Canadian rookie Svensson has career day to lead Sony Open
HONOLULU – Ocean views along the golf course seem to suit Canadian Adam Svensson.
A year after his victory in the Bahamas that paved his way to the PGA Tour, Svensson capped off a rookie round to remember Thursday with a 10-foot birdie putt on his final hole for a 9-under 61 and a one-shot lead in the Sony Open.
“It was all a blur,” Svensson said. “I don’t even remember which holes I birdied.”
Throw in an eagle, too, a 6-iron on the par-5 ninth that he caught thin and was hopeful would clear the bunker. It did better than that, rolling out to 5 feet. But it was the back nine, as the wind began to calm along the shores just west of Waikiki Beach, where the 25-year-old from Surrey, B.C., made his move.
It started with a 50-foot birdie putt on the 11th hole. He hit it to 2 feet on the 12th, holed an 18-foot birdie on No. 13 and finished his run with a 10-foot birdie on the 14th. A tough up-and-down from right of the green on the par-5 18th gave Svensson the lowest round of professional career.
Canada’s @adamsvensson59 jumps to the early lead @SonyOpenHawaii with a 9-under 61 ?? #PGATOURpic.twitter.com/mC3dBoOAXt
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) January 11, 2019
He did shoot a 61 while at Barry University, where he won the Jack Nicklaus Award in 2014 as the Division II player of the year.
His only significant victory as a pro was the second event last year on the Web.com Tour at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic, and he held his position in the top 25 on the money list the rest of the year to reach the PGA Tour.
Adam Svensson (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Andrew Putnam shot a 62 in the morning and looked tough to beat until Svensson came along.
It was the first time Putnam had played Waialae all week because of a bee sting, and it apparently didn’t bother him. He made birdie on half of his holes, none of them tap-ins, and took only 23 putts for the lowest score of his PGA Tour career.
Putnam had a four-shot lead among the early starters. By the end of the day, Matt Kuchar had a 63, and 75 players from the 144-man field were under par.
That did not include Jordan Spieth, who made his 2019 debut with a little rust, and it showed. He had to wait until his 16th hole, the par-3 seventh, for his first birdie of the year. And that was all he made in a round of 73 that left him needing a low round just to make it to the weekend.
He still managed to keep it entertaining, especially with the new rules.
Spieth, like most players, doesn’t understand the visually awkward change of dropping from knee-height instead of shoulder-height. Six holes into his round, his tee shot came up inches short of a sprinkler head. He called for a ruling and was given relief because of the potential of injury or damaging the club. Then, he did what he has done his entire golfing life – he held the ball at the level of his shoulder.
Slugger White, the tour’s vice-president of competition, stopped him. Had he dropped and played the shot, it would have been a penalty. If not, he could have dropped again from the proper height.
“I’m like, ‘Wouldn’t it just be a re-drop anyway?’ What’s the big deal?”’ Spieth said. “It’s unusual.”
He caught himself from dropping shoulder-height behind the 18th green. He also tapped in for par on the opening hole with the flagstick still in the cup, another change that is getting plenty of attention early in the year. And he tapped down a spike mark in the line of a 4-foot putt.
“All in all, I got a test of most of the new rules today,” he said.
Justin Thomas, who set the PGA Tour’s 72-hole record at the Sony Open two years ago, opened with a 67 by playing the last five holes in even par – a birdie, three straight bogeys and holing a bunker shot for eagle.
Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., shot a 2-under 68 and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., is 1-under. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., are even. Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., (71) and Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin (72) are both well back of Svensson’s lead.
View this post on Instagram
Putnam, among 23 players who were on Maui last week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, made it all look so easy. This is his third year playing the Sony Open, so the course is not new to him. But it’s unusual for him not to at least get in a practice round.
He was poolside Tuesday when the bee stung him in the foot.
“I couldn’t walk, so I had to withdraw out of the pro-am,” he said. “I was just sitting around all yesterday and couldn’t even hit a shot. Yeah, kind of bizarre how it all worked out.”
He shot his 62 despite a bogey on the 15th hole when his pitch came up 12 feet short and he missed the putt.
Putnam didn’t miss many in the opening round. Statistically, he made just over 174 feet of putts, from a 5-footer on the closing hole (his shortest birdie putt) to his longest birdie on the 14th at just under 30 feet.
