– Plenty of us are in shock today at the unlikely ending at yesterday’s Open Championship. The collapse by Adam Scott seemed improbable but even more so was the win by Ernie Els. Els will be headed to Hamilton G&CC for this afternoon to play in the RBC Canadian Open. He had been expected to be on the Canadian Open charter last night but had to eschew that to take care of duties related to winning his 4th major championship. Expect him to be an even bigger fan favourite than normal this week in Hamilton.
-One player that will be missing in the field at the RBC Canadian Open will be Webb Simpson. The 2012 U.S. Open Champion withdrew Monday morning along with several other players. One of the replacements will be Nick Taylor, bringing the total of 18 Canadians set to play this week. That # may grow with the Monday Qualifier where several Canadians are entered, among them Jon Mills who spent the greater part of his amateur career playing out of Belleville.
-If Mills makes the field at Hamilton it will put the total of golfers from Eastern Ontario in this Canadian Open at 4. Already confirmed for entry are Matt McQuillan of Kingston (now living in Florida), Brad Fritsch of Manotick (now living in North Carolina) and 2011 Canadian Mid-Amateur Champion Rob Couture of Trenton (now living in Texas).
-On top of a nice payday and great trophy, the winner of the RBC Canadian Open will also receive another gift. That will be an original oil painting by Ottawa’s own Tony Harris, the official artist for the championship. We got an early look at the landscape painting of Hamilton G&CC and it is a thing of beauty. Harris will present the champion the painting after the trophy ceremony on Sunday night.
-Congratulations goes out to Arnprior Golf Club’s Dwight Reinhart. The 2012 Quebec Mid-Amateur Champion shot 69-69 over the weekend to win the inaugural Quarry GC Invitational by 6 shots. The Quarry is located in Ennismore, Ontario, just north-west of Peterborough.
-Evolution St. Lawrence Junior Tour Commissioner Brenda Fabbro has announced that she will step down at the end of the season. A tireless volunteer who remained in the position long after her own son left the junior golf ranks, we thank Brenda for all her hard work through the years.
– On tap Monday…. 1st round of the Quebec Men’s Amateur, Golf Quebec’s Pee-Wee & Mosquito Championship, the PGA of Ottawa Senior Championship, and an OVGA Senior Men’s Field Day at Irish Hills.
