Two of the biggest names in golf went head-to-head at Cabot Links in Inverness, N.S. on Monday.
Golfer Graeme McDowell is ninth in the world and has won a U.S. Open, but he seemed right at home teeing off at Cabot Links - his first time golfing in the Maritimes.
“When I opened my curtains in my hotel room this morning, it honestly made me feel like I was at home on the north coast of Ireland,” says McDowell. “It’s got quite the Scottish-Irish feel to it, very authentic links, looks the part, very tough to replicate this type of links.”
His opponent, Graham DeLaet of Saskatchewan, is the PGA Tour’s top-ranked Canadian and one of the sport’s rising stars.
Both players had to contend with rainy, windy weather.
“We hit our tee shots on eleven, it was down wind. We turned around and the wind came straight back at us. That’s links golf, you never really know,” says DeLaet.
The match-up was mostly for fun, but it is a coup for the Cabot Links. Just barely a year old, Canada’s only true links course is already rated among the world’s top 100.
Monday’s showdown, dubbed The Match at Cabot Links, is being turned into a TV production to further showcase a course that is already gaining plenty of momentum.
“We have high expectations and I think...we hoped we would reach them eventually,” says Cabot Links owner-operator Ben Cowan-Dewar. “I think, to be able to do so much in our first year has been extremely pleasing for us and I think we’ll continue to hopefully build on that.”
Which golfer has the home course advantage is really up for debate. DeLaet is playing on home soil, but McDowell learned the game on links courses while growing up in Northern Ireland.
“Graham’s probably the man on form right now,” says McDowell. “He had a great finish at the Fed-Ex Cup last week, but hopefully my links background will stand me in good stead.”
No matter who wins, it is a victory for golf fans in the Inverness area.
“It don’t get any better than this. This is what it’s all about,” says Donnie MacLellan. “This is going to bring people to Inverness because they say, if these guys can come and play here, we want to see what this is all about.”
Cape Breton is already considered a traveller’s mecca for golf but the high-profile matchup has some wondering if the Cabot Links could one day host a PGA event.
“We’d love to see more great events coming to this part of the world, I mean, Canada has a very rich golf history and it would be great to see big crowds and big exposure for a golf course of this quality and there’s absolutely no reason why not,” says McDowell.
The Inverness golf scene is continuing to grow as a sister course, Cabot Cliffs, is set to open in 2015.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ryan MacDonald