“The hole was very large and the ball was going in,” he said. “It was fun.”
O Canada! RBC welcomes new homegrown top-talent
Four Canadians join Team RBC as golf brand ambassadors
Today, RBC welcomed its newest Team RBC golf brand ambassadors: Corey Conners, Brittany Marchand, Ben Silverman and Roger Sloan. These four Canadians join an elite roster of players, including Canadians Adam Hadwin, Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp.
Ahead of a historic golf season marked by the most Canadians ever on the PGA TOUR, RBC continues to grow its commitment to the game on home soil by evolving its brand ambassador program. Now, all Canadian players that have reached the pinnacle of performance and secured status on the LPGA and PGA TOURS are eligible to join the Team RBC Canadian program – currently 10 members strong.
This expansion is also part of RBC’s ongoing support of Canadian golfers and includes funding for Canada’s National Amateur Golf Team and Young Pro Squad, as well as contributing to the national amateur golf championships, in partnership with Golf Canada.
Team RBC was established in 2009 and is comprised of 18 elite male and female golfers who embody the pinnacle of golf performance. Along with RBC branding on their apparel and golf bag, these new ambassadors will support RBC’s client-hosting experiences and marketing initiatives.
As the title sponsor of the RBC Heritage and RBC Canadian Open, RBC is also proud to be the Official Banking and Financial Services partner for all Team RBC ambassadors.
Quick facts:
- Corey Conners: Two top-15 finishes during the 2018 PGA TOUR season
- Brittany Marchand: Made 12 of 16 cuts during her first 2018 LPGA TOUR season
- Ben Silverman: Four top-15 finishes during the 2018 PGA TOUR season
- Roger Sloan: Finished 12th on Web.com Tour Money List
Quotes:
“I’ve had the opportunity to partner with RBC when I was on Team Canada’s Young Pro program. This feels like a great next chapter in my journey as I compete on the PGA TOUR and I’m thankful RBC is with me again and for all they do for golf in Canada.” – Corey Conners, Team RBC Ambassador
“I am so proud and so grateful to be a part of the Team RBC family . RBC has given so much to our game and their support enables us to continue to grow and develop on the world stage I look forward to getting to know the team and am excited about the milestones ahead.” – Brittany Marchand, Team RBC Ambassador
“RBC has been a longstanding supporter of golf, helping us build stronger connections with our clients and fans around the world. We’ve been on a journey with many of these athletes as amateur players, like Corey and Brittany. Now we’re continuing that partnership as they strive to reach the highest level of golf on the international stage.” – Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC
“Today’s announcement is an important moment for Canadian high-performance golf. To see Canadian athletes recognized for their hard work, efforts and performance is just outstanding. It’s also another demonstration of RBC’s longstanding and continued support of golf both at the amateur and professional level.” – Derek Ingram, National Men’s Team Coach, Golf Canada
Hadwin aiming for Presidents Cup spot, return to major championships
With the Presidents Cup in his sights and high hopes to return to major championship fields, Adam Hadwin knows a strong start to 2019 is essential.
The Abbotsford, B.C., golfer is in the field this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii – the first full-field event of the 2019 portion of the PGA Tour season – alongside fellow Canadians Mackenzie Hughes, Ben Silverman, Roger Sloan, Adam Svensson, Nick Taylor, and Corey Conners, who qualified for the event late on Monday.
Hadwin, who notched two top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour and represented Canada at the World Cup of Golf with Taylor (they tied for fourth) during the fall of 2018, said he’s excited to get back into the heat of competition again.
“I was excited to have some time off, but I was excited to get right back to it,” Hadwin said by phone from Phoenix. “Hopefully that translates into another quick start this year.”
Hadwin finished 36th in the season-long FedEx Cup race and earned just over US$1.9 million last year.
He said he was committed to improving his ball striking in 2018 and was pleased to have done that. However, it came at the expense of his putting. The 31-year-old was 115th in putts per round last year, after being 20th in the same statistic the year before.
“I definitely lost in putting, and that was plainly obvious as the year went on,” he said. “That was a big thing heading into this year – I need to spend a little more time (on putting). I’ll spend a extra few minutes putting each day, dialling in the speed each day before rounds.”
