Power Rankings: RBC Canadian Open

‘Tis the season of the restored classic tracks.

After last week’s reveal of how Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner turned back the clock at Colonial Country Club, it’s time for fellow architect Martin Ebert’s revival of Harry Colt’s original version of Hamilton Golf & Country Club for the 113th RBC Canadian Open.

This is the seventh edition of the national championship contested on the stock par 70 in the heart of Ancaster, the historic town found in Hamilton, Ontario, but it’s essentially a new test for the field of 156. Details of what’s in store are below.

You’ll excuse Nick Taylor if he refuses to allow the party to end. Heck, an entire country was basking in his 2023 victory at the RBC Canadian Open. Not only did he replace 1954 champion Pat Fletcher as the most recent countryman to win his national open, but Taylor’s 72-foot putt to oust Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff arguably was the moment of the year on the PGA TOUR.

It was a “where were you when?” experience for all Canadians, not just those who follow sports. To honor it, the tournament modified its logo in a release on social media during the holiday break.

As a native Canadian, Taylor also claimed the Rivermead Cup, which has been awarded annually to the low Canuck in the tournament since 1920. At the time it was introduced, Hamilton Golf & Country Club was just six years old but it already had one staging of this tournament in its history in 1919. The most recent of six was exactly 100 years later when Rory McIlroy prevailed in 2019.

Hamilton Golf & Country Club’s latest iteration is 7,084 yards, which is 117 yards longer than when McIlroy posted 22-under 258 en route to a seven-stroke triumph. In what was a remarkable virtual assignment due to the pandemic, Ebert used a computer program to shape, craft and decide on the outcome. Part of the process allowed for a reduction of 16 bunkers to the present-day total of 72. Bentgrass putting surfaces no longer are blended with Poa annua. At 6,000 square feet on average, they’re also 20 percent larger.

With new closely mown areas around greens replacing the previous omnipresence of collars, the course introduces a variety of shots and can require more imagination to get onto the greens. Like they were in 2019, greens again are poised to touch 11-1/2 feet on the Stimpmeter, but the lushest of the bluegrass rough is down a bit to 3-3/4 inches. Drivers will take a back seat to the precision and frequency of setting up scoring opportunities. It’s no different to Colonial where the field was learning the nuance of new skin on old bones, but scoring figures to be much lower this week.

The composite routing of the West and South Courses of the trio of nine-hole layouts at Hamilton Golf & Country Club remains. (For the record, the omitted East Course was the last to be renovated during Ebert’s project.) As of midday Monday, 34 golfers who competed here five years ago are back this week. They might notice an extension of the tree-removal program that launched prior to the last time that the course hosted and still was in progress when Ebert went to work.

Mother Nature should cooperate throughout. Comfortable daytime temperatures that might touch 70 degrees for each of the first three rounds will be accompanied by primarily quiet air. However, would-be contenders might be thinking ahead to Sunday when the wind could kick up enough to cause a pause over some approaches. With it, the high is expected to reach the mid-70s.

The RBC Canadian Open also is a stop on The Open Qualifying Series. The top three, not otherwise exempt into the final major of the year, who make the cut will be added to the field of 156 at Royal Troon.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

MONDAY: Power Rankings
TUESDAY*: Sleepers
WEDNESDAY: Golfbet Insider
SUNDAY: Points and Payouts; Medical Extensions; Qualifiers; Reshuffle

* - Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.