NORTH PLAINS, Oregon – The first 25 of 50 available PGA TOUR membership cards for the 2018-19 season were secured on Sunday at the Web.com Tour’s final Regular Season event, the WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by Kraft-Heinz, contested on the Witch Hollow Course at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club.

Canadian Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., finished the regular season at No. 14 thanks to four top-10 finishes and one victory at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic.

South Korea’s Sungjae Im, who has led the money list each week this year after winning the season-opening Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay, posted rounds of 65-66-68-67—266 (18-under) to win by four shots over John Chin. The $144,000 first-place check pushed Im to $534,325 in earnings and allowed him to join Martin Trainer as the only players on Tour to win twice in 2018.

The 20-year-old Im, along with the other 24 card earners, will carry over earnings to the Web.com Tour Finals, where positions on the priority ranking list, used to set PGA TOUR fields each week, will be finalized.

An additional 25 cards will be awarded following the conclusion of the four-event Finals, which begin next week in Columbus, Ohio, with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. The final three events consist of the DAP Championship (August 30-2), Albertsons Boise Open presented by Kraft Nabisco (Sept. 13-16) and Web.com Tour Championship (Sept. 20-23). The second set of 25 cards will be based on money earned solely in the Finals.

The battle for the 25^th and final card came down to rookies Hank Lebioda and Kevin Dougherty, with Lebioda securing the last spot by $1,923.

Lebioda finished up a final-round 71 nearly two hours before Dougherty finished, and was forced to wait and watch the projected money list to see what his fate would be.

Dougherty birdied the par-4 17^th and had to birdie the par-5 18^th to earn his PGA TOUR card, but fell to his knees in disbelief as his birdie chip from just short of the green narrowly missed going in. The closing par left the former Oklahoma State golfer at No. 26 on the money list, and in turn vaulted Lebioda to the TOUR this fall.

The top 25 who secured their 2018-19 PGA TOUR membership are:

*=PGA TOUR rookie in 2018-19

The top 25 will be joined at the Finals by those PGA TOUR players who finished 126-200 in the FedExCup standings (less those with exemptions), plus non-members who earned enough equivalent FedExCup points to finish within the 126-200 range.

The 50 graduates will join the PGA TOUR for the 2018-19 season, which opens the week of October 1-7 with the Safeway Open in Napa, California.

Seventeen of Sunday’s 25 card earners will be rookies on the PGA TOUR in 2018-19.

REGINA, Sask. (Golf Canada) – The final four spots into the 2018 CP Women’s Open field will be determined in Monday’s final qualifying event at The Royal Regina Golf Club.

A total of 17 competitors will challenge for one of four spots into the field for Canada’s National Women’s Open Golf Championship. The Final Qualifier features 18 holes of stroke play with the low four competitors receiving an exemption into the 2018 CP Women’s Open field. If necessary, a hole-by-hole playoff will be conducted immediately following the conclusion of play.

Click here for pairings, start times and results from Final Qualifying on Monday, August 20. Results will be available as players complete their rounds.

Tournament week for the 2018 CP Women’s Open kicks off Monday, August 20 at The Wascana Country Club as the stars of the LPGA Tour make their first-ever visit to the province of Saskatchewan.

In addition to practice rounds in the morning, the Canada Day All-Star Pro-Am gets underway with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. The All-Star Clinic will feature LPGA Tour winner and recent Canadian Golf Hall of Fame inductee Gail Graham conducting live interviews with LPGA Tour stars including Alena Sharp, Lydia Ko, Morgan Pressel, Pernilla Lindenberg and Paula Creamer along with Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Lorie Kane.

A full field list of players confirmed to compete in the 2018 CP Women’s Open is available by clicking here.

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — With a different day brings better weather, and that was very good news on Saturday at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship. August James sits 2 strokes behind the lead with a share of sixth. She fired five birdies and one bogey on Saturday to head into Sunday’s round 6-under for the tournament.

The weather wasn’t the most important factor of the day though, but rather who could sink the final putt to take over first place through two rounds of play.

