Players to watch at the RBC Canadian Open
This week the RBC Canadian Open kicks off at the St George’s Golf and Country Club course, which hasn’t hosted the Canadian Open since 1968. The focus for Canadians is winning their eponymous Open, and there will be lost of media coverage of top Canadian players Mike Weir and Stephen Ames. Here is a list of other players worth noting who could surprise and take the trophy.
Paul Casey
Casey, 32, has one PGA Tour victory so far and is making his debut appearance at a Canadian Open this week. Only days ago Casey competed with the world’s top ranked golfers at the prestigious British Open at St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. The Englishman tied for third place to continue a solid season in which he has earned more than $2 million in career winnings. He is strongly considered for a position on the 2010 European Ryder Cup team, and is eighth in the world rankings.
Tim Clark
Clark is making his second Canadian Open appearance and has one PGA Tour win on his resume. Clark’s biggest win to date came this year at the Players Championship, and after finishing in second place for the previous eight events he appeared in, his victory was well deserved. Clark’s game is well suited on the St George’s course; he doesn’t tend to be particularly long off the tee and is an excellent putter. Could this South African be adding a second win to his 2010 season?
Retief Goosen
Clark’s countrymen Goosen is making his third Canadian Open appearance. His game has improved since turning 40 last year and Goosen saw himself in the top 10 finishes for seven of his past 11 starts this season. Goosen, 41, already has seven PGA Tour victories including two U.S. open wins from 2001 and 2004, and was in the top 10 of the world rankings for more than 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. The South African topped the European Tour money list in 2001 -02, and is looking to win another Open for his country after compatriot Louis Oosthuizen won the British Open last weekend.
Graham Delaet
Saskatchewan’s Delaet is the Canadian rookie to watch and has had quite a good season on the PGA Tour. He was tied for the lead, briefly, at last week’s Reno-Tahoe Open at Montreux and is in more than enough good standings to keep his card for next year. Delaet, 28, had his best finish at the Shell Houston Open this past April, finishing T3 and one stroke out of the playoff between Anthony Kim and Vaughn Taylor.
John Daly
Daly is no stranger to the spotlight. The winner of the 1996 British Open did well for himself on the first day of this year’s British Open, getting low scores of 66 and leading the competition until Rory McIlroy took the lead for the first day. Daly’s 23 years in professional golf gave him five PGA Tour victories, and has made eight appearances at the Canadian Open. Daly showed promise at the British Open, and there could still be a couple more good performances left in him.
Sean O’Hair
O’Hair gave one of the better American performances at the British Open, and has three PGA Tour victories. The 28-year-old has made a number of good finishes over the past months and is going to St George’s for his fifth straight appearance at the Canadian Open. He is a plausible wild card for the US Ryder Cup team, and is a good contender for the leaderboard this Sunday.
Brandt Snedeker
Snedecker, 29, is ranked as the number one putter for the 2010 PGA Tour, a very good quality to have on St George’s rolling greens. He is a good sleeper pick for the tournament, and has appeared in the Canadian Open two times before. Snedecker has one PGA Tour victory and finished in the top 10 for the British Open this year T8.
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