The first step on the path towards the PGA TOUR begins this week at Carlton Oaks Country Club in Santee, California, as 132 players compete to earn status on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada for 2018.

The Order of Merit winner following the 2018 season will be fully exempt on the 2019 Web.com Tour, while finishers 2-5 earn conditional status and an exemption into the Final Stage of Q-School. Finishers 6-10 also earn an exemption directly into Final Stage, while players in the 11th through 20th spots earn exemptions through Second Stage.

The path has already been utilized by 20 players who have gone on to earn PGA TOUR cards since 2013, highlighted by PGA TOUR winners Nick Taylor, Tony Finau and Mackenzie Hughes. 166 total alumni have earned Web.com Tour status, including 72 competing there for the 2018 season.

Mackenzie Tour alums to have earned their cards in California include PGA TOUR players Tony Finau, Brandon Harkins and Sam Ryder, as well as The Five members Greg Eason and Taylor Pendrith and tournament winners Daniel Miernicki and Rico Hoey.

CANADIANS IN THE FIELD (6):

Eric Hawerchuk (Barrie, Ont.)
Andrew Ledger (Toronto, Ont.)
Sean Bozuk (Burlington, Ont.)
John Mlikotic (Kelowna, B.C.)
Andrew Funk (Edmonton, Alta.)
Darren Day (Victoria, B.C.)

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – A long victory drought on the PGA TOUR finally ended Sunday, just not the one a raucous crowd was expecting.

Paul Casey closed with a 6-under 65 and won the Valspar Championship, but only after watching from the locker room as Tiger Woods came up one putt short of forcing a playoff. It was the closest Woods has come to winning in nearly five years.

Casey, who started the final round five shots behind, ran off three straight birdies early on the back nine at Innisbrook to take the lead, and he closed with four par saves to post at 10-under 274.

No one caught him, giving him his second PGA Tour title and his first since the Houston Open in 2009.

Patrick Reed was tied for the lead and appeared headed for a playoff at worst until his approach to the 18th came back down the slope, and his 45-foot birdie putt was so weak that it rolled all the way back to his feet . He three-putted for bogey and a 68.

Woods and his massive following went dormant after an opening birdie to briefly share the lead. He went 15 holes without a birdie until he brought Innisbrook to life with a birdie putt from just inside 45 feet that died into the cup at the par-3 17th, leaving him one shot behind with one hole to play.

Woods played conservatively with an iron off the 442-yard, uphill closing hole on the Copperhead course. From 185 yards, his approach came up some 40 feet short, and his birdie putt to force a playoff was 2 feet short.

He closed with a 70 – the first time since The Barclays in 2013 that he posted all four rounds under par on the PGA TOUR – and tied for second. That was his best finish since he tied for second at that Barclays tournament, right about the time his back started to give out.

Casey had gone 132 starts on the PGA Tour since winning in Houston, though he had won five times worldwide, including the European Tour’s flagship event at the BMW PGA Championship. He had seven top 5s in the FedEx Cup playoffs over the last three years.

Someone always played better – until Sunday.

Corey Conners, the Canadian rookie who started the final round with a one-shot lead, fell back quickly after opening with a bogey on the easiest hole at Innisbrook. He shot 77 and tied for 16th.

Thanks for the thrilling run, @coreconn – ?? is proud of you!

Until the next time! ? pic.twitter.com/fWJtzGTZ1H

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) March 11, 2018

Defending champion Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., closed with a strong 3-under-par 68 to finish tied for 12th at 4 under.

Woods looked closer than ever to winning in his remarkable return from fusion surgery on his lower back last April. Each week has been a little better. He has been a factor on Sunday the last two tournaments, and a gallery that stood 10-deep around just about every green could sense it.

He just couldn’t deliver after a two-putt birdie on the par-5 opening hole.

“I didn’t feel that sharp with my iron game,” Woods said. “I played conservatively into the green because I wasn’t as sharp as yesterday. It was one of those days I kept getting half-clubs.”

He missed birdie chances on both par 5s on the back nine, pulling a wedge into the rough at No. 11 and three-putting from 80 feet on No. 14. He missed a couple of putts in the 15-foot range. And right when it looked as though he was out of chances, he ran into the 45-foot birdie putt to keep everyone guessing.

