Note — this is a post from last week that didn’t go up for some reason…
My latest National Post column, in today’s paper if you are interested in witnessing my ugly mug first hand, is also online.
Check it out:
The economic meltdown on the markets has hurt most people’s retirement plans, but it could be a benefit to the RBC Canadian Open as the tournament seeks a new date.
Even before the recent financial issues on the stock market, Royal Bank and the Royal Canadian Golf Association had been lobbying the PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, making it known that the bank’s financial strength should justify a better date.
Prior to the Royal Bank’s involvement with the Canadian Open that commenced last year, previous sponsor Bell Canada had been saddled with a difficult date at the start of September, a time when many of golf’s best players were winding down their seasons. The date moved to July when the schedule was reworked, but the Canadian Open fell the the week after the British Open, arguably a more difficult date to attract the PGA Tour’s top stars. RBC came on as sponsor after the July date was set, and the bank and the Royal Canadian Golf Association have been lobbying for a change.
RCGA executive director Scott Simmons says the organization has its sight set on two dates – the week at the end of June currently occupied the Buick Open in Michigan and the following week’s event, the AT&T National. While the AT&T is likely not going anywhere, especially since it is being presented by Tiger Woods, the Buick is another matter given the struggles of the auto industry.
“We’ve told the tour what dates we’d be interested in,” Simmons said.
The full column is here.
