Chants of “Corrr-ayyyy! Cor-ay! Cor-ay! Cor-ay!” to the tune of the famous “Ole!” soccer song followed Corey Conners up to the 18th green during the second round of the RBC Canadian Open.

The product of Listowel, Ont., responded well to the chants from hundreds of fans. He two-putted on the challenging green at Oakdale Golf and Country Club to pull within a shot of the lead at the men’s national golf championship.

“Lots of chants out there, but definitely that one was new,” said Conners with a chuckle. “I’m really embracing the Canadian support.”

Conners shot a 3-under 69 on Friday to sit in a tie for second with Taiwan’s C.T. Pan, England’s Aaron Rai and Tyrrell Hatton at 8-under overall.

China’s Carl Yuan turned in a 5-under round to sit atop the leaderboard one shot ahead of that group.

“Really happy with the start,” said Conners who was tied for the lead after the first round. “It’s been a lot of fun out here this week.

“Fun playing in front of the Canadian fans. Just enjoying the walk out there.”

Yuan said after his round in the morning wave that his goal is always to have fun out on the course.

“That’s my goal coming into the week. That’s my No. 1 goal,” said Yuan of keeping it light. “Not a result goal, just being in the present, hitting shot by shot and, yeah, being out here trying to have the most fun. All of it.”

Conners was in the mix at the PGA Championship in late May and tied for 12th. He said his cool demeanour paid off there and is also keeping him focused at the Canadian Open, which most Canadian players consider a fifth major.

“I would say this week I’ve been a lot more relaxed than even I was there and I felt like I was quite relaxed at the PGA Championship,” he said. “So I’m feeling good about my game and able to play with freedom and confidence. I’m just having a lot of fun.”

It has been almost 70 years since a Canadian last won the men’s national golf championship. Pat Fletcher won in 1954 at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf and Country Club.

Although Conners is in the best position to end that drought, he’s far from the only Canadian in the hunt as eight of his countrymen made the cut.

Adam Hadwin (68) of Abbotsford, B.C., and Rogers Sloan (70) of Merritt, B.C., were tied for 17th at 5 under.

Edmonton’s Wil Bateman, playing in his first-ever Canadian Open and only his second PGA Tour event, rocketed up the leaderboard with a 6-under round. That put Bateman at 4-under overall and tied for 22nd.

“When they bring out the cameras and the little fuzzy little mic you know you’re doing something right,” joked Bateman. “But I just tried to just stay in the moment. I’m just really excited for the weekend.”

After two days of air quality advisories due to forest fires raging in Ontario and Quebec, steady rain cleared the air at Oakdale in Toronto’s northwest corner. Between the lack of sunlight and cold rain, the temperature didn’t go above 17 degrees Celsius.

“I think this is right up my alley,” said Yuan, who was born in Dalian, China. “I went to school in Seattle at the University of Washington.

“That’s exactly what we deal with in the wintertime.”

Conners said that the course’s conditions have been great, although with a 9-under overall score topping the leaderboard it’s clear that Oakdale is proving to be a challenge.

“I feel like the golf course and the greens have sped up and the rough has continued to grow and become thicker from when I saw it a few weeks ago,” said Conners. “Also just tournament conditions, it’s playing a little trickier but there’s definitely some opportunities.`”If the weather stays nice I think that you can shoot some good numbers this weekend.”

Being at the RBC Canadian Open every year is always a thrill. And for one night in 2023 I was lucky enough to have the shortest commute of anyone who attended the tournament – since I was staying overnight on the course.

The Hilton on the Green one-bedroom pop-up hotel room activation from last year was brought back again in 2023 with plenty of updates. Having seen the hotel at both the RBC Canadian Open and the CPKC Women’s Open last year, I was thrilled at the opportunity to spend a night in that very special spot!

Located just behind the fifth green at Oakdale Golf and Country Club, the Hilton on the Green pop up (which actually won Best Sponsor Activation in November at the LPGA Tour’s year-end meetings) features so many great touches from various Hilton properties around the world.

