BRIDGEND, Wales  — Bernhard Langer made a statement of intent when he opened with a 6-under-par 65 to take a two-stroke lead over American Bob Tway in the British Senior Open at a sweltering Royal Porthcawl on Thursday.

Langer, who threw away a two-stroke lead on the final hole at Royal Birkdale last year and then was beaten for the title in a playoff, was out in a best-of-the-day 31.

He birdied the third, fourth, sixth and eighth holes, and went 5 under when he birdied the long 13th. He dropped a shot at the 16th but then hit back immediately with birdies at the two closing holes.

“Six under is very satisfying,” Langer said. “I played smart, some good, some great.

“I kept it out of the bunkers and out of the hay, and gave myself some opportunities. And I’m pleased with a birdie-birdie finish.”

Langer is trying to add a second British Senior title to the one he won at Carnoustie in 2010.

Tway set the early target at 4-under 67, with birdies at the first, sixth, 12th and 13th, and no dropped shots.

“It was a pleasure to play a nice round of golf on a great golf course,” Tway said. “I probably should have bogeyed a couple of holes coming in, but I got lucky.”

Chris Williams of England was alone in third on a bogey-free 68 with birdies at Nos. 2, 4 and 6, while Andrew Oldcorn of Scotland was a stroke behind in fourth. Spain’s Pedro Linhart and Canadian Rick Gibson were tied for fifth on 70.

Mark Wiebe, who beat Langer in last year’s playoff and played with him in the first round, carded 5-over 76.

Colin Montgomerie, bidding for his third successive seniors’ major, was on 74 with just two birdies, and three dropped shots.

Tom Watson had a roller-coaster front nine of 1-over 36, steadied the ship for five holes after the turn, then dropped three strokes on successive holes before birdieing the last for a 3-over 74.

On the way out he birdied the first, dropped a stroke at the next three holes, parred No. 5, birdied the sixth, dropped a stroke at the seventh, birdied the eighth, and parred the ninth.

The winner at Royal Birkdale two years ago, Fred Couples, was out in 39 after a triple-bogey eight at the long sixth, but stormed back with a birdie-eagle-birdie run from the 12th to get back to level, dropped a stroke at the 16th, and birdied the last to be back in 32 for a par 71.

Calgary’s Rick Gibson and Rob Spittle of St. Catherine’s, Ont. are representing Canada in the Senior Open, and shot 70 and 76 respectively in the opening round.

MOSCOW  — David Horsey birdied four of his final six holes Thursday for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead in the first round of the Russian Open.

Former French Open tennis champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov, one of 10 Russians in the field, shot an 11-over 83 with one birdie, six bogeys and three double-bogeys.

Horsey has four top-10 finishes this season, including a share of ninth in last month’s Lyoness Open in Austria.

“I have been working hard on my game the last 9-to-10 months and while it’s been a bit inconsistent, the good stuff has been really good and it’s just that inconsistency and a lack of confidence with it that’s hurt a bit,” the 29-year-old Englishman said. “However, that comes with the territory when you bring in changes, but they’re starting to bed in and I’m starting to get more comfortable.”

Scott Jamieson and Peter Whiteford (both 66) were tied for second at the Tseleevo Golf and Polo Club. A further eight players shared fourth place at 5 under.

Jamieson capped his round with an eagle at the par-5 eighth hole and a birdie at the last. Whiteford birdied four of his last seven holes.

Defending champion Michael Hoey withdrew from the event with a left foot injury.

Thornhill, Ont. (Golf Canada) – The top golfers in the country will be on display at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship, July 28-August 1 at Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont. 
 
In its 60th year, the Canadian Junior Girls Championship continues to showcase Canada’s top players. This year 125 players will vie for the title over 72 holes of stroke play with the field being cut to the low-70 players and ties after 36 holes.
 
“The excitement continues to build around this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship,” said Tournament Director Justine Decock. “The field is incredibly strong and it should prove to be a very exciting four days of action at Thornhill Golf and Country Club as Canada’s best juniors compete for the prestigious title.”

