The 2015 RBC Canadian Open did not fall short on making memories—from the fans, to the volunteers and even to the players. One group, in particular, etched a series of memories throughout open week that will be cherished for a lifetime.

While prone to slip under the radar amongst the drama of a national open, the festivities for a select group of junior golfers had no such lack of excitement.

Among the thousands of juniors admitted to the RBC Canadian Open, there were 22 who qualified atop the CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge leaderboard who travelled to Oakville, Ontario to compete in the Junior Skills National Event.

For the first time in history, the event was hosted at the site of the RBC Canadian Open (Glen Abbey Golf Club). Needless to say, participants were blown away by the big stage and the feeling of competing on the same grounds as some of the PGA TOUR’s biggest names.

“Although we were thrilled that Eric won his competition, after the way you treated us it would not have mattered how he finished,” wrote Dwight and Daniela Collier, parents of boys 8–11 winner, Eric. “The memories he (Eric) and all of our family have from all of the events you put on will quite literally last a life time—we hope that Eric qualifies again next year because it would be amazing to do it again.”

Two-time winner of the boys 15-18 group, Tyler Leclair of North Vancouver, B.C., shared his excitement alongside father (and caddy) Tim.

Click here to read up on the event and this year’s winners.

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To mark the significance of the event being a part of the RBC Canadian Open, junior participants were invited to stay the week at Glen Abbey, taking part in the following activities:

Junior Open—9 holes at Glen Abbey Golf Course in peak condition

The Sunday prior to tournament week, the CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge participants from the National Event a day earlier were back on site to tee-it-up in an exciting match-play format on the back-9 of Glen Abbey’s pristine conditions pre-tournament week.

Of course, a match at the site of the RBC Canadian Open wouldn’t be complete without caddies. That’s where mom and dad come in.

Canada Day Pro-Am chip-off

Back at it. The group of juniors are still full-steam ahead at the Open, posting up on the par-4 15^th hole to challenge pros and amateurs to a chip-off during the Canada Day pro-am.

In addition to collecting as many signatures as possible, juniors had the opportunity to showcase their short game skills against Canadian stars like Nick Taylor in front of a mini gallery on hand.

Wendel Clark, former NHL star with the Toronto Maple Leafs, also took his chance at the difficult downhill chip out of the rough (sharing a laugh in the process).

Time with Team Canada

Also on Monday, the lucky group had a full hour to learn from Team Canada in a closed session on the back range at Glen Abbey. Men’s Head Coach, Derek Ingram, led the session with support from the six athletes competing at the Open: Adam Svensson, Taylor Pendrith, Corey Conners, Albin Choi, Austin Connelly and Blair Hamilton.

Walk with a Pro

Back by popular demand, the CN Future Links Walk with a Pro event pairs each junior up with a PGA TOUR star to walk the par-3 7^th hole and even help putt-out. A fan-favourite, the Walk with a Pro event is always good for a few laughs.

Flag bearing ceremony on 18^th green

To cap off the week that was, all CN Future Links participants were included in one last activity to help send the 2015 RBC Canadian Open out with a bang. Following the trophy presentation, all junior participants were responsible for unveiling the large Canadian flag on the 18^th green alongside the champions to celebrate the conclusion of the tournament.

At the end of the day, the week was a special one for many Canadian golf fans, including this lucky group of junior golfers—the future of the sport in Canada.

To learn more about Canada’s junior golf program, CN Future Links, visit CNfuturelinks.com.

When one of the most popular and successful golfers in the world holds a strong connection to Canada that’s definitely worth highlighting.

Given the fact that his wife is Canadian, competing north of the 49^th parallel holds a special significance for two-time Masters Champion, Bubba Watson.

Having met during their days as student athletes at the University of Georgia, Watson and his wife, Angie, were married in 2004; and today, are the proud parents of two adopted children – a son named Caleb and a daughter named Dakota.

Last month at Glen Abbey Golf Club, the American golfer was eager to speak about the importance of competing in Canada at the RBC Canadian Open.

