Canadian Open once again 'overshadowed' by PGA Tour-LIV drama

The news came like a sucker punch on Tuesday morning.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the PGA Tour and its supposed rival, the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League, announced a merger. Details about what that means for the future of men's golf, almost a year after the sport seemed to fracture, were sparse.

Among the few certainties is that the Canadian Open will once again be obscured by the spat, one year after it went head-to-head with LIV's inaugural event in London and seemingly won as Rory McIlroy was crowned champion for the second consecutive time.

Adam Hadwin, of Abbotsford, B.C., was the first player to speak publicly about the news that stunned the golf world ahead of the tournament at Toronto's Oakdale Golf and Country Club.

"I can't help but feel sad for the Canadian Open, once again, that this news drops Tuesday of what is our national open, a very important event for golf in Canada and hopefully viewed from the PGA Tour's standpoint as an important event to them," Hadwin said.

"Now, once again, we're overshadowed."

WATCH | Adam Hadwin sad to see LIV overshadow Canadian Open:

There could have been plenty of golf-specific headlines, including a strong field of Canadians vying to fend off the McIlroy three-peat and become the first to win at home since 1954.

Instead, Hadwin was left to speak about the merger. He said he found out like everyone else this morning, and that commissioner Jay Monahan later sent a memo to membership.

"I think that what's transpired like the last year and a half and the rhetoric, not only on this side but on that side as well, I think it's difficult to look at that and say, how did we get here now?" Hadwin said.

The rift between the golf leagues was portrayed, by the PGA Tour at least, as a