HAMILTON – Sean O’Hair has barely played any events on the PGA Tour this season, took a bunch of weeks off from the Korn Ferry Tour due to a bout of mono, was the last guy in the field of the RBC Canadian Open – arriving Wednesday due to weather delays in his native Texas – and didn’t play a practice round.
He shot a 7-under 63 Thursday and was tied for the lead for most of the day until David Skinns, in one of the final groups of the day, topped his Thursday round by one.
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“I was kind of in a fog today because I was just so tired,” O’Hair said, “but it worked out.”
O’Hair, who won the Canadian Open in 2011 in Vancouver and finished third at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in 2006, made five birdies and an eagle in the opening round. His 63 tied his low round on the PGA Tour, which first happened in 2008. He hasn’t shot that low in 11 years.
O’Hair said he is the kind of guy who likes to be prepared – but this week he had no option.
“I kind of just said, ‘Look, I don't really expect a whole lot today,’ I haven't really been playing that great either, so to come out here and shoot the score I did today was definitely kind of a shocker for me,” O’Hair said. “Ride it out I guess as long as I can.”
O’Hair was tied for the lead with fellow American Sam Burns, ranked 27th in the world, for most of the day before Skinns’ late-day charge. Skinns, from England, made five birdies in his back nine to come in as the round-one leader after an 8-under 62.
Skinns has two top-10 finishes this season after re-earning PGA Tour status again via the Korn Ferry Tour last year. He earned a PGA Tour card for the first time as a 40-year-old rookie in 2022.
“I think once you know your good golf can compete, it's a lot easier to trust that and to have those feelings of comfort a little more than maybe otherwise if you hadn't been there before and held up,” said Skinns. “Not particularly uncomfortable right now. Hopefully I can continue for the rest of the week.”
Scotland's Robert MacIntyre is fourth after a 6-under 64 and American Ryan Palmer, after a 5-under 65, rounds out the top five.
Firmly in the rearview mirror, however, sits Rory McIlroy. The 2019 winner at Hamilton is in a six-way tie for sixth at 4 under.
McIlroy admitted with a laugh on the broadcast that after two glasses of wine at dinner Wednesday night to celebrate his caddie Harry Diamond’s 40th birthday he was a little foggy for his 7:40 a.m. ET tee time. He also hadn’t yet seen the back nine at all this week – until he teed it up in the first round. He made nine pars to start the day before knocking his drive on the par-4 first 356 yards and rolling in the birdie.
McIlroy added circles on his scorecard on Nos. 5, 7, and 8 before just missing a 16-footer for a closing birdie on No. 9.
McIlroy, who has won twice already on the PGA Tour this season, made a 66 look extremely easy – save for one laugh-out-loud moment when he hit it into the hospitality tent on No. 17.
“Some guy yelled out, ‘You need a wristband to get in here.’ So that was pretty funny,” McIlroy said. “Four birdies (on the front nine), no bogeys there was a good day’s work.”
McIlroy leaned into his strengths Thursday, essentially leading the field in greens in regulation and driving distance. He told Sportsnet earlier in the week that his putting held him back from having a good result at the PGA Championship – his previous event on the PGA Tour before coming to Canada – but he had a fine day with the flatstick Thursday.
“I felt like I got some good practice on the front side there just trying to save par the whole time, getting a lot of practice on my six-footers. It was good,” McIlroy said with a smile. “Felt like I putted really, really nice. Hopefully I can keep that going the next few days.”
Meanwhile, a nice putting performance from David Hearn, who sits first in strokes gained: putting through 18 holes, meant it was Throwback Thursday at the Canadian Open as the 44-year-old was the low Canadian out of the 28 who teed it up after Thursday. He shot a 3-under 67.
“I felt very confident coming into today. It was a great reception on the first hole,” said Hearn, of nearby Brantford, Ont. “I was hitting some really good shots early in the round. I put myself in a position, obviously getting off to a good start, and I haven't been in that for a little while.”
Hearn, who is playing his 20th RBC Canadian Open, is making his first PGA Tour start since last November. Before that he hadn’t played since July of 2023 – as he has limited status this year. It’s the longest he’s gone between events, he confirmed.
“Fortunately, I've played in enough of these, I have a decent idea where my game needs to be,” Hearn said. “I've played in a lot of these, but for my kids to have those memories of a round like today is pretty special. Hopefully I'll keep making a few more birdies and a few more memories.”
Mike Weir, at 54, was low Canadian at 2 under for most of the day before Hearn tapped in late in afternoon. Ben Silverman and regional qualifier Cam Kellett also shot 2 under.
Weir made six birdies on the day and could have been better had he not missed a nine-foot birdie on his final hole and an eight-foot par saver on No. 6.
“I have belief in myself, and I feel like I still have the tools to compete when things are on,” Weir said.
“How about that? Maybe experience still has something. That's great,” added Hearn. “Obviously Weirsy and I – that's a great start. We've got three more rounds to follow it up with, so we'll see what we can do.
“There's a lot of talent all the way top to bottom with Canadians right now. It's a pretty special time right now in Canadian golf.”
Defending champion Nick Taylor – who played alongside McIlroy and Taylor Pendrith – struggled to a 2-over 72.
Although it was a disappointing start, the Abbotsford, B.C. golfer said with a smile there was one positive.
“I guess I beat (last year’s first-round score) by three,” Taylor said, “so I got that going for me.”
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