As Wednesday’s pro-am began to finish up, I made my way over to the fifth hole just in time for the golden-hour sunshine to kiss the front stoop of my room for the night. It’s a quaint and welcome atmosphere, with a goodie bag of special items sitting on the well-appointed mattress along with a robe – which I absolutely made use of both at nighttime and the next morning.

The mattress and the Frette linens were both from the Waldorf Astoria, and let’s just say that combination made for an elite snooze. The first thing that caught my eye as a feature was the Theragun and Therabody Wave Roller. I didn’t realize that nearly 50 percent of travellers say they prioritize physical wellness, so those two products are available at about a half-dozen various Hilton properties. After a long day of being hunched over a computer and walking 15,000 steps covering the best golfers in the world, a little session with my muscles got me feeling loose and relaxed for a quiet evening.

But first – the cookies. A full tin of the iconic DoubleTree chocolate-chunk cookies was waiting for me upon arrival and you better believe I tucked into one while watching the final on-course efforts happen right in front of me!

After an excellent sleep the maintenance crew had returned. It was Thursday morning, after all, and the RBC Canadian Open was nearly underway. I enjoyed a coffee via the in-room Nespresso machine (in my robe, of course!) while standing on the deck, taking in the glorious first-round morning.

Before long, breakfast had been delivered and it was time to shower, where I got to use some incredibly pleasant-smelling bath products (grapefruit, I think!) via Tempo by Hilton.

My overnight stay had come to its close, and all I needed to do was walk back to the media centre to begin my day.

After spending the night in it, it was no surprise to see why the Hilton on the Green was such a fun, award-winning pop up. The little touches were great, and now I can’t wait to experience them in a real Hilton property some time soon!

TORONTO – It’s been 20 years since Mike Weir won the Masters, and now Canada is seeing the influence that victory had – with more Canadians playing at a high level on the PGA TOUR than ever before.

But one thing that continues to elude the best from Canada – including Weir himself – is a victory at the RBC Canadian Open. The last Canadian to win the country’s national open was Pat Fletcher in 1954.

Through 18 holes, however, Corey Conners is trending towards breaking the long-standing drought.

Conners shot a 5-under 67 to open things at Oakdale Golf and Country Club, and through the first round he sits in a four-way tie for the lead with Aaron Rai, Justin Lower and Chesson Hadley.

The last Canadian to lead the RBC Canadian Open after the first round was Weir in 2008, and the last Canadian to lead the championship after any round was David Hearn, who had the 54-hole lead in 2015.

Conners, who finished sixth at last year’s RBC Canadian Open, was not able to speak to media after his round because he had to deal with an urgent personal matter.

His caddie, Danny Sahl, said that Conners’ success came from being strong all around and especially disciplined off the tee. Conners hasn’t made a bogey at the RBC Canadian Open in 51 holes, dating back to last year.

Conners was first in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and fourth in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee after the first round. Sahl said there’s an easy comparison between Oakdale and Oak Hill Country Club, the host of this year’s PGA Championship where Conners played in Sunday’s penultimate pairing.

“It’s the same mentality that he brought over from (Oak Hill), and he knows that’s what it’s going to take to play well,” Sahl said. “Just get it in the fairway and we were aggressive on a couple of holes. He’s seeing his spots and keeping it really simple.”

Weir also had the first-round lead at the RBC Canadian Open in 2004 and came agonizingly close to winning the event – eventually losing in a playoff to Vijay Singh. He knows as much as anyone what it’s going to take to keep the pedal down over the next three days.

“I think (Conners is) experienced enough to know that we’re so early and that it doesn’t really mean much yet,” Weir said. “I know he just wants to, I’m sure, keep doing what he’s doing. I was watching a little on TV this morning and he looked like he was just playing Corey Conners golf. I saw solid play and nice ball striking, and that’s a good recipe around here.

“It’s pretty demanding off the tee. If you miss the fairways you’re in trouble, so if you can keep driving it good, he’ll be in good shape.”

Conners is one of three Canadians to have won on the PGA TOUR this season, with Mackenzie Hughes and Adam Svensson being the others.

Hughes made four birdies on his back nine Thursday to finish at 3 under. Taylor Pendrith and Roger Sloan also got it to 3 under after the first round.