Janie Jackson held the lead at 7-under prior to her 2:25 p.m. second-round tee time on Saturday, but her lead didn’t last for long. There was a 6-way tie for first place heading into the latter portion of the afternoon. Between Jackson, Karolina Vlckova, Linnea Johansson, Casey Danielson, Kendall Dye, and Maia Schechter, nobody could pull away to take over solo possession of the lead.

Schechter was playing lights out, marking five total birdies on the day, compared to a lone bogey on her card. However, it was experience over tenacity that changed the leaderboard late.

Former LPGA Tour player Silvia Cavalleri decided it was her time to shine.

Cavalleri got off to quite the rough start, starting her day with back-to-back bogeys in her first two holes. She quickly bounced back from her issues, and birdied the third hole.On the 15th hole, she tallied her third birdie of the day, which put her in a tie for first at 7-unde-parr. Her fourth birdie of the day came at just the right time on hole No. 17, as it pushed her into the sole possession of first place at 8-under-par.

With the lead in her hands, Cavalleri needed to par the 18th to maintain sole possession of the lead heading into Sunday’s final round. She was lyingtwo on the fringe in front of the green, and needed to two-putt to finish with the lead. With her short game consistently having her back all day long, she decides to putt from nearly 25 feet away, and ended up just about a foot short of the hole.

Cavelleri tapped in to preserve the lead, and will head into the final day of competition one stroke ahead of the field.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Canada—James Love and Michael Gligic enter Sunday in a tie for ninth at 13 under overall to lead all Canadians in the field. Love shot a 2-under 70 Saturday while Gligic carded a 1-under 71.

Tyler McCumber has been in this situation before. Twice, in fact.

For the third time in four weeks, the 27-year-old will take a lead into the final round on the Mackenzie Tour, as a 7-under 65 propelled him to a one-shot advantage over Drew Weaver Saturday at The Players Cup. McCumber won in both previous instances, which came in consecutive starts at the Osprey Valley Open and Syncrude Oil Country Championship.

“Today was definitely my best day,” he said following his round at Southwood Golf & Country Club. “I was a little more relaxed, a little more in the flow, in the zone. I was hitting good shots and really, just really not as anxious today. Just went out there and kind of freewheeled it.”

McCumber, who also finished third last week at the ATB Financial Classic, carded consecutive birdies on Nos. 3, 4 and 5, then added a fourth birdie on No. 9. He pulled into a tie atop the leaderboard with an eagle on the par-5 No. 16, then took the lead for good with a birdie on the 18th hole. He was bogey-free for the second straight day.

“It was nice to kind of get some momentum and pace,” said McCumber, the top-ranked player on the Order of Merit. “I felt like today it was easier to get good mojo going and keep the momentum. I’m looking forward to that tomorrow. Obviously twosomes will play pretty quick.”

The University of Florida graduate will play in Sunday’s final pairing once again with Weaver, who he also paired with in the fourth round at the Osprey Valley Open. Weaver finished tied for third that day and will look to earn his first victory on the Mackenzie Tour since the 2015 Freedom 55 Financial Open.

“I finally converted one on the ninth for eagle, and that’s a big boost, obviously,” said Weaver, who also shot 7-under 65. “But once I got a piece of momentum, I just kind of ran with it. And that’s what I’ve tried to tell myself most of the summer, is that if I could just get a little bit of momentum in any way, shape or form, that I’m going to do my best to build on it.”

It was a tweet that echoed ‘round the world.

Well, the Canadian golf world, at least.

“Leaving @RBCCanadianOpen after 34 tournaments and 11 as Tournament Chair. Melancholy moment thinking about all the memories of Glen Abbey. To @TheGolfCanada, thanks for all the wonderful experiences and friendships made.”

The author was Jim Clark (@cognashene for those of you on Twitter) and the accompanying photo showed him beside the RBC Canadian Open trophy as the sun set on this year’s championship on July 29.

Leaving ⁦@RBCCanadianOpen⁩ after 34 tournaments and 11 as Tournament Chair. Melancholy moment thinking about all the memories of Glen Abbey. To ⁦@TheGolfCanada⁩ Thanks for all of the wonderful experiences and friendships made. pic.twitter.com/qHpCxBcykY

— Jim Clark (@cognashene) July 30, 2018

Clark, 61, has been involved as a volunteer in our national men’s Open since 1984 when he joined the Caddies and Juniors Committee. The eventual progression took him through that and other committees until he was chosen to be the Tournament Chair at the 2002 championship at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.

