RBC Canadian Open Championship Underway

RCGA Release

Following their appearance in Wednesday’s Pengrowth Championship Pro-Am, Canada’s own Mike Weir and Stephen Ames spoke at length about the event, the weather and what it will take to capture the $5.1 million (US) purse.
 
“I think that the new course layout is a nice change that the RCGA has incorporated this year,” said Weir. “We can come off the range and head right over to the first tee now.  I like it because it adds to the flow of the round and it’s a good, good change.”
 
“I played Glen Abbey on Monday during the Mike Weir Charity Classic, and the course was in great condition,” said Ames. “It was nice and firm and fast.  Unfortunately, with the rain, it has softened up a bit, but it will be a great test this week.”
 
Ames and Weir are among the 15 Canadians in the 156-player field looking to be crowned champion at the 2009 RBC Canadian Open.
 
OPENING ROUND TEES OFF THURSDAY
Canada’s only PGA TOUR event officially begins Thursday with round one getting underway at 7:00 a.m. off the first and tenth tees at the Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. 

Pairings and start times are available online at www.rbccanadianopen.com and www.pgatour.com.
 
CN FUTURE LINKS WALK WITH A PRO
Several youngsters got their chance to caddy for PGA TOUR professionals on the 7th hole at Glen Abbey today thanks to CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program. CN Future Links Kids had the opportunity to carry the pro’s putter or golf bag and several even had the chance to take the pro’s putt.
 
CN Future Links is Canada’s national junior golf program conducted by the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA), the Canadian Professional Golfers’ Association (CPGA) and Canada’s provincial golf associations. The program is designed to forge a link between Canada’s youth and golf to ensure the future of the game in Canada.

Additionally the CN Future Links Championships provide Canada’s best junior golfers a chance to hone their competitive skills in multiple day championships. For more information about CN Future Links, please visit www.future-links.org.
 
PENGROWTH CONCERT SERIES
'Come for the golf and stay for the party' . . . is the theme Thursday through Saturday with the Pengrowth Concert Series @ the 19th hole. After charming the crowds at Monday’s inaugural Mike Weir Charity Classic, Kevin Costner and Modern West will take to the stage Thursday night following play at Glen Abbey. Canadian rock legend Tom Cochrane and Red Rider will perform Friday, while Bachman-Cummings will close the series on Saturday.
 
TV COVERAGE
The television broadcast schedule for the 2009 RBC Canadian Open is as follows:

Round 1 - Thursday, July 23
3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.        TSN/The Golf Channel

Round 2 – Friday, July 24            
3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.        TSN/The Golf Channel

Round 3 - Saturday, July 25
3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.        CanWest Global/CBS

Final Round - Sunday, July 26
3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.        CanWest Global/CBS          

 
ABOUT THE 2009 RBC CANADIAN OPEN
An exciting new era has arrived for Canada's national championship. Part of the FedEx Cup, stars of the PGA TOUR will compete for $5.1 million (US) at the RBC Canadian Open, July 20-26 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario. Established in 1904, the tournament is the third-oldest national open golf championship worldwide next to the British Open and the U.S. Open. The RBC Canadian Open is proudly sponsored by RBC, Bell, Pengrowth and BMW Canada along with Corona Extra, TaylorMade, Wolf Blass, Southern Implants, CFF Stainless Steels Inc., The Globe and Mail, Pepsi, LG, Transitions Optical, The Glenlivet, Reader’s Digest, Sunoco and local media partners Q107 and Toronto Sun. The event is also supported by Ontario Tourism. Ontario, yours to discover. 

ABOUT THE ROYAL CANADIAN GOLF ASSOCIATION
The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing 377,000 members at 1,600 clubs across the country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sports Organization (NSO) for golf in this country, the RCGA’s mission is to grow participation in and passion for the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. The RCGA conducts programs and services to help shape the future of golf in Canada. High performance athlete development, CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program, turfgrass and environmental research, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, Rules of Golf and amateur status, handicapping and course rating are only some of the initiatives the association leads for golf in Canada. In addition, the RCGA conducts Canada’s most prestigious golf championships. The RBC Canadian Open and CN Canadian Women’s Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while regional junior and national amateur championships showcase the best in Canadian golf.   For further information on what the RCGA is doing to support golf in your community please visit www.rcga.org.