The future of Canadian men’s golf stepped into the spotlight this week at the RBC Canadian Open.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont., had a 2-under 68 in Sunday’s final round to tie for eighth and win the Rivermead Cup as the lowest scoring Canadian at the national men’s championship. Matthew Anderson, also from Mississauga, was briefly atop the leaderboard but ultimately tied for 11th and amateur Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont., tied for 19th.

All three are under the age of 26.

“We’re just trying to push ourselves, each other, when we’re playing, when we’re on the team, we’re playing back at home,” said Yellamaraju, who was on Golf Canada’s young pro squad with Anderson in 2025. “We keep cheering each other on, even when we’re not there in person or watching from afar. 

“I saw on the leaderboard that Matthew and Justin were really playing some good golf, almost having a chance to win, that was pretty cool to see. I was just trying my best to actually almost keep up with them.”

The 24-year-old Yellamaraju is in his rookie PGA Tour season and has now earned three top-10 finishes. He was pleased that he performed well under the added scrutiny of playing in Canada, a short drive from his hometown.

“Obviously, going into the week it was like you have that little bit of added pressure being at the Canadian Open and for me being pretty close to home and stuff like that,” said Yellamaraju. “I just kind of tried to keep trying to tell myself to play the best that I could and just fight until the very end, which was pretty much what I did.”

Golf Canada has set the ambitious goal of having 30 players on the LPGA and PGA Tours by 2032. Yellamaraju, the 26-year-old Anderson, and the 23-year-old Matthews will all be in their golfing primes by then.

“I think we’ll be able to do that,” said Matthews of the 30 by ’32 goal. “I’m on the (amateur) team, but the young pro team, it all seems like a family and it’s just a tremendous support system.

“I think we’ll be able to do it.”

Anderson has full-time status on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour but has only made the cut at five of his 13 events this year. He took a gamble accepting a sponsor’s exemption to play in the Canadian Open instead of playing a Korn Ferry Tour event and earning valuable points to maintain his card.

“I’m never going to turn down an opportunity to play in my national open. That’s something that I grew up watching,” said Anderson, who had a 3-under round to finish 11 under overall.

“Missing a week on Korn Ferry Tour, yes, there’s points, but ultimately if I believe in my game and I believe in my direction of where I’m going, I’m going to get to where I want anyway, regardless of whether I choose to play an event one week or not basically.”

Matthews (69) was 8 under overall, tied with Taylor Pendrith (69) of Richmond Hill, Ont., and A.J. Ewart (66) of Coquitlam, B.C., for 29th.

Adam Hadwin (71) of Abbotsford, B.C., tied for 40th, Ben Silverman (71) of Thornhill, Ont., tied for 60th, Nick Taylor (64) of Abbotsford tied for 65th and Joey Savoie (71) of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., tied for 67th.

The 10 Canadians to make the cut at this year’s national championship were the most since 1969.

Bud Cauley just had to sink a 10-inch putt to win the RBC Canadian Open but when he looked up and saw his wife and two children by the 18th green he had to take a step back and wipe tears out of his eyes to make sure he made the shot.

After the brief reset, Cauley rolled the putt in to end a 15-year wait for his first PGA Tour championship.

The American shot a 5-under 65 for a two-stroke victory over England’s Matt Fitzpatrick at the Canadian Open on Sunday. Cauley’s drought on the top circuit in men’s golf lasted 239 tournaments.

“That’s a moment I’ve thought a lot about. Even last year a couple times when I was in contention my family wasn’t with me and it would always crossed my mind that hopefully for my first win everyone would be here,” said Cauley at his post-win news conference. “I had to try to not think about it a lot today.

“Obviously with them being here and I was playing well, I really had to think almost on every hole about staying focused and not thinking about that celebration if I were to win.”

A car accident in June 2018 in Dublin, Ohio, derailed his promising career. He broke five ribs, his left leg and collapsed a lung in the crash.

