Latest news with #TaylorPendrith
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Rory McIlroy in Canadian Open cut battle as he beds in new driver
The Masters champion had his driver ruled non-conforming at the PGA Championship two weeks ago and after struggling with a replacement, he put a new one in the bag at TPC Toronto, where a one-over 71 left him outside the top 100 and facing a cut battle today. 'I actually felt like I played OK,' said the Co Down man, who hit just nine greens in regulation but was happy to see his left miss with the driver turn into a more manageable miss to the right. 'It was my first outing with a new driver and I felt like that went pretty well. I hit some drives that I liked and that I liked to see, so that was encouraging.' The world No 2 played the back nine blind in rainy conditions and dropped shots at the 12th and 17th before turning things around with three birdies in a row from the 18th. But while he paid for missed fairways with bogeys at the eighth and ninth, he was still upbeat despite finding himself six shots behind early leaders Taylor Pendrith, Alex Smalley and Paul Peterson. 'Overall, I'm pretty happy with how I played,' he said. 'I'm still trying to work on some things, but I'm OK with where everything is. Hopefully, that's the end of the rain and it can firm up a little bit. It's a very gettable golf course, especially with how soft it is. 'I'm going to have to do a little bit better tomorrow to be here for the weekend and give myself a chance.' As for the new driver, he said he was trying to work on his right miss. 'It's just trying to figure that out and manage it a little bit,' he explained. 'It's a nice feeling to get up the middle of the fairway and fully release it and know it's not going to go left on you. A little bit of practice this afternoon and get ready for tomorrow.' On the Ladies European Tour, Kildare's Lauren Walsh roared into contention for her maiden win when she opened with a bogey-free, five-under 67 to grab a share of the lead in the Tenerife Women's Open. ADVERTISEMENT The Castlewarden star (24) birdied the 10th and 18th at Abama Golf before making further birdies at the first, third and fifth to share top spot with Denmark's Sofie Kibsgaard Nielsen, one clear of England's Eleanor Givens. Anna Foster was 17th after a 71 as Canice Screene shot 75. Fellow rookies Sara Byrne and Annabel Wilson carded 77s. At the DP World Tour's KLM Open, Conor Purcell fought back from a four-over-par front nine, but his one-over 73 left him with work to do to make the cut at The International in Amsterdam, The Dubliner (27) made four bogeys on the back nine, two of them with three-putts, before following birdies at the first, third and sixth with another bogey at the par-three seventh. He ended the day tied for 74th, nine shots behind Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia, whose 64 gave him a one-shot lead over Scotland's Connor Syme. It was a better day on the HotelPlanner Tour for Ballymena's Dermot McElroy, who built on his third-place finish in Cadiz and opened with a four-under 67 in the Swiss Challenge in Lucerne. 'I've been working on the technical side of things for a while with my swing and decided a few weeks back to scrap the swing thoughts and just go out and play my usual game,' said McElroy, who was tied for 15th, four strokes behind England's David Horsey. 'I did it to be more consistent on the course, but obviously, my performances at the start of the year were poor enough. 'So I am happy to be back hitting my normal shots again and certainly more comfortable on the course as a result.' Alex Maguire was 38th after a 69 with Liam Nolan, who is eighth in the rankings, a shot further back in 54th after a 70. Level-par 71s left Jonny Caldwell and Max Kennedy joint 77th, while Mark Power's 74 left him 129th.
