If golf was a game of who has the biggest gallery, Nick Taylor, Taylor Pendrith, and Rory McIlroy would be the runaway leaders at the RBC Canadian Open.

England’s David Skinns had a one-shot lead after the first round of the national men’s golf championship on Thursday thanks to an 8-under 62 round in the afternoon. 

His final few holes were witnessed by a fraction of the number of fans who had shown up early in the day to follow the marquee grouping of Taylor, Pendrith, and McIlroy, even as they shot higher scores at Hamilton Golf and Country Club than Skinns or early leaders Sam Burns and Sean O’Hair, who were second after the first round at 7 under.

“Usually the morning round for me on a Thursday there’s not that many people there,” said Taylor, who is from Abbotsford, B.C. “The energy was high, which was great, gets the adrenalin going, which is fun that early in the morning, gets you focused on what you need to do. 

“Unfortunately, it didn’t go my way, but the crowds have been amazing.”

Skinns and Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre climbed the leaderboard in the afternoon to reel in Burns and O’Hair, who had a three-stroke lead after the round’s first wave. MacIntyre shot a 6-under 64 to take sole possession of fourth after 18 holes.

Even as Skinns and MacIntyre fired bogey-free rounds, the gallery following them was relatively small as many fans had left following the morning start of Taylor, Pendrith and McIlroy.

Taylor and Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., are the top two Canadians on the PGA Tour, ranked 32 and 33 on the FedEx Cup standings respectively. Taylor is also very much the face of the event after he became the first Canadian to win the men’s national golf championship in nearly seven decades at last year’s tournament.

“There was definitely more people watching us than last time I played (in Hamilton) or last time I played the Canadian Open,” said Pendrith. “We had fun. Rory played, scored, really nicely. It was fun to play with Nick. 

“It was a comfortable pairing and it was fun to have the support of the home crowd and should be good tomorrow.”

McIlroy, who won the Canadian Open in 2019 the last time it was in Hamilton and again in Toronto in 2022, did the best of the marquee trio. He finished the day tied for fourth at 4-under 66. 

The Northern Irishman, fourth on the FedEx Cup rankings, said he was impressed with all the spectators who were at the 10th tee when his group teed off at 7:40 a.m.

“The Canadian fans came out to support them,” said McIlroy of Taylor and Pendrith. “One of the main reasons I love coming back here is because of that atmosphere that’s created when we’re out there to play, and playing with two Canadians today was, it was exactly what I expected.”

Pendrith had a 1-under 69 round to finish the day tied for 33rd. 

Taylor finished his day at 2-over 72, good for 96th. He took heart from the fact that he opened last year’s Canadian Open at Toronto’s Oakdale Golf and Country Club with a 3-over 75 round, made the cut, and went on to win in a thrilling four-hole playoff.

“I guess I beat last year by three, so I got that going for me,” said Taylor. “Obviously not out of it. I know that but personally, I would have liked to have got off to a better start. 

“Again, the score is out there, the greens are soft, they’re receptive, just need to be a little sharper.”

O’Hair played bogey-free golf with five birdies and an eagle and Burns had a bogey, four birdies, and two eagles as they built a three-shot lead in the morning.

“I think with all the rain we had early in the week the greens are still pretty receptive,” said Burns after coming off the course at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. “It makes a big difference on par-5s when you have a long iron or a wood coming in there to be able to stop the ball pretty quick.”

Despite drawing the big crowds, Taylor and Pendrith weren’t even the low Canadians.

Forty-four-year-old David Hearn from nearby Brantford, Ont., was the low Canadian. He was tied for 11th at 3-under 67. Fifty-four-year-old Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., was a shot behind Hearn to sit in a group tied for 20th.

“Hey, how about that? Maybe experience still has something,” said Hearn. “That’s great. I didn’t know that was the case. I saw Weirsy was off to a great start today, so that was good to see.

“Obviously Weirsy and I, that’s a great start. We’ve got three more rounds to follow it up with, so we’ll see what we can do.”

In June of 2023, Nick Taylor put his name into the history books by sinking a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole at the Oakdale Golf & Country Club.  By doing so, he became the first Canadian to win Canada’s National Open since Pat Fletcher accomplished the feat back in 1954.

As the 2024 edition of the RBC Canadian Open gets underway, all eyes will be on the 36-year-old from Abbotsford, British Columbia as he sets out to defend his title on Canadian soil.

The defending champion finds himself part of a marquee trio for the opening two rounds, which includes 2019 and 2022 tournament champion, Rory McIlroy, and Taylor Pendrith – who became the most recent Canadian to win on the PGA TOUR after capturing the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at the beginning of the month.

“It’s a huge event and to see Nick win it last year was unbelievable; it was super inspiring,” said Pendrith at his pre-tournament presser. “It was amazing to see him do it and end the drought in that fashion. I still get goose bumps watching the video.”