With Hadwin’s first PGA Tour victory in 2017 he earned a spot into each of the majors and the limited-field, high-purse World Golf Championship events last year. With no victory in 2018, and with his world ranking not high enough, he has to fight to earn a spot into those tournaments this year.
The only Canadian who has a guaranteed spot in one of the four majors this year is Mike Weir at the Masters. His victory in 2003 affords him a lifetime exemption.
“Coming off a year where you got to plan everything, it was kind of nice. But now I’m right back to where I was before. It’s a goal (to get into the majors) but I need to get off to a good start,”
Hadwin said. “That’s the top priority for the first part of the year.”
The PGA Tour’s schedule for 2019 underwent a big change and Hadwin says he’s already looking to gear up for The Players Championship and the PGA Championship (both tournaments have been moved to an earlier slot) along with the RBC Canadian Open in its new early-June date.
“I’ve seen a significant drop off in play from May to July so I’ve been taking a look at those months (and) trying to figure out a way to keep a consistent level of play throughout the entire year, not just the beginning and end,” he said.
Hadwin’s ultimate goal for 2019 is to guarantee himself a spot on the Presidents Cup team. He finished 0-2-1 in his debut for the International side versus the Americans in 2017 but is currently the highest-ranked Canadian in the standings.
There are eight Canadians with good status on the 2018-19 on the PGA Tour – all of whom are playing in this week’s event after Hearn squeezed in on Wednesday as an alternate.
“We’ve had some tremendous success as a nation these last few years,” said Hadwin, who, along with Taylor and Hughes have all won on the PGA Tour. Silverman and Svensson have also won on the Web.com Tour the last two years.
“We’re all proud to represent Canada when we play, and hopefully we’ll see all eight of us playing well and a couple of us in contention.”
CANADIANS TO WATCH IN 2019
MACKENZIE HUGHES – After becoming a first-time father in late 2017, Hughes, of Dundas, Ont., struggled to find the form that saw him win The RSM Classic in 2016. He’s looking to bounce back after settling into a nice routine at home.
COREY CONNERS – Conners, of Listowel, Ont., got married in the fall and is hopeful the good vibes of Canadian golfers who tie the knot (Hughes got married and won on the PGA Tour in the same year, same with Hadwin) follows him into 2019. Conners was in the final group on Sunday twice in 2018.
NICK TAYLOR – Talk about saving the best for last. Taylor, of Abbotsford, shot a 63, his best round of the year, in the final round of the PGA Tour’s regular season in 2018. He earned a spot in the FedEx Cup playoffs and fully exempt status for 2019 thanks to that result. He won the 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship.
ADAM SVENSSON – Svensson won on the Web.com Tour in 2018 and earned a spot on the PGA Tour for the first time thanks to his money-list rank on the feeder Tour. The native of Surrey, B.C. made two cuts in the fall.
GRAHAM DELAET – DeLaet is on a major medical exemption for this year as he recovers from back surgery. DeLaet’s agent, Danny Fritz, told The Canadian Press by email the golfer was a “little sore” after hitting balls last week but “all-in-all he feels much better these days.” There is no exact day of return.
PGA Tour to experiment with interviews during rounds
KAPALUA, Hawaii – The PGA Tour might be taking another step toward connecting players with television viewers.
Several years ago, it asked players in contention on the weekend to allow for TV interviews before their rounds, usually as they were arriving or leaving the practice range. Now they are looking for volunteers willing to do interviews on the course during their rounds.
It’s in the experimental stage at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, and the willingness to take part depends on the player.
Brooks Koepka, the reigning PGA Tour player of the year, nixed the idea last year in Shanghai but said he might be okay with it now.
“Don’t they do that on the Champions Tour?” he asked.
Justin Thomas? Not so much.
Thomas talks plenty during his round, usually to himself or with caddie Jimmy Johnson. The idea of stopping for a quick interview was not appealing to him.
“I’ve just been asked about it,” he said. “I said, ‘No.’ It’s not me. I do a lot of self-talking. That’s mine and Jimmy’s time, whether we’re talking about whatever, or even the next shot. For me, there’s no benefit. It’s only going to make me look worse.”
Such interviews are not likely to occur in the final round and PGA Tour officials are sensitive to the timing of the interviews. A quick spot with Dustin Johnson after his 432-yard drive came within 6 inches of the cup last year at Kapalua might be ideal. Right after a three-putt bogey from 10 feet might not be.
