Golf Canada and Golf Town have announced the partnership in which Golf Town will become the official Golf Retailer of Future Links – Canada’s national junior golf program as well as the 2017 Professional Championships; The RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open.

Future Links, driven by Acura, is a joint grassroots initiative of Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and the provincial golf associations which offers a full suite of junior golf programs for boys and girls ages 6 to 18 – from beginnings to those with more experience or greater playing ability. The program is structured to focus on three core areas– facility programming, community outreach, and in-school programming.

In 2017, Golf Canada has also integrated the popular Golf in Schools program under the Future Links suite of junior golf activities. With more than 400,000 children currently learning golf at nearly 3,400 schools (elementary, intermediate, and high schools) as part of the Canadian Physical Education curriculum, Future Links, driven by Acura is supporting quality junior golf experience from in-schools to on-course at clubs across Canada.

As the official golf retailer of Canada’s national junior golf program, Golf Town has implemented a fundraising initiative at Golf Town locations across the country in support of Golf in Schools adoptions. This initiative will allow consumers at Golf Town retail locations to donate towards the adoption of a school in their local area. This adoption will equip a local school with a Golf in Schools kit, that can be incorporated into the Physical Education curriculum to introduce elementary, intermediate or high school students to the game of golf.

“Golf Town has been a tremendous partner since aligning their respected brand with Canada’s national junior golf program as well as our 2017 Professional Championships. We are thrilled with their deepened commitment to the growth of the game as a whole,” said Chief Sport Officer, Jeff Thompson. We are proud that Golf Town will continue to drive the Golf in Schools program forward and introduce hundreds of children to the game.”

“Growing the game, contributing to the community, and encouraging our associates to get behind an initiative we strongly believe in is what inspires us, so when the opportunity to partner with Golf Canada on an in-store fundraising campaign for Golf in Schools came up, we were more than excited to get on board,” said Chad McKinnon, President at Golf Town. “We’re grateful to have wonderful customers believe in growing the game in their communities just as much as we do, and their generosity shows. We look forward to continuing our support and growing the game with Future Links as a proud partner.”

In addition, Golf Town will be introducing their Brooke Brigade Viewing Zones at the CP Women’s Open August 21 – 27 at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club. These exclusive areas throughout the championship grounds will allow Golf Town juniors, known as “Brooke’s Brigade,” to watch their hometown hero, Brooke Henderson, compete in Canada’s National Women’s Open. Juniors will be outfitted in Golf Town Brooke Brigade t-shirts and will even enjoy some surprise and delights in The Golf Town Brooke Brigade Viewing Zones.

“We are extremely excited to have Golf Town as the official golf retailer of our Professional Championships,” said Bill Paul, Chief Championship Officer.  “Golf Town’s investment in the Professional Championships further enhances its commitment within the golf marketplace in Canada.”

“We are very excited to be a part of the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open as the official retailer of both championships. Through our commitment to Future Links, we hope we can inspire young Canadians to pick up a club and get out on the course to have some fun with their friends and family. Who knows, maybe someday we may see the same junior golfers competing in one of these premium events and inspiring the next generation of golf to do the same,” said Chad McKinnon.

For more information, please visit www.golftown.com

For the third year in a row, WestJet raised funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Canada at the RBC Canadian Open.

Have you ever wondered what hundreds of mini balls look like soaring onto the 18th green? Now you don’t have to. Watch below to find out how the day unfolded.

Want to learn more? Visit: https://blog.westjet.com/turning-a-toonie-into-round-trip-flights-for-two/

Jhonattan Vegas won the 2017 RBC Canadian Open to defend his 2016 title by defeating Charley Hoffman in a playoff to claim his third career PGA TOUR victory.

The Venezuelan made a birdie on the first playoff hole, the par-5 18th, to become the seventh RBC Canadian Open winner to successfully defend his title.

Douglas Edgar (1919-20), Leo Diegel (1924-25, 1928-29), Sam Snead (1940-1941), Jim Ferrier (1950-1951), and Jim Furyk (2006-07) have all accomplished the feat.

“Obviously repeating is a big thing for the confidence,” said Vegas. “Obviously I want to win more and bigger tournaments, and this is a great step forward.”

Vegas recorded his lowest round of the championship, firing a 7-under-par 65 in Sunday’s final round with just one bogey on the par-3 15th.

Coming into the week, Vegas had missed five consecutive cuts.

“Obviously after coming after five missed cuts is never positive,” said Vegas. But I’ve been playing good golf the whole year; that I just had to stay cool and hopefully things will turn around, and I’m glad they did.”