“It’s a major for us. It’s the one time we get to be here in our home country and play in front of the home fans, so it’s a big deal for the players and the spectators and the whole country,” he added.

McIlroy says he feels right at home competing in front of the Canadian golf fans. The two-time tournament champion recalls his first victory on Canadian soil back in 2019.

“The place was buzzing. The Raptors were about to win an NBA championship. Yeah, it was my first Canadian Open and I was blown away by just the enthusiasm that the fans have and it was such a great atmosphere to to play in,” recalled McIlroy, who attended game two of the 2019 NBA finals featuring the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors.

The former world number 1 from Ireland admits that while he hasn’t been to a live hockey game, he believes the Canadian golf fans bring that hockey energy to the golf course.

“Full disclosure here, and this isn’t probably a good thing to say in Canada, but I’ve never been to a hockey game, but I would imagine that that’s sort of what it feels like. It feels like you’re playing in that sort of hockey environment, especially with the Rink hole,” said McIlroy.

“I’m very, very fortunate that I feel like I get good support most places that we go play but it’s just for whatever reason it’s just a little bit extra here in Canada.”

While Pendrith and McIlroy will receive plenty of support, the man who will be the centre of attention as play gets underway is the defending champion, who ended Canada’s 69 year drought last June.

To commemorate Taylor’s historic achievement, Golf Canada has created a limited edition Nick Taylor bobblehead which will is available for sale with proceeds going to support the First Tee program.

Taylor says he’s had the chance to replay his clutch 72-foot eagle putt over and over – but watching it never gets old.

“I’ve seen the replay enough now that I kind of have that visual almost now instead of my own perception. Yeah, I’ve seen so many angles now, it’s really cool to see different people’s reaction. I feel when my wife and I see it we find a different person to look at and see how they reacted which is pretty fun,” he noted.

Taylor says his victory last June in Canada has given him more confidence which carried over to his win at the TPC Scottsdale in early February.

“It’s taken work to be able to get in that mental state of focusing on that present moment. When I look back at the Canadian Open, I take confidence from that which only helped me when I was at Phoenix,” he said.

As the defending champion and the first Canadian to win our Canada’s National Open in 69 years, it’s understandable that all eyes will be on Taylor as play gets underway. But it is often said, pressure is a privilege, and mature and confident 36-year-old appears poised and eager to embrace the challenge.

“The biggest change I would say since last year is obviously being recognized more in context of a golf course. Now, especially at the Canadian Open – so yeah, it’s a lot of pictures and signatures,” said Taylor.

“I think our crowds are going to be pretty big the next couple of days with Rory – who always has that following, and playing with Pendy. So, I’m looking forward to that a lot.”

Today, Taylor Pendrith holds the distinction as a winner on the PGA TOUR but it was 10 years ago when he enjoyed his first taste of success against the best professional golfers in the world.

Competing as an amateur, the Kent State University senior shot a 65 on the first day of the 2014 RBC Canadian Open to sit in a tie for third spot after the opening round. The then 23-year-old relatively unknown amateur from Richmond Hill, Ont., spoke about his humble beginnings in the sport and his steady progression.

“I started when I was 12 and didn’t really have any aspirations to become a professional golfer,” he said after his eye-opening first round.

“When I was 15, I played in a smaller junior circuit and started to win and thought maybe I could move it to the next level. When I was 16 and 17 and started playing more competitive tournaments, then got recruited and went down to (Kent State) and then it kind of clicked,” recalled Pendrith who finished the 2014 RBC Canadian Open as the top amateur in the field.

Former high school teammate and Canadian National Team member Rebecca Lee-Bentham talks about Pendrith’s progression as a golfer since their high school days.

“It seemed like he played every sport in high school but I recall his main sports were actually hockey and baseball. I remember being on the co-ed volleyball team and the golf team together,” noted the former Bayview Secondary student and former LPGA Tour pro.

“Taylor ended up joining the same golf club as me and I started to see him practise and play a lot more in his last couple of years in high school. I guess you could say he was a bit of a late bloomer but over the years, I’ve seen him improve non-stop from high school golf to college golf and as a professional,” she continued.

“Taylor’s progression and success is a testament to his talent, hard work and love for the game. It’s honestly one of the most inspirational things to witness.”

Another important part of Pendrith’s journey which should be highlighted was seeing his Kent State University teammates and his fellow Canadian National Team members Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners make it onto the PGA TOUR.

Since winning the RSM Classic in Nov 2016, Hughes has been a regular on the PGA Tour.

In April of 2019, Conners won the Valero Texas Open and has since solidified his place as a rising star on the PGA TOUR. 

After graduating from Kent State University, he competed on the Mackenzie Tour and then advanced to play on the Korn Ferry Tour. In his second event, Pendrith recorded a fourth place finish but injuries would prevent him from enjoying continued success on the KFT and he would find himself back on the Mackenzie Tour.

