The Golf Watch

Golfers withdraw from Canadian Tour event amid fear of swine flu

The latest numbers from Reuters reveal that 10 players have withdrawn from the San Luis Potosi Open in Mexico.  Canadian Tour Commissioner Richard Janes said:

While we have seen 10 to 15 players withdraw ...many are still arriving from Latin America, the United States and Canada, all eager to play.

We are taking every precaution with our players...and will watch the situation closely.

For safety reasons, no fans or local caddies will be allowed to attend the event.  I don't blame the Tour for erring on the side of caution.

Update: The three Canadian Tour events on the Mexico swing have been canceled.

"Our Open lacked star power . . . drama, too"

As it is one of the oldest and most storied tournaments in the books, I was waiting for a Canadian writer to vent about the lack of excitement and star power at this year's Canadian Open.  Bruce Dowbiggin of the Calgary Herald does just that...

Here's what it's come to for the Canadian Open . . . er, the RBC Canadian Open. The broadcast of the national championship is farmed out to American networks, the field is denuded of elite players by the British Open and everyone at the RCGA prays that a ranked player will win so they have one big name to sell for the next year. Oh yeah -- it rains like crazy, too...

A 26-year-old sharpshooter named Chez Reavie -- sounding more like a Montreal restaurant than a national golf champ -- posted his first PGA Tour win by hanging a three-shot win on the field. It was great golf from the Arizona State product, but with Billy Mayfair, Steve Marino, Glen Day, Kevin Na, Briny Baird and Nicholas Thompson as the main chase group, it lacked for some drama.

The ratings prove it, as Thomas Bonk of the LA Times reports:

The third-round of the Canadian Open on CBS had an 0.9 overnight rating in metered markets, down 18% from a 1.1 in 2007. The fourth-round overnight ratings on CBS were a 1.4, down 18% from a 1.7 in 2007 when Jim Furyk won.

Furyk, Singh, Weir, headline at Canadian Open

Even though the date of the Canadian Open was moved from early September to the week after the British Open, a strong field is still expected this week.  Defending champion Jim Furyk, 2004 winner Vijay Singh, and Canadian Mike Weir will be in attendance.  According to the Winnipeg Sun, "The early indication seems to suggest that the US$5-million event hasn't suffered as much from the move as some thought it might. Four of the top-20 money earners on the PGA Tour are entered in the field..."