Canadian Amateur Jared du Toit shoots round of career at Canadian Open

OAKVILLE, Ont. - Competing with some of the best golfers in the world on a scorching day that reached a high of 33 degrees celsius with winds peaking at southwest 12-18 mph, Jared du Toit found a way to keep his composure.

The Canadian amateur making his RBC Canadian Open debut, made it look easy. The 21-year-old stayed calm, cool, and collected on a Glen Abbey course that played firm and fast — especially when it mattered most.

After disappointing himself by missing a makeable birdie on No. 16, he bounced back with an unbelievable eagle on the par 4, 17th, holing his approach shot from a fairway bunker 150 yards out. “My caddie gave me a good yardage,” said du Toit, who hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation. “I just had to hit a good one shot. It came out just how I wanted. I didn’t even know it went in … then somebody yelled by the green and said, ‘it’s in.’ It was awesome!”

With parking lots at capacity and crowds swelling, all the pieces fell into place early at Glen Abbey. Added up, it equalled good news for the folks at Golf Canada who host the RBC Canadian Open each year. The folks at the RCGA Golf House were surely smiling even more after watching one of their own – Team Canada National Amateur member du Toit shot a scorching 5-under-par round of 67 — one shot off the early clubhouse lead posted by American Luke List.

With some of the field still on the course, du Toit sits tied for second going into the second round. Thanks largely to a start and a finish as hot as the weather; the amateur birdied four of his first six holes, and finished eagle, birdie. His lone stumble was on the par-3 seventh where he took a double-bogey.

Afterwards the amateur said that the round ranked as one of his top three ever. The whole experience of his inaugural PGA TOUR event was incredible: “It's the first time I've had to sign autographs after rounds,” du Toit remarked. “That was awesome.”

When he’s not teeing it up for the University of Idaho, du Toit calls Calgary home. He is one of Team Canada’s newest members. Derek Ingram, Team Canada National Team coach (and also at the helm of the Olympic Golf team of Hearn and DeLaet) was all smiles as he walked off with his young pupil into the clubhouse to grab a late lunch. As they strolled away, Golf Canada’s PR man joked: “chicken taco” time’ right?’ in reference to one of the golfer’s favourite meals.

Paired with du Toit was fellow Canuck and former Team Canada member Garrett Rank. The Elmira, Ont., native and two-time defending Canadian mid-amateur (25 and over) champion, must have been inspired by his playing partner. When he’s not teeing it up, Garrett laces up the blades as an National Hockey League (NHL) referee. He joked with the media afterwards that the word is now out among NHL players of this double life — giving him some street cred on the golf course. 

Asked to assess his 3-under 69 that ended as hot as du Toit (Rank went birdie, birdie, par, eagle in his final four holes), he said: “It was great. I played well, got off to a slow start, but was patient, made a lot of solid pars, got hot at the end and played the last four in four under.”

On the firm and fast conditions, Rank said: “You got to be in the fairway to have the correct angle into the green. If you didn’t land in the proper spot you could punish yourself. I just tried to manage that … it got windy for a bit, which also made it tricky!”

Rank’s highlights included: a two-putt for eagle on 18 and, after a 133-yard approach shot on the par-4 9^th that he stuck to 25 feet, he hammered home a long putt for birdie. “That will make lunch taste really good,” he joked when asked about this memorable birdie. “Something that I’ll have a memory of for the rest of my life.”

Rank revealed he brought The Wolfpack, along this week (nickname for his buddies), and their support certainly helped. “They were boisterous and pretty loud out there.”