Watney Wins at Bethpage

Last year, Nick Watney had a career-season. Many were pegging him as the next great under-30 champion, primed to win at least one major this year. But, he’s had a disappointing season and stayed off the radar for the most part, save for a few sprinkled top-10 finishes. That is, until last week when he held off one the best fields of the year and cruised to a three-shot victory over fellow American Brandt Snedeker. Watney now enters the very crowded Ryder Cup conversation for the American side – seemingly out of nowhere – as the Europe team was finalized on Monday morning (captain Olazabal choosing Ian Poulter and Nicolas Colsaerts with this picks). Watney was just able to survive Bethpage – hitting 17 of 18 greens in the final round, riding a hot putter, and leading the field in total birdies – better than his competitors. As everyone fell back, Watney stayed steady and hopes to continue that momentum into this week’s tournament as well.

Lydia Ko K.O’s the field

In the “what did I do at that age” file, 15-year-old(!) Lydia Ko trumped the field at the LPGA’s CN Canadian Women’s Open this past week by three shots. The New Zealand native is the top-ranked woman amateur golfer in the world (no kidding), and was the low-amateur earlier this year at the U.S. Women’s Open. Ko made seven birdies during the final round and never let up against the field – one of the best of the season. She’s admitted that she is not ready to turn pro yet, and would like to go to school at Stanford (still three years away), but what does this say about women’s golf in general? A 15-year-old amateur can beat the world’s best on any given week? Canadian Brooke Henderson, 14, was the youngest person ever to qualify for a professional event (also at last week’s Canadian Open) How young will it go before we see 12 year olds teeing it up? It’s a great story, but will it be great for the tour in the long run? We’ll see.

The True North

This past weekend was a great one for Canadian golf. The aforementioned Canadian Women’s Open at the Vancouver Golf Club produced the youngest person to ever win a professional golf tournament. Graham DeLaet and David Hearn – Canada’s would-be Olympians if golf was held in the 2012 Games – both finished in the top-10 at The Barclays and are virtual locks to continue to the BMW Championship (the third leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs). And, Toronto-native Eugene Wong hit arguably the shot of the year on the final hole of the Canadian Tour’s Tour Championship. Wong, who was one stroke back standing in the middle of the fairway on the eighteenth hit a 9-iron 140 yards right into the hole for an eagle, and a one-stroke victory. A wild finish to a fun weekend. Lorne Rubenstein, as he usually does, wrapped it up eloquently in this piece here – saying thanks to social media for allowing him, and others, to follow along with everything no matter where they were in the country.

A Labour Day Classic

For only the second time during the PGA Tour season, a tournament will begin on Friday – staged so then it’s completed on Monday (Labour Day). The Deutsche Bank Championship makes it’s return to the TPC Boston, one of the easiest courses that the pros play all season long. The weather will likely be a factor through the weekend as the remnants of Hurricane Isaac make it’s way north, but with a wet, easy course this means birdies abound. Jason Dufner is coming into the tournament having taken last week off and is definitely a favourite. Don’t be surprised to see the American Ryder Cup hopefuls all try to make a move this week as well – Dustin Johnson, Brandt Snedeker, Rickie Fowler, Hunter Mahan, Steve Stricker, Nick Watney, and Jim Furyk know that their captain’s pick fate will be decided after this week. Whoever steps up will be the one who Davis Love ends up choosing to join his team.

El Nino Returns, Just In Time

At the rain-delayed Wyndham Championship in North Carolina, it was Sergio Garcia who rode a hot putter to victory after four winless years on the PGA Tour. Despite two victories last season on the European Tour, Garcia – the former wunderkind who was supposed to be the great rival to Tiger Woods after their PGA Championship duel in 1999 – had almost fallen off the golfing map since his victory at the Players Championship in 2008 and his playoff loss to Padraig Harrington in the British Open the year prior. Garcia, who finished at 18-under, was two strokes better than Tim Clark, and three strokes better than youngster Bud Cauley. The win all but secures a Ryder Cup spot for Garcia who is always a thorn in the sides of the Americans –  taking after another Spanish Ryder Cup legend, his captain Jose Maria Olazabal. Attitude aside, his 14-6-4 record speaks for itself and, had he not missed the 2010 edition after going through a hiatus in golf, who knows how much better it could be. At only 32, this could mark the beginning of a resurgence for Sergio.