Cauley resumed playing in October 2018 but developed medical complications in September 2020, pausing his career. He returned to competitive play in January 2024 on the Korn Ferry Tour, the second-tier feeder circuit for the PGA Tour.

“There were times when I was hurt that we really weren’t sure if I was going to be able to play again,” said Cauley. “There were moments and conversations that (wife Kristi Cauley) and I had where we didn’t know if it was going to work out.

“Once I was able to start playing again and I felt more comfortable with my body and it holding up — I’ve always believed in my ability to play golf and play the game and be competitive.”

Although Fitzpatrick came up short on the leaderboard, the result moved him into first in the FedEx Cup standings. Scottie Scheffler of the United States slipped from the top spot after skipping the Canadian Open.

“I would have taken it at the start of the week,” said Fitzpatrick, who shot a 6-under 64. “I felt like there was a lot of good stuff in there, just needed to have it come out.

“My putting was a little bit of a struggle last week and I feel like I got a bit of a better process for what I’m working on this week, and that showed today, I putted really solid.”

The Canadian Open is the fourth oldest golf tournament in the world and has a storied history with several World Golf Hall of Famers engraved on its trophy. Cauley said he was honoured to be the next to have his name engraved on it.

“It feels amazing. I haven’t had a chance to look at it, but I’ve watched, probably since the mid ’90s, almost every one of these events, so I’m well aware of all the past champions and all the names on this trophy,” he said, scanning the trophy. “To add my name alongside those is pretty incredible.”

Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont., was the low Canadian, tying for eighth. He will move from 48th to 44th in the FedEx Cup standings, making him the highest ranked Canadian on tour.

A heavy downpour throughout the day effected how the usually windswept North Course at TPC Toronto played on Sunday.

“Very, very, very wet,” said Fitzpatrick. “I think it kind of changed the golf course a little bit. It was getting a little firm yesterday, and maybe not firm, but there was a lot of big bounce.

“Today it’s obviously about controlling your spin with that rain.”

TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley is scheduled to host the Canadian Open for a third consecutive year in 2027.

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After every shot Sudarshan Yellamaraju heard the same things. “‘Sauga City!” “We’re behind you!” and more than anything else “One of us!”

Yellamaraju, from nearby Mississauga, Ont., shot a 5-under 65 on Saturday to finish the third round of the RBC Canadian Open tied for seventh at 10 under, three shots back of leader Jackson Suber. It also made him the low Canadian heading into the national men’s golf championship’s final round.

The 24-year-old said he heard the cheers but didn’t want to react to them too much as he focused on gaining ground on a packed leaderboard.

“I’ve been just trying to do the best that I can,” said Yellamaraju, who is in his first season on the PGA Tour. “I think this year I’ve learned that when I’m doing well, I am inspiring others, so it is kind of cool to see.

“But like I said, I’m just trying to play the best I can, if I’m able to inspire others, then that’s awesome.”

Yellamaraju has had a rock solid start to his PGA Tour career, making the cut in 14 of 17 starts. That includes two top 10 finishes: a tie for fifth at the Players Championship on March 12 and a tie for sixth at the Texas Children’s Houston Open on March 26.

That’s put him 48th in the FedEx Cup standings, with his current position at the Canadian Open projecting him to move four spots up when the rankings are updated Monday.

“I’ve always thought I could be in contention in tournaments, for sure,” said Yellamaraju. “That’s what I’ve been working for, that’s what I’ve been dreaming of doing, but it’s just a matter of doing it, of course.

“I’ve been in this position before, maybe not on the PGA Tour, but in this position before, so it wasn’t unusual.”

Matthew Anderson (69) of Mississauga, Ont., was tied for 19th at 8 under.

Local favourite Taylor Pendrith (70) of Richmond Hill, Ont., Adam Hadwin (66) of Abbotsford, B.C., and amateur Justin Matthews (66) of Little Britain, Ont., were in a group tied for 23rd at 7 under.

Pendrith delayed his post-round media appearances by a few minutes to sign autographs for children along the 18th green. He said it’s a “huge part” of his job as a pro golfer.