“When I first advanced from the Mackenzie Tour I thought it was good. Obviously have seen my buddies go from there to the Korn Ferry Tour, win (on) the Korn Ferry Tour, come to the PGA TOUR, win (on) the PGA TOUR,” said Pendrith at the 2022 Presidents Cup referring to Hughes and Conners.

During the 2022 Presidents Cup, Conners spoke about their journeys to the PGA TOUR.

“It goes to show you we have a similar path and the National Team Program, Golf Canada, Herb Page at Kent State, they’ve led us on a great path. They’ve taught the right things. It’s really special to have shared the journey to professional golf with Taylor and have him out on the PGA TOUR now and to have him on the International Presidents Cup team,” said Conners.

Pendrith acknowledged his path to the PGA TOUR may have taken a little bit longer but he’s eager to show his potential now he’s injury free.

“My path took a little longer which I’m okay with.  Bouncing around, being hurt multiple times, there’s definitely some doubt. But to finally get there (on the PGA TOUR), I always kind of knew in the back of my mind if I was healthy, my game’s good enough to compete out here, and most of this year I showed that,” he pointed out.

“It’s been a rocky road but I don’t mind being 30-year-old rookie. It’s an honour to call yourself a PGA TOUR member and I think just makes it that much better that it took me a long time to get here and I’ve finally achieved it,” Pendrith added at the 2022 Presidents Cup.

The most notable achievement to date for Pendrith came at the beginning of this month when he became the first Canadian to win the CJ Cup Byron Nelson since the tournament was established in 1944.

“I’m not a big history guy but Byron Nelson is a special name and for my name to be on that trophy is super special,” he said after making a clutch birdie putt on 18 to finish on top of the leaderboard by one stroke.

“It was a mix of emotions for sure with everything happening so fast. But I’m very happy that it did go in. Just tried to stay in my routine. Felt like my routine was really good this week, which I’ve been working on the last few weeks, so just did the same thing I did over every other putt,” added the talented Canadian golfer who is known for his power off the tee.

“It feels unbelievable and to see some of those names on this trophy it’s crazy.  I still can’t believe I’m a winner of this tournament.”

Pendrith has come a long way from the bright-eyed amateur who surprised many with his stellar opening round 10 years ago at the 2014 RBC Canadian Open.

Over the last decade, the married father of one has overcome challenges with injuries and has now solidified himself as a regular on the PGA TOUR – and also holds the distinction as a PGA TOUR winner.

Given his strong results recently, Pendrith, who will turn 33 later this month, appears to be peaking for homecoming and will be entering the RBC Canadian Open as one of the dark horses to hoist the historic trophy.

And what better way for Pendrith to celebrate his birthday than to have a strong showing in front of family and friends and be in contention for victory number two on the PGA TOUR – this time on Canadian soil.

For nearly seven decades, all of Canada’s male professional golfers had the goal of winning the RBC Canadian Open, the national men’s championship.

Now the figurative pin’s position has been moved and they’re hoping to win it in back-to-back years.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., won a playoff at Toronto’s Oakdale Golf and Country Club to win last year’s Canadian Open and end that 69-year drought. Taylor, Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., and a large field of their countrymen are lining up to do it all again at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in three weeks’ time.

“That was amazing last year, and it would be incredible to go back-to-back,” said Pendrith. “I know myself and all the other Canadians on the PGA Tour see it as a huge goal, especially seeing Nick do it last year, it was a big inspiration and knowing that it can be done by a Canadian.

“Hopefully there’s a bunch of us in contention coming down the back nine on Sunday. That’d be pretty exciting.”

Taylor and Pendrith are the top-ranked Canadians on the PGA Tour, having both won in 2024. Taylor was victorious at the WM Phoenix Open on Feb. 11 and Pendrith earned his first PGA Tour title on Sunday at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Taylor is now No. 21 on the FedEx Cup standings and Pendrith is 34th.

As long a wait as it was for a Canadian to win the national title — Pat Fletcher was the last to do it in 1954 — it has been even longer since Canadians won it in consecutive years. Albert Murray (1913) and Karl Keffer (1914) were the last homegrown back-to-back champs.

Taylor laughed when asked about the new challenge of consecutive wins for Canadians.

“You lose one question and another is added,” joked Taylor. “I think we’re all going there expecting. hopefully, to compete and try to win again.

“If my win helps take that monkey off the back for people, not have the expectations, I think that’ll help all of us.”

Taylor and Pendrith will be backed up by a large contingent of Canadians. 

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford (35th), Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. (56th), Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. (69th), Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C. (90th), as well as fellow PGA Tour members Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont. and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., had already committed to joining the field.

More Canadians were announced at a news conference on Wednesday at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., will play in his 31st national championship. Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., the leading player on the Europe-based DP World Tour, was added, as were top players in the PGA Tour’s lower tiers — Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., Edmonton’s Wil Bateman and Etienne Papineau of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que.