Challenging for the title will be various provincial champions including Team Canada Development Squad member, Jaclyn Lee, 18, of Calgary who finished tied for 7th at last year’s event and Naomi Ko, 16 of Victoria. Lee has been on an impressive run this summer capturing the CN Future Links Prairie Championship along with the Alberta Women’s Amateur and Junior Girls titles, while Ko picked up the CN Future Links Pacific Championship and B.C. Junior Girls title earlier this summer.

Four additional CN Future Links champions are also entered into the field including, Team Canada Development Squad’s Valerie Tanguay of St. Hyacinthe, Qué., Annie Songeun-Lee of Surrey, B.C., Alyssa Getty of Ruthven, Ont. and Rachel Cormier of Rothesay, N.B.

Other notable contenders include recent Ontario Junior Girls’ Match-Play Champion Grace St-Germain who also won the Québec Women’s Amateur title, Development Squad’s Sabrine Garrison of Calgary who finished tied for 5th at the 2013 Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Cherry Downs Golf and Country Club and Courtney Tolton of Mitchell, Ont. who claimed the 2014 Ontario Junior Girls’ Championship.

Thornhill Golf and Country Club has a rich history in championship play having previously hosted the 2006 Canadian University/College Championship and the 2009 Toronto Star Women’s Amateur. In addition, the Stanley Thompson design was the site that played host to 1945 Canadian Open where Byron Nelson claimed his remarkable 11th victory in a row.

“It’s a great honour to host the top juniors in our country and there is certainly a lot of excitement building in the Thornhill community,” said Craig Stait-Gardner Host Club Tournament Chair at Thornhill. “The support from our local sponsors and volunteers has been outstanding and everyone is looking forward to a great championship.”

This year’s Canadian Junior Girls Champion will receive an exemption to the 2015 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, as well as each of the 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour events.
 
In 2013, Maddie Szeryk, a dual-citizen of Canada and the United States ran away with the Junior Girls’ title, winning by an impressive 14 strokes. Szeryk will not be in the field this year.

Practice rounds will be held Monday, July 28, while championship play will be conducted Tuesday, July 29 through Friday, August 1 with 18 holes of stroke play each day.  Any tie after 72 holes will result in a hole-by-hole play-off.
 
Starting times, post-round results, full field list, and live scoring are available here.

The Canadian Junior Girls Championship is open to female amateur golfers who have not reached their 19th birthday by the last scheduled day of the Championship, Aug. 1, 2014. The Canadian Juvenile Championship is open to female amateur golfers who have not reached their 17th birthday by the last scheduled day of the Championship.

Niagara Falls, Ont.  – Canada’s top junior males are headed to Niagara Falls for the 76th playing of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship where players will compete for the Junior Boys national title. This year’s field features a strong contingent of players, including members of the Team Canada Development Squad, provincial champions, and top finishers from all six of the 2014 CN Future Links Championships. 

A tournament that has seen the likes of players such as the Web.com Tour’s Nick Taylor, Jim Rutledge of the Champions Tour, and Canadian Golf Hall of Famers George Knudson, Gary Cowan, and more, the Junior Boys Championship continues to stand as a proving ground for young male golfers under 18 years of age. This year, 156 players will vie for the national title over 72 holes of stroke play, with the field being cut to the low-70 players and ties after 36 holes. 

“The Junior Boys Championship has seen past champions who have went on to have successful golf careers both as amateurs and professionally,” said Tournament Director Cam Crawford. “This year’s field features the strongest players from across the country, so there’s no doubt that each round will provide excitement, challenges, and close scores.”  

Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course, located in Niagara Falls, Ont. and maintained by The Niagara Parks Commission, continues to be recognized as a premier championship course. It has previously played host to the 2004 Canadian Women’s Open, as well as the Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario stops in 2012 and June 2014. 

