Day: July 26, 2017

One & Done: RBC Canadian OpenOne & Done: RBC Canadian Open

NOTE: If you play PGA TOUR Champions One & Done presented by SERVPRO, The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex begins on Thursday. It’s the last of five majors on the circuit and there is a 36-hole cut. See the possibilities at the bottom of the page to assist you in determining your pick. Part of our purpose as a sevensome of “experts” is to enjoy publicly battling in our little league, but we take seriously our positions of suggesting golfers you should consider for yours. Whether you’re chasing your own league title or gunning for the season-long prizes at PGATOUR.COM, we understand that you count on us to present options and sensible opinion if for no other reason than you simply don’t have the time to commit to the same. Jonathan and Chris are cognizant of the fact that you may have followed their lead, if possible, and selected Jordan Spieth and Grayson Murray for last week’s Open Championship and Barbasol Championship, respectively. Spieth was the fourth-most owned at Royal Birkdale at 6.4 percent, but Murray ranked 24th at just 0.4 percent in ownership percentage. As the steward of the weekly recaps on Thursdays, I’ve gleaned a sense for our influence over time, so I’m certain that Chris’ call for the PGA TOUR rookie in particular was heard out there. It’s decisions like Junior’s that can determine league championships, but no such guesswork is needed at the RBC Canadian Open. Matt Kuchar strolls and smiles into Glen Abbey checking all of the boxes. Sure, the runner-up finish at Royal Birkdale hurt like no other defeat in his career, but we also know that he takes too much pride in himself and his profession to mail it in anywhere, but especially at a tournament where he’s appeared every year since 2010. He’s not only finished T2, T7 and T9 in the last three editions of the event at Glen Abbey, he’s also an RBC ambassador, so there are all kinds of positive vibes assisting in taking his mind off what was effectively a Jordan Spieth victory and not a Matt Kuchar loss at The Open. In two appearances at Glen Abbey, Dustin Johnson has been beaten by only the winners in 2013 (Brandt Snedeker) and 2016 (Jhonattan Vegas). Skeptical gamers would like to see a reversal in his form, but gamers in earnings-based formats and chasing should plug him in. It’s in weeks like this one when so many of the game’s best talents are resting or competing elsewhere when DJ’s value is multiplied. Tony Finau sets up as a timely bridge in PGA TOUR One & Done presented by SERVPRO, but he’s worthy of a primary slot in two-man formats. He continues to impress as a special breed who retains above-average consistency while maintaining a busy schedule. If you’ve yet to burn Charley Hoffman, this is your last logical spot to invest. Do it with confidence. Chad Campbell, Scott Stallings, Daniel Summerhays and Sung Kang are dandy complements to two-man gamers. If you wanted to go all-in on having some fun with an all-Maple Leaf lineup, consider the duo of Adam Hadwin and Mackenzie Hughes. They’ve already lifted PGA TOUR hardware this season. FUTURE POSSIBILITIES NOTE: Select golfers committed to the tournament are listed alphabetically. Future tournaments are sorted chronologically and reflect previous success on the courses on which the tournaments will be held in 2016-17. All are pending golfer commitment. Keegan Bradley … WGC-Bridgestone; Dell Technologies Kevin Chappell … Dell Technologies Jim Furyk … Canadian; WGC-Bridgestone; TOUR Championship Charley Hoffman … Canadian Dustin Johnson … Canadian; TOUR Championship Matt Kuchar … Canadian; WGC-Bridgestone Graeme McDowell … WGC-Bridgestone; Wyndham William McGirt … Wyndham Scott Piercy … BMW Bubba Watson … WGC-Bridgestone; TOUR Championship Gary Woodland … Barracuda (already eligible for concurrent WGC-Bridgestone); PGA Championship; Dell Technologies; TOUR Championship CHAMPIONS ONE & DONE POSSIBILITIES The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex Royal Porthcawl in Wales hosts for the second time (2014). It’s a par 35-36=71 with three par 5s and tips at 7,010 yards. As one of only three tournaments (all majors) with a 36-hole cut and with one of the lowest purses of the season (~$1.75 million), it’s a decent week to holster a notable if you can’t go the distance without searching on the fringe. Golfers listed alphabetically. Rob’s serious considerations in bold. Billy Andrade … Top 20s in his only previous appearances, but hasn’t played Royal Porthcawl in competition. Just one top-45 finish in his last four events upon arrival. Tommy Armour III … T9s in two of his last three starts but a non-factor in his last two Senior Opens. Paul Broadhurst … Defending champion (at Carnoustie) and 2016 Rookie of the Year. Missed the cut by two last week at Royal Birkdale. Top 25s in last three PGA TOUR Champions starts. Fred Couples … The 2012 champ placed T13 here in 2014 despite a closing 78. Returned from injury with a victory in Wisconsin a month ago. T4 at the SENIOR PLAYERS. Seven top sixes in 2017. Scott Dunlap … Really ideal is you’re front-running and are out of short-range options. Top 20s in all three Senior Opens (T6 in 2014) and fresh off a T14 at the SENIOR PLAYERS. Joe Durant … No matter the venue, he’s performed exceptionally well at the SENIOR PLAYERS (T6-T3-T2-T6), but has just four top 10s in 13 starts in the other majors combined. Save him. Steve Flesch … Intriguing fit with a pair of fifth-place finishes in five starts since turning 50 in May. Alas, his record in The Open Championship is pedestrian at best (3-for-5 with one top 50). Fred Funk … Somewhat tempting coming off a T6 at the SENIOR PLAYERS, but it’s been six years since his last top 25 in the Senior Open. T29 here in 2014 is the best in the interim. Miguel Angel Jiménez … Major breakthrough is imminent. An automatic if you’ve yet to pull the trigger. Solo fourth at Caves Valley and a T8-4th-T3 run in the Senior Open starting here in 2014. Jerry Kelly … As a first-timer, it’s relevant to comp to his record in The Open Championship, and it was forgettable. He went 5-for-11 with zero top 25s. Bernhard Langer … The 2014 champ and by 13 strokes! He’s had a week to recover from the stunning collapse late at Caves Valley, so if you haven’t yet burned him, ignore the reduced purse. Tom Lehman … By comparison, his worst major. Best finish in seven tries was a T10 in 2012. He’s either won or finished second at least once in each of the other four. Scott McCarron … So valuable as one of the most predictable when there are four par 5s. They are his moneymakers. Runner-up last year at Carnoustie but wasn’t yet eligible here in 2014. Colin Montgomerie … The 2014 runner-up and fresh off a T6 at the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS, which ended his drought without a top 15 at six starts. Tom Pernice, Jr. … Tied for third here in 2014, but has only one top-30 finish in the last 10 majors. Gene Sauers … Too inconsistent even as a bridge. Also making his debut at Royal Porthcawl. Target the Boeing Classic in late August instead. Jeff Sluman … Six top 25s in nine Opens, including in each of the last four (T16 at Royal Porthcawl in 2014), so he’s a fair surrogate during what has been a nice season at age 59. Duffy Waldorf … Didn’t compete here in 2014, but once again, save him for one of the remaining eight non-majors. In fact, pencil him in for the Shaw Charity Classic on Labor Day weekend. Tom Watson … It wouldn’t be an Open discussion without this guy. Tied for 10th here in 2014. Perfect if you’ve never rostered him ever before and you’re entirely about having a good time.

