Fourteen hours made all the difference in the world for Matthew Anderson.

When the 26-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., teed off at 9:12 a.m. on Friday in the second round of the RBC Canadian Open there was an expectant gallery waiting for him. When he reached No. 14 at TPC Toronto, the signature hole of the PGA TOUR event dubbed “The Rink,” fans stood and sang “O Canada.” They then roared their approval when he pulled on a Toronto Blue Jays jersey before teeing off on the par-3 hole.

It was a stark contrast from the previous evening when, as the last golfer on the course, he surged up the leaderboard into a six-way tie for first at the men’s national championship in front of only a handful of fans.

“I definitely had some more followers from the beginning, which was awesome,” said Anderson. “I threw on the Jays jersey at The Rink, which definitely did pretty well. Unfortunately, that putt just missed low, but you can’t make ’em all.

“That was fun, for sure. Definitely a fun atmosphere.”

Anderson (69) and Taylor Pendrith (67) of Richmond Hill, Ont., were the low Canadians after two rounds, shooting a 1-under 69 to move to 7 under total and into a tie for 13th. It’s only Anderson’s third PGA TOUR event, having played in the Canadian Open twice before and making the cut last year.

Although Anderson has played most of the season on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour — making the cut in five of his 13 starts, including five consecutive missed weekends leading up to the Canadian Open — he was confident that he would excel at TPC Toronto.

“I play this course a ton. I practice here a lot. I played, I don’t know how many rounds I’ve played on the North Course, but I’ve hit those tee shots and approaches a lot, the greens I know pretty well,” said Anderson. “So I’m comfortable out here, and I knew that my game coming in was trending and I could kind of play well at any point.”

Pendrith has now made the cut at six events in a row and is currently projected to move up to 90th in the FedEx Cup standings if he can maintain his position through the weekend.

He would rather win the whole thing, however.

“Obviously we were all inspired by (2023 champion Nick Taylor) a couple years ago, and it feels nice to be in the mix,” said Pendrith, who birdied the 17th and 18th holes to catch up to Anderson. “There will be a lot of Canadian support out there this weekend and hopefully I can have a good couple days.”

Ten of the 21 Canadians in the field made the 2-under cut, which is the most since 1969.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju (66) of Mississauga, Ont., was tied for 28th at 5 under.

Adam Hadwin (68) of Abbotsford, B.C., amateur Justin Matthews (70) of Little Britain, Ont., Ben Silverman (69) of Thornhill, Ont., Adam Svensson (72) of Surrey, B.C., and A.J. Ewart (68) of Coquitlam, B.C., were part of a large group tied for 46th at 3 under.

Hadwin said he was exhausted by the day.

“I’m going to go get some rest. I’ve got a couple sponsor obligations, and then I am mentally fried at this point,” said Hadwin, who was doing a towel drill before driving on his final hole of the round. “This golf course, with the wind and dealing with some of those indecisions and tentativeness and all that has kind of worn me down.

“I’m going to rest up for this weekend because I think my swing’s in a really good spot, I just have to trust it.”

Nick Taylor (71) of Abbotsford, B.C., and Joey Savoie (69) of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., snuck into the weekend at 2 under.

Roger Sloan (69) of Merritt, B.C., just missed the cut at 1 under overall.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Victoria’s Jeevan Sihota also did not reach the weekend.

Toronto-based amateurs Dawson Lew and Eric Zhao also missed the cut.

Yohann Benson of Pincourt, Que., Drew Nesbitt of Horseshoe Valley, Ont., Laurent Desmarchais of Cowansville, Que., and Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., were also above the line.

Visit PGATOUR.com for the full leaderboard.

PGA Tour debutant Ben James takes one-shot lead at RBC Canadian Open.

The 23-year-old American had an eagle on his first hole and didn’t slow down in a bogey-free 7-under round on Friday to put him a shot ahead of the field at 10 under overall at the RBC Canadian Open. James officially turned pro on Thursday when he teed off in the PGA Tour event’s first round.