Ladies’ First

Yesterday, Augusta National Golf Club, home to The Masters, made the historic announcement that it would – for the first time in it’s 80-year history – admit two women as members. Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore are the two women who will somehow try to match their outfit to those green jackets. Many are calling this a breakthrough for golf but the fact is, there are still clubs out there, namely Pine Valley (constantly ranked as one of the top golf courses in the world) which remains male-only. Not to mention the Ladies Golf Club of Toronto which – as one could guess – forbids male membership. The reason why this was a monumental decision, and not a breakthrough, was because of how high profile a golf course Augusta National is. It was never in it for the money as ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell reports here as in 2003 and 2004, when Martha Burk protested the tournament for not having women members, it simply held The Masters without sponsors. Was this decision so hard? No. Will this be looked upon as a positive decision for helping grow the game of golf? Too early to tell. But, it was the right decision.

Mrs. President

In now a timelier interview (thanks to the announcement by Augusta National yesterday) the Globe & Mail posted this Q&A with Golf Canada president Diane Dunlop-Hebert on Sunday. I would have probably chosen a more appropriate photo than one of her sitting between two BMWs, but alas, the interview was interesting enough. There were some pretty standard answers with respect to game participation numbers, corporate sponsorships, and efforts to get younger people into the game, but there were still some interesting quotes despite the fact that the author was clearly not a golf writer (asking if golf was going to return to the Olympics soon? Come on, do your research). Most noticeably, Dunlop-Hebert stresses the importance of heroes in the game – I’d argue that the biggest jump of participation numbers of the game in Canada was 2002-2004 when Mike Weir was at his peak – and that golf remains the highest participation sport in Canada and generates $11.9-billion worth of revenue annually.

The Barclays at Bethpage

The PGA Tour returns to Bethpage Black this week for The Barclays, the opening event of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Bethpage made headlines in 2002 as the first truly public golf course to host a major championship (the U.S. Open, won by Tiger Woods). The U.S. Open returned again in 2009 but unfortunately was hit with torrential downpours all week long and the tournament was finished on Monday (won by Lucas Glover). The weather is expected to be mostly clear this week, and it will be interesting to see how Bethpage is set up for a regular tournament and not a major championship. Bethpage is also scheduled to get The Barclays in 2016 as it usually rotates around courses in the New York City area. Will it still be called ‘The Barclays’ in four years given the financial troubles of the bank? We shall see. A couple of guys who I really think have a chance this week are: Keegan Bradley, who graduated from nearby St. Johns and is playing well of late, Graeme Macdowell, who I feel is due for a PGA Tour victory, and Luke Donald, who, after quietly slipping from world no.1, I think doesn’t feel as much pressure and will get it done at Bethpage.

I was thoroughly excited this week to see that my application into the Golf Journalists Association of Canada was accepted. I’m thrilled at the opportunity to join the group, and we’ll see the kinds of opportunities it opens up for me. Big thank you to Scott from Flagstick for allowing me a spot to post my work!

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The Ror by the Shore

What was supposed to be a struggle for the world’s best golfers at the PGA Championship, the final major of the year, turned into a romp by the best of the best. Rory McIlroy, the young Irishman, started the day with a three-shot lead over Carl Pettersson – who was the first round leader – but by the end of the day the lead had swelled to a Tiger-like eight strokes. McIlroy, who won the 2011 U.S. Open by the same eight-stroke margin was dominant in all aspects of game. He began to pull away from the field with a Saturday 67, and then closed with a near-perfect 66 in blustery, weather-delayed conditions on Sunday. Ian Poulter – McIlroy’s soon-to-be Ryder Cup teammate – began the final round with a charge by making five birdies in a row, but he admitted later that he ran out of gas. McIlroy was just too much, and the 23-year-old is now halfway to the Grand Slam of Golf. It seems odd that the first two that he won, the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship, are the two that many felt would be harder for him to win. His game seems tailor-made for The Masters, and, having grown up in Northern Ireland, one would think that winning the British Open would be an easier task than winning across the pond in the U.S. However, it may actually be the British which proves to be the toughest for him to win.

