Canadian golf journalist Adam Stanley takes us through a quick overview of Hamilton Golf & Country Club, site of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open from June 3-9.

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OAKVILLE, ONT. – Canadians Céleste Dao and Megan Osland clinched their spots in the field for the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open by winning their respective qualifying events Monday.

Dao was the medalist at a qualifying sectional in Boston, Mass. while Osland won her qualifying sectional in Bradenton, Fla.

Dao, an 18-year-old member of Team Canada, shot 8-over-par to best a field of 37 competitors. A native of Notre-Dame-de-l’Ile-Perrot, Que., Dao won the Canadian Junior Girls Championship last year and competed at the USGA U.S. Junior Girls Championship.

“What impresses me most about Céleste is her commitment,” said Matt Wilson, Team Canada Junior Women’s Coach. “There is a personal level of competition that she feels that lends itself to doing things at a high level of quality, which in my mind allows her to get the most out of every single day and take small steps forward towards improving on what is already a great skill set.”

Osland birdied three of her final five holes during the second of two rounds Monday to hold on to top spot in the tournament. The Kelowna, B.C. native carried a 3-stroke lead into the final round thanks to a first round 68, and withstood a strong charge from Mexican Ingrid Gutierrez Nunez.

The 2019 U.S. Women’s Open will be Osland’s first major championship appearance and she will celebrate her 26^th birthday the week before the tournament.

The U.S. Women’s Open takes place from Thursday, May 30 to Sunday, June 2 at Country Club of Charleston (S.C.).

ANCASTER, Ont. – Rory McIlroy has only been to Canada once, but he’s looking forward to possibly writing his name in the history books when he plays in the RBC Canadian Open this summer.

McIlroy’s one visit to Canada was a brief stop that featured a round at The National Golf Club in Woodbridge, Ont., with friend and former One Direction member Niall Horan in 2015.

“All of these national opens that you can play in are important,” said McIlroy on Monday, calling in to a media conference at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. “I think the older a tournament is the more prestigious it is.

“To hear that the Canadian Open is 115 years old, one of the oldest events not just on tour but in the world, that makes it pretty prestigious.”

The fourth-ranked golfer in the world also got his eye on adding another trophy to his case.

“I’ve won a couple of national opens that I’m pretty proud of,” said the Northern Irishmen. “The Irish Open, the Australian Open, the U.S., it would be nice to add the Canadian to that list also.”

Although he’ll be focused on winning the only PGA Tour event in Canada, McIlroy does hope to take in some of the local sights.

“I hear the Canadian side of Niagara Falls is better than the U.S. side, so I might have to take a trip over there,” said McIlroy, to laughter. “Apart from that, it’ll be a work week. It’ll be a work I’m practising and playing hard and trying to win the tournament.”

World No. 4 @McIlroyRory dialed into Media Day to share his thoughts on the #RBCCO and playing Hamilton Golf & Country Club ⛳️? pic.twitter.com/B2haN52b48

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) May 7, 2019

It won’t be an easy tournament to win, with arguably the deepest field in the tournament’s storied history.

World No. 3 Brooks Koepka and two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson were officially added to the RBC Canadian Open’s lineup on Monday, joining McIlroy and world No. 1 Dustin Johnson.

 

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?PLAYER ANNOUNCEMENT? 3-time major champion winner @BKoepka has committed to the #RBCCO this June 3-9 at Hamilton Golf & Country Club #SummersOpen #LiveUnderPar

A post shared by RBC Canadian Open (@rbccanadianopen) on May 6, 2019 at 10:38am PDT

“Winning a national open, one that is part of my family now, would be a big deal,” said Watson, whose wife Angie is from outside of Toronto. “We’ve got two flags up at our house, so it’s a big deal. It would be a great honour.”

PGA Tour players Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson, Ryan Palmer, Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker have also confirmed they’ll be playing at Hamilton Golf and Country June 3-9.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., who won the Valero Texas Open on April 7, are two Canadians who are officially in the field.

Golf Canada, RBC and the PGA Tour have made a concerted effort in the past 18 months to raise the prestige of the Canadian Open by increasing the purse and changing the date of the tournament to the first week of June.

Historically, the 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.

This year’s event is in early June, the week before the U.S. Open, essentially turning it into a tune-up event for some of the biggest names in golf.

McIlroy acknowledged on Monday that the date change is partly what drew him to the Canadian Open.

