Caledon, Ontario – Cristobal del Solar has finished its Corn Ferry tour under the nickname “Mr. 57.” He cheated 59 people late Thursday afternoon at the RBC Canada opening.
At 10 under, with two holes remaining in the PAR-70 layout, Del Solar bogieed on par 4 17th place, and analyzed par 5 18th place with a 9-under 61 with Denmark’s Sorbjorn Oresen and shares the first round lead.
“I was just trying to hit a good shot,” Del Solar said. “I just stayed in the present and enjoyed myself. That’s what I was trying to do.”
Chile’s 31-year-old PGA Tour rookies Del Solar and Olsen took advantage of soft greens on the North Course at TPC Toronto in Osprey Valley after rain fell on Wednesday night.
Del Solar won the “Mr. 57” moniker in February 2024 when he scored the lowest score in the PGA Tour approval event when he shot a 13-under 57 in the first round of the Astaro Golf Championship in Colombia.
On Thursday, Del Solar had seven birdies on an eight-hole stretch mid-round. The former Florida player made a 6 1/2 foot birdie putt in par 3 14th place and ran in par 4 16th place with 15 1/2 footer, reaching 10 under.
On the 17th, he hit a greenside bunker on the right, blowing up just over 10 feet, missing a putt on the right. Needing eagle to 18 for a 59, he ran into the roughness of the left before slamming about 80 yards of the green.
“I just want to go and run each shot,” Delsolar said. “I think everyone sometimes moves ahead of themselves and thinks about the outcome and anything. You just want to go outside and hit a golf shot.”
Olesen eagled the 18th – his ninth hole – and had eight birdies and bogeys on the course hosting the National Championship for the first time.
“Obviously, I played great, but my putting today was exceptional,” Olesen said. “Don’t think I really missed a putt out there. I’ve definitely stopped a few long ones too. It was good to see everything coming in.”
Olesen played in the US Open at Oakmont next Monday, drilling a 15-foot birdie putt in the final hole of Toronto’s Lambton.
“I took a lot from that last putt,” Olesen said.
The afternoon starter took 15th out of the first 18, with Masters champion Rory McIlroy winning the final two holes of the morning with 71.
“We missed a few greens, but we didn’t particularly go up and down the last couple holes,” said McIlroy, the winner of the tournament in Hamilton in 2019 and St. George’s 2022 tournament.
Del Solar and Olesen are strokes from the 60 tournament records set by Carl Petterson in the third round at St. George in 2010, and Justin Rose also matched up in the fourth round of 2022.
Cameron’s champion shot 62, with Jake Knapp 63, and Rasmus Hodgegard, Shane Laurie, Trey Marinax and Ricky Castillo at 64.
Canada’s Taylor Pendris was 65 years old and was with defending champion Robert McInteal. Alex Smarley, Paul Peterson, Danny Willett, Rafael Campos, Kevin Yu, Alejandro Tosty and Paul Warling. MacIntyre won last year at Hamilton.
Canadian Nick Taylor, the 2023 winner in Oakdale, opened at 66.