“The Niagara Parks Commission believes that hosting national championships of this caliber demonstrates our efforts to help grow the game of golf across the country,” stated NPC Chair Janice Thomson. “We look forward to hosting this prestigious tournament and to working with Golf Canada to ensure our competitors and their families have the most memorable of experiences when they visit Niagara and Niagara Parks.”

Leading this year’s field is 16-year-old Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont. A member of Team Canada’s Development Squad, Gil sits atop the CN Future Links National Junior Boys Order of Merit and has claimed champion titles in both the 2014 GAO Junior Spring Classic and the 2013 CJGA Canadian International Junior Challenge. Gil is joined by his Development Squad teammates Étienne Papineau, 17, of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., Carter Simon, 18, of Sutton, Ont., and Matt Williams, 18, of Calgary, Alta. Last year’s Junior Boys title was claimed by the fifth member of the Team Canada Development Squad, Kevin Kwon of Pitt Meadows, B.C. At 19 years of age, Kwon will not return to defend his 2013 champion title.  

The national field is also highlighted by strong finishers from 2014 provincial championships. Papineau recently claimed the Quebec Junior Boys title for the second year in a row, while Simon finished tied for third in the GAO Junior Boys championship. Tyler Saunders, 18, of Sturgeon County, Alta. took home first place at both the 2014 Alberta Junior Boys Championship and the Sun Life Financial Men’s Amateur. Additionally, 18-year-old Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S. took home this year’s CN Future Links Atlantic champion title less than one week after winning the Nova Scotia Junior Championship by 16 strokes.  

The Canadian Junior Boys Championship is open to male amateur golfers who have not reached their 19th birthday by the last scheduled day of the Championship, Aug. 1, 2013.  Practice rounds will be held Monday, July 28, while championship play will be conducted Tuesday, July 29 through Friday, August 1 with 18 holes of stroke play each day.  Any tie after 72 holes will result in a hole-by-hole play-off.
 
Starting times, post-round results, full field list, and live scoring are available here.

Shaw Communications Inc. and Graham DeLaet have announced a new program to support children’s charities and the development of junior golfers at all levels.  As part of the Shaw Birdies and Eagles for Kids program, Shaw will donate $100 to the Graham and Ruby DeLaet Foundation for every birdie and $500 for every eagle that Graham makes during the 2014 PGA Tour season. Proceeds from the program will reinforce the DeLaet foundation’s support for children’s health and well-being, and junior golf programs.

This season, DeLaet has recorded more than 200 birdies and four eagles bringing Shaw’s charitable donation total to over $20,000. DeLaet, who is currently ranked 31st in the world, is set to tee off this week at the 2014 RBC Canadian Open being played at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in île Bizard, Quebec.

Fans can track DeLaet’s scoring and the growth of Shaw’s donations by visiting Shaw.ca/golf and by following @ShawGolf on Twitter, which also features exclusive golf giveaways.

Viewers can follow this week’s RBC Canadian Open by tuning into Global TV. As the home for golf in Canada, Global TV will be broadcasting all-access coverage of the 2014 RBC Canadian Open starting at 3pm ET/12pm PT on Saturday, July 26 and closing out the final round at 3pm ET/12pm PT on Sunday, July 27. Both broadcasts begin with pre-game coverage starting an hour before the round commences.

Tee times for Thursday’s opening round of the RBC Canadian Open, held at the Royal Montreal Golf Club (all times Eastern):

Begins on Hole 1

7 a.m. – Andres Romero, Argentina, Nicholas Thompson, U.S., Justin Hicks, U.S.

7:10 a.m. – Stephen Ames, Calgary; John Daly, U.S. Tim Wilkinson, New Zealand.

7:20 a.m. – Troy Matteson, U.S.; Richard H. Lee, U.S.; Danny Lee, New Zealand.

7:30 a.m. – Matt Bettencourt, U.S.; Pat Perez, U.S.; Jeff Overton, U.S.

