HAMILTON (Golf Canada) –  The final four spots into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open field will be determined Monday as the Final Qualifier is set to tee off at Heron Point Golf Links in Alberton, Ont.

The 63-player field is comprised of touring professionals, top amateurs and regional qualifier participants following the two-stage RBC Canadian Open qualification process.

“We’re are very pleased to conduct the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier at Heron Point Golf Links,” said Adam Helmer, Golf Canada’s Director, Rules, Competitions and Amateur Status. “The golf course is in great shape will present an excellent challenge for this impressive field of golfers looking to secure a spot in the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.”

The Monday Final Qualifier features 18 holes of stroke play with the low four competitors receiving an exemption directly into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open field. If necessary, a hole-by-hole playoff will be conducted immediately following the conclusion of play.

Click here  for pairings, start times and results for RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifying on Monday, June 3. Results will be made available as players complete their rounds.

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.

After not playing a round of golf in 2018 and only a few in 2017, Michael Blair now finds himself preparing to play in the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.

What makes this mind-boggling turn of events even more unimaginable is that the 27-year-old lives in Ancaster, just a few minutes from Hamilton Golf & Country Club, so he’ll essentially tee it up in his first-ever PGA Tour event right in his own backyard.

“I graduated from Eastern Michigan University in the spring of 2015 and I have spent the better part of the last four years being injured with a sore shoulder and rotator cuff injuries,” says Blair, who has worked part-time in Ancaster as a Hostess Frito-Lay chip truck delivery driver for the past 18 months.

Although he picked up a business degree at Eastern Michigan University, and had a job lined up with RBC, the title sponsor for the Open, Michael decided to gut it out, get healthy again and give golf another shot this season. After rehabbing for all of 2018, Michael picked up his clubs in January and started working with his coach Nick Starchuk throughout February using an indoor simulator. Then he headed to Fort Myers, Florida in March and April to work on his game and prepare for PGA Tour Canada Q-School. He missed earning a card by sevral shots, so it was back to Ontario and the drawing board.

“I used the money that I saved up working at Frito-Lay to pay for my expenses in Florida, so it’s looking like a good investment at this time,” Michael says. “I probably played five or six rounds in May in Ontario and hit balls a few times leading up to the RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier at TPC Toronto on May 16.”

The Nelson High School graduate, who worked at Hidden Lake Golf Club for about 15 years, then went out and shot an 8-under-par 64 at the qualifier, earning a spot in the 2019 RBC Canadian Open – a dream come true.

Blair put together a spectacular round, sinking eagles on two par-fives on the back nine. Coupled with five front-nine birdies, Blair found himself two strokes ahead of the competition at the conclusion of play.

Twenty-one other players advanced to the final Monday, June 3 qualifying round at Heron Point Golf Links including local favourites and long-time HGCC members Chris Ross, who finished T6 at 6-under, and Nicholas Ross, who finished T9 at 3-under.  HGCC member, J.J. Reagan missed the cut, finishing T30 at even par.

“I haven’t played in a tournament in two years, so it was nice to put it all together for one round. It should be an incredible week at HGCC. I was there to walk around for a round when the Open was at Hamilton in 2012. I got in for free because I looked so young and they thought I was a junior. This time I’ll be able to drive right into the main parking lot with all the other players – that’s pretty cool,” says Michael, who has been receiving lots of calls from friends looking for tickets. And he hasn’t chosen a caddie yet!

World No. 1 Brooks Koepka, World No. 2 Dustin Johnson, World No. 4 Rory McIlroy and World No. 6 Justin Thomas along with past Major champions Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia, Zach Johnson and Henrik Stenson headline exciting field for Canada’s National Open Championship

Canadian tournament exemptions include 2019 Web.com Tour winner Michael Gligic; European Tour player Austin Connelly; PGA TOUR China winner Richard Jung;  PGA TOUR Latinoamerica winner Drew Nesbitt; and Team Canada members Joey Savoie, Josh Whalen, and Chris Crisologo

Corey Conners, Adam Hadwin, Mackenzie Hughes, David Hearn, Nick Taylor, Ben Silverman, Roger Sloan, Adam Svensson, and Mike Weir headline list of 20 Canadians set to compete at Hamilton Golf and Country Club from June 3-9.

