This week I’m working for Global Television, reporting on the Canadian Open for the network’s website and working as a television analyst throughout the week, namely on a couple of morning shows and on their preview shows on the weekend that lead into the telecast.
In the meantime, here’s my piece on the field for the Canadian Open, which includes 12 players in the Top 50 in the world. Thank RBC for that.
Jeff Brooke’s take on Glen Abbey is here.
A bestselling author and award-winning columnist, Robert Thompson has been writing about business and sports, and particularly golf, for almost two decades. His reporting and commentary on golf has appeared in Golf Magazine, the Globe and Mail, T&L Golf and many other media outlets. Currently Robert is a columnist with Global Golf Post, golf analyst for Global News and Shaw Communications, and Senior Writer to ScoreGolf. The Going for the Green blog was launched in 2004.
Is this year the end of the deal struck between Clublink and the RCGA? What does this mean for future Canadian Opens at the course?
I have heard rumours that there is a possibility that the course, or at least the non-valley holes, will be sold and turned into housing – has anyone else heard this? Certainly that much land in what is now central Oakville would be worth a ton of money but I don’t imagine this would please existing homeowners that border the course
Regarding the article and dates for the Canadian Open, is it unrealistic to think that the Canadian Open could become a FedEx Cup playoff event? The date could then be around the Labour Day weekend when weather isn’t an issue. RBC currently sponsors two tournaments on the tour so why shouldn’t they get some love from Finchem et al, assuming they would put up any additional money required.
Deutsche Bank has committed to sponsoring their event in Boston through 2016 – European and US banks don’t have as much money to throw around as they used to so it will be interesting to see if they back out.
Would Canadians put up with it being a playoff event (or WGC event)? Remember its an “Open” now and many Canadian golfers get into a pgatour event in which they would never have a chance in hell of playing any other way.
Lets hope it never comes back to Glenn Abbey. one of the worst courses on tour. Sad part is, its probably the best for logistics for holding the event. Also sad part with TSN/Sportsnet/CBC/Global/insert every other canadian tv provider. No domestic coverage… again… Ironically TSN will be showing more coverage of the Senior British Open than our National open… way to go TSN!
And no doubt thanks to RBC, i think without them ‘sponsoring’ certain players, a web.com event would have a stronger field.
The Canadian Open is not open in the way that there are lots of qualifying spots available like the Open Championship or the US Open. This year there were three regional qualifiers around the country and four guys qualified in the final event on Monday.
It is true that becoming a playoff event would mean that there would be far fewer, and possibly no Canadians, but it would get a much stronger field. Which is more important? Hard to say.
There are other courses that could work – there are rumours of Coppinwood. It has lots of room for tents, etc and has a great practice facility. But it is out in the country with only a two lane road so access would be tricky and would require shuttle buses.
I dont think any other pgatour event (maybe the one in mexico?) has the 3 regional qualifiers + top entries from the Canadian tour (which is no guarantee to be a canuck, but higher probability), so while not an ‘open’ per se, it still has a qualification system more biased to Canadians.
Ive always wondered what people would want, a chance for ‘noname’ canucks to have a chance at glory, or an event which has the best field. My opinion is they (RBC? RCGA?) should have went hard for a WGC event, and maybe they did..
But until the date changes, we will just have to hope RBC continues to pay off players to show up, as I dont think theres any other chance any high ranked player will show up.
i think the golf swing is made complicated by teachers and money wasted wiring people of in the name of perfection what ever,throwing medicine balls golf exercises etc it is all baloney, one piece take away be in this position here that position there , come on it’s all over in the blink of eye .these teachers and gurus will allways be loaded if people believe all this crap is attainable. why do you want to be in a position on the back swing feeling pain in your back shoulder or thighs it’s beyond me.the golf swing is painless you just swing the hands and arms and let the swing happen naturally and painless, the hips will clear enough to hit solid shots with power. none of this bump your hips and seperatre on backswing and all this crap.the swing is the most analysed in any sport in the world and the people do not know what they are talking about . x factor stay behind the ball whatever if you let your swing react to the hands and arms take away it just happens naturally with no jumping out of your boots to do it as half the pros do in slo mo tiger fowler els bubba they all do it.what a load of crap thats taught to-day in golf it only benefits the teachers bank balance and confuses students.