7:40 a.m. – Mark Wilson, U.S.; Johnson Wagner, U.S.; Y.E. Yang, South Korea.

7:50 a.m. – Nick Watney, U.S.; Tim Clark. South Africa; Retief Goosen, South Africa.

8 a.m. – Scott Brown, U.S.; Carl Pettersson, Sweden; U.S. John Huh, U.S.

8:10 a.m. – Ken Duke, U.S.; Sang-Moon Bae, South Korea; Jhonattan Vegas, Venezuela.

8:20 a.m. – Tim Herron, U.S.; Andrew Svoboda, U.S.; D.H. Lee, South Korea.

8:30 a.m. – Heath Slocum, U.S.; Nathan Green, Australia; Mark Calcavecchia, U.S.

8:40 a.m. – Alex Prugh, U.S.; Jamie Lovemark, U.S.; Timothy Madigan, U.S.

8:50 a.m. – Miguel Angel Carballo, Argentina; Kevin Tway, U.S.; Kevin Carrigan, Victoria.

9 a.m. – Alex Aragon, U.S.; Oliver Goss, Australia; Kevin Stinson, Mission, B.C.

12:15 p.m. – Chad Campbell, U.S.; David Duval, U.S.; Steve Marino, U.S.

12:25 p.m. – Camilo Villegas, Colombia; David Hearn, Brantford, Ont.; Kevin Kisner, U.S.

12:35 p.m. – Ricky Barnes, U.S.; Josh Teater, U.S.; David Lingmerth, Sweden.

12:45 p.m. – Sean O’Hair, U.S.; Aaron Baddeley, Australia; Erik Compton, U.S.

12:55 p.m. – Derek Ernst, U.S.; Martin Laird, Scotland; Charlie Beljan, U.S.

1:05 p.m. – Matt Kuchar, U.S.; Jim Furyk, U.S.; Graham DeLaet, Weyburn, Sask.

1:15 p.m. – Graeme McDowell, Northern Ireland; Luke Donald, England; Mike Weir, Bright’s Grove, Ont.

1:25 p.m. – D.A. Points, U.S.; J.J. Henry, U.S.; Ted Potter, Jr., U.S.

1:35 p.m. – Joe Durant, U.S.; James Driscoll, U.S.; James Hahn, U.S.

1:45 p.m. – Tim Petrovic, U.S.; Jason Allred, U.S.; Michael Gligic, Burlington, Ont.

1:55 p.m. – Billy Andrade, U.S.; Will Wilcox, U.S.; Joel Dahmen, U.S.

2:05 p.m. – Edward Loar, U.S.; Josh Persons, U.S.; Eugene Wong, Vancouver.

2:15 p.m. – Jim Herman, U.S.; Adam Hadwin, Moose Jaw, Sask.; Taylor Pendrith, Richmond Hill, Ont.

Begins on 10th Hole

7 a.m. – Charlie Wi, South Korea; Chad Collins, U.S.; Jim Renner, U.S.

7:10 a.m. – Jeff Maggert, U.S.; Brian Davis, England; Greg Chalmers, Australia.

7:20 a.m. – Scott McCarron, U.S.; Kevin Chappell, U.S.; Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Spain

7:30 a.m. – John Rollins, U.S.; Jerry Kelly, U.S.; Trevor Immelman, South Africa.

7:40 a.m. – Kyle Stanley, U.S.; Lucas Glover, U.S.; Jonathan Byrd, U.S.

7:50 a.m. – Ernie Els, South Africa; Stewart Cink, U.S.; Justin Leonard, U.S.

8 a.m. – Dustin Johnson, U.S.; Brandt Snedeker, U.S.; Hunter Mahan, U.S.

8:10 a.m. – Scott Piercy, U.S.; Geoff Ogilvy, Australia; Robert Allenby, Australia.

8:20 a.m. – Bryce Molder, U.S.; Daniel Chopra, Sweden; Tag Ridings, U.S.