Hoffman, from Ranch Santa Fe, Calif., was the 54-hole leader at 17 under par. He carded a 4-under-par 68 in Sunday’s final round.

This is the fifth time Hoffman has failed to convert a 54-hole lead into a victory.

“Yeah, it’s always tough after you don’t close the deal after having the lead but obviously got some big tournaments coming up,” said Hoffman. “The playoffs, a major championship, and obviously got some good momentum going into those.”

Hoffman’s previous best finish at the RBC Canadian Open was a T4 at St. Georges Golf and Country Club in 2010.

Englishman Ian Poulter charged up the leaderboard Sunday, carding an 8-under-par 64 to finish third at 20 under par in his first RBC Canadian Open appearance.

After a tumultuous start to his season in which he nearly lost his PGA TOUR card, Poulter now has two top-5 finishes in 2017.

“I’ve done everything I needed to do today. I played very solid. I gave myself lots of opportunities,” said Poulter after his round. “I’ve had a nice summer in Europe with the family and kids. Life’s all good.”

It took an extra hole to determine the winner.

Highlights from Sunday’s exciting final round coverage of the @RBCCanadianOpen. pic.twitter.com/DDFCicgxjl

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 31, 2017

Gary Woodland of Topeka, Kans., finished fourth at 19 under par – his fifth top-10 of the season and best-ever finish at the RBC Canadian Open.

Dundas, Ont., native Mackenzie Hughes won the Rivermead Trophy as the low Canadian, finishing in a tie for 32nd at 10 under par in his first RBC Canadian Open as a professional.

Hughes finished strong with a 4-under-par 68 on Sunday to climb 23 spots after struggling with a 2 over par 74 in the third round.

“The week as a whole was a lot of fun,” said Hughes. “So many people out supporting me from Dundas and all over Canada. I could feel that support all the way around. All the Canadian fans
listening, thank you for the support.”

Graham DeLaet from Weyburn, Sask., finished T48 at 8 under par, closing with a 1-under-par 71 on Sunday.

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson tried to make a charge after starting the day five shots back of Hoffman at 12 under par. The Jupiter, Fla., resident finished with a 5-under-par 67, ending tied for eighth.

“The golf game is moving in the right direction,” said Johnson. “I felt like I played really good every day this week. I hit really good putts. They just weren’t going in the hole.”

Click here to view the full leaderboard for the 2017 RBC Canadian Open.

Charley Hoffman of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., is the 54-hole leader at the RBC Canadian Open after carding a 7-under-par 65 in Saturday’s third round at Glen Abbey Golf Club.

Hoffman recorded eight birdies and just one bogey on the day, building a one-shot lead over fellow American Kevin Chappell.

“You know the birdies are out there,” said Hoffman. “A perfect day here to make some birdies and have some fun in front of the fans.”

A four-time winner on the PGA TOUR, Hoffman’s last victory came at the 2016 Valero Texas Open.

Starting the day in a tie for fourth, Chappell, from in Fresno, Calif., posted a 6-under-par 66 in round three to enter the final grouping with Hoffman.

“We are good friends. Our caddies are staying together,” said Chappell. “We’ll have some laughs and it will be a comfortable pairing, that’s for sure.”

Chappell has three top-10 finishes on the PGA TOUR this season, including a win at the Valero Texas Open. He came to Glen Abbey ranked 32nd in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Robert Garrigus, from Scottsdale Ariz., tied the Glen Abbey course record with a 10-under-par 62 in the morning wave, moving him to 15 under par for the tournament—a 43 spot climb up the leaderboard into a tie for third place with Gary Woodland.

It’s a great confidence builder,” said Garrigus. “I know it’s hard to follow up a good round with a really good one but I’ve done it before, so hopefully I can do it again.”

Woodland, from Topeka, Kans., had seven birdies on Saturday but carded a 4-under-par 68 due to a double-bogey on the par-4 third. He is searching for his third career PGA TOUR victory.

Defending champion Jhonattan Vegas is part of a group of six players tied for fifth at 14 under par. Vegas carded a 5-under-par 67 in round three and knows he’ll have to go low again tomorrow to defend his title.

“You have to stay super aggressive. There’s nothing else you have to be thinking of,” said Vegas. “There’s a lot of birdies out here. We have to find a way to make a few more birdies than everyone tomorrow and see what happens.”

