McCARTHY: Did RBC Canadian Open's new venue make the grade?

National Post

09-06-2025

CALEDON, Ont. — A fan with fake abs shaved into his hairy beer belly is flexing for mobile phones as the masses prepare for another well-lubricated rendition of our national anthem.
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The rowdiest of the Saturday afternoon crowd at TPC Toronto hang and bang on the makeshift hockey boards. The well-heeled are also in the vicinity, but kept safely above the fray in cozy corporate suites. CBS stars Amanda Balionis and Colt Knost are minutes from charging onto the tee in duelling Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers hockey sweaters.
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Social media teams buzz about, trying to decide which part of the intentional chaos to point their cameras. In the middle of it all, Mackenzie Hughes and caddie Julien Trudeau stand on the tee box having a conversation about the wind.
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Welcome to the RBC Canadian Open. More specifically, welcome to the Rink Hole.
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Saw lots of new things at the rink hole this week @RBCCanadianOpen and that includes fake abs shaved into belly hair. pic.twitter.com/Xac37vskyd
— Jon McCarthy (@jonmccarthySUN) June 9, 2025
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'It's a lot of fun. I'm very proud to be Canadian. It's a great country. I'm very proud to be from here. I can feel that pride out there for us and just for people being Canadian,' Hughes said after firing his way into contention during Saturday's third round. 'Yeah, really enjoying it. Like I said, the support's been phenomenal.'
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The rink hole, now in its seventh iteration, has become a microcosm of the RBC Canadian Open, and of modern professional sports as a whole.
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In a media and entertainment world fighting for the next viral moment, big events are spending plenty of time, money, and brain power on figuring out how to put all the ingredients together to create perfect bite-sized content that will find its way into your algorithm.
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'We're not just a golf tournament, we're a sports and entertainment property,' tournament director Ryan Paul said. 'I know we continue to try to build on the Canadiana of this event and where we can add to that.'
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In a sea of sameness on the PGA Tour schedule, the RBC Canadian Open is showcasing its differences.
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We might secretly cringe at listening to the 10th off-key version of O Canada belted out at the Rink Hole or at seeing Mounties used as models for a world audience, but the shame of selling out was strictly a 90s thing. When getting noticed is the end game, it's simply called leaning into your strengths.
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Looking around TPC Toronto this week, all you see is lots of people having fun, some watching golf, some not. And if you ask around the PGA Tour, the tournament has developed a reputation, both for its vibe, and for punching above its weight as a tournament and a product.
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'It's become a very, very good tournament,' two-time champion Rory McIlroy said before missing the cut for the first time in five appearances. 'I think because of that, and you see guys playing each and every year, I think the field then starts to become stronger because you see your peers do something, and we're all like sort of sheep out here. Once one person does something, we all sort of try to do the same thing.'