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Craighurst's Drew Nesbitt starts strong at Canadian Open

Sitting comfortably in red figures after his opening round on Thursday, Nesbitt has put himself in good position
2019-06-06 Drew Nesbitt MO 2
Craighurst's Drew Nesbitt is competing at this weekend's Canadian Open in Hamilton. Marcus Oleniuk/Golf Canada

ANCASTER – The top golfers in the world have descended upon Hamilton Golf and Country Club for the RBC Canadian Open and a local player is in the mix.

Drew Nesbitt, a 24-year-old who lives in Craighurst, north of Barrie near Horseshoe Valley, fired a four-under-par 66 to sit three shots back of leader Keegan Bradley of the U.S.

Nesbitt went off in the morning wave and took advantage of good scoring conditions.

Players that went low included fellow Canadians Nick Taylor (64), Adam Hadwin (65) and David Hearn (66).

American Matt Kuchar, the FedEx Cup leader, shot 65, while 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett of England was part of a group with Nesbitt at 66. Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy had a 67.

“I played well,” McIlroy said after his round. “I felt like I could have went a few lower, but (that’s) golf.”

Americans Brooks Koepka, the World No. 1, Justin Thomas and Bubba Watson were in the afternoon wave playing in more difficult scoring conditions.

Defending champion Dustin Johnson went out in the morning, but struggled to a one-over 71.

The national men’s championship is enjoying a resurgence of sorts. Long stuck in one of the worst positions on the PGA Tour schedule, the Canadian Open is now played the week before the U.S. Open, a much more favourable date.

Many players, highlighted by Koepka and world No. 6 Thomas, have teed it up this week as part of their efforts to get sharp for next week’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.

“It doesn’t really matter about the result (this week),” Koepka said on Wednesday, “…I just want to feel confident leaving (ahead of Pebble).”

Playing on a sponsor’s exemption, Nesbitt made birdie on his first hole, then almost jarred his approach on the fifth for eagle. The resulting birdie and another one that followed against two bogies gave Nesbitt a front nine total of one-under 34.

Three birdies on the back side thrust him up the leaderboard. He sank birdie putts of 10 feet on the 10th hole and 21 feet at the 15th.

Aside from No. 5, Nesbtt’s most impressive hole of the day was likely the par-5  17th. His drive sailed almost 340 yards down the fairway, where he stuck his 210-yard approach to just inside 15 feet. Nesbitt missed the eagle putt, but a brush-in eagle on 17 moved him to four-under and inside the top-10.

On the par-4 18th , a leaky approach left Nesbitt almost 50 feet to get up-and-down, but a slick third shot was just a few feet short and Nesbitt saved par to remain at four-under.

Nesbitt, a graduate of Eastview Secondary School in Barrie, has golf in his veins. His parents own Shanty Bay Country Club and he grew up on the fairways of the now-closed Horseshoe Valley Highlands course. He qualified for the 2017 Canadian Open at Glen Abbey by making it through two qualifying events, but missed the cut.

He is the second Canadian to break 60 in competition when he shot 59 at a PGA Tour Latinoamerica event in Brazil last fall. Hadwin, a PGA Tour player from Abottsford, B.C., shot a 59 in January 2017 at a PGA Tour event in the California desert.

Nesbitt won a tournament on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica last month. In February, he successfully Monday qualified for the Honda Classic and made the cut to cash his first cheque on the PGA Tour.

Sitting comfortably in red figures after his opening round on Thursday, Nesbitt has put himself in good position to cash another one.


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Peter Robinson

About the Author: Peter Robinson

Barrie's Peter Robinson is a sports columnist for BarrieToday. He is the author of Hope and Heartbreak in Toronto, his take on living with the disease of being a Leafs fan.
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