Tiger’s Disappointment

For the second time in 2012, Tiger Woods co-lead heading into the weekend of a major championship, only to fade and not be a factor by the time the final putt dropped on Sunday. There was a time not so long ago when a Tiger Woods lead on Friday night meant most of the field should just pack their bags, the tournament was over. Not so anymore. Come April 2013, it will be nearly five years since Tiger last won a major – the 2008 U.S. Open – and these were supposed to be the prime years of his career. How many other top-tier athletes go through the ages of 31-36 without achieving something spectacular? We’ve seen that many golfers can turn a whole career around after 40 – take Steve Stricker, for example – but with the influx of young, fearless golfers, reaching the elusive total of 19 majors of Tiger may be more difficult than even he expected. This is the golden age for golf though. Rory McIlroy, clad in a red Sunday shirt – long a  Sunday wardrobe staple for Woods– now owns two major championships at the age of 23, more than Tiger had at McIlroy’s age. Tiger still has a handful of tournaments left in 2012, and the Ryder Cup, but even if he runs the table with victories, will he look back at this season and call it a success? No, because he’ll be missing one of the four trophies that mean the most.

Ryder Cup Round-Up

The conclusion of the PGA Championship also marks the final tournament for members of the U.S. Ryder Cup team to be automatically selected for the team via a points system. The lucky eight: Woods, Watson, Dufner, Bradley, Simpson, Johnson, Kuchar, and Mickelson. From top to bottom, probably one of the strongest Ryder Cup teams that the U.S. have fielded in quite some time (see: 2006) and for the first time since maybe 1999 the U.S. should be considered favourites on paper prior to the matches. Captain Davis Love III is in an enviable position with his four captain picks upcoming. No one would scrutinize him for choosing the guys who finished nine through 12 on the points list, but as the saying goes, a captain always wants to choose guys who are playing their best golf. If I was Love, I would absolutely pick Jim Furyk (5-0 at the 2011 President’s Cup, pair him with Keegan Bradley), Rickie Fowler (team sparkplug, pair him with Bubba Watson), Hunter Mahan (two wins on the season, pair him with Tiger Woods), and Steve Stricker (veteran presence, Tiger Woods’ crutch the past few years in team events). This would leave guys like Bo Van Pelt, Dustin Johnson, and Brandt Snedeker on the outside looking in, but those guys just don’t have the leadership capabilities of a Furyk or Stricker, not to mention Dustin Johnson being out for most of 2012 because of injury. The only dark-horse I can see coming quietly into the picture may be Bill Haas, currently 17^th on the points standings. Last year’s FedEx Cup champion already has a win this year and could try extra hard to re-capture some of last year’s magic with the FedEx playoffs just around the corner.

Winning at the Wyndham

Many of the golfers who played in last week’s PGA Championship have taken a pass this week in preparation for the upcoming FedEx Cup playoffs, but the field at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina still includes a handful of the world’s best. Webb Simpson is the defending champion, and also the reigning U.S. Open champ. He was off for four weeks after the birth of his second child, and missed the cut at the PGA last week. Don’t expect him to be a factor this week. Many are already predicting this, but it’s hard to think that Carl Pettersson won’t do well. He’s already won here before in 2008, and is coming off a great performance last week – where he led or co-led for most of the tournament. But as I alluded to earlier, look for Bill Haas to start proving to Davis Love that maybe he belongs on the Ryder Cup team after all this week.

Bradley wins the Bridgestone 

For the 23^rd time this season, the winner of a PGA Tour event has come from behind to do it. This past Sunday, Keegan Bradley, the reigning Rookie of the Year on Tour and defending PGA Champion, stole the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational trophy from the hands of Jim Furyk – who had led the tournament since Thursday.

Furyk, who made a double-bogey on the final hole of the championship, is still trying to exercise the demons who haunted him at the U.S. Open at Olympic Club where he couldn’t close the deal while leading, standing on the 16^th tee. Bradley, to his credit, shot a blistering 64 on Sunday to charge up the leaderboard. But for a grizzled veteran like Furyk, a young (arguably still unproven) player should not have caused this much of a stir in Furyk’s head. Perhaps his age – 43 – is finally getting to him and he is anxiously thinking that each tournament could be his last. Therefore, getting ahead of himself and just trying to hard to win. Or perhaps he should change the time that he takes one of those 5-hour energy drinks (still the oddest sponsorship in golf) because this season they sure haven’t lasted him a whole round when he needs it most. With Bradley’s win, he is all but guaranteed a spot on this year’s Ryder Cup which must feel sweet after getting snubbed from last year’s President’s Cup team. And, although Furyk is on the outside looking in, he should be a lock as a captain’s pick, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Keegan & Furyk paired up as a team.