“Those kids look up to all of us out here and it doesn’t take much, took five minutes out of my day to make their day,” said Pendrith. “Especially here in Canada, a lot of them know my name, so it’s always nice to stop.”

A.J. Ewart (69) of Coquitlam, B.C., and Ben Silverman (69) of Thornhill, Ont., had identical rounds to sit in a tie for 49th at 4 under.

Adam Svensson (71) of Surrey, B.C., was tied for 59th at 2 under, Joey Savoie (72) of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., was grouped at 66th and Nick Taylor (78) of Abbotsford, B.C., was 75th at 6 over.

The 10 Canadians to make the cut at this year’s national championship are the most since 1969.

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CALEDON, Ontario (AP) — Jackson Suber got up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 18th hole Saturday for a 4-under 66, giving him a one-shot lead over Bud Cauley going into the final round of a wide-open RBC Canadian Open.

It was the first 54-hole lead for Suber, whose best PGA Tour finish came three weeks ago at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson when he tied for fourth, seven shots out of the lead.

Bud Cauley hit his tee shot to inches on the rowdy par-3 14th hole, the start of three straight birdies that carried him to a 66, leaving him in position for his first PGA Tour title.

Missing from the mix was 36-hole leader Ben James, who plunged out of contention with a 78, and Brooks Koepka, who had to deal with a mysterious feeling in his left arm that made it difficult for him to grip the club most of the day.

“I’m struggling to grip the club with my ring finger and pinkie finger, so can’t grip it,” Koepka said after salvaging a 72, leaving him seven shots behind. “My fingers would come loose, it was kind of numb. I don’t know what the deal was but hopefully we’ll figure it out.”

He had treatment on the course and said he had never experienced anything like that.

James, meanwhile, watched a dream pro debut turn sour when he had five straight bogeys on the front nine, didn’t make a birdie until the 15th hole and went from first to a tie for 59th.

Wyndham Clark, who won The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, shot a 63 as the leaders were just getting started. He wound up in a four-way tie for third with Tommy Fleetwood (67), Brice Garnett (67) and Jesper Svensson, who had the lead until a three-putt double bogey on the 17th dropped him to a 68.

Billy Horschel, who has been in a slump all year, shot 64 and was another shot back.

Suber has birdied the two par 5s each of the three rounds.

“I’ve just hit good drives there and I feel like I’ve been in a good spot and iron play seems to be my strength,” Suber said.

Now the big test awaits in various ways. The forecast is for rain and wind. The leaderboard features 17 players within four shots of a leader who has never won on the PGA Tour.

“The conditions are going to be really rough and no matter my start, if I start with an eagle or a bogey, it’s going to be a tough day and it’s not going to be won on the first probably nine to 15 holes,” Suber said. “So just staying patient.”

Suber is coming off a Monday in which he qualified for the U.S. Open for only the second time. Cauley narrowly missed out on his qualifier, but at No. 68 in the world, he now has a chance to move into the top 60 after the Canadian Open and earn a spot at Shinnecock Hills next week.

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Fourteen hours made all the difference in the world for Matthew Anderson.

When the 26-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., teed off at 9:12 a.m. on Friday in the second round of the RBC Canadian Open there was an expectant gallery waiting for him. When he reached No. 14 at TPC Toronto, the signature hole of the PGA TOUR event dubbed “The Rink,” fans stood and sang “O Canada.” They then roared their approval when he pulled on a Toronto Blue Jays jersey before teeing off on the par-3 hole.

It was a stark contrast from the previous evening when, as the last golfer on the course, he surged up the leaderboard into a six-way tie for first at the men’s national championship in front of only a handful of fans.

“I definitely had some more followers from the beginning, which was awesome,” said Anderson. “I threw on the Jays jersey at The Rink, which definitely did pretty well. Unfortunately, that putt just missed low, but you can’t make ’em all.

“That was fun, for sure. Definitely a fun atmosphere.”

