2015 Quicken Loans National Picks

This week the PGA Tour stops off in Gainesville, Virginia for the Quicken Loans National. The tournament is being held at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club for the first time this year and is hosted by Tiger Woods, with benefits going to his charity, the Tiger Woods Foundation. This is a relatively new tournament on the PGA Tour schedule, having first been played in 2007 (when it was known as the AT&T National).

The Quicken Loans National is one of the more unique tournaments played by the pros, due to it's "invitational" status; a designation given to only five tournaments on tour. What this means is that the field is usually smaller and a greater variety of players usually participate in it; it doesn't follow the normal PGA Tour Priority Ranking System that designates who can play in a tournament.

Robert Trent Jones Golf Club was designed by course namesake and iconic golf course architect Robert Trent Jones and opened in 1991. It's said that the famous architect often refered to this course as "my masterpiece" which really speaks for itself, given the numerous courses Jones has designed/redesigned over the years (Spyglass Hill, Augusta National, Olympic Club, Firestone (which will host the WGC Bridgestone Invitational next week)). It's also been a Presidents Cup favourite; having hosted the event in 1994 (it's inaugural year), 1996, 2000, and 2005. As of today, it stretches to about 7,425 yards and plays as a par 72.

Given the invitational status of a tournament, the field this week is unique and so are our picks:

1) Jimmy Walker
2) Cameron Tringale
3) Tony Finau

Walker's been a bit quiet since his T2 finish at the HP Byron Nelson in May, but he may make some noise this week. Tringale has also been pretty quiet. And Finau is our dark horse pick, who could do damage with his colossal distance. Also, since this is the first time the tournament has been played at Robert Trent Jones' course, the field should be pretty even this year I think.

Stay tuned for our weekend post on Friday to see who's leading halfway through.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Jimmie Walker is our top pick this week

Woodington Lake Golf Club - The Legacy Course Review #1

Name: Woodington Lake Golf Club - The Legacy Course
Location: Tottenham, Ontario (~1 hour northwest of Toronto)
Type: Public with membership options
Holes: 18 (36 including Woodington Lake's Legend Course)
Length and Par: 5173-7606 yards / 72
Tees: (Shortest to Longest): Red, White, Blue, Green, Gold
Website: www.woodingtonlake.com/golf

"The newest addition to Woodington Lake is the Legacy Course. Dramatically different from the Legend, it is bound for greatness and will leave a lasting impression. The wide open course is a true mix of Links and Stadium styles. However, it's the course's water hazards that make it truly challenging. Complimented by huge, fast and undulating greens, the Legacy offers five sets of tee decks measuring from 5140 yards from the front tees to an eye opening 7606 yards from the championship tees. With a maximum course rating of 76.9 and a slope of 146, it's the Legacy's boldness that keeps golfers of every skill coming back for more." -www.woodingtonlake.com

Course Layout:
Pace of Play:
Staff:
Value:
Course Conditions:

Price:
Difficulty: << Based on play from Gold Tees

Overall Rating: 4.8 out of 5

Woodington Lake Golf Club is an excellent golf facility designed for higher-end yet affordable golf and is one of the hidden gems of the GTA golf scene. Located on the rolling hills west of Tottenham, Woodington Lake offers all you'd ever want from a golf course, including a large clubhouse, excellent food services, a driving range and practice facilities, and a great 19th hole lounge. The staff is also some of the friendliest I've ever seen on a golf course and always accommodating to the player. It's also worth noting that the atmosphere around the clubhouse is relaxed and low-key, even during busy times. These are all things that put you in the right frame of mind needed before a round of golf.

The Legacy course at Woodington Lake is best described as an inland links course that will challenge any golfer. It has many aspects of your traditional links course such as wide open yet sloping fairways, large undulating greens, patches of fescue and gorse that will make your day tough if you find them, and few trees in play.  The wind also blows pretty fast at times, due to the openness and elevation changes throughout the Legacy, and should be taken into account more often than not when playing the course.

Despite being a challenging course, it's five sets of tees ensure that golfers of all skill level can get around it. The holes of the Legacy course are laid out very well and despite it's openness, you rarely get the feeling that a bad tee shot will end up on another hole. Although the course is not located near any coast as per normal links courses, many small ponds and lakes are well placed to influence many of the holes. Putting golf aside for a moment, the shear vastness and openness of the course is shocking at times; I wouldn't be surprised if you dropped your club for a minute to take a picture of it. I know I did. A hole of note, both visually and golfwise, is the Legacy's signature hole, #8 (see image below). This is a 90-180 yard par 3 where players tee off from elevated tees and must carry water to a green protected by five greenside bunkers. It requires confidence in distance and shot path as a mis-hit ball can easily find water or land in the thick rough around the greens and bunkers. Par is a great score here nine times out of ten here.