“I wasn’t really thinking about results at all this week,” said James after signing his scorecard at TPC Toronto. “Just worried about getting comfortable, making new friends and having fun, and just seeing where everything kind of falls. Just seeing where my game stacks up.”

China’s Haotong Li (67) and Americans Sam Burns (67) and Jackson Suber (65) were in a three-way tie a shot behind James after the morning wave. Sweden’s Jesper Svensson (65) and Keith Mitchell (64) of the United States caught up to them in the afternoon for a five-way tie for second.

Li said that he had to keep clearing his mind as he fought to play on the weekend.

“Especially on the last few holes, I just keep telling myself (to clear my mind),” said Li, who has missed the cut at his last two events. “‘Bad thoughts don’t come to me,’ ‘don’t talk to me,’ ‘leave me alone,’ and it’s kind of worked so far.”

James and fellow American Bud Cauly are the only players to have 7-under rounds so far at this year’s Canadian men’s championship. 

“It all kind of came together today, it was just one of those days,” said the 23-year-old James, who just completed his senior season at Virginia University. “The putter was good, hitting fairways, had good numbers, and I was able to capitalize on a pretty tricky scoring day.”

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, the reigning Canadian Open champion, had his second consecutive day with a 66. He was in a five-way tie for seventh after two rounds.

“My goal for the week was to be patient, and you’ve definitely got to be that (at TPC Toronto),” said Fox. “You’ve just got to accept that you can hit a good shot that doesn’t end up where you think it’s going to and that that’s OK, move on to the next one. 

James and fellow American Bud Cauly are the only players to have 7-under rounds so far at this year’s Canadian men’s championship. 

“It all kind of came together today, it was just one of those days,” said the 23-year-old James, who just completed his senior season at Virginia University. “The putter was good, hitting fairways, had good numbers, and I was able to capitalize on a pretty tricky scoring day.”

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, the reigning Canadian Open champion, had his second consecutive day with a 66. He was in a five-way tie for seventh after two rounds.

“My goal for the week was to be patient, and you’ve definitely got to be that (at TPC Toronto),” said Fox. “You’ve just got to accept that you can hit a good shot that doesn’t end up where you think it’s going to and that that’s OK, move on to the next one. 

Visit PGATOUR.com for the full leaderboard.

CALEDON, Ontario (AP) — Fans were headed to the exits at TPC Toronto, vendors were counting their tills and packing up for the night, but Matthew Anderson was still putting in work.

Anderson, from nearby Mississauga, Ont., fired a 6-under 64 in the last group of the day at the RBC Canadian Open to finish Thursday’s first round in a six-way tie atop the leaderboard. Anderson said he wasn’t distracted by the dwindling gallery following him around the course, instead focusing on the shot in front of him.

“Obviously, I had a few supporters out there with me, which was really nice,” said Anderson. “With the quiet golf course it was cool to hear a loud cheer when you make a birdie.

“It was interesting, but I wasn’t really too focused on that, I guess.”

Sahith Theegala of the United States scored a 6-under 64 during the morning wave at TPC Toronto to take the clubhouse lead and then Anderson, Argentina’s Emilliano Grillo, and Americans Eric Cole, Brooks Koepka, and Sam Burns matched that performance in the afternoon.

Anderson has played in 13 events on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour this season, only making the cut five times. He didn’t see the weekend in his last five tournaments leading into this week’s Canadian men’s championship.

“Listen, you’re always working on stuff. I obviously haven’t played my best recently like on Korn Ferry,” said Anderson. “You’re always working on stuff. 

“You’re always working on things you can get a little better at, and you never know when it’s going to click. It happened to kind of click today.”

Theegala said that he intended to watch the afternoon’s wave and see if anyone would mount a challenge to his early lead, even as the course firmed up after a downpour during play in the morning.

“I enjoy watching because I feel like as pro golfers we don’t watch a lot of golf,” said Theegala. “When we have a morning tee time I’ll just try to catch a little bit of coverage in dining or when I go home and recover. 