Specifically, he talked about the significance of being able to spend time with his wife’s parents who live in Markham, Ont., as well as, her grandparents who flew in from Newfoundland to take in this year’s tournament.

As well, he beamed about how his three-year-old son got to meet his 80-year-old great grandmother.

Given his strong connection to Canada, the 36-year-old from Florida also spoke hypothetically about what it would mean to win the RBC Canadian Open.

“I’ve got two flags at the house, so it’s a big deal. It would be a great honor, but a big deal for the family as well,” said the eight-time PGA TOUR winner.

When the tournament got underway, the 6 foot 3 inch golfer put on an impressive display of power off the tee and soft hands around the greens; and showed the golfing enthusiasts at Glen Abbey why he is currently one of the best in the world.

Watson’s popularity was evident from the size of the gallery following him, as he flirted with victory, before finishing runner up to Australia’s Jason Day.

Brent McLaughlin, the tournament director of the RBC Canadian Open, understands why fans so are drawn to Watson and his game.

“Bubba is obviously one of the biggest names on tour right now. He’s in his prime and people love to watch him.  He’s a great ball striker and works the ball in so many different ways that people are constantly baffled by,” McLaughlin noted.

“He’s almost like an honorary Canadian. It’s like a home tournament for him and Bubba likes coming home; and it’s great for his wife to get some friends and family involved,” added the tournament director.

As one of the popular Canadian stars on the PGA TOUR, David Hearn agrees with McLaughlin about Watson’s entertaining style of golf.

“He plays a game with which nobody else on this tour is familiar with. He hits the ball incredibly long and hits some shots that most players don’t try to attempt,” said Hearn last month after learning he would be paired off against the American in the final round of the RBC Canadian Open.

Even though he was matched up in the final round against the Canadain grown hero from Brantford, Ont., Watson says the crowd support was not one sided at all.

“I think Canada and the crowd were treating me just as fair as David since my wife’s Canadian,” said Watson, who also referred to himself as half Canadian in the media scrum after completing his final round.

Despite coming in second, the golfer that many insiders of the sport have referred to as ultra competitive and hot-headed, seemed at peace with the result after completing the 18^th hole; and genuinely happy to finally spend quality time with his family.

Watson explained his new lease on life best during his pre-tournament press conference when he spoke candidly about how his family – particularly his children – has changed his perspective on what’s most important.

“I don’t know if you ever checked media, but they wrote me as a head case, and I agree with that. I was a hot head. I wanted to play better,” he said.

“But I think (having) kids, it makes you realize what’s more important. My son could care a less what I shoot. He could care a lot less. All he knows is daddy’s done and now we can go play,” he continued.

“So it puts life, not just golf, but it puts life in perspective. What is the most important and then it shows that golf is just a game,” Watson added.

Still, golf is a game that he plays better than almost anyone else on the planet. With two titles and seven top ten finishes so far this season, Watson is currently sitting in second place in the FedEx Cup Standings and third in the official world rankings.

At 36 and very much in his prime, Watson appears poised to take a legitimate run at the distinction of being world No. 1 in 2016.

While many acknowledge that golf is a mental game which is often played between the ears, the fact that Watson now has a happier balance between life on and off the golf course can only benefit him in his quest to be the best in the world.

And as Watson has highlighted, his extended family north of the 49^th parallel play a significant role in creating that happy balance.

Ultimately, this translates to a greater likelihood that the many Bubba Watson fans in the country will see the two-time Masters Champion on Canadian soil vying for the RBC Canadian Open title every year in July.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – David Hearn couldn’t beat 61 years of pressure, and he couldn’t beat Jason Day at the RBC Canadian Open.

Trying to be the first Canadian to win the event since Pat Fletcher in 1954, Hearn shot an even-par round and couldn’t keep up with the Aussie on Sunday. Day birdied the final three holes to win the RBC Canadian Open at 17 under, as Hearn finished two shots back in third place.