“June was looking like it was going to be sort of quiet for me, so I wanted to play a bit,” said McIlroy. “One of my goals this year was to play more and to be more competitive and that’s really what it’s down to.

“Part of the reason I wanted to play was that I wanted to play my way into the U.S. Open the following week.”

DELTA, B.C. – James Allenby of Langley, B.C., shot a bogey-free 7-under par 65 on Monday to earn medallist honours at Kings Links by the Sea, host of the first of three RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifying events of 2019.

Allenby started the day off strong with birdies on holes 1, 5, and 7 before making the turn. He’d add four birdies on the back-nine, including holes 11, 13, 14 and 17.

Allenby was one of 10 golfers to earn a spot in the field for final RBC Canadian Open Qualifying, taking place June 3^rd at Heron Points Golf Links in Alberton, Ont.

Austin Hughes of Delta, B.C., carded a 4-under 68, while Raoul Menard of Ange-Gardien, Que., rounded out the top-three after firing a 3-under 69.

Calgary’s Wes Heffernan and amateur Mitchell Thiessen of Chilliwack, B.C., shot matching 1-under 71^s.

Five players all recorded even-par rounds of 72 to punch their tickets to the final stage. They were amateur Thierry Martine of Victoria, B.C.; Noah Lee of Langley, B.C.; Mewail Kidane of Vancouver; Bradford Curren of Hammonds Plains, N.S.; and Eric Banks of Truro, N.S.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL SCORING FROM
2019 RBC CANADIAN OPEN REGINAL QUALIFYING AT KINGS LINKS BY THE SEA

In total, there are three regional qualifying events, each consisting of 18 holes of stroke play. Provided that there are 100 or more players in the field, the low qualifier receives an exemption directly into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Hamilton, Ont.

Otherwise, the top 15 percent of finishers at each qualifier become eligible to compete at the final qualifying event.

A minimum of four players from the 18-hole stroke play Final Qualifier at Heron Point will gain entry into the RBC Canadian Open field.

There are two more regional qualifying events before the final qualifier:

• May 16 – TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley
• May 27 – Elm Ridge Country Club (North)

Additional information regarding the 2019 RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier at Kings Links by the Sea can be found here.

Tickets to the RBC Canadian Open are available at www.rbccanadianopen.com/tickets.

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Brigitte Thibault of Rosemère, Que. shot even-par on 54 holes at the 2019 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Regional this week. Thibault competed as an independent at the event, and narrowly missed advancing to the season ending Final Championships.

Four regional tournaments were conducted from May 6-8 to determine the field for the Final Championships. A total of 384 participants were selected for regional competition. Of these players, 132 advanced to the Championships. Six teams and three individuals advanced from each regional.

Here is the official list of Canadians who played, represented in three of four regional sites:

• East Lansing Regional
  

  Name	Hometown	Position
  Mary Parsons (Indiana University)	Delta, B.C.	T61 (+14)
  Sydney Naro (Michigan State University)	Toronto, Ont.	T89 (+26)
  Phoebe Yue (UCLA)	West Vancouver, B.C.	T82 (+21)

• Norman Regional
  

  Name	Hometown	Position
  Kathrine Chan (Pepperdine University)	Richmond, B.C.	85 (+20)
  Naomi Ko (North Carolina State)	Victoria, B.C.	T-90 (+29)

• Auburn Regional
  

  Name	Hometown	Position
  Brigitte Thibault (Fresno State)*	Rosemère, Que.	T11 (E)
  Sarah-Eve Rhéaume (Furman University)	Québec, Que.	T51 (+9)

*Brigitte Thibault is an individual qualifier.

The national championships will be May 17-22 at The Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas hosted by the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. The final three days of the championships will be televised live by the Golf Channel.

Click on the event site above to access the tournament leaderboard and follow our Canadian golfers during the week.

HAMILTON – Today, RBC and Golf Canada announced that world ranked No. 3 Brooks Koepka and world ranked No. 18 Bubba Watson will compete in the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, June 3-9 at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

Koepka, the reigning PGA TOUR Player of the Year, has claimed three major championship titles including the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Open championships as well as the 2018 PGA Championship. The 28-year old star has already notched one PGA TOUR victory in 2019, and is coming off a recent T2 finish at The Masters.

“I’m looking forward to getting back to Canada to compete in the RBC Canadian Open,” said Koepka, who has played the tournament in 2015 and 2018. “I’ve heard really great things about the course [Hamilton Golf and Country Club] and for me, it’s an opportunity to play well and build momentum leading into the U.S. Open.”

