“I just love playing in this kind of environment, especially when you are a bit of an underdog”, said Hull, who is headed to the Olympics next month.
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Hearn finished third at last year’s Canadian Open, two strokes back of eventual victor Jason Day of Australia and a shot behind American Bubba Watson. I like it off the tee. “And then they get really nervous, because nobody wants to hit anybody”.
Dustin Johnson is tied for the lead with Luke List at the RBC Canadian Open after the first round.
The top-ranked Day is in the field along with U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson and past champions Brandt Snedeker (2013), Jim Furyk (2006, 2007), Sean OHair (2011), Carl Pettersson (2010), Chez Reavie (2008), and Vijay Singh (2004).
I like this golf course, said Johnson, ranked second in the world. A win for Johnson this weekend would give him three on the year and a firm grip on the top honor, even though there is a long way to go before things are decided.
Johnson had an eagle, seven birdies, a bogey and a double bogey throughout his first round. “Just got off to a bad start”.
The American was in brilliant form at Glen Abbey Golf Club and is firmly in contention to clinch a third win of the year and a 12th PGA Tour career victory.
“It’s probably the hardest I’ve played up here”, said Day.
The PGA TOUR, RBC, Golf Canada and the Heritage Classic Foundation jointly announced today that RBC has signed six-year extensions as title sponsor of both the RBC Canadian Open and RBC Heritage. If I can play them four under every day all week, that would be great. “So if you get some good looks at it, you can hold some putts”.
Chesson Hadley, Kelly Kraft and Canadian amateur Jared du Toit are in a group one stroke behind List at 67. I putted really well a year ago and gave myself some great chances. Just had to hit a good one shot. My mentality is just trying to get it up there as far as I can. You may as well get it up close to the green and try and hit it up in the air and keep it there.
Du Toit compared playing at Glen Abbey on Thursday to playing in the desert.
Not that it makes it feel like an amateur tournament, but you know that someone else is kind of feeling the same way as you are, Rank said about du Toit. The US PGA champion got lucky with his first approach of the day, allowing his ball to tease the front greenside bunker before seeing it safely roll to within feet of the cup for a tap in birdie.
There are 12 set to play this week, including amateur Garrett Rank, whose main profession is an National Hockey League referee. Amateur Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont., was 5-over 77, and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., and Branson Ferrier of Barrie, Ont., were grouped together at 6-over 78.
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Past year the Canadian Open was a springboard. There’s only one: Carl Keffer, who won twice, in 1909 and 1914.
