OAKVILLE, Ontario — After posting his best finish of the calendar year and heading to a tournament that he has produced some of his best finishes at over his career on the PGA Tour, Fairmont native William McGirt is hoping that adds up for another positive result as he hits crunch time.
With five weeks left on the Tour schedule, McGirt — placed 121st on the FedEx Cup standings — heads north of the border to the RBC Canadian Open after a tie for 12th finish at the Barbasol Championship.
“I hope to pick up where I left off today,” McGirt told The Robesonian on Monday. “I’m looking forward to Canada this week. It’s a course that suits my game and my eye.”
Playing at Glen Abbey Golf Course, the same tract where he finished a tie for second in 2013, McGirt has piled up solid finishes at the tournament in the past. The 2013 finish came after a one-stroke loss at the 2012 tournament to Scott Piercy at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
Outside of those two finishes, McGirt has never missed a cut voluntarily at the event. He withdrew in 2017 and finished in a tie for 59th in 2011 and 2016, while finishing in a tie for 34th and a tie for 25th in 2015 and 2014, respectively.
For the first two rounds, McGirt is grouped with Shane Lowry and Ryan Armour, and will go off the 10th tee at 1:15 p.m. in Thursday’s first round.
The top 125 on the FedEx Cup rankings make the first event of the Tour’s playoff system that starts on Aug. 23. With McGirt hanging on to his chances to keep his FedEx Cup playoffs streak, that has lasted for as long as he has had his Tour card, alive.
“I’m planning to play this week and next week in Reno (Barracuda Championship) if I need to,” McGirt said. “Then I also have Greensboro (Wyndham Championship) to hopefully make enough points to qualify for the playoffs. I’m exempt next year regardless so I’ll give it my best and hopefully make enough points these next few weeks.”
Jhonattan Vegas is the defending champion of the event after winning the 2016 and 2017 tournaments.