Weir, in his 30th RBC Canadian Open start, shot an even-par 72.

Hughes, who went to Kent State University with both Pendrith and Conners, said with golf in Canada continuing to increase its momentum, having a Canadian with a chance to win on Sunday would be huge.

“We’ve got a few guys up there, kind of close, and hopefully one of us can keep it going all the way to Sunday,” Hughes said.

Can you think of a better way to cap a day of watching some of the world’s top golf professionals at the RBC Canadian Open than listening to Grammy-winning artists perform?

Beyond the headliners: the Black Eyed Peas & seven-time Grammy winner — Canadian Alanis Morissette — arrive early to catch some rising homegrown artists that “you outta know.”

Returning again, as part of the RBCxMusic Concert Series, is the SiriusXM Stage; it features local acts who have the chance to perform in the Fare Way, a hub for spectator activities that promote more than just golf. On Friday & Saturday night, following the golf, two local artists get the opportunity to shine. Friday sees Avry and Liyah Katana take the stage at 7 p.m. for 30-minute sets before the Black Eyed Peas while on Saturday Luna Elle and Skye Wallace perform on the SiriusXM Stage before fans turn their attention to headliner Alanis Morissette later that night.

“The RBC Canadian Open is the only Canadian stop on the PGA TOUR, so it is only fitting that our partnership with SiriusXM allows us to highlight and celebrate home-grown Canadian talent,” says Lisa Ferkul, Chief Commercial Officer at Golf Canada.    “We are excited that, for the second year in a row, the SiriusXM stage will create the perfect synergy between music and golf to elevate the festival experience for all fans.”

“Our partnership with Golf Canada allows us to bring music and sport together, something that elevates any entertainment experience,” explains Rob Keen, SVP, Sales & Marketing, SiriusXM Canada. “That intersection is what SiriusXM is all about. We offer the best of both of these worlds – from golf and every other major league sport, to music from every genre and decade – and much more.”

“It’s incredibly important to us to continue shining the spotlight on Canadian talent,” he adds. “We’re so excited to get the opportunity to help showcase some of those artists to new fans through the SiriusXM Stage and to welcome everyone into the SiriusXM Oasis onsite during the Canadian Open.”

Here’s a primer that highlights these four artists that are performing on the SiriusXM Stage at the RBC Canadian Open.

AVRY

By day, the Toronto-based artist wears a suit and works as a consultant with KPMG. By night, he does not change his clothes, but he transforms into a music maker. Born in Vancouver, the emerging artist listened to everything from Radiohead to Usher during his formative years. It was not until he was attending the University of Toronto when the idea that he could make music hit him.

“I knew I was not tone deaf, but randomly, one night, I was at a friend’s place, who is a house music producer, and I laid a topline down [the melody and words that goes on top of an instrumental track] on some random stuff he had,” Avry explains. “From then on I started to make a song a day and quickly realized that music is what I want to do.”

Avry invested in a home studio. And, along with his collective of producers (GoodKarma) he also works out of Kilometre House in downtown Toronto. Here is where his forthcoming project was created that is set for a September release.

The opening slot for the Black Eyed Peas is the biggest gig yet of Avry’s young career. “I’ve never played outdoors before,” he says. “It’s an incredible opportunity and it will be awesome to play a show that has so many eyes on it; hopefully, it is just one more step in the right direction.”

LIYAH KATANA

With a pair of acclaimed EPs already under her belt (Forevaliyah and 8), the Mississauga, Ont. artist is already a rising star. The 19-year-old grew up listening to the Black Eyed Peas so opening for the six-time Grammy winning band at such a young age is a dream come true. 

“I hold it so close to my heart and have a big responsibility to hype up the stage and get everybody started!” she says one week before the show. “It’s a big honor to show creativity, community and have fun. This is something I take seriously. I’m counting down the days and picking out my outfit.”

The timing of the 30-minute showcase for the R&B singer-songwriter is ideal since her new single — “Toxic” — drops that day. 

What can people expect when they hear the emerging artist later this week? “A good time,” Katana says. “There is going to be a variety of styles and songs. My new single is a doorway for me to be more involved with the community and connect with more people.”

