Ian Leggatt named GM of St. George’s Golf & Country Club
TORONTO, ON – St. George’s Golf and Country Club welcomes Ian Leggatt as General Manager effective November 2, 2020. Leggatt comes to St. George’s from nearby Summit Golf Club, where he held the General Manager position.
Ian brings a unique background to the position as a former PGA Touring Professional, and winner of the 2002 Tucson Open. He has spent the last eight years leading a successful operation at Summit Golf Club. He is a proven leader with an established reputation and track record of translating his vision and passion for golf into meaningful cultural changes.
“We are very excited to welcome Ian to St. George’s,” said John Ciardullo, Chair of the Board. “The Board of Directors and Search Committee was unanimous in selecting Ian among highly qualified candidates from Canada, the United States, and Europe. Ian’s golf-centric background and his real vision for delivering an exceptional Member experience are precisely the skills and talents that will position St. George’s for long-term success in Canada and will elevate the Club’s international reputation.”
“It is an honour to be the General Manager of St. George’s Golf and Country Club. The Club’s iconic standing in Canadian golf, along with its global presence, truly excites me,“ says Leggatt. “It is the cultural presence of the game that differentiates great clubs from good ones. I look forward to enhancing the culture of golf at St. George’s and delivering a world-class golf experience.”
Leggatt’s November start date proves timely with St. George’s poised to host the 111th RBC Canadian Open in 2021 after the event was postponed in 2020 due to the ongoing global pandemic.
St. George’s Golf and Country Club was designed by Stanley Thompson in 1929 and is currently ranked #23 in the world by Golf Digest and is the highest Canadian rated 5-Star Platinum Club. The classically designed course has played host to the Senior PGA Tour, LPGA Peter Jackson/Du Maurier Classic on five occasions, and the Canadian Open in 1933, 1949, 1960, 1968, and 2010.
Thanking fans and volunteers of the RBC Canadian Open ?
The RBC Canadian Open would not be possible without our tremendous fans, volunteers and partners. On behalf of Team RBC and all who make the RBC Canadian Open possible, thank you!
Golf Canada and title sponsor RBC have confirmed that the membership of St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto has agreed to host the 2021 RBC Canadian Open, with nearby Islington Golf Club housing the official practice facility for the tournament. Read the full story here.
St. George’s Golf and Country Club agrees to host 2021 RBC Canadian Open
TORONTO – Golf Canada and title sponsor RBC have confirmed that the membership of St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto has agreed to host the 2021 RBC Canadian Open, with nearby Islington Golf Club housing the official practice facility for the tournament.
The two facilities were scheduled to host the 2020 RBC Canadian Open this week (June 8-14), prior to the event being cancelled because of international travel and government restrictions related to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The 2021 RBC Canadian Open will be held June 7-13.
“Together with our partners at RBC and the PGA TOUR, we are very pleased with the overwhelming support by the members of St. George’s Golf and Country Club to host the RBC Canadian Open in 2021,” said Golf Canada CEO, Laurence Applebaum. “The cancelation of our 2020 event due to the COVID-19 pandemic was disappointing and there is now a great enthusiasm as we pivot our full efforts alongside our partners and team of volunteers to making 2021 a great success. I want to thank the membership and the board of directors at both St. George’s and Islington for continuing in this journey towards what will be a truly special edition of the RBC Canadian Open.”
“We are thrilled to host the 2021 RBC Canadian Open at St. George’s Golf and Country Club,” said Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “As one of the top five golf courses in Canada, and one of the top 30 in the world, St. George’s is not only an incredible golf course but a world-class venue. Building off of last year’s momentum, we look forward to working together with our partners at Golf Canada and the PGA TOUR to make next year’s event one to remember.”
St. George’s Golf and Country Club has previously hosted the RBC Canadian Open on five occasions, dating as far back as 1933 and most recently in 2010.
Part of the FedExCup and conducted by Golf Canada for more than a century, the RBC Canadian Open provides an opportunity for Canada’s top talents to compete against the world’s best golfers while also leaving a significant impact in the event’s host community.
