Three of the top Canadians in the field at the RBC Canadian Open are off to as hot of a start as the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL’s Stanley Cup Finals.
Less than 24 hours after the Oilers rallied from a 3-1 deficit to take an overtime win in the first game of a best-of-seven series, Ontario’s Taylor Pendrith birdied four of the first seven holes on Thursday and capped off the day with a birdie at 18 to shoot a 5-under 65 at TPC Toronto’s Opsrey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ontario, and share the early clubhouse lead in the first round.
“It’s the week that we look forward to every year,” he said of competing in the RBC Canadian Open for the fifth time. “So it was a lot of fun.”
Adding to the enjoyment was the friendly grouping with good friends and fellow Canadians Nick Taylor and Mackenzie Hughes. Taylor, who became the first Canadian in 69 years to win his national open after holing a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole in 2023, birdied two of the first three holes and sat atop the leaderboard until he bogeyed 18 and settled for 66.
Hughes had the shot of the morning, making eagle at the par-4 fifth by holing his second shot from 194 yards. His usually dependable putter was performing a bit off key and he pulled up the rear of the marquee threesome with a still-respectable 2-under 68.
On a wet morning that caused the PGA Tour to implement preferred lies for the first round, the Canadians still drew the home faithful to watch them – raindrops be damned.
“It was great out there,” Pendrith said. “I felt like the crowd really filled in on the back nine. Nick was making some birdies, and I was making some birdies. Mack holed a 6-iron on 5. So it was a lot of fun. The crowd was into it. Nice to see a lot of people out here on a rainy day. Yeah, we had a blast out there, and we all played pretty well.”
The weather was an annoyance but it softened the course, which is hosting its first Canadian Open, and resulted in good scoring conditions. Alex Smalley and Paul Peterson matched Pendrith with 65.
“It was umbrella up-and-down,” said Taylor, who noted he felt bad for caddie Dave Markle “because the bag was probably 60 pounds.”
“I took my rain jacket on and off ten times,” Pendrith added. “The crowd built over time, once the rain kind of went away. I don’t blame them.”
Pendrith arrived at TPC Toronto with positive vibes, having played two Mackenzie Tour events at the venue before, including having a chance to win once.
“Also played numerous rounds here with my friends from home in carts and music, so I feel pretty comfortable on the grounds,” he said.
Pendrith, one of the Tour’s best bombers, led the field in Strokes Gained: Off the tee and rolled in three birdie putts of more than 10 feet, including an 18-footer at No. 3. At the 229-yard par-3 seventh, he drilled his tee shot inside 5 feet and sank the putt.
“You’re not expecting to make birdie there,” Pendrith said. “That was a bit of a bonus.”
Two dozen Canadians are in the field this week competing for a winner’s prize of $1.76 million, as well as the Rivermead Cup, which is awarded annually to the low Canadian. Hunter Thomson shot 67, the third-lowest score by a Canadian after Pendrith and Taylor.
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