World. No. 1 Dustin Johnson was 5-under-par on the front nine Saturday but a double-bogey on No. 11 derailed his round, and he posted a 4-under-par 68 in round three to finish at 12 under par.

Johnson is seeking his PGA TOUR leading fourth win of 2017.

After 54 holes, Graham DeLaet is the top Canadian at 7 under par in a share of 41st place.

The Weyburn, Sask., native made the turn at 1 under par and went on to post a 1-over-par 73.

“I turned it under par which is solid play without making any putts and I just hit four bad tee shots in a row on 11, 12, 13, 14,” said DeLaet. “All of as sudden I’m a couple over par and 50th place or whatever it was.”

Mackenzie Hughes – the other Canadian playing the weekend at Glen Abbey – posted a 2-over-par 74 in round three to sit T55.

Tee times for the final round can be found here.

Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., has been selected to host the RBC Canadian Open in 2018, as announced today by Golf Canada and RBC.

Renowned as the longtime home of Canada’s National Men’s Open Golf Championship, the return to Glen Abbey in 2018 will mark the 30^th time the venue has played host to the stars of the PGA TOUR. The 2018 championship will run July 23-29 on the PGA TOUR schedule.

“Together with our partners at RBC, we are excited to announce the RBC Canadian Open will be contested at Glen Abbey Golf Club again in 2018,” said Laurence Applebaum, chief executive officer of Golf Canada. “Glen Abbey has proven to be one of the world’s premier stadium courses for spectators and fan engagement. With our 2018 venue secured, we will continue to work towards finding a permanent home that serves our needs for Canada’s National Open Championship well into the future.”

In 2016, RBC announced it was continuing its investment in golf by signing a six-year extension as title sponsor of both the RBC Canadian Open and RBC Heritage. The new agreements take effect in 2018 and run through 2023.

“RBC is proud to partner with Golf Canada to ensure the RBC Canadian Open remains a best-in-class event for golf fans across Canada,” said Mary DePaoli, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for RBC. “Glen Abbey is a premiere location to showcase our National Open Championship and host the world’s top golfers, including our Team RBC players.”

Glen Abbey Golf Club hosted 22 Canadian Opens between 1977 and 2000 and after a brief hiatus the tournament returned in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Golf Canada’s head office as well as the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum are located on the grounds of Glen Abbey Golf Club.

“ClubLink is proud to again partner with Golf Canada as host of the RBC Canadian Open – the crown jewel of Canadian golf,” said ClubLink chief executive officer Rai Sahi. “We continue to be a committed and vested partner in Canadian golf and we look forward to working closely with Golf Canada and RBC to grow golf in Canada and work on opportunities for a permanent home for the RBC Canadian Open.”

Designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus, a seven-time runner-up at the event, Glen Abbey is playing host to this year’s championship from July 24-30. The 2017 RBC Canadian Open is once again raising funds in support of Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada – along with the Golf Canada Foundation in support of junior golf initiatives.

Fort Worth, Tex., product Martin Flores fired a 66 for the second consecutive day at Glen Abbey Golf Club to move to 12-under-par and take the 36-hole lead at the RBC Canadian Open.

Flores was bogey-free on Friday with four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 second hole to build a one-shot advantage over Matt Every, Gary Woodland and Brandon Hagy, who are 11 under.

“I was really pleased with my day,” said Flores. “Starting on the back, I sprinkled in some birdies and was able to capitalize on 16 and 18 – two par 5s.”

The 35-year-old is looking for his first career PGA TOUR victory this weekend.

Second-round interview with 36-hole leader Martin Flores #RBCCO pic.twitter.com/jVxRekzpcu

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) July 29, 2017

Every—one of five players who shared the opening-round lead at 7 under par—posted a 4-under-par 68 in the second round to climb to 11 under par.

A two-time PGA TOUR winner, the Daytona Beach, Fla., native is happy to be in contention heading into the weekend.

“I definitely feel like I’ve made big strides the last few months, because it sucks to suck,” said Every. “I’m playing well right now. It’s not like a surprise to me. But I feel good with where I’m at.”

Hagy, a Santa Monica, Calif., native, had seven birdies on Friday to put himself in position to chase his first career PGA TOUR win this weekend.

The lowest score of the day belonged to Woodland. Hailing from Topeka, Kans., Woodland fired a 9-under-par 63, matching his career low round on the PGA TOUR—one shot away from tying the course record.

“Today I drove it well. Obviously, the ball-striking was good and I saw some putts go in,” said Woodland. “That adds up to a pretty good number.”

