Fast start by Canucks at RBC Canadian Open

Bob Weeks

TSN Senior Reporter

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ANCASTER, Ont. – Maybe it’s the golf course. Or it could be the support from the fans.

Perhaps it’s the home cooking or the double-doubles at Timmies. Or even possibly the ketchup chips.

Cheap clichés aside, Canadian golfers lit up the leaderboard on Thursday at the RBC Canadian Open with five of them finishing inside the top 15.

While they don’t keep records on these sorts of things, it’s quite possibly the best start by the Maple Leaf crew in the long history of the national championship.

Leading the way was Nick Taylor, whose 64 at Hamilton Golf & Country Club included a stretch of six birdies in seven holes. His previous best opening round in Canada was a 68 last year at Glen Abbey.

“I hit a lot of fairways, which was nice,” he stated. “My iron shots, a lot of them were [going] where I was looking and rolled some nice putts in the middle of the round. From tee to green it was really solid and it was nice to finish off the round.”

Adam Hadwin was a shot back while Mackenzie Hughes, David Hearn and Drew Nesbitt all posted 66s.

The flurry of Maple Leafs on the scoreboard gave rise, yet again, to the hope that a Canadian player might win this national championship. As every one of the Canadian golfers in this tournament can tell you, Pat Fletcher was the last one to do it back in 1954.

In fact, the greatest incentive for a Canadian golfer to win this tournament wouldn’t be the first-place cheque, but being known as the guy who ended the never-ending Fletcher questioning.

“I don’t have a great answer for that,” responded Hughes, when asked if this year’s course might be why there was a great first-round showing. “Adam and Nick grew up on shorter, tree-lined courses with some severe greens and I was kind of the same thing. I think there’s a comfort of just being in Canada with this grass.”

None of the Canadian players would fit into the category of power players. While none of them are really short, they are more about precision and putting than bomb and gouge.

Glen Abbey in its later years tended to suit the latter. Hamilton, which plays under 7,000 yards and is lined with some hairy rough, the former. It allows the Canadian golfers to play to their strengths.

Playing at home is fun but also a difficult task. It’s a week unlike any other on the PGA Tour for the Canadians. They get far more attention and requests, and fans load them up with pressure to perform. They get out of their normal rhythm and routines. A few have come close to winning. George Knudson, Richard Zokol, Dave Barr, Mike Weir and Hearn all were in position to win but ended up just short.

It’s not only Canadians who face this. Graeme McDowell can relate to what they’re going through having faced the same situation in Northern Ireland.

“It’s very difficult,” he stated. “My record in the Irish Open is pretty awful for the simple fact that that little bit of hometown pressure can be a lot. A lot more media attention on you. The fans and spectators want you to do well, and you feel that little bit of extra weight on your shoulders.

“I understand what the boys are going through. I mean, obviously RBC look after them and take care of them and this is their event. Obviously, being a home country event as well, a lot of pressure is on the guys’ shoulders. And so it’s great to see guys like Adam Hadwin playing well today.”

Most of the Canadian veterans have learned to deal with the increase in attention and the hopes of the fans. They have found a comfort in teeing it up at home and learned to embrace it rather than struggle under the weight.

Hughes also points out a very simple reason why the home-country crew are playing so well.

“I think we just have a lot of great players now,” he stated simply. “It’s not really a surprise to me to see what they’re doing.”

It’s only one round and it’s a long way until Sunday afternoon when they hand out the hardware. But the fast start on Thursday has fans asking once again, will this be the year?