“It was one focused mind-set the whole day today to do something really special and win the tournament,” Hearn said. “It hasn’t been done in a long time, and I felt like I had the ability to do it today.

“I gave it my all. I didn’t quite have my best game.”

Hearn missed a handful of birdie putts so close that had the masses of fans lining Glen Abbey Golf Club letting out exasperated groans. Had he made even one of them, it would have changed his entire outlook on the 18th hole and given him a good chance.

The Brantford, Ont., native blamed not picking up enough birdies for falling short. During a weekend in which his tee shots were errant, Hearn’s putting got him to the final round but couldn’t get him over the hump.

“There was so many putts that he hit that should’ve fell in,” said playing partner Bubba Watson, who finished second at 16 under. “I don’t know how they stayed out.”

Day, who shot 4-under 68 Sunday, won the tournament with clutch birdie putts on his final three holes. Making his final putt from 21 feet on the 18th hole forced Hearn and Watson to need eagles just to tie for a playoff.

Day yelled so loud before the ball went in that he thought he threw his throat out. After tying for fourth at the British Open, the Aussie was beaming after his fourth PGA Tour victory.

“This must feel like what Tiger did for so many times, and it feels good,” Day said. “I’m going to try to do as much as I can and keep it the same and try and win.”

Part of his joy was the reception he received from Canadian fans, despite not being the home-country favourite.

“I’ve never felt so much at home, and I’m not even from Canada,” Day said. “I’m looking forward to coming back and defending the title here next year because I know that when I get here next year it’s going to be the same. It’s great to feel like a Canadian for a week.”

As Hearn left his post-tournament news conference, he quipped that next year will be the 62nd for questions about Fletcher, whose place in Canadian Open history is as the symbol of the nation’s homegrown drought.

Like Mike Weir in 2004, Hearn led going into the final round, and like Weir he didn’t get it done. Raving about the ovations he received all over the course, Hearn also conceded that the pressure was heavy on his shoulders.

“This one was pretty intense,” Hearn said. “I think every Canadian wants to see it so bad and we want to do it so bad that it does make it hard.”

Hearn birdied his first two holes before faltering with bogeys on holes 3 and 7. Missing putts by mere centimetres on 8 and 9 didn’t help.

After another bogey on 12, Hearn got a stroke back with a birdie on 13 but couldn’t make up any more.

Meanwhile, Day found some of his best golf of the week on the back nine. Watson birdied five of his final six holes to make a charge but couldn’t eagle 18.

Hearn finished third because of those shots by Day and his own mistakes. Maybe he wasn’t aggressive enough, he wondered, but he insisted he’ll remember “only good things” from this Canadian Open.

“I’m real proud of the way I played, and I’m really proud to be Canadian today,” Hearn said. “It was a pretty special day with all of the fans and the support that I had from beginning to finish.”

Hearn was not only gunning for history but his first PGA Tour victory. The 36-year-old lost in a playoff at the Greenbrier Classic in early July.

But he knew this was a special opportunity to go for it in Canada with so many fans watching on the course and at home.

“I never experienced anything like that before,” Hearn said. “I may never experience anything like that again. I hope I am, actually, in that situation again and I get that feeling again soon.”

Hearn believes a Canadian will win the Canadian Open at some point soon. Fourth-place finisher Jim Furyk agrees.

“It’s a matter of time,” said Furyk, who finished at 14 under. “There are so many good Canadian players. I feel bad Mike Weir never won this golf tournament. But Graham DeLaet, David, there are a bunch of fine young players, so I’m sure it’s going to happen.”

OAKVILLE, Ont. – David Hearn is 18 holes from history.

Hearn leads the RBC Canadian Open by two strokes through three rounds and is in position to be the first Canadian to win the tournament since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

“This is something you dream of,” Hearn said. “I feel like I’m ready to step up to the challenge.”

Hearn, from Brantford, Ont., had five birdies and just one bogey Saturday to jump into the lead at 15 under.

