The first day of the RBC Canadian Open was dominated by names of largely unrecognizable, completely unheralded journeymen. The day opened with Vance Veazey, a long time Nationwide and PGA Tour pro who hails from Mississippi, shooting 64 during the morning on a soft golf course that didn’t live up to its early billing, which pros suggested it would be U.S. Open tough.

Veazey says he once shot a course record 64 at the Western Open when it was played at Cog Hill in Chicago, but it was not discussed since a player named Tiger Woods shot 63 later that same day.

That’s exactly what happened this time as well, when unknown Brent Delahoussaye broke the competitive course record in the afternoon by shooting 8-under 62, which included a 6-under 28 on his final nine of the day (he started on the 9th hole).

Or did he break it?

The previous course record was held by Toronto’s Al Balding shot 8-under 64 at the course during the 1960 Canadian Open, when the course played as a par-72, though only 6,710 yards long. The course was toughened by architect Robbie Robinson for the 1968 tournament, with the 4th and 15th holes being turned from two-shot holes into par-5s. The tournament was played as a par-70 that year, with a yardage of 6,790, when George Knudson card a 6-under to match Balding’s mark.

So what is the accurate course record? Tour officials at the Canadian Open yesterday said they recognized the score of 64, regardless of the par of the course when it was shot. Balding often complained later in his life that St. George’s only recognized Knudson’s score, ignoring his due to the changes to the golf course.
In this instance Delahoussaye, who made $109,958 during three years on the Nationwide Tour, and has only made three cuts in his rookie season on the PGA Tour, matched Balding’s total under par, but with the course once again a Par-70, he’ll be recognized as the record holder.

Veazey, an affable pro, said his only previous course record was at Back Acres Country Club in Senatobia, Miss., a 6,300-yard course he grew up playing. He shot 61 there and joked, “it is a much more difficult golf course,” than St. George’s. Asked if there was a plaque commemorating his score, Veazey joked, “No, but they might have the score card.”

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Canada’s two veterans – Mike Weir and Stephen Ames – had very different takes on their opening rounds at St. George’s. Ames carded a 3-under 67 and with a big grin on his face following his round said he was “pleased.”

“The conditions were as expected,” he said of the afternoon’s breezes. “It was a little tougher in the afternoon which showed up in the scoring.”

Ames was referring to the morning rounds, where soft greens and nothing more than a hint of wind, made for perfect scoring conditions. A half-dozen golfers shot 5-under in addition to Veazey’s record-tying 64. Scoring was higher in the afternoon as the winds picked up and greens became firmer.

Those were the circumstances Weir found himself in, playing in a grouping with Fred Couples and Sean O’Hair. Weir struggled through his first few holes, before a chip-in eagle on the ninth righted the ship. He made consecutive birdies to open his back nine, but limped in with four bogeys in his final seven holes. Weir has been battling a predilection to hook the ball with his driver for much of the year and the problem cropped up in his final holes, resulting in a series of blocked shots and hooks. His problems have been exacerbated by tendinitis in his right arm.

He was short with the media following his round, though he didn’t blame his play on his elbow injury.

“I don’t want to use an excuse like that,” he said.

When asked what had gone wrong with his round, he was short and direct.

“It is pretty obvious – I didn’t play very well,” he said ending the interview.

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A lot of hopes were riding on Saskatchewan’s Graham DeLaet heading into the tournament. The PGA Tour rookie  shot even par for the round, but felt he let some opportunities slip away, especially after starting with three consecutive birdies.

“I fought back, got it back to under par and made a couple of bogeys and then a birdie late to get it back to even,” he said following his round. “So no damage done. We’ve still got a long ways to go.”

DeLaet, who wore red pants and a white shirt for the round, said he was thrilled by the attention of the crowd for his first round in Canada as a PGA Tour regular.

“I’m having a great time being back home in Canada, and there is a little bit more off-the-course stuff that I’ve dealt with,” he said. “But it’s been a lot of fun and I’m enjoying it.”

New pro Matt Hill, from Bright’s Grove, Ont., shot a 1-under 69, while top amateur Nick Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., shot 1-over in an uneven round. Oshawa’s Jon Mills matched Ames’ mark of 3-under 67 to sit as low Canadian – or tallest midget – after the first round.

Filed by Sympatico.ca Golf Columnist Robert Thompson

: 7:39 PM in Golf