Sweden’s Carl Pettersson put the finishing touches on this year’s championship with a tidy 67 to follow his somewhat unfathomable 60 on Saturday. These two scores coming after he had made the weekend right on the cutline. This marks his 4th win on the PGA Tour. With the win, Sweden becomes the ninth country to claim a champion at our national open. The other countries are Australia, Canada, England, Fiji, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa and the United States.
AUDIO of Carl after his final round:
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Note: 60 is a Canadian Open record. The previous competitive mark of 62 was also matched on Thursday by Brent Delahoussaye.
The low Canadian and winner of the Rivermead Trophy was Abbotsford, B.C’s Adam Hadwin. Abbotsford, by the way, is also the home of Nick Taylor and James Lepp – clearly, there must be something in the water out there. Adam’s play, demeanour, and youthful exuberance were a hit at St George’s with the media and, more importantly, the gallery who probably provided him the biggest roar (for his approach at 18) and ovation as he ended his round. Well done, Adam.
AUDIO of Adam after his final round:
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Note: you can see Adam play 3 times in the province this summer as he is a member on the Canadian Tour (he got into the Canadian Open as part of Canadian Tour order of merit exemption) as he is scheduled to play in Milton – Jane Rogers Championship; Seaforth – Seaforth Country Classic; and St Catherines – Canadian Tour Championship.
Dean Wilson, who held the 54-hole lead, picked up his second career PGA TOUR runner-up performance after firing a 2-over par 72 today. Finishing third was Luke Donald, who fired a 4-under par 66 Sunday to finish at 12-under par. It is the Englishman’s sixth third place finish on the PGA TOUR.
Note: Dean Wilson was a college roommate of Mike Weir. Luke Donald is the 7th ranked player in the world and the highest ranking player in the 2010 field.
Random Thoughts:
- Carl Pettersson’s victory was his first since 2008. In 2009, in an ill fated attempt to get better, he worked hard on – of all things – a new fitness regime. In his own words, he shed 30 pounds but also lost his timing and his swing went south. I realize that there is a whole lot of focus and attention nowadays with respect to players getting into better peak physical condition – Tiger & Villegas being the obvious – but if we really take a look at the players out there this is certainly more of a personal choice and not a prerequisite for success. Remember, these guys don’t even carry their own bags – some don’t even lean over to tee up the ball on the range.
- Some of the lengthy debates between caddie and player seem sort of odd to me. Is there another sport where so much of the ‘process’ is left to someone that is not the player? Perhaps, that is why most purists find the play overseas so, for lack of a better word, interesting – the onus changes to the player to ‘see’ the shot and ‘make’ the shot.
- The ‘Private Boxes’ or ‘Marquee Suites’ situated along hole #11 basically had no view of the golf course? Guess sitting on plastic, sipping from plastic, talking about – I don’t know – plastic? is why they are there in the first place.
- St George’s didn’t appear to play that difficult – even all tricked out with 4 – 41/2″ rough – but did toughen a little on Sunday when things weren’t quite so soft and receptive. David Duval – remember him – did manage a final-round, bogey-free 65, improving 39 spots, so even with a little wind there were still lots of red numbers available. Overall, the course was in great shape and very well received by the players – hopefully CBS did it justice on your flat screen. I watched a little from the couch on Saturday and the intro imagery they used most often was a CBS logo’d golf ball bouncing in a puddle. And very little Canadian content which is to be expected. A Canadian provider would be a better fit but probably is not likely to happen.
- Big pool party in one of the backyards right off of the 15th green on Sunday. Music playing, children laughing. Volunteers with outstretched hands in the air did nothing to dampen the volume of that gathering, yet players were ‘miraculosly’ undisturbed and eventual winner Carl Pettersson even managed the birdie he would need (three putted 18) to clinch the win.
- All seemed to go off without a hitch – this was a difficult venue from a logistical perspective.
- For those curious – the winner’s gear – Driver: Nike VR Tour driver 11.5 degrees · Irons: Nike Pro Combo 4-iron, VR Split Cavity (5-PW) · Wedges: Nike VR 49- and 55-degrees, VR V Rev 60-degree · Ball: Nike ONE Tour · Glove: Nike Dri-Fit Tour · Apparel: Nike Golf Tech/Tour · Footwear: Nike Tour Premium
- Decent sized galleries for Weir, O’Hair & Couples during the week – too bad all missed the cut. I’d guess the next biggest following was for Camillo Villegas, who did play through the weekend.