8:30 a.m. – Martin Flores, U.S.; Luke Guthrie, U.S.; Troy Merritt, U.S.

8:40 a.m. – Eric Axley, U.S.; Andrew Loupe, U.S.; Adam Svensson, Surrey, B.C.

8:50 a.m. – Kevin Foley, U.S.; Patrick Rodgers, U.S.; Corey Conners, Listowel, Ont.

9 a.m. – Wes Roach, U.S.; Bronson La’Cassie, Australia; Bill Q. Walsh, Canada.

12:15 p.m. – Cameron Beckman, U.S. Chris DiMarco, U.S. Brice Garnett, U.S.

12:25 p.m. – Bo Van Pelt, U.S.; Dicky Pride, U.S.; William McGirt, U.S.

12:35 p.m. – Robert Garrigus, U.S.; Michael Putnam. U.S.; Robert Streb, U.S.

12:45 p.m. – Ryuji Imada, Japan; Roberto Castro, U.S.; Russell Knox, Scotland.

12:55 p.m. – Woody Austin, U.S.; Brian Gay, U.S.; Ben Curtis, U.S.

1:05 p.m. – Ben Crane, U.S.; Seung-Yul Noh, South Korea; K.J. Choi, South Korea.

1:15 p.m. – Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Stuart Appleby, Australia; Vijay Singh, Fiji.

1:25 p.m. – John Merrick, U.S.; Tommy Gainey, U.S.; Charley Hoffman, U.S.

1:35 p.m. – Jason Bohn, U.S.; Morgan Hoffmann, U.S.; John Peterson, U.S.

1:45 p.m. – Tyrone Van Aswegen, South Africa; Thomas Aiken, South Africa; Eli Cole, U.S.

1:55 p.m. – Doug LaBelle II, U.S.; Peter Malnati, U.S.; Robbie Greenwell, Georgetown, Ont.

2:05 p.m. – Hudson Swafford, U.S.; Benjamin Silverman, Thornhill, Ont.; Dave Levesque, Montreal.

2:15 p.m. – Brad Fritsch, Edmonton; Chris Hemmerich, Kitchener, Ont.; Beon Yeong Lee, Montreal.

To follow live scoring, click here.

Christina Lake, British Columbia – Doug Roxburgh adds to his collection of titles with a second consecutive win at the British Columbia Golf Men’s Senior Championship on Thursday after shooting -5 at Christina Lake Golf Club; while Gudmund Lindbjerg takes home top honours after a two-hole play-off victory in the Super-Senior Championship and finishing one-under-par.

Midway through the final round of competition it appeared that if the defending champion continued his pace, he would all but secure a victory. He had begun the day with a stroke advantage and after nine holes, with two birdies, was four strokes ahead of the next competitor.

After the turn, however, Roxburgh ran into some trouble getting out of the left bunker on number 10 and double bogeyed for the first time in the Championship. The trouble didn’t end there, a double bogey again on the 12th left the Marine Drive Golf Club member tied at -5 with Lance Lundy.

“I was playing quite well, very comfortable on the front nine and then hit a couple of sloppy shots on the back nine starting on the 10th hole and just let Lance and some others right back into it,” said Roxburgh.

“I just had to work hard to make some pars coming in. That’s golf, I’m fortunate to get away with that one, I think.”

The veteran competitor showed his composure after the glitches, making par for the remainder of his round. His equanimity combined with a little bit of luck allowed him to capture the top spot.

Lundy made a surge for the title and even briefly led after he capitalized on Roxburgh’s struggles with a birdie on 11, but unfortunately would concede his lead with two bogeys late in the round finishing second at a four-under-par 212.

Jim Shaw, of Mission, was also briefly tied with Roxburgh and Lundy at -5 with only a few holes left to play. Shaw was one-under at the turn and played strong and consistently making par for nine holes in a row until closing out his round with back-to-back bogeys. Shaw finished at -3 in third.