Next up for Woods is the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill next week, which he hasn’t played since winning five years ago. He is an eight-time winner at Bay Hill, and the euphoria over his return is sure to reach even higher decibels.

“I keep getting a little bit better,” Woods said. “I had a good shot at winning this golf tournament. A couple putts here and there, it could have been a different story.”

Reed will look back on one putt.

He opened with a 60-foot eagle putt that slammed into the pin on No. 1 and was never far from the lead, tying Casey with a bold fairway metal onto the fringe at the 14th that set up birdie. He was in the middle of the fairway on the 18th. He twirled his club when the ball was in the air.

And then it all went wrong.

The putt up the hill never had a chance, and when it started rolling back at his feet, Reed beckoned it with his right hand. He used a wedge on the fourth shot, knowing he had to hole it for par to force a playoff.

That left Casey the winner, finally.

The 40-year-old from England had reason to believe his hopes ended on Saturday when he hit into the water on the 16th and made double bogey, falling five shots behind. He answered Sunday with all eyes on someone else – Woods – by going out in 33, and then getting rewarded for aggressive play. He got up-and-down from a bunker short of the green at No. 11 for birdie, stuffed his approach to a foot on No. 12 and then holed a 20-foot birdie from just off the green at No. 13.

Justin Rose, among six players who had a share of the lead at some point in the final round, had back-to-back bogeys on the back nine and never atoned for his mistakes. He closed with a 72 and finished three shots behind.

It is with great sadness that the Canadian golf community mourns the loss of revered PGA of Canada professional Jerry Anderson of Cambridge, Ont. who passed away suddenly on March 9, 2018 at the age of 62.

He is survived by his wife Barbara and children Chrysse and Luke along with countless friends across the Canadian and International golf community. 

Statement from Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum:

“On behalf of the entire golf community including the golfers, associations and fellow competitors whose lives he touched, we are saddened by the passing of Jerry Anderson. Jerry’s accomplishments on the golf course along with his determination to chase his dream all around the globe define the drive of a champion. As we join family and friends in mourning his sudden passing, his outstanding legacy deserves to be celebrated.”

Statement from Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada President Jeff Monday:

“The entire Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada community was devastated to learn about the passing of Canadian golf legend Jerry Anderson this weekend. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his wife Barbara and the rest of the family at this time.”

Born September 22, 1955 in Montreal, Que, Anderson took up the game in 1968 as a caddie at the Whitlock Golf and Country Club near Montreal. He attended the University of Texas (1975-78) and had a strong amateur career before turning professional.

By 1978, he had had earned his Canadian Tour (now Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada) card and would go on to win nine times on the Canadian development tour including the Ontario Open (1979), Players Cup (1979), Saskatchewan Open (1979-80), Quebec Open (1982-83) and Canadian Tour Players Championship (1988). Anderson topped the Canadian Tour Order of Merit on three occasions—1980, 1982 and 1989.

He also won the PGA of Canada Championship in 1987 after finishing runner-up in 1985.

Anderson played on the European Tour through most of the 1980’s, travelling the world with his wife. He became the first Canadian to win on the European Tour when he shot 27-under par (261) to win the 1984 Ebel European Masters – Swiss Open by five strokes. His 72-hole score was a record on the European Tour until Ernie Els shot 29-under at the 2003 Johnnie Walker Classic. In 1984, he finished ninth on the European Tour Order of Merit.

In additional to playing golf in Europe, through Asia, Africa and South America, Anderson also spent two seasons on golf’s biggest stage, the PGA TOUR in 1990 and 1992. Over a total of 66 events played, he made the cut 18 times with three top-25 finishes.

He played in the (RBC) Canadian Open 12 times between 1977 and 1992 with three cuts made. His best finish was T15 in 1982.

Among his many accomplishments, Anderson represented Canada at the Alfred Dunhill Cup in 1985 (with Dave Barr and Dan Halldorson) and at the World Cup in 1983 and 1987 (with Dave Barr), .

In 1991, Anderson won the Ben Hogan Texarkana Open (currently the Web.com Tour).

In 2000, he was reinstated as a Class A member of the PGA of Canada and worked at several clubs including Cambridge Golf Club and Ingersoll Golf and Country Club.

Most recently, Anderson worked as a PGA of Canada Class A Teaching Professional at Credit Valley Golf & Country Club in Mississauga, Ont.