Anderson (69) and Taylor Pendrith (67) of Richmond Hill, Ont., were the low Canadians after two rounds, shooting a 1-under 69 to move to 7 under total and into a tie for 13th. It’s only Anderson’s third PGA TOUR event, having played in the Canadian Open twice before and making the cut last year.

Although Anderson has played most of the season on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour — making the cut in five of his 13 starts, including five consecutive missed weekends leading up to the Canadian Open — he was confident that he would excel at TPC Toronto.

“I play this course a ton. I practice here a lot. I played, I don’t know how many rounds I’ve played on the North Course, but I’ve hit those tee shots and approaches a lot, the greens I know pretty well,” said Anderson. “So I’m comfortable out here, and I knew that my game coming in was trending and I could kind of play well at any point.”

Pendrith has now made the cut at six events in a row and is currently projected to move up to 90th in the FedEx Cup standings if he can maintain his position through the weekend.

He would rather win the whole thing, however.

“Obviously we were all inspired by (2023 champion Nick Taylor) a couple years ago, and it feels nice to be in the mix,” said Pendrith, who birdied the 17th and 18th holes to catch up to Anderson. “There will be a lot of Canadian support out there this weekend and hopefully I can have a good couple days.”

Ten of the 21 Canadians in the field made the 2-under cut, which is the most since 1969.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju (66) of Mississauga, Ont., was tied for 28th at 5 under.

Adam Hadwin (68) of Abbotsford, B.C., amateur Justin Matthews (70) of Little Britain, Ont., Ben Silverman (69) of Thornhill, Ont., Adam Svensson (72) of Surrey, B.C., and A.J. Ewart (68) of Coquitlam, B.C., were part of a large group tied for 46th at 3 under.

Hadwin said he was exhausted by the day.

“I’m going to go get some rest. I’ve got a couple sponsor obligations, and then I am mentally fried at this point,” said Hadwin, who was doing a towel drill before driving on his final hole of the round. “This golf course, with the wind and dealing with some of those indecisions and tentativeness and all that has kind of worn me down.

“I’m going to rest up for this weekend because I think my swing’s in a really good spot, I just have to trust it.”

Nick Taylor (71) of Abbotsford, B.C., and Joey Savoie (69) of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., snuck into the weekend at 2 under.

Roger Sloan (69) of Merritt, B.C., just missed the cut at 1 under overall.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Victoria’s Jeevan Sihota also did not reach the weekend.

Toronto-based amateurs Dawson Lew and Eric Zhao also missed the cut.

Yohann Benson of Pincourt, Que., Drew Nesbitt of Horseshoe Valley, Ont., Laurent Desmarchais of Cowansville, Que., and Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., were also above the line.

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PGA Tour debutant Ben James takes one-shot lead at RBC Canadian Open.

The 23-year-old American had an eagle on his first hole and didn’t slow down in a bogey-free 7-under round on Friday to put him a shot ahead of the field at 10 under overall at the RBC Canadian Open. James officially turned pro on Thursday when he teed off in the PGA Tour event’s first round.

“I wasn’t really thinking about results at all this week,” said James after signing his scorecard at TPC Toronto. “Just worried about getting comfortable, making new friends and having fun, and just seeing where everything kind of falls. Just seeing where my game stacks up.”

China’s Haotong Li (67) and Americans Sam Burns (67) and Jackson Suber (65) were in a three-way tie a shot behind James after the morning wave. Sweden’s Jesper Svensson (65) and Keith Mitchell (64) of the United States caught up to them in the afternoon for a five-way tie for second.

Li said that he had to keep clearing his mind as he fought to play on the weekend.

“Especially on the last few holes, I just keep telling myself (to clear my mind),” said Li, who has missed the cut at his last two events. “‘Bad thoughts don’t come to me,’ ‘don’t talk to me,’ ‘leave me alone,’ and it’s kind of worked so far.”

James and fellow American Bud Cauly are the only players to have 7-under rounds so far at this year’s Canadian men’s championship. 

