RBC Canadian Open needs a Canadian..

PGA Tour RBC Canadian Open leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/rbc-canadian-open/leaderboard.html

After the stunning finale to the Open, with Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson putting on a display of golf seldom seen, especially by two guys in their forties, it will be a hard act to follow this week, but it would certainly help if one of the Canadian contingent were in contention come Sunday afternoon at the Abbey.

Neither Stenson or Mickelson are here, but the headliners are the world's top two, defending champion Jason Day and Dustin Johnson. Johnson has of course got the best of Canadian connections, his wife Pauline being the daughter of Wayne Gretzky, so that will be a popular storyline should the big fella bring his A game this week.

Stenson along with the likes of Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Adam Scott, Justin Rose and more world-class players were in attendance at the ‘Sergio and Friends’ event in Switzerland on Monday where they flew from Preswick right after the Open on Sunday night.

(official world golf ranking http://www.owgr.com/

Canada’s Graham DeLaet tied T8th at -14 last week but he closed with a brilliant 63 to climb 28 spots the leaderboard and was at the Abbey to receive his Olympic jacket as he will join the Canadian team which includes Brooke Henderson, David Hearn and Alena Sharp, so he should be full of confidence when he tees it up at 1.35pm on Thursday.

There are 14 Canucks in the field including 4 amateurs, Hugo Bernard and Blair Hamilton, Garrett Rank and Jared du Toit.

Along with DeLaet our other hopefuls are David Hearn (8.20am*) who played so well here last year only to be pipped by Day, and he has a T12, T20 in his last two events, Adam Hadwin (7.30am*) Mike Weir (7.50am*), Branson Ferrier (9.10am*), Nick Taylor (1.05pm*), Brad Fritsch (2.15pm), Corey Connors (2.25pm) and Adam Cornelson (2.25pm*) also Dave Levesque (2.05)

Ferrier is a 22 year old lefty from Barrie playing only his 5th pro event, his first RBC Canadian. He went to Alabama State University.

Fritsch is on the Web.com Tour, where had a win and a T2 there earlier this year before he had to stop playing due to sesamoiditis, a form of tendinitis in the ball of the foot. He has played in 2 events since his return.

Cornelson is on the PGA Tour Canada, where he is 3rd in the order of merit after his win in Victoria earlier this summer

Connors from Listowel is also on the PGA Tour Canada, and he won the final qualifier at Diamondback to get into the field for the fourth straight year.

Hearn came close last year, Mike Weir was at his peak in 2004 when he lost that gut wrenching playoff to Vijay Singh at Glen Abbey so it can be done.

Play gets under way at 7.10am Thursday, there is another strong field for our national championship so it will be a tall task for one of the 13 Canadians to win as it has been since Pat Fletcher in 1954, but it will certainly put the icing on what should be a great week should one of them get into contention come Sunday.

Bryan Angus