PGA Tour RBC Canadian Open scoreboard http://espn.go.com/golf/leaderboard?tour=pga
I have been a spectator, a volunteer, a member of the media but most important a fan of our national championship, called the RBC Canadian Open since 2008 when someone called Chez Reavie won it in a blistering humid week at the Abbey riddled with thunderstorms.
My first live look was in 1968 standing on a bridge on Islington Ave., waiting to see my heroes Arnie Palmer and Lee Trevino at St George's. Bob Charles, the great Kiwi lefty, then regarded as the best putter in golf, won by two shots over Jack Nicklaus, one of the seven times Jack finished second.
The first time I was a volunteer was in 1984. I took a week's vacation and worked as a dispatcher with the Transportation committee at the Abbey when Greg Norman won by two over Jack again. DuMaurier was the main sponsor, free smokes were everywhere and you could barely see the media room scoreboard for the smoke ! Norman thanked them for the cheque of $250,000 in his greenside acceptance speech.
My first broadcast as the producer of Fairways was scheduled for 1993 when David Frost beat Freddie Couples by a shot and that year a violent thunderstorm cell reeked havoc on the course early Saturday morning, knocking out the power lines, and we went outside the grounds to find a pay phone (no cell phones yet folks) to call back into the station on Holly Street..
I've been at every one in Ontario since 1984, still no Canadian winner but boy was it fun but sad calling Vijay Singh's playoff win over Weirsy in 2003. I'll never forget how utterly devastated Mike was after that one, and in fact Vijay was so gracious it was almost like he wished Weirsy had won it.
So many great memories, the eccentric Ken Green winning a Monday finish in front of next to nobody in 1988, the next year he took his courtesy car and drove it to Pittsburg to save a few dollars on a plane flight. I received his call at the transportation desk saying it was at the airport in Pittsburg to be collected. I'll never forget the look on tournament director Bill Paul's face.
Gentleman Nick Price winning in his incredible season of 1994 after he won the Open Championship at Turnberry and the PGA at Southern Hills. Remember his 2 iron hooked around the trees on the par 5 16th to within 6 feet?
We were in the booth calling Tiger's famous shot from the fairway bunker on 18, a 6 iron from nearly 200 yards to beat Grant Waite by a shot in 2000.
John Rollins beat Neal Lancaster and Justin Leonard in a playoff at Angus Glen south in 2002 and then Jim Furyk with his family in tow beat Vijay by a shot at Angus Glen north. I was so glad it was at Angus Glen, not just because it was my home course, with my close friend Kevin Thistle in charge, but because it is a 15 minute drive from home !! A big bonus for those 6am arrival times.
So will it be a relative unknown this year like Scott Piercy, Nathan Green, Chez Reavie, John Rollins, or will it be a star like Jason Day, Bubba, Ernie, Matt Kuchar or Hunter Mahan who was head and shoulders above the field 2 years ago when he got a call on the driving range on Saturday morning to say his wife Kandi was in labour and he had to withdraw. Daughter Zoey Olivia was born on Sunday, many in the press tent suggesting that Brandt Snedeker who won it should send Zoey a little present at this time every year !!
Or better still isn't it time one of our 16 Canadians joined Pat Fletcher 1954, with his name on what is now the RBC Canadian Open trophy!
Whatever happens the weather will be sensational this year, only chance of rain is Saturday night, and that hasn't been the case at many editions in the past.
Looking forward to being there, seeing all my colleagues in the media center and of course adding to the memories..
Bryan
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