New venue to test Canadian Open field
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2002 Bell Canadian Open | Preview | 01 Sep 2002
A new venue greets the field for this year’s Bell Canadian Open with the event being played at the Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ontario.
For twenty two of the last twenty four years the tournament has been staged at the Glen Abbey Golf Club in Mississaugua, Ontario with the Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal the venue for the other two.
The Angus Glen Golf Club was developed in 1995 when the owner of the land (Arthur Stollery), which had been previously a cattle (Angus of course) and thoroughbred horse breeding operation, decided to fulfil his dream to build a great golf course there. He engaged the services of Doug Carrick, one of Canada’s most prolific and best modern day golf course architects. With the course opening to national acclaim in 1995 it is promises to be a very good venue for such a prestigious event.
The field this year is without the world’s number one Tiger Woods who is no doubt gearing himself for the American Express event in Ireland in two weeks time and the Ryder Cup the following week.
Woods played the event last year finishing 23rd and won it in 2000 at Glenn Abbey when he produced that simply stunning shot to the par five eighteenth to beat Grant Waite. Still he is absent this year as is Phil Mickelson who has withdrawn from the event late in the piece with a back problem.
As was the case last week therefore, the event is lacking “superstars” although Vijay Singh and Justin Leonard do go close. Scott Verplank is the defending champion but although he has had a good year overall his last month has been a little ordinary. His win last year was at another venue also.
Australians entered include Allan, Chalmers, Goggin, Gow, Hughes, Senden and Ogilvy. With New Zealanders Waite, Tataurangi, Long and Nobilo lining up as well. For many of these same players events such as this provide a great opportunity to gain positions on the money list as the year begins to wind down. Gow, Allan, Chalmers, Hughes, Senden, Waite, Nobilo and Long are all exposed to losing full playing privileges for 2003 with out a good finish or two before season’s end, and for some, playing privileges full stop.
