RBC Canadian Open I am in Toronto this week and happy to attend an old stomping ground -- St George CC where the Canadian Open is held this week. Little does the public know the range facilities are non-existent and the Tour players must travel down the road to the Islington Golf Club where I was staking-out.
I saw just about every name player that is in the field. I was vey impressed with Casey, Snedeker, Badds, Campbell, Letzig, Goosen, Molder and Villegas to name a few. St. George is a Stan Thompson design that has fabulous par 3,s and reachable par fives at 522, 528 and 570 yards. The par 70 layout measures just 7,046 yards, a short track by Tour standards. The rough is up to 2.5 inches in spots, but the fairways are generous. The greens are difficult in that the undulations will expose the weakest putters for sure, but I like the bombers again this week.
I've played this exclusive track many times and it was an honor, but they haven't strengthened it enough and I believe the PGA Tour monsters will rip it up.
[B]Chad Campbell -130 [/B]vs Charles Howell III
Chad was just a couple shots out of the lead at one point last week in Reno. On the range, this is the best I've seen him hit it in quite some time, he is playing his best golf right now probably over the past two years with 2 Top 20's in his L3 starts.
CH3 on the other hand is struggling with his game to say the least. His best finish in his L8 starts is a T22 back in April at Verizon. He was all over the range playing army golf, left-right-left. But what struck me as very significant is that CH3 has always been one fine driver of the golf ball and today at least he didn't have it. Automatic play here.
[B]Aaron Baddeley -110[/B] vs Stuart Appleby
Both Aussie's haven't done anything on the Tour to warrant a bet, but I have to go with Badds who was striping it on the tee today, while Appleby kept pulling 50% of his shots.
[B]Mark Wilson -105 [/B]vs John Mallinger
Mallinger has really not putted well at all for quite some time now. He hasn't been on a leader-board in ages. Wilson looked good today hitting all his targets and has played much more consistent this season.
[B]Camillo Villegas -120 [/B]vs Hunter Mahan
Both of these studs were at the British Open and should be dead tired. Advantage Villegas who as we have seen in the past is always in top shape and can overcome fatigue. Perhaps the same cannot be said for Mahan who is going through a swing problem. Prior to the Open he missed four cuts in a row.
