Patrick Cantlay rallies from 4 back to win the Memorial
DUBLIN, Ohio – Jack Nicklaus is a gracious tournament host at the Memorial who doesn’t mince words, and it paid off for Patrick Cantlay.
When they bumped into each other earlier in the week in the grill room, Nicklaus told him he had to learn how to finish. And then when Cantlay saw him again at lunch going into the weekend, Nicklaus told him how.
Nicklaus said to have fun, to look around at all the fans having a great time, to relax and to go win the golf tournament.
Cantlay had a blast Sunday with the best closing round by a winner in the 44 years of the Memorial. He rallied from four shots behind with an 8-under 64, a round so under control that Cantlay’s longest putt for par was from 8 feet on the final hole, with Nicklaus watching behind the 18th green.
He poured it in to secure a two-shot victory over Adam Scott.
“I finished it,” Cantlay said to Nicklaus as he walked off the green.
Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., tied for 52nd at 1 over for the tournament, 20 shots off the lead. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., tied for 62nd at 4 over.
Martin Kaymer, trying to end five years without a victory, started with a two-shot lead and never recovered from a four-hole stretch on the back nine when he made consecutive bogeys and failed to birdie the par-5 15th. He closed with a 72 and finished third.
Scott was the last player to have a chance and ran off three straight birdies until narrowly missing birdie putts on the last two holes. He shot 68.
“Being able to win on this golf course, in front of Jack, making that putt on the last hole, I can’t tell you how good it feels,” he said.
Engaging in private, Cantlay doesn’t smile much on the golf course and isn’t about to force one. But the advice from Nicklaus – Cantlay first met him when he won the Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation’s best college player in 2011 – stuck with him.
Look around, soak it up and enjoy it.
“I definitely said that to myself down the stretch today on the back nine,” said Cantlay, who finished at 19-under 269. “It put me a little more at ease, and I hit a lot of really nice, quality shots with the lead.”
Cantlay first caught Kaymer with a 3-wood to 10 feet for a two-putt birdie on the 11th. Kaymer, in the group behind him, matched the birdie. That was his last one. Cantlay followed with an 18-foot birdie putt on No. 14 and a 5-iron that set up a long two-putt birdie on the par-5 15th.
By then, Kaymer was making bogeys and Scott was stuck in neutral until it was too late.
“I knew that you can’t really make any mistakes coming down the stretch,” said Kaymer, whose last victory was by eight shots in the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. “But all credit to Patrick. He played a great round of golf. He deserved to win – 19-under par is amazing.”
Scott finished at 19 under at Torrey Pines and lost two by to Justin Rose. He was 17 under at the Memorial – only six players have done better at Muirfield Village, one of them being Cantlay on Sunday.
“It’s disappointing not to win, for sure,” Scott said. “I really played good golf this week, and it just wasn’t good enough.”
Cantlay’s only disappointment was that it took him 19 months to win for the second time on the PGA Tour. But then, he hasn’t been around as long as it seems. Cantlay was low amateur in the 2011 U.S. Open, and the next week shot a 60 at the Travelers Championship.
But his career took a severe turn on and off the golf course, first with a back injury that kept him out of golf entirely for two full years and left him wondering if he would ever make it back. Then, he was out of dinner one night with his best friend and caddie, Chris Roth, when Roth was stuck by a car and killed.
Cantlay says it changed him as a person, but he keeps that separate from his golf.
His golf has been good for a long time, and this was a big step.
There some atonement at Muirfield Village for Cantlay. A year ago, he took a two-shot lead to the back nine and didn’t make a birdie the rest of the way, missing a playoff by one shot. This time, he putted for birdie on every hole on the back nine until the 18th.
“I was looking for a little redemption this week,” Cantlay said. “And that has to do with me feeling really comfortable on the golf course and liking it a lot. Not to mention I’ve been playing really well, so it feels like a win has been coming. You always have to put yourself in contention. And you start winning a couple, and you figure out how to do it, and hopefully it keeps happening.”
Tiger Woods knew he had no chance to win the Memorial from 11 shots behind going into the final round, though he still put on a show and got what he needed out of his final event before the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. He went out in 31 and was 7 under for his round through 12 holes until a sloppy bogey on the 14th and a closing bogey for a 67. He wound up in a tie for ninth at 9-under 279.
“The goal today was to get to double digits (under par) and get something positive going into the Open,” he said. “I got to double digits, I just didn’t stay there.”
Pairings and start times set for 2019 RBC Canadian Open final qualifier
HAMILTON (Golf Canada) – The final four spots into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open field will be determined Monday as the Final Qualifier is set to tee off at Heron Point Golf Links in Alberton, Ont.
