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As a Canadian who grew up playing golf, I understand that it can be hard to watch many of the world’s best keep on winning the big name tournaments and majors while we (Canada) seem to fall just short. The stereotypes come alive when a Canadian doesn’t finish; stick to hockey, play well in colder weather, eat poutine and you’ll feel better. Well, unfortunately French fries covered in cheese curds and gravy just doesn’t just cut it.
Fact is, Golf Canada is on the verge of producing more competitors and victors with each passing year on the PGA Tour. 20 years ago, finding a single maple leaf on the pro circuit was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Then, along came Mike Weir and everything changed!
Weir’s win at the 2003 Masters, seems like ages ago now, provided a new outlook on how Canada takes heart to every single sport it competes in, especially golf. The majority of Canadians currently on the PGA Tour would easily say that his win inspired them to “go pro” and possibly become the second Canadian to win a major title. Whether you’re from Sherbrooke, Quebec or Lashburn, Saskatchewan (those are actual places), becoming a winner on the Tour is possible, but as of lately, it’s been all but close to becoming reality.
Take Brampton, Ontario’s David Hearn, who finished solo third this past weekend at the RBC Canadian Open, and let’s look at what exactly happened going into the final round. Hearn was up by one shot; he grew up a half-hour drive away from Glen Abbey; he had, to use our terms in Canada, home-ice advantage; the crowd was behind him the entire round; he was ready to accomplish something special that many Canadians in the past have come just short of doing. He had the weight of a nation on his shoulders!
To win your country’s national championship is a huge undertaking and of course, there will be some added pressure. Hearn may have experienced this, but he was calm, cool, and collected. He made all the right shots, and he hit a few that could’ve been easily corrected, but let’s be honest here; Hearn didn’t lose the RBC Canadian Open! Jason Day simply had the better round and made the charge coming off a close finish at the British Open the week before. The Aussie was hungry for a win and so was Bubba Watson, who finished in second place. Hearn had to make an eagle to force a playoff, which is hard to make when that opportunity lies in the sand behind the green. A valiant effort altogether for a man who was attempting to break a 61-year-old curse!
Simply put…Canadian sports fans are the best!! Thanks for all of the support and for making this weekend so special for me. #Proud #RBCCO
— David Hearn (@HearnDavid) July 27, 2015
Pat Fletcher, though originally born in England, still remains as the last Canadian to win the national open back in 1954; the closest chance came back in 2004 when Mike Weir lost in a playoff to Vijay Singh. Will it broken next year? Given the amount of talent Canada has now on Tour, it is as possible as a Canadian hockey team winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1993. So … maybe!
Let’s take a look at some of the names alongside David Hearn:
- 2013 President’s Cup Team Member
- 8th in 2013 FedEx Cup Playoffs
- T-15 in 2014 PGA Championship
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- Finished T-7 at this year’s Canadian Open
- Top graduate on 2014 Web.com Tour, he won two tournaments that season
- 2014 Web.com Tour graduate
- Won the 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship
In addition to the successes that these men of the North have already accomplished, they are also competing for their country too. Golf will be back in the Olympics next year in Brazil and guess what; Canada is the defending gold medalist! Granted in was back in 1904, but it’s still something that will enter their minds. This year’s President’s Cup in South Korea could see a maple leaf or two depending on how the season ends and the excitement would be noticed across Canada if that were to happen.
To sum up, the new crop of Canadian golfers are ready to show the world they are not competing because they can, but because they know they are a force to be reckoned with. So look out, eh!