LUNA ELLE

As if trying to find the right dress for your high school prom is not enough stress, one week after that final high school dance party, the Mississauga R&B singer shares her voice and songs before Alanis takes the stage. No pressure. Oh, and did we mention that retired NBA star Shaquille O’Neal told his Instagram followers recently that Luna Elle is “next up you heard it here first.”

Elle is thrilled to be a part of the FirstUp with RBCxMusic program. “It’s an incredible milestone in my journey as an emerging artist,” says the 17-year-old. “It’s more than just a platform—it’s a transformative experience that showcases and elevates musicians like myself from diverse backgrounds across Canada.”

SKYE WALLACE

Unlike her fellow FirstUp with RBCxMusic program participants, the Toronto-based indie-rocker is already a road warrior. She has shared stages and played with the likes of the Lowest of the Low, Matt Mays and Crown Lands over the past decade. Critics have hailed her as “a national treasure.” Her latest album (Terribly Good) was released in October 2022 and is her Six Shooter Records debut.

“To share a bill with Alanis is a huge deal for me,” says Wallace. “It feels like an immense career milestone right out of my dreams. Opportunities like these for emerging artists are a huge deal, so big thank you to SiriusXM for having us all. Let’s rock!”

Wednesday, June 7, 2023 – Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy is ready to make history in defence of the RBC Canadian Open title at Oakdale Golf & Country Club.

The world’s number three ranked player will lead a field of 156 of the world’s best players looking to become the first player in history to win three consecutive titles.

“Any time you can come back and defend a title sort of wherever that is in the world, it’s nice to be able to do that, said McIlroy. “Obviously the Sunday last year was, to me, one of the probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had playing on TOUR. Battling it out with JT and Tony down the stretch. Rosie was on course trying to shoot 59. There was a ton of low scores. Battling with those two guys. JT and Tony being two of the best players in the world. Coming out on top. Yeah, it was really nice. Nice to be able to defend a title. I felt like the support I got out there was absolutely amazing and I’m looking forward to playing in that sort of atmosphere again this week.”

OPENING CEREMONIES KICK OFF AT 6:30 A.M.

The opening ceremonies for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open will begin at 6:30 a.m. and will include a blessing of the land, National Anthem, and a fly over by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds. The opening ceremonies will conclude with a ceremonial tee shot from Wilf Homenuik. During his career, Homenuik won eight international professional titles, two Canadian Professional Golfer Association (CPGA) championships, two CPGA Match Play Championships for the Millar Trophy and eleven provincial titles. Nine of the 27 holes at Oakdale Golf and Country Club are named after the club’s long-time teaching professional, known as the Homenuik nine. Homenuik was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2005.

Pairings announced for the first two rounds of the 2023 RBC Canadian

Tuesday June 6, 2023 – The start times for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open Championship Pro-Am at Oakdale Golf & Country Club for Wednesday, June 7 have been released.

The event will see 104 professional golfers take to Oakdale to entertain a field of 208 amateurs as part of the PGA TOUR’s ‘Nine and Nine’ Pro-Am format where amateur participants will play nine holes each with a pair of PGA TOUR professionals. Click here for player start times.

PAIRINGS ANNOUNCED FOR FIRST TWO ROUNDS OF THE RBC CANADIAN OPEN
Pairings and start times for the opening two rounds of the 112th playing of Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship on Thursday, June 8 and Friday, June 9 are now available online here.

GOLF CANADA WALK WITH A PRO
Golf Canada is welcoming several First Tee participants and local junior golfers to the 2023 RBC Canadian Open to join PGA TOUR professionals on The Rink hole No. 14 during Wednesday’s Championship Pro-Am. “Walk with a Pro” offers youth the chance of a lifetime – to carry a professional’s putter or bag and maybe even take the pro’s first putt.