- I come across far too many issues / problems with the volunteer security and the PGA Tour military. Case in point, (and let me preface by saying that I am most likely in the wrong as per guidelines) as the final group made there way up to the 18th green on Sunday I thought seeing as I was stuck 200 yards down the fairway I’d try and get a panoramic style photo of the 18th hole from the fairway as the players approached the green – visually, it had all of the elements. But as I made my way over I was literally mowed down by a golf cart driven determinedly by another high ranking PGA General who ‘reminded’ me that inside the ropes meant 5 feet from the ropes. So what was the concern? That I may somehow be a visual distraction? Not that a golf cart flying by or the 40 plus individuals ahead of me would not be either I suppose. Nor the volunteers or the 100 feet of television cable slithering across the fairway. And within seconds, ironically, the hundreds of ‘maverick’ spectators who without warning ‘stormed’ the ropes, filled in the fairway and, in an admirable way, just wanted get a little closer to the action – think British Open style. My photo opportunity was gone. And in some ways so was the fun. And I only add this because numbers were down significantly at this year’s event and my guess is that this unfortunate trend will continue if the powers that be don’t recognize that this should be a little more about the spectator experience and less about this illusion that golf need be played in a bubble. Has anyone out there ever watched a college basketball player make a free throw? Is there a hush throughout any arena just as the puck gets dropped? Should a field goal kicker get such privilege? Anyway, I think I have a few good pictures for the magazine and I’ll get a gallery up on the web shortly, but next time I may just opt to bypass credentials and watch from the comfortable confines of Coronaville.
- The 2012 edition returns to the area and is set for Hamilton. Next year things head out west.
- Hanging out and amongst all of these newspaper scribes who try in vain to predict outcomes sort of makes me think of Forrest Gump’s classic line – with a slight change for context – ‘ Golf is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get‘. I’ll admit I am not much of a spectator – rather be doing than watching – but when I do sit down to watch, read, or listen am I the only one who is tired of the endless preambles and prognostications by the self deemed experts who are are seldom, if ever, correct. Is this really what the public wants to watch, hear, or read? Maybe. But I can’t help thinking that there has to be a better, more engaging way.
- In a few minutes with Canadian coach Sean Foley I always get a better, more accurate, and honest perspective then from any of the writers who are on the outside looking in.
- And with all of the technology available today – I spend some of the time sitting inside the Bell Media Centre – why are we not taking advantage of it? The entire gallery could have real time scoring on their smart-handset and also know what hole their favourite player is on or where their buddies are sitting … (oh, yes, sorry my bad – these devices are not permitted on the grounds even though all of them have built in vibration / silence modes). It’s like we spend the entire day walking forward through grass and backward through time. Then return to the media centre with a super-sized paper and marker leaderboard.
- Sunday was a perfect weather day. Hopefully, you were there.
Nike staff players used yellow bags in honour of Lance Armstrong's Live Strong Campaign. See notes for the tools of Carl Pettersson's trade which powered him to a tournament record 60 on Saturday followed by victory on Sunday.
Final scores for the 18 Canadians in the field.
(7,046 yards, Par 70)
T37 – Hadwin, Adam, Abbotsford, B.C. 68-66-70-71—275 (-5)
T48 – Mills, Jon, Oshawa, Ont. 67-71-66-72—204 (-4)
T59- Ames, Stephen, Calgary, Alta. 67-68-73-70—278 (-2)
— CUT —
CUT – DeLaet, Graham,Weyburn, Sask. 70-70—140 (E)
CUT – Brown, Ted, Calgary, Alta. 71-69—140 (E)
CUT – Ross, Christopher, Dundas, Ont. 72-68—140 (E)
CUT – Hill, Matt, Bright’s Grove, Ont. 69-71—140 (E)
CUT – Burke, Cam (a), New Hamburg, Ont. 71-70—141 (+1)
CUT – Bunker, Dave (a), Woodbridge, Ont. 71-71—142 (+2)
CUT – Taylor, Nick (a), Abbotsford, B.C. 71-71—142 (+2)
CUT – Hearn, David, Brantford, Ont. 72-79—142 (+2)
CUT – Wong, Eugene (a), North Vancouver, B.C. 71-72—143 (+3)
CUT – Lee, Beon Yeong (a), Montreal, Que. 78-65—143 (+3)
CUT – Puska, Jeffery, Ladysmith, B.C. 73-72—145 (+5)
CUT – Jarosch, Barrett, Edmonton, Alta. 72-73—145 (+5)
CUT – Weir, Mike, Bright’s Grove, Ont. 72-74—146 (+6)
CUT – Rutledge, Jim, Victoria, B.C. 76-71—147 (+7)
CUT – Boudreau, Ben, Longueuil, Que. 74-82—156 (+16)