The true toughness of the Legacy course is fully revealed when it's played from the gold (back) tees, which I recommend decent players try at least once. 800 yards separates the gold tees from the set of tees below and more parts of the course are brought into play from them, such as more trees and water. Tee shots are now required to be tighter and more accurate and second shots will often be hit with longer clubs, but require more precision. Throw in some gusts of wind and I'd say that from these tees, the Legacy is one of the toughest and most demanding courses in all of Ontario.

Course conditions are what you'd expect from a quality course like this, nothing short of excellent; bunkers are not too soggy or dry and the rough height is consistent. Pace of play has never been an issue in the times I've played and the course is especially empty during the week. Power carts are also mandatory on the Legacy, which helps with the pace. Pricewise, 18 holes with a cart costs in the mid $70's depending on the time and day of the week. Not bad considering the quality of the course!

Overall, the Legacy course at Woodington Lake is a challenging links-esque course for golfers of all skill levels, but mid to low handicappers will probably get the most out of it. It really is a hidden gem in this part of the GTA and I'd recommend every golfer play it at least once, just for the experience. For the price that's posted as of now, it's really worth the trip to it. To the player looking for an extreme challenge, I'd try playing from back tees on a real breezy day.

Have you played the Legacy course at Woodington Lake? If so, post a comment below and let us know what you though of it...


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 **UPDATE** 09/19/19: Course conditions have improved, compared to when I wrote the above review. This may be due to the fact that Woodington Lake hosted the 2019 Ontario Open (things were most likely spruced up a bit in preparation for it). In fact, I found the greens to be slightly tougher than I remember, in particular faster and more undulating.The pricing has also stayed relatively the same, with flex-pricing being introduced.

The Legacy Course at Woodington Lake Golf Club

Jason Day Wins the 2015 RBC Canadian Open

We seem to be on a bit of a roll with our picks this season...

It was only a matter of time before our pick Jason Day won again on Tour and this week he did just that up here in Canada. That's right, Jason Day has won the 2015 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Course in Oakville, Canada. He shot a final round 68 and birdied the final three holes of the Jack Nicklaus designed course to get to that number. This proved just enough, as he finished with a one shot lead over Bubba Watson and a two shot lead over Canadian David Hearn. Though he's struggled recently with vertigo, Day has some how managed to maintain his world class golf game and it's paid off this week. This is Day's 4th PGA Tour win and second this year (Farmers Insurance Open).

The more prominent story of the weekend though was that of David Hearn, who was leading the tournament for most of the weekend. Unfortunately, he parred most of the holes on the back nine today at Glen Abbey while other players took advantage of a vulnerable back nine. David Hearn would have been the first Canadian since Pat Fletcher in 1954 to win the Canadian Open if he held on to his lead. Bubba Watson also went on a birdie streak on the back nine, birdieing five of the six last holes.

Glen Abbey once again showed us why it's been the host of the Canadian Open so many times. It played as great as a course could play in a tournament setting; being vulnerable at times yet also playing tough at times. Today's scoring average was in the high 60's, which resulted in some exciting shots and scores alike.

To finish off, here's how our picks placed:

1) Jason Day: WINNER
2) Luke Donald: T74 at even par
3) Brenden De Jonge: T76 at 1-over

That's another pick win for us and our second in two weeks. Given his recent performances in majors and other tournaments and the fact that he's struggled health-wise, the whole golfing world has been rooting for Jason Day. He was most deserving of his win this week without question. Better luck to Luke and Brenden, who didn't seem on point this week.

That wraps up our coverage of the Canadian Open. Be sure to join us next week for the Quicken Loans National. Stay tuned for our picks...


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Jason Day Wins the 2015 RBC Canadian Open

2015 RBC Canadian Open Picks

It's that time of the season, where the PGA Tour heads north for one week to play the Canadian Open (formally RBC Canadian Open but also referred to as "The Open" by Canadians). Like many national opens, the Canadian Open venue changes from year to year. This year, the iconic Glen Abbey Golf Course in Oakville, Ontario will play host. Since RBC started sponsoring this event, the quality of players in the field has increased dramatically and today the tournament boasts world class players and a nearly $6 million purse.