The 63-player field is comprised of touring professionals, top amateurs and regional qualifier participants following the two-stage RBC Canadian Open qualification process.
“We’re are very pleased to conduct the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier at Heron Point Golf Links,” said Adam Helmer, Golf Canada’s Director, Rules, Competitions and Amateur Status. “The golf course is in great shape will present an excellent challenge for this impressive field of golfers looking to secure a spot in the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.”
The Monday Final Qualifier features 18 holes of stroke play with the low four competitors receiving an exemption directly into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open field. If necessary, a hole-by-hole playoff will be conducted immediately following the conclusion of play.
Click here for pairings, start times and results for RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifying on Monday, June 3. Results will be made available as players complete their rounds.
RattleSnake Point set for Canada’s first-ever US Open Sectional Qualifier
MILTON, Ont. – RattleSnake Point Golf Club in Milton, Ont. is set to host the first-ever US Open Sectional Qualifier on Canadian soil on Monday, June 3rd with spots up for grabs into the 119th playing of the US Men’s Open, taking place June 13-17 at the famed Pebble Beach Golf Club in Pebble Beach, California. The final number of qualifying spots will be confirmed early Monday morning by the USGA.
The 36-hole Sectional Qualifier will be conducted on the CopperHead course at RattleSnake Point featuring a field of 37 competitors that includes a mix of seasoned PGA TOUR veterans, up-and-coming Canadians and a triple major winner in Padraig Harrington.
“Golf Canada is pleased to support our global partners at the USGA in hosting the first-ever US Open Sectional Qualifier on Canadian soil,” said Adam Helmer, Golf Canada’s Director of Rules and Competitions. “A number of the competitors are also competing in next week’s RBC Canadian Open and we are proud to build a meaningful connection between our respective National Open Championship. We also want to thank our friends at ClubLink for welcoming this first-ever Qualifier to RattleSnake Point.”
“We are thrilled to host this crucial event leading up to one of the most coveted tournament entries in the world of golf,” said RattleSnake Point’s Director of Operations Craig Cupido. “To have such accomplished competitors grace our fairways for this toughest of tests is a fantastic opportunity that our entire team and club members welcome wholeheartedly. And as fans of this great game, we look forward to seeing how these world-class competitors fare on our course come June 3.”
A total of 927 players are competing in 12 sectional qualifiers, including one sectional qualifier in each of Canada, England and Japan. This is the first time in U.S. Open history that a sectional qualifier will take place in Canada.
U.S. Open qualifying began earlier this spring with 8,602 players competing in 110 local qualifiers. One local qualifier was in Canada on May 13 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont.
The Canadian sectional is being held the same week as the RBC Canadian Open, and several PGA TOUR players will be playing both the RBC Canadian Open and the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier.
Canadians Nick Taylor and Mike Weir already qualified for the 119th U.S. Open via the sectional qualifying event on May 20 in Dallas, Tx.
For full field information, pairings and tee times, click here.
Final field released for 2019 RBC Canadian Open
World No. 1 Brooks Koepka, World No. 2 Dustin Johnson, World No. 4 Rory McIlroy and World No. 6 Justin Thomas along with past Major champions Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia, Zach Johnson and Henrik Stenson headline exciting field for Canada’s National Open Championship
Canadian tournament exemptions include 2019 Web.com Tour winner Michael Gligic; European Tour player Austin Connelly; PGA TOUR China winner Richard Jung; PGA TOUR Latinoamerica winner Drew Nesbitt; and Team Canada members Joey Savoie, Josh Whalen, and Chris Crisologo
Corey Conners, Adam Hadwin, Mackenzie Hughes, David Hearn, Nick Taylor, Ben Silverman, Roger Sloan, Adam Svensson, and Mike Weir headline list of 20 Canadians set to compete at Hamilton Golf and Country Club from June 3-9.
HAMILTON (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada and RBC are pleased to announce the final field vying for the US$7.6 million purse at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, June 3-9 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
World no. 2 and Team RBC member Dustin Johnson will try to defend his title against a stellar field of PGA TOUR stars led by World No. 1 and 2019 PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka. World No. 4 Rory McIlroy along with World No. 6 Justin Thomas will make their RBC Canadian Open debut and will be joined at Hamilton by former Masters champions Sergio Garcia, Danny Willet and Bubba Watson.
