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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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.”

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— 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.

Check out what’s inside the Levelwear Merchandise tent at the RBC Canadian Open

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.

Actor/comedian Gerry Dee shows us how it’s done at the RBC Canadian Open

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.”

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Six is certainly a magic number for U.S. Women’s Open champion Jeongeun Lee.

The 23-year-old South Korean won her first major title Sunday, the first $1 million women’s winner’s check ever handed out by the USGA and her first victory as an LPGA Tour rookie. And she did by shooting 1-under 70 at Country Club of Charleston to finish at, naturally, 6-under 278.

“This is kind of really interesting how I finished 6 under at an LPGA tournament,” Lee said through an interpreter. “So, this is really lucky number to me.”

Lee has the number in her name because she was the sixth player with the name on the Korean LPGA. She has embraced the number, answering to it and writing a large “6” on her balls. Her South Korean fan club is called “Lucky 6.” Jeongeun Lee5 tied for 34th at 4 over, 10 shots behind Lee.

Lee opened a three-shot lead with three holes to play before facing some nerves with bogeys on the 16th and 18th holes to tighten things up. But when third-round co-leader Celine Boutier’s blast from a greenside bunker on the 72nd hole rolled off the green, Lee had the biggest win of her life.

“I didn’t even expect to win the tournament this fast,” Lee said. “I think this is very lucky that I won this major championship tournament.”

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., tied for 39th at 5 over for the event.

Lee, playing two groups ahead of Boutier, was practicing putts when the Frenchwoman could not make the sand shot. Lee bent down in joy when her victory was secure, countrywoman and 2011 U.S. Women’s Open winner So Yeon Ryu coming over to embrace the new champion.

“I felt pretty nervous starting on the holes 16, 17, and 18 after opening the large lead,” Lee said. “But I tried the best that I can.”

The victory came a few days after Tiger Woods’ former swing coach, Hank Haney, made disparaging remarks about women’s golf by predicting a “Korean” would win and “I’d go with Lee.”

Haney was suspended for his comments on his PGA Tour SiriusXM radio show when asked who’d win. “I’d go with Lee,” Haney said. “If I didn’t have to name a first name, I’d get a bunch of them right.” Haney was suspended for his remarks.

Haney sent Tweets on Sunday night congratulating Lee and saying his prediction was based on statistics and facts. “Korean women are absolutely dominating the LPGA Tour. If you asked me again, my answer would be the same but worded more carefully.”

Lee said her focus had been fully on the tournament. Because she hasn’t mastered English, “I didn’t really understand him that much, so I didn’t really think about it,” she said.

Boutier made a double bogey on the final hole to fall into a tie for fifth at 3 under. She shot 75. Lexi Thompson, Ryu and Angel Yin tied for second, two shots behind. Thompson shot 73, Ryu 70 and Yin 68.

Boutier tried to get on No. 18 in two. “And then if I made the putt, then it would be best,” she said. “But I missed the green, so …”

Gerina Piller, Jaye Marie Green, Mamiko Higa of Japan, and third-round co-leaders Yu Liu of China and Boutier tied for fifth. Piller was the only under par at 68. Higa and Liu shot 74s.

Boutier and Liu, the good friends and former Duke teammates, figured to fight for the title. Instead, both threw away chances early as they combined for three bogeys and a double bogey on the first three holes.

Thompson began the round a shot off the lead in search for a second career major. But she too struggled early with bogeys on the first, third and fourth holes to drop off the pace.

“It was a bit of a rough day,” Thompson said. “I got off to a pretty bad start. Just overall wasn’t as comfortable, I guess, over my shots.”

Lee is hardly a surprise winner. She came in ranked 17th in the world and has won six times on the KLPGA Tour. She tied for fifth in this event in her 2017 debut and has three top 10s on the LPGA Tour this season.

“So looking at her as a rookie to play this tournament so well, I’m really proud of her as a fellow competitor and same country girl as well,” Ryu said.