“But for the most part I’ll do my own thing, get on my iPad and play some video games or some chess and go get a nice dinner.”

A heavy rainfall around 10 a.m. local time softened the North Course, but as the temperature rose in the afternoon birdies remained gettable. Grillo said that most PGA Tour golfers are so used to faster greens a softer playing surface could actually throw them off.

“When we come to slow greens, it’s hard to see more break and more speed,” said Grillo. “You’ve got to get it there.

“Sometimes you hit a little too firm on four-footers coming back on the greens. It’s not the most ideal situation.”

Koepka, a former world No. 1, was part of an exodus of players that left the PGA Tour for the upstart LIV Golf circuit in June 2022. He returned to the PGA Tour in January of this year under two conditions: he was ineligible to qualify for equity bonuses until 2030 and he agreed to make a US$5 million charitable donation.

“It’s been nice to be back. I’ve enjoyed it,” sad Koepka, who made four birdies on his last five holes. “I think the players have been very receptive. 

“I haven’t heard — at least nobody has said it to my face — anything.”

Anderson was certainly happy to be tied with Koepka.

“It’s awesome,” said Anderson. “I definitely imagined being in contention this week. I had no doubts I could do it. 

“Obviously feels great out there to feel the juices flowing and be in there and doing it.”

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., was in a 12-way tie for second, a shot back of the leaders.

Reigning champion Ryan Fox of New Zealand shot a 4-under 66 to sit in a tie for 19th.

Fox was in the day’s marquee group with Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., who won the national men’s golf championship in 2023. Taylor was 3 under tied for 32nd.

Koepka, whose second U.S. Open title was at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole to get his big run started. It ended with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 17th and a wedge to 5 feet for birdie on the 18th.

“I don’t think the ball striking was as good as it’s been as of late … but it was nice to see the putter finally heat up,” Koepka said. “It was just a culmination of kind of freeing the mind.”

It wasn’t just bunched at the top. Twelve players were at 65 at the TPC Toronto. Among those at 65 was Tony Finau, who missed out on U.S. Open qualifying at the start of the week, and Adam Svensson of Canada.

Svensson made news for the wrong reasons during U.S. Open qualifying. He was in a playoff that ended with three players going for one spot. Once Max McGreevy made birdie, Svensson picked up his ball marker, unaware there was still a playoff to determine first and second alternate.

He became the second alternate, which is likely to cost him a spot at Shinnecock because seven positions have yet to be filled.

“Nothing but my fault,” Svensson said. “They just 3-for-1. And once he made that, I just picked it up.”

The scoring average was 68.5, and 97 players from the 147-man field broke par.

Burn had a chance at the outright lead when he found the fairway on par-5 18th hole and had an iron into the green. His 18-foot eagle putt missed and he joined the group at 64.

Burns was in a playoff last year when he closed with a 62, but he ended up missing a short putt against Ryan Fox.

“I think it’s nice to have some good memories maybe before the tournament starts, but when you tee it up, you have to be able to execute and hit the shots that the golf course requires,” Burn said.

He took only positives from that round, particularly starting the final round so far back. And it carried over to the following week when Burns led the U.S. Open until having to play in wet conditions late on Sunday which affected some of his shots.

Burns also is coming off a close call at the Memorial last week, so his game is tidy.

Koepka started out his year hopeful of doing well enough to get into signature events. There is one left, and he still hasn’t played one.

“I’ve played great this year. Like I said, it’s just the putting that’s held me back, trying to be mechanical,” Koepka said. “But it was nice today to at least turn the brain off and go from there.”

Visit PGATOUR.com for the full leaderboard.

Most golfers have a few tricks in their golf bag, but Justin Matthews has one carrying his around TPC Toronto at this week’s RBC Canadian Open.

Braeden Cryderman, the course’s director of instruction, is Matthews’s caddie at the men’s national golf championship. The 22-year-old Matthews has been coached by Cryderman for nearly a decade and considers TPC Toronto his home course.

