That is arguably the hardest stretch for Canada’s finest male golfers, with two of their greatest occasions of yr on back-to-back weeks.
Nick Taylor, Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes had been all within the combine within the closing spherical of the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday, the one PGA Tour occasion north of the border and a match that they contemplate “the fifth main” of their yr.
On Thursday they are going to tee it up at an official main, the third of the boys’s season, when the U.S. Open begins on the infamously difficult Oakmont Nation Membership exterior of Pittsburgh.
Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., mentioned that the transition between the 2 tournaments may be troublesome.
“Managing your relaxation, your power ranges, is large,” mentioned Taylor after ending his closing spherical of the Canadian Open at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. “The arduous half going into subsequent week, I’ve by no means been there. I’m going to see the golf course. I’m going to place a while in on the greens, across the greens, and simply attempt to get as a lot relaxation as doable.
“I’ll have three days to handle that. It’s not like I’m going to be trying to find something golf game-wise as a result of I really feel like I’m in a great place, in order that’s positively a pleasant factor.”
There are extra media calls for positioned on Canada’s golfers forward of the Canadian Open as they assist promote the nationwide males’s championship. Coupled with the will to win the title — Taylor is the one Canadian to handle the feat in over 70 years — and the strain of bigger galleries, it may be an exhausting week.
Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., mentioned that he and the opposite 23 Canadians on the nationwide championship sit up for the Canadian Open yearly.
“It’s the one time of the yr that we’ve received all people cheering for us, and we need to placed on a superb present for the followers. They get it annually,” he mentioned. “They had been superior this week, actually, tons of nice crowds.
“It’s a protracted week for us. We don’t get this each week, so it’s slightly extra mentally draining (…) There’s lots of people round, saying hello to lots of people, a whole lot of acquainted faces, nevertheless it’s superior.”
Conners, from Listowel, Ont., is the top-ranked Canadian on the PGA Tour thus far this season, sitting ninth headed into the U.S. Open. Taylor is 14th on the FedEx Cup factors checklist, Pendrith is thirtieth and Hughes is forty seventh.
Like Pendrith, Conners praised the followers on the Canadian Open, even going as far as to say it helped put together him for the key at Oakmont.
“It’s cool to play in entrance of the house followers right here, and lots of people present up and assist all of the Canadian guys,” mentioned Conners. “It’s a particular feeling to be on the market sort of residing my dream.
“They sort of make me extra relaxed. They provide me some extra power. I’ve had a blast enjoying in entrance of them this week. Not feeling too worn out heading into what I do know might be a demanding week (on the U.S. Open).”
Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., additionally took the back-to-back occasions in stride.
“I wouldn’t say it’s too troublesome. We sort of do this type of stuff on a regular basis,” he mentioned. “Week to week we make changes, and we get able to go for the subsequent one.
“Clearly, (the Canadian Open) is extra of a taxing week for us as Canadians, however I’ll get myself able to go for Thursday and hopefully have an important week over there.”
Though there are some similarities between TPC Toronto and Oakmont — particularly penal tough — there’s little question which one is tougher to play.
“I’ve heard some scary factor the previous few days,” mentioned Taylor, who might be enjoying Oakmont for the primary time this week. “It’s in all probability hack-out tough, as in simply hit a wedge 50 yards down the golf green and play from there.
“So when you can, be up and across the greens as a lot as doable.”
Pendrith mentioned that the though they each have deep tough, the fairways are comparatively large at TPC Toronto in comparison with Oakmont.
“I went two weeks in the past. It’s arduous, yeah,” mentioned Pendrith. “It was a day that was in all probability 10 levels Celsius and blowing 20 and raining. It was very, very troublesome. Hit driver on a par-3.
“Most likely by no means performed that earlier than or not in a very long time. It’s tough.”
LPGA TOUR — Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is the highest ranked Canadian heading into this week’s Meijer LPGA Basic for Merely Give. She’s fiftieth on the Street to CME Globe standings. Savannah Grewal (124th) of Mississauga, Ont., Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (one hundred and thirty fifth) and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., (164th) are additionally within the discipline at Blythefield Nation Membership in Belmont, Mich.
EPSON TOUR — Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., leads the Canadian contingent into the Nice Lakes Championship on the Highlands offered by Johnnie Walker. She’s thirty seventh within the Race for the Card standings. Josee Doyon (53rd) of Saint-Georges, Que., Monet Chun (sixty fourth) of Richmond Hill, Ont., Yeji Kwon (112th) of Port Coquitlam, B.C., Brigitte Thibault (one hundred and thirty fifth) of Rosemere, Que., Vancouver’s Leah John (137th) and Mary Parsons (148th) of Delta, B.C., are additionally within the discipline at The Highlands in Harbor Springs, Mich.