Henry Holds off Rocha in Reno

It took J.J. Henry 176 tries before he broke through for his maiden Tour victory in 2006 – becoming a first-time Ryder Cup team member that year as well – and then took him another 178 events before winning again this past Sunday. The Reno-Tahoe Open acted as an opposite-field event against the Bridgestone and it’s winner, Henry, now gets an invite to this week’s PGA Championship, the final major of 2012. The Reno-Tahoe Open went to the modified stableford scoring system this year – a format that rewards points based on score, rather than score relative to par – in an attempt to rejuvenate the atmosphere, a tough ask as an opposite field event. However, the addition of Padraig Harrington to the field this year and a very strong performance by fan-favourite John Daly (who finished t-5, his best finish on Tour since 2005) has certainly helped. The only Canadian in the field, Mike Weir, continued his horrid 2012 campaign by finishing tied for second last and missing his 13^th cut of the year (out of 13 tournaments). To hear him speak so positively at the Canadian Open last week of his game, and then continue to see him struggle has definitely been tough as a Canadian golf fan.

Big Ben Makes it Two Straight

Despite Mike Weir’s struggles on the PGA Tour this season, Canadians have been well represented not only on the big Tour (thanks to Graham DeLaet and David Hearn), but also on the Web.com Tour, one of golf’s minor leagues. This past weekend at the Cox Classic in Omaha saw both Adam Hadwin and Brad Fritsch, from Abbotsford, B.C. and Ottawa, Ontario respectively, finish in the top 15 (Hadwin t-3 and Frictsh t-13). Both Fritsch and Hadwin have some ground to make up if they’d like to finish in the Top 25 on the Web.com Tour’s money list and make it to the PGA Tour before the end of the season, but a couple of good finishes should see them make it happen. One person who will definitely not have to worry about that is 22-year-old Ben Kohles. Kohles, who won in his debut tournament two weeks ago in Ohio, repeated this week at the Cox Classic to make it 2-for-2. In just two weeks Kohles has moved up to second on the Web.com Tour’s money list, all but securing himself a PGA Tour card for next year. If he can win again before the end of the season, he’ll gain a battlefield promotion and finish up the remainder of 2012 as a member of the PGA Tour.

Glory’s Last Shot

This week is the final major of 2012 – hard to believe where the time has gone this summer – and for it, the PGA Championship returns to KiawahIsland in South Carolina. The Pete Dye beast will be stretched to nearly 7,700 yards for the championship, and is measured as the longest golf course in major championship history. The Tour returns for the first time in any capacity to Kiawah since the 1991 Ryder Cup. Back then, Kiawah was dubbed the hardest course in the world and although many will argue that there are tougher courses out there, the combination of the wind, the length, and the South Carolina summer heat will all add up to an extremely difficult test for the world’s best golfers. The PGA Championship has shown through the years that anyone could win – from Tiger Woods to Shaun Micheel and Rich Beem – but with the depth and parity of the PGA Tour these days, virtually nobody is a ‘nobody.’ I’ve said since the beginning of the year that I felt that Tiger Woods would win the PGA, and I stand by that. However, other big contenders this week include Dustin Johnson (a winner in Memphis earlier this season), Graeme MacDowell (has played in the final group in the last two majors), and Steve Stricker (looking for his first ever major, but finished t-2 last week and won earlier this season). With the challenge ahead, and the fact that there are so many story lines, it should be a great week.

Piercy Takes the Purse

North of the border this past week, the RBC Canadian Open came down to three journeyman professionals, all ranked outside the Top 100 in the Official World Golf Raning. After a botched sand-save attempt from William McGirt, and an awful putting display from Robert Garrigus, it was Scott Piercy – he of the ‘this course is boring’ comments from earlier in the week – who emerged with a one-stroke victory. Piercy, a winner on Tour in 2011 at the Reno-Tahoe Open, came in to the week ranked 100 in the world, but of course, will be shuffled down when the new rankings are released. Hamilton Golf & Country Club – already one of the shortest tracks that the Tour plays on during the year – was made shorter by heavy rains that hit the course Wednesday night into Thursday morning. This resulted in a handful of low scores, including a course record 62 by Piercy. The ‘stars’ of the RBC Canadian Open – Hunter Mahan, Matt Kuchar, and Ernie Els to name a few, were all non-factors during the week. Unfortunately, a tournament that is rich in history (it is the third oldest professional golf tournament in the world after the British and U.S. Opens) is coming up short with respect to star power of late. More on that later.