The trio will represent British Columbia at the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship at Capilano Golf and Country Club in West Vancouver on August 26 – 29, 2014.

The Super-Senior Championship came down to a play off for the title after four-time back-to-back BC Senior Men’s Champion, Lindbjerg, and tournament low scorer, Kent Brown, each finished at one-under.

The pair both made par on 18 and headed to number 10 for the second hole of the play off. Each made straight shots down the fairway from the tee, but Brown’s second shot found the left bunker and he ultimately bogeyed the hole. Lindbjerg made two putts for par and the win.

“I just take it shot by shot and play [a play off] like an ordinary game because if you start getting into your mind and think ‘don’t hit it there, hit it there’, you’re in trouble right there,” said Lindbjerg.

“Kent smoked his drive probably a hundred yards past me on the first hole and I had to hit a rescue in and he hit a six iron so it was a little intimidating, I knew I had to whop one on ten.”

Ray Henry finished behind Brown in third, as the only competitor under par for the day, with his best showing of the Championship a one-under-par 71, finishing +2 (218).

Woodstock, Ont. – Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson carded a 4-under 67 at Craigowan Golf and Country Club to jump into the lead at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship on Wednesday. 

Henderson opened her second round with a 3-under 32 and followed it with back-nine birdies on the par-5 13th and par-4 17th holes to grab the outright lead at 5-under 137. The 16-year-old has played near flawless golf since opening the tournament with an over-par front-nine on Tuesday.

“It was a tough start yesterday being 3-over through eight holes but then I went 4-under the rest of the way which was really huge,” said Henderson, the defending champion. “I had a couple of moments yesterday that really saved my round and I think that really saved my tournament. Going into today I knew I had momentum and I just wanted to keep that going.” 

With that momentum the Smiths Falls, Ont. native currently sits one-stroke clear of her teammate Augusta James of Bath, Ont. and Liz Breen of  Waynesboro, Pa., who share second place at 4-under 138 at the conclusion of Wednesday’s windy second round.

“It was much tougher today, we were here bright and early and it was quite a bit colder from past days so the ball wasn’t quite flying as far,” Henderson continued. “The wind also really picked up especially in the middle of my round, I was hitting four clubs more than what I normally do.” 

James battled back during her closing nine, carding birdies on her final two holes to finish with an even-par 71. Breed held the outright lead for a short time on the back-nine before bogeying two of her last six holes to finish tied with James.

Australia’s Su-Hyun Oh posted a 2-over 73 to finish in solo fourth at 2-under 140, while Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C. and California’s Betty Chen share fifth place at 1-under par.

In the Inter-Provincial Team competition, the Team Ontario contingent of Henderson, James and Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., soared away from the field to capture the team title. The squad fired a 5-under 137 to finish 15 strokes ahead of Team Alberta in the 36-hole competition at 10-under par.   

In the Mid-Amateur division (25+), Christina Proteau of Port Alberni, B.C. posted a 6-over 77 to card a two-round total of 153. Proteau currently sits three strokes ahead of Helene Chartrand of Pincourt, Que. In the Mid-Master division, Chartrand, the defending champion, fired a second round 1-under 70 and currently sits one-stroke ahead of Marion Reid of Etobicoke, Ont. at 11-over 153.

The champion of the 101st Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship receives an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and also the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur. 

Starting times, post-round results, full field list, and live scoring are available here.

MONTREAL – It was 60 years ago that Pat Fletcher won the Canadian Open.

No other Canadian has won the national open golf tournament since then, but that could change when the PGA Tour event returns this week to Royal Montreal, the tree-lined course that played host to the 2007 Presidents Cup.

Mike Weir, Graham DeLaet and David Hearn are among the 19 home-grown players looking to end the losing run.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 60 years,” Weir said Wednesday after playing only nine holes of a rain soaked pro-am event. “We have more capable players in the field now and I think we’re going to see it going forward.

“It’s going to end at some point, so hopefully, if not myself, it’s another Canadian that gets it done this week. It would be nice to get the streak over so we don’t have to talk about it any more.”