“It all kind of came together today, it was just one of those days,” said the 23-year-old James, who just completed his senior season at Virginia University. “The putter was good, hitting fairways, had good numbers, and I was able to capitalize on a pretty tricky scoring day.”

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, the reigning Canadian Open champion, had his second consecutive day with a 66. He was in a five-way tie for seventh after two rounds.

“My goal for the week was to be patient, and you’ve definitely got to be that (at TPC Toronto),” said Fox. “You’ve just got to accept that you can hit a good shot that doesn’t end up where you think it’s going to and that that’s OK, move on to the next one. 

James and fellow American Bud Cauly are the only players to have 7-under rounds so far at this year’s Canadian men’s championship. 

“It all kind of came together today, it was just one of those days,” said the 23-year-old James, who just completed his senior season at Virginia University. “The putter was good, hitting fairways, had good numbers, and I was able to capitalize on a pretty tricky scoring day.”

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, the reigning Canadian Open champion, had his second consecutive day with a 66. He was in a five-way tie for seventh after two rounds.

“My goal for the week was to be patient, and you’ve definitely got to be that (at TPC Toronto),” said Fox. “You’ve just got to accept that you can hit a good shot that doesn’t end up where you think it’s going to and that that’s OK, move on to the next one. 

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CALEDON, Ontario (AP) — Fans were headed to the exits at TPC Toronto, vendors were counting their tills and packing up for the night, but Matthew Anderson was still putting in work.

Anderson, from nearby Mississauga, Ont., fired a 6-under 64 in the last group of the day at the RBC Canadian Open to finish Thursday’s first round in a six-way tie atop the leaderboard. Anderson said he wasn’t distracted by the dwindling gallery following him around the course, instead focusing on the shot in front of him.

“Obviously, I had a few supporters out there with me, which was really nice,” said Anderson. “With the quiet golf course it was cool to hear a loud cheer when you make a birdie.

“It was interesting, but I wasn’t really too focused on that, I guess.”

Sahith Theegala of the United States scored a 6-under 64 during the morning wave at TPC Toronto to take the clubhouse lead and then Anderson, Argentina’s Emilliano Grillo, and Americans Eric Cole, Brooks Koepka, and Sam Burns matched that performance in the afternoon.

Anderson has played in 13 events on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour this season, only making the cut five times. He didn’t see the weekend in his last five tournaments leading into this week’s Canadian men’s championship.

“Listen, you’re always working on stuff. I obviously haven’t played my best recently like on Korn Ferry,” said Anderson. “You’re always working on stuff. 

“You’re always working on things you can get a little better at, and you never know when it’s going to click. It happened to kind of click today.”

Theegala said that he intended to watch the afternoon’s wave and see if anyone would mount a challenge to his early lead, even as the course firmed up after a downpour during play in the morning.

“I enjoy watching because I feel like as pro golfers we don’t watch a lot of golf,” said Theegala. “When we have a morning tee time I’ll just try to catch a little bit of coverage in dining or when I go home and recover. 

“But for the most part I’ll do my own thing, get on my iPad and play some video games or some chess and go get a nice dinner.”

A heavy rainfall around 10 a.m. local time softened the North Course, but as the temperature rose in the afternoon birdies remained gettable. Grillo said that most PGA Tour golfers are so used to faster greens a softer playing surface could actually throw them off.

“When we come to slow greens, it’s hard to see more break and more speed,” said Grillo. “You’ve got to get it there.

“Sometimes you hit a little too firm on four-footers coming back on the greens. It’s not the most ideal situation.”

Koepka, a former world No. 1, was part of an exodus of players that left the PGA Tour for the upstart LIV Golf circuit in June 2022. He returned to the PGA Tour in January of this year under two conditions: he was ineligible to qualify for equity bonuses until 2030 and he agreed to make a US$5 million charitable donation.

“It’s been nice to be back. I’ve enjoyed it,” sad Koepka, who made four birdies on his last five holes. “I think the players have been very receptive. 

“I haven’t heard — at least nobody has said it to my face — anything.”

Anderson was certainly happy to be tied with Koepka.