Defending Canadian amateur champion Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., and Kevin Stinson of Mission, B.C., were also added to the field.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who won the first of back-to-back Canadian Opens in 2019, the last time Hamilton Golf and Country Club hosted the tournament, is also in the field. He is No. 16 in the FedEx Cup standings.

Mary DePaoli, executive vice-president and chief marketing officer for RBC, said that getting McIlroy back in the field was important because he will draw more players to the event.

“I would say as Rory builds out his calendar, he can be discerning but he comes back year after year because he wants to,” she said in the clubhouse at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. “I think that’s as much a testament to everything that all who are a part of the RBC Canadian Open work on because you’re getting one of the world’s best to come back year after year.”

Ireland’s Shane Lowry and England’s Tommy Fleetwood were also added to the Canadian Open field on Wednesday.

Lowry is ranked No. 12 on the PGA Tour following his win with McIlroy at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on April 28.

Fleetwood was the runner-up at last year’s Canadian Open, losing to Taylor in a four-hole playoff. Fleetwood is ranked 39th on the FedEx Cup standings.

A location for the 2025 Canadian Open has yet to be announced but tournament director Bryan Crawford said one would be named within the next two weeks.

McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Taylor Pendrith tried his best to ignore Ben Kohles’ final-hole meltdown, focusing on the eagle putt that the Canadian thought he might have to make even to force a playoff as he walked toward the 18th green.

Several stunning minutes later, a 3-footer for birdie gave Pendrith his first PGA Tour victory.

Kohles overtook Pendrith with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 for a one-shot lead, then bogeyed the 18th after hitting his second shot into greenside rough. 

Already in shock following two chips from the rough — the second with his feet in a bunker — Kohles missed a 6-foot putt that would have forced a playoff.

“Wasn’t really trying to pay attention to what they were doing, although it really mattered, obviously,” Pendrith said. “I feel for Ben. He played really, really good today, especially down the stretch. I’ve been on the other side of it a couple times, and it sucks. But it’s golf. It’s a hard game.”

Pendrith shot 4-under 67 for a 23-under 261 total at the TPC Craig Ranch. The 32-year-old won in his 74th career PGA Tour start.

Playing just north of his birthplace of Dallas, Kohles shot 66 to finish a stroke back. The 34-year-old who plays out of North Carolina is winless in 68 starts.

“Honestly, hadn’t seen any rough like that all week,” said Kohles, who moved to North Carolina when he was 10. 

“Just needed a little bit more umph on it. Did so many good things this week, and I’m just going to keep reminding myself of that and try to get myself back in this position.”

Alex Noren, a Swedish player also seeking a first PGA Tour victory, was another stroke back. He wowed the crowd on the stadium hole at the par-3 17th with a tee shot to 2 1/2 feet, but followed that birdie with a par knowing he probably needed an eagle on 18. Noren shot 65 and was alone in third at 21 under.

Aaron Rai and first-round leader Matt Wallace of England were at 20 under along with the South Korean pair of S.H. Kim and Byeong Hun An. Rai and Kim shot 64, An 65 and Wallace 68.

Pendrith, the third-round leader, and Kohles were separated by just one shot or tied most of the day. 

After Kohles made a 20-footer to take the lead on 17, Pendrith’s par putt rolled all the way around the cup and went in.

“It just curled in, that putt on the last second there, which was unreal just to give me a chance,” said Pendrith, who set it up with a chip from an awkward stance with his heels hanging over the lip of a bunker, after saving par with another testy putt at the par-4 16th.

The victory qualified Pendrith for the PGA Championship in two weeks and next year’s Masters. He’s also in the next three $20-million signature events, starting next week with the Wells Fargo championship. 

Kohles and Noren also played their way into Wells Fargo with their Nelson showings.

With Wells Fargo and the PGA coming in the next two weeks, just three of the top 30 in the world ranking were in the field.

Jordan Spieth, the highest at No. 20, missed the cut for just the second time in 12 appearances at his hometown event. 

Defending champion Jason Day (22nd) and Tom Kim (23rd) didn’t contend, with Day finishing one shot behind Kim at 9 under.

Jake Knapp, the second-round leader who three years ago was working as a security guard in his home state of California, shot 70 to finish at 19 under. Knapp and Wallace were the only players in the top eight with a previous PGA Tour win.

The start of the final round was pushed back 2 1/2 hours because of overnight rain, and pairings turned into threesomes going off both tees with the players allowed to lift, clean and place shots in the fairway.

Wallace appeared to start a charge by chipping in for birdie at 12, the toughest hole of the week, and getting another birdie at the par-4 13th. A three-putt bogey on the par-3 15th stalled him out.

Rafael Campos, a 13-year journeyman from Puerto Rico who has spent most of his career on satellite tours, birdied five of the first six holes starting on the back nine to make the turn at 29.