“The advantage for me would be that, he is my golf coach, so to have him like caddie for me, it’s pretty cool,” said Matthews, who added that he’s actually played the North Course more than Cryderman. “He knows my game so well. 

“I’ve worked with him since I was 13, so he knows my game so well, so the caddie/coach combination is pretty good.”

Matthews is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, playing in his third season for the 49ers after redshirting his freshman year. Charlotte head coach Ryan Cabbage made the trip up to TPC Toronto for the start of the tournament, allowing Cryderman to delineate his duties.

“Once you get inside the ropes, just keep your mouth shut and do what you need to do,” said Cryderman, who is from Bracebridge, Ont. “Then in the prep side, especially now that he’s (playing his third Canadian Open), it’s getting a little bit easier, where we have to do as much prep on the golf course. We know it.

“Just making sure to define the two roles when you get to the golf course is the hardest part, to be honest with you.”

Matthews is the highest-ranked Canadian on the men’s World Amateur Golf Rankings, 136th on the standings. The next nearest Canadian on the list is Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., who is 183rd. McCulloch officially turned pro when he teed off on Thursday.

“I still just feel like a normal amateur,” said the six-foot-three Matthews.

Matthews is hoping that the long holes at TPC Toronto, coupled with his familiarity with the course, will play to his advantage.

“I’d say definitely the strength of my game is off tee, like I normally drive straight,” said Matthews, who shot a 3-under 67 on Thursday to sit in a group tied for 32nd with Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. “At least the couple of practice my sessions my short game, has gone pretty well.”

Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont., made a late charge up the leaderboard to finish in a six-way tie for first with Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo and Americans Sahith Theegala, Brooks Koepka Eric Cole, and Sam Burns.

“I would say I hit my irons pretty well today,” said Anderson, who typically plays on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour. “Haven’t really been hitting them too well lately and just kind of found something with my turn, rotation. 

“Just kind of clicked today. Was hitting it really nice.”

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., was in a 12-way tie for seventh at 5 under and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., was two shots back of the leaders in a tie for 19th.

Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., and amateur Eric Zhao of Toronto were tied for 55th after 2-under rounds.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont., A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., Joey Savoie of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford were grouped at 1 under in a tie for 73rd.

McCulloch, Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., Drew Nesbitt of Horseshoe Valley, Ont., and amateur Dawson Lew of Toronto had even par rounds to sit in a tie for 98th.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., Laurent Desmarchais of Cowansville, Que., and Victoria’s Jeevan Sihota had 1-over days to sit together tied for 120th.

Yohann Benson of Pincourt, Que., was tied for 142nd at 4 over.

Two of Canada’s top golfers are hoping that playing in front of their fellow Canadians this week will invigorate their PGA Tour seasons.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., are arguably the two highest-profile Canadians on the top men’s tour and, therefore, two of the biggest attractions at this week’s RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.

Taylor, who won the event in 2023 to end a 69-year drought for Canadians at the national men’s championship, said it’s always a treat to play north of the border.

“We’re kind of stars for the week, which is abnormal for us. So it’s a lot of fun,” said Taylor on Wednesday, noting that he was in a group with Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont. “The support was amazing, the crowds were great, so I’m hoping for the same the next couple days and hopefully turn that into some good play and play well on the weekend.”

Taylor is 52nd on the PGA Tour’s points list and Conners is 83rd as the circuit approaches the midway point of the season. Taylor said the season’s been “mostly positive.”

“A lot of good stuff, a lot of pretty decent results, a lot of consistent play,” said Taylor at a news conference. “There’s been a lot of tournaments I feel like I’ve left disappointed, not really finishing off with the result that I wanted. 

“I’ve been in contention a handful of times, I saw things there, I feel like I’m building towards a good stretch for the end of the season.”

Conners, renowned for his ball-striking ability, said he’s also searching for more steady play this year.

“My game’s been unusually inconsistent,” said Conners. “I’ve had some good stretches, some not so good stretches. Some weeks have I’ve found it for a couple of the days and then lost it for the others. 

