OAKVILLE, Ont. – Graham DeLaet’s tough. He’s a golfer.

The Weyburn, Sask., native injured his left thumb during the first round of the RBC Canadian Open but still finished his round and expects to keep playing Friday. Frustrated by the injury, DeLaet was glad to shoot even-par 72 Thursday to sit eight strokes off the lead.

“I was able to kind of grind away there at the end with a couple good birdies on 16 and 18,” said DeLaet, who was injured on the 12th hole and double-bogeyed No. 17. “We (tee) off tomorrow morning. As long as I feel healthy, if I can shoot 4- or 5-under, (I can) kind of just slowly kind of creep back in this tournament.”

DeLaet said he wasn’t able to move his hand back on drives and felt pain when he released on shots. That caused the ball to flare right, something he had to compensate for.

As for what’s next DeLaet guessed doctors would tell him to ice his hand and possibly give him some anti-inflammatory medication.

“This tournament means a lot to me,” he said. “Hopefully we can get it figured out.”

DeLaet is one of 16 Canadians in the field this week at Glen Abbey Golf Club. David Hearn and Adam Svensson were tied as the low Canadian at 3-under 69.

“Took advantage of the par-5s really nicely,” Hearn said. “I’m obviously not too happy I made bogey on the last there, but I’m still within reach of the leaders. I certainly didn’t play my way out of it.”

The same could be said for Svensson and Nick Taylor and Roger Sloan, who shot 2-under.

Taylor, who his first PGA Tour event in November at the Sanderson Farms Championship, noticed a little more fan support than in past events. But he considers the high expectations for Canadians in the Canadian Open a self-created thing.

“I think we pressure ourselves,” Taylor said. “We just really want to play well just for this tournament for the fans, being the one tournament a year in Canada. But it’s nothing but support that all the fans have given us. It’s more ourselves.”

A Canadian hasn’t won the event since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Vaughn Taylor felt fortunate to survive a boating accident last year. Emiliano Grillo felt fortunate to get into Canada in time to play the Canadian Open.

On Thursday, they made the most of morning tee times to claim spots at the top of the leaderboard. Grillo shot an 8-under 64 to take the RBC Canadian Open lead, while Taylor shot a 7-under 65 to tie Brian Harman for second after the first round.

Taylor is almost a year removed from his fishing boat capsizing on Lake Thurmond between South Carolina and Georgia. The 49-year-old who birdied eight holes at Glen Abbey Golf Club in the first round gained some perspective on his sport and life from the August 2014 accident.

“It still does,” Taylor said. “I kind of remind myself of it to say, ‘Hey, let’s not take this day for granted and make the most of it.”’

Taylor panicked in the water before swimming to safety. Grillo didn’t panic earlier this week when it looked like he wouldn’t be able to cross the border from the United States.

Grillo qualified for the RBC Canadian Open by finishing in the top 10 at the Barbasol Championship in Alabama, which he only did by picking up back-to-back birdies. After driving to Atlanta and flying to Buffalo, the 22-year-old Argentine didn’t have time to wait for the necessary work visa to get into Canada.

After he waited, border officials told Grillo just to pay for the visa and go. He followed up that “lucky” break with a bogey-free round to grab the lead.

“I played better on the back nine, which is harder, and the greens were drying out,” Grillo said. “I kept hitting some solid shots until the end of the round, and I made some good putts on the back nine.”

David Hearn and Adam Svensson tied for the best start by a Canadian player at 3-under 69. While a left thumb injury hampered Graham DeLaet during his even-par round, Hearn and Svensson are very much in contention.

“I played a solid round of golf, and that’s what I needed to do,” Hearn said. “If I can hit a few more greens tomorrow, I like my chances.”

Hitting the green might not be a problem, but getting the ball to stop could turn into one. Golfers reported Glen Abbey playing firm and fast, and with wind those are conditions conducive for shooting well under par.

