LAS VEGAS — Defending champion Tom Kim felt the vibes and found his groove Saturday in Las Vegas with a 9-under 62 that gave him a three-way share of the lead in the Shriners Children’s Open and a chance to win the same tournament twice in one season.
It was the second straight year Kim had a 62 in the third round at the TPC Summerlin. It led to a playoff victory over Patrick Cantlay last year in what was the early part of the season. Now it’s technically the same season before the PGA Tour goes back to a calendar year.
Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., played bogey-free — he had more birdies on the par 3s than the par 5s — for a 63 to catch Kim. Joining them was a late arrival in so many ways — Lanto Griffin, who was tied for the 36-hole lead and didn’t make a birdie until the 13th hole.
That was the start of three birdies in a four-hole stretch that led to a 68 and allowed Griffin to share the lead at 15-under 198.
This was hardly a three-man race going into the final round. K.H. Lee (66) was among three players on shot back. It all, 14 players were within three shots of the lead. That includes J.T. Poston and RBC Canadian Open champion Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, small consolation to both of them.
Poston hit a superb bunker shot on the 15th to five feet for birdie that allowed him to tie for the lead. He was 209 yards away on the par-5 16th, poised for birdie at worst. And then it all fell apart with one swing and one decision.
His shot landed on the bank of the green and hopped back into the water. Instead of going to the drop zone some 95 yards away in the fairway, Poston chose to drop in the right rough for a better angle at the bank left pin. But then his wedge came out heavy, caromed twice off the rocks framing the green and back into the water.
This time, he went to the drop zone and hit it to 15 feet.
“Should have done that the first (expletive) time,” Poston could be heard saying. He missed the putt, giving it a sarcastic thumbs-up as it was drifting right of the hole, and took triple bogey.
He closed with a birdie for a 68 and was in the large group at 13-under.
Taylor was within one shot of the lead when he failed to birdie the par-5 16th. On the par-3 17th, he hung his head when his tee shot was in the air, knowing anything too far left would catch a slope and roll into the water, and that’s what it did. He took double bogey, had to settle for a 69 and was among those at 12-under 201.
Other Canadians in the hunt include Taylor Pendrith of Thornhill, Ont., who is one shot back of the leaders and Surrey’s Adam Svensson, who is two back.
Hadwin had one of only seven birdies on the 17th, holing a 30-footer that capped off a 63. The Canadian is playing for the first time since the BMW Championship in August, and said he felt more rejuvenated than rusty. He finished among the top 50 in the FedEx Cup and is already in all the $20 million events next year.
But he is No. 56 in the world ranking. The top 50 at the end of the year get into the Masters.
John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press
A birdie on the second playoff hole of last year’s Sanderson Farms Championship put Mackenzie Hughes in a solid position for the rest of the PGA Tour season.
As much as he’d like to repeat as champion, things have changed in the past 12 months.
Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., still wants to win it for a second consecutive year, but now it’s more about keeping his game in good shape than it is climbing the FedEx Cup standings. The shifting goals are largely because the PGA Tour’s points list resets on New Year’s Day instead of straddling two calendar years as it did last season.
“When I won last year I was the top of the FedEx Cup and I was set up for a great year, right from the get go,” said Hughes, No. 51 on the FedEx Cup standings, on a video call from Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi. “If I’m to win this week it doesn’t necessarily give me a head start on next year’s FedEx Cup.
“January 1st, everyone’s starting from scratch, starting fresh.”
Instead, Hughes is trying to earn entry into more tournaments this fall and make sure he’s finely tuned for the 2023 golf season, which will have a different format following the PGA Tour’s merger with the Europe-based DP World Tour and Saudi-owned LIV Golf circuit.
He said that the schedule and format changes have impacted the entire field at the Sanderson Farms Championship, including fellow Canadians Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont.
