POWER IN NUMBERS
Tough task for 21 homegrown golfers to win at Glen Abbey
OAKVILLE — David Hearn came close in 2015.
Jared du Toit created a buzz in 2016.
Mackenzie Hughes gave us a reason to believe last year.
So, who will be the Great White North hope at the RBC Canadian Open this year?
Which of the 21 Canadians in the field might take the dreams of a golfing nation and put them on his shoulders, and end the reign of two-time defending champion Jhonattan Vegas?
Imagine the scene if one of our own could stride up to the iconic pond-guarded 18th green at Glen Abbey in the final grouping with lead in hand, tipping his hat to the crowd as it rises to its feet amidst a patriotic outpouring of affection.
It would be sweet pandemonium.
And wouldn’t it be even sweeter if the victory came at what might be the final hurrah for the Open at Glen Abbey, the 7,235-yard, par-72 course designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus that has become synonymous not only with our national championship but with golf in this country.
Oh, yes, it would be something if it happened here where the event is being held for a record 30th time and possibly the last as ClubLink, the property’s owner, is looking to develop a housing and office complex.
But it will be extremely difficult, to state the obvious.
There’s a reason no Canadian has won this tournament since 1954 when Pat Fletcher accomplished the feat: Golf is tough. And there are a lot of great golfers out there, especially this year, in this field.
The Canadians, led by world No. 55 Adam Hadwin, are going to have to get past the likes of world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, twice a runner-up at this tournament; Bubba Watson, who is the only three-time winner on the PGA Tour this season and a runner-up here; two-time defending U.S. Open winner Brooks Koepka; and 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia to name a few.
Hadwin might be the obvious choice to do the trick but, despite his PGA pedigree with one tour win and a 59 fired in January 2017 at the CareerBuilder Challenge, he hasn’t fared well here the past couple of years. He missed the cut in 2017 and came in T49 the year before.
Maybe it’s the added scrutiny of being the country’s top male golfer and the added responsibilities that go with that designation. On Tuesday night, Hadwin threw out the first pitch at the Blue Jays game, something he called on Twitter “living out a dream.”
But you wonder how the added distractions might affect his preparation? So it might be left for others to take a run at the championship trophy, such as Hughes, a PGA Tour winner a season back who was low Canadian last year, or his close friend and Kent State teammate Corey Conners, who is knocking on the FedExCup door at No. 126, or even Ben Silverman who had a T12 at last week’s Barbasol Championship after firing a career-low 65 in the final round.
Hughes, who hasn’t had a top-10 finish this season, acknowledges there are extra pressures playing in our national open.
“You kind of get a glimpse of what it might feel like to be a top-10 player for a week, where you feel like you’re getting pulled in a lot of different directions but in a good way, obligations and whatnot, which we’re not ordinarily accustomed to in the States,” Hughes said on Wednesday, with tournament week ramping up and all the players getting in full practice rounds out on the course, which by all accounts is in pristine condition and there for the taking, especially with the rain that came down hard on Tuesday night.
Soft conditions likely will favour the big bombers, something that might be an advantage to Conners who ranks 38th in average driving distance on the PGA Tour this season at 303.1 yards.
“I’ve definitely had some good experiences here in the past and have been looking forward to coming here basically all season,” said Conners, who has one top-10 this season, at T8 at the Fort Worth Invitational in May.
Silverman, a native of nearby Thornhill, Ont., who has two top-10s this season and sits 135th in the FedExCup Standings, said he’s looking forward to getting his week started.
“I’m really excited to be here this year,” said Silverman, who is competing in his first open as a PGA Tour member after first playing in Montreal in 2014. “I was a nervous wreck then … it’s so different now. I feel comfortable now. I feel like I belong, I’m ready to
come out here and try to win.
“My game is in really good shape right now. I’ve got good control of the driver and irons and the putter always feels good. I’m just coming in here with a lot of confidence.”
Hopefully, for Conner and Canadian golf fans, he’ll be even more confident when the week is over.