Contrary to popular belief—and to Ernie Els' own commentary—the British Open champion will, in fact, take on the challenge of the RBC Canadian Open.
What a relief.
After finishing atop the leaderboard at Royal Lytham on Sunday, Els told reporters, "I was supposed to go to Canada, but I think I'm going to blow that thing off." Not exactly the best way to endear yourself to those Canadian tournament organizers, but at least he was just joking.
Els joins a field that includes the likes of Hunter Mahan, Matt Kuchar and Jim Furyk at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ancaster, Ontario in the hopes of conquering a shorter par-70 course, which should come as a bit relief after the immense challenge of Royal Lytham.
Perhaps Els can make it two wins in a row, now that he's bothered to show up—but he'll have to go through Brandt Snedeker and Matt Kuchar to do it.
Where: Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
When: Thursday, July 26 - Sunday, July 29
Golfers to Watch
Brandt Snedeker
Andrew Redington/Getty Images
He didn't win at the British Open last weekend, but he certainly impressed after setting the 36-hole scoring mark with a 130 through the first two rounds. Though he entered the third round in first place, he slowed down in the final two days and ended up in a tie for third. If the 2007 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year can sustain his momentum, the RBC Canadian Open could give him his second win of the year.
Hunter Mahan
If you're expecting a winner out of this tournament who's been on a bit of a roll this season, Mahan could be your guy. He's won twice earlier this year—at the Accenture Match Play Championship and at the Houston Open—and he's registered top-25 finishes in each of his last three outings, including at the British Open, where he finished tied for 19th.
In 16 events in 2012, he's only missed the cut once and has four total top-10 finishes. At some point, that consistency has to pay off.
Who's your pick to win this weekend?
Matt Kuchar
Like Mahan, Kuchar's been having a good enough season that, at the very least, he has to be considered a contender whenever he hits the links. As it stands, Mahan is the 11-1 favorite to win at Hamilton G&CC on Sunday (via Bovada), and given the way he's played this year, it's no surprise.
He won The Players Championship back in May, and since then, he's never finished worse than a tie for 27th. In his last two outings—at the Travelers Championship and at the British Open—he's finished in the top 10.
Tee Times
Notable groupings for first two rounds (all times ET):
| Thursday | Friday | Golfer | Golfer | Golfer |
| 8:45 a.m. | 12:50 p.m. | Harrison Frazar | Tim Clark | Bo Van Pelt |
| 7:30 a.m. | 12:30 p.m. | John Daly | David Duval | John Mallinger |
| 8:10 a.m. | 1:10 p.m. | Scott Stallings | Kyle Stanley | Brandt Snedeker |
| 8:20 a.m. | 1:20 p.m. | Ben Curtis | Charl Schwartzel | Jim Furyk |
| 1:10 p.m. | 8:10 a.m. | Ernie Els | Matt Kuchar | Vijay Singh |
A full list of tee times can be found at PGATour.com.
Television Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | TV | |
| Round 1 | July 26 | 3 - 6 p.m. | GOLF |
| Round 2 | July 27 | 3 - 6 p.m. | GOLF |
| Round 3 | July 28 | 3 - 6 p.m. | CBS |
| Round 4 | July 29 | 3 - 6 p.m. | CBS |
Prediction: Matt Kuchar Wins
It seems that the favorite has crumbled in nearly every tournament this year, but Kuchar is due for another win. He's just been playing too well to be counted out, and with most of the bigger names missing from the action this weekend, this one is his to lose.
