Maginnes: Golf in Canada a right of passage for many  PGATOUR.com Contributor Before they were PGA TOUR stars, many were Canadian Tour players. For American, as well as international players, the Canadian Tour was -- and continues to be -- a right of passage. The Canadian Tour boasts names like Mike Weir, Stuart Appleby and Chris DiMarco, all of whom got their professional starts north of the border.  Our John Maginnes has vivid memories of playing golf in Canada. (Getty Images)
Playing the Canadian Tour is a unique experience. Until recently, tournaments were confined to the summer months with the tour kicking off on Vancouver Island and working its way east across the provinces. Now, there are spring tournaments that are played in warmer climates like California and Mexico, as well. DiMarco has said that he has seen more of Canada than most Canadians. After playing the Canadian Tour in 1993, I would have to agree with Chris. Patrick Sheehan and I drove the entire tour in a two-door Honda Civic with no cruise control. From May in Vancouver to September on Prince Edward Island in the Maritime Provinces, we had the pedal to the metal every step of the way. Although it has been more than a decade since then, and I have played hundreds of tournaments around the world in the interim, some of the impressions from that summer in the shadow of the Maple Leaf are forever ingrained in my memory. I remember a night in Northern Alberta where rain postponed play until well into the evening. As a matter of fact, the cut came shortly before 11 p.m. under fading blue skies. The amazing thing was the number of fans and volunteers who stuck around until the end of play -- and returned bright and early Saturday morning. Canadians are a nation of sports fans. In the land where hockey reins supreme, though, there is still plenty of room for other sports. Weir's win in the 1999 Air Canada Championship gave a renewed vigor and patriotic spirit to the golf consciousness of Canada. His Masters victory four summers later made Mike a national hero. His popularity extends far beyond his native Ontario home. It runs from coast to coast. Understanding the popularity of the golf -- and particularly the Canadian Open presented by Franklin Templeton Investments -- the Royal Canadian Golf Association chooses to move the tournament, which began in 1904, around the country. Its longest continuous stint in one place began in 1977 with Lee Trevino's victory at Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ontario and ended in 1996. Since then the tournament has returned to Glen Abbey four times but has also visited many other corners of Canada, including this week's stay at Angus Glen in Markham. The Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club on the banks of the Pacific Ocean in Vancouver was hugely popular with PGA TOUR players when the Canadian Open visited in 2005. Royal Montreal Golf Club has crowned a Canadian Open champion twice in the last 10 years and eight times overall. It will also host The Presidents Cup matches in September two weeks after THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola. The superb golf fans who are our neighbors to the north always open their hearts warmly to visitors. With more golf courses per capita than any other country in the world, Canadians are golf crazy. PGA TOUR players, particularly those who played the Canadian Tour, recognize that this tournament is far more than your average tournament. This event is a national championship with a rich history. Additionally, for at least a dozen PGA TOUR veterans, and former Canadian Tour players, this event brings them full circle. |
PGATOUR.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network