“Just trying to focus on playing pretty free, not trying to overthink things.”

The Canadian Open has been in the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area since 2015, rotating between five courses. It appears the event has found a somewhat permanent home at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley as it hosted the championship last year, this year, and will again in 2027.

“We’ve gotten to play some great golf courses in the RBC Canadian Open, but I think this is feeling like home for the event now,” said Conners. “I’m excited about that. 

“It’s what typically we’re used to week-in and week-out on the PGA Tour and they have done a wonderful job. This is a really impressive facility. It’s got everything that we want.”

The 34-year-old Conners and 38-year-old Taylor are two of the most experienced golfers among the 21-player Canadian contingent at the national championship. They have played in the Canadian Open 14 and 15 times respectively.

“I think it can be an intimidating feeling playing in your national open, playing in a PGA Tour event for the young guys,” said Conners. “I think my advice to them is really trust their game. They’re here for a reason. 

“Don’t try and overdo things, just try and be free and trust what got them here and enjoy the experience, have fun. The fans are going to be cheering them on, it will be a great experience for them regardless of how they play.”

Hughes, Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., will be playing in an all-Canadian group on Thursday and Friday. Weir is playing in his 33rd Canadian Open, second on the all-time list behind Toronto’s George Cumming (39).

Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont., the top-ranked Canadian on the PGA Tour, is also in the field. He’s 48th in the FedEx Cup standings.

“I played a few practice holes and been paired with Sudarshan and he’s really impressive,” said Conners. “I love how he goes about his business. He’s really focused in on each shot. He hits the ball far, hits it straight, a great putter. 

“There’s really no holes in his game, and I think you’ve seen that.”

PGA Tour regulars Pendrith, A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., will all tee it up Thursday morning.

Drew Nesbitt of Horseshoe Valley, Ont., Victoria’s Jeevan Sihota, Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont., Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., Laurent Desmarchais of Cowansville, Que., Joey Savoie of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., Yohann Benson of Pincourt, Que., and Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., round out the pro contingent.

Amateurs Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont., Dawson Lew and Eric Zhao, both from Toronto, will also be playing.

“I feel like managing the expectations of the week is probably one of the most important things,” said Taylor. “The first few times I was an amateur, obviously you’re very excited and you want to do well. Just embracing the week is important.”

There was one thing Ryan Fox knew he had to check out as soon as he returned to TPC Toronto for this year’s RBC Canadian Open.

The New Zealander immediately sought out the plaque mounted by the 18th green at the golf course northwest of Toronto that commemorates his four-hole playoff victory over American Sam Burns to win last year’s Canadian men’s national championship. 

“I’ve never had one of those before, so that was a pretty cool novelty today,” said Fox at a news conference on Wednesday morning. “I saw it, literally, 15, 20 minutes ago. 

“To see that and also look at that second shot again and try to relive that memory, that was pretty cool.”

TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley’s North Course hosted the Canadian Open for the first time last year. Aside from a handful of Canadian players who’d played it before, that put the field on equal footing.

Fox hoped that his familiarity with the course would carry over to this week’s tournament as he defends his title.

“Coming here last year was nice, everyone was in the same boat, no one’s really seen the golf course, everyone’s trying to figure it out,” said Fox, who is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour. “Now we’re coming back to the same place and going, ‘I know all the shots, I kind of know how I’m going to play the golf course.’ 

“Obviously, it might be a little bit different depending upon the wind, but I know where I’m trying to hit it on every tee. It makes the week a little bit less stressful trying to figure it out.”

Fox’s competition will be stiff as a stacked field will tee off for Thursday’s first round.

There are four players in the top 10 of the FedEx Cup standings, the point list of the top-tier PGA Tour. England’s Matt Fitzpatrick is third, Collin Morikawa of the United States is fifth, fellow American Jacob Bridgeman is ninth, and England’s Tommy Fleetwood is 10th.

