Dang!! So Close.

Sunday started off looking like it was going to be an historic day. David Hearn was leading the Canadian Open on the final round after making an improbable birdie on the par 5 13^th hole. I thought that was the shot he needed to inspire him to victory. But, alas Hearn couldn’t find another birdie while Jason Day nailed three on the final three holes and David’s playing partner Bubba Watson made five out of the last six holes. Hearn finished third. If this was the Pan Am Games he would have the bronze medal.

And so there will be another year when we hear the oft recited sentence, “No Canadian has won this tournament since Pat Fletcher in 1954.” (By the way, Pat Fletcher was born in England so he wasn’t even a true blue Canadian. Carl Keffer is the only Canadian-born champion, winning in 1909 and 1914-remember him?) We’ve had other reminders of failures: “No Canadian team has won the World Hockey Championship since the Trail Smoke Eaters in 1961.” (We won in 1994) And: “Canada hasn’t won an Olympic Gold medal in hockey since 1952 in Oslo.” (We finally won in 2002 in Salt Lake.) And if you’re a Toronto Maple Leaf fan you know all too well the significance of 1967. And poor you if you’re a Chicago Cubs fan who hasn’t won a World Series since 1907.

There’s no question I felt tremendous disappointment in Hearn’s 3^rd place showing. I really wanted him to win. But I have to remind myself how hard it is to win on the PGA tour. David Hearn was ranked 128 in the world prior to the Canadian Open. (He’s moved up to 105.) Watson and Day were 3^rd and 9^th respectively. With Day’s win he’s now in 4^th spot. Watson stays where he is.

So I have to put this into some perspective and really admire what Hearn did. He took the weight of a country and carried it on his shoulders for four rounds and almost pulled it off. I remember being at the Canadian Open in Hamilton a few years ago and watching Mike Weir tee off in front of a throng of enthusiastic Canadian supporters. I remember thinking he looked rather terrified and uncomfortable. He didn’t make the cut that year. This year, I thought Hearn was classy and comfortable all the way through and won the admiration of his fellow golfers. However I’m pretty sure there was a little anti-Canada gremlin living somewhere on the Glen Abbey course. There were three birdie putts from Hearn that almost dropped that would have won it for him including the lip-out on 18. But the old shoulda’ coulda’ woulda’ doesn’t count on the scorecard. Anyone who has ever picked up a golf club knows how the game can drive you nuts. One hole you’re the old Tiger Woods getting on the green in regulation making a miracle putt for a birdie. Next hole you’re the recent Tiger Woods hitting the ball way off into the trees and ending up with at least a double bogey. You have to admire how consistent the big boys are and how difficult it is to maintain that consistency. Hearn started the month of July with a heartbreaking loss in extra holes at the Greenbrier Classic. He finished 67th at the John Deere, missed the cut at the British Open (so did Tiger) and now with his third-place finish at the Canadian Open his paycheck for the month of July is almost $1 million. That’s not too shabby for a guy ranked 105^th.

So as much as I so desperately wanted a Canadian to win at the Canadian Open I have to cut Hearn some slack. Winning any tournament on the PGA is difficult let alone trying to win one for 30 million people. He did Canada proud. And it’s going to happen. A Canadian born player is going to win our national golf tournament and we can finally forget about Pat Fletcher.

Side note: David Hearn was the roommate of Lethbridge’s own Mike Mezei when they went to school together in Wyoming.