The Fantasy Insider: RBC Canadian Open
By Scott Pianowski, The Fantasy Insider
Canada is one of the friendliest countries you'll ever visit, but the players might not be smiling this week when they hit the course -- Glen Abbey is a track with teeth. The RBC Canadian Open last came here in 2004, and only three tournaments that year produced a higher scoring average. I love seeing a hearty challenge on the course, so this set-up will have me engaged for four days. Stick with me and let's pick some winners in the Great White North.
PGATOUR.com Pick 'em
We ask for one player in each of the six groups and a wild card selection. Our British Open picks were a little wayward last week, like yours probably were. Let's look forward.
Group 1 Pick: Anthony Kim
Other Options: Jim Furyk, Jeff Quinney, Sean O'Hair, Ryuji Imada
Furyk's the two-time defending champ at the RBC Canadian Open, which means most will select him here. I'm fine with that. If the Glen Abbey track plays as tough as reputation says, advantage Furyk.
That said, I can't get Kim's British Open out of my mind. He's generally an excellent putter, but the wind and the greens at Royal Birkdale tripped him up; he was second-to-last in putting for the week. Normally that means a bunch of crooked numbers, but Kim struck the ball so beautifully, he was able to cobble a tie for seventh out of the week. The talent this 23-year-old possesses is out of this world, and if he brings his A-game to Canada this week, an emphatic victory might ensue.
O'Hair (third) and Imada (20th) both did well at this event in 2006, while Quinney's lone stop was a missed cut. I'm not eager to play anyone in this threesome given where they stand on the greens-in-regulation table (none of them are in the Top 100).
Group 2 Pick: Kevin Sutherland
Other Options: Bubba Watson, Stephen Ames, Brian Gay
Sutherland isn't the flashiest player around, but this is a good spot to give him a check mark. He's fourth in GIR this season and he's grabbed seven checks in nine starts up north.
Watson is an intriguing candidate; he finished 14th at the RBC Canadian Open in 2006, and he's having a heck of a year from the fairway. But can the long-hitting Watson find the short grass enough off the tee, and will he dial down his driver if necessary? He's tops in driving distance this year, but just 189th in accuracy.
Ames has missed the cut in 5-of-10 starts in his adopted homeland, but the hits have been good ones (27th, 7th, 23rd, 32nd, 13th), and the last one came at Glen Abbey. Gay's had a hard time contending up north, with seven trunk slams in nine starts. Keep Steve Lowery out of your plans, as he's dropped out of the event.
Group 3 Pick: Pat Perez
Other Options: Camilo Villegas, Steve Marino, Mike Weir, Briny Baird
The pick may surprise you, but stay with me, perhaps I can talk you into it. More importantly, perhaps I can talk myself into it.
Weir is the unofficial hometown favorite, a hero in his home country. He came in second the last time the RBC Canadian Open came to Glen Abbey. But sometimes a home game brings extra pressure -- Weir didn't fare well in this event in the 1990s. I suspect he'll be heavily played in this pool, but I'm in the mood for a different angle.
Villegas has breakout written all over him (catch his Friday round at Royal Birkdale?), and finished 10th and fifth the last two trips up north. His one Glen Abbey stop was a missed cut, but I can't blame you if you dial him up. Baird leads the tour in GIR, and Marino was 15th in his Canadian Open debut, adding to the depth of this group.
So why Perez? For starters, I like his resume here (10th, MC, 14th, 32nd, 12th), and I like that his last Glen Abbey visit was the 14th-place check. I also feel this is a player who does his best work on challenging courses, and I feel good about his stat profile (a solid grade across the board, no glaring weaknesses). Perez didn't make the cut at the British Open, but he did shoot a snappy 68 on Friday to get some confidence back. Don't be surprised if that sterling round has a carryover effect in Canada.
Group 4 Pick: Dudley Hart
Other Options: Jerry Kelly, Carl Pettersson, Ben Curtis, Nicholas Thompson
Hart has proven himself as a horse for this course over the years. He won at Glen Abbey in 1996, he's got four Top-10 checks in all, and he's made the cut eight times in nine starts. Get on board, veteran.
Pettersson has the game to contend on tougher layouts, but I'd feel better about him if this wasn't his Canadian Open debut. Kelly has missed four cuts in five starts here, including a turn at Glen Abbey. Thompson's one visit to the Canadian Open was a T41 back in 2006.
Ben Curtis offers some sleeper value; he ran 20th two years ago, and he's coming off a strong showing at the British Open. He's my second choice from this pool.
Group 5 Pick: Cliff Kresge
Other Options: John Senden, Matt Kuchar, Steve Elkington, Dean Wilson
I've been a Kresge fan for some time now, let's get that out there. I like his demeanor on the course, I like his reliable irons, and I respect his ability to score better than the individual stats would suggest. He finished 14th the last time we saw Glen Abbey, and he's also got a T15 showing in this event.
It's a deep pool, however, and you can make a case for pretty much anyone. Senden is another dynamite iron player and his one Canadian Open start was a tie for 20th. Elkington has four checks in five starts up north but the one miss came at Glen Abbey, for what it's worth. Kuchar's last voyage over the border was good for a 15th-place check, and while Wilson has three trunk-slams in four starts, he was in contention (T14) the one year he stuck around. If I had to make a second choice from this deep group, Senden would get the nod.
Group 6 Pick: Charlie Wi
Other Options: Retief Goosen, Tom Pernice, Alex Cejka, Brad Adamonis
I've change my mind three times on this pick, so you have my complete permission to branch out on your own. So much for having a confident though as I swing the club.
Wi eventually got the nod for his GIR standing (34th), and his solid check in last year's Canadian Open (T22). What about the rest of the chaps? Here's how I eliminated them: Goosen's iron game is too inconsistent these days (how can this guy be 182nd in GIR?), and he hasn't been to this event since the mid-90s; Pernice's one missed cut at the Canadian Open was over the Glen Abbey layout; Adamonis has yet to play in the event, albeit I like his iron game; and Cejka hasn't seen Glen Abbey yet, though he's done well at the other Canadian Open courses.
Rest of the Field: I'm never far removed from my Ocean State golf ties, so let's take a shot on Billy Andrade a past Glen Abbey champ who's cashed seven solid checks in this tournament. While 2008 hasn't been his best year, he has made four cuts in five starts. . . Jason Gore is starting to look healthy again and he quietly grabbed a T11 check in Milwaukee last week. It would be a blast to see him put together another 72-hole run . . . Fred Couples can still hit the ball with anyone, and he has plenty of success at this track in the 90s. Being rested won't hurt the cause, either. Good to see you back on the course, Freddie . . . Ken Duke is one of the hottest players on the circuit, but he hasn't done anything special in three starts here, and he's just 113th in GIR . . . With Charles Warren, it generally comes down to the putter -- you know he'll drive it as well as anyone, and he hit enough greens. Given that he's 169th with the flat stick, it will be important to get some positive momentum going on Thursday and Friday.
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