Some of the tour’s top players are skipping the event — like world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and No. 2 Cameron Young, both from the U.S., as well as two-time Canadian Open champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland — to rest before next week’s U.S. Open, the third major of the men’s golf season.

Fox said he believes it’s a stronger field than last year, even with the big-name absences.

“It’s a tough place in the schedule, there’s going to be guys just not want to play the week before a major regardless of the event,” said Fox with the Canadian Open trophy beside him. “I think it speaks to the history to this event. I think everyone came out of this golf course last year really enjoying it. 

“There’s such a great history at this event, and it is a pretty good warm-up for next week.”

Morikawa, who hasn’t played since the PGA Championship on May 17 as he dealt with nagging back issues and became a first-time father, said he understood why some players take a week off ahead of a major, and others play.

“I’ve had good results both ways. I think it depends on how your game’s feeling, if you played the major golf course before, the schedule leading up to it,” said Morikawa, who won the PGA Championship in 2020 and the British Open in 2021. “There’s a big mix on what guys like to do. I think you can do it either way. 

“Honestly, I don’t prep that differently during those weeks. Some guys do, and I think that creates a scheduling conflict with playing a different tournament before.”

There are 21 Canadians in the field, including Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., who won in 2023 to end a 69-year drought for Canadians at their home championship.

Renewed partnership includes an enhanced commitment to Canadian women’s golf
at the amateur and professional levels

CALEDON, Ont. – Golf Canada and Audi Canada are proud to announce a long-term extension of their valued partnership that reaffirms Audi Canada’s commitment as the Official and Exclusive Automotive Partner of Golf Canada, the RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open through 2028.

Since joining Golf Canada in 2019, Audi Canada has been an instrumental partner in helping to grow and elevate the game across the country. Through its unwavering support of Canada’s National Open Championships and shared commitment to delivering world-class experiences for players and fans, Audi Canada has played a significant role in advancing the sport from coast to coast to coast.

As part of this enhanced partnership renewal, Audi Canada has deepened its commitment to help advance the women’s game in Canada, becoming a Foundational Partner of She Plays Golf. In addition, the three-event championship series will now be the She Plays Golf Championship Series presented by Audi. Following the championship series, Audi Canada will present the Audi Precision Award like with the CPKC Women’s Open, awarded to the tournament’s “most precise player.”

“We are thrilled to extend our longstanding partnership with Audi Canada. Together we share a vision of advancing the sport with excellence, precision and continued progress,” said Mark Palmer, Chief Commercial Officer, Golf Canada. “We value Audi Canada’s continued commitment to women’s golf in Canada as they deepen their support, becoming the presenting partner of the She Plays Golf Championship Series along with their support of amateur golf through the Audi quattro Cup. We look forward to Audi Canada’s premium experience offerings for fans at both National Open Championships this year.”

Audi Canada will continue to present the Audi Precision Award at the CPKC Women’s Open, given to the tournament’s “most precise player.” The winner will receive a $25,000 cash prize along with a matching donation made in their name to a local charity that focuses on growing and advancing women’s golf. Past winners include Lauren Coughlin (2024) and Sei Young Kim (2025).

Golf Canada and Audi Canada will continue to support the Audi quattro Cup, the world’s largest amateur golf tournament. Through this partnership, Golf Canada and Audi Canada have elevated the profile of the Audi quattro Cup in Canada by expanding its national footprint and providing elevated opportunities for more Canadian golfers. For over 30 years, the Audi quattro cup has welcomed 38 countries, 600 tournaments and 70,000 players annually competing to enter the Audi quattro Cup World Final.

In addition to Audi Canada’s extensive commitment to Canadian golf, Audi Canada is also the official Automotive Partner of Golf Talk Canada on TSN 1050 AM. Collectively bringing stories to fans across the country with TSN talents, Mark Zecchino, Adam Scully and Canadian Golf Hall of Famer, Bob Weeks. The partnership will feature an elevated presence at the TSN broadcast booth on-site at the RBC Canadian Open this year.