“No one’s looking at it as if you’re getting ahead of the guys that aren’t playing,” said Hughes. “Everyone out here is playing for something a little bit different, whether it’s a guy that’s 150th in the FedEx Cup and is playing for his card, or a guy like me who’s trying to just maintain where he’s at, and hopefully win and play my way into some of those other tournaments.”
Hughes has been clear about his goals for the 2024 season for months now.
He wants to play for the International team in the Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club. It’s not just an opportunity to represent Canada on one of the biggest stages in men’s golf, but a chance to play for golfing legend Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., who is the first Canadian to captain a team at the international event.
“Obviously, my goals are to play for Mike at Royal Montreal and be on that Presidents Cup team and really just kind of get back to playing some good consistent golf,” said Hughes. “I feel like I have a great understanding of what I need to do now.
“I think that despite what I’ve gone through the last like six months or so I feel like I’ve actually never felt better about what what’s to come. I’m really bullish on my season next year and beyond.”
Terry Lenyk
PONTE VEDRE – The PGA TOUR has released its nominees for their 2022-23 PGA TOUR Tournament Awards, with the 2023 RBC Canadian Open picking up four nominations.
In June, Nick Taylor became the first Canadian in 69 years to win his national open, holing a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole to beat Tommy Fleetwood at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto.
“We are honoured and humbled to be nominated for these prestigious awards by the PGA TOUR,” said Bryan Crawford, RBC Canadian Open tournament director. “It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, including staff, partners, fans and volunteers, who are committed to delivering excellence in everything we do. This is a moment of pride for us, and we are grateful to be recognized in this way.”
The 2023 RBC Canadian Open picked up nominations in the following four categories:
- Best Marketing Initiative: Criteria include the development and execution of a marketing campaign designed to increase ticket sales and attendance.
- Most Engaged Community: Attendance, volunteer support, year-round community involvement, new community engagement program, media participation, community woven in to the “fabric” of the tournament and charity partners.
- Best Special Event: Development of an actionable plan with clear objectives, creative elements and measurable results which drove attendance, social media attention, local PR, ticket sales, charity donations or media value. Examples: luncheon, special dinner, concert/concert series, 5K run, sales event, celebrity shootout, etc.)
- Sustainability Award: Designed to recognize engagement in sustainability and commitment to reducing the tournament’s environmental impact, which will help protect the game for future generations.
Winners will be announced at the 2023 PGA TOUR Tournament Awards Celebration, which take place Thursday, December 7 in La Quinta, CA.
John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press
Canadian golfing legend Mike Weir is counting the days until he can again hear the roar of a Presidents Cup crowd.
Weir, from Brights Grove, Ont., was doing site inspections and meeting key organizers of the 2024 Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club on Tuesday. He said that although the 12-on-12 tournament will feature some of the best players on the PGA Tour, the atmosphere is on an entirely different level than the top men’s circuit.
“There’s roars, there’s not just pops,” said Weir, who is the first Canadian to captain the International team. “It’s a whole different experience, not only for the players, but the fans, the fans are more engaged.”
“It becomes more like a hockey game. There’s chanting, there’s songs being sung out there.”
The Presidents Cup sees 12 players from the United States face 12 players from around the world, excluding Europe. Because the team-based event has significantly fewer groups on the course at any given time, the crowds follow players from hole to hole, creating a lively atmosphere with thousands of people surrounding every tee box and green.
The first hole at a Presidents Cup is especially impressive, with players arriving at the tee through a tunnel with an announcer and video packages heralding their arrival.
“The first tee experience is incredible,” said Weir. “There’s music playing as players come out through the tunnel, there’s a big screen up on the first tee, and you can see the opening tee shots go down and the camera pans with it.”
“People cheer when the home team hits the fairway and people jeer when the ball goes in the rough and it’s a totally different experience for the fans and the players in a team competition.”
Weir and Jim Furyk, as the non-playing captains of the International and American teams, are responsible for almost every detail for their squads.
