Golf intersects with history as Faldo Series junior event concludes in Vietnam

The PGA TOUR returns to Canada for the RBC Canadian Open after the event was cancelled the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Scottie Scheffler, the FedExCup leader and world No. 1, headlines the field with Rory McIlroy returning to defend his title from 2019. The deep field also includes Justin Thomas, Cameron Smith, Tony Finau, Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry (who finished tied for second in 2019), Justin Rose and Tyrrell Hatton. Corey Conners is the top-ranked Canadian in the FedExCup standings. Here’s everything you need to know to follow the action, including Featured Groups for PGA TOUR LIVE and newly expanded and extended coverage on ESPN+. Click here for more details. Leaderboard Full tee times HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Friday, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (CBS) Radio: Thursday-Friday, 12 p.m.–6 p.m. ET. Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio) For outside of the U.S., click here for GOLFTV powered by the PGA TOUR PGA TOUR LIVE PGA TOUR Live is available exclusively on ESPN+ • Main Feed: primary tournament-coverage featuring the best action from across the course • Marquee Group: new “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group • Featured Groups: traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups • Featured Holes: a combination of par-3s and iconic or pivotal holes FEATURED GROUPS THURSDAY Marquee Group 7:13 a.m. ET: Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Corey Conners Featured Groups 7:24 a.m. ET: Shane Lowry, Brandt Snedeker, Matt Fitzpatrick 7:35 a.m. ET: JJ Spaun, Tony Finau, Nick Taylor Featured Holes: No. 3 (par 3), No. 6 (par 3), No. 13 (par 3), No. 16 (par 3) FRIDAY Marquee Group 7:13 a.m. ET: Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns, Cameron Smith Featured Groups 7:24 a.m. ET: Tyrrell Hatton, Justin Rose, Harold Varner III 7:35 a.m. ET: Cameron Champ, Parker McLachlin, Sebastian Munoz Featured Holes: No. 3 (par 3), No. 6 (par 3), No. 13 (par 3), No. 16 (par 3) MUST READS RBC Canadian Open makes long-awaited return The First Look Power Rankings Expert Picks Five Things to Know: St. George’s Golf and Country Club Best Canadian golfers ever

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Kevin Kisner was clear to Golf Digest: Patrick Reed doesn’t have any friends from his old days at Georgia and Augusta State. Kisner did not hold back.

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Although it’s never hosted a sanctioned event for professionals, Erin Hills Golf Course isn’t entirely foreign land to the field of 156 at the U.S. Open. Eighteen entrants competed in the 2011 U.S. Amateur. Half advanced to match play, including Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Russell Henley, Harris English and Peter Uihlein. Among those who failed to advance, Brooks Koepka, Emiliano Grillo and PGA TOUR rookie C.T. Pan are the most notable. Still, there’s only so much calming of the nerves that limited experience as an amateur six years ago can have in a major championship. So, just like a couple before it this year, this edition of this weekly staple focuses solely on specific statistics that project success on the 7,741-yard behemoth northwest of Milwaukee. NOTE: For each of the stats below, all in the field who rank inside the top 25 on the PGA TOUR are cited. * – In the Power Rankings Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green Always relevant, its value increases when unfamiliar greens serve as the targets. Hitting full shots is a constant. Being in tune with distance and accuracy is evidence of confidence. Greens in Regulation With generous fairways, the trouble is pronounced around greens. Dastardly bunkers are poised to swallow wayward approach shots. The final leaderboard may very well consist of those who lead the field in GIR. Scrambling While the winner is expected to land several strokes under par, lest we forget that this is a U.S. Open. Salvaging pars after finding trouble can feel like finding birdies and can score like half-birdies. So, scrambling supersedes bogey avoidance as the preferred angle. Strokes gained: putting may be more statistically relevant in retrospect, but with virtually zero experience on the greens at Erin Hills, going in focusing on the up-and-down game is more sensible since putting is baked into it. Par-5 Scoring The USGA has taken heat recently, but it again has the opportunity to showcase which of the world’s best golfers deserve to be crowned the 117th champion of the national open. It will not hurt the optics that Erin Hills is the first par 72 to host a U.S. Open since Pebble Beach in 1992. And while all four par 5s can stretch over 610 yards – it’s possible for the 18th hole to reach 675 yards – those are the holes that will help generate churn on the leaderboard. Expect the USGA to dial in yardage based on wind, hole locations and relevant difficulty of holes before and after each.

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