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| Proud to Have Hosted 11 National Open Titles | |
| 1933 - CANADIAN OPEN, JOE KIRKWOOD, SR. The Royal York Golf Club had been recently opened (1929), and the 1933 Canadian Open helped cement its status as one of Canada’s elite championship venues and was a testament to Stanley Thompson’s classic design. Australian Joe Kirkwood Sr. carded a score of 282, an 8-stroke margin over runners-up Harry Cooper and Lex Robson. Joe Kirkwood Sr. was renowned for his trick shot artistry, and after his 1933 Canadian Open victory, he gave an exhibition at Royal York demonstrating some of his famous feats, including hitting balls off matchsticks and playing with his eyes closed! |
| 1949 - CANADIAN OPEN, DUTCH HARRISON E.J. (Dutch) Harrison, with a score of 271, edged out Jim Ferrier by 4 strokes in a tense and competitive finish. It was one of Harrison’s 13 career PGA Tour victories and considered one of his most significant wins, given the strength of the field. The purse at the time was $10,000 USD. Toronto was dry in 1949. The course had no watering system and played much shorter than its then 6,645 yards. The Township of Etobicoke limited water use in the evening hours, so when the competitors took showers in the clubhouse, only air came out. |  |
 | 1960 - CANADIAN OPEN, ART WALL JR. Arthur (Art) Jonathan Wall Jr. conquered St. George’s with spectacular rounds of 66-67-67-69-269 – 19 under par. Coming off one of his best years on tour, he was the 1959 PGA Tour’s leading money winner, won four events, and earned PGA Player of the Year honours. Saturday’s final round at St. George’s saw flash floods that delayed play. Wall, and his two playing partners Tommy Bolt and Gene Littler, invaded a cocktail party in one of the homes adjoining the course and later played the final 16 holes after nearly a three-hour delay. |
| 1968 - CANADIAN OPEN, BOB CHARLES By 1968 the total purse had increased to $150,000 USD. Canadian golf course architect Robbie Robinson added 350 yards to the course since the Open in 1960. He reconstructed four greens, added eight tees and a fairways watering system had been installed. New Zealander Bob Charles carded a score of 274, 6 under par, narrowly edging out Jack Nicklaus by two strokes. Charles was later knighted for his services to golf. |  |
 | 1975 - PETER JACKSON CLASSIC, JOANNE CARNER This was the third edition of the Peter Jackson Classic, and it was the first year the tournament was recognized as a major championship on the LPGA Tour. Joanne Carner won by four strokes (288) ahead of runner-up Sandra Post, a Canadian favorite and major champion herself. Known for her length off the tee, this victory was Carner’s first major championship win, marking a milestone in her Hall of Fame career of 43 LPGA wins. |
| 1978 - PETER JACKSON CLASSIC, JOANNE CARNER By 1978, the Peter Jackson Classic had firmly established itself as a major championship on the LPGA Tour. Carner won by 6 strokes (280), the only player to finish under par, delivering a commanding performance over the field. The 6-stroke margin was a testament to her ability to dominate on difficult courses like St. George’s, known for its tight fairways, undulating greens, and strategic bunkering. This was Carner’s second Peter Jackson Classic victory at St. George’s, having previously won in 1975, and her second major win at this event. Runner up Nancy Lopez was in the middle of her phenomenal rookie season, winning 9 tournaments in 1978. |  |
 | 1980 - PETER JACKSON CLASSIC, PAT BRADLEY
One of the LPGA’s 4 major championships, the purse in 1980 had been increased to $200,000 USD, with $30,000 going to winner Pat Bradley with a score of 8 under par 280. Bradley’s 1-stroke victory came after a tense final round, where she held off a strong charge from Amy Alcott. It was her first major championship victory, marking a turning point in what became a Hall of Fame career of 6 major championships and 31 total LPGA Tour victories. |
| 1982 - PETER JACKSON CLASSIC, SANDRA HAYNIE The purse for this major championship was now $250,000 USD. Sandra Haynie’s 279 total was 9-under-par, edging out Beth Daniel who had a chance to force a tie on the 72nd hole but missed a birdie opportunity. This was Haynie’s fourth and final major championship victory, capping a career of 42 LPGA Tour wins. Her win at the 1982 Peter Jackson Classic was particularly meaningful because she had overcome serious injuries earlier in her career, including a car accident in 1977 that threatened to end it altogether. The 1982 Peter Jackson Classic was the last year it was played under that sponsorship name. Starting in 1983, it became the du Maurier Classic, although it retained its status as a major championship on the LPGA Tour. |  |
 | 1984 - DU MAURIER CLASSIC, JULI INKSTER
The 1984 du Maurier Classic was the last time the tournament was held at St. George’s Golf and Country Club. After this, it rotated to other top Canadian courses. Juli Inkster’s 279 total tied Sandra Haynie’s 1982 tournament record at St. George’s. It was an impressive and decisive victory, particularly considering the caliber of the competition and the difficulty of the course. Pat Bradley, herself a past winner of the event and a future career Grand Slam winner, was runner up. This was Inkster’s rookie season on the LPGA Tour, and the du Maurier Classic win made her only the second player in LPGA history (at the time) to win two major championships in her rookie year (joining Nancy Lopez). |
| 2010 - RBC CANADIAN OPEN, CARL PETTERSSON
By 2010 the purse had grown to $5.1 million USD. Carl Pettersson, the Sweden-born, England-raised, North Carolinian drank seven beers before receiving confirmation that he’d made the cut after Friday’s round. Incredibly, he followed that close call by shooting a third-round 60 on Saturday, tying the course record and nearly becoming the fourth player in PGA Tour history to break 60 - he lipped out a short birdie putt on the 18th green that would have given him a 59! His final round 67 (-3) on Sunday was enough to hold off Dean Wilson, who had led for much of the week but faltered on the back nine. |  |
 | 2022 - RBC CANADIAN OPEN, RORY MCILROY St. George’s had been scheduled to hold the 2020 Open, and then 2021, but both were cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. By 2022 the RBC Canadian Open was a highly anticipated event attracting an amazing field of elite players. That weekend also coincided with the first LIV golf broadcast from England. Rory McIlroy’s 62 on Sunday featured 9 birdies, 6 of them on the back nine including 3 consecutive ones on 13 through 15. He won by 2 strokes (18 under par) over Tony Finau and 4 better than Justin Thomas. |
