Bell Canadian Open returns to Ontario
IN: News | US PGA | Bell Canadian Open (2003) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 03 Sep 2003
The Bell Canadian Open gets underway on Thursday with the venue for this year's event, the Hamilton Golf & Country Club, in the city of Hamilton about an hour's drive west of Toronto, Ontario.
The course is a treasure and was designed by the legendary Harry Colt in 1916. Colt designed many courses in the US and Europe and was responsible for the routing plan for the famed Pine Valley amongst others. When initially designed it carried a par of 73 and measures 6300 yards. The course has recently undergone further renovations in anticipation of the return of the Canadian Open and now measures close to 7000 yards an has a par of 70. The last time the event was held here was in 1930 when Tommy Armour won.
Give the amount of "must play events" in recent weeks for the leading players it is perhaps not surprising that the field strength is down somewhat from recent weeks but anytime you have Vijay Singh and Mike Weir teeing it up then you know you've done well as an organiser.
Also in the field are Australia's Adam Scott, Peter Lonard and Geoff Ogilvy plus Charles Howell III, Scott Verplank, Fred Funk, Bob Estes, Mark Calcavecchia, Chris Riley and K.J. Choi.
Other Australasians in the field include Aaron Baddeley, Steve Alker, Grant Waite, Greg Chalmers, Paul Gow, Steve Allan, Mathew Goggin, Scott Laycock, Gavin Coles and Anthony Painter.
The event carries prizemoney of $US4.2 million with the winner to receive $US726,000.