Although the first eight players selected to each team are taken automatically based on their PGA Tour rankings, Weir and Furyk will get to choose the remaining four players themselves. They’re also responsible for decking out the team cabins where the players and their spouses prepare for their matches, the design of the team uniforms and bags, as well as when and how their teams practice.
Weir and Furyk have to balance these responsibilities with playing on the PGA Tour Champions, the senior circuit for men’s golf.
“As soon as I accepted the position I knew my own game would go on the back burner for a couple of years,” said Weir, who missed Champions Tour events last week and this week so he could focus on preparing for the Presidents Cup. “This team and the Presidents Cup, for me have always been a huge part of my career.”
“Being the captain is priority No. 1 in the golf world for me, and my own game is second.”
Royal Montreal Golf Club is hosting the Presidents Cup from Sept. 24 to 29, 2024. It’s the second time the oldest golf club in North America will host the event. Both Weir and Furyk played in the 2007 edition of the tournament.
“The golf course really hasn’t changed that much since ’07,” said Furyk in the midst of his day in Montreal. “They’re going to add a little yardage to it, but it still looks very similar. It’s withstood the test of time, for sure.”
“The event’s grown in stature, as far as the number of eyes, the television outlets, the worldwide appeal. I think the game of golf has kind of grown worldwide as well.”
Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., were on the International team at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., last year, the first time two Canadians played in the event. The United States beat the Internationals 17.5-12.5 and Furyk said that his team will be ready to play in hostile territory when the tournament heads north of the border.
“We’re the away team so a lot of fans will be pulling for the International team,” said Furyk. “I think as a player, you enjoy both scenarios, right?”
“You enjoy being the home team, you enjoy support, but it’s nice to have an away game once in a while and play the villain role.”
TORONTO – Nick Taylor became the first Canadian in 69 years to win his national open, holing a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole to beat Tommy Fleetwood in the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday.
Taylor tossed his putter into the air and jumped into the arms of his caddie after the longest made putt of his PGA Tour career, and fellow Canadian players Mike Weir, Corey Conners and Adam Hadwin were among those who ran onto the green to congratulate him. Hadwin, Taylor’s close friend, was tackled by a security guard while spraying champagne from a bottle.
“I’m speechless. This is for all the guys that are here. This is for my family at home,” Taylor said with tears in his eyes. “This is the most incredible feeling.”
The last player from Canada to win the Canadian Open was Pat Fletcher in 1954 at Point Grey in Vancouver. Fletcher was born in England; Carl Keffer had been the only Canadian-born champion, winning in 1909 and 1914. Weir lost a playoff to Vijay Singh in 2004.
With galleries cheering his every move and even serenading him with “O Canada” on one tee box, Taylor curled in an 11-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to finish at 17-under 271 at Oakdale, walking backwards with his fist raised as the ball dropped into the cup. He shot a 6-under 66 on Sunday.
Fleetwood needed a birdie on the reachable par 5 to win in regulation, but he missed his tee shot right, laid up into an awkward lie in the right rough and two-putted for par to force the playoff in rainy conditions.
The players traded birdies on their first time playing No. 18 in the playoff. They both parred 18 and the par-3 ninth before heading back to 18.
Taylor’s tee shot found a divot in the fairway, but he hit his second shot 221 yards to the front of the green, while Fleetwood laid up after his drive found a fairway bunker. Fleetwood hit his third shot to 12 feet, but didn’t need to putt after Taylor’s uphill eagle putt hit the flagstick and dropped.
Fans swarmed toward the green, and Hadwin who like Taylor grew up in Abbotsford, British Columbia got leveled amid the chaos. He said had so much adrenaline that the tackle didn’t faze him.
“It’s incredible. I mean, what do you say to one of the greatest moments of Canadian golf history?” Hadwin said. “I think we all predicted that this was going to happen.
