David Skinns had an incredible round at the RBC Canadian Open, shooting an 8-under 62. Skinns, a 41-year-old Englishman, surged to the lead with six birdies in a seven-hole stretch at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
Playing in the afternoon, Skinns took advantage of the receptive greens following recent rains. He pulled ahead dramatically with a 47-foot birdie putt on his 17th hole, the par-3 eighth. ‘Drove it pretty well. I left myself in a lot of good spots,’ said Skinns, who is still seeking his first PGA Tour win. ‘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.’
He held a one-stroke lead over morning starters Sam Burns and Sean O’Hair. Robert MacIntyre of Scotland posted a 64 in the afternoon, Ryan Palmer opened with a 65, and two-time Canadian Open champion Rory McIlroy carded a 66, along with Ryan Fox, Andrew Novak, Erik van Rooyen, Nick Hardy, and Trace Crowe.
Defending champion Nick Taylor struggled with a 72, but he still enjoyed the atmosphere, saying, ‘Usually the morning round for me on a Thursday there’s not that many people there. The energy was high, which was great, gets the adrenaline going, which is fun that early in the morning, gets you focused on what you need to do. Unfortunately, it didn’t go my way, but the crowds have been amazing.’
McIlroy, who has won the Canadian Open twice, also appreciated the vibes. ‘One of the main reasons I love coming back here is because of that atmosphere,’ he said. ‘Playing with two Canadians today, it was exactly what I expected.’
Local favorite Taylor Pendrith finished with a 72 and enjoyed playing with McIlroy, noting, ‘We had fun. Rory played, scored, really nicely. It was fun to play with Nick.’
Skinns, who has a history with the Canadian tour, expressed his fondness for the country. ‘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.’
During his remarkable round, Skinns birdied the par-4 12th by hitting a wedge from 104 yards to 4 feet. He then began a hot streak on the par-5 17th, following with a 189-yard shot to 2 1/2 feet on the par-4 18th, a 14-footer on the par-4 first, a 35-footer on the par-4 third, and additional birdies on the par-5 fourth and par-4 sixth.
Burns, who eagled the par-5 17th and fourth, said, ‘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.’
David Hearn was the best-placed Canadian with a 67. ‘Hey, how about that?’ said the 44-year-old Hearn. ‘Maybe experience still has something.’ Meanwhile, 54-year-old Mike Weir posted a solid 68.
David Skinns’ remarkable round has set the stage for an exciting RBC Canadian Open. With various players close on his heels, the competition is heating up.