Toronto Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Taylor Pendrith returns to RBC Canadian Open contention with a bag full of advantages
It'll be 11 years ago next month that Taylor Pendrith first emerged on the PGA Tour's radar, firing an opening-round 65 in his first RBC Canadian Open as a 23-year-old amateur. What stood out at the time wasn't only the 5-under-par score that put Pendrith in a tie for third place at Royal Montreal. It was the prodigious power he displayed off the tee, leading the field with an average driving distance of 309 yards, including a 365-yard bomb that set up one of seven birdies. Opinion articles are based on the author's interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Taylor Pendrith paces group of Canadians off to hot start at 2025 RBC Canadian Open
Three of the top Canadians in the field at the RBC Canadian Open are off to as hot of a start as the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL's Stanley Cup Finals. Less than 24 hours after the Oilers rallied from a 3-1 deficit to take an overtime win in the first game of a best-of-seven series, Ontario's Taylor Pendrith birdied four of the first seven holes on Thursday and capped off the day with a birdie at 18 to shoot a 5-under 65 at TPC Toronto's Opsrey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ontario, and share the early clubhouse lead in the first round. Advertisement 'It's the week that we look forward to every year,' he said of competing in the RBC Canadian Open for the fifth time. 'So it was a lot of fun.' Adding to the enjoyment was the friendly grouping with good friends and fellow Canadians Nick Taylor and Mackenzie Hughes. Taylor, who became the first Canadian in 69 years to win his national open after holing a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole in 2023, birdied two of the first three holes and sat atop the leaderboard until he bogeyed 18 and settled for 66. Hughes had the shot of the morning, making eagle at the par-4 fifth by holing his second shot from 194 yards. His usually dependable putter was performing a bit off key and he pulled up the rear of the marquee threesome with a still-respectable 2-under 68. On a wet morning that caused the PGA Tour to implement preferred lies for the first round, the Canadians still drew the home faithful to watch them – raindrops be damned. Advertisement 'It was great out there,' Pendrith said. 'I felt like the crowd really filled in on the back nine. Nick was making some birdies, and I was making some birdies. Mack holed a 6-iron on 5. So it was a lot of fun. The crowd was into it. Nice to see a lot of people out here on a rainy day. Yeah, we had a blast out there, and we all played pretty well.' Taylor Pendrith of Canada hits his tee shot at the third hole during the first round of the RBC Canadian Open 2025 at TPC Toronto in Caledon, Ontario. The weather was an annoyance but it softened the course, which is hosting its first Canadian Open, and resulted in good scoring conditions. Alex Smalley and Paul Peterson matched Pendrith with 65. 'It was umbrella up-and-down,' said Taylor, who noted he felt bad for caddie Dave Markle "because the bag was probably 60 pounds.' Advertisement 'I took my rain jacket on and off ten times,' Pendrith added. 'The crowd built over time, once the rain kind of went away. I don't blame them.' Pendrith arrived at TPC Toronto with positive vibes, having played two Mackenzie Tour events at the venue before, including having a chance to win once. 'Also played numerous rounds here with my friends from home in carts and music, so I feel pretty comfortable on the grounds,' he said. Pendrith, one of the Tour's best bombers, led the field in Strokes Gained: Off the tee and rolled in three birdie putts of more than 10 feet, including an 18-footer at No. 3. At the 229-yard par-3 seventh, he drilled his tee shot inside 5 feet and sank the putt. Advertisement 'You're not expecting to make birdie there,' Pendrith said. 'That was a bit of a bonus.' Two dozen Canadians are in the field this week competing for a winner's prize of $1.76 million, as well as the Rivermead Cup, which is awarded annually to the low Canadian. Hunter Thomson shot 67, the third-lowest score by a Canadian after Pendrith and Taylor. This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Pendrith leads Canadian group off to hot start at 2025 RBC Canadian Open
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Canada's Taylor Pendrith has share of clubhouse lead at RBC Canadian Open
Taylor Pendrith of Canada lines up his putt on the 9th hole in the first round of the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament in Caledon, Ont., Thursday, June 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn CALEDON — Three of Canada's best golfers are in one of the marquee groups at the RBC Canadian Open and they're living up to that top billing. Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., were in the morning wave together in Thursday's opening round. They were just ahead of a group that featured world No. 2 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, Sweden's Ludwig Aberg and Luke Clanton of the United States. Pendrith was tied with Americans Alex Smalley and Paul Peterson at 5-under 65 to hold the clubhouse lead by the early afternoon. 'It was great out there. I felt like the crowd really filled in on the back nine,' said Pendrith, standing within sight of the 18th green. 'Nick was making some birdies, and I was making some birdies. Mac holed a 6-iron on 5. 'So it was a lot of fun. The crowd was into it. Nice to see a lot of people out here on a rainy day. We had a blast out there, and we all played pretty well.' Taylor, the 2023 winner of the men's national golf championship, was a shot back tied with a group for fourth. Hughes shot a 2-under 68 to sit in a tie with Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., among others. 