In 1984, Bill Paul was Golf Canada’s assistant tournament director, working under the legendary Richard “Dick” Grimm. Paul, now the organization’s director of professional tournaments, says Clark had a rare combination of qualities that made him the ideal volunteer.

“Jim was always interested in all areas of the tournament and was always trying to find ways to do things better. He was never satisfied with the status quo. He has a great personality, friendly and approachable. He listens to others and if he has an opinion, he explains it in a reasoned way.

“He’s the same when he was talking to the CEO of RBC as he was when he was talking to the volunteer marshal at the seventh hole at Glen Abbey.

“He was like the champion of the volunteers.”

It’s that last statement that will resonate most with Clark, without a doubt, because it echoes one of the many legacies of the late Dick Grimm, often referred to as “Mr. Canadian Open.”

Clark recalls the first time he saw Grimm. “I saw this large man lumbering through the parking lot and I asked, ‘Who’s that?’ ‘That’s Mr. Grimm,’ I was told. ‘He runs the place.’ He looked pretty intimidating, larger than life.”

But It didn’t take long for the two to become fast friends and for Clark to put his heart and soul behind one of Grimm’s core mantras.

“Look after the volunteers,” Clark says, doing a passable impression of Grimm’s gravelly baritone. “I can hear him saying that like it was this morning.”

According to Paul, Grimm would have been proud of how Clark carried out that legacy. Increasingly, the essential role of the volunteer (there were about 1,500 at this year’s RBC Canadian Open) can be overlooked, overtaken by the attention given to the necessary infrastructure, media, corporate presence, logistical realities and more.

Special thanks to over 1,500 volunteers that help make the #RBCCO a success

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— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) July 26, 2018

“You just don’t see what we had with Jim much in pro golf anymore,” says Paul. “He made it his mission to maintain Dick’s legacy of ‘the volunteer is king.’ In many ways, Jim was the man for the people, so to speak.”

Especially when the RBC Canadian Open is held at Glen Abbey, the role of the Golf Canada tournament chair is integral to the success of the event. Countless hours are devoted to finding the right people for the right roles for the more than 20 volunteer committees required to conduct the championship.

Once the planning is taken care of, then comes tournament week with its 18-hour days. But, says Clark, he would return to his “real job” in the computer industry on the Monday following the Open feeling “energized and exhilarated. It was such a great contrast to the other 51 weeks of the year, being around the best golfers in the world and some of the finest people I’ve ever met.”

When reflecting on some of the highlights, Clark harks back to the era of Jack Nicklaus (“my all-time favourite golfer”), Lee Trevino, Nick Price and their peers. “Guys like Price would duck into the caddie trailer to get out of the public eye, grab a beer, put their feet up on the cooler and just talk. Pretty cool.”

Being inside the ropes on the 18^th green at the 2000 RBC Canadian Open when Tiger hit that astounding shot on the 72nd hole was another great memory but four years later came one of the most unfortunate.

“I have to say the sadness of when Mike Weir lost in the playoff to Vijay will never go away. It was really heartbreaking.”

From the expression on his face in that July 29 photo, you can tell Clark was experiencing a bittersweet moment. And of his possible return to the volunteer ranks, as he says about the chances of the RBC Canadian Open returning to Glen Abbey, “never say never.”

With the 2019 CP Women’s Open coming up at Magna Golf Club near his Aurora, Ont., home, Clark, who remains a member of Golf Canada’s Governors Council, is “just a phone call away,” says Paul.

Never say never.

Possible Twitter alert?

When you get to be 125 years old, one birthday party just won’t do.

So Victoria Golf Club, which was founded back in 1893, is having a year-long celebration of sorts to mark its notable anniversary. The Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, which will be played Aug. 21-24 on Victoria Golf Club’s spectacular seaside links, is a big part of that celebration.

“Our actual birthday is Nov. 7,” says head professional Lindsay Bernakevitch. “We are hosting a bit of a member’s tournament on that day or right around there, but that was the impetus behind us trying to get this national championship that we could host and celebrate our 125th with.”