Other notable additions to the field for the 110th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship include FedExCup leader Matt Kuchar, Major champions Zach Johnson, Henrik Stenson, Jason Dufner, Padraig Harrington, Keegan Bradley and Jimmy Walker, along with former world No. 1 Luke Donald.
Johnson, a 20-time winner on the PGA TOUR, and Kuchar, a nine-time PGA TOUR winner will lead a roster of Team RBC players at Hamilton Golf and Country. Team RBC has seen unprecedented success in 2019 as Ryan Palmer, Graeme McDowell, Canadian Corey Conners, Johnson, and Kuchar have all won on the PGA TOUR.
Other Team RBC players competing including world no. 19 Webb Simpson, 2013 RBC Canadian Open champion Brandt Snedeker; Jim Furyk, a 17-time winner and two-time RBC Canadian Open champion, including at Hamilton in 2006; along with fellow Canadian Team RBC players Adam Hadwin, David Hearn, Nick Taylor, Ben Silverman, and Roger Sloan round out the contingent.
“The field is shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory and we’re ready to welcome the best players in the world teeing it up at the 110th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship,” said Tournament Director Bryan Crawford. “This year’s championship features a great mix of stars from all around the world, more than 30 combined Major titles and the deepest field of Canadian talent ever to challenge for our National Men’s Open title. Along with great golf, we’ll be offering fans so many great on-site experiences from our key partners, a new food initiative to try some of Hamilton’s best restaurants, and thanks to the RBCxMusic Concert series, fans can take in music from Florida Georgia Line and The Glorious Sons on Friday and Saturday.”
In total, 156 players will compete for the US$7.6 million purse next week in Hamilton when the RBC Canadian Open returns to the storied club for the first time since 2012 and sixth time ever.
Click here for a full field list for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open
PGA TOUR Season Winners…
A total of 11 in-year PGA TOUR winners (accounting for 13 PGA TOUR titles in 2018-19) will compete at Hamilton Golf and Country Club led by two-time winners Brooks Koepka (THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, PGA Championship) and Matt Kuchar (Mayakoba Golf Classic and Sony Open). Other 2018-19 season winners include Kevin Tway (Safeway Open), Adam Long (Desert Classic), Martin Trainer (Puerto Rico Open), Dustin Johnson (WGC-Mexico Championship), Rory McIlroy (THE PLAYERS Championship), Graeme McDowell (Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship), Corey Conners (Valero Texas Open), Ryan Palmer (partnered with Jon Rahm at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans), and Sung Kang (AT&T Byron Nelson).
Past Champions…
Two past winners at Hamilton Golf and Country Club will be returning to familiar territory this year as 2006 winner Jim Furyk and 2012 winner Scott Piercy are in the field this year. Furyk also won the 2007 Canadian Open. Two other past RBC Canadian Open winners in the field at Hamilton are Brandt Snedeker (2013) and Dustin Johnson (2018).
The 2003 RBC Canadian Open was contested at Hamilton and won by Bob Tway. His son, Kevin Tway, will be in the field.
Twenty Canadians to compete for the National Men’s Open Title…
Leading the Canadian contingent at Hamilton will be Abbotsford, B.C. native and world No. 77 Adam Hadwin, who will return to Hamilton to play in his 10th RBC Canadian Open. Other confirmed Canadians include past PGA TOUR winners Mackenzie Hughes of nearby Dundas, Ont., Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C. round out Canada’s PGA TOUR contingent along with Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Mike Weir, making his 28th start at the Canadian Open.
Canadians receiving exemptions into this year’s RBC Canadian Open include Ryan Yip of Calgary along with Toronto natives Richard Jung and Drew Nesbitt.
Three members of Canada’s National Men’s Team—Joey Savoie of LaPrairie, Que., Chris Crisologo of Richmond, B.C. and Josh Whalen of Napanee, Ont.—have also received exemptions.
Dual-citizen and European Tour player Austin Connelly of Claire, N.S., who was recently announced as one of Canada’s representative for the upcoming Pan-Am Games in Lima, Peru, will play his third RBC Canadian Open.
Burlington’s Michael Gligic, a winner on the Web.com Tour in 2019, has earned a spot in the field as the highest-ranked golfer on the Web.com Tour’s season-long points list who played on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada in 2018.
Marc-Etienne Bussieres of Quebec earned a place in this year’s RBC Canadian Open after finishing No. 1 on the PGA of Canada’s Order of Merit in 2018.
Local resident Michael Blair of Ancaster, Ont. won the Ontario Regional Qualifier to earn his spot in the field and amateur Matt Anderson of Mississauga, Ont. earned his spot by winning the Quebec Regional Qualifier.