“It’s awesome,” said Anderson. “I definitely imagined being in contention this week. I had no doubts I could do it. 

“Obviously feels great out there to feel the juices flowing and be in there and doing it.”

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., was in a 12-way tie for second, a shot back of the leaders.

Reigning champion Ryan Fox of New Zealand shot a 4-under 66 to sit in a tie for 19th.

Fox was in the day’s marquee group with Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., who won the national men’s golf championship in 2023. Taylor was 3 under tied for 32nd.

Koepka, whose second U.S. Open title was at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole to get his big run started. It ended with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 17th and a wedge to 5 feet for birdie on the 18th.

“I don’t think the ball striking was as good as it’s been as of late … but it was nice to see the putter finally heat up,” Koepka said. “It was just a culmination of kind of freeing the mind.”

It wasn’t just bunched at the top. Twelve players were at 65 at the TPC Toronto. Among those at 65 was Tony Finau, who missed out on U.S. Open qualifying at the start of the week, and Adam Svensson of Canada.

Svensson made news for the wrong reasons during U.S. Open qualifying. He was in a playoff that ended with three players going for one spot. Once Max McGreevy made birdie, Svensson picked up his ball marker, unaware there was still a playoff to determine first and second alternate.

He became the second alternate, which is likely to cost him a spot at Shinnecock because seven positions have yet to be filled.

“Nothing but my fault,” Svensson said. “They just 3-for-1. And once he made that, I just picked it up.”

The scoring average was 68.5, and 97 players from the 147-man field broke par.

Burn had a chance at the outright lead when he found the fairway on par-5 18th hole and had an iron into the green. His 18-foot eagle putt missed and he joined the group at 64.

Burns was in a playoff last year when he closed with a 62, but he ended up missing a short putt against Ryan Fox.

“I think it’s nice to have some good memories maybe before the tournament starts, but when you tee it up, you have to be able to execute and hit the shots that the golf course requires,” Burn said.

He took only positives from that round, particularly starting the final round so far back. And it carried over to the following week when Burns led the U.S. Open until having to play in wet conditions late on Sunday which affected some of his shots.

Burns also is coming off a close call at the Memorial last week, so his game is tidy.

Koepka started out his year hopeful of doing well enough to get into signature events. There is one left, and he still hasn’t played one.

“I’ve played great this year. Like I said, it’s just the putting that’s held me back, trying to be mechanical,” Koepka said. “But it was nice today to at least turn the brain off and go from there.”

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Most golfers have a few tricks in their golf bag, but Justin Matthews has one carrying his around TPC Toronto at this week’s RBC Canadian Open.

Braeden Cryderman, the course’s director of instruction, is Matthews’s caddie at the men’s national golf championship. The 22-year-old Matthews has been coached by Cryderman for nearly a decade and considers TPC Toronto his home course.

“The advantage for me would be that, he is my golf coach, so to have him like caddie for me, it’s pretty cool,” said Matthews, who added that he’s actually played the North Course more than Cryderman. “He knows my game so well. 

“I’ve worked with him since I was 13, so he knows my game so well, so the caddie/coach combination is pretty good.”

Matthews is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, playing in his third season for the 49ers after redshirting his freshman year. Charlotte head coach Ryan Cabbage made the trip up to TPC Toronto for the start of the tournament, allowing Cryderman to delineate his duties.

“Once you get inside the ropes, just keep your mouth shut and do what you need to do,” said Cryderman, who is from Bracebridge, Ont. “Then in the prep side, especially now that he’s (playing his third Canadian Open), it’s getting a little bit easier, where we have to do as much prep on the golf course. We know it.

“Just making sure to define the two roles when you get to the golf course is the hardest part, to be honest with you.”

Matthews is the highest-ranked Canadian on the men’s World Amateur Golf Rankings, 136th on the standings. The next nearest Canadian on the list is Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., who is 183rd. McCulloch officially turned pro when he teed off on Thursday.

“I still just feel like a normal amateur,” said the six-foot-three Matthews.