Marc Leishman has experience doing on-course interviews when he plays in Australia and he didn’t mind the concept.
“If they do end up having them, my advice would be to have someone who has played on Tour to do it to be a little sensitive of the questions and the timing of the interview,” Leishman said. “But anything where you can be more accessible to the viewers is a good thing. We want to bring more people to the game. It might be a way to give more insight to what we’re thinking at the time.”
Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, isn’t likely to be among the candidates. He said he has not been approached by the PGA Tour about his willingness to do short interviews in the middle of his round. But he made it clear where he stood.
“I’ve been approached in Europe because they’ve done it for a couple of years,” McIlroy said. “And I’ve said, ‘No,’ every single time.”
RBC Canadian Open earns PGA TOUR’s “Best Of” award
“The Rink” fan experience named “Best in Class Element” in 2018
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – The RBC Canadian Open was recently honoured at the PGA TOUR’s Tournament Meetings thanks to the success of its fan experience “The Rink”, earning a TOUR award for “Best in Class Element.”
“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am pleased to congratulate the RBC Canadian Open for this special recognition,” said PGA TOUR Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer Andy Pazder. “The tournament committee should be extremely proud of its hard work and innovation in making the tournament the best among its peers on TOUR.”
For the past two years, the RBC Canadian Open transformed the par-3 seventh hole at Glen Abbey Golf Club into “The Rink,” a fan experience combining Canada’s most popular pastimes – golf and hockey. The area was modelled after an ice hockey rink, complete with hockey boards lining the hole, upgraded bleachers and viewing decks, while featuring marshals dressed as referees. A net, puck and sticks were available for PGA TOUR players to test their hockey skills as part of Wednesday’s Championship Pro-Am. In addition, several Team RBC Olympians and NHL players also made visits to “The Rink” throughout tournament week to greet fans, take photos and sign autographs.
“From the beginning we felt integrating ‘The Rink’ into our Canadian-themed activation made a lot of sense and was a perfect extension of the fan experience at the RBC Canadian Open,” said Matt McGlynn, Vice-President, Brand Marketing, RBC. “This recognition by the PGA TOUR is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved with the RBC Canadian Open, including fans, players, event volunteers, organizers and partners. Thanks to Golf Canada and the PGA TOUR for working with us to bring this Canadian tribute to life.”
Golf Canada, organizers of the RBC Canadian Open, credited the award to RBC and the collaboration between all event stakeholders.
“Feedback on ‘The Rink’ has been overwhelmingly positive and we are extremely proud that it’s been embraced as an institutional centrepoint for fan, player and partner engagement at the RBC Canadian Open,” said Bryan Crawford, RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director. “Our partners, led by RBC, Steam Whistle, Levelwear and Golf Town, have brought the area to life and we’ve got great momentum heading to Hamilton Golf & Country Club in 2019 with this signature activation.”
The 2019 RBC Canadian Open, headlined by defending champion and Team RBC member Dustin Johnson, will be held at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, June 3-9.
The new early June date begins an exciting new chapter for Canada’s National Open Championship. Fans attending will witness unforgettable golf, top-notch activities for all ages including ‘The Rink’, hip local food and patio experiences, plus new event features soon to be announced.
Get your tickets today to kick-off summer at one of Canada’s premier sporting experiences – www.rbccanadianopen.com/tickets.
___________________________________________________________________________
To view all winners announced during the PGA TOUR Tournament Meetings, click here.
Jon Rahm wins in Bahamas, ends year with 3 titles
NASSAU, Bahamas – Jon Rahm broke into tears when he beat Tiger Woods in the Ryder Cup, the most meaningful moment of his career.
Sunday wasn’t bad either, not with Woods handing him the trophy after Rahm turned a potential shootout into a runaway victory on the back nine in the Bahamas to end his year by winning the Hero World Challenge.
That makes two full years as a pro for the 24-year-old Spaniard, each with three victories worldwide.
“I hope I keep winning three times every year,” Rahm said. “Still wouldn’t get to what Tiger’s done in 20 years, but it would be pretty impressive.”
