Monday Qualifiers: RBC Canadian Open

This one is going to be extra special for Drew Nesbitt.

Nesbitt, who is from Ontario’s cottage country – a few hours north of Toronto – was one of four to qualify for the RBC Canadian Open Sunday at Coppinwood Golf Club after he birdied the first playoff hole in a 4-for-3 scenario.

Nesbitt has played the RBC Canadian Open twice before, but this one means even more to him – because he quit golf late last year.

The 26-year-old worked as a carpenter for his ex-girlfriend’s parents, who own a construction company in Barrie, Ontario. He played once in late September but didn’t touch a club again until March of this year. Even still, his only competitive reps came at a pair of mini-tour events in Florida.

With a laugh, he said he “hated” working construction, and knew he had a few good years of golf left in him.

“I couldn’t end on the note I ended on,” Nesbitt said, who missed out at First Stage of Q-School last year. “I want to go out on good terms. And if I did eventually decide to stop playing golf one day, I didn’t want it to be that way. I just realized I still loved it.”

Nesbitt is working with well-known swing instructor Jeff Leishman now (Leishman is based in south Florida and counts 2023 Korn Ferry Tour winner Ben Silverman and 2023 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica winner Myles Creighton as clients – both of whom will also be in the field at the RBC Canadian Open) and he calls Leishman the “ying” to his “yang.” He’s been a big help as Nesbitt has mentally re-compartmentalized his approach to golf upon returning to the big stage.

“Knowing where I was last year and the struggles and just not having a clue and where I was going, what I was doing, trying this, trying that and now to come back and have a process and a better idea of what I’m doing and more confidence too, it’s just come at great time. I’m just in a different place,” Nesbitt said. “I know exactly what I’ve done in the past, how I’m going to handle things, without being arrogant, I have high confidence for this week differently than the other weeks because I know what I’ve done poorly in the past and how to fix that.

“This year is just different.”

In all, 122 players competed for four spots in this week’s field at Oakdale Golf and Country Club – including 107 Canadians.

Peter Kuest earned medalist honors with a 6-under 66, as Nesbitt, Ryan Hall, and David Carey emerged from the 4-for-3 playoff after 5-under 67s.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju, a 20-year-old member of Golf Canada’s National Team, fell short in the playoff.

For all scores from the final RBC Canadian Open qualifier, click here.

Here’s a capsule look at the four Final qualifiers for the RBC Canadian Open.

Peter Kuest (6-under 66)

Age: 24

Hometown: Fresno, California

Alma mater: Brigham Young University

PGA TOUR starts: Eight

Cuts made: Two

Best PGA TOUR finish: T14, AT&T Byron Nelson (2023)

Notes: Made 13 Korn Ferry Tour starts in 2022, highlighted by a T5 at the Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank. Holds conditional Korn Ferry Tour status this season … Was named to the 2020 NCAA Division I PING All-America First Team as a senior at BYU … Notched 10 individual victories at BYU; averaged 69.42 as a senior … Enjoys fishing, skiing and listening to music.

Ryan Hall (5-under 67, advanced via playoff)

Age: 23

Hometown: Knoxville, Tennessee

Alma mater: University of South Carolina

PGA TOUR starts: Two

Cuts made: 0

Best PGA TOUR finish: N/A

Notes: Has played five Korn Ferry Tour events in his career highlighted by a T10 at the Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna last year… Finished T16 at the Visit Knoxville Open this year… Was a finalist for the Jack Nicklaus Award and Haskins Award in 2021… Was named to the First Team All-SEC in 2021 while at University of South Carolina… Was ranked as high as third in the PGA TOUR University Rankings in 2021.

Drew Nesbitt (5-under 67, advanced via playoff)

Age: 28

Hometown: Horseshoe Valley, Ontario, Canada

Alma mater: N/A

PGA TOUR starts: Five

Cuts made: One

Best PGA TOUR finish: 83rd, The Honda Classic (2019)

Notes: Becomes the 21st Canadian to earn a spot in the 2023 RBC Canadian Open… Played Junior A hockey for his hometown Barrie Colts until he was 16… Won the Abierto Mexicano de Golf on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica in 2019.

David Carey (5-under 67, advanced via playoff)

Age: 26

Hometown: Dublin, Ireland

Alma mater: N/A

PGA TOUR starts: Two

Cuts made: One

Best PGA TOUR finish: T62, The Open Championship (2022)

Notes: Made his major debut at The Open Championship in 2022… Carded a second-round 67 at St. Andrews to make the cut at The 150th Open… Famously carded a 57 at the 2019 Cervino Open on Alps Tour … Regards Ben Hogan as a hero; has sported a flat white cap in competition to pay homage … Has played piano from a young age and also produces music under the name D-Vinchi… He and Peter Kuest were also part of the group that Monday qualified for the Valero Texas Open earlier this season.