The Canadian Open is the oldest non-major tournament played on the PGA Tour. It was first contested in 1904 and since then has been played and won by some of the biggest names in golf. In 1955, a young Arnold Palmer won his first PGA Tour event at the Canadian Open. In 2000, the Open was won by Tiger Woods (also at Glen Abbey) who was in the midst of completing his Triple Crown of Golf (three consecutive majors) at the time. Lee Trevino also won it three times ('71, '77, '79).

Glen Abbey is one of the most famous courses in all of Canada and has hosted the Canadian Open a record 25 times. The Jack Nicklaus-designed course measures 7,273 yards today and plays as a par 72. One of the more unique features of Glen Abbey is it's "Valley Holes", holes 11 to 15, which feature prominent elevation changes and water hazards. For example, on the par 4 11th, players tee off on top of a cliff and must hit their tee shot to the fairway below. Next, players must clear a creek separating the fairway from a tough green. The course was also the site of a PGA Tour record, when Mark Calcavecchia birdied nine consecutive holes in 2009. The record still holds today.

The field this week will feature a few players who played last week's Open Championship, as RBC charters a flight for players willing to play the Canadian Open. Given that, here's our picks for the week:

1) Jason Day
2) Luke Donald
3) Brenden De Jonge

Jason Day is coming off a great week at the Open and is really on top of his game at the moment. So is Luke Donald, who's also been playing well this past month. And Brenden De Jonge is our dark horse pick, who could have his first win this week.

Play starts tomorrow morning, but be sure to check out our Weekend Update post come Friday evening.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Coming off a great week at the Open Championship last week, Jason Day is our top pick this week

Zach Johnson Wins the 2015 Open Championship

After delays on top of delays and a four hole playoff in what has been the longest Open Championship in history, we finally have a winner of the 144th Open Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews. That's right, Zach Johnson defeated Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in a four hole playoff to win the second major of his career, his first being the 2007 Masters. This is also the Iowa native's 12th PGA Tour victory and first win since last year's Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

Things got a bit hectic towards the end of today's final round. Zach Johnson and Marc Leishman set the playoff bar high, both shooting 66 today to get to 15-under. Johnson birdied the 18th hole to set that score and had a feeling it would be just enough if a playoff was to happen. He was right as shortly after Marc Leishman posted the same score. Johnson played an excellent round today that consisted of eight birdies and two bogeys. He definitely deserved this win.

Chasing them (a few groups back) were Jordan Spieth, who was looking for his third straight major win, Jason Day, who was looking for his first major win, and 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen, who was looking for a repeat win at the Old Course. Spieth needed a birdie on the par 4 18th to get into the playoff, but hit his second shot short and off the green. He missed the putt and the playoff chance to make history. Day hit his second shot to the middle of the green and had a long putt to make the playoff. His putt was just a couple of feet short and he too failed to get into the playoff. Day and Spieth were in the second to last group, ahead of Oosthuizen. So it all came down to Louis, who was in the same scenario as Spieth, except he hit an excellent second shot wedge to a couple of feet. He made the birdie putt and off to the playoff he went.

The playoff was a four hole aggregate, where Louis, Marc, and Zach played the 1st, 2nd, 17th and 18th. Whoever had the best combined score after the four holes won. Oosthuizen and Johnson birdied the first while Leishman bogeyed. Johnson took the lead after another birdie on the second while Oosthuizen and Leishman parred. But on the third hole, Johnson's chances of winning became slim, after hitting his second shot on the 17th way left of the green, just behind a deep greenside bunker. Oosthuizen and Leishman both were short of the green and Johnson bogeyed, as did Leishman. Oosthuizen putted for birdie but came up short, and unfortunately missed his par putt. On the final 18th hole, Oosthuizen needed a birdie to force a sudden death playoff, but missed his putt by inches. Johnson won the playoff and the Open Championship by a single shot.


As I mentioned before, this was the longest Open Championship in it's entire history, taking 5 days to complete. Regulation play ended at about 7pm local time and the playoff finished about an hour and a half later. Of course this felt even longer due to the weather delays. Today's round did have a bit of rain as predicted and it fell pretty hard on a few holes, while others remained dry. We still saw a few low scores but the scoring average was probably around 69 or 70.

The low amateur of the tournament was not Paul Dunne, who led the tournament as of yesterday. Instead, American Jordan Niebrugge (T6) was. Despite great play all weak, Dunne unfortunately shot a 78 today and finished the tournament T30.

