Lessons from the 2014 Canadian Open, yeah that’s golf!

Posted In: Golf July 28th, 2014 divider No Comments »

So I had a very golf centric weekend, playing at least 18 holes each day and spectating at the 2014 Canadian Open on Saturday after a round nearby.

It’s funny that some people don’t consider golf a sport but one of my hockey buddies mentioned he could never play 36 holes, let alone walk them, and then play a hockey game. It was a blast but I did sleep very well due to the fun, fresh air and extra steps.

It was the first golf professional tournament I saw since I actually covered the LPGA 2000 Du Maurier Classic as a reporter for the Sackville Tribune-Post. It was a bit more enjoyable since I know a bit more about golf these days…

The tournament was played at the Royal Montreal, one of the nicest course in Eastern Canada. Like all the big tournaments, it’s not only the players  prepping for weeks and even months. The course does too to make sure it’s in great shape for the players and for the TV cameras.

These guys are good! That was the PGA slogan for a while and it’s true. Shooting those scores on that course is pretty impressive. Not to take away from their talent since I’ll probably never play on the Tour but they do miss shots as well. TV cameras don’t usually show them unless they’re leading but they mess up too. Except it’s not as often as us mere mortals and they can recover so well.

Another great takeaway was the how they don’t swing that hard. It’s something I notice with most weekend warriors, how hard they try to hit the ball. It’s something I’m working on, just to relax and let the club do the work, a la Chi!

I was a bit disappointed with the fan turnout to be honest but it meant an easier time for us to get around and we could get closer to them as well. So not a real complaint, they even had a very efficient (and free!) shuttle to get us there and back.

I would recommend it to anyone. Any sporting event for that matter. I find it very cool seeing professionals battling it out for fun and prize money. You get to see someone in their element and you get to see how easy they make it look…

***
If you miss my most recent TV spot on ChiRunning last week, see the CTV Ottawa Morning site for it. Let me know how I did!