Smylie surges in RBC Canadian debut

OAKVILLE, Ont. – News and observations from the first round of the RBC Canadian Open, where Ollie Schniederjans, Hudson Swafford. Kevin Chappell, Matt Every and Brandon Hagy share the lead after firing matching 7-under 65s at Glen Abbey Golf Club. There was a rain delay Thursday that halted play for one hour and 55 minutes.  Smylie’s solid debut   The last time Smylie Kaufman was in Canada, he played poorly at a Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Monday Qualifier in Saskatoon, Sask. It was the opposite Thursday at the RBC Canadian Open, as he fired a 6-under-par 66. His 66 was his best opening-round result in 2017, and it was kick-started by going 5-under par over his opening five holes. “I’ve had starts like that in my career, so it’s kind of tough to keep it going as low as it felt like I was going. Definitely was on point with everything to start the round,â€� said Kaufman. Heavy rain started as Kaufman’s group arrived at the par-3 7th, and he saw his tee shot plug in a bunker en route to a double-bogey five. However, he chipped in on the very next hole to keep the momentum going. “It was one of those days kind of got some good breaks and I also got some bad breaks, too. I was able to kind of stay as levelheaded as possible and just try to bounce back and do as well as I can the next hole,â€� he explained. It’s no secret Kaufman is friends with Jordan Spieth, and although he said Thursday he didn’t get a chance to watch Spieth’s finish Sunday, he’s been in touch with the now 24-year-old a lot since his win. “I FaceTimed him right after the round, of course, and … it doesn’t seem like the Claret Jug has left him since he’s left The Open. He’s definitely enjoying it,â€� said Kaufman. “Looks like he’s staying hydrated out of the Claret Jug as well.â€� ‘Part-Canadian’ Bubba off to his best-ever start at Glen Abbey Whenever Bubba Watson returns north of the border, he makes sure everyone knows he’s practically Canadian. “We’re back to playing American golf (this week). I know we’re in Canada, but I’m part-Canadian since I married a Canadian,â€� Watson said after his 6-under-par 66 Thursday, his best-ever opening round at Glen Abbey Golf Club. Watson, whose wife Angie is from Markham, Ontario (about 50 miles from Glen Abbey), is having one of his poorer seasons in recent memory, sitting 117th in the FedExCup with only three top 10s. But you wouldn’t know it Thursday, as Watson was bogey-free and sits just one shot back of the lead. It was his first bogey-free round this season.   “I had a couple, I would say, maybe two wayward shots, two mistakes that I can think of. Other than that, though, it was a good day,â€� said Watson. The nine-time PGA TOUR winner admitted he’s struggled with his swing for ‘about a year’ and is unsure why. But it looked like he got things back on track Thursday and is looking forward to the upcoming stretch run. “Maybe it’s because of losing weight,â€� said Watson. “But that’s why I wanted to play so many rounds. That’s why I wanted to play six tournaments in a row so I can keep building on it and try to get better for the (FedExCup) Playoffs.â€�  Jared du Toit returns, now as a professional A lot has changed for Jared du Toit since he was the story of the 2016 RBC Canadian Open, playing in the final group Sunday and eventually finishing tied for ninth as an amateur. He’s finished school and turned professional – holding status on the Mackenzie Tour – and inked a handful of new sponsorships announced this week. On Thursday, du Toit, with brother Russell on the bag, fired a 1-under 71 and admitted he left a few shots out there on a day that was prime for scoring. “I was 3 under through 15 and cruising, and I would have liked one or two more because I was hitting my irons well and putting well. Missed a short birdie to get to 4 under and than had two bogeys coming in, so kind of a bitter way to end,â€� said du Toit. “I felt like I could have been 4 or 5 under, so to be 1 under is definitely disappointing.â€� With a smile, du Toit admitted there were ‘a little more’ fans following him on Thursday versus last year, but he had a fun day with his brother on his bag and good memories of a year ago to reflect back on. “A lot of things went my way (last year),â€� I was playing well and making putts and I’ve got a lot of good memories here,â€� he said. CALL OF THE DAY SHOT OF THE DAY BEST OF SOCIAL MEDIA

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