Each of the 21 Canadian players in the field will look to become the first Canadian to capture the national title since Pat Fletcher accomplished the feat in 1954.
Two-time reigning Canadian Men’s Amateur Zach Bauchou of Forest, Virginia along with 2018 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Joseph Deraney of Lexington, Kentucky will also compete at Hamilton.
Final Tournament Exemptions to be Named…
Following the Bayview Place DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada, the winner will earn an exemption to play in the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.
The final four exemptions into the field for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open will be handed out at the Monday Qualifier on June 3, to be played at Heron Point Golf Links near Ancaster, Ont.
Tickets for available rounds of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open can be purchased at www.rbccanadianopen.com.
Local golfer Hughes expects Hamilton course to challenge at RBC Canadian Open
Mackenzie Hughes grew up about 15 minutes from Hamilton Golf and Country Club and says he has played the course around 50 times.
While the native of Dundas, Ont., will have the most experience playing the private course of any PGA Tour golfer who tees it up next week at the RBC Canadian Open, he hasn’t teed off there since more than 1,000 trees were removed a few years ago as part of an environmental restoration.
Still, Hughes says for the last two months almost everyone he’s been paired with on the PGA Tour has asked him about Hamilton. They mostly ask him to compare it to Glen Abbey and try to get a feel for its classic look.
“It’s pretty cool to be asked, and I do have great things to say about it,” Hughes said. “I like both courses but I have to give the edge to Hamilton because it’s more classic. Guys are excited about it.”
The RBC Canadian Open returns to the course in the Hamilton suburb of Ancaster for the sixth time, and on the 100th anniversary of when it first hosted the tournament – won by England’s James Douglas Edgar in 1919. Americans Tommy Armour (1930), Bob Tway (2003), Jim Furyk (2006), and Scott Piercy (2012) are the other winners at Hamilton, long considered one of the top courses in the country.
The club will also host the RBC Canadian Open in 2023.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS – MAY 26: Mackenzie Hughes of Canada plays his shot from the sixth tee during the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club on May 26, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Scott Shannon, a member of the club and the 2019 Tournament Chair, says the 27-hole facility designed in 1914 recently went through a particularly rough winter. With ice and snow covering the ground, a chemical reaction caused damage to its greens.
The shade patterns of the all the trees were going to cause even further damage, so the club decided to remove more trees than what their normal turf maintenance program called for – between 250-300 per year.
Shannon said the course now has the kind of sightlines and “visual beauty” Harry Colt, the original architect, had in mind. He says the membership at the club hasn’t been this excited for the Canadian Open since 2003, when it came back for the first time since 1930.
The course will play as a par 70 for the RBC Canadian Open, and will measure between 6,850 and 6,950 yards – making it one of the shortest on the PGA Tour in 2019.
Bill Paul, the Chief Championship Officer for Golf Canada, says the golfers are going to enjoy playing a classic layout. He was the tournament director of the Canadian Open for more than two decades.
“I had this conversation with a lot of players in 2003. They said, ‘If they could ever get rid of a lot of trees, you’d be able to see the golf course a whole lot better.’ Fast-forward to 2019 and it’s there,” says Paul. “I just think it takes the golf course and makes it, from an aesthetic standpoint, more iconic.”
The layout is a stark contrast to Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.
Glen Abbey is a modern layout that has hosted the RBC Canadian Open the last four years in a row, and the most of any course in the tournament’s history.
There are only two par fives at Hamilton, for example, and double that at Glen Abbey.
“Hamilton only gives you two chances (to score) and they’re no pieces of cake,” says Hughes, who likes how Hamilton makes a golfer think, compared to Glen Abbey.
“They’re very different. Hamilton’s greens to me will be a bit more of a challenge, but I’m not sure they’ll be able to get them that fast. The biggest difference for me is that Hamilton will provide different shots into greens and off the tee there’s a bit more variety.”
Shannon believes if the golf course dries out over the next few days and the rough stays at a reasonable length, the score won’t be too low. But if it’s waterlogged, it could be a different story.
“If the best players in the world can play target golf at a relatively short golf course and they don’t have to worry about it rolling into deep rough,” says Shannon, “then the number could get pretty low.”
The Canadian Open will be contested June 6-9. World No. 1 Brooks Koepka, No. 2 and defending champion Dustin Johnson, and multi-major winner Rory McIlroy, who is making his Canadian Open debut, headline the field.