In July, an outdoor gala was held with about 650 people in attendance. And earlier this month, Victoria’s putting green was the site of a special afternoon high tea.

Victoria Golf Club is the oldest 18-hole golf course still on its present site in Canada. It is also among the most beautiful anywhere.

It sits on a pristine piece of property on Gonzales Point in the seaside municipality of Oak Bay and offers stunning views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The course began as a 14-hole layout in 1893 and was expanded to 18 holes two years later.

In its early years, golfers shared the course with sheep and cows that grazed the property owned by the Pemberton family. In fact, early in its life the course was closed in the summer months.

“Golfers refrained from playing on the premises for three months each summer, leaving the fairways undisturbed for the animals,” Arv Olson wrote in his book, Backspin: 100 years of golf in British Columbia. “The putting greens were fenced to protect against hoof-prints. The members learned to adapt; they tolerated the hazards dropped by the voracious stock.”

Victoria’s most memorable holes are on the ocean side of the course. Those begin at No. 3 after crossing the road and continue through No. 10.

Its signature hole would be No. 7, which was once a long par 3 that has been converted to a par 4. The left side of the hole hugs the ocean and has a treacherous two-tiered green that tilts towards the ocean and has seen more than its share of three- and four-putts over the years.

In his only round at Victoria Golf Club, Ben Hogan managed to putt his ball right off the green and into the ocean.
“It was a par 3 in the ‘50s when he played,” recalls Mike Parker, Victoria’s former longtime head pro who now serves the club’s head professional emeritus. “He putted from the right edge of the green right into the water. In those days it was out of bounds, it wasn’t a lateral hazard, and Hogan said it was the only time in his career he putted a ball out of bounds. That’s kind of a neat story.”

Among Victoria’s most notable members over its 125-year history is A.V. Macan, who arrived in the B.C. capital from his native Ireland in 1910 and started a law practice. After winning his second straight B.C. Amateur Championship in 1913 at his new home course, Macan scrapped his law practice and began what became a prolific career as a golf course architect.

Victoria’s members are proud of their club’s rich history. For more than a century they have played an annual inter-club match with members of Seattle Golf Club. Apart from three years during the Second World War, the matches have been played every year since 1903.

“It is a friendly match, it’s like a friendly soccer game almost,” says Parker. “It is nice to win, everybody tries their best to win, but at the end of the day it’s really a social day to a great extent.”
Victoria Golf Club is, by today’s standards, a short course. Stretched to its absolute limit, it plays about 6,200 yards as a par 70.

“Typically, players look at the scorecard and say we are going to kill this course because it’s so short,” Parker says. “But in fact they don’t at all. . .It depends on the weather. There will be some good scores, some 65s, 66s that kind of thing. But not as many as people think.”

Back in 1993, to help celebrate its centennial, Victoria played host to the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. The winning score, by Australian Gary Simpson, was 281 or one-over par.

“On occasion you can go low here,” says head pro Bernakevitch. “I definitely have had low rounds. But the greens are tough here and especially if the wind blows a little bit, par is always a good score. You are never going to be far out of it if you shoot par. That being said, someone could have a hot week, you never know. But it is just one of those places that has enough quirks to it, that it always seems to hold its own.”

It should be noted that the wind almost always blows a little bit at Victoria. Sometimes, a lot more than a little bit.

Bernakevitch, a Saskatchewan native, is in his fifth year as head pro at Victoria and feels like he is one of the most fortunate guys in the business having landed at the club.

“When I quit the tour life and decided to settle down and get into the club side of the business, this is the place I wanted to be,” he says. “The funny thing is I did a goal-setting thing probably eight years ago and wrote this golf course on my list. I said I want to be the head pro at Victoria Golf Club, that is where I want to end up. So it is really surreal that it actually happened. It has been everything I have dreamed of. It is an awesome membership and just a fantastic golf course. I still pinch myself driving into work.”

It’s probably safe to say more than a few of the Mid-Amateur competitors will also be pinching themselves when they experience Victoria Golf Club for the first time. There has been a huge demand from players wanting to play the event at what is a truly special golf course. Bernakevitch says they won’t be disappointed.

