A familiar face in friendly colours, Vijay Singh had all the look and swagger of a golfer playing on home soil.

The big Fijian is of course not one of the 16 Canadian players vying for the national championship here this week, but he might soon be up for honourary citizenship because of his strong support of the Canadian Open.

Singh didn't provide much reason for his loyalty _ simply saying, ``it's always been on my schedule'' _ but tournament director Bill Paul has come to count on the world's fourth-ranked golfer showing up and strengthening the field.

``I know he's come out a couple times because he has been here, he has been supportive of the tournament,'' Paul said of Singh, who is making his sixth straight appearance in the event. ``He did it for me a couple times and I was pleased with that.''

One thing that separates Singh from his Canadian counterparts is a victory in this tournament, which came in 2004 when he beat Mike Weir of Bright's Grove, Ont., in a three-hole playoff at Glen Abbey.

The support was clearly in Weir's corner on that electric Sunday and Singh seemed almost apologetic after being presented with the winner's trophy.

``I felt bad for Mike because it seemed like the whole world was behind him at that time and I was the only one against him,'' Singh said after playing the pro-am on Wednesday. ``But that's the way it goes.

``It was a great victory.''

A victory is what the Canadian players desire most this week, each keenly aware that no one since Pat Fletcher in 1954 has won in front of the home crowd.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickleson may not be at Hamilton to steal the trophy from them, but there are certainly some top-ranked players in Singh, Jim Furyk, Trevor Immelman and Stewart Cink to overcome and win the US$5-million event.

Plus, there's the added pressure of playing a tournament that has the feel of a major.

``I'm feeling it,'' said Calgary's Stephen Ames, who along with Weir has the best chance among Canadians to win this event. ``It's driving me harder.''

A little bit of anxiety started to set in on the eve of the event, with much of the chatter at Hamilton centring on Woods.

The world's No. 1 golfer is always a topic of conversation, but it's especially heightened here because of his current streak of five consecutive victories and his absence from this tournament for a fifth straight year.

None of the players was willing to publicly admit feeling relief that Woods was taking the week off, instead saying that they embrace the challenge of playing against the best.

``Sure he's on a great run right now but we all know what a fickle game golf is,'' said Immelman, who was the last player to win an event with Woods in the field at the Western Open in July. ``That run could come to an end at any tournament. Everything has its season.''

Added Ames: ``It's unfortunate he's not here. It enhances events, no doubt.''

That feeling is shared by the RCGA, which is currently facing a few issues with the running of the tournament.

It is without a title sponsor this year and has hired Cleveland-based International Management Group to ensure that doesn't happen again in 2007. The price tag on sponsorship is roughly US$6 million annually.

Further adding to the problems is a date change next season that will see the tournament played the week after the British Open and directly before a world golf event and the PGA Championship.

When told of that in the interview room on Wednesday, Jim Furyk pushed up the brim of his hat and rubbed his forehead.

``Wow,'' he said. ``That's tough.''

Not making things any easier is the poor reputation that next year's course, Angus Glen North, seems to have among players.

Davis Love III has spent time tweaking that layout and Paul tried to get some players to play a round there this week. There were no takers on his offer.

Even Singh is cautious about playing the event next year.

``I don't know what the golf course is like,'' he said. ``That is also a big factor, if the golf course is good then you're going to come and play.''

That comment is extremely telling.

Singh has earned just under $1.3 million in eight Canadian Opens, which is more than any other player in history.

He says it's again on his schedule for 2007 as of now, but he didn't exactly give the impression it was set in stone.

The RCGA views its current set of problems as more of a blip than a sign of where the tournament is headed.

``The Canadian Open is the most important thing the RCGA does year in and year out,'' said executive director Stephen Ross. ``It is the engine that drives the machine.

``We will go a long way to preserve this asset as a world-class, major-league sports property.''

The cure-all solution is painfully obvious to all involved. Woods can either be the saviour or part of the problem.

``Would we like to have Tiger? You'd have to be a fool to say no,'' said Rick Desrochers, the RCGA's chief operating officer. ``If Tiger committed to next year's event tomorrow, we wouldn't even be talking about the golf course. We wouldn't even be talking about the title sponsor.

``If Tiger's there, everything is OK.''

Notes: Mike Weir tees off Thursday at 1:10 p.m. ET in a group with Todd Hamilton and Jeff Maggert ... Ames plays alongside Will MacKenzie and Sean O'Hair at 12:50 p.m. ... American Omar Uresti and South African Tjart Van Der Walt got into the field when D.J. Trahan and Carl Pettersson withdrew.