BROADCAST COVERAGE
Thursday, June 8 & Friday, June 9 – all times ET
TSN 1/4, RDS 2, Golf Channel, Golf Channel.com       3:00pm-6:00pm

TSN 4 – PGA TOUR Live Featured Group                    7:30am-3:00pm          

Saturday, June 10 – all times ET
TSN 4/5, RDS 2                                                                      2:30pm-7:30pm
Golf Channel, Golf Channel.com                                            2:30pm-5:30pm
CTV 2, CBS                                                                            5:30pm-7:30pm

Sunday, June 11 – all times ET
TSN 4/5, RDS 2                                                                      1:30pm-6:30pm
CTV 2, CBS                                                                            2:30pm-6:30pm
Golf Channel, Golf Channel.com                                            1:30pm-2:30pm

Monday June 5, 2023 – Golf Canada and RBC are pleased to welcome the return of RBC Hall of Fame Day on Tuesday, June 6 as an official kickoff event for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open.

RBC Hall of Fame Day will include the induction ceremony for former PGA TOUR player Jim Rutledge as well as the late legendary golf writer, Robert Stanley Weir as the 84^th and 85^th honoured members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Joining the celebration will be a several honoured members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame along with Clive Brown, Captain of The R&A. The event gets underway at 11:00am ET at the SiriusXM stage, located in The Fare Way featuring The Keg onsite at Oakdale Golf and Country Club.

It was a simple idea that grew. Why couldn’t we do that? It was a question posed to Jordan Klein by phone by Mark Laurie while the two Oakdale Golf and Country Club members watched the 2019 RBC Canadian Open at the Hamilton Golf & Country Club from their respective homes.

“They are both very good and passionate golfers at Oakdale,” says the club’s immediate past president Mark Sadowski of that fateful conversation “Jordan replied that he thought their course would be too easy. Mark pointed out that Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia hosted a big tournament by using a composite 18 of their 27 holes and Oakdale likewise has 27 holes.”

Sadowski said the more the two men thought about it and talked about it the more they got excited at the prospect of actually doing it. A phone call a few days later to Laurence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada really got the ball rolling. The concept then took on a life of its own as then club president Sam Winberg, former general manager John Caven along with Klein hosted a series of meetings with Golf Canada staff to discuss the concept in greater detail. These series of meetings put the foundational pieces together on what could be an incredible moment for Oakdale to open its doors to Canada and a worldwide golfing audience.

Sadowski became president of the club in 2021 and the project fell on his shoulders. He said they had an extremely consultative program involving Golf Canada, the PGA TOUR, and the members. It was important for the members to understand all aspects of what they were getting themselves into. In the end the members voted 73 percent in favor which he says is the highest percentage of membership approval for any club that has hosted the Canadian Open in recent years. As a result, they were approved to host this year’s tournament, June 8-11, as well as the 2026 event which aligns with the club’s centennial celebration.

For Oakdale, which was founded in 1926, it will be a coming out party of sorts, a chance for Toronto and indeed the whole world to see their facility for perhaps the first time and hear their story. “It was out of necessity that this club came into being,” says Sadowski. “A hundred years ago the world was a very different place and there were clubs who would not allow Jewish people to join or even play. And it was the same in the medical community and other aspects of business. There were very clear, no blacks, no Jews, and no Asians rules.”

While it was members of the Jewish community who purchased the land a hundred years ago and formed the club Sadowski says it is not now and never has been a club for Jewish people only. He says the membership is predominately but not exclusively Jewish.

“There is nothing on our membership application that asks your religion and never has been,” said Sadowski. “What we do ask, and have asked since basically the club was formed, is that you have a willingness to give back to the community in one way or another.” Sadowski points out, as an example, that when Golf Canada introduced the First Tee – Canada program to help inner city kids get into golf couple of years ago, Oakdale was the first private club in Canada to jump on board. And years earlier when a young George Knudson moved from Winnipeg to Toronto to become the club’s professional, a group of members put together some money to send him out on the PGA TOUR.

“They told him he didn’t have to pay them back, just to go out and make the club proud,” said Sadowski. Knudson made all of Canada proud winning eight times between 1961 and 1972. And Sadowski says the membership has gotten behind the RBC Canadian Open in a big way. He says the members have bought out the club’s complete allotment of private lodges and have signed up in big numbers to volunteer for the various committees that are required to run an event as big as an RBC Canadian Open. “The members and their families are looking at this as great for Oakdale but also a great life experience, a chance of a lifetime,” he says. “This is something that money can’t buy.”

