The First Look: RBC Canadian Open

• COURSE: Glen Abbey GC, 7,253 yards, par 72. The Open comes to Golf Canada’s home turf for the fourth time in five years, a run not seen since the event began to rotate venues at the start of the century. Jack Nicklaus’ first solo design opened in 1977 to serve as headquarters of Canadian golf, playing host to 22 consecutive Opens through 2000. This year marks the 29th edition on the site. Glen Abbey’s back nine features the “Valley Holes,â€� starting with a tee shot at No.11 to a fairway some 60 feet below, then following Sixteen Mile Creek for three holes before eventually climbing out at No.16. The 18th is where Tiger Woods struck one of his greatest shots, a daring 6-iron from a fairway bunker over a lake to 12 feet for a clinching birdie in 2000. • FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 points. • CHARITY: Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada, which operates 14 homes in Canada that offer families of seriously ill or injured children a place to live while their child receives treatment. Over the years, Canada’s national open has raised more than $50 million for charity. • FIELD WATCH: Canadians Adam Hadwin and Mackenzie Hughes, both PGA TOUR winners this season, join FedExCup leader Dustin Johnson in a lineup that boasts seven of the top 30 on the latest points list. … Hadwin and Hughes are among 13 native sons seeking to win their national Open. So is Jared du Toit, part of last year’s final Sunday group as an amateur on the way to tying for ninth. … Former Masters champion Mike Weir, who nearly ended Canada’s drought when he lost a playoff to Vijay Singh in 2004, is back for his 26th Canadian Open. … The lineup includes 22 players returning from The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. • 72-HOLE RECORD: 263, Johnny Palmer (1952 at St. Charles CC), Scott Piercy (2012 at Hamilton G&CC), Tim Clark (2014 at Royal Montreal GC). Glen Abbey record: 266, Tiger Woods (2000). • 18-HOLE RECORD: 60, Carl Pettersson (3rd round, 2010 at St. George’s G&CC). Glen Abbey record: 62, Leonard Thompson (2nd round, 1981), Andy Bean (4th round, 1983), Greg Norman (3rd round, 1986), John Merrick (2nd round, 2013). • LAST YEAR: Jhonattan Vegas stormed back from a five-shot deficit, blitzing Glen Abbey with a closing 8-under-par 64 that brought his second PGA TOUR victory and gave him back full status. The Venezuela native birdied five of his first six holes, then strung together three more at the end to for a one-stroke triumph over Dustin Johnson (69), Martin Laird (67) and Jon Rahm (67). Laird could have forced a playoff with a birdie in his final two holes, but parred both. Vegas claimed his second career victory, ending a five-year drought since winning the 2011 Bob Hope Classic in his second start as a TOUR rookie. He was playing on limited status for 2016. Brandt Snedeker took a one-shot lead into the final day, but a closing 71 left him with a share of fifth. • STORYLINES: Johnson, twice a runner-up at Glen Abbey, hopes a return can lift him to the form that saw him win three straight events in February and March. His other runner-up finish came in 2013. … Perhaps Canada’s deepest lineup in years tries again to end an Open drought now extending 62 editions. Nick Taylor also is a recent TOUR winner, and David Hearn came close two years ago at Glen Abbey. … Vegas seeks to become just the second Canadian Open champion to successfully defend since 1951. Jim Furyk went back-to-back in 2006-07. … Just four weeks remain in the FedExCup regular season, as jockeying heats up in earnest for one of 125 playoff berths at The Northern Trust. • SHORT CHIPS: With U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka sitting out, there can be no “Triple Crownâ€� sweep of the U.S., British and Canadian titles. Just two men have done it – Lee Trevino in 1971 and Tiger Woods in 2000. … Six of the Open’s past seven winners have come from off the 54-hole pace to do it. Snedeker was the exception, closing out the 2013 crown but unable to do it again last year. • TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 3-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1-2:30 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS). • PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. (featured groups), 3-6 p.m. (featured holes). • RADIO: Thursday-Friday, noon-6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com).

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