Alternative To A Short Course? A Course Within A Course, Of Course

It’s no secret that affordability and time are two of the greatest challenges facing golf these days, but what if you could offer your members/guests/daily fee golfers an alternative and grow the game for the future at the same time?

Golf courses around North America are not only building short courses, but more and more are also adapting short courses within their traditional 18-hole layouts. Read more

Canucks Crowd Top-10 At PGA Tour Event

With all eyes on Tiger Woods in his comeback, three Canadians finished in the top 10 at the Frys.com Open on Sunday.

In what could be a first for a group of Canadians, Matt McQuillan of Kingston, Ont., David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., all tied for seventh at 11-under-par in the Fall Series event.

For Hadwin, who got in on an exemption, it marked his second top-10 of the season after his tie for fourth at the RBC Canadian Open in July at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club.

Meanwhile, the top-10 finish willl move Hearn into the top 125 on the PGA Tour who earn playing privileges next year. It also put McQuillan into striking range of the top 125.

All three are expected to play at next week’s McGladrey Classic in Georgia.

Hadwin Picks Up Exemption

After a tie for fourth at this year’s RBC Canadian Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., has been granted an exemption into this week’s Frys.com Open on the PGA Tour.

Hadwin, who earned $228,800 for his performance at Shaughnessy, has picked up more than $300,000 in three events on tour this season.

The Frys.com will also feature the return of Tiger Woods, who was selected recently to the American team that will play at next month’s Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne in Australia.

Hadwin, the top Canadian in International standings for the Presidents Cup after finishing 72nd, will play the Frys.com alongside countrymen Stephen Ames, David Hearn, Matt McQuillan and Chris Baryla.

Weir Out Three To Six Months After Surgery

After withdrawing from the recent RBC Canadian Open, Mike Weir has undergone surgery on the extensor tendon in his right elbow. The surgery was done on Thursday and Weir is expected to be out of action for three to six months.

The surgery was performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews at his practice in Pensacola, Fla.

“My elbow has caused me problems over the past year and during the RBC Canadian Open, it essentially became unplayable,” said Weir.

“Dr. Andrews is the best in the business and it’s my hope with patience and diligent post-surgery rehab, I will be able to put my elbow problems behind me and look forward,” he said.

Are Canadians Big League Or Lacking Knowledge?

Despite being named low Canadian at the 2010 RBC Canadian Open, Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., sent many of his compatriots to search his background during his impressive showing at this year’s edition, which concluded Sunday at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver.

With so much attention paid to the PGA Tour, or the LPGA Tour on the women’s side, does that make Canadians big league, or are they sadly lacking in knowledge about their rising players who haven’t yet reached those levels? Read more

Open Goes To Playoff

Canadian Tour player Adam Hadwin continued his strong play at the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday, making the turn at four over, but recording three straight birdies on the back nine to tie for fourth at Shaughessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver.

Hadwin went into the final round just one shot off the lead, but in the end, it was Sean O’Hair prevailing over fellow American Kris Blanks in a playoff.

For more from Vancouver, click here.

Fletchers On The Hadwin Watch

His dad is the last Canadian to win his national Open, but Allan Fletcher of the Fletcher Leisure Group says he will be keeping his eye on 23-year-old Adam Hadwin in the final round of the RBC Canadian Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver on Sunday.

Fletcher says he’s surprised that Pat Fletcher’s distinction has gone on as long as it has with some of the great Canadian names that have been around since his dad won the Open in 1953 at Point Grey, just up the road from Shaughnessy. Hadwin went into the final round just one shot off the lead held by Bo Van Pelt. Read more

Hadwin Closes In On History

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., is just one shot off the lead held by Bo Van Pelt at the RBC Canadian Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver.

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Hadwin, who won the Rivermead Trophy as low Canadian at last year’s Open, combined five birdies with three bogeys to record a two-under par 68, which leaves him at four-under. If he should go on to win, Hadwin could become the first Canadian to win the Open since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

“The whole objective today with the caddie was to put myself in a position to win tomorrow. It’s been a very simple process this whole week and that’s just picking a target, picking a yardage and committing to itand that’s it,” said Hadwin.

