Hamilton (Golf Canada) – Five more international stars have joined golf’s world stage as Trevor Immelman, Tim Clark, Camilo Villegas, Rory Sabbatini and Vijay Singh have confirmed their intention to compete in the 2012 RBC Canadian Open, July 23-29 at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
Headlining the list is Vijay Singh, a 34-time PGA TOUR winner who will compete in Canada’s National Open Championship for an 11th time. The native of Fiji, who won the 2004 Canadian Open, is a three-time major winner including the Masters (2000) and PGA Championship (1998 & 2004), and has competed in eight Presidents Cups (1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007 & 2009).
Trevor Immelman is a 2-time winner on the PGA TOUR including the 2008 Masters. No stranger to international competition, Immelman has competed in two Presidents Cups (2005 & 2007) and four World Cups (2003, 2004, 2005 & 2007). The South African will compete in his fifth RBC Canadian Open.
Tim Clark, a native of South Africa and who won the 2010 PLAYERS Championship, will be competing in his third RBC Canadian Open. Clark, a former graduate of the Canadian Tour, has competed in the Presidents Cup on three occasions (2003, 2005 & 2009) as well as a pair of World Cups (2002 & 2005).
Rory Sabbatini is a six-time winner on the PGA TOUR and will compete in his sixth RBC Canadian Open. He has competed in the Presidents Cup (2007) as well as six World Cups (2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009) including South Africa’s winning team in 2003.
Rounding out the list is Camilo Villegas, a 3-time winner and crowd favourite on the PGA TOUR. The Columbia native has competed in the 2009 Presidents Cup, the 2006 & 2011 World Cups and will be playing in the RBC Canadian Open for the eighth time.
With the announcement of Singh, Clark, Sabatini, Villegas and Immelman, the international flavor of this year’s RBC Canadian Open continues to build with 18 countries represented including the United States, Scotland, Zimbabwe, Argentina, Brazil, India, Germany, New Zealand, South Korea, Venezuela, South Africa, Japan, Fiji, Sweden, Australia, England, Colombia and Canada.
The players join an RBC Canadian Open field that includes previously announced headliners 2012 PLAYERS champion Matt Kuchar, two-time Canadian Open champion Jim Furyk, 2012 US Open champion Webb Simpson, 2-time major winner Retief Goosen, Japanese sensation Ryo Ishikawa, World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els and world No. 10 ranked Hunter Mahan as well as Paul Casey, Charl
Schwartzel, Jason Day, Brandt Snedeker, Kyle Stanley, Justin Leonard, Bo Van Pelt, Jonathan Byrd, Stuart Appleby and defending RBC Canadian Open champion Sean O’Hair.
“Less than a week out from this year’s RBC Canadian Open and we are very pleased with how our field is coming together,” said Tournament Director Bill Paul. “With a mix of PGA TOUR notables, international standouts and emerging talent, golf fans at Hamilton and across the country will be treated to a tremendous showcase of golf during the 103rd playing of Canada’s National Open Championship.”
PGA TOUR players have until Friday, July 20 at 5:00 pm ET to officially register for the 2012 RBC Canadian Open.
Canadian Tour Exemptions Confirmed; Michael Gligic and Patrick Cantlay given exemptions
Golf Canada and RBC congratulate Canadian Tour players Matt Hill and Cory Renfrew on earning exemptions into the RBC Canadian Open after finishing as the top two players of the Canadian Tour’s Order of Merit following this weekend’s event in Winnipeg. Hill, a former member of Team Canada and 2009 NCAA Division I individual champion, sits atop the Order of Merit thanks to a victory at the Dakota Dunes Casino Open. Cory Renfrew is second on the Order of Merit with a steady season to date highlighted by a victory at The Syncrude Boreal Open.
Golf Canada also confirmed that Canadian Tour player Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont. has been offered an exemption into the RBC Canadian Open. Gligic, who currently sits third on the Canadian Tour’s Order of Merit, won the ATB Financial Classic in Edmonton earlier this season.
In addition, American sensation Patrick Cantlay has been given an exemption to compete in Canada’s National Open Championship. The recently turned professional was an amateur and collegiate standout prior to joining the pro ranks in 2012. The former world amateur No. 1 won the 2010-11 Nicklaus Award as the NCAA Division I Player of the Year (awarded by the Golf Coaches Association of America) as a UCLA sophomore. In 2011, Cantlay won the Gary Cowan Award as the low amateur at the RBC Canadian Open where he finished T9.
Four more exemptions into the field for the 2012 RBC Canadian Open will be handed out at the Final Monday Qualifier on July 23 at Heron Point Golf Links near Hamilton, Ont.
17 Canucks to Challenge For Canada’s National Open Championship
The addition of Hill, Renfrew and Gligic bumps the number of Canadians in the field to 17, including PGA TOUR players Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., Stephen Ames of Calgary and Mike Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont.; Web.com Tour players Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., Matt McQuillan of Kingston, Ont., and Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont.; former Canadian amateur standout and recently turned professional Eugene Wong of Vancouver. Also competing via exemption will be Andrew Parr of London, Ont., Greg Doherty of Mississauga, Ont. and PGA of Canada professional Brian McCann of Mississauga. A trio of Canadian amateur golfers will also challenge for the title including reigning Canadian Men’s Amateur Champion and Team Canada National Team member Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont.; 2011 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Rob Couture of Trenton, Ont.; and Team Canada member Albin Choi of Toronto who last week won the Ontario Men’s Amateur title. Each will be looking to become the first Canadian since Pat Fletcher in 1954 to win Canada’s National Open title.
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