Finally, here's how our picks finished up:

1) Dustin Johnson: T49 at 4-under
2) Rickie Fowler: T30 at 6-under

Dustin shot another 75 today and quickly fell out of contention yet again in a major. Fowler shot a 73 today and finished okay.

And just like that, this season's third major has come and gone. This concludes our coverage in Europe for now as this week we'll be covering our national open, the Canadian Open. Stay tuned for our picks on Wednesday.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Zach Johnson: The 2015 Open Champion

Day 4 of the 2015 Open Championship

You may be wondering what happened to our Day 3 coverage of the Open Championship and to be honest there wasn't much happening at the Old Course yesterday. Early in the morning, players finished off their second rounds and just barely. Shortly after, third round play was called off due to bad weather and it was decided that the Open would finish on Monday, with the third round being played today.

As it stands now, the leading score is 12-under and is held by 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen, Jason Day, and amateur Paul Dunne. They hold a one shot lead over Jordan Spieth, who will be looking to make modern history tomorrow by winning three straight majors.

Today's weather conditions were perfect for low scores, seeing as there was barely any wind and only a small amount of rain. We saw players taking advantage of this and going really low with their scores, such as Marc Leishman and Padraig Harrington who shot a 64 and 65 respectively. Due to this, there was a huge log jam of players at the top of the leaderboard. At one point, players like Padraig Harrington, Danny Willett, Jordan Spieth, and many more either co-led or were within a shot of it.

The biggest story of the day was that of amateur Paul Dunne. The Irishman, who plays college golf for UAB (like Graeme McDowell), made history today, becoming the first amateur since Bobby Jones in 1927 to lead the Open Championship after 54 holes. His accolades are well deserved; he shot a respectable 66 today and over his three rounds has made almost 90% of the GIRS and hit over 80% of fairways. He's also only dropped two shots (two bogeys) over the tournament. If he wins tomorrow, he's be making even more history. Best of luck to him.

Almost as big a story was Dustin Johnson, who shocked us all with relatively poor play today. He shot a 75 today and carded four bogeys and just a single birdie. As he said in his post-round interview, his putter was cold all day and he couldn't capitalize on many birdie opportunities. This again marks another major where we've seen Dustin fall back after leading. He said he'll need a really low round tomorrow to be in contention and win (he's T18 as of now).


Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Dustin Johnson: T18 at 7-under
2) Rickie Fowler: T18 at 7-under

Rickie played well today, shooting a 66. He carded seven birdies and a bogey and like Dustin, will have to put in a bit of work to be in contention tomorrow.

Tomorrow's weather will be more prominent than what we saw today, but not nearly as bad as the first two rounds. A small wind with a chance of rain mid afternoon is what's being forecasted. We'll have to wait and see how it will affect the leaderboard.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Can Louis Oosthuizen win back to back Open Championships at St. Andrews?

Day 2 of the Open Championship

We're halfway through the 144th Open Championship at the Old Course at St. Andrews, but not all players have finished their rounds. In an interesting decision by tournament coordinators, due to the darkness the remaining players were given the option to finish their round in the dark or pick up tomorrow morning. As it stands right now though, the leader is still Dustin Johnson with a score of 10-under par and a one shot lead over Danny Willett. The cut also looks to be set at even par.

The initial delay today was due to the fact that the Old Course received heavy rain early this morning. It lasted just over three hours thanks to the work of the great groundspeople at St. Andrews, who worked hard to remove casual water that had collected on the many low parts of the course. That meant that the early tee times had to be moved back, as did everyone else throughout the day. Players who didn't want to finish today's round will have to wake up early tomorrow to complete it (at about 2AM EST). However it's forecasted to rain again tomorrow.

Wind was the prominent weather condition today. Like yesterday, a stiff wind was still present all day, but some players like Adam Scott (67) and Russell Henley (66) found low scores and again the front nine played easier than the back nine. However during the later rounds, the wind picked up significantly. At one point even the camera towers were shaking. We even saw leader Dustin Johnson back off from a par putt twice on the 11th due to strong gusts. He eventually missed it and bogeyed; his only one of the round. He too will finish off his second round tomorrow morning.

