The 2026 Canadian Open came to Fellows Creek Golf Course in Canton on Saturday, September 5th, courtesy of proud Canadian and tournament sponsor Kevin Gregoire — known throughout the Mulligan Tour as KG, or Kenny G, depending on which group you happened to be playing with — and the Mulligan Tour is pleased to report that despite unsubstantiated rumors of a high-pressure campaign from certain corners of Washington to rebrand the event as the “American Open,” the tournament name stood firm. Canada prevailed. The Mulligan Tour stands with our friends to the North. Timbits and Labatts for all.
On the course, Eric Birkle delivered the day’s finest round, signing for a net 70 (-2) and his first Canadian Open title. Birkle’s back nine gross of 38 was the best of the day at Fellows Creek’s North to West routing, and his clean, consistent play gave the field a target that nobody could quite match. Jonathan Barnes finished solo second at net 72 (E), picking up $20 and adding yet another runner-up result to a 2026 résumé that remains stubbornly short of a second individual win — Fellows Creek giveth and Fellows Creek taketh away for Barnes. Patrick Patterson shared second at net 72 (E) alongside Barnes, a remarkable result given his gross 107 on the day — the handicap system working exactly as advertised and delivering Patterson a $20 check in the process. Tom Moran took fourth at net 73 (+1) for $11, with Anthony Dean and Jeff Klipa — the defending Canadian Open champion — tying for fifth at net 74 (+2) for $6.50 apiece. Dave Oliver claimed seventh at net 75 (+3) for $4, with Rich Dunmore and Nancy Hiestand sharing eighth at net 76 (+4) for $2.50 each.
The on-course prizes added some extra hardware to an already eventful afternoon. Rod Theunissen, Ron Hiestand, Joe Brandenburg, and Helen Puffenberger each claimed a closest-to-the-pin prize across the four CTP holes. Eric Birkle added the low putts award to his winner’s check — 26 putts for the round, the kind of efficiency on the greens that explains why his net 70 held up all day. Jonathan Barnes, despite finishing second on the net leaderboard, claimed low gross honors with a 74 — a number that deserves its own round of applause and makes his runner-up finish sting just a little more. Barnes hit it better than anyone at Fellows Creek on Saturday. The net score just didn’t quite cooperate.
As for the sponsor himself — KG finished at net 80 (+8) in a tie for 14th, which is either a sign that running a tournament is more demanding than playing in one, or simply proof that Fellows Creek does not offer home-course advantage to the man writing the checks. Either way, Kevin Gregoire’s contribution to the day went well beyond the scorecard, and the Mulligan Tour is grateful for his continued support of one of the calendar’s most beloved events. The Canadian Open has been played since 2018 and its champions list now includes Birkle, Jeff Klipa (twice), Tyler Floyd, Greg Paddison (twice), Rod Theunissen, Bob DeLorey, and Tom W. Litzler — a collection of winners that reflects everything Fellows Creek demands: precision, patience, and a scorecard that holds up under pressure.
The Tour Championship is next. The 2026 regular season is behind us, and the money race, the world rankings, and one final trophy are what remain. O Canada.