Starting the final round in a three-way tie with Tony Finau and Henrik Stenson, Rahm took the lead for good on the eighth hole and never trailed again. Finau was his final challenger until he took double bogey on the par-4 14th hole as Rahm made birdie for a five-shot lead, and the rest was easy.
Rahm closed with a 7-under 65 for a four-shot victory at Albany Golf Club.
“Even if I make a 4 there, I’m going to have to do something pretty dang special,” Finau said. “Hats off to Jon this week. He played incredible golf, and he deserved to win this week.”
Woods was never in the picture until it was time to hand out the trophy. Woods got off to another rough start, rallied on the back nine and had to settle for a 1-over 73 to finish 17th against the 18-man field. He finished 19 shots behind, the biggest gap this year from the winner over 72 holes.
“Overall, it was a long week, but one that I hope the players enjoyed,” Woods said in his role as tournament host.
Even so, there were Tiger prints all over this victory.
Rahm spoke of an interview he once saw from the British Open when Woods said that when he took the lead, his goal was to never go back to the field.
“That’s the same thing I thought today,” Rahm said. “As soon as I got in the lead, my mind was still forward. Keep doing birdies and just keep going on. I didn’t know what kind of a lead I had until I got to 16, and I was still rifling at the pin.”
He also recalled running into Woods before the Tour Championship at East Lake, which Woods won for his 80th career victory. Rahm grew up on poa annua greens, still isn’t entirely comfortable on Bermuda and asked Woods for advice.
“He kind of laughed and told me it’s all about feel,” Rahm said. “I was like, ‘OK, whatever, right.’ And today out there with the trophy, he was like, ‘That’s a pretty good performance for somebody who can’t put putt on Bermuda greens.’ I think I made one putt outside 10 feet. I didn’t miss a shot the last three days, it’s as simple as that. But I don’t think he believed me.”
Rahm has said all week the key to Albany were the five par 5s and two reachable par 4s. He made birdie on all of them Sunday.
Even with a runaway victory, there was a small measure of drama on the final hole.
Justin Rose, needing to finish in a three-way tie for second to return to No. 1 in the world, closed with a 65 and was in position to go back to the top of the ranking until Finau rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt for a 69 to finish alone in second.
Brooks Koepka, who did not play this week, remains No. 1. Rose has one more event left in two weeks at the Indonesia Masters.
Finau, meanwhile, cracked the top 10 for the first time in his career at No. 9.
Rahm took a two-shot lead to the back nine with a 4-hybrid to 12 feet on the par-5 ninth that set up a two-putt birdie, and he held his own until Finau’s double bogey. Rahm, making his first trip to the Bahamas for this event, figured out early that the key to scoring at Albany were the five par 5s and two reachable par 4s. He made birdie on all seven of those holes Sunday.
Stenson was only one shot behind when he made the turn, but the Swede made only one birdie on the back nine and finished alone if fourth. Patrick Cantlay was 12 shots better than Saturday, closing with a 64 to tie for fifth with defending champion Rickie Fowler.
Canadians tie for 4th at World Cup of Golf
MELBOURNE, Australia – Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry of Belgium lifted the World Cup of Golf trophy on Sunday. They may have won it on Friday.
The Belgians had a few anxious moments on the back nine Sunday but held on to shoot a 4-under 68 and claim a three-stroke win, despite a determined late run by Australia and Mexico.
The sunny skies and lack of wind on Sunday was a far cry from Friday, when driving rain and gusty winds meant there were more scores in the 80s than in the 60s.
Belgium shot 71 on Friday, tied for the low score of the day and one of only four scores under par, and shared the lead going into the third round. Many golfers said the Friday conditions were the worst they had ever played in.
Pieters and Detry shot 63 in much-improved weather on Saturday in the fourballs (best ball) and took a five-stroke lead into the final round of foursomes at Metropolitan.
From there, it was a case of hanging on for the $1.12 million in prize money they each received.
“It was a long back nine” Pieters said while surrounded by family, friends and fans, some with Belgian flags stuck on their heads, just off the 18th green.
Australia’s Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith pulled to within two strokes late in the round, thanks to holing out from the bunker for a birdie by Smith and a 12-foot par save on the next hole by Leishman.
If there was any doubt, Pieters’ approach to four feet on the 18th set up a final birdie by Detry to give the Belgians a 23-under total of 265.
“We were both nervous at times, but to finish with a birdie was special,” said Pieters.