The RBC Canadian Open is proud to support the Golf Canada Foundation as the event’s official charity partner. Established in 1904, Canada’s national open golf championship is the third-oldest national open golf championship worldwide next to the British Open and the U.S. Open. The RBC Canadian Open is proudly sponsored by RBC, Audi, Acushnet, Steam Whistle, Hilton, Levelwear, Coca-Cola and the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada.
Reactions to the cancellation of the 2020 RBC Canadian Open
TORONTO – The 2020 RBC Canadian Open, one of the jewels of the country’s sports calendar, has been cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PGA Tour announced the cancellation of the tournament on Thursday as part of its revamped 2020 schedule. The four-day competition was scheduled to begin June 11 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto.
Golf Canada and its partners are now in negotiations to use the same venue for the 2021 edition of Canada’s men’s golf championship.
“Overwhelming disappointment for our fans and disappointment for golf in Canada because the RBC Canadian Open has been such a celebration and such a high point for so many of us,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “We’ve been dealing with the scenarios and the prospect of this for some time but the obstacles were just so numerous and from so many directions.”
The Canadian Open, first contested in 1904, is the third-oldest continuously running tournament on the PGA Tour behind the British Open and the U.S. Open.
It’s the first time the tournament has been cancelled since 1944, when it missed a second straight year due to the Second World War. It was also scrapped from 1915-18 because of the First World War.
“We were set to celebrate our 125th anniversary for Golf Canada,” said Applebaum. “When you think about other reasons why it was cancelled, for the World Wars, it’s similar.
“Right now we’re under a federal quarantine act, and both a provincial and city state of emergency. It’s a global pandemic.”
The Canadian Open is the latest major annual late spring or summer sporting event in Canada to be wiped out or postponed because of COVID-19. The Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal and the Queen’s Plate in Toronto will not run on their scheduled June dates, while the Rogers Cup women’s tennis tournament in Montreal, scheduled for August, will not be held in 2020.
The CP Women’s Open is still on the LPGA Tour schedule. It’s slated for Sept. 3-6 at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver.
Although the Canadian Open has been cancelled, the PGA Tour hopes to resume play this summer.
It laid out an ambitious plan to resume its season Thursday, starting at Colonial on June 11-14 in a televised event with no fans in attendance.
Under the PGA Tour’s new plan RBC, the Canadian Open’s title sponsor, would have its other event the RBC Heritage played without fans in late June.
“It is a bittersweet day for us as the sponsor of two tournaments. In a perfect world, both tournaments would be proceeding, ”said Mary DePaoli, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of RBC.
“We held out hope all the way, to the end, but the international travel restrictions, the quarantine measures that we’re all familiar with, and government mandates at so many levels were critical factors because we have to ensure the safety and the health of anyone participating in our tournaments.”
A cancellation seemed increasingly likely in recent weeks as the pandemic worsened. Three regional qualification tournaments set for mid-May were cancelled last month.
Also, the City of Toronto had cancelled its permits for all public gatherings up until June 30.
The edict didn’t apply to sporting events held on private property – like MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, the NBA’s Raptors and NHL’s Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, or the Canadian Open itself at St. George’s in the city’s west end.
However, city co-operation would have been necessary for parking and transit. The city’s edict also cancelled a two-night concert series planned for tournament week as The Chainsmokers and Keith Urban were going to perform at nearby Richview Collegiate Institute.
Although Golf Canada and RBC are already planning the 2021 Canadian Open, DePaoli says the fate of the concert series is still to be determined.
“We will make a decision on the inclusion of a concert series once we understand government mandates around physical distancing,” she said. “Our decision will start with what is permitted and what will society accept by way of gatherings.”
How this cancellation will affect the tournament’s long-term schedule is not yet known, although St. George’s was tentatively scheduled to host the Canadian Open again in 2024.
Applebaum says he’s especially disappointed for the PGA Tour’s Canadian golfers who enjoy the added support of playing on home soil.
“Obviously it’s not an easy decision and there’s very valid reasons for things getting cancelled or postponed,” said golfer Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., before the Canadian Open was officially cancelled. “It’s an event that I’ve been looking forward to all year, really.
“It’s so much fun to play in front of the Canadian fans, the support’s incredible at the RBC Canadian Open.”
