MARTIN FLORES LEADS THROUGH TWO ROUNDS AT THE RBC CANADIAN OPEN

Golf Canada​ – OAKVILLE, Ont. – Fort Worth, Tex., product Martin Flores fired a 66 for the second consecutive day at Glen Abbey Golf Club to move to 12-under-par and take the 36-hole lead at the RBC Canadian Open.

Flores was bogey-free on Friday with four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 second hole to build a one-shot advantage over Matt Every, Gary Woodland and Brandon Hagy, who are 11 under.

“I was really pleased with my day,” said Flores. “Starting on the back, I sprinkled in some birdies and was able to capitalize on the par 5s.” 

The 35-year-old is looking for his first career PGA TOUR victory this weekend.

Every—one of five players who shared the opening-round lead at 7 under par—posted a 4-under-par 68 in the second round to climb to 11 under par.

A two-time PGA TOUR winner, the Daytona Beach, Fla., native is happy to be in contention heading into the weekend.

“I definitely feel like I’ve made big strides the last few months, because it sucks to suck,” said Every. “I’m playing well right now. It’s not like a surprise to me. But I feel good with where I’m at.” 

Hagy, a Santa Monica, Calif., native, had seven birdies on Friday to put himself in position to chase his first career PGA TOUR win this weekend.

The lowest score of the day belonged to Woodland. Hailing from Topeka, Kans., Woodland fired a 9-under-par 63, matching his career low round on the PGA TOUR—one shot away from tying the course record.

“Today I drove it well. Obviously, the ball-striking was good and I saw some putts go in,” said Woodland. “That adds up to a pretty good number.”

Graham DeLaet and Mackenzie Hughes were the lone Canadians to survive the 36 hole cut at Glen Abbey. The pair sit at 8 under par and hold a share of 14th. 

DeLaet carded a 4-under-par 68 for the second consecutive day.

“I know the crowds will probably be big tomorrow and fun, and I need to try to embrace that,” said DeLaet. “I’m within striking distance, so another solid round tomorrow or something really low, I think I’m going to need two really good ones or like one really special one to get the win.”

The Weyburn, Sask., native had his best RBC Canadian Open finish in 2014, where he tied for 7th. 

Already a winner in his rookie season on the PGA TOUR, Hughes started the day in a tie for 17th at 5 under par. The Dundas, Ont., native poured in seven birdies in round two, but added four bogeys to card a 3-under-par 69. 

“You’re going to have those kind of rounds. I did well to manage it,” said Hughes. “It was kind of tricky out there. The winds were kind of swirling and a little bit gusty at times. So, 3 under was a good score.”

Three-time major champion Vijay Singh made a move up the leaderboard on Friday. The Fijian carded a 4-under par 66 to move into a tie for fifth two shots back of Flores at 10-under par.

Singh, 54, passed on playing in the Senior Open Championship this weekend to return to the site of his 2004 victory over Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member and Brights Grove, Ont., native Mike Weir.

“I know the golf course. The people are very friendly and they know golf,” said Singh. “I’ve played here so many times. Very, very familiar with it.”

Defending champion Jhonattan Vegas is part of a group of four players at 9 under par. The Venezuelan doesn’t plan on changing his game plan on the weekend as he tries to repeat. 

“I was playing with Dustin (Johnson) today, which was a good thing because we were both firing at everything,” said Vegas. “You have to stay aggressive out here, because these guys are making a lot of birdies.”

Tee times for the third round can be found here.

CANADIANS AT THE 2017 RBC CANADIAN OPEN 

• T14 Graham DeLaet – Weyburn, Ont. – 68-68 -8
• T14 Mackenzie Hughes – Dundas, Ont. – 67-69 -8
  — DID NOT ADVANCE —
• MC Nick Taylor – Abbotsford, B.C. – 69-72 -3
• MC David Hearn – Brantford, Ont. 69-72 -3
• MC Bryn Parry – Vancouver, B.C. 70-71 -3
• MC Drew Nesbitt – Shanty Bay, Ont. – 72-69 -3
• MC Hugo Bernard (a) – Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que. – 71-70 -3 
• MC Austin James (a) – Bath, Ont. – 71-72 -1
• MC Adam Hadwin – Abbotsford, B.C. – 75-69 E
• MC Mike Weir – Brights Grove, Ont. – 72-73 +1
• MC Daniel Kim – Toronto, Ont. – 73-72 +1
• MC Riley Wheeldon – Comox, B.C. – 74-72 +2
• MC Matt Hill – Brights Grove, Ont. – 71-76 +3
• MC Brad Fritsch – Manotick, Ont. – 72-75 +3
• MC Jared du Toit – Kimberley, B.C. – 71-79 +6
• MC Ryan Williams – Surrey, Ont. – 78-77 +11
• MC Garrett Rank – Elmira, Ont. – 74-81 +11

INTERVIEW VIDEO, AUDIO AND TRANSCRIPTS FOR FRIDAY, JULY 28
Interview, audio and transcripts for the following players and events from Friday, July 28 are available here and video is available here. Please note the videos are unedited, uncut and broadcast-quality.

• Vijay Singh
• Jhonattan Vegas
• Dustin Johnson
• Matt Every
• Graham DeLaet
• Martin Flores
• Drew Nesbitt
• Charley Hoffman
• Gary Woodland
• Mackenzie Hughes

2017 MEDIA GUIDE AND PLAYER PERFORMANCE BOOK:
In advance of next week’s championship, media can also download the 2017 RBC Canadian Open Media Guide for complete stats, records and historical information. Media can alsodownload the 2017 RBC Canadian Open Player Performance Book which details individual player statistics from 1904-2016. 

TELEVISION COVERAGE:
The following are television times for the 2017 RBC Canadian Open:

Saturday July 29
Golf Channel 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. 
CBS & Global 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Sunday July 30
Golf Channel 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. 
CBS & Global 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

TICKETS:
Grounds tickets for all days of the 2017 RBC Canadian Open, as well as, a limited number of premium ticket packages are still available. A full list of ticket packages and pricing is available online at www.rbccanadianopen.com. Golf Canada and RBC are also pleased to offer FREE admission to juniors 17 and younger—Click here to download a FREE Junior Pass.

GOLF CANADA – LOVE THE GAME. GROW THE GAME.
Golf Canada is the National Sports Federation and governing body for golf in Canada representing 305,000 golfers and more than 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, visitwww.golfcanada.ca

ABOUT THE 2017 RBC CANADIAN OPEN
Part of the FedExCup, stars of the PGA TOUR will compete for $6 million (US) at the RBC Canadian Open, July 24-30, 2017 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 Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada 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, Shaw, BMW Group Canada, Coors Light, ZTE, WestJet, Levelwear, Boston Pizza, Ballantine’s, Toronto Star, FootJoy, Coca-Cola, Metrolinx, Commissionaires, the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and Ontario 150. 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 all further inquiries, please contact:

Terry Lenyk
Communications Manager
Golf Canada
(c) 416-407-3893
(e) tlenyk@golfcanada.ca