Couples claims Senior British

Across the pond, Fred Couples birdied the final two holes in regulation to come out on top at Turnberry and win his first Senior British Open title. Although a far cry from the Claret Jug – awarded to the ‘real’ British Open champion – Couples went on record to say that: “I’ve never won an Open Championship, so this is the next best thing.” This marked Couples’ eighth win on the Champions Tour. For a guy who only won 15 times on the regular Tour, including just the one major (the 1992 Masters), Couples has gotten off to a quick start on the senior circuit since turning 50 three years ago. Between his wonky back, and his President Cup duties, it’s actually surprising to see him compete quite well on Tour. Lucky for him, his swing is one of the most repeatable and relaxed in the game, and there is still some magic left. Many are already saying that he will be a factor at the 2013 British Open at Murfield.

Canadian Conundrum

Outside of the U.S. and British Opens, the Canadian Open is richer in history than any other Tour event currently played. However, the history of the fine tournament doesn’t matter in today’s world. The tournament is generally ignored by the best the game has to offer these days, and unfortunately, it’s looking to be that way for the next two years. That is until the Tour’s schedule is up for renegotiation and perhaps the Canadian Open will emerge with a much better time. As it stands, the Canadian Open is sandwiched between one of the premiere European Tour stops (the Scottish Open), the British Open, and then a World Golf Championship, and the PGA Championship. Not to mention the beginning of the Fed-Ex Cup playoffs and then the Ryder Cup. In the mid-2000s, the situation was even worse as there was no sponsor. Now, thanks to RBC and their aggressive golf sponsorships – of not only the Canadian Open, but also The Heritage tournament and a line-up of golfers that include Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Hunter Mahan, and Matt Kuchar – there is some financial backing to go along with the support of Golf Canada. However, until the tournament gets a better spot on the schedule, and is able to attract some players with rockstar status a la Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, or even Tiger Woods (more of a pipe dream than anything) it will continue to be an unfortunate victim of just too many good events all happening at the same time. The other option, as Jim Furyk mentioned in a press conference on Wednesday before the tournament started was just to ‘give a great purse, and a great course, and the best players will come.’ At least he wasn’t shy in saying that money would play a factor in getting some of the world’s best to come north of the border; however, I just don’t see RBC putting up the cash.

Bridgestone Invitational

This week the Tour makes it’s annual trip to Akron, Ohio for the World Golf Championship – Bridgestone Invitational. The South Course of the Firestone Country Club is the longest par 70 that the Tour plays all year, but, with no cut and one week before the PGA Championship, it serves as a prime prep place for the world’s best. Seventy-eight golfers will tee it up this week, and there are many intertwining storylines as is the usual circumstances at this time of the year. There are guys fighting for their Tour card – not many who are playing in Akron (most of whom would be playing at the opposite field event in Reno) – guys who are trying to make an impression on their respective Ryder Cup captain, and guys who are trying to fight for a prime position in the FedEx Cup playoff standings. Really like Rickie Fowler this week. He was tied for second last year, and will be fighting for a birth on the Ryder Cup team. Another victory over a world class field – he previously won the Wells Fargo Championship earlier this season – will certainly lock that up.

[View the story "RBC Canadian Open Recap" on Storify]

I was lucky enough to attend the Pro-Am Day at the RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf & Country Club on July 25 as a member of the media. The weather was perfect – unlike the forecast for the remainder of the week – and it was a wonderful experience.

A couple of notes from the eve of the 103^rd playing of the Canadian Open –

•  The course is in great shape. Hunter Mahan and Jim Furyk both commented on how much they enjoyed the ‘classic’ design. However, many pros mentioned that the rough is not playing nearly as punishing as last year’s Canadian open at Shaughnessy.
• That said, the course is in impeccable condition. But, with rain in the forecast – exactly what this drought-effected region needs – the scores could be very low
• Golf Canada puts on a world-class event every year. It seems like it’s an impossible task given the scheduling date, but they make it work. Here’s hoping that they can get a better draw in two years once the current contract is up
• The golf journalism landscape in Canada is small, and is only getting smaller. The plus side of that is that there is a real sense of community amongst everyone
• If you’re a golf equipment geek, then an equipment van will absolutely become your oasis. I had the chance to go to the Taylormade truck today and the sheer magnitude of STUFF in there was mind-blowing
• A media pass will get you anywhere you want
• One of the final things learned in journalism school was that you weren’t supposed to take the free food offered at an event. I definitely did not listen to that at all… there was food everywhere!
• Oreo Cookie ice cream sandwiches are both delicious and dangerous
• At 5-foot-9, Mike Weir is probably one of the least intimidating professional athletes in Canada. Great guy.
• It doesn’t matter if you’re a 15-handicap or a tour pro, the most important aspect of one’s golf game is the basics. This was made evident by the drills I saw being done on the range.
• The spectrum between Tour star and guy who is grinding to make a living is VERY wide. Brad Fritsch, a pro from Ottawa, mentioned today that the hybrid that he has in his bag was actually bought off eBay. I thought these guys got everything for free!
• Between Hunter Mahan talking about Batman on the driving range, to Paul Casey throwing water on his buddy, tour pros are just like you and I. It was fun to see these interactions up close

A great day overall, and (for the second week in a row) it sure beat a day in the office.




