Canadian Open History and Past Winners

Given a long and illustrious history,  it is unfortunate that the Canadian Open doesn’t get more respect from fans, the media, players and the PGA Tour. In recent years, it has found itself somewhat in shadows, thanks to unfortunate scheduling which puts it after the Open Championship and a mere two weeks before the popular Bridgestone Invitational.  Previously, it had been an afterthought in the September schedule for the PGA Tour. Historically, however, it has been considered one of the three great national Opens, and at one time vied with the Western Open as the third most important tournament (for professionals) after the Open Championship and US Open.

The first Canadian Open was held in 1904 at the Royal Montreal Golf Club, which has the distinction of being the oldest golf club in North America. The Club was founded in 1873 and at that time, its course was located at Dixie in Dorval Parish. The Royal Montreal has in all hosted nine Canadian Opens.

Glen Abbey, a Jack Nicklaus design dating to 1976 has hosted twenty five Canadian Opens. The course was built for the Royal Canadian Golf Association to serve as the semi-permanent home of the championship. But in the 1990s, the RGCA decided to move it around the country. Since 1997, the championship has been played at Royal Monreal, Angus Glen Golf Club, Hamilton Golf and Country Club, Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, Hamilton Golf and Country Club and in 2010, the St. George’s Golf and Country Club.

A list of winners at the Canadian Open is impressive. Walter Hagen played his first professional competition at the Canadian Open in 1912, but would have to wait until 1931 to win. James Douglas Edgar, who recently was the subject of a terrific book, To Win and Die In Dixie, was a two time winner. Other winners include Tiger Woods, Tommy Armour, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Bobby Locke, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Greg Norman, Bill Casper, Curtis Strange and Jim Furyk. Woods’ 2000 victory gave him the Triple Crown—all three Opens in a single year—an honor shared with Lee Trevino in 1971.

Jack Nicklaus was a seven-time runner up in the tournament, and it’s been said that the Canadian Open is the most important tournament that the Bear didn’t win. Tiger Woods missed his first cut as a professional at the 1997 Canadian Open. No Canadian was won their national Open since 1954, although Mike Weir came close in 2004, losing on the third playoff hole to Vijay Singh. That was the same year that Singh briefly overtook Tiger Woods as the world’s number one player.

A complete list of Canadian Open winners follows: