A bunch of the top golfers in the world will converge in Canada for the 2017 RBC Canadian Open. The event is one of the oldest and (for a time) most prestigious tournaments on tour. So how does the whole thing work? Read on below to learn some key information you need to know about the RBC Canadian Open.
The Canadian Open is a standard 72-hole, stroke play tournament with a par 72. It will have a very generous $6 million purse up for grabs, as well as the standard 500 FedEx points for the tournament winner.
History
The Canadian Open is the third oldest continuously running tournament on the PGA Tour, after The Open Championship and the U.S. Open. It was first played back in 1904, and was once considered on par with those other two tournaments in terms of prestige. In 2000, Tiger Woods became the first player to win all three Opens (also known as the Triple Crown) since Lee Trevino in 1971.
Courses
Glen Abbey Golf Club—site of the 2017 tournament—is set to host the event for a record 29th time. The course was designed in 1976 by Arnold Palmer and was supposed to be the permanent host of the tournament. However, it has since been rotated among several Canadian courses every few years. These courses include the Royal Montreal Golf Club, which hosted the very first Open in 1904, the Toronto Golf Club, St. George’s Golf and Country Club, and Hamilton Golf and Country Club among others.
Field
While the Canadian Open isn’t quite as prestigious as in years past, it still features some of the top golfers in the world. Recent winners of golf majors will gain automatic qualification for the tournament, not to mention winners of a World Golf Championship event, Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Memorial, and FedEx Cup.
Tournament winners in any event over the past two seasons are also eligible, as well as players in the top 125 of the FedEx Cup points list in the prior season. The top three players on the PGA Tour Canada Order of Merit will also earn exemptions into the field.
