OAKVILLE, Ontario, Canada --­ The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) in
partnership with new title sponsor RBC, announced a revitalized
vision for the RBC Canadian Open anchored by a long-term strategic
plan and highlighted by a series of significant tournament
enhancements.

The inaugural RBC Canadian Open will take place July 21-27 at the
renowned Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. The event will
feature both onsite and offsite activities expected to bolster
community interest and attract record-setting attendance.

"From the moment we announced the new title sponsor on November 1st
our partners at RBC were very forthright about their challenge to us
that the RBC Canadian Open must be bigger and better than before,"
said Scott Simmons, CEO and Executive Director of the Royal Canadian
Golf Association. "That means everything from the way we operate the
event, our fan experience, our marketing and promotional efforts, the
programming of auxiliary event enhancements and the inherent strength
of our field."

"Since day one we've been working tirelessly, challenging the RCGA and
ourselves on how to immediately elevate the status and prestige of
Canada's national Open championship in year one, not just over the
long haul," said Jim Little, Chief Brand and Communications Officer,
RBC. "We see the RBC Canadian Open as a national, week-long
celebration of golf; a seven to 10-day festival rather than the
traditional four rounds of golf inside the ropes. This first year
will be a strong step in the right direction."

A New Look and Feel

The inaugural RBC Canadian Open will feature several new enhancements
designed to bolster community interest and attract record-setting
attendance. Strong sponsor activation programs, upgraded corporate
hospitality structures, event branding and upgraded directional
signage round out what is sure to feel like a refreshed event in 2008.

New enhancements for the 2008 RBC Canadian Open include:

SCORE Awards ­ Monday July 21

Formerly operating as a separate entity to the Canadian Open, the 28th
Annual SCORE Golf Awards have been officially welcomed into tournament
week of the RBC Canadian Open and will kick off tournament week on
Monday, July 21st in a new gala format in downtown Toronto.

PENGROWTH Championship Pro-Am Draw Party ­ Tuesday July 22nd

Attended by corporate hospitality buyers and sponsor partners playing
in the Championship Pro-Am, this evening has been elevated with
special guest hosts, appearances by past Canadian Open champions and
the addition of a special musical guest.

Sponsor Activation Programs ­ Wednesday July 23rd through Tournament Week

RBC Canadian Open sponsors have been re-building their activation
programs, both on and off-site, with a renewed focus on fan engagement
and interactivity. In addition to on-site programs by Bell,
Pengrowth, BMW, Molson and LG, RBC will be announcing a major,
high-profile downtown Toronto activity in support of the RBC Canadian
Open that will engage golf fans in advance of tournament. Additional
sponsor programming announcements will follow in the coming weeks
leading up to the championship.

PENGROWTH Concert Series @ the 19th hole ­ Thursday, Friday & Saturday
July 24th, 25th & 26th

The on-site concert series will feature some of Canada's finest
musical artists providing golf fans with an opportunity to enjoy the
sounds of Blue Rodeo, 54-40 and Tom Cochrane right on the event
grounds in a special open-air venue within the RBC Canadian Open's
Spectator Village. Watch for more details on the PENGROWTH Concert
Series @ the 19th hole and how fans can participate at
www.rbccanadianopen.ca.

Future Host Venue Announcements
The RCGA and RBC are committed to hosting the RBC Canadian Open at the
finest golf courses in the country going forward. Future host city
and venue announcements will be made in the coming weeks and months
that will continue to address the goal of attracting stellar talent to
Canada.

The driving force behind the growth of the event is a five-year plan
focused on key elements aimed at returning Canada's national
championship to the premier status it once enjoyed on the PGA TOUR.
Helping RBC and the RCGA create the best possible golf tournament are
Canadian PGA Tour professionals Mike Weir and Stephen Ames as well as
former PGA Tour player and now Special Advisor to the RCGA, Richard
Zokol. The plan was recently shared with the PGA TOUR's executive
team during the week of the PLAYERS and was met with extremely
positive feedback.

Early Player Commitments Signal Strong Field for Inaugural RBC Canadian Open

Two-time defending champion Jim Furyk tops an early list of PGA Tour
notables that have announced their early intention to compete for the
2008 RBC Canadian Open. Furyk, currently the no. 7 ranked player in
the world, will be joined by proven PGA Tour veterans and a collection
of up and coming young stars at Glen Abbey to challenge for the $5
million (US) purse.

"It's clearly a new era for the RBC Canadian Open and given it is the
end of May we are delighted to announce that our defending champion
Jim Furyk will be joined by PGA Tour stars Retief Goosen, Sean O'Hair,
Fred Couples, Mark Calcavecchia, Ryuji Imada, J.B. Holmes, Boo
Weekley, Jeff Quinney and Chris DiMarco as well as Canadian favourites
Mike Weir and Stephen Ames," said Bill Paul, Tournament Director of
the RBC Canadian Open. "In the coming weeks we will be announcing
some additional names that are not only sure to please golf fans, butwill be legitimate threats to challenge Mr. Furyk for Canada's
national title."