The 36-year-old cooled off on his second nine before making a 48-foot putt from off the green for eagle on the par-5 ninth for a 63 that put him at 18 under.

Taiga Semikawa, a 23-year-old from Japan playing on a sponsor exemption, also finished at 18 after a 64.

Kris Kim, a 16-year old amateur making his PGA Tour debut, had a rough finish as the youngest to play a final round on tour in 10 years.

Playing his final nine on the front, the son of South Korean-born former LPGA Tour player Ji-Hyun Suh had four bogeys and shot 73 to finish 6 under.

Kim, who is from England, played on a sponsor exemption from the South Korean company and tournament title sponsor CJ Group.

MONTREAL – International Team Captain Mike Weir announced Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, Geoff Ogilvy and Camilo Villegas as captain’s assistants for the 2024 Presidents Cup, which will be played at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Sept. 24-29. 

“I am excited to announce Ernie, Trevor, Geoff and Camilo as my captain’s assistants for the 2024 Presidents Cup,” said Weir. “The four of them each have their own special history with this event and today’s announcement is a mere formality, as we have been working closely together through the years to ensure the International Team continues its momentum from 2019 and 2022. The culture and close-knit nature tied to this team is foundational to everything we will do heading into Montreal, and I can’t wait work alongside them to deliver a great week of golf for our players.”

Els, a 19-time PGA TOUR winner, has appeared in eight Presidents Cups (1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013) and holds the record for most matches won by an International Team player (20). The South African amassed an all-time 20-18-2 record and is third overall in matches won, trailing Tiger Woods (27) and Phil Mickelson (26) and tied with Jim Furyk (20). Els served as a captain’s assistant to Nick Price in 2017 before being named International Team Captain in 2019. That year, he unified the team with the creation of the shield and led the team to its biggest lead in Presidents Cup history before falling to a Tiger Woods-led U.S. Team, 16-14, at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, in Melbourne, Australia. 

“Mike has been a longtime friend, is a true icon of sport in his home country, and it’s an honor to participate captain’s assistant as his captain’s assistant as he leads the International Team into Montreal in 2024,” said Els. “This team has built a lot of momentum over the past five years, and I am eager to get to work and ensure our players are prepared to compete in Canada.”

Immelman, the 2022 Presidents Cup International Team Captain, has been added to Weir’s roster of leadership. The 2008 Masters champion played a pivotal role in the continued development of the International Team following Els’ creation of the shield. With a combination of strategy, authenticity and planning by Immelman, the team was able create an extremely close-knit group of players at Quail Hollow Club and lay the groundwork for Captain Weir to continue building the team’s momentum. The 44-year-old returns to the team for his second stint as a captain’s assistant after first serving under fellow countryman Els in 2019. Immelman competed for the International Team in 2005 and 2007.

“Being a part of this team means a great deal to me and is something I have put my heart and soul into over the years,” said Immelman. “This team has been resilient through adversity and is building a foundation for the future that we have taken immense pride in. I could not be more excited to support Mike as he leads a team of guys into Montreal that are fully committed to playing for our shield and representing the International Team.” 

Ogilvy returns to the Presidents Cup for a fourth time in the role of a captain’s assistant (2017, 2019, 2022). The 46-year-old Australian played on three consecutive International Teams (2007, 2009, 2011), where he amassed 7-6-1 record. Ogilvy owns eight career PGA TOUR victories, including the 2006 U.S. Open and three World Golf Championships, in addition to winning two of Australia’s biggest titles – the 2008 Australian PGA and 2010 Australian Open. 

“Mike is the ideal leader for the International Team heading into Canada and I am very much looking forward to working alongside him,” said Ogilvy. “His passion for this event, this sport and the enthusiastic Canadian sports fans is second to none and will make for an incredible week for our players in Montreal. It’s an honor to return as captain’s assistant once again and I can’t wait to assist in delivering a successful week for the International Team.” 

Villegas, 42, will return in 2024 after making his debut as a captain’s assistant in 2022 at Quail Hollow Club. The Colombian represented the International Team at the 2009 Presidents Cup at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. In addition to being a five-time PGA TOUR winner, Villegas reached a career-best No. 7 in the Official World Golf Ranking and represented Colombia in the World Cup of Golf in 2006 and 2011. 

“It’s a tremendous honor to be named as captain’s assistant and I look forward to working alongside Mike and preparing our guys for a great week at Royal Montreal,” said Villegas. “I served in this same capacity in 2022 in Charlotte, and the camaraderie and competitive fire from that team is something I know will carry over this fall as we continue to build a road to success for the International Team.”

For more information about the Presidents Cup, or to purchase tickets, please visit PresidentsCup.com.

Nick Taylor is happy to be getting a Mulligan on his first Masters appearance.

The Abbotsford, B.C., native made his one and only appearance at Augusta National Golf Club in 2020. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Masters was held in November that year, there were no fans and players could only have one person in the bubble with them at the course.

