First Click: Hamilton Golf and Country Club history, Canadian Open studs and more

The 2024 Canadian Open tees off this week from Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

What a week it’s going to be. 

But before we get to the stats and trends this week, I have to take a victory lap. 

The last time we met for this column was the PGA Championship. Since it was the first major championship of this series we expanded to a second “first click.” 

And it’s a good thing we did. 

Xander Schauffele came through for us on Thursday with a bogey-free round of 62 to take the outright lead after 18 holes, giving us the first winner of this column at +3100. 

The win brings our record to 1-5 in this format and the 31-1 price means we’ll be in profit for the rest of the year.  

Usually, we reserve this column for majors and signature events, but when you work at TSN, there is no bigger event than the Canadian Open.

I’ll be boots on ground all week at HGCC, so I plan on scoping out the place and finding as many winners as possible. 

That said, I already have a good feeling about who’s going to win this week.

Let’s get to it. 

BACK IN THE HAMMER 

This year marks the fifth time Hamilton Golf and Country Club will host the Canadian Open. 

Here are the winners and scores from previous years. 

The big thing that stands out from this list is how the winning score has gotten lower (better) and lower in each event. 

Here is a look at which players have done the best in the Canadian Open in their careers. 

More on the highlighted names later. 

IF COLT BULIDS IT, EBERT WILL COME (TO RESTORE)

Hamilton Golf and Country Club was founded in 1894. 

However, the course that we have seen played in four Canadian Opens wasn’t designed until they brought in Harry Colt in 1914. 

Who’s Harry Colt? I was wondering the same thing. 

It turns out Colt is a legend in course design and has his fingerprints all over some of the best courses in the world, including several in the Open Championship rotation, with Royal Portrush being one of them. 

However, in 2019, Hamilton Golf and Country Club brought in a group for a course restriction led by Martin Ebert. 

The group of (Tom) Mackenzie & Ebert have been entrusted with the restoration work of some of the best golf courses in the world, including eight of the 10 Open Championship venues, including Royal Portrush.

See where I’m going with this? 

IT’S STARTING TO FEEL LIKE 2019 AT ROYAL PORTRUSH 

At the 2019 Open Championship, we returned to Royal Portrush for the first time since Mackenzie & Ebert resorted a Harry Colt classic. 

Shane Lowry was victorious, winning the only major of his career. He beat out Tommy Fleetwood by six shots, while Fleetwood was two shots better than third. 

Here is that leaderboard. 

FIRST CLICK(s)

This is the easiest time I’ve had writing an article in a long time. 

I started my Canadian Open prep a few weeks ago, and this Colt-Ebert course history is just too good for me to pass. 

This week I’ve clicked twice to start the week. 

My first click was Shane Lowry outright at +2200. 

The European finished tied for second at this event when it was last played at HGCC, and has been in good forum this season. 

Lowry has three top 10s in individual events in 2024, and added a win to his resume at the Zurich Classic with partner Rory McIlroy. 

Lowry has been the second most accurate driver of the ball on the PGA Tour this year, and has been dealing with a putter that’s either ice cold, or red hot. 

Lowry gained over nine strokes putting in his last start, which makes up for losing over five strokes putting in each of the three events he played leading into the PGA Championship. 

 Lowry also gained over four strokes putting earlier this year when he tied for fourth at the Cognizant Classic. He followed that week up with a solo third at Bay Hill the next week. 

Here’s hoping he rolls over the good play from Valhalla into Hamilton Golf and Country Club and gets us into the winner’s circle again. 

However, this week if it’s not going to be Lowry, I’ll roll with Tommy Fleetwood at +1800. 

Fleetwood has played just twice in Canada, finishing inside of the top 10 (T6, 2) both times.  

If it weren’t for a remarkable 72-foot putt by Nick Taylor last year, Fleetwood might have picked up his first career PGA Tour win in Canada.  

Now, it’s been 12 months, and I like Fleetwood’s chances of finally getting over the hump in North America.  

Who’s your first click this week for RBC Heritage? Let us know on X @TSN_Edge