World No. 3 golfer Bubba Watson and No. 10 Jason Day are tied for second, two shots back. Watson had birdies on three par-5s on the back nine Saturday, including No. 18.

“I’m right where I want to be,” Watson said. “I just wish the leader was a little closer to us.”

Day rebounded from a bogey on the 10th hole and double-bogey to birdie six of his final seven. In a tournament sponsored by RBC, Day has a connection, but he understands what the crowd wants in the final round.

“Obviously it’d be great to see a Canadian win, but I’m going to do my best to try and spoil that,” Day said. “We’re all out here to try and win a golf tournament.”

Americans Michael Putnam and Brooks Koepka are three back at 12 under, and world No. 7 Jim Furyk and Camilo Villegas are four back of Hearn at 11 under.

Hearn and Watson will play in the final group Sunday at Glen Abbey Golf Club. Despite having the lead, Hearn sees himself as the underdog.

“Hopefully I can make some birdies and David can beat Goliath,” he said.

Watson called himself “half-Canadian” because his wife, Angie, is from Pickering, Ont. He doesn’t see himself as a spoiler.

“Truthfully, let’s be honest: We don’t think about where somebody’s from,” Watson said. “All we think about is there’s a guy in front of us. I’ve got a couple family members (here). They’re going to pull for me, too.”

Hearn is the first Canadian to have a 54-hole lead at the RBC Canadian Open since Mike Weir in 2004. Weir led by three shots but lost in a playoff to Vijay Singh.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Long before David Hearn moved to the top of the RBC Canadian Open leaderboard, Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Adam Svensson took advantage of pristine early morning conditions during his third round.

With the first tee time Saturday morning because an odd number of players made the cut, Svensson played 18 holes by himself. The Surrey, B.C., native shot a 5-under 67 to make a major move up the leaderboard at 7 under for the tournament.

“It was a little bit weird the first couple of holes,” Svensson said. “But I kind of got used to it. Just had a good rhythm all day and got off to a pretty good start. So I was pretty happy.”

Svensson, who’s tied for 26th going into the final round, had never golfed solo before in a tournament setting and called it a fun day. He had to be an early riser, though, teeing off at 7 a.m.

“I’m pretty much sleeping,” Svensson said. “But it was fun. It was fast, too, which I like.”

Svensson completed the round in 2 hours 59 minutes, at least 90 minutes shorter than a conventional PGA Tour event round. He was off the course more than three hours before the final groups teed off.

At 7 under, Svensson will have a playing partner for the final round of the RBC Canadian Open: American Brian Harman, who was second after two rounds before struggling.

Beyond Hearn’s heroics, it was a strong day Canadian Adam Hadwin, who shot 5 under to get to 8 under and a tie for 20th.

“The biggest thing has been my short game, my putting all week,” said Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C. “I haven’t struck it extremely well or at least up to my standards just yet. But I’ve got it around the golf course, got it up-and-down when I needed to.”

Recent PGA Tour winner Nick Taylor, also from Abbotsford, moved to 3 under.

Amateurs Blair Hamilton and Austin Connelly shot 76 and 77 respectively. They made the cut but were designated “made didn’t finish” and won’t play Sunday. They will however share the Gary Coward Award as co-recipients of the Gary Cowan Award.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – David Hearn looked back from the 16th hole and knew fellow Canadian Graham DeLaet had withdrawn because his name wasn’t on the board anymore.

There’s no looking back now. While DeLaet is out with a thumb injury, Hearn celebrated “Red and White Day” at the RBC Canadian Open by shooting an 8-under 64 Friday to move to within three shots of leader Chad Campbell.

By getting to 11-under through two rounds, Hearn is in contention at the midway point and has a chance to be the first Canadian to win this tournament since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

“Today was a pretty awesome day,” Hearn said, decked out in red and white like many of the fans at Glen Abbey Golf Club. “I couldn’t be happier with where my game’s at and I’m excited about the weekend. If I keep doing what I’m doing, I feel good about my game.”

