Father’s Footsteps: Kevin Tway leads RBC Canadian Open after two rounds

Bob Tway won the Canadian Open in 2003 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, which will host the national championship in 2019. The elder Tway won eight PGA Tour events over his career with his best finish coming in 1986 when he won the PGA Championship, two years before Kevin was born.

“It would be great to match (Canadian Open titles),” said Kevin. “He’s given me insight on this course. Although he won (in Hamilton), he’s played here many times.”

Bob Tway twice finished in a tie for ninth at Glen Abbey, in 1986 and 1995.

Although no father-son duo has won the Canadian Open, brothers Charles and Albert Murray of Montreal both won the national title twice during their Canadian Golf Hall of Fame careers. Charles won his first in 1906, while Albert won the brothers’ final title in 1913.

Keegan Bradley was in Tway’s pairing on Friday morning and made birdie-eagle-birdie-eagle on the final four holes to launch himself into a tie with South Korea’s Whee Kim for second at 12 under.

After sinking a 21-foot, two-inch putt on No. 18 Bradley turned to Tway and excitedly said something along the lines of “I’m coming.” Neither could remember the specifics because they were so excited.

“That was crazy,” said Bradley, who also had an eagle on the second hole. “I’ve never had anything close to that happen in my career.”

South Korea’s Byeong Hun An (67) and Johnson Wagner (65) were tied for fourth at 11-under. World No. 1 Dustin Johnson shot a 6-under 66 to enter a four-way tie for sixth with fellow American Zac Blair, Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, and New Zealand’s Aaron Baddeley at 10 under.

Robert Garrigus, the leader after the first round, shot an even par on Friday but was in a tie for 10th on the strength of his 9-under performance to start the tournament.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., was the low Canadian. He fired a 5-under 67 on Friday to move to 9 under at the US$6.2 million PGA Tour event.

“I hit it great off the tee, which set me up for a lot of short irons, and I gave myself a lot of chances,” said Taylor. “I actually missed a couple chances that I had on the back, as well, so I had a lot of chances and it was nice to make a bunch of them.”

Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., was one stroke behind Taylor after a torrid second round of 9-under 63. Silverman had a chance to tie the course record, but missed a 39-foot putt for eagle on the 18th hole and sits in a tie for 15th.

Silverman didn’t know that he was close to the course record at Glen Abbey, which is shared by many golfers but was most recently matched by Garrigus last year.

“I had no idea, I didn’t know what the course record was,” said Silverman. “I was just trying to keep going lower.”

Amateur Chris Crisologo (69) of Richmond, B.C., and Roger Sloan (69) of Merritt, B.C., are tied for 23rd at 7 under. Mackenzie Hughes (69) of Dundas, Ont., was in a group at 35th sitting at 6 under. Calgary’s Ryan Yip and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot identical 72s to tie for 61st.

The cut line was projected at 4 under.

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John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version misspelled Chris Stroud’s last name.

by Canadian Press

Father’s Footsteps: Kevin Tway leads RBC Canadian Open after two rounds

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