“The course is beautiful right now,” he says. “The entire course is probably the best I have ever seen it. Everything from fairways to rough to fescue to greens is as good, as healthy and as perfect as I have seen it in my five years here. That is really exciting for us. Our members are having an awesome summer of golf and we are going to roll that into a big tournament week.”

At only 20 years old, it might be a bit too early to be talking about one’s legacy.  But when that person is Brooke Henderson and she has six LPGA Tour titles – including one major to her name – that is a topic which will inevitably come up for discussion.

In just in her third full season, the former member of Golf Canada’s national team program trails only Sandra Post – who captured eight LPGA Tour titles during her career – for most all time by a Canadian.

“The first chapter has only been written,” said said Lorie Kane, referring to the legacy Henderson is building through her success.

As an inductee to the Canadian golf hall of fame in 2016 and a member of the Order of Canada, Kane is very familiar with leaving a legacy and making an impact.

“She brings a great level of excitement to the game with her success,” added the four-time LPGA Tour winner about Henderson. “And she is growing the game.”

For her part, the 20-year-old from Smith Falls, Ont. has some kind words about Kane – who she regards as a mentor.

“I remember playing a practice round with her when I was fifteen; and later that week we held hands and waved to the crowd while walking up the 18th hole. That was a special memory,” said Henderson.

“She’s really paved the way for Canadian golf.  She’s such a great ambassador for the game of golf; and it’s been incredible to learn from her expertise and experience.”

Kane is quick to point out that the young golfing superstar benefits from having a great supporting cast.

“Brooke is the product of a very good upbringing from her mom and dad and sister Brit who carries the bag that supports her,” she noted.

“She has also benefited a lot from being part of Golf Canada’s national team program,” Kane added.

Henderson, who first joined the national team program at the age of 14, credits her time with the team for a significant part of her success.

“I got so many opportunities to compete outside of Canada and in the U.S. We played in the British and world amateur championships and all over the world,” Henderson said.

“So being on the team really taught me a lot.  Not only from the coaches – but golf-wise we had access to a nutritionist, psychologist, strength and conditioning. I learned about all the aspects of the game of golf and that’s been very important to my development.”

Today, as a six-time LPGA Tour winner and a bona fide star in her sport, the 20-year-old golfer is grateful to be living out her childhood dream.

“It’s always been a dream since I was a little girl to play against the best golfers in the world; and I’m now very thankful to be able to do that every week and travel the world,” said Henderson, who started playing the sport at the age of three.

“Having six wins I feel so blessed and grateful to have that and hopefully I can continue on that trend.”

In terms of continuing on the success she’s enjoyed, Henderson isn’t shy about declaring her goal of one day capturing the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

“This event is kind of like the sixth major out on the LPGA Tour and it means a lot to me. It would mean the world to mean to win this title in front of the Canadian fans.”

Looking at the bigger picture, the two-time CP Female Athlete of the Year is happy that her success has a ripple effect in terms of inspiring others to chase after their own version of greatness.

“I’m happy to be someone that the kids can look up to and be someone who inspires them to be the best person they can; so, they can chase after their dreams in sports, academics or whatever field of interest they may have.”

Henderson’s success has also provided her with a platform to address important causes close to her heart.

“I think its great to play on the LPGA Tour and play all around the world and be in a position where you can give back,” she said.

“And being a CP Has Heart Ambassador is one them. Just to see the difference this program is making and the lives they are saving is just extraordinary.”

Last year in Ottawa, the program raised $2M for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. This year, the funds raised through the program will go to support the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“I’m really happy to be an ambassador alongside Lorie Kane.  And she does a really great job in raising awareness and helping to raise awareness so I’m following her lead,” Henderson added.

Also, in early April, with the devastation left behind by the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, Henderson dedicated her victory at the Lotte Championship in Kapolei, Hawaii to the victims and their families.

“What happened was extremely tragic and I was happy that I was able to win it for them and I was glad to be able to honour them in some way,” she said.

As the Smiths Falls, Ont. native prepares to compete in Saskatchewan for the first time in her career, she hopes to be able to honour the victims one more time with a strong performance in the third week of August at the Wascana Country Club.