Canadian amateur Matthew Anderson wins Québec Regional Qualifier, advances to RBC Canadian Open
ÎLE-BIZARD, Qué. – Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont. showed composure beyond his years on a chilly day Monday, at Elm Ridge Country Club, just west of Montréal. The 19-year-old amateur earned low qualifier honours in dramatic fashion at the final regional qualifier for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.
Since there were more than 100 players at the event, Anderson, by topping the field, gained direct entry into the RBC Canadian Open field.
“This is one of the best golfing days of my life, so far,” said Anderson, who turned 19 in April. “To play a PGA TOUR event, that’s something I’ve been dreaming of. It’s unbelievable that it’s actually happening.”
Anderson, who had one of the last tee times of the day, chased down St-Jérôme, Qué. native Tim Alarie. Alarie had built what looked to be an insurmountable lead after carding a 4-under-par 68.
Anderson bogeyed his first hole, but then went on a tear, knocking in five birdies and walking up to the 17th tee tied with Alarie atop the leaderboard.
The University of San Francisco freshman birdied the par-5 17th, then made par on the 18th hole to secure an exemption into his country’s national open.
“I thought the lead may have been five-or six-under,” said Anderson, who didn’t know he was leading walking up to the 18th green. “I wasn’t quite sure, but I knew if I got a par or birdie on 18, I had a chance.”
Anderson started three events with the University of San Francisco Dons this past season. He finished second at the 2018 Ontario Junior Boys’ Championship.
Alarie was atop the leaderboard for most of the day following a 4-under-par 68. The 28-year-old was strong on the front nine, notching four birdies to put himself temporarily in the low qualifier spot.
Étienne Brault, an amateur from Mercier, Qué., also put together a solid round, finishing at 3-under-69.
Alarie and Brault are among the 18 golfers advancing to the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier, which takes place Monday, June 3 at Heron Point Golf Links in Alberton, Ont.
The Québec regional qualifier was the third and final regional qualifying event. The first regional qualifier took place on May 6 at Kings Links by the Sea in Delta, B.C. and saw 10 golfers earn spots in the final qualifier. Michael Blair earned an exemption directly into the RBC Canadian Open as the low qualifier at the second regional qualifying event at TPC Toronto on May 16.
A minimum of four players from the 18-hole stroke play Final Qualifier on June 3 will gain entry into the RBC Canadian Open field.
Additional information and the full leaderboard can be found here.
St. George’s Golf and Country Club to host RBC Canadian Open in 2020 and 2024
TORONTO – Golf Canada and title sponsor RBC today announced that the historic St. George’s Golf and Country Club will host the RBC Canadian Open in 2020 and 2024, with Islington Golf Club hosting the official practice facility for the tournament
The RBC Canadian Open’s return to St. George’s (June 8-14, 2020) will mark the sixth time that the celebrated Stanley Thompson classic course has played host to Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship, most recently in 2010. Islington Golf Club, also a Stanley Thompson design, will proudly play host to the tournament practice facility for both years of the event’s return to the city of Toronto, as it did in 2010.
“Together with our partners at RBC and the PGA TOUR, we are very proud to bring the 2020 and 2024 RBC Canadian Open back to the historic St. George’s Golf and Country Club,” said Laurence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada. “We are delighted by the overwhelmingly positive response from the membership at both Islington Golf Club and St. George’s in partnering with us to welcome our National Men’s Open Championship back to the heart of Toronto.”
“The RBC Canadian Open is one of the most prestigious stops on the PGA TOUR, and we are pleased to host it at St. George’s Golf and Country Club, one of Canada’s premier courses,” said Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “There is so much momentum leading into this year’s tournament, and as we look to 2020 and beyond, we are excited by the prospect of continuing to grow the fan base for this great sport.”
St. George’s Golf and Country Club has previously hosted five Canadian Opens, with the first taking place in 1933 (won by Joe Kirkwood), when the club was previously named Royal York Golf Club. Other past Canadian Open winners at St. George’s include Dutch Harrison (1949), Art Wall Jr. (1960), Bob Charles (1968) and Carl Pettersen who won in 2010.
“Our membership is incredibly proud to host the 2020 and 2024 RBC Canadian Open,” said Jason Clarke, Chief Operating Officer. “The exciting enhancements to the event, the change in tournament date, and the meaningful commitment St. George’s has made to support The Golf Canada Foundation garnered overwhelming support from our members. As our Club celebrates its 90th year, we look forward to further developing St. George’s commitment to golf in Canada through this seven-year partnership with RBC and Golf Canada and sharing our iconic Stanley Thompson course with the world by continuing the legacy of hosting Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship.”