One player who elected to finish his round today was multiple Open Champion and golfing legend Tom Watson. Today was Tom Watson's last professional round at the Open Championship (as he unfortunately missed the cut). Despite the darkness, he received a warm welcome from fans and players as he stood on Swilcan Bridge on the 18th, for the last time as a pro. Watson won the British Open five times over his long successful career.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Tommy Fleetwood: CUT
2) Dustin Johnson: 1st at 7-under
3) Rickie Fowler: T49 at 1-under

Fleetwood unfortunately shot a 76 today, which was probably his first +70 round at the Old Course in a long time. Dustin continues to take advantage of an easy front nine and is looking great for the weekend. Fowler, on the other hand, will need to put in a bit of work to be into contention.

Weekends at the Open Championship are always a special thing. Stay tuned for our recap coverage on Saturday and check us out on Sunday to see who's won.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Can Dustin Johnson hold on for his first major win?

Day 1 of the 2015 Open Championship

The last of the opening rounds of the 144th Open Championship are just wrapping up and the leader is none other than our pick Dustin Johnson, with an incredible round of 65 (7-under). He leads with a one shot lead over many players such as 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie, Zach Johnson, Jason Day (to no one's surprise), etc..., at the Old Course at St. Andrews. Dustin carded five birdies and an eagle during his morning round to take the lead early.

Today we saw many contrasts all over the course. To start, in typical links fashion, the front nine of the Old Course moves away from the clubhouse, whereas the back nine moves towards it. Add the wind to this scenario and you get two opposite playing nines. In this case, the front nine was playing easier than the back nine. For example, Sweden's David Lingmerth was making headlines early after he shot a 29 on the front nine. However, as with most players, he struggled on the back nine, shooting a 40 there.

The next contrast was the time of play. The morning players saw a more benign Old Course that was vulnerable at times, especially on the front nine. This is where players like Dustin Johnson were able to go low and get ahead early. As the day carried on, weather conditions deteriorated drastically. Stiff winds blew in, the course became firmer, and the temperature dropped, resulting in much more difficult conditions for the afternoon players. To put things in perspective, scoring average in the morning was about 71, while the scoring average in the afternoon was 72.8. The hardest hole of the day was the par 4 nearly 500 yard 17th AKA the "Road Hole". This is the famous hole where players have a blind tee shot and hazards such as deep bunkers and even a tarmac road along the way. It played with a scoring average of 4.83 and year after year has ranked as the toughest hole on Tour (when the Old Course is playing in the rotation).

Conditions are predicted to worsen for Friday, which will wreak havoc on the leaderboard; the Old Course wasn't going to let players get off that easily. As Zach Johnson said, when the conditions are predicted to be that bad, it's best to get rid of all expectations during your round. But for the fans, worsening weather conditions are always a spectacle and great to watch. It's to be expected at the British Open.

In other news, Tiger Woods sits at T140 at 4-over. He struggled all day with his clubs and often strike was to blame; he fatted a few of his shots, most notable his 2nd shot on the 1st, which found water. His putted also wasn't too hot and he made only half the GIR's. Better luck tomorrow.

Another notable round was that of 2010 Open Champion (the last time the Open was played at the Old Course) Louis Oosthuizen, who shot a 67 and sits at T8 on the leaderboard.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Tommy Fleetwood: T18 at 3-under
2) Dustin Johnson: 1st at 7-under
3) Rickie Fowler: T64 at even par

Like most players today, Fleetwood had an excellent front nine and a couple of bogeys on the back nine. He continues his streak of excellent rounds at St. Andrews. Dustin said during his post round interview that the front nine played relatively easy for his game, but he was also under par for the back nine (when most players weren't). Fowler's score doesn't accurately reflect his play today. He teed off during the worst of conditions and made pars mostly, except for a couple of bogeys and a rare eagle at the 10th.

It's been a great opening day and there much more exciting golf to come. Check out our Day 2 recap tomorrow!


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Dustin Johnson is looking for redemption this week at the Open Championship

2015 Open Championship Preview

Well it's finally here, the tournament we've been waiting for all season, the oldest of the majors, the one, the only, the Open Championship AKA the British Open. This year marks the 144th edition of the British Open and it will be taking place at the home of golf, the Old Course at St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland.

The British Open is by far the most "truest" and oldest of the majors, in that it brings golfers back to the roots of the game. It was first played back in 1860 (for us Canadians out there, that's seven years before Canada was even established as a country) and the field consisted of just eight professionals at the time. They played three rounds in a single day at Prestwick Golf Club (a 12-hole club at the time). The winner would receive not a trophy, but the Challenge Belt, worn around the waist of the champion. By 1873, the famous Claret Jug was presented to the winner instead and it's been that way ever since. The tradition of playing the British Open on a traditional links course has also remained and today several courses make up the yearly rotation.