But it wasn’t impossible, especially for those who finished before the sun dried out the course. Harman may be in the best spot moving forward with a Friday morning tee time because he went 7-under Thursday afternoon.

“I drove it well, I putted well,” Harman said. “Just had the one three-putt bogey, but other than that it was pretty clean.”

While Harman was near the top of the leaderboard, Robert Allenby was near the bottom with a 9-over 81. According to SCOREGolf, Allenby got into an argument with Mick Middlemo and fired him mid-round.

A fan carried Allenby’s bag the rest of the way.

Jason Day of Australian shot a 4-under par round and sits just four back.

Spectators were out in full force for the second Canadian Open at Glen Abbey in the past three years. Bubba Watson, whose wife Angie is from Pickering, Ont., got 20-30 tickets for family and friends and felt some extra love from the crowd because of his connection.

“I’ve gained a lot of friends because of my family up here,” said Watson, who shot 4-under. “At least I’ve got people watching me.”

RBC CANADIAN OPEN FRIDAY IS RED AND WHITE DAY
Friday, July 24 at the 2015 RBC Canadian Open is Red and White Day. Everyone coming to Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., for the championship’s second round is encouraged to wear red and white to demonstrate their Canadian pride and to support the 16 Canadian players in the field for Canada’s National Open Championship.

TULSA, Okla. – Team Canada’s Naomi Ko won two matches Thursday in the U.S. Girls’ Junior to advance to the quarterfinals at Tulsa Country Club.

The 17-year-old Ko, from Victoria, B.C, beat stroke-play medalist Megan Khang of Rockland, Massachusetts, 1 up in the round of 32, and topped Alyaa Abdulghany of Newport Beach, California, 2 and 1 in the afternoon round of 16.

Ko will face South Korea’s Eun Jeong Seong on Friday morning. Seong routed Thailand’s Chakansim Khamborn 6 and 5 in the round of 16.

In the other upper-bracket quarterfinal, Jayna Choi of Collierville, Tennessee, will play Annika Cedo of the Philippines. Choi advanced with a 2-up victory over Karah Sanford of Escondido, California, and Cedo beat Gina Kim of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 4 and 3.

Long-hitting Angel Yin of Arcadia, California, powered into the quarterfinals. She beat Mexico’s Maria Balcazar 4 and 3 in the morning, and eliminated South Korea’s Yujeong Son 5 and 3 in the afternoon.

Yin will play Andrea Lee of Hermosa Beach, California, a 7-and-6 winner over Marni Murez of Manhattan Beach, California.

In the other quarterfinal, Mexico’s Evelyn Arguelles will face Mika Liu of Los Angeles. Arguelles beat Kathleen Scavo of Benicia, California, 1 up, and Liu topped Aneka Seumanutafa of Frederick, Maryland, 2 and 1.

BELMONT, Mich. – Lizette Salas built on her strong finish two weeks ago in the U.S. Women’s Open in the first round of the Meijer LPGA Classic.

The 26-year-old former Southern California player shot a bogey-free 7-under 64 on Thursday at Blythefield Country Club for a share of the first-round lead with Katherine Kirk and Dori Carter.

In the Women’s Open in Pennsylvania, Salas finished with a 68 at difficult Lancaster to tie for 14th – her best finish since tying for 11th on Phoenix in March.

“My finish at the (U.S. Women’s Open) kind of gave me that extra boost of confidence to really go low and that’s what I did today,” Salas said.

Salas eagled the 478-yard, par-5 11th, hitting a 3-wood approach to 10 feet.

“I hit every green and didn’t three-putt, few mistakes, well, basically zero mistakes today,” Salas said. “Hopefully, I didn’t just jinx myself. I’m just going to stay positive and just keep confident this whole week.”

She played the back nine in 5-under 30, closing with a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th.

“The rough is pretty gnarly, but I kept the ball in the fairway,” Salas said. “The eagle on 11 got me going and really helped me target the pins. I stayed aggressive with my putting and it is really coming along.”