Besides building a legacy through her stellar results on the golf course – and chasing down records in the process – the mature 20-year-old understands that a part of that legacy will also be defined by how she uses her platform away from the golf course.

“In the big scheme of things, I’m playing golf for a living and enjoying every minute of it,” said Henderson.

“This is my passion and it’s what I love to do. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to give back and inspire others along the way,” she added.

“And everyday, I’m just trying to be a better golfer and a better person.”

To see Keith Creel in action is to see efficiency personified.

The President and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Pacific is committed to precision and to providing safe, efficient and reliable rail service that connects Canadian commodities with the world.

While his passion for railroading runs deep, his passion for golf isn’t far behind.

On July 9, he was front and centre, letting the country know CP had extended its agreement with Golf Canada and the LPGA Tour to continue to sponsor the lone stop on the LPGA Tour schedule for the next five years, as well as continuing to invest in a myriad of other Golf Canada programs as well as sponsor LPGA Tour winners Brooke Henderson and Lorie Kane.

“I’ve had history with this event for the last eight or nine years and there’s nothing that connects personally or professionally across the business in so many different areas with people and communities like golf does, especially in Canada,” said Creel, who also worked at CN Rail prior to moving to CP, the previous sponsor of the Canadian Women’s Open from 2006-2013.

Creel looks forward to the impact CP is going to have in the communities where the tournaments are played over the coming years. Saskatchewan, for example, is one of only two provinces in Canada that does not yet have a children’s hospital. With the estimated $2 million that will be raised for this year’s event, CP will play a starring role in making that a reality in 2019.

He also gets excited talking about the success of Henderson, who shot a tournament course record in 2017 at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club on Saturday to get into contention.

“I don’t know if we’ll see anything like that again, and I hope I’m wrong because that was pretty special,” he said of Henderson’s run up the leaderboard.

Creel began golfing himself when he came to Canada in 2002 and started as “a hacker” in Winnipeg. Creel had some history at Magna Golf Club – the announced host site of the 2019 CP Women’s Open – having lived in the area previous and making fond memories with his family.

“I started to be a hacker and I loved hacking. I haven’t stopped since,” he explained with a smile.

At a time when corporate budgets are getting tighter and a stronger-than-ever business case needs to be made when it comes to be involved with programs or events, CP has doubled-down on their investment to be involved with golf in Canada.

Creel said both the “people return” and the “business return” of being involved with golf make a lot of sense to him, and the relationship with Golf Canada is one that is filled with synergies.

“The level of commitment and professionalism matches ours. It’s a good fit,” he said. “When you meet an organization that understands and gets you and they reflect the same thing it offers a very unique opportunities for partnership.”

Laurence Applebaum, who just celebrated one-year at the helm of Golf Canada as its CEO, says his personal relationship with Creel has been invaluable, as he’s gotten his feet wet in corporate Canada.

He calls him an “incredible partner and resource.”

“We’ve spent a lot of time together this past year,” said Applebaum. “You realize how broad of a business he’s able to manage and how balanced he is with his family life as well. Keith is intimately involved with golf at all levels.”

Applebaum said Golf Canada is thrilled to have Creel and CP as a key partner for Golf Canada for the next five years, as the railway will also be a financial supporter of the Young Pro Program, Golf Canada’s National Team, and the title sponsor for the CP Women’s Leadership Summit (debuting this year in Saskatchewan).

With a five-year agreement, Applebaum says CP is showing its commitment to the sport in Canada and it’s showing the marketplace where its priorities lie.

“These companies want to be long term committed partners and it helps us plan our business, engage our fans, and tell people what we want to do. It gives us a runway for success,” said Applebaum.

“It’s a wonderful thing to share… an overall commitment to a sport with a five-year term signifies to the market that we’re really partners.”

With the 2018 CP Women’s Open on track and starting next week, Creel said it’s full steam ahead. But it’s not just for this year. It’s for the years ahead as well.

Creel is excited to use golf as a platform for its business to connect with millions across Canada.

“If you can take a sport that connects people emotionally and use it to sponsor heart health in Canada and to give back to the communities we serve… it’s just fantastic,” he said. “It gives an event to a community, but it also creates an emotional connection with our customers and families. I just do not know of another venue that offers all those things other than golf.”