He was inducted in the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in 2002 and the PGA of Canada Hall of Fame in 2016.

Jerry Anderson’s competitive accomplishments across the provincial, national and international golf landscape included:

• Attended the University of Texas from 1975-78
• #1 Ranked Amateur golfer in Ontario in 1976
• Ontario Open Champion (1979)
• Players Cup Champion (1979)
• Saskatchewan Open Champion (1979-80)
• Quebec Open Champion (1982-83)
• PGA of Canada Champion (1987); Runner-Up (1985)
• Canadian Tour Players Champion (1988)
• Windsor Charity Championship winner (1989)
• Tournament Players Championship winner (1989)
• Three-time Canadian Tour Order of Merit winner (1980, 1982, 1989)
• Member of Canada’s World Cup Team in 1983 and 1987
• Member of Canada’s Dunhill Cup Team in 1985
• European Masters Swiss Open Champion (1984)
• German Open, Runner-Up (1984)
• Canadian Open, Low-Canadian (1992)
• Texarkana Open Champion (1991)

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Canadian PGA TOUR rookie Corey Conners retained the solo lead he held after each of the first two rounds, shooting a 3-under 68 to hold a one-shot lead over Justin Rose, Brandt Snedeker and Tiger Woods.

Conners, who ran off birdies in the early stretches of both sides at Innisbrook, saved par from the bunker on the 17th and kept his cool when his ball moved slightly on the 18th green to finish off a par for a 3-under 68.

Now comes the hard part.

He had a one-shot lead over Woods, Brandt Snedeker and Justin Rose as he goes after his first PGA TOUR victory before a crowd rarely seen this side of a major. Thousands bordered on a delirium for just about every shot Woods hit, especially when he chipped in for birdie behind the ninth green, holed a 20-foot birdie putt at No. 10 and gave himself birdie chances inside 8 feet on the next two holes.

Woods missed them both to slow his momentum. He dropped only one shot and finished with four straight pars in his round of 67. It was his fifth straight round at par or better, his longest stretch in the same season since September 2013.

This marks the first time Conners has held the 54-hole lead/co-lead in 21 career starts on the PGA TOUR. Before this week, Conners’ best position after any round on the PGA TOUR was T21 after the first round of The Honda Classic two weeks ago (T59).

A win from Conners following fellow Canadian Adam Hadwin’s victory at the 2017 Valspar Championship would mark the first time in PGA TOUR history that two different Canadians won the same event in back-to-back seasons (Mike Weir won the Genesis Open in 2003 and 2004).

Another birdie moves @coreconn to -10 ???? pic.twitter.com/9RnB9pQQu6

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) March 10, 2018

Conners, who came into the week as third alternate, received his spot in the field when Kyle Stanley withdrew. He learned of his spot in the field after shooting a 71 in the Monday Qualifier, which would not have been enough to play his way in.

Tiger Woods was right in front of him Saturday, and Conners could hear the roars all afternoon.

“Loud. Very, very loud,” Woods said about the gallery. “I played myself right there in contention. It will be a fun Sunday.”

Conners, in only his 17th start on the PGA Tour as a pro, was at 9-under 204.

Canadian @coreyconners carries a 1-stroke advantage into tomorrow’s final round at the @valsparchamp ????? • • ? (Getty Images) • #golf #golflife #golfr #golfcanada #golfswing

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on Mar 10, 2018 at 3:05pm PST

He finished with a two-putt par from 20 feet and one nervous moment. As he was taking a few practice strokes for his 3-foot par putt, the ball moved ever so slightly without him touching it with his putter. He marked it and called over an official to confirm there is no longer a penalty for a ball moving even after a player has addressed if it was clear he didn’t cause the ball to move.

He will be paired in the final group with Rose, who holed a wedge for eagle from 120 yards on the par-5 11th and followed with two more birdies for a 66.

Snedeker, coming off a sternum injury that knocked him out of golf for the second half of last year, was equally impressive as the guy in his group everyone came to see. He twice matched birdies with Woods with 12-foot putts, and after falling two shots behind and the crowd getting louder by the hole for Woods, Snedeker battled back with a pair of birdies for a 67.

He will play with Woods again in the final round.

Woods has never been so close to winning since his last victory in the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone in 2013. It has been a remarkable return from his fourth back surgery, especially since he wasn’t cleared to start hitting balls until five months ago.

