POUTINE, THE CLASSIC DISH: Cristie Kerr said she got a chance to visit old Montreal, see the sights and explore some of the culinary delights the city has to offer ahead of this week’s CN Canadian Women’s Open. However, the 2006 champion has yet to sample that French-Canadian staple, poutine.

“I almost tried it [Tuesday] night, but I couldn't eat that much. I had a salad for dinner,” said Kerr.

“I've heard of the classic dish. Potatoes and cheese and stuff, I don't know if that goes well with my stomach right now, but I'll try it while I'm here.”

Kerr added she’s also got an ace in the hole when it comes to the language barrier she and some of the other players face when they go into Montreal.

“One of my very good friends is Vincent Lecavalier, and he's here ...he's my translator.”

Kerr explained that she and Lecavalier, who plays for the Tampa Bay Lightning, are managed by the same company and they actually got to know each other better following the Lightning’s Stanley Cup victory in 2003-04.

“I'm actually probably the one that introduced Vinny to golf. Because we were sitting there having dinner and he was like show me how to grip the club, and he had never played before,” said Kerr, who added that Lecavalier maintains a single digit handicap.

“He's crazy for golf now. He just loves it. I think maybe he wants to stay in Tampa because he can play golf year round.”

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JUNIOR DAZE: As part of the Wednesday pro-am, LPGA players also took part in the CN Future Links Walk with a Pro . Forty area CN Future Links participants got the chance to carry the putter or bag of an LPGA pro on the 15th hole at Hillsdale Golf and Country Club. Paula Creamer took time out to tell an interesting story about when she shot 17 on one hole in her junior golf days.

“I was 11 years old. It was a crazy hole that I played, and I kept hitting it out of bounds. But it wasn't my fault. The fairway was sloping like a steep slope. It was up in the mountains. It kept going out of bounds. I didn't hit a shot in the middle of the fairway.

My dad kept calling out -- it's junior golf, there are no spectators, so it's just your family out there watching -- And my dad kept going ‘OB, OB, OB’. And finally I got one on the fairway, and it's a par-5 and I took my 3-wood, and he came out in the middle of the fairway and said it's OB. But I was like I don't understand.

But the hole went that way and it's a dogleg right. Now I've never hit a golf shot without going to the top of the hill to see where I was going because of that. That was the learning lesson of it all. Find out where the hole is and figure it out from there.

But, yeah, 17, that was an interesting car ride home talking about what were you thinking, and I was like I don't know. I didn't know what to do. I ended up hitting 9-iron off the tee.”

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CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: Is Paul McGinley being groomed as the next European Tour Ryder Cup captain in 2014? It would seem that way after he was reappointed as Britain & Ireland captain for next month’s Vivendi Seve Trophy against Continental Europe in Paris. This will give him an ideal opportunity to further his claims for the Ryder Cup captaincy in three years’ time.

“It seems they’re putting Paul strongly in a position to be the captain, which I think is a good move,” Paul Lawrie said. “I think he’s captain material. He’s a good lad and he’s played in a few Ryder Cups himself, so he knows what to do and what not to do.”

McGinley shot to fame by holing the winning putt from 11 feet in the 2002 Ryder Cup competition at the Belfry, and was on victorious Europe teams in 2004 and ’06. He was also vice captain of Europe’s winning side in 2010 in Celtic Manor, Wales, which was led by Montgomerie.

Montgomerie has also been mentioned as a potential Ryder Cup captain in 2014 and even though he hinted after last year’s win that he would not likely reprise his role, he says he would consider it if he’s asked.

“I’m available—I’m not playing that week probably.”

Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn would also be a likely contender for the 2014 captaincy but may still be in the running to play in the event.

Europe looks to be in safe hands from 2016 onwards, with the likes of Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and even Lee Westwood tipped to be future captains.

That responsibility to defend the title won at Celtic Manor last year falls to Jose Maria Olazabal for the 2012 event in Medinah. -- (AP)

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FINAL WORD

“If we put major in front of this tournament, I don't know how much or what would change. As Canadians you should be pretty proud of what this is because this is a pretty special National Championship. “ - LPGA commissioner Michael Whan on efforts to elevate the Canadian Women’s Open back to major status.

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Files from the Associated Press were used in this report