NORTH YORK, Ontario – The RBC Canadian Open, established in 1904, is the second-oldest non-major on the PGA Tour schedule behind the BMW Championship, which dates back to 1899.
This week, some of the PGA Tour’s best are getting a first look at Oakdale Golf and Country Club, as the course hosts the event for the first time and becomes the first new venue for the Canadian Open since 2002.
Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy called the course good, but also penal if you miss fairways. Justin Rose called it “quirky.”
Despite the unconventional setup – the par-5 18th is forcing most players to tee off with an iron, but more on that later – and inclement weather in the afternoon, players went low and produced a bunched leaderboard after Thursday’s opening round.
From history in the making to stellar Tour debut and more, here’s what you missed from the first round of the 2023 RBC Canadian Open.
Canadian history
After the early wave of the first round of the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, four players were tied for the lead after taking advantage of calm conditions. Playing in his national open for the seventh time, Corey Conners fired a bogey-free 5-under 67 and sits atop the leaderboard alongside Aaron Rai, Justin Lower and Chesson Hadley.
Conners is looking to become the first Canadian to win the Canadian Open since Pat Fletcher in 1954, a drought that Mike Weir nearly ended in 2004 before his playoff loss to Vijay Singh. David Hearn had a two-shot lead in the final round in 2015 as late as the 15th hole, but ultimately lost out to Jason Day. A year later, amateur Jared du Toit was a shot back on Sunday before finishing T-9, three behind winner Jhonattan Vegas.
Canadian golf is going through a bit of a boom this year, seeing as three of the eight active Canadian PGA Tour members have won this season, the most in Tour history: Mackenzie Hughes (Sanderson Farms Championship), Adam Svensson (RSM Classic), Corey Conners (Valero Texas Open).
If Conners is still tied for the lead at the end of the first round, he would be the first Canadian to hold at least a share of the 18-hole lead at the RBC Canadian Open since Mike Weir in 2004. https://t.co/dkx69kl230
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) June 8, 2023
The trifecta
McIlroy won the RBC Canadian Open in 2019 and 2022, making him a unique two-time defending champion seeing as the tournament wasn’t held in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Can you name the last player to win three consecutive PGA Tour events in a row? That’d be Steve Stricker, who made the John Deere Classic his personal ATM from 2009-2011. In fact, just three players have accomplished the feat over the last 40 years (and Tiger Woods did it six times).
Stricker dominated the John Deere Classic, and Stuart Appleby did the same at the Sentry Tournament of Champions from 2004-2006. Woods hit the trifecta (at least) at the following events:
- Farmers Insurance Open (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
- WGC-Bridgestone Invitational (2005, 2006, 2007)
- WGC-CA Championship (2005, 2006, 2007)
- Arnold Palmer Invitational (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)
- WGC-NEC Invitational (1999, 2000, 2001)
- Memorial Tournament (1999, 2000, 2001)
Talk about a professional debut
One of the biggest stars of the day was 23-year-old Swedish rookie Ludvig Aberg, who is making his pro debut this week after finishing atop the PGA Tour University rankings and earning a Tour card for the rest of this season and next. The Texas Tech product began his professional career 4 under on the front nine before signing for a 3-under 69.
“I was nervous. I mean, I think it would have been weird if I wasn’t nervous,” said Aberg of his emotions on the first tee. “But I tried to embrace it. I tried to view it as something fun.”
During his time in college, Aberg (2022, 2023) joined Jon Rahm (2015, 2016) as the only multiple winners of the Ben Hogan Award, given to the men’s college player of the year. He was also the 2023 Haskins Award winner.
“I’m super fortunate to be in this position, to actually get my Tour card,” said Aberg. “I’m just going to be prepared to play a lot of golf. Play as much as I can, get as many points as I can and kind of see where that takes me.”
“He’s impressive,” said Matt Fitzpatrick who was grouped with Aberg, alongside Tyrrell Hatton. “Drove the ball very, very well. And yeah, he’s a good player. I’m very excited that he’s a European.”
This week isn’t Aberg’s first start on Tour, just his first as a pro. Earlier this year he made the cut at both the Valspar Championship (T-61) and Arnold Palmer Invitational (T-24).
Get to know the unique par-5 18th at Oakdale
Playing 509 yards, a creek bisects the fairway leaving a big decision for players: try to carry a driver 290-plus yards or lay up. The Monday qualifier for the 2022 RBC Canadian Open – held at nearby St. George’s Golf and Country Club – was held here at Oakdale, and during the qualifier the 18th played a full shot over par as a par 4.
It’s rather unusual for players to hit 4 iron off the tee on a par 5, but the guys are enjoying the unique test that could cause some drama come the closing stretch on Sunday.
McIlroy said he’d pull driver if the wind switches to the south and the temperatures rise. Co-leader Lower called it awkward but fun.
“I like it actually. It can create some drama on Sunday, it’s an easy six and a possible three,” added Rose. “You can get on the wrong side of the tilts and lave yourself in a precarious spot, have to hit the fairway, super short par 5 but who says it has to be 3-wood, 4-iron when you can go 4-iron, 3-wood.”
If the tournament is close Sunday, you may want to tune in down the stretch.
Players want rewards for loyalty
The actual golf took center stage Thursday after news of the PGA Tour’s partnership with the DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund broke Tuesday morning.
Plenty of players have passionately reacted, such as McIlroy and fan-favorite Harry Higgs. Rose said he’d be “more concerned if I was on LIV right now than on the PGA Tour,” and that it won’t be the smoothest transition when players return from the Saudi-backed upstart circuit.
“So I’m sure it’s going to need some massaging to get it right.”
Chesson Hadley agrees. The winner of the 2014 Puerto Rico Open has been on Tour for 10 years now, and the older he gets, the more he wants to be involved. Not only that, he wants rewarded for his loyalty to the Tour, like many of the players who turned down guaranteed money to join LIV.
“I mean, I felt — those guys didn’t do the wrong thing, who went to LIV. They made a business decision,” said Hadley. “I don’t hold that against anybody. But I would like to be rewarded for my decision to stay loyal.”
Monahan said that players who stayed will be rewarded, to an extent greater than they would have gotten by leaving.
“We’ll see what that means,” responded Hadley.