In his sights are a shot at his 80th career victory on the PGA TOUR and more momentum and madness as the Masters approaches.

In 10 starts this season, Conners has just one missed cut (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am). Conners made his way to the PGA TOUR this season by virtue of a 41st-place finish.

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Canadian Corey Conners knew Tiger Woods had finished his second round at Innisbrook because he couldn’t see him. He was only about 50 yards from the ninth green, but there were too many fans covering every inch of grass, packed in a dozen deep because of Woods.

Woods brought the Valspar Championship to life Friday with his best round of a comeback that is building momentum toward the Masters.

Conners was happy to play a quiet round in the afternoon and wind up with the lead.

The rookie from Listowel, Ont., ran off three birdies before a careless error set him back, and he finished with a 2-under 69 for a two-shot lead going into the weekend. Right on his heels was Woods, who kept a clean card until his final hole and shot 68.

That’ll work, @coreconn ?

He leads the @ValsparChamp by 2 ??? pic.twitter.com/wtx4DkODDg

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) March 9, 2018

Conners was on the putting green when Woods and his entourage – officials, security, media and stragglers – walked along the edge of the green, in front of another group waiting to tee off on No. 1 and toward the scoring area.

“I definitely saw that,” Conners said. “I’ve seen that the last few days as well. Pretty cool. Hopefully, I can be in a position where I get some followers Sunday.”

Until that moment, the closest Conners ever got to Woods was at the Masters three years ago when he watched him on the range. Conners played at Augusta National that year as the U.S. Amateur runner-up.

Canada’s @coreyconners fires a 2-under 69 to take a 2-stroke lead into the weekend at the @valsparchamp ???? • • • #golf #golfr #golflife #golfswing #golfcanada #golfstagram #teamcanada

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on Mar 9, 2018 at 3:33pm PST

Being close to him on the leaderboard is an entirely different dynamic.

Conners was at 6-under 136 and will play in the final group with Paul Casey, who had a 68. This marks the first time Conners has held the 36-hole lead/co-lead in 21 career starts on the PGA TOUR. Before this week, Conners’ best position after any round on the PGA TOUR was T21 at The Honda Classic two weeks ago (T59).

Conners is the first player since Marc Leishman (2017 BMW Championship) to hold the solo lead in both the first and second rounds at a PGA TOUR event.

Woods and Brandt Snedeker (68) will be in the group in front of them, with thousands of fans lining the fairways and surrounding the greens.

“I don’t think this will be leading, but at least I’m there with a chance going into the weekend,” Woods said when he finished. “Today was a good day.”

Defending champion Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., was five shots back.

Woods has been slowed by mistakes, some leading to big numbers. The second round at Innisbrook was all about control of his shots that rarely put him out of position off the tee and especially on the green, where he could attack putts from below the hole.

He took the lead with a drive that was heading left, struck a cart path and caromed back into the fairway on his 14th hole, the par-5 fifth. That set up a long iron into the front right bunker and a delicate shot from the sand to about 5 feet for his fourth birdie of the round.

He saved par with a 12-foot putt on No. 7 and was heading toward a bogey-free round until his wedge on the par-5 ninth rode the shifting wind to the right and into the gallery, his ball on a woman’s bag. After getting a drop, his chip came out too strong and hit the flag, leaving it only 6 feet away.

He missed the putt and didn’t seem all that bothered.

Just over five months ago, Woods still didn’t have clearance to begin hitting full shots, much less to play without restrictions. In his fourth PGA Tour event in seven weeks, he looks like a contender.

“I’ve come a long way in that span of time,” Woods said.

The energy in the gallery was enormous, especially for this sleepy tournament, and toward the end of the round the fans were looking for any reason to cheer.

“The roars are a little louder, and there’s certainly an energy about the gallery that you don’t have anywhere else,” Jordan Spieth said.

Spieth missed the cut for the second time this year. He is still trying to rediscover his putting touch, and his iron game left him in an opening round of 76. He didn’t fare much better on Friday with two birdies, two bogeys, a 71 and a phone call to get back to Dallas sooner than he wanted.

“I’ve played with Tiger many times. It’s nothing new,” Spieth said. “It kind of feels like you’re playing in a major championship in a normal round, which if anything should bring out better golf for me. I just got way off on my iron play, with putting not improving either. That’s how you shoot over par.”

