RBC Canadian Open: Tournament Preview, Pairings and Tee Times

The 93^rd edition of the PGA Championship is just three weeks away. But now that we have the British Open behind us, it’s time to shift our focus to the path towards the year’s final Slam.

The first stop is the 102^nd edition of the RBC Canadian Open, which returns to Vancouver's Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club starting on Thursday July 21, 2011.

The tree-lined layout with breathtaking views of the Strait of Georgia is a favorite among touring pros, who consider it the top golf course in all of Canada.

Accuracy will be the key ingredient to the winner’s recipe. To play here could be every bit as demanding as playing in a major championship.

The thick rough and small greens put a premium on shot-making and penalize sloppy play. Simply put, you miss the fairway and you pay the price.

The last time the Canadian Open was played at Shaughnessy was in 2005. Back then, it ranked second only to that year’s US Open site, Pinehurst No. 2, as toughest golf course, with an average score that was 2.533 over par.

If you want a measuring stick, take for example Augusta National, home of The Masters, which was ranked sixth at 1.975 over par that very same year.

Headlining the field is the world’s No. 1-ranked player Luke Donald, Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel, Matt Kuchar, Rickie Fowler, Anthony Kim, Lucas Glover, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk and Paul Casey.

Those players are among the golfers that will try to achieve the hard feat of winning here, after making the long charter trip from Sandwich, England to Vancouver.

The defending champ is Sweden’s Carl Pettersson, who last year shot a ridiculous 60 in the third round, after he lipped an 18-foot putt on 18^th hole (or else he would have had a 59).

The tournament kicks off from the No. 1 and No. 10 tees and there will be two tee-time schedules, morning and afternoon.

The most interesting threesome will be Lucas Glover, Anthony Kim and Rickie Fowler, teeing off at 7:40 am from tee No.1. All three are coming off great finishes at The Open.

Another interesting match is Luke Donald paired with Matt Kuchar and former Masters champ Mike Weir. Donald and Kuchar missed the cut at The Open and are looking for a rebound here. They tee off at 12:40 pm from tee No.10.

And speaking of Masters champs, Charl Schwartzel is paired with multiple major winner Ernie Els and Paul Casey, and they will tee off at 7:30 am from tee No. 1.

Other notable pairings are Ben Crane, Stephen Ames and Ryan Moore at 7:30 am and 2010 British Open champ Louis Oosthuizen with Hunter Mahan and Geoff Ogilvy at 7:40 am. Both threesomes from tee No. 10.

Go here for a complete view of the pairings and tee times.