The 2020 and 2024 RBC Canadian Open will once again involve an important partnership with nearby Islington Golf Club, which will be the official practice facility of the tournament. Islington’s involvement is part of a long-term partnership with Golf Canada that will see the National Sport Federation bring additional events and golf championships to the club.
“We are so appreciative to have the Islington Golf Club play a meaningful role in the RBC Canadian Open,” added Applebaum. “The membership has expressed a strong commitment in their support of the championship, and we look forward to building on that partnership in the years to come.”
“We are pleased to welcome the RBC Canadian Open along with the stars of the PGA TOUR to the great city of Toronto in 2020,” said City of Toronto Councillor Stephen Holyday. “The PGA TOUR is an international event that will showcase the city of Toronto’s world-class hosting experience to a global audience. We are proud to be collaborating with Golf Canada, as our collective teams are working towards a viable operational plan that will ensure a truly successful event.”
The 2020 RBC Canadian Open will take place from June 8-14, 2020, immediately following The Memorial Championship in Ohio and leading into the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York.
This year’s RBC Canadian Open will be contested at the historic Hamilton Golf and Country Club from June 3-9, 2019. Ticket, volunteering, sponsorship and corporate hospitality information is available online at www.rbccanadianopen.com.
Roger Sloan one back at Charles Schwab Challenge
FORT WORTH, Texas – If Jordan Spieth is going to end a victory drought that’s approaching two years, the three-time major winner picked a good place to give himself a chance.
Spieth opened with a 5-under 65 at Colonial on Thursday in his second Texas homecoming in three weeks – coming off his best finish of the season at the PGA Championship – and trailed Tony Finau by one shot. Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., joined Spieth in the tie for second.
Back when he was collecting trophies regularly three years ago, Spieth won on the cozy course made famous by Ben Hogan, and that was between a pair of second-place finishes in Fort Worth. So when it comes to feeling good about his game, Spieth’s in the right place, just a few miles from his hometown of Dallas.
But the former Texas Longhorn didn’t necessarily have to be here, a week after tying for third at the PGA for his first top 20 this season.
“I didn’t put it above or below any other week,” said Spieth, whose last victory was the 2017 British Open. “I know my game has been progressing. I’ve been saying that for the last month or six weeks or so. Results just end up coming when I actually start playing better golf. Simply put, that’s just what I’ve been doing.”
Defending champion Justin Rose, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 3, shot 74 with four bogeys on the back nine.
Sloan, who hadn’t been to Colonial before this week, had a steady round with three birdies on each side. He said his swing coach thought the cozy layout would fit the 32-year-old’s game. He hasn’t played on Sunday in five straight tournaments, missing the initial cut in the first four.
“That’s the tendency every year for me, get off to a good start, go into a little bit of a lull,” said Sloan, whose only victory was on the Canadian tour in 2011. “So I’m pleased that I was able to turn things around heading into the last little kick of the regular season.”
The other four players from the top 10 in the field also were over par: No. 7 Francesco Molinari (1-over 71), eighth-ranked Bryson DeChambeau (72), No. 9 Xander Schauffele (76) and 10th-ranked Rickie Fowler (74).
J.J. Henry, who played in college for Colonial neighbour TCU, and two-time Colonial runner-up Jason Dufner were among nine at 67. Ryan Palmer had the only bogey-free round on his home course, finishing at 68 with seven others, including Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont.
Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., each shot 69. Mike Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont., carded 71.
Spieth kick-started his round by chipping in for birdie on the par-3 13th, his fourth hole of the round. He ended up with seven birdies in a span of 10 holes, the other highlight a 46-foot putt on No. 4.
A double bogey at 18, with a second shot into the water left of the green, finished Spieth’s front nine and was the only thing between him and the lead as he tries to keep climbing in the world rankings. Spieth jumped nine spots to 30th after the PGA.
“I think the course fits me well,” said Spieth, who tied for 29th in his hometown tournament, the Byron Nelson, two weeks ago. “It seems to have fit me well whether I’ve had form coming in or not. I know which spots to play to. I don’t try and do too much.”
Finau, who hasn’t finished higher than 60th in three tournaments since tying for fifth at the Masters, had five birdies over seven holes before closing with five straight pars. His best Colonial finish was a tie for 19th in his debut four years ago.
After changing his putting grip following a closing 79 at the PGA, Finau had four birdie putts from 19 feet or longer while hitting just three of 14 fairways. He avoided a second bogey with a chip-in on the par-3 16th.
“I didn’t know I only hit three fairways,” said Finau, the last of the nine top 20 players in the field at No. 16. “I still felt like I could hit most of the greens from wherever position I was.”