Henrik Stenson, the other major champion in the group, had another 74 and missed the cut. Also headed home was Rory McIlroy, who shot 73 and missed the cut for the second time in four starts on the PGA Tour this year.

McIlroy played with Woods in December before his return and was alarmed at how good he looked. He said Woods never missed a shot when they played.

“I’d seen this three months ago,” McIlroy said. “So yeah, he’s playing great. I’d love to be here for the weekend to be in contention, but I’ll be an interested observer watching TV over the weekend, see how it unfolds.”

Casey holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th for his 68, putting him in good shape going into the weekend. Casey has gone nearly four years since his last victory.

He was on the opposite side of the course as Woods, though he could hear him.

“Feels like the old days,” Casey said.

Woods never really saw his name on the board. Whenever he glanced at the video board, it was showing Spieth or Stenson putting and their statistics. But he could sense from the crowd that everything was going his way.

“To play myself into contention this early into it was nice, and on top of that, to build on what I did a week ago,” he said, referring to the Honda Classic when he was on the fringe of contention going to the final nine holes. “I feel comfortable out there.”

ACTON, Ont. – The PGA Championship of Canada presented by TaylorMade and adidas Golf heads to the venerable Credit Valley Golf and Country Club this June.

The Mississauga, Ont., venue plays host to the PGA of Canada’s oldest and most beloved national championship, June 25-29.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to bring the PGA Championship of Canada presented by TaylorMade and adidas back to Credit Valley Golf and Country Club,” said PGA of Canada president Steve Wood. “Credit Valley has been a long-time supporter of both the PGA of Canada member and the association’s national championships.”

Credit Valley last hosted the PGA Championship of Canada 25-years ago in 1993, which was won by 12-time PGA TOUR winner Steve Stricker. The club has also recently hosted two PGA Women’s Championships (2010 and 2016) and a PGA Seniors’ Championship in 2015.

“Our members are very excited to host PGA of Canada top players from across the country in this year’s PGA of Canada Championship,” said Credit Valley’s chief operating officer and PGA of Canada executive professional Ian Webb. “Much has changed in the 25 years since Steve Stricker’s win, but with recent course and practice facility renovations, we have no doubt the players are in for a real treat.”

Ranked No. 80 on SCOREGolf’s Top 100 Courses in Canada for 2016, Credit Valley traces its golfing beginning back to 1930. Ontario’s then Lieutenant Governor, W.D. Ross, commissioned that a nine-hole course be built on the original property which was located where the driving range and parking lot now stand. Since its original design by Stanley Thompson in 1930, the club most recently underwent renovations to the course including changes to the first five holes, the 10th hole and a complete bunker renovation. In addition, in 2016, the Credit Valley redesigned its practice facility, which now includes 65,000 square feet of bent grass tee decks, eight target greens, a target fairway, two practice bunkers, a short game area, three putting greens and a dedicated teaching area, making it among the best practice facilities in Canada.

Credit Valley was also home to PGA of Canada Hall of Fame member Al Balding, a four-time winner of the PGA Championship of Canada.

Re-launched in 2011, the PGA Championship of Canada was contested strictly as a match play event through 2014 with players from the four brackets—Stan Leonard, George Knudson, Al Balding and Moe Norman—looking to advance through the six rounds to capture the historic P.D. Ross trophy. However, the 2015 championship at Cabot Links saw a format change, with 64 top-ranked players from the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC playing two rounds of stroke play. The top-16 players from the 36-hole stroke play portion of the event filled out the four match-play brackets with the eventual champion winning four match play rounds.

This year’s championship at Credit Valley follows the same format.

At last year’s championship at Deer Ridge Golf Club in Kitchener, Ont., Jean-Philip Cornellier sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole of the final match, outduelling Bryn Parry, to win 2-up.

“This is just a great feeling to have my first win as a professional come at the PGA Championship of Canada,” Cornellier said after the win at Deer Ridge. “It means a lot to me to have my name on the same trophy as so many legends.”

Cornellier looks to become the first back-to-back winner of the championship since Knudson won in 1976 and 1977.

In addition to Cornellier, past champions of the PGA Championship of Canada include Moe Norman, George Knudson, Marc-Etienne Bussieres, Danny King, Dave Levesque, Eric Laporte, Bryn Parry, Al Balding, Bob Panasik, Steve Stricker, Tim Clark, Lanny Wadkins, Jim Rutledge, Wilf Homenuik, Stan Leonard, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer.