Higa faded in the final round after being a major contender at her first U.S. Women’s Open. She set the tournament mark for lowest debut with her opening 65. She was a stroke in front through 36 holes and only a shot behind when the final round began. But she had five bogeys on her first 13 holes to fall back. She finished tied for sixth after a 74.

NCAA women’s individual champion Maria Fassi started her first tournament as a pro 72-73 to make the cut on the number. She took flight on the weekend, going 68-70 to tie for 12th with a group at 1 under that included the tournament’s low amateur in Gina Kim, part of Duke’s recent NCAA team champion.

Two-time major champion Lydia Ko had a hole-in-one Sunday – the only of the week – on the difficult 11th hole. She hit a 6-iron from 172 yards and, moments later, heard cheers up near the green, but wasn’t sure why. She found out soon enough for her second career ace, the other coming at the Rio Olympics. The 11th, built with a false front and two large protective bunkers on each side, played as the hardest hole this week.

MILTON, Ont. – RattleSnake Point Golf Club in Milton, Ont. is set to host the first-ever US Open Sectional Qualifier on Canadian soil on Monday, June 3rd with  spots up for grabs into the 119th playing of the US Men’s Open, taking place June 13-17 at the famed Pebble Beach Golf Club in Pebble Beach, California. The final number of qualifying spots will be confirmed early Monday morning by the USGA.

The 36-hole Sectional Qualifier will be conducted on the CopperHead course at RattleSnake Point featuring a field of 37 competitors that includes a mix of seasoned PGA TOUR veterans, up-and-coming Canadians and a triple major winner in Padraig Harrington.

“Golf Canada is pleased to support our global partners at the USGA in hosting the first-ever US Open Sectional Qualifier on Canadian soil,” said Adam Helmer, Golf Canada’s Director of Rules and Competitions. “A number of the competitors are also competing in next week’s RBC Canadian Open and we are proud to build a meaningful connection between our respective National Open Championship. We also want to thank our friends at ClubLink for welcoming this first-ever Qualifier to RattleSnake Point.”

“We are thrilled to host this crucial event leading up to one of the most coveted tournament entries in the world of golf,” said RattleSnake Point’s Director of Operations Craig Cupido. “To have such accomplished competitors grace our fairways for this toughest of tests is a fantastic opportunity that our entire team and club members welcome wholeheartedly. And as fans of this great game, we look forward to seeing how these world-class competitors fare on our course come June 3.”

A total of 927 players are competing in 12 sectional qualifiers, including one sectional qualifier in each of Canada, England and Japan. This is the first time in U.S. Open history that a sectional qualifier will take place in Canada.

U.S. Open qualifying began earlier this spring with 8,602 players competing in 110 local qualifiers. One local qualifier was 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, Tx.

For full field information, pairings and tee times, click here.

When Naomi Ko first took up the sport of golf, the goal was simple: to score a golf scholarship to a U.S. College. Over the years, that goal has evolved for the talented golfer from Victoria, British Columbia.

Having recently graduated from North Carolina State University on a full golf scholarship, the 21-year-old has fulfilled that childhood goal; and is now focusing on new challenges and an exciting journey ahead.

Looking back, Ko is amazed at how far she’s come since her mom, Adriana, introduced her to the sport at the age of 11.

“I actually played soccer when I was younger; but my mom got me into golf…She heard from a friend that you could get a scholarship playing golf and introduced me to the game,” she recalled.

Ko says her older sister and younger brother were also introduced to golf but she was the only one who found her passion in the sport.

She remembers her first time playing on the golf course was quite the learning experience.

“When I started, I was hitting at the range for the first seven or eight months. And the first time I went out on the course it was with some older girls and I wasn’t prepared at all,” she reminisced fondly.

“I brought golf balls from the range as opposed to normal golf balls. That was a lesson learned there,” she said with a laugh.

Ko first realized she had a special talent for golf in her early teens after scoring full status on the AJGA Tour.