Matthews is hoping that the long holes at TPC Toronto, coupled with his familiarity with the course, will play to his advantage.

“I’d say definitely the strength of my game is off tee, like I normally drive straight,” said Matthews, who shot a 3-under 67 on Thursday to sit in a group tied for 32nd with Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. “At least the couple of practice my sessions my short game, has gone pretty well.”

Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont., made a late charge up the leaderboard to finish in a six-way tie for first with Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo and Americans Sahith Theegala, Brooks Koepka Eric Cole, and Sam Burns.

“I would say I hit my irons pretty well today,” said Anderson, who typically plays on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour. “Haven’t really been hitting them too well lately and just kind of found something with my turn, rotation. 

“Just kind of clicked today. Was hitting it really nice.”

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., was in a 12-way tie for seventh at 5 under and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., was two shots back of the leaders in a tie for 19th.

Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., and amateur Eric Zhao of Toronto were tied for 55th after 2-under rounds.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont., A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., Joey Savoie of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford were grouped at 1 under in a tie for 73rd.

McCulloch, Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., Drew Nesbitt of Horseshoe Valley, Ont., and amateur Dawson Lew of Toronto had even par rounds to sit in a tie for 98th.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., Laurent Desmarchais of Cowansville, Que., and Victoria’s Jeevan Sihota had 1-over days to sit together tied for 120th.

Yohann Benson of Pincourt, Que., was tied for 142nd at 4 over.

Two of Canada’s top golfers are hoping that playing in front of their fellow Canadians this week will invigorate their PGA Tour seasons.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., are arguably the two highest-profile Canadians on the top men’s tour and, therefore, two of the biggest attractions at this week’s RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.

Taylor, who won the event in 2023 to end a 69-year drought for Canadians at the national men’s championship, said it’s always a treat to play north of the border.

“We’re kind of stars for the week, which is abnormal for us. So it’s a lot of fun,” said Taylor on Wednesday, noting that he was in a group with Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont. “The support was amazing, the crowds were great, so I’m hoping for the same the next couple days and hopefully turn that into some good play and play well on the weekend.”

Taylor is 52nd on the PGA Tour’s points list and Conners is 83rd as the circuit approaches the midway point of the season. Taylor said the season’s been “mostly positive.”

“A lot of good stuff, a lot of pretty decent results, a lot of consistent play,” said Taylor at a news conference. “There’s been a lot of tournaments I feel like I’ve left disappointed, not really finishing off with the result that I wanted. 

“I’ve been in contention a handful of times, I saw things there, I feel like I’m building towards a good stretch for the end of the season.”

Conners, renowned for his ball-striking ability, said he’s also searching for more steady play this year.

“My game’s been unusually inconsistent,” said Conners. “I’ve had some good stretches, some not so good stretches. Some weeks have I’ve found it for a couple of the days and then lost it for the others. 

“Just trying to focus on playing pretty free, not trying to overthink things.”

The Canadian Open has been in the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area since 2015, rotating between five courses. It appears the event has found a somewhat permanent home at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley as it hosted the championship last year, this year, and will again in 2027.

“We’ve gotten to play some great golf courses in the RBC Canadian Open, but I think this is feeling like home for the event now,” said Conners. “I’m excited about that. 

“It’s what typically we’re used to week-in and week-out on the PGA Tour and they have done a wonderful job. This is a really impressive facility. It’s got everything that we want.”

The 34-year-old Conners and 38-year-old Taylor are two of the most experienced golfers among the 21-player Canadian contingent at the national championship. They have played in the Canadian Open 14 and 15 times respectively.

“I think it can be an intimidating feeling playing in your national open, playing in a PGA Tour event for the young guys,” said Conners. “I think my advice to them is really trust their game. They’re here for a reason. 

“Don’t try and overdo things, just try and be free and trust what got them here and enjoy the experience, have fun. The fans are going to be cheering them on, it will be a great experience for them regardless of how they play.”