'It was fun to feed off each other. It's better than going the other way, obviously,' said Taylor. 'Everyone played well. 'Mac probably could have made a couple more putts where he normally does, but for all of us to be under par, it was a good start.' It was a far cry from their first appearances at the Canadian Open, when they were all amateurs getting to play in the national championship thanks to sponsor exemptions. 'It's cool to look back on. I think 2008 might have been my first Canadian Open, and I teed off at 7:30 at night because we had a long rain delay, and that was kind of my unique first start,' said Taylor. 'Fast forward 17 years, being the featured group, it's cool. It's what we dreamt about.' Pendrith agreed with Taylor, adding that his first Canadian Open appearance at Royal Montreal Golf Club in 2014 was formative for him. 'Those experiences, I think, help me,' said Pendrith. 'It's one of the biggest events for us, and it's one that we look forward to all year. 'It's my fifth or sixth Canadian Open now, and it's nice to play in a group with those guys and have all the fans supporting us. It's the week that we look forward to every year.' It's a tradition on the PGA Tour that all the Canadians in the field practice together on the Tuesday of tournament week. That camaraderie bled over into Thursday's round. 'To play a practice round with a couple buddies — excuse me, tournament round, it felt like a practice round is what I'm trying to say — It was a lot of fun,' said Taylor. 'We kept it loose. It was nice to see a few birdies go in.' A thunderstorm Wednesday night and continued rain into the morning made the greens soft and accuracy important. It had a direct impact on spectators, too, as they had to seek cover in the mornings. Fans who tried to come in the early afternoon struggled to find parking as one of two public parking lots at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley had to be closed because the heavy rainfall made the ground too soft to be driven on. The other parking lot quickly filled up, so Golf Canada encouraged spectators to use ride share or public drop-off if possible. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025. John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Taylor Pendrith paces group of Canadians off to hot start at 2025 RBC Canadian Open
Taylor Pendrith paces group of Canadians off to hot start at 2025 RBC Canadian Open Three of the top Canadians in the field at the RBC Canadian Open are off to as hot of a start as the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL's Stanley Cup Finals. Less than 24 hours after the Oilers rallied from a 3-1 deficit to take an overtime win in the first game of a best-of-seven series, Ontario's Taylor Pendrith birdied four of the first seven holes on Thursday and capped off the day with a birdie at 18 to shoot a 5-under 65 at TPC Toronto's Opsrey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ontario, and share the early clubhouse lead in the first round. 'It's the week that we look forward to every year,' he said of competing in the RBC Canadian Open for the fifth time. 'So it was a lot of fun.' Adding to the enjoyment was the friendly grouping with good friends and fellow Canadians Nick Taylor and Mackenzie Hughes. Taylor, who became the first Canadian in 69 years to win his national open after holing a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole in 2023, birdied two of the first three holes and sat atop the leaderboard until he bogeyed 18 and settled for 66. Hughes had the shot of the morning, making eagle at the par-4 fifth by holing his second shot from 194 yards. His usually dependable putter was performing a bit off key and he pulled up the rear of the marquee threesome with a still-respectable 2-under 68. On a wet morning that caused the PGA Tour to implement preferred lies for the first round, the Canadians still drew the home faithful to watch them – raindrops be damned. 'It was great out there,' Pendrith said. 'I felt like the crowd really filled in on the back nine. Nick was making some birdies, and I was making some birdies. Mack holed a 6-iron on 5. So it was a lot of fun. The crowd was into it. Nice to see a lot of people out here on a rainy day. Yeah, we had a blast out there, and we all played pretty well.' The weather was an annoyance but it softened the course, which is hosting its first Canadian Open, and resulted in good scoring conditions. Alex Smalley and Paul Peterson matched Pendrith with 65. 'It was umbrella up-and-down,' said Taylor, who noted he felt bad for caddie Dave Markle "because the bag was probably 60 pounds.' 'I took my rain jacket on and off ten times,' Pendrith added. 'The crowd built over time, once the rain kind of went away. I don't blame them.' Pendrith arrived at TPC Toronto with positive vibes, having played two Mackenzie Tour events at the venue before, including having a chance to win once. 'Also played numerous rounds here with my friends from home in carts and music, so I feel pretty comfortable on the grounds,' he said. Pendrith, one of the Tour's best bombers, led the field in Strokes Gained: Off the tee and rolled in three birdie putts of more than 10 feet, including an 18-footer at No. 3. At the 229-yard par-3 seventh, he drilled his tee shot inside 5 feet and sank the putt. 'You're not expecting to make birdie there,' Pendrith said. 'That was a bit of a bonus.' Two dozen Canadians are in the field this week competing for a winner's prize of $1.76 million, as well as the Rivermead Cup, which is awarded annually to the low Canadian. Hunter Thomson shot 67, the third-lowest score by a Canadian after Pendrith and Taylor.