Watson, 40, is a two-time major champion with wins coming at The Masters Tournament in 2012 and 2014. The popular, big-hitting lefty from Bagdad, Florida has two top-5s this season on the PGA TOUR, with a pair of T4 finishes coming at the Valspar Championship and Waste Management Phoenix Open. Watson has a deep connection to Canada as his wife, Angie, is from just outside Toronto.

“Winning a National Open, one that is part of my family now, would be a big deal,” Watson explained. “We’ve got two flags up at our house, so it’s a big deal. It would be a great honour.”

The pair join a world-class field of players including world no. 1, defending champion and Team RBC Ambassador Dustin Johnson, world No. 4 Rory McIlroy, and Team RBC members including Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson, Ryan Palmer, Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker, Adam Hadwin and recent first-time PGA TOUR winner, Corey Conners.

“Having Brooks Koepka and Bubba Watson, both big hitters and Major winners, competing at Hamilton Golf and Country Club this summer is really exciting,” said Tournament Director Bryan Crawford. “Three of the top-four world ranked golfers are now competing in our Open, so it’s going to be one to watch, and will give golf fans another reason to get excited about the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.”

“We have a strong field competing at the RBC Canadian Open this June, and we’re excited to welcome Brooks and Bubba back to Canada,” said Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “Adding the pair to an impressive roster that includes Rory McIlroy, our Team RBC ambassadors including our defending champion Dustin Johnson, and a growing list of Canadian talent will make it a memorable week.”

Koepka and Watson’s commitment to the 2019 RBC Canadian Open builds on an earlier announcement that introduced a two-night RBCxMusic Concert Series at the tournament. The concerts will feature Grammy nominated and internationally acclaimed duo Florida Georgia Line on Friday, June 7, and JUNO award-winning homegrown rock band The Glorious Sons on Saturday, June 8.

In the coming weeks, additional players, including Canadians and tournament exemptions will be announced. PGA TOUR players have until Friday, May 31 to commit to the field of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.

Brooks Koepka’s results include:

• Three-time Major Champion (U.S. Open 2017 & 2018; PGA Championship 2018)
• Five-time PGA TOUR winner
• One-time European Tour winner (Turkish Airlines Open, 2014)
• 2018 PGA TOUR Player of the Year
• Former World No.1-ranked golfer

Bubba Watson’s results include:

• Two-time Major Champion (The Masters Tournament, 2012 & 2014)
• 12-time PGA TOUR winner including 3 in 2018 (Genesis Open, World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, Travelers Championship)
• Four-time Ryder Cup Team USA member (2010, 2012, 2014, 2018)
• Represented the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics, finishing T8

Tickets for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open are on sale at rbccanadianopen.com/tickets2019/.

PARINGS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE HERE.

FOLLOW SCORING ONLINE AS PLAYERS COMPLETE THEIR ROUNDS BY CLICKING HERE.

DELTA, B.C. – RBC Canadian Open regional qualifying tees off Monday, May 6 at Kings Links by the Sea in Delta, B.C. Forty-four players are vying for seven spots in the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier at Heron Point Golf Links in Alberton, Ont. on Monday, June 3.

The 18-hole qualifier at Kings Links is the first of three regional qualifiers taking place across the country. The second qualifier takes place at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. on Thursday, May 16 and the third regional qualifier is at Elm Ridge Country Club in L’île Bizard, Que. on Monday, May 27.

The top 15% of finishers at each regional qualifier are eligible to compete at Final Qualifying on June 3. Should there be more than 100 competitors at any of the regional sites, the low qualifier at said site will receive an exemption directly into the RBC Canadian Open field.

The regional qualification process allows amateurs and professionals from across Canada and the world a chance to qualify for the RBC Canadian Open.

The qualifying competitions are open to members in good standing with the PGA of Canada or other PGA affiliates, amateur golfers with a current Handicap Factor not exceeding 2.0 who are members of Golf Canada or in good standing with their respective associations, as well as other golf professionals.

About Kings Links by the Sea

A seaside course located adjacent to Boundary Bay in Delta, B.C., Kings Links is a traditional par 72 links-style course, which models itself to resemble Scottish golf courses found in the British Isles. Originally a private course, Kings Links is now public.

Tickets to the RBC Canadian Open are available at: https://rbccanadianopen.com/tickets2019/

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Max Homa traded in a shovel for a ladder to get places he always thought he could reach.