Early Player Commitments:

Jim Furyk
· 13-time winner on the PGA Tour
· Currently ranked 7th in the world
· Sits 15th on current PGA Tour money list and 4th on the PGA
Tour career money list with almost $37 million (US)
· 5-time member of both the US Ryder Cup and President's Cup teams
· Looking to become the 3rd player to win three or more
Canadian Open titles and the 1st to win three consecutive

Sean O'Hair
· 2-time winner on the PGA Tour including his recent win at
the 2008 PODS Championship
· Currently ranked 34th in the world
· Sits 20th on the current PGA Tour money list and 15th on
FedExCup points race
· Touted as one of the rising stars on the PGA TOUR and a
2008 Ryder Cup hopeful

Retief Goosen
· 6-time winner on the PGA Tour
· Currently ranked 31st in the world
· Sits 54th on the current PGA Tour money list and 21st on
PGA Tour career money list with over $19.1 million (US)
· Has competed in four World Cups and four President's Cups
· Finished 2nd at the WGC CA Championship earlier this year

Fred Couples
· 15-time winner on the PGA Tour
· Sits 62nd on the PGA Tour money list and 19th on the PGA
Tour career money list almost $20 million (US)
· Has represented the US at five Ryder Cups, four World Cups
and four President's Cups

Mark Calcavecchia
· 13-time winner on the PGA Tour
· Currently ranked 55th in the world
· Sits 73rd on the current PGA Tour money list and 10th on
the career money list with over $22 million (US)
· Has played four Ryder Cups and one President's Cup
· 2005 Canadian Open champion (Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club)

Chris DiMarco
· 3-time winner on the PGA Tour
· Currently ranks 20th on the all-time PGA Tour money list
with almost $19.8 million (US)
· Has represented the US at two Ryder Cups and two President's Cups
· Is a graduate of the Canadian Tour (1992 Canadian Tour
Order of Merit winner)

Mike Weir
· 8-time winner on the PGA Tour
· Currently ranked 44th in the world
· Sits 64th on the current PGA Tour money list and 13th on
the all-time PGA Tour money list with over $21.6 million (US)
· Has taken part in three World Cups and four President's Cups

Stephen Ames
· 3-time winner on the PGA Tour
· Currently ranked 24th in the world
· Sits 21st on the current PGA Tour money list and 43rd on
the all-time PGA Tour money list with over $14.7 million (US)
· Has taken part in four World Cups

Ryuji Imada
· Currently 5th on PGA Tour money list and 3rd on FedExCup points race
· Currently ranked 52nd in the world
· Winner of 2008 AT&T Classic
· Four top-10 finishes in 2008

Boo Weekley
· Sits 10th on PGA TOUR money list and 8th on FedExCup points race
· Currently ranked 26th in the world
· Winner of the 2008 Verizon Heritage
· Has three top-10 finishes in 2008

J.B. Holmes
· Currently 11th on PGA TOUR money list 11th on FedExCup points race
· Currently ranked 42nd in the world
· Winner of the 2008 FBR Open
· Currently ranks 2nd in driving distance on PGA TOUR

Jeff Quinney
· Currently 9th on the PGA TOUR money list and 12th on
FedExCup points race
· Currently ranked 49th in the world
· Won the U.S. Amateur Championship in 2000
· Finished 2nd on the 2002 Canadian Tour Order of Merit
· Represented the U.S. at the Walker Cup in 2001

The final field of confirmed players for the 2008 RBC Canadian Open at
Glen Abbey Golf Club will be available after 5:00 pm on Friday, July
18th.

For updated corporate hospitality, tickets, volunteer and sponsorship
information, please visit www.rbccanadianopen.ca or call
1-800-571-OPEN.

ABOUT THE 2008 RBC CANADIAN OPEN
An exciting new era has arrived for Canada's national championship.
Part of the FedEx Cup, stars of the PGA Tour will compete for $5
million (US) at the RBC Canadian Open, July 21-27 at Glen Abbey Golf
Club in Oakville, Ontario. Established in 1904, the tournament is the
third-oldest national open golf championship worldwide next to the
British Open and the U.S. Open. The RBC Canadian Open is proudly
sponsored by RBC, Bell, Pengrowth, BMW Group Canada and LG. For
updated corporate hospitality, tickets, volunteer and sponsorship
information please visit www.rbccanadianopen.ca or call
1-800-571-OPEN.

RBC AND THE RBC CANADIAN OPEN
In partnership with the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA), RBC is
the title sponsor of the RBC Canadian Open, the third oldest national
golf championship worldwide, next only to the British Open and the
U.S. Open. With a history of great players and premier fields, the RBC
Canadian Open provides golf fans with the opportunity to experience
the excitement of a world class event on Canadian soil. RBC also
sponsors all levels of amateur sport, from grassroots programs in
local communities to national sport organization and elite-level
athletes.

ABOUT THE ROYAL CANADIAN GOLF ASSOCIATION
The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) is the governing body of
golf in Canada, representing 377,000 members at 1,600 clubs across the
country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sports
Organization (NSO) for golf in this country, the RCGA's mission is to
grow participation in and passion for the sport while upholding the
integrity and traditions of the game. The RCGA conducts programs and
services to help shape the future of golf in Canada. High performance
athlete development, Rules of Golf and amateur status, handicapping
and course rating, turfgrass and environmental research, the Canadian
Golf Hall of Fame and Museum and CN Future Links, Canada's national
junior golf program, are only some of the initiatives the association
leads for golf in Canada. In addition, the RCGA conducts Canada's most
prestigious golf championships. The RBC Canadian Open and CN Canadian
Women's Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while
regional junior and national amateur championships showcase the best
in Canadian golf. For further information on what the RCGA is doing
to support golf in your community please visit www.rcga.org.

For more information:
Dan Pino
Director, Media and Public Relations
Royal Canadian Golf Association
Office: 1-800-263-0009 ext. 406
Mobile: (416) 434-5525
Email: dpino@rcga.org

Beja Rodeck
Director, Media Relations
RBC
Office: 416-974-5506
Email: beja.rodeck@rbc.com