“Our partnership with Golf Canada is rooted in a shared commitment to excellence and delivering premium experiences both on and off the course—grounded in values like precision, performance, and progress. As we build on this momentum, we’re excited to elevate the Audi quattro Cup and continue creating meaningful opportunities that expand participation and inspire the next generation of Canadian golfers,” said Joseph Ottorino, Head of Marketing, Audi Canada.

Audi Canada will once again serve complimentary specialty coffee to fans at the 2026 RBC Canadian Open at the Refuel26Café along with premium Audi vehicles that fans can interact with on-site. Racing fans will also have the opportunity to see the Audi R26, Audi’s first-ever Formula One car at the RBC Canadian Open. Audi is currently competing in its first season in Formula One.

The renewed partnership will also see Audi Canada remain a Presenting Partner of the Golf Canada app, the number-one golf app in the country, which tracks game progress and scores while connecting users with colleagues and friends. The Golf Canada app, which also supports the spectator experience at the RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open, is available as a free download from the App Store for iOS devices and Goole Play for Android.

The 2026 RBC Canadian Open will take place June 10-14 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. For more information or to purchase tickets, please click here. The 2026 CPKC Women’s Open will take place August 19-23 at Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton, Alta., for more information or to purchase tickets, please click here.

Golf Canada members will now have access to Swingtweaks support through 25% discount

CALEDON, Ont. – Golf Canada and Swingtweaks are pleased to announce a new three-year partnership that will support virtual game improvement for Golf Canada members.

As part of the partnership, Swingtweaks will become a new member benefit available to Golf Canada’s network of approximately 1,400 member clubs and more than 380,000 individual members nationwide. Golf Canada members will receive an exclusive 25% discount on Swingtweaks virtual coaching services.

Whether it’s helping to build a consistent, repeatable swing or making small adjustments to grip, posture, and alignment, golf instruction enhances the playing experience. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to growing the game of golf and making high-quality instruction more accessible to Canadian golfers of all skill levels through innovative digital coaching solutions.

“We are excited to partner with Swingtweaks and offer our membership a new and valuable benefit that will provide greater access to affordable, professional golf instruction,” said Tim McLaughlin, Chief Marketing Officer, Golf Canada. “Through Swingtweaks’ virtual coaching platform, members can connect with certified PGA professionals and receive personalized swing analysis and feedback quickly and conveniently.”

Swingtweaks is a mobile application that provides affordable coaching through prompt digital swing analysis from certified PGA professionals, helping golfers improve their game anytime and anywhere.

Additional information on access, promotional code information and redemption instructions will be sent directly to Golf Canada members. For more information on a Golf Canada membership and all the benefits available, please click here.

Each week we write to Golf Canada members who record a hole-in-one, congratulating them and asking if they’d tell us how it happened. These are their stories (edited for length and clarity).

Have you recently accomplished the feat of a hole-in-one? Tell us about it! Share your story, picture / video and course information with us at holeinone@golfcanada.ca.

Noemie Chetzroni, Glendale Golf Club, Hole #7

This happened during the first round of the tournament. It was actually my first event of the season back in Quebec after spending the winter playing in Mexico, mostly at PGA Riviera Maya. The adjustment was a little tough at first because the weather was chilly and the course was pretty humid.

After having a rough stretch on the three previous holes, I got to the 7th tee and saw it was a short 110 yards. I told myself, “Come on, this is a pitching wedge opportunity for me.” I made a great swing and the ball went dead straight at the pin. Suddenly, I heard people sitting by the green screaming and the coach of one of my playing partners yelled, “Noemie, it’s in!”

I honestly couldn’t believe it—my first-ever hole-in-one! I’ve made an eagle before, but never an ace. It was exactly what I needed to get my trust back for the second round, where I ended up moving up seven spots on the leaderboard. It feels like a great achievement right before joining the Cameron University NCAA Division II team this coming August! 🤞

Huge thanks to Golf Québec for running such a well-organized tournament. 

