian Open, and 21 Canadians. 

“We are extremely pleased with the field of world-class competitors that make their way to Canada to join us in the celebrated return of the RBC Canadian Open and challenge for the 111^th playing of Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship,” said RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director Bryan Crawford. “Led by our defending champion Rory McIlroy, this year’s championship features a strong mix of stars from all around the world and the deepest field of Canadian talent ever to challenge for our National Men’s Open title. Along with great golf, fans will be treated to an incredible festival environment with terrific on-site activities including the Recipe Unlimited Fareway food and beverage experience and the RBCxMusic Concert series featuring Flo Rida (June 10) and Maroon 5 (June 11). It is the return that Canadian golf fans deserve as we get set to kick off summer.” 

In total, 156 players will compete for the US$8.7 million purse next week in Toronto when the RBC Canadian Open returns to the storied Stanley Thompson design for the sixth time and first since 2010. 

Due to current Government of Canada travel restrictions extending beyond June 1, Team RBC ambassadors Webb Simpson and Matt Kuchar are not able to participate in the championship and have officially withdrawn from the 2022 RBC Canadian Open. Golf Canada and RBC look forward welcoming Simpson and Kuchar back to Canada for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open at Oakdale Golf & Country Club.

Click here for a full field list for the 2022 RBC Canadian Open.

PGA TOUR Season Winners…

A total of eight in-year PGA TOUR winners accounting for 14 PGA TOUR titles in 2021-22 will compete at St. George’s led by 4-time winner Scottie Scheffler, 3-time winner Sam Burns, and 2-time winner Cam Smith. Other in-year PGA TOUR winners in the field include Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Luke List, JJ Spaun, and Chad Ramey. 

Past Champions…

Six past RBC Canadian Open champions will compete at St. George’s including Chez Reavie (2008), Sean O’Hair (2011), Scott Piercy (2012) Brandt Snedeker (2013), Jhonattan Vegas (2016-17) and defending champion Rory McIlroy (2019). 

Twenty-one Canadians to compete for their National Men’s Open Title…

Current PGA TOUR players Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor, Adam Svensson, Michael Gligic, Taylor Pendrith and Roger Sloan will lead a talented roster of 21 Canadians competing in the RBC Canadian Open. The 2022 event welcomes home a legend as 8-time PGA TOUR and Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Mike Weir will make his 29^th start in the RBC Canadian Open. Other Canadians competing on exemption include David Hearn, Aaron Cockerill, Stuart MacDonald, Albin Choi, Myles Creighton, Jared du Toit, Brendan Leonard, Wes Heffernan, Callum Davison, and Max Sekulic along with Team Canada amateurs AJ Ewart and Johnny Travale. 

Final Tournament Exemptions to be Named…

The final four exemptions into the field for the 2022 RBC Canadian Open will be handed out at the Monday Qualifier on Monday June 6, to be played at Oakdale Golf and Country in Toronto, host site of the 2023 and 2026 RBC Canadian Open. 

Click here for the full current list of competitors competing in the 2022 RBC Canadian Open, June 6-12 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in partnership with nearby Islington Golf Club as the official practice facility. 

Tickets for the 2022 RBC Canadian Open are available here.

Golf Canada and RBC confirmed today that 8-time PGA TOUR winner and Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Mike Weir has accepted an exemption to compete in the 2022 RBC Canadian Open, June 6-12 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto. 

With the appearance, Weir, the 2003 Master champion and past winner on PGA TOUR Champions who recently finished T4 at the 2022 Senior PGA Championship, will be making his 29^th start in the RBC Canadian Open, third-most in tournament history behind fellow Canadian Golf Hall of Famers George Cumming (32) and Gordon Brydson (30).

Also accepting an exemption to compete in the 111^th playing of the Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship are PGA TOUR veteran David Hearn of Brantford, Ont. as well as Winnipeg, Man. native Aaron Cockerill who currently sits 40^th on the DP World Tour ranking. Hearn will be competing in his 18^th RBC Canadian Open while Cockerill will make his first appearance. 

A pair of Canadians currently competing on the Korn Ferry Tour – Stuart MacDonald of Vancouver and Albin Choi of Toronto – have also been extended exemption to compete at St. George’s. Choi, who is currently ranked no. 93 on the Korn Ferry Tour money list will compete in his sixth RBC Canadian while MacDonald, a member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Squad who is currently ranked no. 111 on the Korn Ferry money list will play in his first RBC Canadian Open. 

Two other members of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Squad – Miles Creighton of Digby, N.S. and Jared du Toit of Kimberly, B.C. – have also been extended exemptions. Creighton will make his first-ever start in Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship while du Toit, who made a magical run in 2016 to finish T9 as an amateur, will make his fourth appearance.

Team Canada Amateur Squad member AJ Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C. will also compete in his first RBC Canadian Open. The 23-year-old sophomore at Barry University has earned seven career NCAA Division II victories including four this season. Ewart’s Team Canada teammate, 21-year-old Johnny Travale of Stoney Creek, Ont., has also accepted an exemption. 

A third member of the Team Canada Amateur Squad—Max Sekulic of Rycroft, Alta. will also compete in his first RBC Canadian Open, an exemption he earned by winning the 2021 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. Sekulic will compete in the RBC Canadian Open as a professional.   

