Sean Allen
BRANT NEWS

After entering the RBC Canadian Open as the top-ranked Canadian golfer on the PGA Tour, Brantford’s David Hearn left disappointed with his performance on Saturday and Sunday.

Hearn made Friday’s cut on the strength of two rounds of two-under par 68 on Thursday and Friday at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club, but finished with two rounds of two-over par 72 on Saturday and Sunday.

“Obviously, I’m not particularly thrilled with the way things finished up,” Hearn said following the tournament. “I didn’t have my best stuff and that showed. Hopefully, I will be better for it next time.”

Hearn’s finish placed him tied for 71st among 79 players who made the cut. Scott Piercy won the championship and its $936,000 prize with a score of 17-under par for the tournament.

Attention was focused on Hearn as the best hope to break a streak of 58 years since a Canadian claimed victory at the Canadian Open. He helped fuel that hope with a solid first round on Thursday that included three birdies.

With several golfers yet to tee off in the first round, Hearn briefly held sixth place on the leaderboard after a 10-foot birdie putt on hole No. 14.

Going into the weekend, Hearn was the top Canadian in the field at four-under par.

After five bogeys and four birdies in Saturday’s third round, Hearn entered the tournament’s final round tied with fellow Canadian Graham DeLaet in the competition for Golf Canada’s Rivermead Cup, awarded to the low Canadian at the national championship.

Hearn’s round of two-over par on Sunday left DeLaet as the winner following an even-par day for the Saskatchewan native.

“I just didn’t have it this week,” Hearn said. “It’s continually a work in progress and I’m always trying to get better. I will go back to working hard and be ready the next time I tee it up.”

Playing just down the highway from his home in Brantford, Hearn drew a large gallery of spectators during the tournament, with upwards of 200 people following him from hole to hole.

“That was certainly a pretty huge gallery,” he said. “There were certainly a lot more friends and family following me around. A lot of people came to support me. I will just have to do better for them next time.”

Hearn picked up $10,244 in winnings, but dropped to No. 100 on the PGA Tour’s money rankings.

The Brantford golfer is taking a week off and will find out during that time if he will get an invitation to play in the PGA Championship. The tournament draws from the top-70 money leaders since the previous championship. Hearn may factor into that group, or just outside of it, and be called upon to fill out the field.

Otherwise, Hearn will prepare for the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina, beginning on Aug. 16, and look to maintain his FedEx Cup point standing to get into the PGA’s playoffs the following week.

Hearn currently sits 98th in the FedEx Cup standings, with the top 125 golfers making the playoffs.

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