The Brantford, Ont., native is tied for third place with only Campbell (14-under) and Brian Harman (12-under) ahead of him.

Even with 36 holes left to play, Hearn expects to be nervous Saturday with the home fans watching his every swing closely and a 51-year drought on their minds.

“It’s definitely going to be a lot of attention,” Hearn said. “Everyone wants the Canadians to do well here like I do. I want to see a Canadian do well and win this tournament soon.”

Hearn is in by far the best spot of the six Canadians left in the field. Two amateurs also moved up the leaderboard in the second round.

Austin Connelly, who represented Canada at the Pan Am Games, shot a 7-under 65 to get to 6-under for the tournament. The 18-year-old noticed a drastic improvement from his first round.

“The main difference was I was hitting better quality iron shots,” said Connelly, a Dallas native whose father is from Nova Scotia. “I gave myself a lot more looks, and then whenever I did make a mistake, my short game saved me. I had a couple of really nice pitches and bunker shots.”

Blair Hamilton, a 21-year-old amateur from nearby Burlington, Ont., is right behind Connelly at 5-under after shooting a 4-under Friday.

DeLaet didn’t feel like he had a chance to make the cut with a left thumb injury hampering his game. The Weyburn, Sask., native doesn’t think the injury is too serious but was bummed it forced him out of the RBC Canadian Open.

“It hurts,” DeLaet said. “It’s an important tournament to me.”

With Mike Weir out for personal reasons, the Canadian star power took another major hit with DeLaet’s withdrawal. The pressure’s now on Hearn to carry the flag.

Hearn is trying to focus on the fundamentals of hitting fairways and greens and not think too much about history and what’s at stake.

“I’m not going to be able to win the golf tournament until Sunday afternoon, so I’ve got a lot of golf to go,” Hearn said. “It’s really hard. I haven’t been in this situation in the RBC Canadian Open before. …

“I feel like my game is in a good spot right now, and I have a chance to do something fun this weekend.”

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Chad Campbell didn’t feel like he was approaching history during the second round of the Canadian Open.

Rolling off birdie after birdie, Campbell missed the course record at Glen Abbey Golf Club by one stroke in shooting a 9-under-par 63. The bogey-free masterpiece gave him the tournament lead at 14-under.

“Never really felt like it was going to be a crazy round, which nine birdies, I’m definitely happy with it,” Campbell said. “Just solid play.”

Campbell’s understated assessment of his round had a lot to do with how it unfolded. The 41-year-old American didn’t sink any remarkably memorable shots but was consistent and didn’t make many mistakes.

“It’s kind of weird because it happened with the par-5s, knocking them on (the green) in two and two-putting,” Campbell said. “I made a couple long putts, which always helps.”

With some groups still left on the course, Campbell held a two-shot lead over Brian Harman and a three-shot lead over Johnson Wagner and Canadian David Hearn.

Like Campbell, Hearn didn’t have to do anything spectacular but still surged up the leaderboard with an 8-under 64.

“I felt really good about my game,” the Brantford, Ont., native said. “I hit a lot more greens, and my putter definitely got hot. Making those two birdies at the finish felt really, really good.”

After coming a putt away from winning the Greenbrier Classic earlier this month, Hearn is back to feeling good about his game after Friday’s performance.

“If I continue to keep playing the way I am, I know I have a chance,” he said. “I can’t control what Chad or any of the other players are going to do. But if I keep doing what I’m doing and stay focused on that, I like my chances.”

Campbell’s second round notwithstanding, the RBC Canadian Open looks wide-open going into the weekend. Harman came a three-putt and a “silly bogey” away from being right with Campbell, and 10th-ranked Jason Day is lurking at 10-under.

Day is coming off tying for fourth at the British Open, which didn’t wrap up until Monday. Fighting physical and mental fatigue, the affable Aussie recorded an eagle on the 18th hole on the way to contention.

Frustrated by a couple of bogeys, Day doesn’t anticipate fatigue getting to derail his RBC Canadian Open.

