Somebody carrying a Canadian passport is bound to win the country's national golf championship eventually.

Only two men have accomplished that feat since 1914 and neither of them is still alive to tell the players of today how they did it.

That leaves Mike Weir, Stephen Ames and 17 other Canadians to figure it out on their own when the RBC Canadian Open gets under way at Glen Abbey today.

"There's going to be somebody at some time do it, whether it's my generation, the guys that are here right now or the next crop of young guys that are coming up," Weir said yesterday after his pro-am round. "It would be great for the game in this country if one of us can do it."

It's something Canadian players are reminded of every time they prepare for this event. By now, each of them knows Pat Fletcher's victory in 1954 was the last for the home side.

Richard Zokol certainly heard that over and over during the prime of his career. He was tied for the lead heading to the final round of the Canadian Open in 1987 before shooting 75 and watching Curtis Strange lift the trophy.

The main thing he remembers from that day is walking down the first fairway and seeing fans holding Canadian flags. That's when Zokol truly realized what was at stake.

It's 21 years later and Canadian golf fans are still waiting for a champion of their own.

"Each year gets tougher and tougher," said Zokol. "At some point, someone's going to have to deal with (the pressure) and succeed through it."

He doesn't envision that happening until there are more Canadians on the PGA Tour or unless "lightning strikes."

Weir, from Bright's Grove, Ont., missed the cut the first eight times he played a Canadian Open at Glen Abbey before nearly winning here in 2004, losing to Vijay Singh in a playoff.

A win this week would push Weir past George Knudson for the most career PGA Tour victories by a Canadian with nine.