Everyone is chasing David Lingmerth, who’s at 10-under through the first two rounds in Maryland.
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There exists an irony at Glen Abbey Golf Club. For as much as the RBC Canadian Open has migrated throughout its history, the course that hosts the 109th edition of the tournament is one of the most reliable destinations on the PGA TOUR. For an explanation on what this means, what can be expected in Canada’s national open, a glimpse at two-time defending champion Jhonattan Vegas and much more, scroll beneath the rankings. Two-time runner-up at Glen Abbey (2013, 2016) placed T8 last year. His scoring average in his last 12 rounds here is 68.58. He’s finished second, first and T6 in par-5 scoring, respectively. After helping promote his home-state Utah Championship on the Web.com Tour, he placed T9 at Carnoustie for his third top 10 in 2018 majors. Seven top 10s in all. T5 at Glen Abbey last year. Despite a rock-steady career, he’s been streakier than you might realize and he’s on mini-heater now with four straight top 20s worldwide. Also T16-T7-P2 in last three visits to Glen Abbey. He has unfinished business at Glen Abbey where he placed T18 after sitting T4 through 54 holes in only prior trip in 2015. Eighth on TOUR in birdies-or-better percentage with his putter. Snapped his slump at Carnoustie with a T2; held at least a piece of the lead after each of the first three rounds. Gunning to keep mojo alive at Glen Abbey where he placed T26 in debut last year. The 37-year-old gets some benefit of the doubt as the 2013 champion at Glen Abbey. In his return trip in 2016, he tied for fifth. T6 (St. Jude) and T3 (Greenbrier) in his last five starts. Had last week off after a T23 at the John Deere Classic, his sixth top 25 in nine starts since turning professional. Would rank second on TOUR in both GIR and proximity if eligible. Quietly answered last year’s disappointment in The Open Championship with a T9 on Sunday. He’s 4-for-4 at Glen Abbey since 2013 with three top 10s and a scoring average of 69.25. Solo third in his Glen Abbey debut last year. Led the field in par-4 scoring and ranked T10 in greens in regulation and second in strokes gained: putting. Nine top 25s in last 12 starts worldwide. Kept the pedal floored at TPC Deere Run and finished sixth on the heels of a T5 at Greenbrier. Now rested after a six-week road trip, can open the throttle again at Glen Abbey (T23 last year). Electrifying Englishman is making his tournament debut. He’s 33rd in the FedExCup standings and fifth in adjusted scoring with top 20s in all of the majors, the WGCs and THE PLAYERS. Playing into the horse-for-a-course mold of late. Sandwiched in between missed cuts in the last two majors, he won the Travelers and placed T13 at Greenbrier. Runner-up at Glen Abbey in 2015. The ball-striker has eight top 25s in last 10 starts upon arrival. Made his TOUR debut at Royal Montreal in the 2014 RBC after gaining entry via a monster season on the Mackenzie Tour. As the two-time defending champ limps in again this year, he has the field right where he wants ’em! Was 0-for-5 upon arrival in 2017. This time, he’s gone 11 straight starts without a top 35. Although he finished fifth in Houston nearly four months ago, the rookie hadn’t thoroughly enjoyed the fruits of his labor tee-to-green until a T2-T7 burst through TPC Deere Run and Keene Trace. POWER RANKINGS: RBC CANADIAN OPEN RANK PLAYER COMMENT Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, Billy Horschel, Jimmy Walker and Barbasol Championship winner Troy Merritt will appear in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider along with other notables. For competitors who made the trip to Oakville, Ontario, Glen Abbey presents as a soft landing just as long as they hit the ground running. This includes the 32 who jetted from The Open Championship at Carnoustie in Scotland. They in particular will be reminded of what it’s like to sign for red numbers again. Glen Abbey is a stock par 72, albeit with respective pars of 35 and 37. The par 5s are Nos. 2, 13, 16 and 18. Last year’s scoring average of 70.371 established a tournament low for the course (since data was first maintained in earnest in 1983). When the wind blows, as it did early in 2016 and will a bit this week, the 5,600-square foot greens get even smaller, but Glen Abbey has yielded the most eagles of any course in each of the last five seasons it’s hosted the RBC Canadian Open (2009, 2013, 2015-2017), so they are still magnets. Given that Vegas prevailed despite finishing outside the top 50 in fairways hit during both of his titles proves that the only challenge besides hitting greens and rolling in putts – standard-operating procedure in all shootouts – is keeping pace. Of the 13 who finished inside the top 10 here last year, nine ranked inside the top 15 in greens in regulation. The field average of 36.32 percent in converting GIR into par breakers was a season high. Hitting it a long way doesn’t hurt, either. Only two of the top 13 on the leaderboard in 2017 averaged fewer than 299 yards in distance of all drives for the week. Vegas ranked inside the top 15 in both distance of all drives and GIR en route to both victories. Rough is trimmed from two-and-a-half inches to three-and-a-quarter inches, with the thickest stuff protecting the primarily bentgrass greens. They’re prepped to run upward of 12-and-a-half feet on the Stimpmeter, but the persistent threat of rain is poised to slow them down. Daytime temperatures will climb into the upper 70s. Earlier this month, it was announced that Hamilton Golf & Country Club will be hosting next year. The tournament will shift to the week prior to the U.S. Open. ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton reviews and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, Facebook Live, Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done, Champions One & Done * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, which also publishes on Tuesdays.
NAPA, Calif. — Phil Mickelson had six straight birdies and shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday to pull within two strokes of leader Sepp Straka in the PGA TOUR’s season-opening Safeway Open. Coming off a winless performance in the U.S. Ryder Cup loss to Europe, the 48-year-old Mickelson birdied Nos. 9-14 and closed with four straight pars on the North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa. I’ve been putting well, like I can putt,” Mickelson said. “But I was surprised at some of the shots I’ve hit. Honestly, I hit it just terrible and today was kind of an anomaly. Don’t let the good round fool you. I’m not at all at my best. A few things clicked and it was fun.” He was 0-2 in France at the Ryder Cup. “I had two terrible weeks at BMW and the TOUR Championship,” Mickelson said. “But I’ve become a great putter week in and week out with a few bad weeks as opposed to in the past I’ve been kind of an average putter with a few spikes. I’m back to putting well again and rolling it in the way I did all last year.” Straka birdied the final three holes for a 63. The Austrian played alongside Mark Mulder, the former major league pitcher who opened with a 75. “I really wasn’t expecting that right out of the gates,” Straka said. “But I had a good game plan and I just tried to do it shot by shot. I really didn’t do a lot of special things. My putter was really hot, and I putted the ball really well. Other than that, you know, I just took advantage of my chances.” Chase Wright had a 64, playing the last three holes in 4 under with an eagle on the par-5 16th and two birdies. He’s playing in his second career PGA TOUR event after earning a card in the Web.com Tour Finals. “It’s been a great year,” Wright said. “I know I should be here and I’m not by any means surprised about this. My last two competitive rounds were 64, so I think if I keep that up I’ll be just fine.” Brandt Snedeker, Alex Prugh, J.T. Poston, Mackenzie Hughes, Sam Saunders, Sungjae Im and Adam Long shot 66. “I just stayed patient,” said Snedeker, who had an opening 59 in his Wyndham Championship victory in August. “I just kind of worked my way back into after not playing for the past four weeks and getting some rest. I was driving it great all day.” Two-time defending champion Brendan Steele had a 67, playing alongside Mickelson. Fred Couples, the Hall of Famer who turned 59 on Wednesday, had a 73 in his first PGA TOUR round since the Masters in April.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan was critical of the idea of a proposed annual competition, the Premier Golf League.