2020 RBC Canadian Open cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
– Golf Canada and RBC will now pivot all efforts towards planning for a celebrated return of the RBC Canadian Open in 2021 –
TORONTO – With continued public health concerns as well as international travel and government restrictions due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the PGA TOUR, in consultation with Golf Canada and RBC, has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 RBC Canadian Open.
The event was scheduled for June 8-14 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club with Islington Golf Club as the official practice facility. The cancellation of the 2020 RBC Canadian Open also includes the RBCxMusic Concert Series which was scheduled to take place June 12-13 at Richview Collegiate Institute, featuring headline performances by The Chainsmokers and Keith Urban.
“The RBC Canadian Open has always been a rallying point for Canadian golf and while we share in the crushing disappointment with our fans, players, volunteers and many event partners, our primary responsibility is the safety of our people and our communities,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “It is now our full intention to push forward together with RBC, the PGA TOUR, the City of Toronto and our host clubs with the goal to bring the 2021 RBC Canadian Open to St. George’s Golf and Country Club with Islington Golf Club as the official practice facility.”
“Our foremost consideration is the health and safety of everyone in our community, including the players, spectators, our staff and volunteers, the media and the thousands of supporters who contribute to the success of our event,” said Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “The international travel restrictions, required quarantine measures and government mandates were critical factors that contributed to the decision to cancel our event this year. We have no doubt that the incredible momentum we’ve built together with our partners will make the 2021 RBC Canadian Open a world-class experience.”
Golf Canada and RBC would like to thank golf fans across the nation for their understanding and in particular, our many corporate partners, ticket and hospitality purchasers, as well as the countless volunteers for their continued support through this unprecedented time.
Golf Canada, the PGA TOUR and RBC have continued to monitor the guidelines provided by federal, provincial and municipal government health authorities in order to prevent the spread of the virus within our communities. With this decision, Golf Canada and RBC will now turn their focus towards the 2021 RBC Canadian Open.
Dating back to its inception in 1904, the cancellation of the 2020 RBC Canadian Open marks only the seventh time that Canada’s National Open Championship has not been conducted, including wartime cancellations from 1915-18 as well as 1943-44.
All corporate hospitality buyers will be contacted by their Golf Canada sales representative over the coming days to plan forward for 2021 and individual ticket purchases made via Ticketmaster will be automatically refunded within the next 30 days. The same refund policy applies for RBC clients who purchased RBCxMusic Tickets.
For more information, visit www.rbccanadianopen.com.
Doug Sanders, colourful RBC Canadian Open winner, dies
Doug Sanders brought a flamboyance to golf fashion ahead of his time, a colourful character known as much for the 20 times he won on the PGA TOUR as the majors that got away.
Sanders died Sunday morning in Houston, the PGA Tour confirmed through a text from Sanders’ ex-wife, Scotty. He was 86.
Sanders was still an amateur when he won his first PGA Tour event in 1956 at the RBC Canadian Open in a playoff against Dow Finsterwald, and his best year was in 1961 when he won five times and finished third on the PGA Tour money list.
But he is best known for four runner-up finishes in the majors, the most memorable at St. Andrews in the 1970 British Open. He only needed par on the final hole of the Old Course to beat Jack Nicklaus, and Sanders was 3 feet away. He jabbed at the putt and missed it, and Nicklaus beat him the next day in a playoff.
“If I was a master of the English language, I don’t think I could find the adjectives to describe how I felt when I missed that short one,” Sanders said after the playoff, where Nicklaus beat him by one shot. “But that’s golf, and that’s the fascination of the game.”
Sanders also finished one shot behind Nicklaus in the 1966 British Open at Muirfield. He had a one-shot lead going into the final round of the 1961 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills and finished one behind Gene Littler, and he finished one shot behind Bob Rosburg in the 1959 PGA Championship at Minneapolis Golf Club.
The loss to Nicklaus took its place with other near-misses in golf, such as Scott Hoch at the 1989 Masters. Sanders once cited Walter Hagen saying no one ever remembers who finishes second.
“But they still ask me if I ever think about that putt I missed to win the 1970 Open at St. Andrews,” he said. “I tell them sometimes it doesn’t cross my mind for a full five minutes.”