The Big Easy Wins Another Big One

In the most unbelievable of fashions, 42-year-old Ernie Els is once again a major champion. Els, the 2002 British Open Champion, won his second claret jug on Sunday after a monumental collapse from Adam Scott basically gift-wrapping the championship to the big South African. Scott, who was four strokes ahead with four holes to play made costly mistakes down the stretch and, after Els rammed in a 20-foot birdie putt on 18, Scott needed to make a 10-foot par attempt to force a playoff. It slid right, and Els, who was casually eating a sandwich on the practice green, was crowned champion. In a twist of fate only suitable for the British Open, it was Els’ often-criticized putting that eventually won him this tournament. On Sunday, Els’ major experience ultimately trumped that of his challengers and, as is usually the case in major championships, the man who made the least amount of mistakes emerged as the winner.

Adam Scott’s Greg Norman-esque collapse

For all the talk of Els’ victory, there was an equal amount of heartbreak for Adam Scott. The young Australian – already with 18 worldwide victories to his credit – was primed to finally win the big one. He was playing the best golf of anyone for the first 68 holes of the tournament, and then, as quickly as the wind blows from the Atlantic, his steady hand and unshakeable demeanor was gone. Bogey on 15, bogey on 16 (the easiest hole on the course), bogey on 17, and then, when only a par would win the championship for him, he fires a three-wood into the facing of a fairway bunker. Game over. All the credit to him, his third shot landed only about 10-feet from the hole, but his long putter’s magic had long deserted him and he pulled the put just left. Scott was the leader after the first round thanks to a dazzling 64, and held (what seemed like) an insurmountable four-stroke lead heading into Sunday. But, as his countryman Greg Norman proved time and time again, no major lead is safe until the final putt drops. Norman, he of copious major heartbreaks, was always ‘gracious in victory and defeat’ said Scott after his collapse, and despite his all-class response, you could tell that he knew he let a big one slip away.

Finally, a British Open

It took until Sunday, but we were finally given a British Open. The wind picked up, there were a few drops of rain, and golfers were hacking their way all across the English links layout. After a summer of heavy rain, and then a week of glorious sunshine – well, as glorious as sunshine can be in England – the course was playing soft and lush; two words that are never usually associated with links golf. With that said, the course was also yielding some very non-British Open like scores – Adam Scott’s opening 64, two 65s from German Nicholas Colserts, and a 10-under par total after two rounds for Brandt Snedeker. For the first time in years there were no rounds of 80 or above in the first round. But finally on Sunday Royal Lytham started to show it’s teeth. Tiger Woods ended up looking like this on no.6 – on his way to a triple bogey – Graeme McDowell cold-topped a fairway wood on no.11, and at least 10 of the guys who were within shouting distance of the lead after Saturday were over par on Sunday. Sports Illustrated’s Alan Shipnuck called it one of the most boring British Open’s in recent memory. Although I don’t entirely agree with that statement, the fact that it took until the 68^th hole of a 72 hole tournament to conjure up some excitement makes it tough to argue against. Coincidentally, next year’s British Open returns to Murfield for the first time since 2002, the site of Ernie Els’ last British Open victory.

Oh Canada!

This week, the PGA Tour heads north of the border to the Hamilton Golf & Country Club for the 103^rd playing of the RBC Canadian Open. I’ve attended the last two Canadian Opens in person – at St Georges in Etobicoke, and at Shaughnessey in Vancouver, and will be in attendance again on Wednesday at Hamilton helping to cover some of the event for Flagstick. Hamilton has hosted the event four times: in 1919, 1930, 2003, and 2006. The return to Hamilton in 2003 after over 70 years was met with high praise from the pros who teed it up that week. Overall it should be an exciting week, despite the fact that weather will be a factor on Thursday and Friday. After losing long-time sponsor, Bell, in the mid-2000s, the tournament went through a couple of lean years before RBC stepped up to the plate. RBC has since become one of the premier sponsors in the game, not only representing a long list of players on the PGA and LPGA Tours, but also sponsoring the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head – a tournament that was at risk of having to drop out of the schedule if no sponsor was found for this year’s playing.