“I’m driving it great,” Day said. “I’d like to tune-up the iron shots, but overall I’m hitting it good. ”Biggest thing for me is still trying to get as much rest as possible, especially coming off last week so that I can stay mentally sharp.“

Canadian Graham DeLaet was feeling mentally sharp but physically couldn’t keep golfing. The left thumb injury he suffered on Thursday didn’t get better, so DeLaet withdrew after four holes Friday.

“When it all came down to it, I felt if I could compete and still hit the ball well, I probably would have kept going,” DeLaet said. “But I didn’t have any kind of golf game out there today, and then it was hurting.”

Among Canadians still in the field, amateur Austin Connelly was one stroke away from matching Hearn’s mark, shooting a 7-under 65. Connelly, who represented Canada in the Pan Am Games, is at 6-under through two rounds.

Fellow amateur Blair Hamilton is 5-under, and Adam Svensson is 4-under.

Ricky Barnes hit a hole-in-one on No. 4, winning a new BMW i8 in the process.

“It was a perfect 8-iron,” said Barnes, who’s 6-under. “I think the yardage was 165 into a little breeze, and it just landed right in the hole and never came out.”

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Robert Allenby has withdrawn from the RBC Canadian Open after splitting with his caddie in the middle of the first round, with a fan carrying his bag the rest of the way.

Allenby shot a 9-over 81 Thursday at Glen Abbey Golf Club and finished his round with the fan on his bag because, according to Canadian golf outlet Score Golf, Allenby and caddie Mick Middlemo had a blow-up over club selection.

Score Golf reported that Allenby and Middlemo got into a heated exchange at the 13th hole, the Australian’s fourth of the day, and at the 18th the caddie walked off the course.

Earlier this year, Allenby was involved in a strange off-course incident in Hawaii. In January, after missing the cut at the Sony Open, Allenby said he was robbed and beaten and needed help from a homeless woman.

“You think … that happens in the movie, not real life,” Allenby told The Associated Press at the time. “I’m just happy to be alive.”

Allenby posted a photo on his Facebook account showing a facial injury that he said came from being thrown in the trunk of a car.

“I don’t know what they hit me with between the eyeballs, whether a fist or a baseball bat,” he said then. “Whatever it was, it hurts.'”

Allenby returned to play later in January, saying he had “no memory” of what happened for over two hours that night in Hawaii.

The 44-year-old has missed the cut nine times and now withdrawn twice since that incident.

Golfers and caddies splitting midround is extremely rare, but not unprecedented.

Jessica Korda fired her caddie after nine holes during the third round of the 2013 U.S. Open, and caddie Michael Lawson walked off the course at the 2014 Barracuda Championship, leaving Brian Stuard to depend on the kindness of strangers.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Graham DeLaet’s tough. He’s a golfer.

The Weyburn, Sask., native injured his left thumb during the first round of the RBC Canadian Open but still finished his round and expects to keep playing Friday. Frustrated by the injury, DeLaet was glad to shoot even-par 72 Thursday to sit eight strokes off the lead.

“I was able to kind of grind away there at the end with a couple good birdies on 16 and 18,” said DeLaet, who was injured on the 12th hole and double-bogeyed No. 17. “We (tee) off tomorrow morning. As long as I feel healthy, if I can shoot 4- or 5-under, (I can) kind of just slowly kind of creep back in this tournament.”

DeLaet said he wasn’t able to move his hand back on drives and felt pain when he released on shots. That caused the ball to flare right, something he had to compensate for.

As for what’s next DeLaet guessed doctors would tell him to ice his hand and possibly give him some anti-inflammatory medication.

“This tournament means a lot to me,” he said. “Hopefully we can get it figured out.”

DeLaet is one of 16 Canadians in the field this week at Glen Abbey Golf Club. David Hearn and Adam Svensson were tied as the low Canadian at 3-under 69.