Michael Cappuccitti, Mississaugua Golf & Country Club, Hole #3

I am now 53 and have spent the better part of the past five years trying to work on my body for the purposes of not being in pain during and after rounds of golf. This year was tabbed as a major comeback year for me and I was determined to get back out onto the course at Mississaugua Golf & Country Club early. As it would turn out, the work I put in paid off. Felt great coming out of the gates and while holes #1 and #2 weren’t awesome on the scorecard, there was no indication that it would be a physically painful round. Then, at hole #3 into a pretty stiff wind, from the gold tees at 198 yards (including wind and uphill trajectory registered at perhaps 210 yards or so). I hit a 4-iron as solid as I could and it tracked from the start. Landed just short of green on an uphill slope and tracked straight to the hole. The special part was that I was golfing with my son Marc, another young man who was the son of a friend at Mississaugua (Zach Carson) and Dayton Price (the young man who survived a fatal bus crash while golfing at The University of the Southwest).

Katherine Dooling, Aroostook Valley Country Club, Hole #8

Carded my third hole-in-one on Victoria Day at Aroostook Valley Country Club. My second on this particular hole. I also got a fourth hole-in-one on the same hole on June 5th!

Cody Dietschweiler, Prescott Golf Club Inc., Hole #9

It certainly was one of the most incredible moment I’ve had on the course. I was playing with three people I introduced to the sport which made it even more special. Reilly Moore, Jacob McLellan both members at Prescott and Alyssa Dietschweiler.

I was playing the 9th hole and had a yardage of 158. After asking Jacob to bring my 9 iron to the tee box, I hit the shot. It tracked the whole way took a great bounce to the left and rolled about five feet before going in.

Simonas Metrikis, TS&M Woodland Golf Course , Hole #3

Recently, Simonas scored an albatross (double eagle) at TS&M Woodland Golf Course in Estevan, Saskatchewan. As golfers know, an albatross is one of the rarest achievements in the game and it was an unforgettable moment for him.

The shot was made on May 7th at 5:50pm on hole #3 from 255 yards using a Callaway 5 Wood and a Titleist Pro V1 golf ball.

The achievement was significant enough that it was featured in a local news article on SaskToday.ca.

– Written by Alena Metrikis 

TORONTO, Ont. – Reid Joliat from Toronto, Ont. recorded two aces with his 8-iron in the same round on Tuesday, June 2 at the Donalda Golf Club in Toronto just days after finishing his last grade 12 final exam.

Joliat, 17, and his friends finished their last high school exam and decided to celebrate with a round of golf. Little did they know a 1-in-67 million event was going to happen. They decided to play a game called Wolf, where each hole the last person teeing off (the wolf) can chose a parter or decide to go lone wolf and win extra points.

“We were on hole three and I was the wolf, two of my friends were in the bunker and one was in the rough, so I decided to go lone wolf and try to win three points. It was 191 with a bit of wind behind us, I hit my eight iron and as soon as I hit it, it felt pretty good,” said Joliat. “One of my friends thought it was over the green. It landed probably 20 feet in front of the hole and took a good kick to the left and just rolled straight in. I threw my club in the air and we all went crazy, it was pretty awesome.”

At the turn Joliat texted his dad asking if he could treat himself to a hot dog at the halfway house. “My dad said I could but only if I got another hole-in-one on hole 12. I said I would try my best, about two minutes later I texted him and told him I made another one,” said Joliat.

“The second one was on hole 12, it was around 197 yards down wind, and I hit the same 8-iron as I did on hole 3. It took another good kick left, rolled 15 yards and went straight in,” said Joliat. “I didn’t really see it go in but my friends were going crazy, so I just threw my club and was like what just happened.”

The group behind us saw the first one as well, so when they saw the second one, they also started going crazy with us.”

At Donalda Golf Club when you get a hole-in-one you get 25 free drink tickets to give out. Joliat was given 50 so he went around the restaurant and gave them out to other members. Following the round Joliat went to his friend’s house to celebrate.

“I was thinking about framing my eight iron up in my room.”

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