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The fake controversy surrounding Spieth’ winThe fake controversy surrounding Spieth’ win

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Giving back can’t start too early for HearnGiving back can’t start too early for Hearn

Just like so many of us, David Hearn’s life has been impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. His grandmother, Beatrice Carter, the woman he had so many fond memories of visiting in Toronto when he was young, battled what is the most common form of dementia for nearly a decade. Hearn’s great-grandmother suffered from the insidious disease, as well. The decline was steady. By the time Carter died nearly seven years ago, she sometimes had trouble recognizing members of her family, including Hearn. So, when her grandson was looking for a way to give back in 2015, he didn’t have to look far to find the cause he wanted to support. By the end of this year, the David Hearn Foundation – through its charity golf tournament and the sale of its signature wines and hats – will have raised roughly $500,000 to support the Alzheimer Society of Canada. He first got involved with his local chapter in 2011 and continues to lend a hand in his hometown. “There’s hardly anyone that I talk to that hasn’t been touched by the disease in some way or another,â€� Hearn says. “I feel very fortunate that I’m able to be in a position where I can help out and try to improve the care of the people around us. “Unfortunately my relatives aren’t around anymore that suffered from it, but if we can make it a little bit better for those people that are, it would be good.â€� This year’s David Hearn Charitable Golf Classic was an early sellout. The tournament, which began in 2012, will be played on Monday at Ontario’s Brantford Golf and Country Club, which is Hearn’s home course. The event caps a busy stretch for the 38-year-old Hearn, who is playing in the RBC Canadian Open this week at Glen Abbey. It’s a tournament near and dear to his heart. In 2015, Hearn nearly became the first Canadian in 61 years to win his national championship. He held a two-stroke lead entering the final round and ended up finishing third. Hearn’s foundation was launched later that year. Its focus is on initiatives that help create awareness about Alzheimer’s and how it affects various parts of the community. “I feel like we can raise a lot of money and make an impact when it comes to trying to care for people better,â€� Hearn explains. “I don’t think I can make as big an impact on the research and cure side. “So I wanted to focus more on trying to give back to the families and the people that are suffering from it as best I could.â€� Toward that end, the foundation has several innovative programs beyond Monday’s well-received golf tournament. For example, the sale of those David Hearn Foundation golf caps made by Levelwear raised $20,000 a year ago. The hats are once again on sale at www.davidhearn.ca. The same logo is on the David Hearn Foundation wines from Rockway Vineyards in St. Catharines, Ontario. One of the wines is a cabernet sauvignon-merlot blend and won a bronze medal in a Canadian competition last year. The other is a chardonnay-Riesling blend. “In that area of Ontario, especially that winery is really famous for its Rieslings,â€� Hearn says. “The grapes have a sweet quality to them because of the seasons and the cold.â€� Hearn, who estimates he’s got at least a case of each at home, is partial to the cab-merlot blend while his wife likes the white. He got to meet with the winemaker and provide input in the tasting process. “Obviously, they’re the experts, so I’m just giving a little bit of feedback,â€� he says. “But they did a great job, and they made it real easy for us.â€� Once available on a limited basis, primarily at the vineyard, the wine is now sold throughout Ontario in stores run by the liquor control board. A portion of the sales are donated to the DHF. “So it’s a good sign that it’s popular and the people are liking it,â€� Hearn said. And the partnership with Rockway is a match made in heaven in more ways than one. The vineyard also has a golf course where the David Hearn Kia Championship is held. The tournament is the finale of a six-event junior series hosted by the golfer and his sponsor Two of those junior golfers, Everett Craven, who is 13, and 8-year-old Johnathan Coffey, received the first David Hearn Foundation Kia Grants earlier this year and will be honored Monday night at the foundation’s charity event. Those grants allow the young golfers to make $4,500 donations to their local Alzheimer Society chapters. For Hearn, the giving back can’t start too early.

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Greller on 13th hole: ‘Just absolute chaos’Greller on 13th hole: ‘Just absolute chaos’

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