HAMILTON (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada and RBC are pleased to announce the final field vying for the US$7.6 million purse at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, June 3-9 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

World no. 2 and Team RBC member Dustin Johnson will try to defend his title against a stellar field of PGA TOUR stars led by World No. 1 and 2019 PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka. World No. 4 Rory McIlroy along with World No. 6 Justin Thomas will make their RBC Canadian Open debut and will be joined at Hamilton by former Masters champions Sergio Garcia, Danny Willet and Bubba Watson.

Other notable additions to the field for the 110th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship include FedExCup leader Matt Kuchar, Major champions Zach Johnson, Henrik Stenson, Jason Dufner, Padraig Harrington, Keegan Bradley and Jimmy Walker, along with former world No. 1 Luke Donald.

Johnson, a 20-time winner on the PGA TOUR, and Kuchar, a nine-time PGA TOUR winner will lead a roster of Team RBC players at Hamilton Golf and Country. Team RBC has seen unprecedented success in 2019 as Ryan Palmer, Graeme McDowell, Canadian Corey Conners, Johnson, and Kuchar have all won on the PGA TOUR.

Other Team RBC players competing including world no. 19 Webb Simpson, 2013 RBC Canadian Open champion Brandt Snedeker; Jim Furyk, a 17-time winner and two-time RBC Canadian Open champion, including at Hamilton in 2006; along with fellow Canadian Team RBC players Adam Hadwin, David Hearn, Nick Taylor, Ben Silverman, and Roger Sloan round out the contingent.

“The field is shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory and we’re ready to welcome the best players in the world teeing it up at the 110th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship,” said Tournament Director Bryan Crawford. “This year’s championship features a great mix of stars from all around the world, more than 30 combined Major titles and the deepest field of Canadian talent ever to challenge for our National Men’s Open title. Along with great golf, we’ll be offering fans so many great on-site experiences from our key partners, a new food initiative to try some of Hamilton’s best restaurants, and thanks to the RBCxMusic Concert series, fans can take in music from Florida Georgia Line and The Glorious Sons on Friday and Saturday.”

In total, 156 players will compete for the US$7.6 million purse next week in Hamilton when the RBC Canadian Open returns to the storied club for the first time since 2012 and sixth time ever.

Click here for a full field list for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open

PGA TOUR Season Winners…
A total of 11 in-year PGA TOUR winners (accounting for 13 PGA TOUR titles in 2018-19) will compete at Hamilton Golf and Country Club led by two-time winners Brooks Koepka (THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, PGA Championship) and Matt Kuchar (Mayakoba Golf Classic and Sony Open). Other 2018-19 season winners include Kevin Tway (Safeway Open), Adam Long (Desert Classic), Martin Trainer (Puerto Rico Open), Dustin Johnson (WGC-Mexico Championship), Rory McIlroy (THE PLAYERS Championship), Graeme McDowell (Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship), Corey Conners (Valero Texas Open), Ryan Palmer (partnered with Jon Rahm at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans), and Sung Kang (AT&T Byron Nelson).

Past Champions…
Two past winners at Hamilton Golf and Country Club will be returning to familiar territory this year as 2006 winner Jim Furyk and 2012 winner Scott Piercy are in the field this year. Furyk also won the 2007 Canadian Open. Two other past RBC Canadian Open winners in the field at Hamilton are Brandt Snedeker (2013) and Dustin Johnson (2018).

The 2003 RBC Canadian Open was contested at Hamilton and won by Bob Tway. His son, Kevin Tway, will be in the field.

Twenty Canadians to compete for the National Men’s Open Title…
Leading the Canadian contingent at Hamilton will be Abbotsford, B.C. native and world No. 77 Adam Hadwin, who will return to Hamilton to play in his 10th RBC Canadian Open. Other confirmed Canadians include past PGA TOUR winners Mackenzie Hughes of nearby Dundas, Ont., Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C. round out Canada’s PGA TOUR contingent along with Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Mike Weir, making his 28^th start at the Canadian Open.

Canadians receiving exemptions into this year’s RBC Canadian Open include Ryan Yip of Calgary along with Toronto natives Richard Jung and Drew Nesbitt.

Three members of Canada’s National Men’s Team—Joey Savoie of LaPrairie, Que., Chris Crisologo of Richmond, B.C. and Josh Whalen of Napanee, Ont.—have also received exemptions.