For Weir, an eight-time Tour winner, winning at home would be a dream.

“This is my 24th Canadian Open, so I’ve been at it a long time,” the 44-year-old Weir said. “But ever time you come back it’s special.

“It was the first professional event I watched live as a kid. I still remember doing a junior clinic with Andy Bean and Tom Kite and being one of the kids on the range that got to walk up there and get close to those guys. That really spurred my interest in professional golf.”

A strong showing would boost Weir’s chances of making the FedEx Cup playoffs. He is 128th with four weeks left in the playoff race and needs to get into the top 125.

It is also a special event for Hunter Mahan.

The American was the 36-hole leader of last year’s RBC Canadian Open when he got the call that wife was about to give birth to their first child, a daughter. Mahan immediately withdrew to fly home to Dallas to attend the birth.

Snedeker fired a 63 in the third round and held on to win.

“It’s one of those things you talk about with golfers, what if you were in the lead and you had to go home on Saturday or Sunday,” said Mahan. “It’s one of those crazy things you talk about and discuss with your family or your wife, but most of the time, it never happens.

“It’s kind of neat that we have the video of it all happening and then the newspaper clippings and all that, so it will be a fun story to show her and tell her about how she entered the world.”

Snekeder said he was on the seventh hole at Glen Abbey when he saw Mahan’s name come off the leader board.

“I started putting two and two together,” he said. “I was playing a great round of golf. It was a fortunate break for myself. Hunter was playing great. He would have been a tough guy to catch over the weekend.

“I did follow through and we made sure we sent a coupe of nice gifts to the Mahan’s for baby Zoe. It’s something we’ll probably both remember the rest of our lives.”

Mahan said he was happy to be back in Canada, especially at Royal Montreal where he and Furyk were part of a U.S. squad that thrashed Weir and the International team. Returning Internationals include Els, Vijay Singh, K.J. Choi, Geoff Ogilvie and Stuart Appleby.

The Bodog gambling site has Johnson, Furyk and Kuchar as the betting favourites at 12-1, with DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., as the eighth favourite at 25-1.

DeLaet’s pro career may have been saved by a victory on the Canadian Tour in 2008 at St-Raphael, a short drive from Royal Montreal. Now he hopes to get a PGA Tour title in the same neck of the woods.

“My game feels a lot closer (to top form) than it probably looks,” said DeLaet, currently 31st in FedEx Cup standings. “You always know deep down when you’re playing well, and hopefully I can just clean that up a little and this can be the breakout week.”

Furyk, who won in 2006 and 2007, is coming off a 65 on Sunday to finish fourth in the British Open, but now has to play on a different continent and a very different course.

While Royal Montreal is often called “traditional,” Furyk said that only fits the tees and the fairways. The recently redone greens he considers modern and could be a key factor once play begins.

With heavy rain on Wednesday, the course will be soft and scores may be low.

“What this golf course requires of you is the dead opposite of what you’d see in links golf,” said Furyk. “And the rain is going to spread the gap even farther.”

To kick off its new partnership with Mike Weir, ALEVE is taking a swing in support of the Canadian golf icon and The Arthritis Society during this weekend’s RBC Canadian Open.

From Thursday, July 24^th to Sunday, July 27^th, during the RBC Canadian Open, each of Mike’s birdies will be matched by a $1,000 donation, each eagle will net $2,000, and a hole-in-one will equal a $10,000 donation by ALEVE to The Arthritis Society in support of its goal of boosting care and erasing the pain of arthritis.

Weir, who suffered a 2011 injury to his elbow that developed into arthritis, is working with ALEVE, the over-the-counter pain reliever indicated to temporarily relieve the daily pain and stiffness of arthritis, in hopes of helping other Canadians break free from their pain and get back to doing the things they love. It is estimated that by 2036, the number of Canadians living with arthritis will grow from 4.6 million adults to 7.5 million, or one in five.