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18 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday July 23, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com 2008CANADIAN Open THE CANADIAN OPEN COMES HOME TO GLEN ABBEY SAVE NOW! Check your newspaper for our Kichler® Sale Tab. You'll find incredible values on chandeliers, table lamps, bathroom lights, outdoor lights, and much more! Excitement is in the air as the prestigious Glen Abbey is preparing for its 24th Canadian Open! Having missed a few years due to scheduling, the exhilaration is overwhelming as the Club welcomes home this international event. Greens are being prepped and the course fine-tuned in anticipation of the world's top ranking players adorning the rich green fairway. Local buzz is this will be the year to remember as the most exciting and fun-filled Canadian Open to date. Designed in 1976 by Jack Nicklaus, Glen Abbey was created specifically to serve as the permanent home for the Canadian Open championship, with occasional visits to other clubs. With that intent, the course is not only one of the best in Canada but boasts the finest gallery in existence. With many improvements since its inception, Glen Abbey has secured Canada's most prestigious golf event for next year, 2009. For the 2008 Canadian Open, The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) and the newly acquired title sponsor, the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), have partnered to present the tournament's 24th occasion hosted by Glen Abbey. With something for everyone, the event planners have been busy incorporating a new and fun concept. Determined to offer more than your 4 traditional rounds, the event has now become an outdoor weeklong festival. "RCGA and RBC wanted to make the Canadian Open more than the `behind the ropes experience'," says Dan Pino, Director of Media and Public Relations. There is no better venue to give golf fans the opportunity to `make a day of it'." After the golf match, people may dine at the clubhouse or choose from a diversity of food concessions. Afterward fans can enjoy a cool brew at the Molson Beer Gardens...then sit back and relax for a scheduled evening of entertainment. The Pengrowth Concert Series has secured Canadian icons Blue Rodeo, 54-40 and Tom Cochrane with Red Rider, who will pump up the volume as the golf course transforms into a unique open-air concert scene. Says Pino, "Great planning and thought went into stretching out the event to turn it into a celebration of golf." Nicklaus created this course with the fans in mind. "The gallery is hands down the best in the country." The stadium was designed to allow for crowds to sit around greens on mounds and hills, providing a birds-eye-view to look downward and watch their favourite players. "This year's golfers will be jetted over following the British Open." With no window for rest, they will be tired, adding to the excitement and buzz as to who will walk away victorious. Golf fans from around the world will gather in Oakville to witness the world's golf elite step up to the tee. The man to watch would be Jim Furyk, reigning champ set to accomplish a back-to-back victory. Many fans are eager to see our own Mike Weir who came soooo heartbreakingly close in 2004 to win on his home soil. Other top Canadians playing the tournament are Stephen Ames and Jon Mills. This year's Canadian Open has all the wow factors. A major event, it embraces the beauty of the game at an equally exquisite venue. Each player is as good as they get... and at each hole you will see them individually shine. Approximately 50,000 people will attend to `be in the moment' and share in the history. This world-class event has `come home' to Oakville...and we couldn't be more excited. On behalf of Glen Abbey and fans everywhere...'Welcome Home' to the 2008 RBC Canadian Open!