“I’m not sure that any one of us predicted a 72-foot (eagle) putt … to get it done, but what a way to go.”
The 35-year-old Taylor, who was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, won for the third time on the PGA Tour. He shot 75 in Thursday’s opening round but rallied with a 67 on Friday to make the cut, then shot 63 on Saturday to begin the final round three shots behind leader C.T. Pan.
Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy, two shots back of Pan entering the final round, closed with a 72 and finished in a tie for ninth, five shots back.
Fleetwood, a two-time Ryder Cup player from England and a six-time winner on the European tour, remains winless on the PGA Tour.
“I played great today, even though I missed some chances, if you like, on those playoff holes,” Fleetwood said. “Yeah, it was close. I just have to take the positives from it and start practicing tomorrow. I got a major next week. So can’t dwell on it too much.”
Tyrrell Hatton (64), Aaron Rai (69) and Pan (70) finished one shot out of the playoff.
Back-to-back birdies to close out the third round put C.T. Pan two strokes up on the field at the RBC Canadian Open, but that lead is far from safe with a pack of big names and two Canadians in the hunt.
Pan, from Taiwan, shot a 6-under 66 to sit at 14-under overall on Saturday at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in the northwest corner of Toronto. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy was in a six-way tie for second as he looks for a third consecutive title at the men’s national golf championship.
“You still have to play aggressive, because this course is a lot of rough, but if you hit it in the fairway you will have a lot of short irons in and you’re going to create a lot of birdie opportunities,” said Pan, adding that he won’t change too much as he tries to fend off the group tied for second that includes McIlroy, Americans Mark Hubbard, Harry Higgs, and Andrew Novak, as well as England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if someone shoots 8-, 9-under, because the PGA Tour guys are really good.”
Nick Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., did just that earlier Saturday, firing a 9-under 63 to set a new course record at Oakdale Golf and Country Club. That round rocketed Taylor up the leaderboard to sit in a tie with England’s Aaron Rai at 11-under, good for eighth.
Taylor surpassed the record of 8-under that England’s Tyrrell Hatton matched in Friday’s second round. Oakdale actually has 27 holes on its property and is using a composite course for the PGA Tour event.
Canadian Golf Hall of Famer George Knudson, who won on the PGA Tour eight times in the 1960s and ’70s, was a regular at Oakdale and has nine of the holes at the 98-year-old course named after him.
“To have a course record is really cool,” said Taylor. “I don’t think I have one out here on Tour.
“To do it at the RBC Canadian Open is even more special and to be mentioned in the same breath as George Knudson is phenomenal.”
Corey Conners (70) of Listowel, Ont., rounded out the top 10 at 10-under overall. He and Taylor agreed that they’d be happy with either one of them winning the Canadian Open and end a nearly 70-year drought for Canadians at the event.
“I think we’re rooting for each other, but we still want to win,” said Taylor, who regularly practices with Conners ahead of PGA Tour events. “If we don’t win, I think we want another Canadian to win.
“If I look up and I’m second and Corey Conners is first then that’s almost as good as winning.”
Pat Fletcher won at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf and Country Club in 1954. Although there have been some close calls in the past 20 years, this year’s edition of the tournament holds a great deal of promise as eight Canadians, the most since 2002, made the cut.
“It’s been far too long,” said Conners. “I’m going to be letting it fly, giving it my all tomorrow and I’m sure (Taylor’s) going to be doing the same thing.
“I’ve got some ground to make up, but you never know. We have a chance.”
McIlroy won in 2019 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club and again last year at St. George’s Golf and Country Club. The event was canceled in the intervening years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It feels eerily similar to the last two tournaments,” said McIlroy. “I was tied for the lead with (Webb Simpson) at Hamilton in 2019. Then last year with (Tony Finau and Justin Thomas).
“Looks like there could be a lot of guys up around the lead tomorrow. So it’s going to be a really interesting day.”