Hughes, Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., will be playing in an all-Canadian group on Thursday and Friday. Weir is playing in his 33rd Canadian Open, second on the all-time list behind Toronto’s George Cumming (39).

Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont., the top-ranked Canadian on the PGA Tour, is also in the field. He’s 48th in the FedEx Cup standings.

“I played a few practice holes and been paired with Sudarshan and he’s really impressive,” said Conners. “I love how he goes about his business. He’s really focused in on each shot. He hits the ball far, hits it straight, a great putter. 

“There’s really no holes in his game, and I think you’ve seen that.”

PGA Tour regulars Pendrith, A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., will all tee it up Thursday morning.

Drew Nesbitt of Horseshoe Valley, Ont., Victoria’s Jeevan Sihota, Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont., Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., Laurent Desmarchais of Cowansville, Que., Joey Savoie of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., Yohann Benson of Pincourt, Que., and Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., round out the pro contingent.

Amateurs Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont., Dawson Lew and Eric Zhao, both from Toronto, will also be playing.

“I feel like managing the expectations of the week is probably one of the most important things,” said Taylor. “The first few times I was an amateur, obviously you’re very excited and you want to do well. Just embracing the week is important.”

There was one thing Ryan Fox knew he had to check out as soon as he returned to TPC Toronto for this year’s RBC Canadian Open.

The New Zealander immediately sought out the plaque mounted by the 18th green at the golf course northwest of Toronto that commemorates his four-hole playoff victory over American Sam Burns to win last year’s Canadian men’s national championship. 

“I’ve never had one of those before, so that was a pretty cool novelty today,” said Fox at a news conference on Wednesday morning. “I saw it, literally, 15, 20 minutes ago. 

“To see that and also look at that second shot again and try to relive that memory, that was pretty cool.”

TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley’s North Course hosted the Canadian Open for the first time last year. Aside from a handful of Canadian players who’d played it before, that put the field on equal footing.

Fox hoped that his familiarity with the course would carry over to this week’s tournament as he defends his title.

“Coming here last year was nice, everyone was in the same boat, no one’s really seen the golf course, everyone’s trying to figure it out,” said Fox, who is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour. “Now we’re coming back to the same place and going, ‘I know all the shots, I kind of know how I’m going to play the golf course.’ 

“Obviously, it might be a little bit different depending upon the wind, but I know where I’m trying to hit it on every tee. It makes the week a little bit less stressful trying to figure it out.”

Fox’s competition will be stiff as a stacked field will tee off for Thursday’s first round.

There are four players in the top 10 of the FedEx Cup standings, the point list of the top-tier PGA Tour. England’s Matt Fitzpatrick is third, Collin Morikawa of the United States is fifth, fellow American Jacob Bridgeman is ninth, and England’s Tommy Fleetwood is 10th.

Some of the tour’s top players are skipping the event — like world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and No. 2 Cameron Young, both from the U.S., as well as two-time Canadian Open champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland — to rest before next week’s U.S. Open, the third major of the men’s golf season.

Fox said he believes it’s a stronger field than last year, even with the big-name absences.

“It’s a tough place in the schedule, there’s going to be guys just not want to play the week before a major regardless of the event,” said Fox with the Canadian Open trophy beside him. “I think it speaks to the history to this event. I think everyone came out of this golf course last year really enjoying it. 

“There’s such a great history at this event, and it is a pretty good warm-up for next week.”

Morikawa, who hasn’t played since the PGA Championship on May 17 as he dealt with nagging back issues and became a first-time father, said he understood why some players take a week off ahead of a major, and others play.

“I’ve had good results both ways. I think it depends on how your game’s feeling, if you played the major golf course before, the schedule leading up to it,” said Morikawa, who won the PGA Championship in 2020 and the British Open in 2021. “There’s a big mix on what guys like to do. I think you can do it either way. 

“Honestly, I don’t prep that differently during those weeks. Some guys do, and I think that creates a scheduling conflict with playing a different tournament before.”

There are 21 Canadians in the field, including Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., who won in 2023 to end a 69-year drought for Canadians at their home championship.