Leishman and Smith shot 65. Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, who won last week’s Australian Open, and his partner Roberto Diaz, playing in the last group with Belgium, shot 66 and also pulled to within two strokes of the lead but finished tied with the Australians for second.
Defending champions Thorbjorn Olesen and Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark shot a 65 to finish tied for fourth with Canada’s Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, who shot 66. They were six strokes behind.
The performance marks the best finish for Canada since Dave Barr and Dan Halldorson won it for Canada in 1985.
Americans Matt Kuchar and Kyle Stanley shot a final-round 68 and finished at 9-under, 14 strokes behind the winners and tied for 16th among the 28 teams.
Canada climbs to 8 under heading into World Cup finale
MELBOURNE, Australia – Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry had a mid-round stretch of 5-under-par in four holes for a 9-under 63 Saturday to give Belgium a five-stroke lead after three rounds of the World Cup of Golf.
Pieters and Detry, who both play on the European Tour, started the day level with South Korea after a steady 71 in terrible rainy conditions in the foursomes (alternate shot) format of Friday.
On Saturday, they took advantage – along with the 27 other teams – of much improved weather conditions at Metropolitan and the fourballs (best-ball) game.
Belgium, which completed the front nine with two birdies and an eagle, then birdied the 10th, had a three-round total of 19-under 197.
Three teams were tied for second – Mexico, Italy and South Korea.
Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, who won last week’s Australian Open, and his partner Roberto Diaz, shot 65. Italy’s Andrea Pavan and Renato Paratore dropped two shots on the par-5 14th when both players had balls run back down off the green from slopes just off the putting surface, but recovered for a 66.
South Korea’s Byeong Hun An and Si Woo Kim, who chipped in for eagle from just off the green on the 16th, finished with a 68.
Three teams were tied for fifth – Sweden, Australia and England, six behind Belgium.
Sweden’s Alexander Bjork and Joakim Lagergren shot 64 and Australia’s Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith 65.
Leishman and Smith let an opportunity slip on the back nine. They shot 6-under 30 on the front nine – four birdies and an eagle – but had six pars to start the front nine before a birdie on 16.
“Probably a story of two different nines,” Leishman said. “Got off to a great start obviously but cooled off a bit on the back nine.”
England’s team of Tyrrell Hatton and Ian Poulter shot 67.
Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin, both from Abbotsford, B.C., fired a 64 to finish the day tied with Ireland and Scotland for eighth at 11 under.
The final round Sunday will be played in the foursomes (alternate shot) format.
Bjork said he and Lagergren combined well to shoot one of the best rounds of the day.
“When I was off, Joakim was on, and when he was off, I was on,” Bjork said.
Americans Matt Kuchar and Kyle Stanley, who were one of the weather casualties on Friday with a 79, improved to a 66 Saturday but were 14 strokes off the lead and in 21st place.
Canada battles rain at World Cup of Golf to sit T14
MELBOURNE, Australia – Teams from Belgium and South Korea emerged from the rain, gusty winds and generally miserable conditions after a demanding round of foursomes to share the 36-hole lead at the World Cup of Golf on Friday.
Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry shot 1-under 71 and South Korea’s Byeong Hun An and Si Woo Kim had a 72 for two-round totals of 10-under 134. Teams from Italy, India, Malaysia and England were tied for third, two strokes behind.
Rain showers fell all day on Metropolitan, heavy at times, and tested the players’ patience levels in the alternate-shot format.
Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, both from Abbotsford, B.C., fired a 73 – one of the better rounds of the day considering the weather – to rise nine spots to enter a tie for 14th at 3 under.
On the 10th hole, when England’s Tyrrell Hatton’s tee shot went into the woods, he angrily smashed a tee marker with his driver. His partner, Ian Poulter, had to take a penalty drop out of the woods and the English bogeyed the hole.
On the 13th, Hatton maintained his patience when he had to take a drop out of casual water in a bunker. The drop took about 10 minutes while officials determined whether the drop was legal. Hatton then hit the lip of the bunker and the ball ended up in casual water – again. Poulter played it out of the water and England bogeyed that hole but finished with a 74.
Anirban Lahiri combined with Gaganjeet Bhullar to keep India near the top of the leaderboard after a 72.