Chants of “Corrr-ayyyy! Cor-ay! Cor-ay! Cor-ay!” to the tune of the famous “Ole!” soccer song followed Corey Conners up to the 18th green during the second round of the RBC Canadian Open.
The product of Listowel, Ont., responded well to the chants from hundreds of fans. He two-putted on the challenging green at Oakdale Golf and Country Club to pull within a shot of the lead at the men’s national golf championship.
“Lots of chants out there, but definitely that one was new,” said Conners with a chuckle. “I’m really embracing the Canadian support.”
Conners shot a 3-under 69 on Friday to sit in a tie for second with Taiwan’s C.T. Pan, England’s Aaron Rai and Tyrrell Hatton at 8-under overall.
China’s Carl Yuan turned in a 5-under round to sit atop the leaderboard one shot ahead of that group.
“Really happy with the start,” said Conners who was tied for the lead after the first round. “It’s been a lot of fun out here this week.
“Fun playing in front of the Canadian fans. Just enjoying the walk out there.”
Yuan said after his round in the morning wave that his goal is always to have fun out on the course.
“That’s my goal coming into the week. That’s my No. 1 goal,” said Yuan of keeping it light. “Not a result goal, just being in the present, hitting shot by shot and, yeah, being out here trying to have the most fun. All of it.”
Conners was in the mix at the PGA Championship in late May and tied for 12th. He said his cool demeanour paid off there and is also keeping him focused at the Canadian Open, which most Canadian players consider a fifth major.
“I would say this week I’ve been a lot more relaxed than even I was there and I felt like I was quite relaxed at the PGA Championship,” he said. “So I’m feeling good about my game and able to play with freedom and confidence. I’m just having a lot of fun.”
It has been almost 70 years since a Canadian last won the men’s national golf championship. Pat Fletcher won in 1954 at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf and Country Club.
Although Conners is in the best position to end that drought, he’s far from the only Canadian in the hunt as eight of his countrymen made the cut.
Adam Hadwin (68) of Abbotsford, B.C., and Rogers Sloan (70) of Merritt, B.C., were tied for 17th at 5 under.
Edmonton’s Wil Bateman, playing in his first-ever Canadian Open and only his second PGA Tour event, rocketed up the leaderboard with a 6-under round. That put Bateman at 4-under overall and tied for 22nd.
“When they bring out the cameras and the little fuzzy little mic you know you’re doing something right,” joked Bateman. “But I just tried to just stay in the moment. I’m just really excited for the weekend.”
After two days of air quality advisories due to forest fires raging in Ontario and Quebec, steady rain cleared the air at Oakdale in Toronto’s northwest corner. Between the lack of sunlight and cold rain, the temperature didn’t go above 17 degrees Celsius.
“I think this is right up my alley,” said Yuan, who was born in Dalian, China. “I went to school in Seattle at the University of Washington.
“That’s exactly what we deal with in the wintertime.”
Conners said that the course’s conditions have been great, although with a 9-under overall score topping the leaderboard it’s clear that Oakdale is proving to be a challenge.
“I feel like the golf course and the greens have sped up and the rough has continued to grow and become thicker from when I saw it a few weeks ago,” said Conners. “Also just tournament conditions, it’s playing a little trickier but there’s definitely some opportunities.
“If the weather stays nice I think that you can shoot some good numbers this weekend.”
TORONTO – It’s been 20 years since Mike Weir won the Masters, and now Canada is seeing the influence that victory had – with more Canadians playing at a high level on the PGA TOUR than ever before.
But one thing that continues to elude the best from Canada – including Weir himself – is a victory at the RBC Canadian Open. The last Canadian to win the country’s national open was Pat Fletcher in 1954.
Through 18 holes, however, Corey Conners is trending towards breaking the long-standing drought.
Conners shot a 5-under 67 to open things at Oakdale Golf and Country Club, and through the first round he sits in a four-way tie for the lead with Aaron Rai, Justin Lower and Chesson Hadley.