“Took advantage of the par-5s really nicely,” Hearn said. “I’m obviously not too happy I made bogey on the last there, but I’m still within reach of the leaders. I certainly didn’t play my way out of it.”

The same could be said for Svensson and Nick Taylor and Roger Sloan, who shot 2-under.

Taylor, who his first PGA Tour event in November at the Sanderson Farms Championship, noticed a little more fan support than in past events. But he considers the high expectations for Canadians in the Canadian Open a self-created thing.

“I think we pressure ourselves,” Taylor said. “We just really want to play well just for this tournament for the fans, being the one tournament a year in Canada. But it’s nothing but support that all the fans have given us. It’s more ourselves.”

A Canadian hasn’t won the event since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Vaughn Taylor felt fortunate to survive a boating accident last year. Emiliano Grillo felt fortunate to get into Canada in time to play the Canadian Open.

On Thursday, they made the most of morning tee times to claim spots at the top of the leaderboard. Grillo shot an 8-under 64 to take the RBC Canadian Open lead, while Taylor shot a 7-under 65 to tie Brian Harman for second after the first round.

Taylor is almost a year removed from his fishing boat capsizing on Lake Thurmond between South Carolina and Georgia. The 49-year-old who birdied eight holes at Glen Abbey Golf Club in the first round gained some perspective on his sport and life from the August 2014 accident.

“It still does,” Taylor said. “I kind of remind myself of it to say, ‘Hey, let’s not take this day for granted and make the most of it.”’

Taylor panicked in the water before swimming to safety. Grillo didn’t panic earlier this week when it looked like he wouldn’t be able to cross the border from the United States.

Grillo qualified for the RBC Canadian Open by finishing in the top 10 at the Barbasol Championship in Alabama, which he only did by picking up back-to-back birdies. After driving to Atlanta and flying to Buffalo, the 22-year-old Argentine didn’t have time to wait for the necessary work visa to get into Canada.

After he waited, border officials told Grillo just to pay for the visa and go. He followed up that “lucky” break with a bogey-free round to grab the lead.

“I played better on the back nine, which is harder, and the greens were drying out,” Grillo said. “I kept hitting some solid shots until the end of the round, and I made some good putts on the back nine.”

David Hearn and Adam Svensson tied for the best start by a Canadian player at 3-under 69. While a left thumb injury hampered Graham DeLaet during his even-par round, Hearn and Svensson are very much in contention.

“I played a solid round of golf, and that’s what I needed to do,” Hearn said. “If I can hit a few more greens tomorrow, I like my chances.”

Hitting the green might not be a problem, but getting the ball to stop could turn into one. Golfers reported Glen Abbey playing firm and fast, and with wind those are conditions conducive for shooting well under par.

But it wasn’t impossible, especially for those who finished before the sun dried out the course. Harman may be in the best spot moving forward with a Friday morning tee time because he went 7-under Thursday afternoon.

“I drove it well, I putted well,” Harman said. “Just had the one three-putt bogey, but other than that it was pretty clean.”

While Harman was near the top of the leaderboard, Robert Allenby was near the bottom with a 9-over 81. According to SCOREGolf, Allenby got into an argument with Mick Middlemo and fired him mid-round.

A fan carried Allenby’s bag the rest of the way.

Jason Day of Australian shot a 4-under par round and sits just four back.

Spectators were out in full force for the second Canadian Open at Glen Abbey in the past three years. Bubba Watson, whose wife Angie is from Pickering, Ont., got 20-30 tickets for family and friends and felt some extra love from the crowd because of his connection.

“I’ve gained a lot of friends because of my family up here,” said Watson, who shot 4-under. “At least I’ve got people watching me.”

RBC CANADIAN OPEN FRIDAY IS RED AND WHITE DAY
Friday, July 24 at the 2015 RBC Canadian Open is Red and White Day. Everyone coming to Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., for the championship’s second round is encouraged to wear red and white to demonstrate their Canadian pride and to support the 16 Canadian players in the field for Canada’s National Open Championship.