The opening round of the Canadian Open did not go to plan for three players, as the tournament saw more withdrawals.
The event lands in an unfortunate spot in the schedule, sandwiched between Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament and next week’s U.S. Open. The world’s top two players, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, are not involved as a result, and the latter’s absence is particularly disappointing for the tournament.
McIlroy is a two-time winner of the event and has played in the past four editions, but he has prioritized preparation at home as he builds up to the big one next week at Shinnecock Hills.
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Some top stars, including Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, and Collin Morikawa, are involved at TPC Toronto, but the $9.4 tournament had to go down the alternate list to fill the field.
Memorial Tournament champion J.T. Poston, world No. 48 Michael Kim, and Presidents Cup captain Brandt Snedeker were among the players who committed to compete but withdrew in the days before the tournament.
Three more withdrawals followed on Thursday. First, England’s Paul Waring pulled out after just two holes due to illness, reducing the field to 146 players.
Mark Hubbard and Jeffrey Kang later withdrew before their tee times, and they were replaced by Jeremy Paul and Ben Kohles.
Brooks Koepka holds a share of the lead at the Canadian Open -Credit:Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
They are not big-name players, but the late changes to the field were further blows to an event that faces an uncertain future.
The PGA Tour is set to move to a two-track system in 2028, with suggestions that elite players will only be permitted to play in Track One events, and the Canadian Open is in the gray area of tournaments that could land in Track One or Track Two.
It is a proud national open with an illustrious list of winners in its 122-year history, but the PGA Tour is intent on capitalizing on big markets in the U.S moving forward, and the Canadian Open could be reduced to second-tier status.
Those arguments will be fought down the line. In the here and now, a fascinating tournament is in prospect with Brooks Koepka, Sahith Theegala and Sam Burns among six players tied for the lead in Ontario.
Shane Lowry and Tony Finau are among a further 12 players within one of the 18-hole leads, as a whopping 97 players shot under par in prime scoring conditions on Thursday.
Theegala told reporters it is one of his favorite events on the schedule: “I feel like I get a ton of support out here, more so than I do on a normal week on the TOUR for sure. Just everything about that makes it feel like an elevated kind of event.
“I know how much it means to the Canadian players, and there’s a reason why the best players in the world come over here to play.
“There’s just something a little more about a National Open. So it’s an honor to be an ambassador. It’s definitely a little elevated from a normal event and you can feel that, for sure.”