The Old Course at St. Andrews is the birthplace of golf; it's the place where the first round was ever played back in the early 1400's. To say it's greatly influenced golf as we know it today is an understatement. For example, the current 18-hole layout of golf courses was first seen here. This year will mark the 29th time that the Old Course has hosted the British Open and as of now sits on a 5-year rotation. Golfers will be playing golf in its rawest form this week, just like in 1860. Be sure to look out for the typical links features that all have their roots at the Old Course this week, like deep bunkers, rolling fairways, gorse, etc.

The field this week is one of the most diverse in golf. We have older players who may not necessarily contend this week but will reminisce of their times playing St. Andrews and in the British Open. We have amateurs who will be looking to make a name for themselves. And of course we have the regular Tour players. This is also a special tournament for Tom Watson. The 5-time British Open champion will be making his last British Open appearance this week, at age 65, 32 years after his last British Open win. Just like for the US Open, my picks this week were hard to make, but here they are:

1) Tommy Fleetwood
2) Dustin Johnson
3) Rickie Fowler

Let's start with Tommy. He's a guru when it comes to the Old Course, despite his young age. Between his last eight rounds at St. Andrews (for the Alfred Dunhil Links Championship) he's 37-under par. In his last round there he shot a course record 62. He really knows how to play this course and that's an asset this week. For Dustin, his play at Chambers Bay shows his game is accurate enough to succeed on links course. His length will also give him an advantage this week. Finally, Rickie's coming off a win last week at the Scottish Open. Here's hoping he can pull off a Phil Mickelson and with the British Open as well.

Play kicks off early Thursday morning on this side of the Atlantic. Since it's a major, we'll be having daily coverage of the British Open. Be sure to check it out.

Also, comment below with your picks this week...


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

 Tommy Fleetwood is our top pick this week at St. Andrews

Rickie Fowler Wins the 2015 Scottish Open

After four rounds of tough links golf, the winner of this year's Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Gullane Golf Club is one of our picks this week, Rickie Fowler, who finished with a score of 12-under and a one shot lead over Matt Kuchar and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin. This is the young American's 2nd win this year (his first was the Players Championship) and first European Tour win.

Rickie's play towards the end of his round was exceptional, simple as that. The start of his round was uneventful until his last four holes, where his run for the lead began. He birdied three of the last four holes and on the 18th, hit an excellent drive then a wedge to a couple of feet for an easy birdie and a one shot lead over Matt Kuchar, who was in the clubhouse already at 11-under. Once again, he's shown us why he's such a good links golfer. On a more interesting note, it seems that Fowler always wins when the golfing world doubts him the most. Shortly after being ranked as one of the most overrated golfers, he won the Players Championship. After a disastrous US Open, many predicted a downward spiral for him, but he silenced all his critics with his well-deserved win this week.

Raphael Jacquelin, who was in the group behind Fowler, needed a 2nd shot eagle hole-out from the 18th fairway to force a playoff with Fowler. And he nearly pulled it off, hitting a wedge shot just past the hole and spinning it back to about a foot. Despite not forcing a playoff, with his good finish the 41-year old Frenchman now qualifies for the Open Championship next week. He will be playing his first major since the 2012 Open Championship.

Today's final round saw a big change in weather conditions as the round progressed and as a result Gullane played tougher and tougher. Winds picked up throughout the day and morning players, like Scotsman Marc Warren (64 today), were at a clear advantage. With these conditions though, we saw a variety of shots from players, typical in links style, and much movement in the leaderboard. One thing's for sure; this round was great preparation for St. Andrews next week.

Finally, here's how our picks finished for the week:


1) Padraig Harrington: T62 at 2-under
2) Justin Rose: 74th even par
3) Rickie Fowler: WINNER

That's another pick win for us! Padraig Harrington couldn't capitalize on two good opening rounds and Justin Rose had a very bad weekend, shooting 72/76 without a single birdie today. Better luck to both of them next week.

And that's a wrap for our coverage of the Scottish Open. Congratulations once again to Rickie Fowler! Our coverage stays in Europe this week and in Scotland for that matter, for the third major of the year. That's right, join us next week for the 144th Open Championship (British Open) from the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland next week.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Rickie Fowler Wins the 2015 Scottish Open

2015 Scottish Open Weekend Update

With just two rounds left to play at Gullane Golf Club, the leader going into the weekend of this year's Scottish Open is Englishman Daniel Brooks. He holds a three shot lead over a number of players including the likes of TGR favourite Graeme McDowell and defending champion/our pick Justin Rose. The cut has also been set at 1-under.