Graham DeLaet and Mackenzie Hughes were the lone Canadians to survive the 36 hole cut at Glen Abbey. The pair sit at 8 under par and hold a share of 14th.

DeLaet carded a 4-under-par 68 for the second consecutive day.

“I know the crowds will probably be big tomorrow and fun, and I need to try to embrace that,” said DeLaet. “I’m within striking distance, so another solid round tomorrow or something really low, I think I’m going to need two really good ones or like one really special one to get the win.”

The Weyburn, Sask., native had his best RBC Canadian Open finish in 2014, where he tied for 7th.

“I’m in the mix, and I’m excited about it.” – Graham DeLaet after carding a 68 to get to 8-under at the #RBCCO. pic.twitter.com/J7IPVudosy

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) July 28, 2017

Already a winner in his rookie season on the PGA TOUR, Hughes started the day in a tie for 17th at 5 under par. The Dundas, Ont., native poured in seven birdies in round two, but added four bogeys to card a 3-under-par 69.

“You’re going to have those kind of rounds. I did well to manage it,” said Hughes. “It was kind of tricky out there. The winds were kind of swirling and a little bit gusty at times. So, 3 under was a good score.”

Three-time major champion Vijay Singh made a move up the leaderboard on Friday. The Fijian carded a 4-under par 66 to move into a tie for fifth two shots back of Flores at 10-under par.

Singh, 54, passed on playing in the Senior Open Championship this weekend to return to the site of his 2004 victory over Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member and Brights Grove, Ont., native Mike Weir.

“I know the golf course. The people are very friendly and they know golf,” said Singh. “I’ve played here so many times. Very, very familiar with it.”

Defending champion Jhonattan Vegas is part of a group of four players at 9 under par. The Venezuelan doesn’t plan on changing his game plan on the weekend as he tries to repeat.

“I was playing with Dustin (Johnson) today, which was a good thing because we were both firing at everything,” said Vegas. “You have to stay aggressive out here, because these guys are making a lot of birdies.”

Tee times for the third round can be found here.

CANADIANS AT THE 2017 RBC CANADIAN OPEN

• T14 Graham DeLaet – Weyburn – 68-68 -8
• T14 Mackenzie Hughes – Dundas – 67-69 -8

— DID NOT ADVANCE —

• Nick Taylor – Abbotsford – 69-72 -3
• David Hearn – Brantford 69-72 -3
• Bryn Parry – Vancouver 70-71 -3
• Drew Nesbitt – Shanty Bay – 72-69 -3
• Hugo Bernard (a) – Mont-Saint-Hilaire – 71-70 -3
• Austin James (a) – Bath – 71-72 -1
• Adam Hadwin – Abbotsford – 75-69 E
• Mike Weir – Brights Grove – 72-73 +1
• Daniel Kim – Toronto – 73-72 +1
• Riley Wheeldon – Comox – 74-72 +2
• Matt Hill – Brights Grove – 71-76 +3
• Brad Fritsch – Manotick – 72-75 +3
• Jared du Toit – Kimberley – 71-79 +6
• Ryan Williams – Surrey – 78-77 +11
• Garrett Rank – Elmira – 74-81 +11

(a) denotes amateur

There’s tons of pressure on Mackenzie Hughes. Playing near his hometown, in his national championship, with dozens of family and friends in the gallery watching. But the PGA Tour rookie is trying to treat the RBC Canadian Open like any other tournament.

That methodical approach paid off as Hughes, from nearby Dundas, Ont., was the low Canadian on Thursday firing a 5-under 67 to enter a 16-way tie for 17th. The 26-year-old Hughes was happy to be just two shots behind the five co-leaders Hudson Swafford, Brandon Hagy, Kevin Chappell, Matt Every and Ollie Schniederjans.

“You can’t win it on Thursday but you can lose it on Thursday,” said Hughes after signing his scorecard. “I put myself in a pretty good spot. I know the scores are up there today and someone might shoot 7, 8 under, but it’s a four-round tournament and I’m off to a great start.”

That eases some of the tension that Hughes and the 16 other Canadians competing at the event feel every year at the PGA’s annual event north of the border.

“There’s a little bit of pressure. I’d be lying if I said it was a normal week. It’s not,” said Hughes, who estimated he had between 20 and 30 friends and family at Glen Abbey Golf Course for the first round. “You see a lot of familiar faces in the gallery, people calling your name. On the PGA Tour, I don’t get noticed for my appearance usually.”

