TORONTO — Rory McIlroy is aiming to three-peat at the RBC Canadian Open and make golf history, but Matt Fitzpatrick and a deep pool of talent will do their level best to stop him.
Ranked No. 3 in the world, McIlroy was one of several golfers named to the field of the men's national championship on Monday. He won the tournament in 2019 and again last year after COVID-19 twice forced the cancellation of the event.
Fitzpatrick, sixth in the world, was also named to the field and called in to the news conference at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto from Charlotte, N.C.
"They do tend to feel a little bit extra special if you if you're lucky enough to win," Fitzpatrick said of national championships. "The Canadian history is obviously very long with some fantastic winners.
"It would be great to be part of that."
If McIlroy wins the Canadian Open again, he'll become only the fourth three-time champion, joining Tommy Armour, Sam Snead, and Lee Trevino. Leo Deigel’s four victories are the most in the 119-year history of the storied tournament.
The Canadian Open will be at Oakdale in Toronto's northwest corner June 6-11.
Fitzpatrick tied for 10th at last year's Canadian Open, 10 shots back of McIlroy at St. George's Golf and Country Club in Toronto. He said that the Canadian fans were especially supportive of him as he moved up the leaderboard in the event's third round.
"I felt the atmosphere was great last year, there was that little par-3 hole, No. 16," said Fitzpatrick, referring to the feature hole known as The Rink. "They were trying to make it similar to a hockey rink, which was really exciting and something different.
"I'm looking forward to being in Canada again."
McIlroy and Fitzpatrick will be joined at Oakdale by Sam Burns (No. 13), Cameron Young (No. 16), Shane Lowry (No. 23), Sahith Theegala (No. 24), Tommy Fleetwood (No. 25) seven-time PGA Tour winner Webb Simpson, and nine-time PGA Tour winner Matt Kuchar.
There will also be a strong Canadian contingent at the event.
World No. 30 Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C. (No. 56), Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. (No. 57), Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. (No. 65), and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford (No. 71) as well as fellow PGA Tour members Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont. and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., were all named to the event.
Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., who won on the Korn Ferry Tour this season, and Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., the highest-ranked Canadian player on the world men's rankings outside the PGA Tour, were also named to the event.
The Canadian Open was first held in 1904 and is one of the oldest golf tournaments in the world. A Canadian hasn't won it since Pat Fletcher accomplished the feat in 1954.
"We're all hopeful it'll be one of us," said Hughes, who also called into the conference. "Obviously, I hope it's me, but if it's not me, I hope it's one of the guys.
"It's just super exciting. We come home once a year and we get the rock star treatment and we feel like we're walking on clouds out there because the Canadian fans are always so great for us."
The Canadian Open has also become a cultural event, with a concert series dubbed RBCxMusic held on the second and third nights of the tournament.
Six-time Grammy Award winners the Black Eyed Peas were announced Monday as one of the musical acts as part of the concert series. Canadian rock superstar Alanis Morissette had previously been announced as the headliner for the Saturday night of tournament week.
"So many people will show up for the music but come early, take in the golf, love the golf, and then you'll see them again and again and again," said Mary DePaoli, executive vice-president and chief marketing officer at RBC. "That's exactly the point of the music, really, just to broaden the appeal."
Veteran golf reporter Ian Hutchinson was honoured by several of the speakers at the news conference a day after his death was announced. Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum, tournament director Bryan Crawford, DePaoli, and Hughes all shared their condolences to Hutchinson's family and Canada's golf journalism community.
"I know Ian probably would have been on this call, asking me a few questions, so I was really sorry to hear about his passing," said Hughes. "I'm thinking about him and his family and just want to give my condolences.
"I know he was a big part of the Canadian golf media and we're going to miss him."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2023.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