The last Canadian to lead the RBC Canadian Open after the first round was Weir in 2008, and the last Canadian to lead the championship after any round was David Hearn, who had the 54-hole lead in 2015.
Conners, who finished sixth at last year’s RBC Canadian Open, was not able to speak to media after his round because he had to deal with an urgent personal matter.
His caddie, Danny Sahl, said that Conners’ success came from being strong all around and especially disciplined off the tee. Conners hasn’t made a bogey at the RBC Canadian Open in 51 holes, dating back to last year.
Conners was first in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and fourth in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee after the first round. Sahl said there’s an easy comparison between Oakdale and Oak Hill Country Club, the host of this year’s PGA Championship where Conners played in Sunday’s penultimate pairing.
“It’s the same mentality that he brought over from (Oak Hill), and he knows that’s what it’s going to take to play well,” Sahl said. “Just get it in the fairway and we were aggressive on a couple of holes. He’s seeing his spots and keeping it really simple.”
Weir also had the first-round lead at the RBC Canadian Open in 2004 and came agonizingly close to winning the event – eventually losing in a playoff to Vijay Singh. He knows as much as anyone what it’s going to take to keep the pedal down over the next three days.
“I think (Conners is) experienced enough to know that we’re so early and that it doesn’t really mean much yet,” Weir said. “I know he just wants to, I’m sure, keep doing what he’s doing. I was watching a little on TV this morning and he looked like he was just playing Corey Conners golf. I saw solid play and nice ball striking, and that’s a good recipe around here.
“It’s pretty demanding off the tee. If you miss the fairways you’re in trouble, so if you can keep driving it good, he’ll be in good shape.”
Conners is one of three Canadians to have won on the PGA TOUR this season, with Mackenzie Hughes and Adam Svensson being the others.
Hughes made four birdies on his back nine Thursday to finish at 3 under. Taylor Pendrith and Roger Sloan also got it to 3 under after the first round.
Weir, in his 30th RBC Canadian Open start, shot an even-par 72.
Hughes, who went to Kent State University with both Pendrith and Conners, said with golf in Canada continuing to increase its momentum, having a Canadian with a chance to win on Sunday would be huge.
“We’ve got a few guys up there, kind of close, and hopefully one of us can keep it going all the way to Sunday,” Hughes said
Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy is ready to make history in defence of the RBC Canadian Open title at Oakdale Golf & Country Club.
The world’s number three ranked player will lead a field of 156 of the world’s best players looking to become the first player in history to win three consecutive titles.
“Any time you can come back and defend a title sort of wherever that is in the world, it’s nice to be able to do that, said McIlroy. “Obviously the Sunday last year was, to me, one of the probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had playing on TOUR. Battling it out with JT and Tony down the stretch. Rosie was on course trying to shoot 59. There was a ton of low scores. Battling with those two guys. JT and Tony being two of the best players in the world. Coming out on top. Yeah, it was really nice. Nice to be able to defend a title. I felt like the support I got out there was absolutely amazing and I’m looking forward to playing in that sort of atmosphere again this week.”
BOGOTA – Myles Creighton, native of Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada, has achieved his first-ever victory on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica.
Finishing at 19 under, Creighton emerged victorious by a single stroke in the Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship on Sunday.
Austin Hitt of the United States secured second place, finishing at 18 under.
On Monday, Creighton is anticipated to ascend to the top position in the Totalplay Cup standings.
The Latinoamérica Tour still has two more events scheduled for this season.
The golfer who concludes the Totalplay Cup standings in first place earns exempt status on the second-tier of the Korn Ferry Tour.
Players ranking from 2nd to 5th in the third-tier Latinoamérica Tour standings will obtain conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour for the following season.
Additionally, the top five players in the Totalplay Cup standings receive an exemption into the final stage of the 2023 PGA Tour Q-School.