There are 23 Canadians playing in this year’s tournament, all of whom are vying to become the first Canadian since Pat Fletcher in 1954 to win the nation’s championship, one of the oldest in golf. The closest one has come since then was Mike Weir in 2004, who lost in a playoff to world no.1 Vijay Singh. Adam Hadwin looks to build on his t-5 finish last year in Vancouver with another strong showing, but Canada’s best bet this year most likely lies on the shoulders of Graham Delaet. Delaet is one of the best drivers of the golf ball on Tour and is playing extremely well this season, bouncing back from injury last year.

Hard not to pick Hunter Mahan to be the eventual champion this week, as the newest member of Team RBC is coming off his third straight top-20 finish and already has two victories on the year. With accuracy a premium this week, no one is better than Mahan this year who leads the Tour in ball-striking. A top-tier winner like Mahan will do wonders for the tournament moving forward.

On Tuesday, July 17, I had the privilege of joining 100 to play in the Canadian Golf Media Championship in Ancaster, Ontario, at Heron Point Golf Links.

The event, hosted by Clublink, has existed for 10 years and is played across the GTA year-to-year at many of Clublink’s finest courses.

This year was no exception, as the challenging Heron Point was in immaculate condition.

I was slightly nervous for the day, as I knew a handful of my journalism idols were invited, but I knew in the grand scheme of things, it was just another round of golf.

My nerves showed on the opening drive of the day, though, and no, not my first tee-shot, but when I pulled into the driveway of the club, a bag attendant asked me to pop open the trunk to grab my clubs. Unfortunately, I was driving a new car (not even my own) and had no idea where the “open trunk” button was.

With a lineup of cars behind me, I had to get out and manually open it up for the gentleman who, certainly at this point, thought I must have been trying to sneak into the event.

Luckily all was forgotten – hopefully, at least – as I peeled away to park and quickly set up.

After a filling breakfast and quick conversation, I headed to the practice green to warm up. The guy who greeted me and took my clubs (in between chuckles, I’m sure) mentioned if I had never played the course before, I should head to practice my putting.

I was thankful for the tip, as Heron Point featured what felt like no flat putting surfaces. It didn’t help that the pin positions were in “tournament” placement – tucked behind bunkers, on the cusp of ridges, etc. – and although the course tested all aspects of one’s game, it was the greens that proved most difficult.

Before I knew it, it was time to tee-off. One hundred people making up 25 foursomes headed out to the course to a shotgun start just after 9 a.m., and off we went. I was paired with a great group of three photographers from the Toronto Sun and Thompson-Reuters. All three had nearly 30 years in the business, and I sensed they had been everywhere. A quick online search when I got home proved correct, as they were all award-winning photo journalists with many ‘featured’ photos I had actually recognized.

Having a journalism degree proved to be an interesting topic of conversation, as the guys were intrigued to hear what I thought about modern journalism, and what is being taught in journalism school these days. Although we shared a similar thought with respect to how anyone these days can be a ‘writer’ or a ‘photographer’ thanks to Twitter, Instagram, point-and-shoot cameras, and the Internet, it still takes a certain kind of person to be a storyteller – no matter the medium.

Despite my high score nearly matching the temperature outside – had it been measured in Fahrenheit – the grounds crew and the rest of the staff from the Thomas McBroom-designed gem should be thrilled with how their course has handled the near-drought conditions in southern Ontario this summer. Even McBroom himself, who was also in attendance, commented on how great of shape the course was in.

The tight fairways, long rough, and shot-making demands the course put on me were just not what I was ready for, however, I still hit a handful of good shots and enjoyed the challenge.

The closing hole of Heron Point is undoubtedly the crown jewel of the course. The tee-shot calls for a drive over a large creek, created as a run-off from nearby Dunmark Lake, to a tight landing area. From there, your second is a blind uphill shot to a small green: a masterful closing hole that will certainly give the pros that are playing in the Monday qualifier at Heron Point for next week’s RBC Canadian Open fits.

Once the round was completed, the very warm and mostly sunburned group – it was later said that Tuesday was the hottest day on record in the Hamilton area – headed inside the multi-level clubhouse to “cool” down.

I would soon find the only cool thing in there was beer, as the air conditioner was broken.

This seemed to appease the group just fine, though.

Having never attended a golf media event before, it was fascinating to meet the faces behind the voices I’ve followed on television and radio for so long.