Calgary native Wes Heffernan will compete in his seventh RBC Canadian Open, earning his exemption as the top finisher of on the 2021 PGA of Canada player rankings. 

Canadian Callum Davison of Duncan, B.C. (2021 PGA TOUR Canada season winner) will compete on an exemption previously earned through PGA TOUR Canada and will be joined by Delta, B.C. resident Yi Cao (2020 Canada Life Series winner). 

Brendan Leonard of Cambridge, Ont. recently earned a spot in the field by winning the RBC Canadian Open Ontario Regional Qualifier at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. The next 20 finishers from the Ontario Reginal Qualifier will join 11 players from the Quebec Qualifier (May 9 at Club do Golf Le Blainvillier in Blainville, Que.) nine players from the BC Qualifier (May 17 at Meadow Gardens Golf Club in Pitt Meadows, B.C.), and six from the Alberta Qualifier (May 30 at Mickelson National Golf Club in Calgary, Alta.) in the Final Monday Qualifier on June 6 at Oakdale Golf and Country Club. Four exemptions from the Final Qualifier on Monday, June 6 will be available into the field of the RBC Canadian Open.  

A full Canadian contingent will also celebrate the return of the RBC Canadian Open led by world no. 34 Corey Conners, past PGA TOUR winners Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor as well as fellow PGA TOUR members Taylor Pendrith, Adam Svensson, Michael Gligic and Roger Sloan. 

Tickets for the 2022 RBC Canadian Open are available here.

Did you know there’s a Canadian connection to the most anticipated golf video game in recent memory?

HB Studios, based in Nova Scotia, was recently acquired by iconic sports video-game company 2K – which inked a long-term, exclusive partnership with Tiger Woods. 2K purchased HB Studios, the developers of PGA TOUR 2K21 as well as its ‘The Golf Club’ franchise.

“I am looking forward to making my return to the video game landscape, and with 2K and HB Studios, I’ve found the right partners to make it happen,” said Woods last year. “I’m honoured to take part in this opportunity and look forward to sharing my expertise and insights as we build the future of golf video games together.”

With Woods’ injury, the release of the next 2K game has been postponed, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate some big-time golf releases from the past.

Whether it’s an all-time classic or merely a nostalgic game that prompts some fun memories with friends, here are the top give golf video games of all time.

Golden Tee

Released in 1989, the Golden Tee machine has become a staple in bars (and some lucky homes!) for more than 30 years. Originally the project was meant for a large-scale golf simulator, but it was scrapped by the developer. The programmer decided to press on with the idea – after having already written the software to create virtual golf courses – and since then the machine has become as synonymous with bars as cold beer and nachos. The simple game-play format – pulling back that iconic trackball and flying it forward – remains a joy.

Wii Sports – Golf

The Nintendo Wii, when released in 2006, had a pack-in game included with each system. Alongside tennis, baseball, bowling and boxing, there was golf.

The Wii allowed for its users to have fun with the motion-sensing capabilities of the Wii remote which means, yes, you can absolutely swing the remote like you would a real golf club.

Other video game franchises would take advantage of the Wii’s capabilities (Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12, for example, allowed for users on the Wii to swing the control) but the original Wii Sports golf effort was fun, different, and set the stage for other motion-controlled games moving forward.

Links

Before there were gaming systems, there were games played on your desktop computer and Links: The Challenge of Golf, set off a well-received and incredibly exciting PC-based franchise.

Links was first developed by Access Software and then later purchased and developed by Microsoft. The Challenge of Golf even won Computer Gaming World’s Action Game of the Year award… in 1991. It featured basic enough game play, but some fun destinations for courses and allowed users to play as Arnold Palmer.

The last game in the Links franchise came in 2004 and was available on Xbox.

Mario Golf

It should come as no surprise as the perhaps the most iconic character in video game history tees it up. The first game to feature Mario as a golfer was NES Open Tournament Golf, released in 1987. Mario Golf, as a title, made its debut for the Nintendo 64 in 1999 and received critical acclaim. The latest edition, Mario Golf: Super Rush, was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2021.

There was a variety of gameplay modes (a staple of the franchised that continued with the Super Rush release last year) and it’s equally fun for novice golfers (and gamers) but serious enough for golf lovers, too. 

Tiger Woods PGA Tour

The greatest of all time also has his name tied to the greatest golf video game of all time.

1999 marked the first year that Tiger Woods’ name was featured alongside EA Sports’ golf game and for more than a decade it was on the cutting-edge of golf video game play. There were plenty of iconic years (like 2012, when Augusta National made its debut) but the consensus online is that 2004 was the best. That version featured 20 courses – the most in a Tiger Woods game to that point, continued to build on the 2002 introduction of the ‘analog stick’ game play, and had a banging soundtrack.  

Of note: Originally set for this year, EA Sports and the PGA Tour have announced a pivot in their launch strategy for the latest EA Sports golf title (which will not have Woods’ name attached to it). The new game will be released in 2023 and will feature all four men’s major championships, the FedExCup playoffs, courses like Pebble Beach and TPC Sawgrass, PGA and LPGA Tour pros, multiple amateur events, plus ShotLink and TrackMan data.

“EA Sports PGA Tour is our first HD golf game in seven years and we wanted to give it the time to make the best game possible,” a spokesperson from EA Sports told Sports Illustrated in March.