Kevin Kisner, playing with Spieth two years after edging him by a stroke to win Colonial, shot 72.
Of the 12 players atop the leaderboard, 11 played in the morning. Conditions toughened later with temperatures reaching 90 in steady 20 mph winds.
Why it took 4 majors for Koepka to get his due
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Majors matter more than any other golf tournament.
They are not the sole measure of greatness.
And that might be one reason it took Brooks Koepka winning four majors – as many as Rory McIlroy, one more than Jordan Spieth among his contemporaries – for the 29-year-old Floridian to get the kind of attention his game deserves.
Never mind the No. 1 ranking that came with his victory Sunday in the PGA Championship. That could change in two weeks.
Koepka now is at that level – and it took back-to-back titles in the U.S. Open and PGA Championship to get there – that he makes people look when he walks onto the range, that he’s considered a top favourite wherever he goes without anyone having to look up the odds.
Why wasn’t it enough when he won last summer at Shinnecock Hills to become the first repeat winner of the U.S. Open in 29 years, and only the second player to successfully defend the U.S. Open since Ben Hogan in 1951? Same major, yes, but Erin Hills and Shinnecock were entirely different tests.
What kept him from megastar status when he added the PGA Championship last summer at Bellerive to join Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Hogan and Gene Sarazen as the only players to win the U.S. Open and the PGA in the same year? That kind of company is as elite as it gets.
What made Koepka different was that he seemed to show up only at the big events. That’s a nice problem to have.
Koepka now has won four of his last eight majors, a stretch not seen since Woods won seven of 11 in an amazing run through the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black. The only other tournaments Koepka won during his run of majors was the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan in 2017 (by nine shots) and the CJ Cup last fall in South Korea.
Woods won 19 other times during his stretch of majors, 15 of them on the PGA Tour.
Roger Maltbie’s description of Woods at Pebble Beach – “It’s not a fair fight” – goes well beyond that 2000 U.S. Open. It’s never fair to compare Woods with anyone. He won at a rate never before seen in golf, and it probably won’t happen again.
Koepka is aware that his trophy collection is weighted heavily toward the majors. Justin Ray of a golf analytics group called “15th Club” pointed out over the weekend that Woods and Koepka are the only active players who have more victories than missed cuts in the majors: 15-9 for Woods, 4-2 for Koepka.
Don’t get the idea that Koepka would trade any of his four majors for a few more Texas Opens or Phoenix Opens. It simply explains why it took longer for golf fans to embrace what he has done in the last two years.
Koepka touched on this Saturday night after he had a seven-shot lead – a PGA Championship record – and faced questions that were intended to find out what he was doing differently to win majors so regularly.
“I’m just that much more focused,” Koepka said. “I think I’m more focused than anybody out there. My focus probably goes up, I don’t know, tenfold of what it does in a tour event – which isn’t good. I mean, it’s good that I’m doing it in the majors, but I need to do that in regular weeks.”
Consider some other players from his generation.
McIlroy won 12 times starting with his first major in the 2011 U.S. Open through his fourth major in the 2014 PGA Championship. Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015 when he chased the Grand Slam, but he also won the Valspar Championship, the John Deere Classic and the Tour Championship that year. Spieth was 23 when he won the third leg of the career Grand Slam at the 2017 British Open, and he already had 11 titles on the PGA Tour (14 worldwide).
They also had name recognition before they turned pro. McIlroy was the low amateur at Carnoustie in the 2007 British Open when he was 18. Spieth tied for 16th in the Byron Nelson Classic when he was 16.
FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK – MAY 19: Brooks Koepka of the United States poses with the Wanamaker Trophy during the Trophy Presentation Ceremony after winning the final round of the 2019 PGA Championship at the Bethpage Black course on May 19, 2019 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Koepka?
His last name was pronounced “Cupcake” on the first tee at the Phoenix Open in 2015, his first PGA Tour victory.
The game was always there.
His caddie, Ricky Elliott, recalls being asked to work for Koepka in the 2013 PGA Championship. He saw him for the first time on the range at Oak Hill. “I watched him striping it and thought to myself, ‘Happy day,”’ Elliott said.
In a 2015 interview with Golf Digest, Steve Williams, who was on the bag for 13 of Woods’ majors, was quoted as saying: “Once in a great while, a player comes along who hits a golf ball the way it was meant to be hit. Powerful, piercing, the perfect trajectory. Of the young players out there, one I’ve seen has that special ball flight: Brooks Koepka.”
Majors should never be dismissed for their value, for the legacy they create. At this point, Koepka really doesn’t need to win more PGA Tour titles to add to his reputation.