Having served on the executive team of the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) – and as it’s president in 1989 – Keith Rever has played an important leadership role in the growth of golf across the country.

With the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open being held in his hometown of Regina for the first time at the Wascana Country Club – also referred to in short as WCC – Rever sees it as an important step in promoting the game in his home province.

“I think it’s great that the tournament will be coming here for the first time and we get to see the best female golfers compete first hand,” said Rever, who served as a director of the WCC for 15 years and served as the club’s president in 1980.

“I’m sure seeing the best players compete will inspire more young girls and boys to pick up the sport,” added the Regina native.

According to his daughter, Susan Rever, the significance of the CP Women’s Open coming to Regina is recognized by the entire family.

“Our whole family is excited, as it is the first time Saskatchewan has hosted an LPGA TOUR event. We look forward to being a part of this,” she said.

Recently, Rever – a retired engineer – took a moment to reflect back on his journey as an architect for the growth of the sport in Canada.

Rever says he first developed a passion for golf when he took up the sport as a youngster.

“My mom and dad rented a house about five blocks from a golf course and I would walk down there in the mornings to play a couple rounds and hit balls during the summer; and if you hit enough balls, you start improving,” said Rever, who has been extra busy this summer helping his daughter with a home improvement project.

“I became a junior member at the Wascana Country Club in 1956 and a general share holder in 1960,” he recalled.

“I won the club championship about five times. Its been a lot of fun out there. I’ve met a lot of wonderful people playing at the club.”

Rever’s natural talents on the golf course enabled him to compete at the highest level as an amateur.

He won the City of Regina Championship nine times and was the Saskatchewan Amateur Champion on two separate occasions.

In 1964, Rever was a member of the only team from Saskatchewan to win the Willingdon Cup – an annual team competition dating back to 1927 which features the top amateurs from each province.

“The winds were about 50 miles per hour and of course that gave us Saskatchewan boys a bit of an advantage because we were used to it,” he said with a smile about the Willingdon Cup win.

In 1971, that championship team – consisting of Rever, along with Alec Bland,  who was the non-playing captain, Ernie Greenley, Ed Ross, and Jim Scissons – had their accomplishment honoured in the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame.

Willingdon Cup Champions

Rever also has his name enshrined in the Wascana Hall of Fame, as well as, the Saskatchewan Golf Hall of Fame.

“His inductions are a reminder of his incredible achievements,” noted his daughter, Susan.

“My dad’s passion for the sport, and his lifelong commitment to improve his performance and the sport he loves so much is impressive.”

While he opted to pursue a career in electrical engineering instead of one as a professional golfer, Rever was committed to remaining involved with the sport in other ways.

“I was the president of the Saskatchewan Golf Association in 72 and 73 and back in those days each provincial association nominated a representative to serve on the Royal Canadian Golf Association,” Rever pointed out.

“They asked me if I would consider it; and so in 1976, I joined the board of the RCGA – which of course, changed it’s name to Golf Canada in 2010.”

At the national level, he was a governor of the RCGA from 1976 to 1985, and on the executive team from 1986 to 1990, with a one-year term as president in 1989.

Rever says finding a balance between his full-time career as an engineer and as a member of the RCGA executive team was a bit of a challenge.

“It was really difficult to balance the roles; and I think in retrospect it probably wasn’t fair to my family,” he said with a chuckle.

“But I’m thankful that they put up with me and supported me in every way and I really appreciated that,” noted Rever, who adds that his wife, Marianne, and his son, Scott, are also avid golfers.

Rever says one of the initiatives that he was proud to have supported during his tenure on the executive team was the integration of the RCGA and the Canadian Ladies’ Golf Association (CLGA).

“I think I may have been one of the first RCGA presidents to speak at the CLGA annual meeting.  Our team supported the idea of amalgamation and I was happy to see it eventually happen,” he said.

Rever also recalls one of his biggest thrills was inducting Jack Nicklaus into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1995.

“After I was president of the RCGA, I became chair of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame committee and I had the honour of being part of the team that inducted Jack Nicklaus,” he said.