But there was never any mistaking Sanders, known as the “Peacock of the Fairways” for his Easter-egg collection of colours he wore on the golf course, even after he was done competing.
“The two most frequent questions on tour were, `What did Arnold Palmer shoot?’ and `What’s Doug Sanders wearing?”’ Sanders told Golf Digest in 2007.
Tommy Bolt once said of Sanders, “The man looks like a jukebox with feet.”
Also overlooked were his 20 victories on the PGA Tour, the last of which was the 1972 Kemper Open by one shot over Lee Trevino. He won at some of the bigger spots on tour, such as Colonial, the Western Open and Doral. When he won the RBC Canadian Open in 1956, it was 29 more years before another amateur – Scott Verplank – won on the PGA Tour.
Sanders played in one Ryder Cup, in 1967 in Houston, with Ben Hogan captain of what is regarded one of the best U.S. teams from that era of the matches.
He was born in Cedartown, Georgia, and played college golf at Florida.
Sanders stayed active after no longer competing, sponsoring the Doug Sanders Celebrity Classic for six years and a junior golf championship in Houston.
RBC Canadian Open Statement re: City of Toronto Decision to pull all city permits as a COVID-19 precaution
Today, the City of Toronto made the decision to cancel all permits and access to City services for events through June 30 due to ongoing developments with COVID-19.
We appreciate the factors that led to this decision, in particular that all city resources are being directed to support our communities during this unprecedented health crisis. The health and safety of everyone who supports the RBC Canadian Open – and our community as a whole – will always come first, and we respect the City’s decision.
Together with the PGA TOUR, we are assessing this recent development along with other challenges posed by COVID-19 to determine the best course of action for the RBC Canadian Open. We will make further announcements in the coming week.
Golf Canada announces event cancellations and postponements
With heightened uncertainty and global concern related to COVID-19, Golf Canada continues to evaluate all aspects of our business to operate and make informed and responsible decisions within the best interests of our athletes, staff, volunteers, host clubs, partners and other stakeholders health and well-being.
Today (March 30, 2020), Golf Canada is announcing its decision to cancel or postpone the events listed below.
Golf Canada has cancelled the following 2020 NextGen Championships:
- NextGen Pacific | May 14-17 | Pheasant Glen Golf Resort, Qualicum Beach, B.C.
- NextGen Ontario | May 21-24 | Listowel Golf Club, Listowel, Ont.
- NextGen Western | May 27-30 | River Spirit Golf Club, Calgary, Alta.
- NextGen Québec | June 4-7 | Owl’s Head Golf Club, Mansonville, Qué.
Golf Canada has postponed the following 2020 RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifiers:
- Ontario Qualifier | May 14 | TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, Caledon, Ont.
- British Columbia Qualifier | May 19 | Meadow Gardens Golf Club, Pitt Meadows, B.C.
- Québec Qualifier | May 21 | Club de golf Pinegrove, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Qué.
Golf Canada has also decided to postpone the 2020 Canadian University/College Championship:
Canadian University/College Championship | May 24-28 | Club de golf Les Quatre Domaines, Mirabel, Qué.
Golf Canada has cancelled all National Rules and Course Ratings Seminars:
- National Rules Seminar (BC) | March 27-29 | Marine Drive Golf Club, Vancouver, B.C.
- National Rules Seminar (NB) | March 27-29 | Royal Oaks Golf Club, Moncton, N.B.
- National Rules Seminar (ON) | April 3-5 | St. George’s Golf & Country Club, Toronto, Ont.
- National Rules Seminar (QC) | April 24-26 | Elm Ridge Country Club, Montreal, Qué.
- National Rules Seminar (SK) | April 24-26 | Riverside Country Club, Saskatoon, Sask.
- National Course Rating Seminar April 26-27
The USGA previously announced the cancellation of local (first stage) qualifying for the 2020 U.S. Open in its current form. They are working with their Allied Golf Association (AGA) partners and International Federations to redesign qualifying going forward.