Taylor will tee it up at the first major of the men’s golf season on Thursday but, this time, his whole family will be there and he’ll be able to soak in the “true” Augusta experience.

“A lot of my early experiences of watching golf, like Mike Weir winning the Masters in 2003, I watched that with my dad and my brother in the basement,” said Taylor from his home in Arizona. “The Masters always felt like the start of the golf year back home in Canada. 

“So for everyone to be at the Masters will be very, very, very special.”

Taylor was particularly excited to have his children participate in the Par 3 contest, a Masters tradition where the golfers play the short course with their families and their get kids decked out in Augusta’s distinctive all-white caddie coveralls. His four-year-old son Charlie and 11-month-old daughter Harper had already been fitted for theirs.

“I think just the whole experience of the week, to be there and have it be a quote-unquote normal Masters will be something I’ve obviously looked forward to ever since I began playing golf,” said Taylor. “After 2020 was one of those where I hoped it wasn’t my only experience but, obviously, you never know, so being able to say that I’ve had two very distinctly different Masters experiences will be pretty cool.”

Another highlight of the Masters experience is getting to play alongside Weir, from Brights Grove, Ont., the only Canadian to win the Masters or any men’s major. 

They were grouped together in 2020 and played a practice round together with Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Adam Hadwin, also from Abbotsford. Canada’s PGA Tour players often practice together before events and, as usual, it became an East vs. West event on Tuesday. 

Weir reported that the Ontarian pairing of he and Conners beat out the Abbotsford boys.

“We had a great time. Always fun for me to catch up with the guys. I only get to see them a couple times a year,” said Weir, who is the International Team’s captain for this year’s Presidents Cup. “I’ll see them a little bit more now because I’m travelling out to a few more events, but yeah, always fun.”

Another thing that has changed since Taylor’s last Masters appearance is Taylor’s FedEx Cup ranking. He qualified in 2020 after winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February of that year, but has moved way up the standings thanks to winning the RBC Canadian Open in June and the WM Phoenix Open in February. 

He’s now the top-ranked Canadian on the PGA Tour, sitting 13th in the FedEx Cup standings.

“I would say early in 2020, my game was rounding into really nice form, after winning Pebble and getting some confidence going,” said Taylor. “It’s easy to see years later, but you know, the COVID stretch where I was quarantined a bit back in Canada, bouncing back and forth, my game kind of deteriorated over that time and took some time to claw my way back.

“I do feel like now I’m better than ever. I feel like I’m a different player than I was three and a half years ago when I was there.”

It’s not that Mike Weir wants the fans at Royal Montreal Golf Club to be hostile toward the United States team when the Presidents Cup comes to Canada, but he definitely doesn’t want the Americans to be comfortable. Weir, from Brights Grove, Ont., is the first Canadian to captain the International Team at the best-on-best men’s tournament. Beyond selecting the squad’s players he is responsible for the tournament’s design aesthetic and, maybe most important, he has to set the tone with fans.

“When the U.S. goes overseas to play, it’s a totally different atmosphere than when they’re playing at home and traditionally, in the Presidents Cup, there hasn’t been that much of a contrast and that is our challenge,” Weir said. “Letting them know that you need to get behind our guys and make them feel supported and through that is making the other side feel a little bit uncomfortable.”

Weir said Presidents Cup organizers are teaming up with the Montreal Canadiens and their owner Jeff Molson to promote a hockey-like atmosphere. 

“We don’t want it to be that over the top, but we want it to feel like the crowd is really, really with us,” he said.

The International Team’s only victory over the U.S. came at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia in 1998. It also earned a tie in 2003 at Fancourt Hotel and Country Club in George, South Africa, in 2003.

Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., hosted the biannual event in 2022, with the U.S. winning 17 1/2-12 1/2. Although thousands of American fans are expected to stream across the border in September when the 12-on-12 tournament is in Montreal, Weir hopes to make it truly feel like an away game and get a result like Australia 26 years ago.

“We’ve put a lot of thought into it and we continue amongst our team to talk about that home course, home country advantage,” said Weir. “We’re trying to engage a lot of the fans around the country with a lot of stuff that will be upcoming that we’re doing.

“We want the whole country to be involved and engaged. … We do want it to feel like it’s a home advantage for us.”

Royal Montreal hosted the Presidents Cup in 2007, when the United States beat the Internationals 19 1/2-14 1/2. Weir battled Tiger Woods in a climactic matchup that captured the imagination of many Canadian golf fans.

Weir said that, in its way, that experience was instructive in his current role as a non-playing captain.

“Tiger was playing and I think fans were excited to see him,” said Weir. “I felt like the fans were fantastic, but they were very cordial to the U.S. side.
“We want them to be a little bit louder and a little bit more raucous than the past.”

The 2022 edition of the Presidents Cup was the first time that more than one Canadian played in the event, with Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., earning his way on to the team as an automatic selection and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., picked by captain Trevor Immelman of South Africa.

