A Quick Look at the RBC Canadian Open
A Quick Look at the 2018 RBC Canadian Open
This week the PGA Tour stops just outside Toronto in Oakville, Ontario, Canada for the RBC Canadian Open. The event will be held at Glen Abbey Golf Course. Jhonattan Vegas is the defending champion, having won back-to-back in 2016 and 2017.
RBC Canadian Open History
The first Canadian Open Championship was hosted in 1904. In 1912, Walter Hagen made his professional debut at the RBC Canadian Open. The Canadian Open was sometimes referred to as the fifth major. Due to the PGA Tour’s scheduling, the event has lost its unofficial title as the fifth major. The three top players from the PGA Tour Canada are given entry into the RBC Canadian Open. In the early 2000’s the tournament was being held in September, the Royal Canadian Golf Association, RCGA, were actively lobbying to get a better date. In 2007 the RCGA was able to get a new slot on the PGA Tour. The event now counts towards FedEx standings and the winner earns a Masters invitation.
Playing on Home Turf
A Canadian has not won the RBC Canadian Open since Pat Fletcher in 1954. In 2015, Canadian David Hearn took a two-shot lead into the final round. Hearn had the lead as late as hole 15 during the final round, he was ultimately overtaken by the 2015 winner, Jason Day. The following year in 2016 Canadian amateur Jared du Toit was only one stroke off the lead, he eventually ended up finishing three strokes behind the winner, Jhonattan Vegas.
Glen Abbey Golf Club History
Glen Abbey Golf Club is located in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, less than an hour’s drive from downtown Toronto. The course was designed by Jack Nicklaus in 1976, it is considered one of Canada’s most famous golf courses and is home to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. Since 1977, the RBC Canadian Open has been hosted here 25 times, more than any other course.
A distinct feature of Glen Abbey is the “Valley Holes” consisting of holes #11 through #15. On the par-4 #11, players tee off a cliff to the fairway almost 60 feet below, entering the valley. The next three holes all share the same hazard, Sixteen Mile Creek, before the par-3 15th hole climbs its way back out of the valley.
In October 2015 the owners of Glen Abbey, ClubLink Corp, filed to redevelop the property into a residential community with offices and retail stores. Shockingly, no golf course was included in the plan. The town of Oakville responded by declaring the golf course a heritage site under the Ontario Heritage Act. This makes it harder for ClubLink to develop its commercial and retail space.
TV Schedule
Thursday – 3:00 – 6:00 p.m – Golf Channel
Friday – 3:00 – 6:00 p.m – Golf Channel
Saturday – 1:00 – 2:45 p.m – Golf Channel / 3:00 – 6:00 p.m – CBS
Sunday – 1:00 – 2:45 p.m – Golf Channel / 3:00 – 6:00 p.m – CBS
Top Thursday Round 1 Pairings
- 7:20 a.m. — Robert Garrigus, Jamie Lovemark, Andrew Putnam (#1)
- 7:40 a.m. — Vaughn Taylor, Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink (#1)
- 7:50 a.m. — Ian Poulter, Chris Stroud, Jimmy Walker (#1)
- 8:00 a.m. — Kevin Kisner, Tony Finau, Matt Kuchar (#10)
- 8:10 a.m. — Bill Haas, Nick Watney, Steve Stricker (#1)
- 8:10 a.m. — Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Adam Hadwin (#10)
- 1:15 p.m. — Brooks Koepka, Jhonattan Vegas, Tommy Fleetwood (#1)
- 1:25 p.m. — Sergio Garcia, Charley Hoffman, Brandt Snedeker (#1)
Photo Gallery