“I think it’s one of the toughest rounds of golf I’ve played in my career,” Lahiri said. “I think we both did really well out there and it wasn’t easy.”
Australia’s Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith shot 76 and went from a tie for first to a tie for eighth.
Americans Matt Kuchar and Kyle Stanley shot 79, including bogeys on their last five holes, playing like they were in a hurry to get out of the rain. That was a 13-shot turnaround from their opening 66, moving them to a tie for 21st in the 28-country field, a drop of eight places.
There were only four rounds under par, but five in the 80s.
The format reverts to fourballs (best ball) on Saturday before a return to foursomes for the final round on Sunday.
The Mexico team of Abraham Ancer, who won last week’s Australian Open, and Roberto Diaz, had the low round of the day – 70, including a bogey on the last, their only dropped shot of the day. They finished about an hour before the later groups, when the rain became heavier.
Ancer was impressed with Metropolitan’s ability to stay in decent shape despite all the rain.
“I thought it was just absolutely (going to be) probably unplayable, but it was good,” Ancer said. “There were a little bit of puddles here and there, but the fairways are phenomenal. The golf course can take a lot of rain.”
Temperatures were just 13 Celsius (56 Fahrenheit) when play began and only went a degree higher the rest of the day. And with winds gusting to 35 kilometres an hour (20 mph) it appeared much cooler.
Canada in a tie for 23rd early at World Cup of Golf
MELBOURNE, Australia – World Cup or Ryder Cup: Put Ian Poulter into a team event and he never seems to disappoint.
Poulter’s approach to less than a foot helped set up one of England’s six birdies on the back nine Thursday to give him and Tyrrell Hatton a share of the lead with South Korea and Australia after the first round of fourballs at the World Cup of Golf.
Cameron Smith made a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th to ensure he and Australia teammate Marc Leishman were in a tie atop the leaderboard with South Korea’s Byeong Hun An and Si Woo Kim, all with 10-under 62s at Metropolitan.
Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, both from Abbotsford, B.C., are the Canadian entry in the event. They combined for a 68 to sit in a tie for 23rd at 4 under.
“We didn’t have one hole where we were both on the green,” said Taylor. “We were just out of position on the back nine. It sucks to finish with a bogey.”
Best of luck to #TeamRBC and ??’s @ntaylorgolf59 and @ahadwingolf at the @WorldCupofGolf pic.twitter.com/n5HqxbyBdF
— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) November 22, 2018
On Friday, the format switches to foursomes, or alternate shot, and again for the final round.
“This tournament’s won and lost on Friday and Sunday,” Poulter said. “Foursomes is the day when you can take yourself out of the tournament pretty quickly. In fourballs you’re always going to make birdies and hopefully you don’t make any mistakes.”
Poulter has picked up 15 career points in Ryder Cup events for Europe over the United States. He had two in Europe’s win in Paris in late September – one with Rory McIlroy in foursomes (he also lost with McIlory in foursomes) and a singles victory over Dustin Johnson.
He was happy with the way he and Hatton combined for the fourballs on Thursday.
“We dovetailed nicely, when one was out of position, the other one was in position and that’s exactly what you have to do.”
Leishman said he and Smith, who will play in the next-to-last group Friday with Malaysia, need to avoid any early mistakes
“If you get off to an average start in foursomes, things can start going the wrong way pretty quickly,” Leishman said.
An said he and Kim combined well to keep South Korea atop the leaderboard.
“I think we saved each other pretty good,” An said. “When he was struggling, I made some birdies, and when I was out (of the hole) he made some good par saves.”
Three teams were tied for fourth, one stroke behind – Belgium (Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry), Malaysia (Gavin Green and Ben Leong) and Soren Kjeldsen and Thorbjorn Olesen, who won the title for Denmark by four strokes two years ago at nearby Kingston Heath.
India (Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar) and Ireland (Shane Lowry and Paul Dunne) were tied for seventh after 64s. The U.S. team of Kyle Stanley and Matt Kuchar was in a large group tied for 13th among 28 teams after a 66.
Officials moved up tee times for Thursday because of expected storms and showers which didn’t eventuate. When the last group finished, the sun was shining and the wind had dropped off.
Rain is in the forecast for both Friday and Saturday, with a high temperature expected of only 14 Celsius (57 Fahrenheit) on Friday.