She won the 2014 Kingsmill Championship for her lone tour title.

Jaye Marie Green and rookie Wei-Ling Hsu were a shot back in the second-year tournament.

Michigan-born Kris Tamulis was at 66 along with Q Baek, Ilhee Lee and Jane Rah.

Top-ranked Inbee Park, who lost to Miram Lee in a playoff last year, had three front-nine bogeys in a 70. Chella Choi, the Marathon Classic winner Sunday in Sylvania, Ohio, opened with a 71.

Salas, Kirk, Carter and Green played in the morning in little wind and perfect scoring conditions. Hsu had the best round in the afternoon after the wind kicked up. Park and Choi also played in the afternoon.

Kirk, a two-time tour winner, had her best round of the year. The Australian had two bogeys, but made seven birdies and also had an eagle on 11 after reaching the green in two.

“We had perfect conditions this morning, hardly any wind and then greens were very receptive early on,” she said. “I’m really happy. I haven’t posted a round like that in a while so it feels good to finally get the rust off and shoot a low one.”

Carter, winless on the tour, tied her career best with the 64. She had three straight birdies in a front-nine 5-under 31 and said on-going work with Gail Peterson is paying off.

“We’ve put a lot of work in, even here this week, and today the putts finally fell,” Carter said. “You know, I’m comfortable. I’m getting more experience and I like being here. I want to continue to stay on the top of the leaderboard. The more I can get this experience, the better.”

Miram Lee withdrew after the pro-am Wednesday, citing a left wrist injury that she said will also keep her out of the Women’s British Open next week.

SUNNINGDALE, England – Two albatross twos were recorded on the same hole on a memorable opening day at the Senior British Open, where defending champion Bernhard Langer finished in an eight-way tie for the lead at 5-under-par 65 on Thursday.

Langer tops the leaderboard alongside Americans Michael Allen, Bart Bryant, Marco Dawson, Jeff Sluman and Lee Janzen, Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez, and China’s Lianwei Zhang, playing in only his third senior tournament after turning 50 in May.

The albatrosses at the opening hole, a first time in senior tour history, were by England’s Barry Lane and American Steve Jones.

Lane holed his 4-iron second from 218 yards on the 492-yard par-5 and, a couple of hours later, Jones did the same with a 6-iron from 179 yards.

Langer birdied the first, dropped a shot at the sixth, but birdied eight and nine to be out in 33, before picking up further birdies at 11, 14 and 16 to be back in 32.

“I didn’t feel totally comfortable with my swing, but my putting was very good and I didn’t make any major mistakes,” said Langer, the winner a year ago by a massive 13 strokes at Royal Porthcawl in south Wales.

Bryant, out in the fourth group at 7:30 a.m., was the first man to post 65, picking up six birdies and dropping just one shot.

“The course was probably in the most scorable condition it will be all week,” Bryant said. “We had no wind through the first 13 or 14 holes, and the greens were soft.”

Sluman was next in with a 65. He started with an eagle and two birdies to go 4 under after three, but had two bogeys before getting to 5 under with three more birdies.

Jimenez, who played with Langer, birdied only once, on the ninth, before the turn, then came back in 31 with birdies at 10, 11, 14 and 16.

Dawson birdied three of the first four holes, then at 12, 13, and 14 to go 6 under. He dropped a shot at the 16th.

Allen got his round going with a first-up eagle, while Janzen, despite sharing the lead, was disappointed with his putting.

“I missed more than half from four to 10 feet,” he said.

Lianwei also eagled the first, and was out in 29. He dropped two strokes at the 12th when he found trouble off the tee, then birdied the 14th, and parred home to be back in 36.

Welshman Mark Mouland led the home charge on 66 alongside American Brian Henninger and Argentine Cesar Monasterio, while Colin Montgomerie was in a group of eight on 67 with playing partner Tom Watson.

Fred Couples, the 2012 champ, was in another large group on 68, while Jeff Maggert, twice a major winner on the U.S. senior tour this year, managed only a 1-one 71.

