Golf Canada – 2018 U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka to face off against finalists including World No. 1 Dustin Johnson for Canada’s National Men’s Open

Watson, Johnson, Koepka and Poulter have combined for seven PGA TOUR wins in 2018

OAKVILLE, ON (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada and RBC today announced that four of the top five finishers from the 118th playing of the U.S. Open will be facing off in the 2018 RBC Canadian Open.

Two-time U.S. Open champion and world No. 4 golfer Brooks Koepka, Bubba Watson (world No. 13), Tommy Fleetwood (world No. 10), Tony Finau (world no. 31) and world No. 28 Ian Poulter will all join Dustin Johnson, the world’s number one ranked golfer and Team RBC member to compete in the 2018 RBC Canadian Open, July 23-29 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Koepka, who recently defended his U.S. Open title, is only the seventh player in history to win consecutive U.S. Opens. He is a 3-time PGA TOUR winner who sits 13th on the 2018 FedEx Cup standing. 

Fleetwood made a fierce charge at the U.S. Open, firing a final-round 7-under 63 to finish runner-up behind Koepka. With four top-10 finishes in 2018, the 27-year old Englishman is ranked No. 10 in the world and No. 28 on the FedEx Cup standing. The European rising star will be making his debut appearance in Canada’s National Open Championship.  

Johnson’s solo-third place finish at the U.S. Open was his eighth top-10 finish in 2018. A member of Team RBC, Johnson is an 18-time PGA TOUR winner, including two 2018 victories—the Sentry Tournament of Champions as well as the recent FedEx St. Jude Classic. He is currently ranked No. 1 on both the world ranking and FedEx Cup standing and will compete in his sixth RBC Canadian Open. 

Finau is having a career-best season on the PGA TOUR in 2018—his T5 finish at the U.S. Open was one of six top-10 finishes this season. A graduate of the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada, Finau has one career PGA TOUR win and is ranked No. 31 and No. 11 on the world ranking and FedEx Cup standing respectively. 

Also confirmed to compete at Glen Abbey is big-hitting lefty Bubba Watson who claimed his 12th career PGA TOUR win last week at the Travelers Championship. The win was Watson’s third of the season including the World Golf Championship—Dell Technologies Match Play and the Genesis Open. It was also his fifth top-10 finish in 2018. He is currently ranked No. 13 in the world and is 3rd on the 2018 FedEx Cup standing in a season which includes five top-10 finishes. Watson, whose wife is Canadian, will again be a fan-favourite making his eighth appearance at the RBC Canadian Open. 

Ryder Cup star and fan-favourite Ian Poulter is also committed to compete in the RBC Canadian Open. Poulter has three career PGA TOUR wins including the 2018 Houston Open. He has three top-10 finishes in 2018 and is currently ranked 28th and 29th on the world ranking and FedEx Cup standing respectively.  

The foursome of Watson (3), Johnson (2), Koepka (1) and Poulter (1) have captured a combined seven PGA TOUR wins during the 2018 season to date. 

“A growing list of the hottest players on the planet are coming out for the 2018 RBC Canadian Open,” said Golf Canada Chief Championship Officer and acting Tournament Director Bill Paul. “We are thrilled to welcome two-time U.S. Open winner Brooks Koepka along with rising stars Tommy Fleetwood and Tony Finau plus in-year winners Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson and Ian Poulter to Canada’s National Open Championship.” 

Players have until 5 p.m. ET on the Friday of the week preceding the tournament to officially commit to playing. The field is released and published by the PGA TOUR as soon as possible after 5 p.m. ET on that Friday.

More information about the 2018 RBC Canadian Open including tickets, corporate hospitality and volunteer information is available at www.rbccanadianopen.ca. 

Juniors and students aged 17-and-under get FREE admission to the RBC Canadian Open.

GOLF CANADA
Golf Canada is the National Sports Federation and governing body for golf in Canada representing 319,000 golfers and 1,400 member clubs across the country. A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada’s mission is to grow participation, excellence and passion in the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. By investing in the growth of the sport and introducing more participants of all ages to the game, our goal is to be relevant to and respected by all Canadian golf enthusiasts from coast to coast. For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit www.golfcanada.ca.

ABOUT THE 2018 RBC CANADIAN OPEN
Part of the FedExCup, stars of the PGA TOUR will compete for $6.2 million (US) at the RBC Canadian Open, July 23-29, 2018 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. Conducted by Golf Canada for more than a century, the RBC Canadian Open provides an opportunity for Canada’s top talents to compete against the world’s best golfers while also leaving a significant impact in the event’s host community. The RBC Canadian Open is proud to support the Golf Canada Foundation as the event’s official charity partner. Established in 1904, Canada’s national open golf championship is the third-oldest national open golf championship worldwide next to the British Open and the U.S. Open. The RBC Canadian Open is proudly sponsored by RBC, BMW Group Canada, Steam Whistle, Levelwear, Glenlivet, Golf Town, Coca-Cola, Commissionaires and the Government of Canada. For tickets or tournament information, please visit www.rbccanadianopen.com or call 1-800-571-6736. Follow the RBC Canadian Open on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For more information:

Dan Pino
Director, Corporate Communications
Golf Canada
(t) 416-434-5525
(e) dpino@golfcanada.ca

Terry Lenyk
Manager, Media and Public Relations
Golf Canada
(t) (905) 849-9700 ext. 335
(e) tlenyk@golfcanada.ca