“I think I was 13 or 14 years old and I played in an AJGA tournament which I won.  And it gave me full status on the AJGA Tour – which was a big deal at the time.”

The now 21-year-old says her seven years on the National Team Program has been instrumental in taking her game to that next level.

“We have support in all aspects of the game both on and off the golf course,” said Ko, the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Champ.

“Being part of the program has given me the opportunity to travel and compete in some of the biggest junior and amateur tournaments around the world,” she added.

“Playing in those big tournaments is a reminder that there’s always someone better than you; and it’s also a reminder of the importance of working hard and improving and getting better each day.”

Tristan Mullally, the head coach of the Canadian Women’s National Team, speaks about the keys to Ko’s success.

“Naomi is strong off the tee and is a streaky putter when she gets it going,” said Mullally.

Tristan Mullally & Naomi Ko (Golf Canada)

“Naomi is low key and just goes about her business…She’s also someone who is very dedicated and has work really hard and she’s made improvements every year,” he continued.

“She’s had some great results winning the Canadian junior girls title in 2016 and had some strong results playing in the NCAA.”

Ko says playing in the NCAA was important to her overall development.

“Having to balance school and playing golf definitely taught me the importance of time management, being organized, and working as a team,” Ko pointed out.

“Overall, it was a really a good experience but I feel now that I’m ready to take the next step in my golf career.”

Having achieved a degree is sports management, Ko now has her sights set on the next big challenge – making it on the LPGA Tour.

Although she’s been dealing with a shoulder injury, Ko was able to win her sectional qualifier in Oregon last month and scored a spot for the U.S. Women’s Open.

Despite the fact that she wasn’t able to play her best golf at the LPGA major because of her shoulder injury, the recent NC State University graduate certainly learned a lot from the experience of being on the course with the best in the game.

And while the journey towards achieving status on the LPGA Tour promises to be an exciting one, Ko is grateful to have met and exceeded her original goals on the golf course.

With that said, the 21-year-old was asked what her advice would be for those aspiring young golfers eager to play the sport at a similar high level one day.

“There may be times where you don’t feel like you’re making progress.  But you will see the results come if you put in hours. So be patient and keep working hard,” Ko replied thoughtfully.

“Also, make sure that you learn from the ups and down and try to enjoy every moment of the journey.”

While the 63-year-old St. Catharines native won’t be teeing it up with the best on the PGA Tour, it will mark the first time he’s visited the historic Harry S. Colt layout since winning the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in 1977.

It’s hard to believe that Rod hasn’t been back, but that will change when he’s inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame on Tuesday, June 4 during RBC Hall of Fame day at the RBC Canadian Open.

When the 22-year-old collegiate golfer arrived at HGCC in the summer of 1977, he was just happy to be playing at the private country club where his dad caddied as a kid in the 1940s. Nobody expected Rod to win, as seasoned BC amateur Jim Nelford was trying to make it three consecutive Canadian Men’s Amateur Championships, but Spittle’s parents watched from the sidelines as their son made a name for himself.

“It was a huge victory for me and so unexpected. I was home from school for the summer looking to play a few tournaments and it all came together,” says Rod, who didn’t play much on the Ohio State men’s golf team in his first two years – that changed after winning our national amateur championship.

“It was the biggest tournament I had won to that point. Looking back over 40-plus years of golf, it remains significant in my journey, because I learned what it felt like to win for the very first time. It gave me some confidence and the drive to take my game to a higher level,” he adds.

”To be able to go out a year later and win the title for a second consecutive time at Laval-sur-le-Lac was another incredible moment. I’m very proud of both trophies,” says Spittle, who won by a commanding 10 strokes in Quebec.

Rod’s victory at HGCC, which was hosting the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship for a fifth time, wasn’t nearly as convincing. Nelford was highly favoured to become the first person to win the championship threeyears in a row since the great George Lyon accomplished the feat from 1905 to 1907.

The opening two rounds of medal play suggested an easy Nelford victory. Jim’s first-round 69 was followed by a brilliant performance on the second day, during which he tied the course record of 64 that had stood since 1930, when the great Tommy Armour established it en route to winning the RBC Canadian Open that year.

Nelford’s 36-hole total of 133 gave him an impressive seven-shot lead over Spittle, but a third round 73 saw his lead reduced to four, before a closing-round 75 left him two shots back of the mark set by Spittle, who posted scores of 72-68-70-69 over the four days of competition.

“After the first two rounds Jim had a seven-stroke lead and all the reporters were writing that it was almost a foregone conclusion that he was going to win the championship, and that the rest of the field was playing for second and third place,” says Rod. “After the first two rounds I just dug in and tried to make every shot count. I was playing well and slowly chipped away at the lead. There wasn’t a lot of pressure on me. Nobody was expecting me to win, but in the back of my mind I believed that I wasn’t out of it.”

The two leaders didn’t play in the same group for the final round, so they only had glimpses of each other over the closing holes. Rod birdied No. 17 after hitting the green in two on the par-5, and then he bogeyed No. 18, but it was enough for the two-stroke win.

In the Willingdon Cup, the Ontario team of Gary Cowan, Ian Thomas, Nick Weslock and Spittle posted a 215 on the first day and a 213 on the second day for a total of 428, which gave them the victory by 11 shots over Alberta.

Rod graduated from Ohio State in 1978 with a degree in Business Administration. After a brief stint as a professional golfer and not enjoying life on the road, he opted to focus on supporting his family by selling insurance for 25 years in Dublin, Ohio, and continuing his passion for the game in amateur golf.

In 2006, Spittle and his wife, Ann, left their regular jobs behind and made a five-year plan to fulfill the dream of playing professional golf. In 2009, four years into that plan, Spittle’s goal of being a full-time Tour professional took a severe hit after he failed to secure his PGA Champions Tour card.

In 2010, the final year of the five-year plan, Rod was forced to Monday qualify into events. Playing with limited status, Spittle got into only five events the entire season. He Monday qualified into the final event of the year, the AT&T Championship in San Antonio, and in a storybook ending, he played stellar golf all week to beat Jeff Sluman in a playoff for his first-ever professional title. Just like that, his dream of playing professional golf, nearly dead and gone, gained new life with a full exemption for 2011 as a PGA Tour Champions winner.

Spittle stats are remarkable! In 195 starts over his 13-year PGA Tour Champions career, Rod missed just five cuts and earned more than $4M in prize money. He never missed more than one cut in any year, and played nine full seasons without missing a single cut. He had a pair of runner-up finishes, a pair of third-place finishes and 23 top-10s. He played his final PGA Tour Champions event on home soil, finishing T17 at the 2018 Shaw Charity Classic.

CALGARY, CANADA – SEPTEMBER 1: Rod Spittle of Canada hits his tee shot on the 7th hole during the second round of the Shaw Charity Classic at the Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club on September 1, 2018 in Calgary, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

On the personal level, he and his wife Ann have three children (Leslie, Steve and John) and seven grandchildren. His mother still lives in Niagara Falls. His father passed away in 2010 at the age of 84, six months before Rod won in San Antonio.

“It’s very exciting thinking about going into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. It’s been very emotional. I’m looking forward to it, and to be able to go back to Hamilton G&CC, where I enjoyed that first win four decades ago, is going to be very special,” Spittle says. “It’s been a great run. I could never have dreamt up a story like this when I won the Canadian Am at HGCC in 1977.”

While he may not have been able to dream it, there is an undeniable symmetry to that national championship of 42 years ago in Ancaster. Rod first took up the game of golf at age 10 when his father became one of 25 original founders of Willodell G&CC in Niagara Falls. The course designer was none other than Nicol Thompson, who, from 1912-1945, was the head professional of Hamilton G&CC.