“This golf course is so difficult once you get off line that you just can’t play from the trees and from the rough. That was our focus going into today. Obviously, getting off to a start like I did, birdieing the first, the third, and the fourth made it very easy,” he added.

For complete scores, click here.

Welcome To The Jungle

With the sun expected to be out all weekend and temperatures in the low-to-mid 20s in Vancouver, Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club looks to be even meaner as we edge towards the conclusion of the RBC Canadian Open.

What little fairway there is at Shaughnessy will firm up, meaning more trips to the gnarly rough by players who have, so far, been kind in their praise of the golf course. Will that continue as the weekend progresses or will the air start to turn blue around players who get caught in Shaugnessy’s jungle?

Perhaps, the United States Golf Association should be paying attention to the Shaughnessy set-up to ease its concerns about classic golf courses becoming obsolete with all the power-hitters on the PGA Tour. Shaughnessy has, in many cases, taken driver out of the hands of the big hitters.

Maybe, it’s time for the USGA to take its nose out of players’ golf bags in its quest for a solution and quit blaming equipment technology. The answer may be in the cabbage at Shaughnessy. Read more

Canucks Rocket Up Open Leaderboard

After Mike Weir withdrew from the RBC Canadian Open on Friday, a couple of Canadians made charges at the top of the leaderboard.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a four-under 66 while David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot 68. Both sit ust two shots off the lead held by Chad Campbell and Michael Thompson at four-under.

At three-under are Paul Goydos and two-time U.S. Open champ Lee Janzen.

Matt McQuillan of Kingston, Ont., started at two-under, but was three-over for the day to finish at one-over, along with Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont.

Dustin Risdon of Strathmore, Alta., is the only other Canadian to make the cut. He’s at four-over.

For complete scores, click here.

Weir WDs From Open

Mike Weir has withdrawn from the RBC Canadian Open, citing soreness in the elbow he injured last year.

Weir had shot a four-over 74 in the first round and was four over through six holes, including back-to-back double bogeys, when he pulled out at eight over for the tournament.

Weir added that he didn’t want to take the chance of aggravating an injury that forced him to miss the latter portion of last season.

“It’s disappointing, but I’m not going to go down that road again. I couldn’t open a bottle of water this morning after hitting those shots out of the rough,” said Weir.

“I had a couple this morning, and it was starting to feel like it did last year, so I’m just not going to make that mistake again,” he added.

Weir said he isn’t sure when he will return to play.

Weir’s Challenge Is Confidence, Not Swing

Mike Weir has gone back to the stack and tilt, but his swing may only be part of the problem.

He looked tense in the first round of the RBC Canadian Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, where he was four-over and already in danger of missing the cut. Read more

Kris Blanks Unedited

Kris Blanks leads the RBC Canadian Open after going three-under in the first round to lead by one. Afterwrds, he discussed his Canadian wife, who hails the Vancouver area, and why he parted ways with Penticton’s A.J. Eathorne, who now caddies for Brittany Lincicombe on the LPGA Tour. To watch, click below.

Matt McQuillan Unedited

Matt McQuillan of Kingston, Ont., is tied for second place after the first round of the RBC Canadian Open at two-under, just one shot off the lead held by Kris Blanks. Afterwards, McQuillan discussed his recent tie for third at the John Deere Classic, missing cuts on the PGA Tour and how Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver has already proven it’s worthiness against the world’s best players. To read an earlier story  on McQuillan at Sun Media¸ click here. and or watch his post-round interview below.

Round 1, 2011 RBC Canadian Open

It’s crowded at the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the RBC Canadian Open with 11 players within one shot of leader Kris Blanks, who is at three-under.

For all the latest scores from Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, click here.

Tee Trouble Could Loom At Open

The key to success at this week’s RBC Canadian Open, according to defending champ Carl Pettersson and rising Canadian Adam Hadwin, is accuracy off the tee, which they discussed in my latest Sun Media column, which also deals with several other items of note. Read more

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