Strong play in Latin America has Canada's Matthew Anderson closer to golf dreams

Matthew Anderson doesn't hesitate when asked what his long-term goals are as a professional golfer.

"Win on the PGA Tour, be a top ranked player in the world. That is absolutely the goal," said Anderson.

The 24-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., is well on his way, finishing atop the PGA Tour Americas rankings after the Latin American swing of the third-tier men's golf circuit. Being in the top of two at the break earns him a partial exemption on next year's Korn Ferry Tour, a step up from the Americas Tour.

He'll be No. 1 in the Fortinet Cup standings when the Americas Tour picks up again with The Beachlands Victoria Open on June 20, the first event in the circuit's North American swing. Although Anderson is happy with his season so far, he can't take his foot off the gas if he wants full status on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025.

"I think, coming in the top 10 at the end of the season is beneficial," said Anderson, shortly after returning home to Ontario for a Golf Canada event. "Depending on my rank in that top 10 at the end of the season, I'll get more starts on the Korn Ferry.

"It's all complicated, but although I have locked up some status, ultimately I want to finish as high as I can at the end of the season for next year."

Anderson was also one of six Canadians who accepted exemptions on Wednesday into next week's RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ancaster, Ont. It will be his second appearance at the men's national golf championship, having missed the cut in 2019 when it was last in Ancaster.

He climbed the Fortinet Cup standings and earned the exemption into the Canadian Open largely thanks to a win at the 69th ECP Brazil Open on April 21 and three top-five finishes in six events on the Americas Tour.

Anderson said improving his short game and putting has helped him play the best golf of his young career.

"I've always been a good ball striker but those were a couple of areas that I wanted to improve on," said Anderson. "So obviously those improving led me to shoot some better scores and play some good golf.

"I think I just had a good attitude about going down (to Latin America) and making the best of it, maybe a little bit better than some other guys did."

Vancouver's Stuart Macdonald also earned an exemption into the Canadian Open for his strong start to the season on PGA Tour Americas, highlighted by a win at the Diners Club Peru Open. He's currently fourth on the Fortinet Cup standings and will be appearing in his third men's national championship.

Jared du Toit, of Kimberley, B.C., and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., will also be returning to the Canadian Open this year.

Toronto's Richard T. Lee also earned an exemption. He competes on the Asian Tour, where he is currently ranked eighth on its Order of Merit. Lee has earned two top-10 finishes as well as four top-25 finishes this season and has won twice in his career on the tour.

PGA Tour veteran David Hearn of Brantford, Ont. has also accepted an exemption to compete in his 20th Canadian Open.

Four other Canadians earned exemptions on Wednesday through the Canadian Open's regional qualifying: Vancouver's Jake Lane, amateur Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont., Marc-Olivier Plasse of Léry, Que., and amateur Cam Kellett of London, Ont.

RBC CANADIAN OPEN 2025 — TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont., was named the host of the 2025 RBC Canadian Open on Tuesday. Golf Canada and the PGA Tour jointly made the announcement that the recently renovated 7,445-yard North Course will be used for the men's national championship. It will become the 38th golf course in the 121-year history of the event to host the tournament.

"This incredible property with its spectacular clubhouse and facilities will deliver an outstanding and dramatic competition supported by an operational capacity befitting a world-class championship," said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. "This is a special and deserving moment for TPC Toronto in stepping onto the global golf stage in hosting the 114th playing of our national open championship.”

PGA TOUR — Adam Svensson and Ben Silverman are the only Canadians in the Charles Schwab Challenge this week at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Most Canadians on the top tour are taking the week off ahead of next week's national championship. Svensson, from Surrey, B.C., is 95th on the FedEx Cup standings. Silverman, from Thornhill, Ont., is ranked 115th.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Creighton is the top-ranked Canadian heading into this week's Visit Knoxville Open. He's No. 14 on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour's points list. He'll be joined by four other Canadians at Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tenn. Edmonton's Wil Bateman, No. 21 on the points list, Etienne Papineau (36th) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., du Toit (95th), and Sudarshan Yellamaraju (130th) of Mississauga, Ont., will also tee it up.

DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., is the lone Canadian at the Soudal Open. He's ranked 20th in the Race to Dubai rankings heading into the tournament at Rinkven International Golf Club in Antwerp, Belgium.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary's Stephen Ames is second in the Schwab Cup standings before the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship tees off on Thursday. He'll be joined by Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., ranked 32nd, at Harbor Shores Resort in Benton Harbor, Mich.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2024.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press