I was most thrilled to have met Lorne Rubenstein, the author and Globe and Mail columnist who sat right beside me at the table I was at. We had a wonderful chat and as he introduced himself, I told myself, “of course I know who you are!”

Despite the ever-building tension in the journalism industry these days, not to mention the strain on “luxury” activities, like golf, in today’s economy, it was a pleasure to go to an event where nothing seemed to matter except for camaraderie and common enjoyment for a game we all love.

Sure beat a day in the office.

Zach Attack

For the second time this season, Zach Johnson is a winner on the PGA Tour after a playoff victory Sunday at the John Deere Classic. Johnson, the 2007 Masters champion and board member of the John Deere beat Troy Matteson on the second playoff hole after both golfers finished at -20. The tournament had no shortage of drama coming down the final stretch – a theme that has been commonplace this year on Tour. Matteson seemed all but out of it after a double bogey on 15 put him two strokes behind Johnson. However, after making a 60-foot eagle putt on no.17, he was right back in it. On the first playoff hole both golfers ended up hitting into the water hazard and making double bogey, but, on the second playoff hole Johnson hit what could be the shot of the year so far. A fairway bunker shot from nearly 200 yards ran up to less than a foot from the hole and the victory was all but sealed. Both golfers managed to hold off a surging Steve Stricker who was looking to win the event for the fourth straight year but came up just short. Johnson, who won the Crowne Plaza Invitational earlier this season is now fifth in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings and second in Fed-Ex Cup points.

Singh-ing in the Rain

After multiple days of awful weather in Scotland at the famed Castle Stuart golf course it was veteran journey man Jeev Milkha Singh who emerged victorious at the Scottish Open. The 40-year-old Indian drained a 15-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat Francesco Molinari and punch his ticket to the British Open this week.

Singh, who at one point held membership on three different professional golf tours around the world, finished about an hour before the other golfers on the course and had to wait in the clubhouse until he found out that he indeed was in a playoff. While waiting, he enjoyed a cup of tea and a piece of chocolate cake and later commented that the win was indeed the ‘icing’ on the cake of a great week. World number 1 Luke Donald finished well back, tied for 16^th, along with former British Open champion Padraig Harrington. Phil Mickelson, who was a last minute addition to the field, also finished t-16 but must have been happy with his turnaround performance. After shooting seven straight rounds over par, his game finally came into fine form just in time for the year’s third major.

Golf in the Kingdom

This month, ScoreGolf magazine released it’s ‘Top 100 Golf Courses in Canada’ issue. The list, which is announced every two years, is always a hot topic of conversation among golfers and the golf media in Canada. There are more than 100 panelists who submit their personal top-10 based on a variety of categories (and no, I’m not one of the panelists, although hope to be one day) and the whole thing is organized by Jason Logan, the managing editor for ScoreGolf. The list doesn’t yet feature Cabot Links – already hailed as one of the best courses in Canada despite being open to the public for less than a month – but it will be interesting to see where it lands in 2014. I’ve played five of the courses on the list: Black Bear Ridge (no.99) in Belleville, Summit (no.80) in Richmond Hill, Wooden Sticks (no.87) in Uxbridge, Rosedale (no. 46) in Toronto, and Angus Glen (no.76) in Markham (and also walked the grounds of Shaughnessey, St. Georges, and Glen Abbey at Canadian Opens) which is a far cry from Canadian golf journalist Robert Thompson who has played all 100. It’s hard to argue with the positioning of some of the courses on the list, but I’m most surprised at Shaughnessy’s drop from no.13 to no.21. It hosted an excellent Canadian Open last year and the pros all raved about the course; a very surprising retreat down the list. We’ll see where everyone ends up again in two years. The full list can be found here.

Champion Golfer of the Year

One of the coolest titles and trophies (the Claret Jug) in golf go to the winner of this week’s British Open (or, ‘Open Championship’ if you’re a true Brit and feel it should be called by it’s rightful name), the third major of the year in men’s professional golf. The Open returns to hallowed (but aren’t all British Open courses somehow ‘hallowed?) grounds of Royal Lytham & St. Annes on the shores of Lancashire, England for the first time since David Duval’s lone major triumph in 2001. I was invited to enter in a major golf pool and since we’ve got to pick ten golfers – highest total prize money wins the pot – I’d figure I’d share my picks here. In no particular order: Tiger Woods, Branden Grace, Ernie Els, Mark Calcavecchia, Lee Westwood, Dustin Johnson, Jason Dufner, Harris English, Luke Donald, Alvaro Quiros