CRANS MONTANA, Switzerland – Gregory Havret made a hole in one on the 195-yard, par-3 13th as he shot a 7-under 63 to lead the European Masters by a stroke after the first round on Thursday.

Lasse Jensen of Denmark, yet to win on the European Tour, was a shot behind after a flawless 64, while Danny Willett of England, who finished tied for sixth in the British Open last week, was the pick of the dozen players tied for third on 5 under.

Patrick Reed, playing in his first European Tour event, was tied in a large group on 3-under 67. Fellow American and defending champion David Lipsky was 4 under.

Lee Westwood opened with a 68, and Sergio Garcia carded 69.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – The stars of the PGA TOUR will take to Glen Abbey Golf Club for the 106^th playing of the RBC Canadian Open starting Thursday, July 23. The 2015 edition of Canada’s National Open Championship marks the 27^th time that the competition will be held at the historic club in Oakville, Ont.

Sixteen Canadians will take on Glen Abbey in an effort to end the 61-year gap between Canadians claiming the national title. Brantford, Ont., native David Hearn is excited for the opportunity to end the drought.

“Winning the RBC Canadian Open would mean a lot, without a doubt,” said Hearn. “Winning any PGA TOUR tournament would mean a lot. It just doesn’t happen that often. To be able to do it in Canada in front of everybody here would be the highlight of my career.”

Pat Fletcher was the last Canadian winner, having claimed victory in 1954 at Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver. The significance of an RBC Canadian Open champion from the host nation is not lost on Graham DeLaet.

“It would mean everything for me,” said the Weyburn, Sask., native. “This is a major for us. I couldn’t imagine what it would do. I know how much support and how much kids look up to us. Obviously (winning) would take it kind of to a new level, but we all want to win this. Not just for ourselves, but for everybody else who just wants to end (the drought).”

The Canadians in the field are not the only players hoping to emerge victorious at Canada’s only PGA TOUR stop. Bubba Watson, the No. 3-ranked player in the world, has a unique connection to Canada as the Florida native’s wife Angie hails from Toronto.

“Any tournament is a big win, but winning a national Open and an Open that is part of my family now – me being part of Canada, I guess you could say,” said the eight-time tour winner. “I’ve got two flags at the house, so it’s a big deal. It would be a great honour, but a big deal for the family, as well.”

The return to Glen Abbey also holds significance for Hunter Mahan. The Dallas native has fond memories from the 2013 RBC Canadian Open, where he held the 36-hole lead with a two-stroke advantage. Despite leading, he withdrew and tended to his wife who had gone into labour.

“It’s unfortunate that it had to happen at the time it did,” Mahan explained. “I was still playing so good, and this is a place that I do want to win at and be the RBC Canadian Open champion. It’s something I want to be, but it is what it is. It’s a great moment in my life. I still have great memories here, and hopefully will continue that play into this week.”

The field of 156 players will tee-off Thursday, each looking to earn their share of the US$5.8 million total purse. First and second round tee-times are available here.

GREENING THE 2015 RBC CANADIAN OPEN
This year’s RBC Canadian Open is set to be the greenest yet. RBC, Golf Canada and other partners and suppliers have come together to ensure that environmental best practices are again being implemented.

“We are committed to reducing the environmental impacts of the RBC Canadian Open every year,” said Brent McLaughlin, tournament director for the RBC Canadian Open. “Glen Abbey is a great foundation for our environmental initiatives, we have a solid track record of environmental programming here and the golf course has been certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary since 2004.”

Earlier this year, the 2014 RBC Canadian Open was recognized for its environmental initiatives and named as a winner of the Sustainability Challenge. For 2015, there are new initiatives that will help to divert more waste from landfill. Additional information regarding the key environmental initiatives at the 2015 RBC Canadian Open can be found here.

