While odds are always high that a player whose caddie is toting around a bag emblazoned with the logo of Canada’s biggest bank will top the leaderboard (the RBC gang is pretty star studded including Furyk, Kuchar, Mahan, Els and many others), the same can’t be said of a passport holder ending a drought a decade older than the Toronto Maple Leafs’ dry patch since there are only a few contenders in the mix—but it was really close this time.
Weyburn Saskatchewan’s Graham DeLaet, Canada’s top ranked PGA cardholder, was in contention for much of the tournament but slid down off the first page of the leaderboard heading into the Sunday round. As consolation, he does win the Rivermead cup which goes to the low Canadian in the Tourney. Edmonton native Brad Fritsch had a stellar fourth round with four birdies and an eagle for a 64 to also finish in the top ten. Mike Weir ended up tied for 66th and Brampton Ontario’s David Hearn and B.C. Adam Hadwin finished tied for 53rd spot. Amateur Taylor Pendrith finished tied for 43rd.
Really too much hay is made of the now 60 old dry spell for Canadians in the National Open. Sure, the last time a passport holder won the Canadian Open Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were an item and Arnold Palmer had just turned pro.
But here’s a groundswell of promising talent coming through the pipe and it’ll happen in due course. Heck before Andy Murray’s victory last year the last Briton to triumph at Wimbledon was Fred Perry back in 1936. That was a 77-year dark cloud on achieving center court glory for the host country so there’s still quite a ways to go before Canadian golf fans ought to be fretting about it.
But it sure would have been fitting if the drought could have been ended this weekend at Royal Montreal, Pat Fletcher, the last Canuck to win the Canadian Open, was the club’s head pro from 1955-1975
Back when Fletcher won it, aT.V. dinner was still a novel concept. An english émigré Pat Fletcher emerged on the Saskatchewan golfing scene in the 1940s and harvested a trio of provincial open titles before reaping countrywide acclaim when he won his country’s grand olde open in 1954. Fletcher’s victory was itself a drought quencher. He was the first local to win since Tottenham, Ontarian Karl Keffer took home the then $100 winner’s check in 1914. So if you want to get nitpicky, it’s been more 100 years since a Canadian born player won the tourney.
Really too much hay is made of the now 60 old dry spell for Canadians in the National Open. Sure, the last time a passport holder won the Canadian Open Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were an item and Arnold Palmer had just turned pro.
But here’s a groundswell of promising talent coming through the pipe and it’ll happen in due course. Heck before Andy Murray’s victory last year the last Briton to triumph at Wimbledon was Fred Perry back in 1936. That was a 77-year dark cloud on achieving center court glory for the host country so there’s still quite a ways to go before Canadian golf fans ought to be fretting about it.
But it sure would have been fitting if the drought could have been ended this weekend at Royal Montreal, Pat Fletcher, the last Canuck to win the Canadian Open, was the club’s head pro from 1955-1975
Back when Fletcher won it, aT.V. dinner was still a novel concept. An english émigré Pat Fletcher emerged on the Saskatchewan golfing scene in the 1940s and harvested a trio of provincial open titles before reaping countrywide acclaim when he won his country’s grand olde open in 1954. Fletcher’s victory was itself a drought quencher. He was the first local to win since Tottenham, Ontarian Karl Keffer took home the then $100 winner’s check in 1914. So if you want to get nitpicky, it’s been more 100 years since a Canadian born player won the tourney.
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