Brooks shot an excellent 64/65 and has only made a single bogey over both his two rounds. He's also carded 10 birdies and an eagle, which give him some great momentum moving into the weekend.

Despite the challenge that is links golf, many players were able to take advantage of Gullane Golf Club over the first two rounds. Scores in the mid 60's were common all around and the low round so far was a 63, shot by Thorbjorn Olesen. From the weather forecast though, it looks like the winds will pick up over the weekend and some rain will fall tonight and tomorrow. Maybe this will make Gullane more vicious?

Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell seems to be showing signs of recovery this week, shooting a pair of 66's so far. After three straight missed cuts, the 52nd World Ranked players has had a rough season so far and risks falling out of WGC contention if his trend continues. A win or a good finish for the 2008 champion this week would be hugely beneficial.

Finally, here's how our picks are doing:

1) Padraig Harrington: T34 at 4-under
2) Justin Rose: T2 at 8-under
3) Rickie Fowler: T13 at 6-under

It's good to see Harrington doing well again; he's certainly still in contention given the upcoming weather. Rose has an excellent chance to defend his win and can probably pull it off seeing how he's been playing. It's also good to see Fowler playing well on links courses again.

With just two more rounds to go and upcoming weather conditions, we might see some movement in the leaderboard over the last two rounds. Stay tuned for our Results post Sunday to see who ended up winning.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Can Daniel Berger hold onto his lead for the win this week?

2015 Scottish Open Picks

For many golf fans, the next two weeks are some of the most exciting out of the entire golf season. It starts with the Scottish Open, this year being played at Gullane Golf Club in Gullane near Edinburgh, Scotland. It ends off with the Open Championship AKA British Open. Both events are played on links golf courses and offer many challenges to players.

The Scottish Open (now formally the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open) was first contested in 1972, but was then removed from the European Tour's event list from 1974 to 1985. It returned in 1986 and has been played at Loch Lomond Golf Club for the majority of it's current run. Just recently, it began rotating courses year to year. It's one of the larger and more popular events on the European Tour for a few reasons. Firstly, it has one of the largest purses on Tour at £3.25 million. Secondly, being a links course and taking place a week before the British Open, it's a tournament that's used by players to practice for the British Open, i.e. hone in their links golf skills and work on a variety of shots. Players such as Phil Mickelson took full advantage of this, as he won both the Scottish and British Opens in 2013.

This is the first time Gullane Golf Club has hosted the Scottish Open, but the town of Gullane is no stranger to professional golf. Situated on the coast of Scotland, it's also home to Muirfield Golf Club, which hosted the British Open in 2013 and lies just 1.5km from Gullane Golf Club. The town is ideal for golf holidays as it's also home to several other top quality links courses and itself is just a two hour drive from the Old Course at St. Andrews (which will host the British Open next week). For the Scottish Open, Gullane will play as a par 70 at 7,133 yards.

Like I've said many times before, it's always hard to make my picks in a tournament that precedes a major, simply because of the variety of players in the field. One thing's for sure though, the winner this week will definitely need to have great links golf skills, so that's what I've based my picks on this week:

1) Padraig Harrington
2) Justin Rose
3) Rickie Fowler

Padraig showed us earlier this year that he's capable of winning again. He's also won two British Opens back to back so he knows links golf. Justin Rose won this event last year and seems to be playing great golf at the moment. Like I say, he's always a safe pick week in week out. Lastly, Rickie Fowler hasn't had the best of weeks after his Players win, but he's done well in the past on links courses. Maybe this will be the comeback he needs?

Play kicks off very early (or very late) at roughly 2:30AM EST tomorrow. Stay tuned for our weekend update post Friday to see who's in the lead at the halfway point.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

The scenic coast of Scotland is host to Gullane Golf Club

Danny Lee Wins the 2015 Greenbrier Classic

Yet again another playoff was needed to decide the winner this week at the Greenbrier Classic at the Old White TPC. After four rounds of golf, four players were tied for the lead at 13-under: Brampton, Ontario native David Hearn, Robert Streb, Kevin Kisner, and New Zealander Danny Lee. After two holes of sudden death, Danny Lee emerged as the winner. This is Lee's first PGA Tour win and only his third professional win. It's also his first pro win in four years. This is a major step in his career as he becomes the first New Zealander in 10 years to win on Tour and earns exemptions into the British Open, PGA Championship, and next year's Masters.

