TEEING IT UP IN HAMILTON
Canadian Open returning to Hamilton Golf and Country Club in 2019 and 2023 //
Golf Canada has confirmed that the 2019 and ’23 RBC Canadian Opens will be coming to the Hamilton Golf and Country Club. They just can’t say when.
“The PGA Tour is currently working toward announcing its 2019 schedule in the coming weeks and at this point we won’t be commenting on any potential dates,” Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum said at a news conference at the historic Hamilton course Wednesday.
That’s not surprising. While there has been broad speculation that the Canadian Open date could move to the week before the U.S. Open in June, or, perhaps even stay where it is in late July, there’s no way that Golf Canada was about to announce their dates before the PGA Tour released them.
What Golf Canada did announce, in addition to the two Open championships coming to the Ancaster course, is that they want to make the Hamilton area a golfing hub over the next five to six years.
Although they were light on details Bill Paul, director of championships for Golf Canada, said that could include bringing some amateur championships to courses in the Hamilton area as well as Canadian Open and U.S. Open qualifiers, and Future Links Tournaments as well as developing a much higher profile in the community.
Being able to confirm Hamilton in 2019 and ’23 also helps them plug in two more years in the five-to-six year schedule for the Canadian Open they hope to be able to announce by this year’s tournament the week of July 23 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville.
Ward 12 Councillor Lloyd Ferguson said the city will have an investment in the tournament both financially as well as inkind services but couldn’t say how much that is.
“Council has passed a resolution setting out an amount after negotiations with Golf Canada but that is still in-camera because there are still negotiations still to go on,” said Ferguson. “They including policing and busing and other goods and services in-kind.”
Ferguson also pointed out that the broadcast of the 2019 tournament could be seen in up to a billion households worldwide adding, “you can’t buy that kind of publicity for the city.”
It had long been speculated that the historic Harry Colt designed Hamilton course would be interested in being the venue for
2019 tournament since that will be the 100th anniversary of the first Canadian Open it hosted.
That tournament, in 1919, was the only Canadian Open that the legendary Bobby Jones ever played. Jones, who was 17 at the time, finished second.
Next year’s open will be the sixth that the Hamilton course has hosted and in more recent years — 2003, 2006, and 2012 — the PGA Tour players raved about it and Golf Canada is no doubt hoping that will help guarantee a good field.
“Few clubs can equal what Hamilton represents through its storied history and excellence,” said Applebaum.
“I can tell you from conversations with PGA Tour players and with the PGA Tour itself that they are very excited about coming back to this golf course.”
Garry McKay is a veteran, award-winning golf journalist and an ex-Spectator sportswriter.