Jul 28, 2018
Great play arrives at perfect time for Silverman
Ben Silverman has been getting a crash course in Glen Abbey this week and Friday, he looked more like a longtime member than a first-timer, posting an impressive round of 63, just one off the course record. That shot him up the leaderboard and into contention at the RBC Canadian Open, Bob Weeks writes.
By Bob Weeks
OAKVILLE, Ont. – You’d think that a guy who grew up in Toronto playing golf would have logged a few rounds at Glen Abbey over the years.
Maybe a corporate tournament or charity outing or two? Nope. Not Ben Silverman who may be the only Greater Toronto Area golfer left who hadn’t completed 18 holes at the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout.
“So this might be a surprise,” said the Thornhill, Ont. native. “I’ve only played nine holes before this tournament on this golf course. I didn’t grow up playing here.”
He’s been getting a crash course in Glen Abbey this week and Friday, he looked more like a longtime member than a first-timer, posting an impressive round of 63, just one off the course record. That shot him up the leaderboard and into contention at the RBC Canadian Open.
Silverman’s bogey-free round was his lowest of the year, his first on the PGA Tour. It was also 10 strokes better than his opening round and together, put him at eight-under, five shots back of the lead held by Kevin Tway.
“It feels awesome to play this well again,” he stated after dropping an 18th-hole birdie, his ninth of the day. “Things were clicking. I knew exactly where the ball was going and putts were falling It was awesome, a lot of fun.”
Silverman birdied all four par-5 holes, which has become almost a necessity at Glen Abbey. Three of the four are playing easiest on the course and a par on any of them is almost like giving up a shot to the field.
His round is a long way from the first tournament he played as a junior golfer where he posted an eye-popping score of 118. That was at the time when he decided to give up on playing professional hockey and become a PGA Tour player. It was a dream that not many other than Silverman thought he’d realize, but through hard work and dedication, he’s made it.
Silverman’s fine play couldn’t have arrived at a better time. The 30-year-old is in a late-season push to get inside the top 125 on the FedEx Cup standings, which would lock up his playing privileges for next season and also get him into the PGA Tour’s playoffs. He’s currently in 135th spot.
“I know exactly where I stand,” he said. “I know pretty much what I have to shoot to secure my card for next year, so the focus with that is to go out and, in my mind, in the best possible state to make birdies because I know I need them.”
Silverman was followed by a large contingent of family and friends, along with his wife Morgan and son Jack, who just celebrated his first birthday.
On Saturday, Silverman will try to keep those good feelings and continue his move up the leaderboard. Just having made the cut and being in good shape after 36 holes is not the goal he’s after.
“I don’t feel relief,” he stated. “I feel I’m five shots back of the lead and I need to stay inside that top 10 to lock up my card, so I’m going to be pushing to try to catch the leaders as soon as I can and then contend to win this tournament.”