Two Champs from PGA Tour Step Back from RBC Canadian Open Mid-First Round
In a twist that has golf enthusiasts buzzing, not one, but two PGA Tour veterans, Camilo Villegas and Seamus Power, decided to hang up their clubs prematurely at the 2025 RBC Canadian Open. Their departures came at different stages during their opening rounds, leaving fans and fellow players scratching their heads.
Villegas, a five-time PGA Tour champion, had a rollercoaster ride at TPC Toronto's North Course. After posting a par at the first, he stumbled with three consecutive bogeys. But he wasn't done yet, birdies at the sixth, eighth, and last hole (18) were a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately, a double-bogey at the 16th pushed him over par for the day, a situation he couldn't recover from.
Interestingly, this was Villegas' first withdrawal from a PGA Tour event since the Valspar Championship in March 2024. Since then, he's been fighting tooth and nail to secure his spot on the PGA Tour, with his 2025 season showing mixed results. From 15 events, he's made seven cuts and managed just one top-10 finish – a T7 at the American Express in February. His current standing in the FedEx Cup is 151st, leaving him in a precarious position with only 100 full PGA Tour cards up for grabs next year.
As for Power, he started off strong with eight consecutive pars, but a bogey at the ninth hole marked the end of his tournament. The two-time PGA Tour champion's withdrawal history is less frequent, last pulling out at the season-ending RSM Classic in 2024.
Like Villegas, Power's 2025 season has been a tough ride, mirroring his compatriot's made/missed cuts record from 14 tournaments. His best result was a T8 finish at the Valspar Championship, followed by three top-25 finishes. Currently, he's just outside of the top-100 in the FedEx Cup points list, with total earnings of $817,558.
Despite the excitement surrounding the early exits of Villegas and Power, PGA Tour Communications has kept tight-lipped about their withdrawals. As for the remaining players, day one was a tale of low scores, with 118 players finishing at even par or better.
Leading the pack were Thorbjorn Olesen and Cristobal Del Solar, who both carded impressive rounds of 61. Close behind was Shane Lowry on six-under, followed by defending champion Robert MacIntyre with an opening 65. However, the biggest name in the field, Rory McIlroy, struggled on the first day. Despite debuting a new driver, McIlroy ended the round with a one-over-par 71, leaving him with work to do ahead of Friday's tee-off.
McIlroy will take to the course alongside Luke Clanton and Ludvig Aberg on the first tee at 12:55pm ET on Friday. If you're a golf fan, grab your popcorn and get ready for an eventful weekend!
Villegas, despite a promising start with birdies on the sixth, eighth, and eighteenth holes, was unable to recover from a double-bogey at the sixteenth and chose to withdraw from the 2025 RBC Canadian Open, as did Seamus Power. Interestingly, both golfers have had challenging seasons, with mixed results and fewer top finishes compared to previous years.