Dual-citizen and European Tour player Austin Connelly of Claire, N.S., who was recently announced as one of Canada’s representative for the upcoming Pan-Am Games in Lima, Peru, will play his third RBC Canadian Open.

Burlington’s Michael Gligic, a winner on the Web.com Tour in 2019, has earned a spot in the field as the highest-ranked golfer on the Web.com Tour’s season-long points list who played on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada in 2018.

Marc-Etienne Bussieres of Quebec earned a place in this year’s RBC Canadian Open after finishing No. 1 on the PGA of Canada’s Order of Merit in 2018.

Local resident Michael Blair of Ancaster, Ont. won the Ontario Regional Qualifier to earn his spot in the field and amateur Matt Anderson of Mississauga, Ont. earned his spot by winning the Quebec Regional Qualifier.

Each of the 21 Canadian players in the field will look to become the first Canadian to capture the national title since Pat Fletcher accomplished the feat in 1954.

Two-time reigning Canadian Men’s Amateur Zach Bauchou of Forest, Virginia along with 2018 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Joseph Deraney of Lexington, Kentucky will also compete at Hamilton.

Final Tournament Exemptions to be Named…
Following the Bayview Place DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada, the winner will earn an exemption to play in the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.

The final four exemptions into the field for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open will be handed out at the Monday Qualifier on June 3, to be played at Heron Point Golf Links near Ancaster, Ont.

Tickets for available rounds of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open can be purchased at www.rbccanadianopen.com.

KOMOKA, Ont. – A tight leaderboard got even tighter as the final round progressed, but it was the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds who came from behind to win both the men’s and women’s team divisions at the Canadian University/College Championship at FireRock Golf Club on Friday.

It took a playoff for the men’s team to secure the victory, after they charged up the leaderboard in the final round. The Thunderbirds erased a nine-stroke advantage held by the Western Mustangs by shooting 12 under par as a team on Friday.

Andrew Harrison drained the winning birdie putt on the first playoff hole (the 18^th) to win UBC’s first men’s team championship since 2016.

“I’m just excited for them,” said Chris MacDonald, head coach of the UBC men’s and women’s teams. “It was a tremendous day, and probably our best day of the year on the golf course together, so it’s a fun thing to see.”

The men’s individual division featured a packed leaderboard, with four players having a share of the lead at one point on the back nine. A playoff was needed to separate Charles Fitzsimmons and Jackson Bowery, both of Western. The duo were sitting at 8-under-par 280 after 72 holes before Fitzsimmons went on to win the playoff on the first hole, which was the 18^th.

“This is definitely the highlight, it’s been a long time coming,” said Fitzsimmons, who is in his 13^th year on the Mustangs golf team. “You hate to have to decide a winner between you and a guy you’ve fought so hard with. It’s unfortunate, but somebody’s got to win. He played an absolutely incredible round to even get us in the playoff beforehand.”

In the women’s team division, UBC was paced by an even-par performance from Shania Remandaban to win their fourth consecutive women’s team title. Of their four-straight championships, this one was the closest, as their 51-over-par score on the tournament was one stroke better than Laval Rouge et Or.

“I don’t think the Canadian championship has been this tight,” said MacDonald. “These girls have had quite a year, and it’s really exciting to see them in these really difficult, tight situations pull things out.”

The women’s individual competition also came down to the final hole. As she was walking up to the 18^th green, Sarah Dunning of the University of Guelph trailed Remandaban by one stroke. A birdie would have forced a playoff, but Dunning drained a 30-foot eagle to win the division. The eagle capped off a 4-under-par 69 final round for Dunning, the only round in the 60s in the women’s division during the tournament.

“I hit my seven-iron to the back of the green on 18,” said Dunning. “I had a long putt for eagle. Somehow it went in and all I remember is screaming and everyone clapping. It’s probably the best moment of my golfing career.”

As the Men’s and Women’s individual winners, Fitzsimmons and Dunning receive an exemption into their respective Canadian Amateur Championship

Click here for more information on the 2019 Canadian University/College Championship, including full leaderboards and results.

Top-5 Men’s – Team

1. UBC Thunderbirds, *292-280-293-276-1141 -11
2. Western Mustangs, *286-279-291-285-1141 -11
3. Victoria Vikes, *297-281-284-285-1147 -5
4. Fraser Valley Cascades, *295-288-280-296-1159 +7
5. Laval Rouge et Or, *290-288-287-295-1160 +8

UBC wins defeats Western on the first playoff hole.