BURLINGTON, Ont. — Canadian golf superstar Brooke Henderson successfully defended her PGA Women’s Championship of Canada title Wednesday at the Burlington Golf and Country Club.

The 17-year-old’s two-day total of 8-under-par was two shots better than American Doris Chen and Team Canada member Elizabeth Tong.

“Last year when I won it was really special because I was still an amateur, but this year I wanted to win again and host the trophy as a professional,” Henderson said.

The Smiths Falls, Ont., native started the day T2 three shots back of the first round leader Tong, but climbed the leaderboard after a trio of birdies early in her round.

“The front nine was really good because I was making a bunch of birdies,” she said about her outward nine of 3-under-par 32, which vaulted her to the top of the leaderboard into a tie with Tong. “But then on the 13th Elizabeth made birdie and I made bogey, so I was saying to myself ‘uh oh, now it’s really time to get going.’”

Henderson converted birdie on No. 16 before watching Tong make bogey and Chen double-bogey on the 17th.

The win is Henderson’s second of the summer, with her first coming in June at the Four Winds Invitational on the Symetra Tour. Currently ranked No. 32 in the world, Henderson recently finished T5 at the U.S. Women’s Open at the Lancaster Country Club. Henderson also finished T5 at the Women’s PGA Championship—the second of the LPGA Tour’s five majors—in June.

“Everyday I’m trying to become a better person and a better golfer,” Henderson said about her development as both a professional golfer and as a person. “I think it’s really important to be a nice person, do what’s right and help others when you can. My family has really played a huge role in instilling that in me since I was a little girl.”

Kelowna, B.C.’s, Samantha Richdale finished fourth at 5-under-par, while Natalie Gleadall of Stratford, Ont., and, Americans Sydney Cox and Lauren Mielbrecht rounded out the top five.

Jennifer Jaszek of South Muskoka Curling and Golf Club took home low PGA of Canada professional honours.

The PGA Women’s Championship of Canada counted as the third and final stop on the Canadian Women’s Tour, with points awarded toward the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year at the conclusion of the championship.

Similar to past years, the champion of each Canadian Women’s Tour stop and the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada will receive an exemption into the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to be held Aug. 17-23, 2015 at the Vancouver Golf Club in Vancouver. As well, two (2) additional exemptions were awarded to the top competitors, not otherwise exempt into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open from the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit.

As well, the top five (previously the top 3) players on the Canadian Women’s Tour season-ending Order of Merit will be awarded direct entry into LPGA Stage-2 Qualifying.

Henderson captured the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year award, with Mielbrecht and Suel-Ki Park earning exemptions into the CP Women’s Open.

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

The next PGA of Canada national championship takes place Aug. 12-14 at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont., for the Mr. Lube PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada presented by Adams Golf.

TSN tees up new expanded live coverage of Canada’s national golf championship as Graham DeLaet and David Hearn lead the field of Canadians competing at the 106^th RBC Canadian Open. TSN has tripled its live coverage of the first two rounds of the tournament this year and will deliver more than 10 consecutive hours of live coverage beginning Thursday, July 23 at 7:30 a.m. ET on TSN4 and TSN5.

TSN has expanded its coverage of the first and second rounds this year through a partnership with PGA TOUR LIVE, the PGA TOUR’s new digital subscription service. The newly launched PGA TOUR LIVE features exclusive, live, Thursday and Friday morning coverage of two morning featured groups at more than 30 PGA TOUR events per season. PGA TOUR LIVE marks the first time ever that fans have been provided with complete, live coverage of morning marquee groups at these events.

TSN golf analyst Bob Weeks files daily reports for SPORTSCENTRE all week long from Glen Abbey, delivering post-round reaction, one-on-one interviews, and more. Fans can also visit TSN.ca for frequent columns and analysis from Weeks, as well as daily highlights and up-to-the-minute news from the RBC Canadian Open.