The decision to cancel or postpone these events was not taken lightly, but given unprecedented times, we believe it is the best course of action. The safety and well-being of our championship competitors, tournament staff and volunteers along with our host site members and staff are paramount to Golf Canada. We also appreciate that all Canadians are dealing with health and travel concerns along with more pressing matters of uncertainty.
We share in the disappointment of those affected and thank all for their understanding during this extraordinary time.
A complete list of Golf Canada’s competitions is available here.
A relaxed McIlroy looks to continue winning ways as golf’s top player
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – It’s been quite the stretch of golf for Rory McIlroy since last year’s RBC Canadian Open.
McIlroy, who is the defending champion at The Players Championship this week at TPC Sawgrass, rode the momentum from his win in Florida to Hamilton and onwards to topping the FedEx Cup standings for the second time.
He went on to win Player of the Year honours on the PGA Tour.
Although McIlroy hasn’t seen much of Canada – he went to Toronto for four days after playing the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in 2015 to see his friend Nail Horan (yes, the lead singer of uber-popular boy band One Direction) play a concert and he said he would love to see Vancouver one day – he certainly made a big impact a year ago.
The 30-year-old blitzed the field at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, finishing with a 9-under 61 Sunday. He topped Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson, who tied for second, by seven shots. It was a crowning of sorts for the young Ulsterman, as, for a week, he was the King of Canada.
Right back at ya, @McIlroyRory!
Cheers, champ ? pic.twitter.com/WIotjSqxvm
— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) June 10, 2019
McIlroy has been the king of the golf world for a little longer than just a week, however.
As of this week at The Players, McIlroy has been on top of the world golf rankings for a clean 100 weeks in his career.
“I’m very proud to think that I’ve spent two years of my career at the top of the World Rankings. It’s a pretty nice feeling,” said McIlroy on Tuesday at Sawgrass.
Although he admitted reaching No. 1 this time around was anti-climatic – he essentially got to the top spot via a mathematical formula and not by a particular accomplishment – he said he still managed to find time to celebrate the milestone with his caddie and best friend, Harry Diamond, who took over McIlroy’s bag in 2017.
“We’ve been on that journey together from sort of injuries and not playing my best all the way back to the top of the world,” said McIlroy. “So it was important for me to sit down and have a few drinks with him and be like, you know, ‘we’ve done this, this was our journey and we did it, two guys that grew up in Holywood, Northern Ireland, playing golf together,’ and that we’ve done this is something that was really cool.”
Indeed, McIlroy has had much to celebrate over the last 12 months, including his victory at the RBC Canadian Open.
In an interview in January, McIlroy said, for the first time in his life, he’s feeling very settled. He turned 30 in 2019 and has a new home base in South Florida with his wife, Erica. He took a holiday over Christmastime for the first time in forever, he said. He’s trying to travel less. He’s enjoying the little things in life like a good book and a nice bottle of wine.
After winning the FedEx Cup last year, he gave himself the opportunity to think back to the year-that-was and recognize his accomplishments.
“This year it was very nice to enjoy downtime. I played a lot (in 2019) and I played well and I wanted to enjoy some time and reflect on a good year I feel very settled, very balanced, it’s been nice to spend time at home and do that as well.”
McIlroy comes into this week at The Players playing some magical golf. So far this season McIlroy has finished T3-1-T3-T5-5-T5.
Still, McIlroy is not one to be complacent.
“I think the only way to not win is to concentrate on the results,” he said. “So if I can just concentrate on what I’m doing and what I’m doing well, what I maybe need to improve on a little bit, just break the game down into different sections but really just try to make it as simple as possible, if I can do a few different things in my golf game just a little bit better, those thirds and fifths will hopefully turn into wins.”
No one has ever defended their Players Championship title, but if anyone could make it happen – and considering how well he’s playing coming into the week – it would be McIlroy.
“If there’s been no one to defend, it would be a nice time to start and have someone do that,” said McIlroy. “A lot of similarities between this year and last year in terms of how I’ve played the first few events of the year, given myself some chances, haven’t quite been able to capitalize, and obviously it would be wonderful to replicate what happened last year.”
The Chainsmokers and Keith Urban to headline RBCxMusic Concert Series at 2020 RBC Canadian Open