Weir, and the Canadians on the PGA Tour, are hoping to have even more of a maple flavour at Royal Montreal. The top six players on the U.S. and International rankings are automatically chosen, and then Weir and U.S. captain Jim Furyk get to pick their next six players.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is currently fourth in the International Team rankings. Adam Hadwin, also from Abbotsford, is ninth and Conners in 12th, meaning they could be easy choices for Weir to add.

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., are 16th and 17th respectively, making them possible reaches. Pendrith is 22nd.

“You’ve got to give credit to Golf Canada and their development program that they’ve put together,” Weir said of the number of eligible Canadians. “A lot of those guys grew up together, were in that junior program together, and the development program.

“They’ve continued to elevate their games and elevate their careers.”
There are no Canadians currently playing LIV Golf, the team-based circuit backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Weir confirmed that LIV Golf players like Chile’s Joaquin Niemann will not be eligible to play in the Presidents Cup.

Weir held a dinner with approximately 15 of the possible players who could play for the International Team ahead of this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

Taylor, Hadwin, Svensson, Conners and Hughes are all in the field at Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Fla., this week.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Edmonton’s Wil Bateman is the top-ranked Canadian on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour. He’s ranked 12th heading into this week’s Astara Chile Classic at Prince of Wales Country Club in Santiago. There are six other Canadians in the field, including Etienne Papineau (28th) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., Myles Creighton (54th) of Digby, N.S., and Sudarshan Yellamaraju (105th) of Mississauga, Ont. Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald, Jared du Toit of Kimberley, B.C., and Thomas Giroux of Georgetown, Ont., enter the tournament unranked.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames, currently ranked second in the Schwab Cup standings, will be in the field at the Cologuard Classic at La Paloma Country Club in Tucson, Ariz. Weir, when he’s done with his responsibilities at Bay Hill, will also play at the Cologuard Classic when it tees off on Friday. Weir is 38th on the Schwab Cup list.
DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., is in the opening group at the Jonsson Workwear Open 2024 at Glendower Golf Club in Dowerglen, Edenbale, South Africa. He’s 13th in the Race to Dubai Rankings.

LPGA TOUR — Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., are in the field at Blue Bay LPGA at Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course in China. Both are currently unranked on the Race to CME Globe standings.

EPSON TOUR — Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., leads the Canadian contingent into the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic on Friday at the Country Club of Winter Haven in Winter Haven. She’ll be joined by Hamilton’s Alena Sharp, Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., Kate Johnston of Ayr, Ont., and Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., in the first event on the 2024 tour’s calendar.

Jared Du Toit was planning the next phase of his golfing career last summer, casting a wide net by entering qualifying for the Korn Ferry Tour, the DP World Tour, and anything else he could think of. 

But a friend from his days playing at Arizona State University nudged him toward the Asian Tour.

Fast forward to now and Du Toit, from Kimberley, B.C., sits seventh on the Asian Tour’s order of merit after earning a top-10 finish in his first-ever tournament on the men’s golf circuit.

“I was talking to him a little bit in the summer and he just said ‘you’re crazy if you’re not giving Asia a try. The competition is solid, the events are great, and the money is pretty good,'” said Du Toit. “That sparked some interest so I gave it a try, not thinking much of it. 

“But (the DP World Tour and Korn Ferry Tour) didn’t work out so I went to Asia, got status that way. Now we’re here and enjoying it, enjoying it a lot so far.”

The 28-year-old Du Toit tied for seventh at 17 under on Sunday at the IRS Prima Malaysian Open at The Mines Resort & Golf Club, six shots back of winner David Puig of Spain. 

Du Toit was in a position to miss the cut halfway through his second round but rallied to shoot a 64 and see the weekend. He then fired a 62 in the third round to rocket up the leaderboard before a 71 settled him into seventh.

“Going from basically the cutline to three or four inside the number and in the thick of it a little bit I felt like I was on the house money bit and just had a great round three, which got me right into it,” said Du Toit. “Unfortunately, I didn’t play my best on the last round, but all things considered going from the cutline to contention to finishing top 10 was a solid start to the year and I’m excited to get going over here.”

His next target is to earn his way into some of the co-sanctioned events like next week’s New Zealand Open or one of men’s golf’s majors, like the British Open.

“I was pretty close last week being in contention in Malaysia. There was three spots for the Open,” said Du Toit. “It might be a little tougher to do that, don’t think they just give away spots so I definitely lost a bit of an opportunity last week, but I’d love to do that.

“I just still try and play my best, make as many cuts as I can.”

Du Toit has his next chance to do just that this week at the International Series Oman at Al Mouj Golf in Muscat, Oman. Toronto’s Richard T. Lee is also in the tournament.

