HAMILTON – “Auston Matthews” received some hearty cheers at the RBC Canadian Open Saturday afternoon.
Victor Perez, who shot a third-round 64, donned a Matthews jersey after hitting his tee shot at The Rink hole (the par-3 13th) at Hamilton Golf and Country Club – much to the delight of the boisterous crowd who had just watched Rory McIlroy come through in the group prior.
Perez’s agent, Joe Shuchat, was born and raised in Toronto and is a huge Maple Leafs fan. His trainer is also a big hockey guy, Perez said.
“I'm sure the people appreciated it. Try to show a little support,” Perez said. “It's great to be in Toronto and, yeah, it was just a little fun.”
Perez admitted he hasn’t yet been to a hockey game – he lives in the Bahamas – but with the playoffs being “all over the TV,” Perez has been following.
Perez is a three-time winner on the DP World Tour. The crowd, after watching McIlroy come through, was already loud when he arrived. Perez pulled the jersey from his bag and the crowd banged on the boards as he walked off.
“I think it's still entertainment at the end of the day,” Perez said. “I think it’s great to show a little, give back to them, and I think it gets the people going. It’s great.”
Perez’s 6-under 64 was the low round of the day through late afternoon.
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