Two years ago in his second try on the PGA Tour, he made only two cuts the entire season and played only one round on a Sunday. Eight months ago, he was on the verge of going back to Q-school and an uncertain future until closing with four straight birdies to make the cut in a Web.com Tour event that gave him another shot at the big leagues.

It made Sunday all that much sweeter in the Wells Fargo Championship.

In a three-way tie for the lead, in the final group on the PGA Tour for the first time, with Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia right behind him, Homa outplayed them all with a 4-under 67 for a three-shot victory at Quail Hollow and his first PGA Tour title.

“I used to say when I hit rock bottom I found a shovel and kept digging. I went to some low, low places,” he said. “I’d use a shovel and dig deeper. I went to some low, low places. I realized in that year or two when I started to play bad that my attitude was going to have to get a lot better. … I’m very proud I finally found a ladder and started climbing, because it was getting dark down there.”

Suddenly, the immediate future is bright as can be.

He has a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour, a tee time at the PGA Championship in two weeks at Bethpage Black and a spot in the Masters next year.

A former NCAA champion at Cal, Homa has “Relentless” in block letters tattooed on his right forearm. The 28-year-old Californian also has a signed photo from former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda, who once told him to look at the picture and be reminded to believe in himself.

The trophy at his side, Homa’s press conference was interrupted for him to take a call from the 91-year-old Lasorda.

“I guess my whole world is different,” he said.

Golf felt so hard for Homa for so many years after he left Cal, and then he made it look so easy in a final round that made him so nervous he wanted to throw up, except when he had his hands on a golf club. He pulled away with two birdies to start the back nine for a four-shot lead. He didn’t make a bogey until it only affected the final margin. But it was a one-hour rain delay that tested Homa the most.

He was leading by three when he nearly went in the water on the 14th hole and chipped up to 6 feet when the horn sounded to stop play. With time he didn’t need on his hands, he called his fiancee and his coach and can’t remember what either of them said.

And then he returned and buried the putt.

“I knew in the back of my mind if I made that putt, I win this golf tournament,” he said.

Joel Dahmen, who pushed Homa as hard as any major champion, saved par with a tough chip over the creek for a 70 and finished three shots behind.

“I didn’t beat myself today, which was kind of the goal,” Dahmen said. “Max is playing awesome. He’s a good friend. I think we’re going to celebrate tonight.”

Homa effectively sealed it with a perfect play to the green on the par-5 15th for a two-putt birdie, and a 10-foot par putt on the 17th to keep a three-shot leading playing the tough closing hole at Quail Hollow. He made a 10-foot par there, too, and the celebration was on.

Homa finished at 15-under 269.

“Over the moon, man,” he said before going to sign his card. “It means a lot to do it under pressure, and job security is great. I haven’t had that.”

The victory was worth $1,422,000, about $454,000 more than he had made in his previous 67 starts.

Justin Rose (68) finished alone in third and moved ahead of Brooks Koepka to No. 2 in the world.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., was the top Canadian. He shot a final-round 73 to finish 1-under. Fellow Abbotsford native Nick Taylor (72) was 2-over.

Rory McIlroy was primed to join Tom Weiskopf as the only three-time winners at Quail Hollow, starting the final round two shots behind. He never got anything going until it went the wrong way. He turned a 20-foot eagle attempt into a three-putt par on the par-5 seventh, failed to get up-and-down on the reachable eighth for a birdie, and then went bogey-double bogey around the turn to take himself out of the mix.

No one else was much of a threat either, just two guys who had never come remotely close to winning on the PGA Tour.

Former PGA champion Jason Dufner, part of the three-way tie for the lead to start the final round, made consecutive bogeys early and had no bearing on the final round. A double bogey on the 18th gave him a 73 and dropped him into a tie for fourth.

Rose pulled within two shots with a birdie on the par-5 10th, only to settle into a series of pars. By the time Sergio Garcia reached double digits under par, Homa was well on his way.

Homa and Dahmen were at 13 under until Dahmen blinked first. He found a fairway bunker on No. 9, couldn’t get to the green and made bogey and dropped another shot on the 11th. Homa, playing behind him in the final group, holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 10th for a two-shot lead, made birdie from the left rough on the 11th with a 12-foot putt and escaped more trouble off the tee on the 12th with a two-putt from 80 feet.

He survived the rain delay, the nervy finish.

Homa has endured a lot more than that over the last few years.