PGA TOUR — Five Canadians are in the field at this week’s Mexico Open at Vidanta Vallarta in Vallarta, Mexico. Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is the top-ranked member of the Canadian contingent, entering the week at 62nd in the FedEx Cup standings. Mackenzie Hughes (72) of Dundas, Ont., and Ben Silverman (99) of Thornhill, Ont., are also in the field, as are unranked players Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C.

OUTSPOKEN HUGHES — Hughes, who is on the PGA Tour’s player advisory council for another year, remains outspoken about the upstart LIV Golf circuit. He spoke to CBS while on the course of last week’s Genesis Invitational about the ongoing rivalry.

“Now we’re in a place where I think fans are just generally a little bit fed up with it, to be honest,” said Hughes. “Those are the people that drive our sport so I’d love to appeal to the masses a lot more.

“Certainly, the way we’re going right now, to me, isn’t quite it.”

DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., is the lone Canadian in this week’s Kenya Open at Muthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi. He finished second at the event in 2022.

LPGA TOUR — Brooke Henderson of Smiths Fall, Ont., is the lone Canadian in the field at Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club’s Old Course in Chonburi. She sits sixth in the Race to CME Globe standings after placing third at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on Jan. 18 and tying for 16th at the LPGA Drive On Championship.

MEN’S NCAA — Calgary’s Hunter Thomson won his season opener with eight birdies in the final round of the Palmas del Mar Collegiate tournament in Humacao, Puerto Rico. He won the event by two strokes on Feb. 13, helping the University of Michigan to a fourth-place finish. 

Nick Taylor is developing a reputation as one of the PGA Tour’s most clutch players, and he’s loving it.

Taylor drained an 11-foot putt for birdie on the second playoff hole of the WM Phoenix Open on Sunday to beat American Charley Hoffman for his second victory in nine months. 

The fourth win of Taylor’s PGA Tour career mirrored his historic victory at the RBC Canadian Open last June, when he sank a 72-foot eagle putt in the fourth round of a playoff against England’s Tommy Fleetwood.

“You always relish being in those positions, but being able to pull off shots, now I can draw on that a lot,” Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., said of his growing confidence. “I want to be in those positions more and more. 

“My game has followed that, so hopefully I’m in those positions more and when I get in that kind of spotlight I’m comfortable. The hard part now is getting there as much as I can.”

He’ll have another chance at being in the spotlight at this week’s Genesis Invitational at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif. The 35-year-old Taylor said that he’s worked to solidify his game over the past two years.

“Really, since the fall of ’22 we had a road map of where we wanted to get to, and since then it hasn’t really been changes, it’s been sticking to the same things that we know will get me to where I want to be,” said Taylor. “It’s been the deliberate practice of doing the same boring stuff, which sounds easy at times but sometimes you can wander away. 

“That’s why my team will reel me in if I try to do something different because they know what we’ve been doing has been working, so just sticking to the basic stuff.”

One thing that hasn’t changed for Taylor is his ability to clear his mind and perform under pressure. 

Taylor won the Canadian Junior in 2006 and the Canadian Amateur Championship in 2007 as an amateur and then also won on the PGA Tour at the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2014 and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2020. 

He said that more than a decade of playing in high-leverage situations has forged him into a clutch performer.

“You work on mindset, you work on breathing at times, but I think dating back to even junior golf when I’ve been in those positions, I want to be in that position,” he said. 

“I feel more locked in, whatever it is. I’ve been able to pull off shots in those scenarios and I think maybe I’ve been doing it long enough where I have confidence that I can pull it off and I don’t have the sidetracking thoughts or negative thoughts in there.”

Taylor will be joined this week by Adam Hadwin, also from Abbotsford, Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C.

The win rocketed Taylor up the FedEx Cup standings to sixth overall, putting him into an excellent position to represent the International Team at this year’s Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club.

“That’s on the top of the list along with the Olympics,” said Taylor, who wants to play for International captain Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., at the Presidents Cup. “There are things on my goal list, but I also just try to focus on my golf and if I play well I feel like it’s going to take care of itself. 

“This is obviously a good start, but it’s a long ways away. If I keep playing good golf, I think it will take care of itself.”

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames and Weir will tee off on Friday in the Chubb Classic at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla. Ames is coming off of an incredible 2023 season where he won four events on the seniors’ circuit.

TEAM CANADA — Golf Canada announced the names of 19 professional players that will be part of its 2024 men’s and women’s squads on Monday. Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., and Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., were named to the women’s team. A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., Calgary’s Brendan MacDougall, Chris Crisologo of Richmond, B.C., Étienne Papineau of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., Hamilton’s Johnny Travale, Jared du Toit of Kimberley, B.C., Victoria’s Jeevan Sihota, Joey Savoie of La Prairie, Que., Matthew Anderson of Missssauga, Ont., Max Sekulic of Rycroft, Alta., Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., Noah Steele of Kingston, Ont., Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald, Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, and Thomas Giroux of Georgetown, Ont., were named to the men’s group.