“Now he’s got it. And he got it in the right way,” Paul Azinger said Tuesday. “He has built his brand through self-belief and intestinal fortitude. By not getting attention, he has become a (tough guy) with a chip on his shoulder who says, ‘I can do anything you say I can’t.”’
That should do.
Koepka handles the stress and reaps rewards of another major
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Brooks Koepka should know as well as anyone that nothing in golf comes easily.
His well-documented journey to the PGA Tour took him to remote outposts like Kenya and Kazakhstan. Even after Koepka won a second straight U.S. Open last summer, which no one had done in 29 years, it didn’t seem enough to be the first name mentioned among the next generation of stars.
So he spent three days setting records at Bethpage Black in the PGA Championship – the first player to shoot 63 in consecutive years in the majors, the lowest 36-hole score in major championship history and a seven-shot lead, the largest ever for 54 holes in the PGA Championship.
And then he endured the toughest day of his career Sunday, which turned into the most rewarding.
“I’m glad I’ve got this thing sitting next to me,” Koepka said as he looked at the shiny Wanamaker Trophy. “It’s very satisfying, this one. This is definitely the most satisfying of all the ones I’ve won.”
Moments earlier, after he turned a potential meltdown into the kind of clutch play that has defined his career, Koepka draped his muscular arms around the top of the trophy and let out a deep sigh from stress and satisfaction, and then he smiled.
Koepka said at the start of the week that majors are sometimes the easiest to win.
This one should have been.
It wasn’t.
His seven-shot lead was down to one with four holes to play and the No. 1 player in the world – Dustin Johnson, his best friend in golf – was piecing together the best round of a final day in 25 mph gusts that made Bethpage Black as fearsome as ever.
Koepka answered with all the right shots. Johnson faded with two bogeys. Koepka closed with a 4-over 74, the highest final round by a PGA champion in 15 years, and he didn’t care how it looked.
His place in history was secure. He joined Tiger Woods as the only players to win back-to-back in the PGA Championship since it switched to stroke play in 1958. He became the only player to hold back-to-back titles in two majors at the same time.
Four years ago, he had one PGA Tour title in his first full season as a full member. Now he has four majors out of the last eight he has played, a stretch not seen since Woods won seven out of 11 after capturing the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black.
“I just don’t understand why he doesn’t do it more often,” said Rory McIlroy, who won his four majors in a span of 15. “He obviously gets into these mindsets of the majors, and he really goes and gets into a different state. You’d obviously have to ask him. But it’s awesome. It’s great to watch.”
Woods twice won back to back in the PGA Championship, with tight battles in 1999 and 2000, comfortable wins in 2006 and 2007. Koepka was starting to draw comparisons with Woods for the way he obliterated the competition at Bethpage Black, much like Woods used to do.
In the end, there were no style points, only the trophy.
But that trophy spoke volumes.
Even louder was the gallery, and it wasn’t always pretty. Koepka had a six-shot lead when he walked off the 11th fairway. When he walked up to the green on the par-3 14th, with his ball over the green and Koepka headed for a fourth straight birdie, the chants jarred him.
They weren’t for him.
“DJ! DJ! DJ!” the cheers rained down for Johnson, who was on his way to another birdie up ahead on the 15th hole to pull within one shot. Koepka says he was more shocked than he was nervous, but he heard them.
“It’s New York. What do you expect when you’re half-choking it away,” he said. “I think I kind of deserved it. I’ve been to sporting events in New York. I know how it goes. I think it actually helped. It was at a perfect time because I was just thinking: ‘OK, I’ve got everybody against me. Let’s go.”’
And off he went – a powerful drive down the 15th fairway that set up a par he desperately need, an even better drive down the 16th hole, the hardest at Bethpage Black during the final round because the wind was whipping into his face.
That’s where Johnson lost all momentum, without doing much wrong. He hit a 5-iron from 194 into the fan – he though about 4-iron because he wasn’t sure 5-iron would get to the green – and was stunned when it one-hopped into the rough. He chipped to 7 feet and missed the par putt, and then went long on the par-3 17th, caught another nasty lie and made another bogey.
“I gave it a run,” Johnson said after his 69. “That’s all you can ask for.”
It’s more than Koepka would have wanted. But he has the trophy, the one that caused the most stress and brought the most satisfaction. No sooner was the PGA Championship over that Koepka was installed as a 5-1 favourite to win the U.S. Open.
No one has won three straight U.S. Open titles since Willie Anderson in 1905. That might be all the motivation Koepka needs.