Top-5 Men’s – Individual

1. Charles Fitzsimmons, Western Mustangs, *69-68-72-71-280 -8
2. Jackson Bowery, Western Mustangs, *70-70-73-67-280 -8
3. Andrew Harrison, UBC Thunderbirds, *72-68-73-68-281 -7
4. Robin Conlan, Victoria Vikes, *76-68-68-70-282 -6
5. Josiah Dixon, Guelph Gryphons, *72-67-74-70-283 -5

Charles Fitzsimmons defeats Jackson Bowery on the first playoff hole

Top-5 Women’s – Team

1. UBC Thunderbirds, *235-235-227-230-927 +51
2. Laval Rouge et Or, *234-223-234-237-928 +52
3. Victoria Vikes, *237-229-239-232-937 +61
4. Waterloo Warriors, *248-244-241-238-971 +95
5. Montréal Carabins, *250-243-237-242-972 +96

Top-5 Women’s – Individual

1. Sarah Dunning, Guelph Gryphons, *80-77-76-69-302 +10
2. Shania Remandaban, UBC Thunderbirds, *77-77-76-73-303 +11
3. Sukriti Harjai, Victoria Vikes, *77-75-78-75-305 +13
4. Elanna Lachaine-DeMarchi, Waterloo Warriors, *78-76-77-75-306 +14
5. Nicole Gargarella, Victoria Vikes, *79-76-77-79-311 +19

Mackenzie Hughes grew up about 15 minutes from Hamilton Golf and Country Club and says he has played the course around 50 times.

While the native of Dundas, Ont., will have the most experience playing the private course of any PGA Tour golfer who tees it up next week at the RBC Canadian Open, he hasn’t teed off there since more than 1,000 trees were removed a few years ago as part of an environmental restoration.

Still, Hughes says for the last two months almost everyone he’s been paired with on the PGA Tour has asked him about Hamilton. They mostly ask him to compare it to Glen Abbey and try to get a feel for its classic look.

“It’s pretty cool to be asked, and I do have great things to say about it,” Hughes said. “I like both courses but I have to give the edge to Hamilton because it’s more classic. Guys are excited about it.”

The RBC Canadian Open returns to the course in the Hamilton suburb of Ancaster for the sixth time, and on the 100th anniversary of when it first hosted the tournament – won by England’s James Douglas Edgar in 1919. Americans Tommy Armour (1930), Bob Tway (2003), Jim Furyk (2006), and Scott Piercy (2012) are the other winners at Hamilton, long considered one of the top courses in the country.

The club will also host the RBC Canadian Open in 2023.

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – MAY 26: Mackenzie Hughes of Canada plays his shot from the sixth tee during the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club on May 26, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Scott Shannon, a member of the club and the 2019 Tournament Chair, says the 27-hole facility designed in 1914 recently went through a particularly rough winter. With ice and snow covering the ground, a chemical reaction caused damage to its greens.

The shade patterns of the all the trees were going to cause even further damage, so the club decided to remove more trees than what their normal turf maintenance program called for – between 250-300 per year.

Shannon said the course now has the kind of sightlines and “visual beauty” Harry Colt, the original architect, had in mind. He says the membership at the club hasn’t been this excited for the Canadian Open since 2003, when it came back for the first time since 1930.

The course will play as a par 70 for the RBC Canadian Open, and will measure between 6,850 and 6,950 yards – making it one of the shortest on the PGA Tour in 2019.

Bill Paul, the Chief Championship Officer for Golf Canada, says the golfers are going to enjoy playing a classic layout. He was the tournament director of the Canadian Open for more than two decades.

“I had this conversation with a lot of players in 2003. They said, ‘If they could ever get rid of a lot of trees, you’d be able to see the golf course a whole lot better.’ Fast-forward to 2019 and it’s there,” says Paul. “I just think it takes the golf course and makes it, from an aesthetic standpoint, more iconic.”

The layout is a stark contrast to Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Glen Abbey is a modern layout that has hosted the RBC Canadian Open the last four years in a row, and the most of any course in the tournament’s history.

There are only two par fives at Hamilton, for example, and double that at Glen Abbey.

“Hamilton only gives you two chances (to score) and they’re no pieces of cake,” says Hughes, who likes how Hamilton makes a golfer think, compared to Glen Abbey.

