Week 29 Approach Shots: RBC Canadian Open

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The RBC Canadian Open is this week, the 100th playing of the event that began in 1904. The tournament wasn't held during World War I and World War II years.

Quick Facts

WHAT: 32nd of 37 Regular Season events WHEN: July 23-26 WHERE: Oakville, Ontario COURSE: Glen Abbey Golf Club FEDEXCUP POINTS: 500 for winner TV: 3-6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m., Thurs. and Fri., GOLF TV: 3-6 p.m. Sat. and Sun., CBS RADIOTV: 12-6 p.m. Thurs. to Sun. on SIRIUS XM Key Links: Tee times | Leaderboard | Tournament page VIDEO: Opening Shot

Glen Abbey Golf Club is also noting a milestone this week. It is the 25th time the venerable Jack Nicklaus-designed course is hosting Canada's national open.

A year ago, Chez Reavie picked up his first PGA TOUR title when he rolled to a three-stroke victory over Billy Mayfair. Reavie has struggled this season, with his top finish in his season-opening event, a tie for 12th at the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

DEFENDING TITLE: Chez Reavie, who broke through with his first PGA TOUR victory by winning the 2008 RBC Canadian Open, returns to Canada and hopes to do what Jim Furyk did in 2007 -- successfully defend his 2006 title. Should Reavie achieve the feat, he would become just the fifth player in the event's history to do so. The others are J. Douglas Edgar (1919-20), Leo Diegel, who won back to back twice (1924-25, 1928-29), Sam Snead (1940-41) and Jim Ferrier (1950-51).

Prior to his 2008 rookie season on the PGA TOUR, capped by his victory at the RBC Canadian Open, Chez Reavie had earned $7,480, making only three cuts as a professional heading into 2008. Reavie was accustomed to winning, though, capturing the 2007 Knoxville Open on the Nationwide Tour.

DALY DOSE: John Daly, who tied for 27th at last week's British Open, makes his eighth appearance at the RBC Canadian Open. His best finish in the event was his fourth-place showing in 2001.

RECORD STRETCH: Steve Jones holds the record for the longest time between RBC Canadian Open wins. Jones won the event at Glen Abbey Golf Club in 1980, with his next RBC Canadian Open win coming at Royal Montreal Golf Club in 1997.

PLAYOFFS APLENTY: There have been five playoffs when the RBC Canadian Open has been held at Glen Abbey Golf Club. The first was in 1983, when John Cook outlasted Johnny Miller. The next was in 1992, with Greg Norman getting the better of Bruce Lietzke. Billy Andrade edged Bob Friend in 1998, with Vijay Singh defeating Mike Weir in 2004.

RECORD LOW: The 18-hole record at Glen Abbey Golf Club is 62, held by Leonard Thompson, Andy Bean and Greg Norman. Thompson and Bean both had their 62s when the course played as a par 71. Thompson's came in 1981, while Bean's was in 1983. Norman's was in 1986, when Glen Abbey was a par 72.

HOMETOWN HERO: A year ago, Canadian Nick Taylor tied for 53rd playing in the event as an amateur. It was the best finish by a Canadian Amateur since Nick Weslock tied for 34th in 1972. Taylor is again in the field, playing via a sponsor's exemption. Earlier this season, the University of Washington player from Abbotsford, British Columbia, was the low amateur (tied for 36th) at the U.S. Open. He recently lost in the finals of the U.S. Amateur Public Links.

GOING LOW: The only player in the field to record four sub-70 rounds in 2008 was Billy Mayfair. He shot rounds of 68-66-68-68 to finish second, three strokes behind winner Chez Reavie.

AMERICAN DOMINANCE: The last international player to win the RBC Canadian Open was Fiji's Vijay Singh in 2004. Prior to that, South Africa's Nick Price won in 1994.

ON-COURSE OBSERVATIONS: PGA TOUR Network correspondent Bob Stevens is on the scene at Glen Abbey for this week's satellite radio coverage (XM 146/SIRIUS 209). Reports Stevens:

Rain early in the week has softened up the course, which was firm and fast for the Monday practice rounds. It should drive scores even lower. The forecast calls for the best possibilities of rain on Thursday and Saturday.

Mike Weir isn't the only Canadian with a legitimate chance to win; Stephen Ames had a top-10 at the U.S. Open. Now living in Calgary, he said (with a chuckle) that winning this tournament would make him almost as popular as your average Calgary Flames hockey player.

An interesting pair to watch in the last group of the morning off the 10th tee are Matt Hill and Nick Taylor, who are ranked one and two in the world in the amateur rankings and are both Canadians. Hill is the NCAA champ from North Carolina State University -- he's ranked No. 2. He'll be a junior this fall and won the Nicklaus award, which is presented to collegiate players who excel throughout the course of the entire season.

Taylor is ranked No. 1; he's coming off being a finalist at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, where he lost in the finals. He attends the University of Washington and was Pac-10 Player of the Year. He was also the low amateur at the U.S. Open. With Mike Weir going into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame later this year, to have the top two amateurs be Canadians could mean a big future for Canadian golf.

Weather forecast for the RBC Canadian Open

THURSDAY, Rd. 1 FRIDAY, Rd. 2 SATURDAY, Rd. 3 SUNDAY, Rd. 4 Thunderstorms Temp: 73 high/62 low Isolated t-storms Temp: 74 high/62 low Isolated t-storms Temp: 78 high/65 low Isolated t-storms Temp: 75 high/61 low

DTN/Meteorlogix is the official weather provider of the PGA TOUR. For more information, click here

RBC Canadian Open snippets

IMMELMAN'S RETURN: Trevor Immelman is expected to make his first start since the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Immelman has been recovering from a wrist injury. CENTURY MARK: This week's event will be the 100th playing of the RBC Canadian Open and the 25th at Glen Abbey Golf Club outside Toronto. Canadians Stephen Ames (pictured) and Mike Weir are each looking for their first Canadian Open win. WEIR'S TOUR WIN IN CANADA: It was 10 years ago that Mike Weir won the Air Canada Championship in Vancouver to become the first Canadian to win a PGA TOUR event on Canadian soil since Pat Fletcher won the 1954 Canadian Open. WEIR GIVES BACK: As the RBC Canadian Open celebrates the playing of the 100th tournament, it ushered in the inaugural Mike Weir Charity Classic. The Mike Weir Foundation is the event's national charity partner. Click here for photos from the event.

A victory this week earns you ...

• Fully Exempt for the remainder of 2009 and all of 2010-11 • 500 FedExCup points: A win could create additional opportunities to play in the 2009 PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup • A spot in the following events in order of play: 2009 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, 2009 PGA Championship, 2010 SBS Championship, 2010 PLAYERS Championship

This week's Kodak Challenge hole

HOLE: The par-4, 452-yard 11th at Glen Abbey Golf Course LAST YEAR: The 11th played to a stroke average of 4.073, with players recording no eagles, 82 birdies, 279 pars, 74 bogeys and 13 double bogeys. DESCRIPTION: This green was rebuilt recently by Jack Nicklaus and tends to be a little firm and very fast (especially putting towards the creek). No. 11 is the first of the spectacular "Valley Holes" and is recognized as one of the most beautiful holes in all of golf. Check the tree tops for wind direction and try to split the fairway. On your approach, be sure to remember the distance to the flag is all carry. An extra club is recommended, and, if the pin is at the back, add another. (Click here for tour)