Just hours after RBC announced a couple of weeks back that it was set to put their money with their mouth is in getting behind Canadian golf, I, like many others, referred to RBC as one of the major players in Canadian golf.

I’ll take a mulligan. They are now THE player.

From the official release naming RBC as an official patron of the PGA of America:

”This partnership represents an exceptional opportunity and an ideal platform to reach our target market and to build the RBC brand in the U.S. and internationally,” said Jim Little, Chief Brand and Communications Officer, RBC. “We have taken a purposeful approach to building our golf program and we are proud to step up as the Official Bank of The PGA of America. This relationship opens the door to significant benefits, including brand exposure with a highly attractive audience, client hospitality and new business development potential with thousands of members of The PGA of America.”

By lining up with some pretty powerful allies in golf – in this case, the PGA of America – RBC is sending a message they are ready to for primetime.

Of course, thanks to their rather rapid ascent up golf’s food chain, RBC is going to hold a pretty heavy hand at the boardroom table when the PGA Tour gets around to renewing the contract for the RBC Canadian Open.

As Bob Weeks at ScoreGolf pointed out after chatting with Little at the PGA Merchandise Show, the RBC won’t be pushing the PGA Tour for a more attractive date prior to their current pact ending two years from now. But rest assured, it’s near the top of RBC’s to-do list. The moment the current deal runs out, you can bet the phone will be ringing in Tim Finchem’s Office.

Getting the Canadian Open back to its glory days, with a whole lot of help from the gang at Golf House, is priority number one for RBC. That starts with a better date, leading more name players to make the trip north.

For now, there are probably a few more surprises coming out of the RBC head office as we make our way towards spring. If they are looking to make another splash before then, I am sure Rick Janes over at the Canadian Tour won’t create much of a fuss if Little and RBC come knocking on his door with a title sponsorship offer.

But the events of the past couple of weeks are nothing but good news for the RBC Canadian Open.