RBC Canadian Open

Due to this on-going Covid-19 Pandemic that has shut down virtually all sports and mainly amateur sports throughout the world we have lost another championship which was forced to move south of the 49th.

The 2021 tournament was planned to take place at St. George’s Golf and Country in the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke June 9-12 but again due to Covid-19 and travel restrictions with the border closure. 

The RBC Canadian Open was first established in 1904 and is the third-oldest national championship in golf behind The Open Championship and the United States Open.  

It had been previously conducted every year dating back to 1904, with the exception of cancellations during wartime (1915-18 and 1943-44) and as the result of complications related to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The Canadian Open Golf tournament moved south and was forced to be played in South Carolina at the Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland.

Dustin Johnson was the ultimate winner finishing -23 under through four rounds (68, 66, 65, 66) with a score of 265 through 72 holes finishing in the final round with 66 three strokes ahead of Byeong Hun and Whee Kim who were both tied for second at 20 under. With a 268.

Congaree officially debuted at No. 39 in our 2021-22 America’s 100 Greatest courses ranking (the full list will be released in May). Located about an hour inland from Hilton Head. 

The course was designed by Tom Fazio, who describes the property as a low country version of his Shadow Creek design in Las Vegas. With large oaks and extensively reshaped land among its features, it fits the bill.

This course boast’s Ranks 2nd in Golfweek’s list of best courses that can be played in South Carolina list in golf courses listed to play. 

Keegan Bradley from the US finished third with 19 under and was closely followed by Mexico’s Abraham Ancer  with -17 finishing fourth; while England’s Tommy Fleetwood and South Korea’s Danny Lee were tied for 6th spot with -16.

Hamilton’s MacKenzie Hughes (69, 69, 67, 68) who shot was the top Canadian tied at 15 under with Brandt Snedeker who both shot a final round of 68. 

Tied for 22nd was Albertan Ryan Yip who hit 10 of 18 greens (68, 72, 66, 70)  while another Alberta golfer Roger Sloan finished tied for 37th with Chris Stroud and Brian Stuard.

Thornhill Ontario’s Ben Silverman and Winnipeg’s Nick Taylor finished -4 under tied in 71st while Adam Hadwin failed to make the cut at this event as well as the Masters

As long as the Pandemic is put on the shelf and  behind us golf can tee off and hit the greens in Canada in 2022 on various courses.

On a side-note we are hearing that the PGA Tour is possibly looking at placing a ban the controversial Green-Reading Books used by many of its players prior to the start of next season, which the Tour’s Player Advisory Council voted two weeks ago to outlaw the books.

Currently the Masters is the only tournament that does not allow the use of the Green books.