The RBC Canadian Open returns to its signature course this year – the famed Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. DeLaet and Hearn headline the 14 Canadians participating in golf’s third-oldest national championship. They take on a world-class field featuring many of golf’s elite players, including Jason Day, Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar, Ernie Els, Angel Cabrera, Jim Furyk, Luke Donald, and defending RBC Canadian Open champion Tim Clark.

TSN’s live coverage of the RBC Canadian Open is available for live streaming and on-demand viewing to TSN subscribers through TSN GO. Viewers can also watch French-language coverage on RDS.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golfers at the Canadian Open should put away their umbrellas and grab their sunscreen.

After rain and wind delayed the British Open and forced the first Monday finish since 1988, weather is setting up almost perfectly for Canada’s national open at Glen Abbey Golf Club.

Now that the wet, wild and windy time in Scotland is over, the almost 30 golfers turning around to play the RBC Canadian Open are looking forward to some dry weather and a course that provides a stark contrast to St. Andrews.

“You’re expecting hard, tough conditions at the British Open, at The Open Championship. But not unplayable weather and conditions,” said Jason Day, who tied for fourth at the British. “You can attack this golf course a lot more.”

Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons knocked on the wood table in front of him even discussing the weather. But the forecast is for mostly a clean four rounds of play.

That’s a world of difference from the wind-beaten, rain-soaked British Open that was forced to finish Monday. The Canadian Open, back at Glen Abbey for the 27th time, is a more predictable style of game.

“You can get a lot more unlucky over there,” said Canadian Graham DeLaet, who finished tied for 68th at the British. “Usually when you hit the ball on the fairway, it stays on the fairway here. When you hit a ball and land the ball on the green, you know about how far it’s going to go before it (stops).”

The charm of links golf in Scotland and the challenge that presents in one of golf’s four majors is valuable. But the Canadian Open should be a more enjoyable experience for players and those watching in person and on television.

One element of that is the weather, where temperatures are forecasted to hover just below 30 degrees and three of four days shouldn’t have rain. There’s a 30 per cent chance of rain Saturday afternoon.

“It’s pretty exciting to think of a Canadian Open no rain, isn’t it?” Canadian David Hearn said.

Day, world No. 3 Bubba Watson, No. 7 Jim Furyk, DeLaet and Hearn are among the players who barely dried out before getting on the charter flight back to Toronto for the Canadian Open. The Monday finish gave them a late start to their preparations

But their first look at the course was a favourable one, even if wind might make the greens faster and raise the degree of difficulty.

“It’s in unbelievable shape, the best I’ve ever seen it,” DeLaet said. “It’s firm, quick. There are some balls rolling down the fairway. If you get something downwind, you can hit one hard.”

American Hunter Mahan said driving the ball will be more important at the Canadian Open, unlike the British, where the hilly fairways are so vast.

“You’ve got to hit it well off the tee here, you’ve got to put the ball in play,” Mahan said. “Good aggressive iron play is going to be rewarded.”

The 524-yard par-5 18th will give players plenty of eagle opportunities and the fan excitement the comes with it. But players still consider the Canadian Open demanding.

Hearn, a native of Brantford, Ont., doesn’t want this to be easy and doesn’t mind if Glen Abbey has “a little bit of teeth” this time around.

“It really comes down to how you feel about the tee shots and how you’re going to be able to give yourself birdie chances,” Hearn said. “It still comes down to being able to control your ball off the tee and give yourself chances coming into the greens.”

DeLaet and Hearn headline the group of 16 Canadians in the field. No Canadian has won this tournament since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

Defending champion Tim Clark is back, one of eight previous winners: Furyk, Scott Piercy, Sean O’Hair, Nathan Green, Chez Reavie, Vijah Singh and John Rollins.

Watson, who missed the cut at the British Open, is a two-time Masters winner, but he’s taking special value in the Canadian Open in part because his wife, Angie, is from Pickering, Ont.

“Any trophy is a good one,” Watson said. “Any time you can hold a trophy – major, non-major, doesn’t matter – holding a trophy is what we’re trying to do.”