“They’re very different. Hamilton’s greens to me will be a bit more of a challenge, but I’m not sure they’ll be able to get them that fast. The biggest difference for me is that Hamilton will provide different shots into greens and off the tee there’s a bit more variety.”

Shannon believes if the golf course dries out over the next few days and the rough stays at a reasonable length, the score won’t be too low. But if it’s waterlogged, it could be a different story.

“If the best players in the world can play target golf at a relatively short golf course and they don’t have to worry about it rolling into deep rough,” says Shannon, “then the number could get pretty low.”

The Canadian Open will be contested June 6-9. World No. 1 Brooks Koepka, No. 2 and defending champion Dustin Johnson, and multi-major winner Rory McIlroy, who is making his Canadian Open debut, headline the field.

KOMOKA, Ont. – On Sunday, May 26, the London Junior Golf Development Centre at FireRock Golf Club and PGA of Canada professional Brian Gallant were honoured as the 2018 Future Links Facility of the Year.

The London Junior Golf Development Centre had over 300 participants in its Future Links, driven by Acura Learn to Play program in 2018. In addition, Gallant and his academy staff have fostered relationships with a number of local schools running the Future Links Golf in Schools program and have hosted them on field trips to the facility.

FireRock has grown their junior program from just 20 kids in 2012 to almost 500 in 2018, an exceptional accomplishment and testament to their dedication to future of the sport.

A unique initiative Gallant took was approaching Oxbow Glen Golf Course to provide two additional tee blocks that play from 3,000 yards and 3,600 yards. The shorter distance is ideal for juniors just starting the sport, and Oxbow Glen became the first course in the London-area offering six tee blocks.

Golf Canada senior manager of grow the game, Adam Hunter was on hand to celebrate the achievement with Gallant and the FireRock Golf Club staff. Prior to the award presentation and BBQ reception, Gallant lead a junior golfers through a Future Links Junior Skills Challenge.

Gallant has been teaching golf since 2005 and has been previously recognized on the local and provincial level. In 2011, he was awarded the Ontario Coaching Excellence Award and the Ontario Golf Coach Award for his dedication to recreational and grass roots golf.

This is a busy week for FireRock Golf Club, as the course is welcoming the best student-athlete golfers for the Canadian University/College Championship.

The inaugural Future Links Facility of the Year Award was presented in 2013.

KOMOKA, Ont. – The skies remained overcast, and Western and Laval stayed on top of the leaderboard for the third consecutive day in the men’s and women’s divisions, respectively, at the Canadian University/College Championship at FireRock Golf Club Thursday.

The Western University Mustangs maintained their lead atop the standings after round three, thanks to Charles Fitzsimmons, who shot an even-par 72 and Jackson Bowery, who signed a 1-over-par 73 scorecard. The Mustangs now sit at 8-under for the tournament, six shots ahead of the University of Victoria Vikes. At one point in the day, the Mustangs’ lead over the Vikes was 12 shots.

“I’m thrilled with the way we’ve played this week,” said Western men’s golf head coach Jim Waite. “We played superbly the first two days. We hit a bit of a hiccup today, which brings us back to the field. It will be on us tomorrow to do it again with people behind us.”

In the women’s team division, Laval’s Catherine Gariépy and Anais Galas both shot four-over on day three, helping to maintain the Rouge et Or’s cushion over the field. The three-time defending champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds are six shots behind Laval, at 40-over.

“I feel they’re doing great,” Laval women’s head coach Kevin Bergeron said of his players. “They’re driving really well. It’s a course where you need a good drive and they’re hitting a lot of greens in regulation.”

Fitzsimmons continues to lead the men’s individual competition at 7-under, but two of his opponents rocketed up the leaderboard. Mackenzie Dasti (Ontario Tech University) now sits one shot back after shooting 4-under 68, and Baptiste Mory (Laval) is at 5-under.

In the individual women’s division, Gariépy of Laval leads by two strokes after carding a 4-over 77 in round three, and the leaderboard is tight behind her. Sukriti Harjai (University of Victoria) and Shania Remandaban (University of British Columbia) sit at 11-over on the tournament, two shots back of Gariépy heading into the final round.

The Women’s and Men’s Individual winners receive an exemption into their respective Canadian Amateur Championship.

Click here for more information on the event, including tomorrow’s tee times and full leaderboard.