CALEDON — You wouldn't know that Hunter Thomson was playing his first professional round of golf. It certainly didn't feel any different to him.
The 21-year-old from Calgary fired a 3-under 67 on Thursday at the RBC Canadian Open. A standout collegiate player for the University of Michigan, Thomson officially turned pro as soon as he teed it up at the only PGA Tour event in Canada.
"I honestly didn't feel as nervous as I thought I would," said Thomson outside the clubhouse at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. "I mean, I got up there and I just felt comfortable. It's like, this is just another round of golf, and just send it, man.
"And I absolutely smoked my first drive."
That's not just his impression.
Starting on the par-4 10th hole, his first drive flew 323 yards. A 94-yard approach shot got him to within three feet of the hole, and he sunk the putt for birdie. Thomson finished the day with four birdies but bogeyed the par-4 13th hole.
"This is not college golf. It's a much bigger stage," said Thomson. "But I'm competing against a lot of the same guys that I've been competing against, a lot of young guys out here.
"So I'm just comfortable out here and I really thought that on Tuesday and Wednesday. I was like, 'I'm actually comfortable out here.' It's really nice."
There are 24 Canadians in the field at TPC Toronto in Osprey Valley, a sprawling parkland-style course in Alton, a community within the municipality of Caledon, Ont.
Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., was the low Canadian, firing a 5-under 65 in the morning to share the clubhouse lead. He dropped back into a tie for ninth after several players in the afternoon wave overtook him.
Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., the 2023 Canadian Open winner, shot a 4-under 66 to sit in a tie for 18th. Toronto's Richard T. Lee and Adam Hadwin, also from Abbotsford, were tied with Thomson at 3 under for a share of 31st.
"I'm fairly satisfied. It's something to build on, at least movement forward for now," said Hadwin, who started the week 120th on the FedEx Cup standings. "I struck it really well today. I had quite a few chances.
"The putter just never got hot, missed a couple shorter ones coming in."
Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., shot a 2-under 68 to sit in a tie with Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., Matthew Scobie of Oshawa, Ont., and Vancouver's Brett Webster.
A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., the top-ranked Canadian on the third-tier PGA Tour Americas, and amateur Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont., were at 1 under.
Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., the top-ranked Canadian on the PGA Tour, Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., and Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont., were grouped at even par.
Hall of Famer Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont., as well as amateurs Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., and Toronto's Matthew Javier were tied at 1 over.
Cougar Collins of Caledon shot 2 over and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., was 3 over. Calgary's Wes Heffernan, David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Mark Hoffman of Wasaga Beach, Ont., had 5-over rounds.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