Graham DeLaet, a seven-year PGA Tour veteran from Weyburn, Sask., said that he felt the pressure too, getting nervous before teeing off in the afternoon group.

“I had butterflies in my stomach,” said DeLaet, who eagled on No. 18 just before the sun set for a 4-under 68. “I’m not used to having so many people around No. 1 as I’m teeing off on a Thursday.”

Part of the pressure comes from Canada’s decades-long drought at its own national championship. The last Canadian to win the event was Pat Fletcher at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf Club in 1954 and today’s crop of players are asked about bringing the title home on a nearly daily basis at the Canadian Open.

“We’re aware of it but it gets talked about it enough,” said Hughes. “At the end of the day, we prepare 30 weeks a year trying to win tournaments, and this is another one I’ll be trying to win. To have this be in Canada, and obviously it would be very special, but you just can’t try too hard to win your national open, because it’s not going to happen if you try that hard.”

Amateurs Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint Hillaire, Que., and Austin James of Bath, Ont., were at 1 under while Jared Du Toit of Kimberely, B.C., Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch, and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., finished their rounds at even-par 72.

Toronto’s Daniel Kim was 1-over 73 and Riley Wheeldon of Comox, B.C., was 2 over.

Matt Hill of Sarnia, Ont., amateur Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., Drew Nesbitt of Shanty Bay, Ont., and Vancouver’s Ryan Williams had their days cut short due to darkness. They’ll finish their first rounds on Friday.

Hudson Swafford, Kevin Chappell, Matt Every, Ollie Schniederjans, and Brandon Hagy carded matching rounds of 65 to lead the way at 7 under par in the rain-shortened first round of the RBC Canadian Open.

Play was halted at 3:45 p.m. due to dangerous weather and resumed at 5:40 p.m. after a 1 hour and 55-minute delay. Twenty-one golfers were unable to finish their first round when play was officially suspended for the day due to darkness at 8:48 p.m.

Swafford, from Tallahassee, Fla., parred his first hole of the day before pouring in five consecutive birdies to kickstart his round.

“I hit a lot of quality shots and gave myself a lot of looks,” said Swafford. “That’s all I was trying to do, keep giving myself looks and rolled the putter beautifully.”

He added three more birdies and just one bogey to put him himself in a good position to chase his second PGA TOUR win of the season following a victory at the CareerBuilder Challenge in January.

Chappell averages 299.9 yards per drive off the tee and took advantage of the three par-5s at Glen Abbey playing them in 4-under-par.

“I hit it really well. Got the ball in play on the par 5s, so I was able to attack those,” said Chappell.

The Fresno, Calif., native has three top-10s on the PGA TOUR this year including a win at the Valero Texas Open and a T7 at The Masters.

Hagy, a native of Santa Monica, Calif., had eight birdies and only one bogey to record his career-low round on the PGA TOUR (in relation to par). Every of Daytona Beach, Fla., had a clean card in his opening round recording seven birdies without dropping a single stroke.

Like Every, Schniederjans was bogey free. The Dallas, Tex., product chipped in for eagle on hole No. 13 and another on hole No. 18 to go along with three birdies. The former No. 1 ranked amateur in the world has four top-10s on the PGA TOUR this year.

“I took advantage of the par-5s and just played real consistently well off the tee. I was in good positions all day. Just a solid round,” said Schniederjans.

Eleven players are one stroke back at 6-under-par including two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson. The Baghdad, Fla., product had six birdies and zero blemishes on his card recording his first bogey-free round since the second round of the 2016 BMW Championship.

“Today it’s a little softer but you know, light rough, firm greens, but light rough and I feel like I can play as long as I can make a couple putts and that’s what I did,” commented Watson.

Dundas, Ont, native Mackenzie Hughes is the leading Canadian sitting T17 after a 5-under-par 67. Teeing off on hole No. 10 Hughes went out in a pedestrian 1-under-par 36 before heating up on his second nine – carding four birdies in his first five holes to finish at 5 under par.

“It was pretty rock solid, lots of fairways and gave myself some really good looks. The birdie putts I made were relatively close, inside ten feet, 12 feet” said Hughes. “Those are nice days when you can be aggressive from that 15-foot range. It was a fun day.”

Graham DeLaet from Weyburn, Sask., is T33 at 4-under-par. Nick Taylor, (Abbotsford B.C.) is T53 alongside Brantford’s David Hearn at 3-under-par (69).

Team Canada Amateur Squad teammates Jared du Toit (Kimberley B.C.), Hugo Bernard (Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.) and Austin James (Bath, Ont.) carded matching rounds of 71 for a share of 87th.

