Finally, it’s time to take a bow, then do it again
Hamilton’s Crawford had a hit with the 2019 Canadian Open. After two years, the Open is back, at St. George’s in Toronto
Waiting for his encore for two years has been “excruciating,” says Bryan Crawford, jokingly.
Hamilton native Crawford is Golf Canada’s RBC Canadian Open tournament director and the first event that was totally his baby was the 2019 championship played at the Hamilton Golf & Country Club.
That tournament, in every way imaginable, is considered in many circles to be the best in the long, long history of the Canadian Open.
Ticket and hospitality sales were huge, the concert series that RBC has linked to the tournament also drew huge crowds, a flyover by the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum featuring Hamilton’s famous Lancaster was a hit with the PGA Tour players and fans alike, the golf course drew rave reviews and the winner was the immensely popular Rory McIlroy.
OK, maybe Crawford didn’t have anything to do with McIlroy winning the tournament, but he would have had a hand in everything else.
Following up that big success proved a little more difficult than he would have expected.
“The reality is that in 2020 and 2021 there were bigger things for us as a society to worry about and focus on,” said Crawford, who was obviously referring to the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the cancellation of the Canadian Open in both of those years.
The Open is back, however, and is less than a month away. It will be played the week of June 6-12 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto.
While the pandemic did force the past two Canadian Opens to be cancelled, the staff at Golf Canada wasn’t letting any grass grow under their feet. As a result, all sponsorship opportunities for this year’s tournament have been sold out for months and ticket sales are moving briskly.
Crawford and his family live across the street from the HG&CC which meant that, for the two years he’s been waiting for his “next” Canadian Open, he couldn’t even leave the house to pick up groceries without staring at the site of his biggest success to date in the golf business.
“It’s special to do something in your own community,” says Crawford. “What’s fun about this job is that now I get to do it somewhere else.”
Crawford will get to do it again at home but not for a couple of years.
The tournament moves to Oakdale in Toronto in 2023 and then comes back to Hamilton in 2024.
This year’s field will have some local flavour to it. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas and Michael Gligic of Burlington are both confirmed.
David Hearn of Brantford, who is splitting his time this year between the PGA Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour is hoping to get in under his veteran player status, but has also asked Golf Canada for an exemption just in case.
Hearn was the 54-hole leader in the 2015 Canadian Open but ended up in third place behind Jason Day, the winner, and Bubba Watson, who was second.
Jesse Smith of Six Nations finished fifth in a Canadian Open regional qualifier this week in Quebec that earned him a spot in the Open’s Monday qualifier at Oakdale.
For more on the Canadian Open, including how to purchase tickets, you can go to: golfcanada.ca or rbccanadianopen.com.
The reality is that in 2020 and 2021 there were bigger things for us as a society to worry about and focus on.
BRYAN CRAWFORD GOLF CANADA’S RBC CANADIAN OPEN TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR
Congrats to Burlington native Salimah Mussani on being appointed Golf Canada’s new national women’s team coach.
Mussani, who now lives in Vancouver, had been named as an assistant coach on the national team just last year.
Tristan Mullally, a Dundas resident, had been the head coach since 2011. He is now the head of talent identification for Golf Canada.
“I’m really excited about the challenge,” said Mussani, who has named Jennifer Greggain as an assistant coach. The two have known each other for years and competed against each other on a number of tours.
Mussani said one of her priorities is to find a sports psychologist for the program. Golf Canada has also recently added a nutritionist to the women’s national team. She’s anxious to built relationships with not only the national team players but their individual coaches as well. Whole in one More and more golf courses, particularly the semiprivate ones are sourcing out the management of their food and beverage operations.
The latest in our area is Burlington Springs, which has brought in Pepperwoods to handle their restaurant, and banquet facilities.
The Springs has also decided to add online booking of tee times this year.
The first two reported holes-inone of the year also come from Burlington Springs.
Nick DiCorpo aced the 162-yard 17th hole with a three hybrid and Liane Whetham made her singleton on the 125-yard eighth hole with a seven-wood.
■ Golf Ontario has announced that a number of golf clubs across the province have joined the association this year.
They include Chippewa Creek, Niagara Falls GC, Oak Gables, Pineland Greens, Sandusk and Rolling Meadows in Hamilton/Niagara.