In most tournaments, the quality of players atop the leaderboard is often looked at the most, however what surprised many this week was the quantity of players at the top. At the end of it all, 22 players were within three shots of the lead. It was one of the biggest log jams we've seen so far this season and during today's round, there was much movement between the top spots. This was largely a result of how benign Old White TPC had being playing (even as rain fell towards the end of today's round). A playoff seemed inevitable almost from the start of the final round...

The playoff started on the par 3 18th hole over water. Both Lee and Hearn landed their tee shots on the green in pretty much the exact same spots as when they played the hole in regulation. Both subsequently made birdies. Kisner and Streb both barely overshot the green and missed their birdie attempts. To the par 5 17th hole Hearn and Lee went, where an error on Hearn's part resulted in him bogeying the hole. Lee parred and won it. Hearn's playoff loss is the closest a Canadian has come to winning on tour in recent years.

Finally, here's how our picks finished off the tournament:

1) Graham DeLaet: T37 at 6-under
2) Kevin Na: T32 at 7-under

David Heard seemed to pick up the slack of top Canadian in the field when DeLaet struggled. Both DeLaet and Na finished okay, but will probably be disappointed with their weekend performances.

That's it for our coverage this week. Join us next week for some links golf in Gullane, Scotland for the Scottish Open at Gullane Golf Club.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Representing New Zealand, Danny Lee Wins the 2015 Greenbrier Classic

2015 Greenbrier Classic Weekend Update

As the third round of the 2015 Greenbrier Classic begins, the lead is currently held by two players; Jhonatten Vegas and Scott Langley. Both stand at 9-under with a one shot lead over numerous players (including Canadian David Hearn). The cut has also been set at 2-under.

Scott Langley shocked some of us with an opening round of 62 and followed it up with a 69 yesterday. His story is one to note and one of inspiration. He was part of the First Tee (a program which helps promote life and ethical values through golf) and is the first person to be part of this program and make it to the PGA Tour. He turned pro in 2011 and earned his PGA Tour card in 2013 via Q school. He also had a stellar amateur career.

Vegas' story is a bit different. He burst onto the Tour scene after winning the Bob Hope Classic (now Humana Challenge) in 2011 after just his 2nd start as a PGA Tour member. After a relatively successful 2011 where he achieved 69th place on the World Golf Rankings, he's struggled in recent years, partially due to shoulder surgery. He shot a 66/ 65 so far, including hitting all greens in his 2nd round?

Tiger Woods is also making news, the good kind this time. The iconic golfer sits at T27 after rounds of 66 and 69. This is far better than the last few times he's competed. Who knows how he'll finish off the tournament.

Finally here's how our picks are doing:

1) Webb Simpson: CUT
2) Graham DeLaet: T10 at 7-under
3) Kevin Na: T27 at 5-under


Canadian Graham DeLaet's round is currently in progress and as of now, he's birdied 5 of 6 holes. It is Moving Day and he's definitely on the move. Hopefully Na can pull off a similar feat.

Stay tuned for our Results post tomorrow evening,


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

2015 Greenbrier Classic Picks

This week, the PGA Tour stops by the Old White TPC at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia for the Greenbrier Classic. This is a newer tournament compared to other tournaments on tour, having first been played in 2010 when it replaced the Buick Open. It boasts a $6.7 million purse with about $1.2 million going to the winner.

Despite being a new tournament, it is played on the historic Old White TPC, which was built in 1914. Since then, it has hosted the first current format of the Ryder Cup on US soil (1979) and the Solheim Cup (1994); the only course to host both at the time. The course even has ties to modern golf legend Tom Watson, who is it's pro emeritus. Today, it measures at just under 7,300 yards for tournament purposes. 

Due to it's close proximity to the Open Championship, a win or good finish this week could result in eligibility to play in the Open Championship for some golfers. Some will also use the tournament to check if their game is up to par for the upcoming major. That's why we'll be seeing a variety of players in the field this week. Given that, here's our picks for the week:

1) Webb Simpson
2) Graham DeLaet
3) Kevin Na

Play kicks off early tomorrow morning, but be sure to check our Weekend Update post Friday night. On another note, Happy Canada Day to all our Canadian readers! 


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews

Webb Simpson is our #1 pick this week