CANADIANS AT THE 2017 RBC CANADIAN OPEN

• T17 Mackenzie Hughes – Dundas – 67 -5
• T33 Graham DeLaet – Weyburn – 68 -4
• T53 Nick Taylor – Abbotsford – 69 -3
• T53 David Hearn – Brantford 69 -3
• T70 Bryn Perry – Vancouver 70 -2
• T87 Jared du Toit – Kimberley – 71 -1
• T87 Hugo Bernard (a) – Mont-Saint-Hilaire – 71 -1
• T87 Austin James (a) – Bath – 71 -1
• T106 Mike Weir – Brights Grove – 71 E
• T106 Brad Fritsch – Manotick – 72 E
• T106 Matt Hill – Brights Grove –E (17)
• T121 Daniel Kim – Toronto – 73 +1
• T121 Garrett Rank – Elmira – +1 (16)
• T121 Drew Nesbitt – Shanty Bay +1 (16)
• T138 Riley Wheeldon – Comox – 74 +2
• T146 Adam Hadwin – Abbotsford – 75 +3
• 156 Ryan Williams – Surrey – +7 (17)

Round one will resume on Friday at 8:20 a.m.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Hudson Swafford birdied on No. 18 to take a share of the clubhouse lead with a 7-under 65 on Thursday in the first round of the RBC Canadian Open.

Swafford two-putted on the par-5 18th to separate himself from a crowded top of the leaderboard on a rainy day that softened the fairways and greens of the normally firm Glen Abbey Golf Club.

“It’s gettable. It’s about as gettable as I’ve seen this golf course but it’s in great shape,” said Swafford. “The greens are perfect. So you can make some putts. I was just trying to give myself as many chances as possible; if the ball was 30 feet or two feet.

“That was the main concern today, just get it on the greens. Felt great with the putter. Really rolled it beautifully.”

Brandon Hagy was also 7 under, ahead of a five-way tie for second at 6 under. Tyrone Van Aswegen, James Hahn, Smylie Kaufman, K.J. Choi and Bubba Watson all shot 66.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was the low Canadian from the morning group, firing a 5-under 67 to enter a seven-way tie for eighth.

“If you hit it in the fairway, you can be aggressive,” said Hughes. “The few fairways I missed, I was just trying to make par and you have to be a little bit defensive.

“All in all it was a great day. Probably could be a bit better but I made a couple nice par putts, too. Overall, happy with my start.”

Amateurs Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint Hillaire, Que., and Austin James of Bath, Ont., were at 1 under while Jared Du Toit of Kimberely, B.C. Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., finished their rounds at even-par 72. Toronto’s Daniel Kim was 1-over 73.

There are a total of 17 Canadians competing in the national championship.

ZTE announced today a three-year extension as official smartphone of the RBC Canadian Open, through the end of 2019. This year’s RBC Canadian Open takes place at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario, from July 24-30, 2017.

This partnership is another milestone in ZTE’s ongoing commitment to invest in Canada, and is part of a larger movement to grow the company’s presence on the world stage.

“The RBC Canadian Open is a major part of ZTE’s global sports partnership strategy, and provides us with broader reach in Canada and in regions around the world,” said Lixin Cheng, CEO of ZTE Mobile Devices and Chairman of ZTE North America. “Brand building relies on long-term and consistent investment, and we are thrilled to continue to showcase ZTE’s brand and devices at such a world-class event.”

“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with a strong global brand like ZTE,” said Laurence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada. “I’d like to thank them for their commitment to Canadian golf and for enhancing the championship experience at Canada’s National Open Championship.”

Partnering with local sports teams, organizations and players is a strategic initiative of ZTE’s around the globe to help build awareness and affinity towards the brand.  With partnerships now in Canada, the United States, Germany, Australia, Mexico and other regions, ZTE can engage more fans with the ZTE brand in key markets around the world.

To engage with fans at the RBC Canadian Open, ZTE has the Grand X View tent, a large, covered structure set between the 6th green and 7th tee, to demonstrate its latest products including the new ZTE Connected Car Solution. There are also charging stations for spectators and daily giveaways. New this year, ZTE is offering fans the opportunity to get up close with the professional golfers through a custom-designed Player Walkway. This walkway will give fans a unique vantage point of the players walking past, along with a Selfie Mirror set up in front of the walkway. Finally, fans can also check out the ZTE Experience Tour truck, a hands-on mobile showcase of ZTE’s amazing technologies.