“Jack was always very supportive of the Royal Canadian Golf Association and attended all the (RBC) Canadian Opens and spoke very highly of it; and regarded it as the fifth major in the world back in those days,” Rever noted about Nicklaus who was inducted in the builder category given his role in designing Glen Abbey.

“I remember the induction ceremony was held at the Glen Abbey Golf Club and there was over 200 people there; and it was just a great evening.”

While Rever speaks highly of Nicklaus’ contributions to the growth of the sport in Canada, he also speaks with high regard about Brooke Henderson and the significance of her success.

“I’m very impressed with Brooke. She seems like a very nice young lady who obviously has got a lot of natural skill and also very good work ethic; and her success is definitely inspiring a lot of young golfers in the country,” he said.

“So hopefully she’s going to do well when she comes to Saskatchewan. I spoke to her briefly but I didn’t get a chance to tell her to practice her shots into the wind – she’s probably going to need them,” he added with a smile.

“I’ve also met Lorie Kane; and I can tell that she’s a really classy lady. Both Lorie and Brooke are great ambassadors for the game in Canada and have done so much to grow the game,” he added about the two CP Ambassadors who have a combined 10 LPGA TOUR titles between them.

And while golfers, such as Kane and Henderson, have done so much to grow the game through their accomplishments on the golf course, Rever takes pride in knowing his efforts over the years off the golf course – particularly in the boardroom – has built the foundation for the success of the sport across the country.

“It was great to have worked with all the people who were so passionate about the game and wanted to see it grow. It’s also great to know that our efforts over the years have had a positive impact on the sport,” said Rever.

“I’ve also had a chance to meet the new leadership team at Golf Canada and I can say the sport is in good hands.”

With the CP Women’s Open set to tee off on August 23rd in his hometown, the self-described golfing enthusiast says he’s noticing a lot of buzz and excitement surrounding the tournament.

“We had the Brier and also the Memorial Cup here in Regina earlier this year, so its taken a bit of time for the CP Women’s Open to gain traction but now we are hearing about it on the radio and seeing a lot about it in the news,” said Rever.

“So I think by the time this tournament comes around, everyone will be feeling a lot of excitement – I know my family and I will for sure.”

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. AND ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND – In an effort to thoroughly inform the Distance Insights project through the lens of the global golf community, the USGA and The R&A will engage with golfers and a wide range of golf’s stakeholders to gather perspectives on the potential causes and impacts of increased distance, beginning in September.

The Distance Insights project began in May as part of the governing bodies’ overall efforts to ensure the long-term sustainability of the sport. Primary and third-party research is currently being conducted to review historical data and ascertain the past, present and future implications of increased distance on how the game is played.

In this latest phase of the Distance Insights project, research will be conducted with a series of golfers and stakeholder groups worldwide, banded into 12 general categories. Each group will be asked a series of universal questions to elicit broad perceptions of distance in golf, as well as group-specific questions relating to their area of expertise. The findings of the global perspectives research are expected to be a vital component of the full Distance Insights report, scheduled to be released in 2019.

Take the survey

Sports Marketing Surveys, Inc., an independent and international full-service sports research consultancy, has been selected through a global RFP process to provide multi-layered research and insight expertise for this phase of the project.

Stakeholder categories are as follows:

• Championship committees
• Course Facility professionals/managers
• Facility maintenance providers, including superintendents/greenkeepers
• Golf administrative organizations
• Golf course architects/construction professionals
• Golf equipment retailers
• Golf equipment manufacturers
• Golf professionals/teachers
• Golfers
• Media
• Non-golf stakeholders
• Tournament golf spectators

The SMS Inc. research will be conducted throughout the world and in several languages, including Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish, and involving golfers and those working in the industry in both established and emerging golf communities.

The work will principally focus on gaining an understanding from various stakeholder groups into how distance in golf has impacted them over their full golf experience, if at all, and its projected impact into the future. It will include analysis of feedback received to date from the global golf community, following the project’s initiation earlier this year.

Information on the Distance Insights project, including frequently asked questions, historical data and general terms and conditions for submitting data, can be found atusga.org/distanceinsights or randa.org/distanceinsights.