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32 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2007 Abbey selection inconsistent with RCGA's long-term plan, but we're not complaining The more things change, the more they stay the same... or something along those lines. After a lengthy era of regularly holding the Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club, including 16 consecutive times from 1981-96, the Royal Canadian Golf Association has made an effort in recent years to spread the tournament around the country -- or, at least, out of Oakville. The Abbey has hosted the PGA Tour event only once in the past seven years, a memorable 2004 tournament in which Vijay Singh outlasted Canada's own Mike Weir in a three-hole playoff. During that time, venues such as Royal Montreal, Angus Glen (Markham), Shaughnessy (Vancouver) and Hamilton have also had opportunity to be home to the competition, to mostly favourable reviews. Yet, it will be Glen Abbey that will be the site of the next two Canadian Opens, after the RCGA announced Wednesday that the Jack Nicklausdesigned course will play host to the tournament for the 25th time in 2009. The Canadian Open will also be contested in Oakville next summer. From a strictly local perspective, it's terrific news. The benefit to Oakville and area businesses is undeniable, while golf fans once again will have the world's best coming into their backyard. Personally, it's hardly unenjoyable work to cover a PGA competition and have to mingle with the sport's elite. But what about the rest of the country, or the long-term viability of the tournament -- currently without a title sponsor and having trouble drawing the big names -- itself? In making the announcement, RCGA representatives insisted they are still determined to develop a rotation to ensure that Canadians outside of the Greater Toronto Area will have a chance to attend the tournament in the future. Not to mention keeping PGA players happy, something that the Canadian Open increasingly needs to focus on as the star caliber of the tournament fields continues to slide. Abbey likely to be part of rotation "I don't think it goes against our long-term strategy," said RCGA executive director Scott Simmons. "Obviously it takes time to develop a rotation you're going to stick with throughout the years, and we continue to work towards that. Glen Abbey has withstood the test of time... and it's a fantastic venue, especially from a spectator perspective. We look at it as the first step in solidifying a future rotation strategy." That rotation will likely continue to include the Abbey, Shaughnessy, Hamilton and Royal Montreal. Simmons said an ideal rotation would feature five to seven courses. Next year's tournament was originally slated to be held at a new course in Terrabonne, Que., but construction delays forced Canadian Open organizers to use Glen Abbey for 2008 instead. There apparently were few other options for the 2009 event. "The players have been very clear with us that they want to play the great courses of Canada. A number of those have issues, and what we want to do is take a look at those issues and see if they're deal-breakers," RCGA president Garry West said. "We'll look at different formats... whether we can have the same amount of spectators we've come to enjoy in the past, or whether corporate hospitality tents can be as big or on site. Investigating lots of different configurations might give us an ability to use some of our (country's) great old golf courses." DEREK WOOLLAM / SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER PGA TOUR VETERAN: Glen Abbey Golf Club, pictured from the Upper Middle Road bridge, will be the site of the next two Canadian Open golf tournaments. It will mark the 24th and 25th time the course has played host to the PGA Tour event. Donati signs with Sens' affiliate Oakville's Tyler Donati has signed a oneyear contract with the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League. The 20-year-old was named the Ontario Hockey League's overage player of the year after leading the Belleville Bulls with 54 goals and 129 points in 66 games. He finished third in the league in goals and fourth in points. Donati had 131 goals and had 300 points over four OHL seasons with Oshawa, St. Mike's and Belleville. Binghamton, the top minor league team for the Ottawa Senators, finished out of the AHL playoffs last season with a record of 2348-4-5. See ClubLink page 33 www.icesports.com 905-845-6989