For more on the RBC Canadian Open, visit www.rbccanadianopen.com

Goodwood, ON. – Peter Kuest finished atop the leaderboard, while Drew Nesbitt, Ryan Hall and David Carey earned their way through a playoff to secure the final qualifier exemptions in the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, June 6-11 at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto, Ont.

Kuest, 24, from Fresno, Cal. shot a 6-under 66 to avoid being part of the playoff and felt everything was working for him today, “It’s a tough golf course so I figured just keep the ball in front of me and give myself some good looks at making a lower score and get a couple putts to drop and some of them went in. Tally them up at the end and a 66 so we’ll take it.”

Kuest will be making his third PGA Tour appearance of the season after having played at both the Valero Texas Open and the AT&T Byron Nelson Classic where he finished T14.

Nesbitt, Hall and Carey emerged from a 4-for-3 playoff after shooting rounds of 67, good for 5-under. All four golfers were part of the morning flight and had to wait it out to learn their fate.

In the playoff, Nesbitt rolled in his putt for birdie, while Hall and Carey earned their pars to advance after one playoff hole. Carey’s drive fell into an unplayable lie, and he was forced to take relief, but put his third shot from 177 yards onto the green to make par.

Nesbitt, 28, from Horseshoe Valley, Ont. will be making his third appearance at the RBC Canadian Open having played in 2017 and 2019.

Hall, 23, from Knoxville, Ten. will be making his second appearance in a PGA Tour event this season after playing in the World Wide Technology Championship last November. He will be making his first appearance at the RBC Canadian Open.

Carey, 26, from Dublin, Ireland will also be making his first appearance at the RBC Canadian Open and second PGA Tour tournament this season, having played at the Valero Texas Open.

The RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier featured a field of 122 golfers, for full results click here.

For tickets to the 2023 RBC Canadian Open click here.

This unique, award winning, one-bedroom pop-up hotel room debuted last year at Canada’s National Open Championships—the RBC Canadian Open and the CPKC Women’s Open—with twelve lucky guests spending the night right on the green. This year, two more lucky fans have won their one-night stay through a contest earlier this year. They will get to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity along with golf media personality Adam Stanley and Team Canada athlete, Nicole Gal, who will be staying one night each at ‘Hilton on the Green’ during the 2023 RBC Canadian Open.

“We are once again thrilled to bring this authentic, one-of-a-kind experience to the RBC Canadian Open and showcase the light and warmth of our hospitality in this unique location,” said Jennifer White, director, destination marketing – US Domestic Markets and Canada, Hilton. At Hilton, we believe it matters where you stay, and we’re delighted to help golf lovers and our Hilton Honors members experience the ultimate stay, right on a PGA Tournament golf course.”  

‘Hilton On the Green’ made international headlines and received unprecedented local coverage and online engagement in 2022 and won Best Sponsor Activation by the LGPA Tournament Partners at the end-of-year ceremony. Hilton on the Green comes with some added amenities this year, including wellness products Therabody Wave Roller and Therabody Gun Elite. About 47% of travellers prioritize physical wellness, making this a key part of future Hilton stays.

Located on the fifth hole, the pop-up hotel will continue to showcase Hilton Honors perks and Hilton’s upscale amenities, including superior beds and linens, complete with a personal concierge and meals delivered right to the front door, plus allow golf fans and Hilton guests alike to truly experience the unrivaled stay Hilton has to offer. The signature DoubleTree cookie and classic Hilton robes will also make an appearance.

This announcement comes on the heels of Golf Canada renewing their multi-year integrated partnership with Hilton as the official hotel partner for the National Sport Federation and its members. It also includes a new integrated partnership with Team Canada featuring Hilton prominently on player uniforms as the Official Hotel Partner

“Following the success of the ‘Hilton on the Green’ activation at last year’s RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open, we could not be more thrilled to see the return of this clever and authentic initiative again this year,” said Lisa Ferkul, Chief Commercial Officer of Golf Canada. “Thanks to our partners at Hilton for continually providing exceptional experiences for fans to enjoy.”

Fabrication of the pop-up hotel was made was built entirely with Canadian-made materials and sustainable resources.