Golf Canada – OAKVILLE, Ont.  —  The 109th playing of Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship gets underway Thursday with 156 of the world’s best golfers, including 21 Canadians and world No. 1 Dustin Johnson set to compete for the 2018 RBC Canadian Open trophy and the champion’s share of the $6.2 million (US) purse.

Johnson, an 18-time winner on the PGA TOUR, has had great success at Canada’s National Open Championship, finishing runner-up in both 2013 and 2016.

“It’s always good to come back here. I’ve had some success here and I enjoy coming and playing the Canadian Open, especially being an RBC ambassador,” said Johnson. “I get a lot of fans out here and they’ve been great the past few years.” 

The world’s No. 1 golfer had high praise for the work superintendent Andrew Gyba and his team have done to get the course ready for the RBC Canadian Open. 

“The course is in really good shape, probably the best shape I’ve seen it since I’ve played here,” added Johnson. “It’s going to be a good week.”

Johnson went on to talk about the recently announced date change for the RBC Canadian Open—moving to June 3 to 9 beginning in 2019—and the impact he anticipates it will have on the tournament.

 “I think it’ll be good for the golf tournament. A lot of guys like to play the week before the U.S. Open, so you’ll definitely get some different guys,” said Johnson. “I think the field will definitely improve, even though this year I feel like we have a really good field at the tournament.”

PAIRINGS FOR ROUNDS 1 and 2
Pairings and start times for the opening two rounds of the 109th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship on Thursday, July 26 and Friday, July 27 are now available online here.

INTERVIEW VIDEO, AUDIO AND TRANSCRIPTS FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 25
Interview, audio and transcripts for the following players and events from Wednesday, July 25 are available here and video is available here. Please note the videos are unedited, uncut and broadcast-quality. 

• Brooks Koepka
• Jhonattan Vegas
• Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners 
• Dustin Johnson 

2018 MEDIA GUIDE AND PLAYER PERFORMANCE BOOK: 
Media can also download the 2018 RBC Canadian Open Media Guide for complete stats, records and historical information. Media can also download the 2018 RBC Canadian Open Player Performance Book which details individual player statistics from 1904-2017. 

TELEVISION COVERAGE: 
The following are television times for the 2018 RBC Canadian Open: 

Thursday July 26 
• TSN 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Golf Channel 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. 

Friday July 27 
• TSN 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Golf Channel 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. 

Saturday July 28 
• Golf Channel 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. 
• CBS & Global 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. 

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

RED AND WHITE DAY:
On Friday, July 27, we invite you to wear your brightest reds and your whitest whites to celebrate Canada and show your support for the Canadian players competing in our National Open. Canadian flags will be handed out at the main entrance while supplies last.

TICKETS: 
Grounds tickets for all days of the 2018 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 http://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
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, visitwww.golfcanada.ca.

ABOUT 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, Titleist & FootJoy, The Glenlivet, Golf Town, Coca-Cola, Canada Dry Mott’s, 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.

RBC GOLF
RBC proudly supports golf around the world through high profile relationships with the PGA TOUR and Golf Canada. RBC is the Official Banking and Financial Services partner of touring professionals Graham DeLaet, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Adam Hadwin, David Hearn, Brooke Henderson, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Ryan Palmer, Morgan Pressel, Alena Sharp, Brandt Snedeker and Nick Taylor. As the title sponsor of both the RBC Heritage and the RBC Canadian Open, RBC also supports emerging Canadian golfers through Golf Canada’s grassroots developmental programming, the Canadian Amateur Golf Championships and the high performance national team. RBC is one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies and among the largest banks in the world, as measured by market capitalization. For more information, visit www.rbc.com/golf.  

MEDIA CONTACT:

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