David Skinns lit up the course on Thursday with an 8-under 62 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, taking the first-round lead in the RBC Canadian Open.
Playing in the afternoon, Skinns found the greens still receptive from earlier rain, allowing him to make a significant move. He nailed a 47-foot birdie putt on his 17th hole, the par-3 eighth, to solidify his position. “Drove it pretty well. I left myself in a lot of good spots,” said the 41-year-old Englishman, who is still seeking his first PGA Tour victory. “Around here, it seems like that’s half the battle, to give yourself birdie looks. I was able to attack some pins that maybe if I wasn’t in such a good spot, I wouldn’t have been able to.”
Hot on his heels, Sam Burns and Sean O’Hair, who played in the morning, finished just a stroke behind. Robert MacIntyre had a solid 64, while Ryan Palmer posted a 65. Defending champion Rory McIlroy, Andrew Novak, Erik van Rooyen, Nick Hardy, and Trace Crowe all finished with 66.
Nick Taylor, defending his title, shot a 72 alongside fellow Canadian Taylor Pendrith and McIlroy. Reflecting on the atmosphere, McIlroy shared, “One of the main reasons I love coming back here is because of that atmosphere. Playing with two Canadians today, it was exactly what I expected.” Pendrith, also finishing with a 72, added, “We had fun. Rory played, scored, really nicely. It was fun to play with Nick.”
Skinns, a former Canadian tour player, reminisced about his time in the country, saying, “I had a couple of great years up here. It’s one of my favorite countries to come visit. I’ve seen it from West Coast to East Coast and kind of loved every part of it.”
His round included birdies on the par-4 12th and a big run starting on the par-5 17th. Skinns hit a wedge from 104 yards to 4 feet on the 12th, followed by a 189-yard shot to 2.5 feet on the par-4 18th. His momentum continued with a 14-footer on the par-4 first, a 35-footer on the par-4 third, and further birdies on the par-5 fourth and par-4 sixth. “The golf up here is pretty cool,” Skinns said. “The bentgrass and the way this golf course looks, it’s one of the best looking courses I’ve seen. Definitely, a joy to be back.”
Burns, who eagled the par-5 17th and fourth, noted the favorable conditions, “I think with all the rain we had early in the week the greens are still pretty receptive. It makes a big difference on par-5s when you have a long iron or a wood coming in there to be able to stop the ball pretty quick.”
Among the Canadians, David Hearn was the standout with a 67. “Hey, how about that?” the 44-year-old Hearn said. “Maybe experience still has something.” Meanwhile, 54-year-old Mike Weir posted a respectable 68.
David Skinns’ impressive round has set the pace at the RBC Canadian Open, but with strong contenders close behind, the competition is just heating up.
Source: Espn