The player who sits atop the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC at the conclusion of the PGA Championship of Canada earns an exemption into the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

ALM HARBOR, Fla. – Canadian rookie Corey Conners didn’t seem too bothered by the tough swirling wind at Innisbrook on Thursday.

The Listowel, Ont., native, who got into the Valspar Championship field as an alternate not long after he failed to get through Monday qualifying, didn’t make a bogey until his final hole at No. 9 and shot a 4-under 67.

That gave him a one-shot lead over Nick Watney, Whee Kim and Kelly Kraft. Only three other players, including former PGA champion Jimmy Walker broke 70.

Innisbrook produced the highest average score for the opening round – 72.86 – of the 23 courses used this season. But Conners managed just fine, taking advantage of a tournament he wasn’t sure he would be playing.

✅Enter as alternate
✅Shoot 67
✅Lead the @ValsparChamp

Have a day, @coreconn ??pic.twitter.com/C7YXp3QUoc

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) March 8, 2018

He went through Monday qualifying and shot 71, but moments after walking off the course, he was told he got in as an alternate.

“Kind of had a mindset of trying to take advantage of a good break, I guess,” he said.

Conners, 26, was quick to thank the Canadian National Team program for its role in his development.

“I was on the development team and the amateur team my junior and amateur career. I started when I was 17, I believe, and then I turned professional a couple years ago and I’ve been a part of the young pro program up until this year…”

Conners graduated the Young Pro Squad program—an initiative put in place by Golf Canada to help the nation’s top-performing athletes in their transition to the professional ranks.

“They’re helping out some younger guys trying to get some more guys out on the PGA TOUR. That program has been amazing in the development and given me so many opportunities to train and get better. The resources that they have are awesome.”

@coreyconners on his time with #TeamCanada – he leads the @valsparchamp by one stroke ???? • • #golf #golflife #golfstagram #golfr #golfcanada #valsparchampionship

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on Mar 8, 2018 at 3:09pm PST

Tiger Woods smacked his hands into an oak as he let loose of the club during a bold escape from the trees, came within inches of an ace on the next hole, and most importantly was among 27 players – just under 20 per cent of the field – to break par.

Woods made five birdies to counter his mistakes in his round of 70, the first time he broke par in the opening round of a PGA Tour event since his 64 in the Wyndham Championship in August 2015 – just six tour events ago because of back surgeries.

This was his first time playing the Valspar Championship, and it got his attention.

“I enjoy when par is a good score. It’s a reward,” Woods said. “There are some tournaments when about four holes you don’t make a birdie, you feel like you’re behind. Today, made a couple of birdies, all of a sudden puts me fourth, fifth, right away. That’s how hard it is.”

It was like for everybody, especially Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.

Spieth, who won at Innisbrook in a playoff in 2015, didn’t make a birdie after the par-5 opening hole and shot a 76. Only six other players had a higher score. Rory McIlroy, who like Woods was making his debut in this event, played in the morning and shot 74.

Henrik Stenson, who played with Spieth and Woods, also shot 74.

Watney holed a bunker shot on the par-4 16th, made the turn and had an eagle on the first hole.

“Maybe I need to steal a few shots here and there and get some good things going,” said Watney, winless since August 2012.

Walker (69) and past Innisbrook champion Luke Donald (70) managed to go bogey-free, a rarity on a day like this. Also at 70 were Justin Rose, Masters champion Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott and Steve Stricker, who won last week on the PGA Tour Champions.

Last year’s champion, Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a 71. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor shot 73’s and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., had a 75.

Woods is playing his fourth PGA Tour event since returning from fusion surgery on his lower back, his fourth surgery since the spring of 2014. He has shown steady progress, and this might have been his most steady performance, even with four bogeys. Those were inevitable.

One of the came at the par-3 fourth, when he was fooled by the wind and sent his tee shot sailing. It was next to a tree that Woods had to straddle just to advance toward the green. He also came up well short on the 12th into a strong wind.

“Into the wind, it felt like you just hit walls,” he said.

Woods got within two shots of the lead by ripping a long iron from the top collar of a bunker on the par-5 11th and using the slope to chip close for a tap-in birdie. He dropped shots on the next two holes, going short into the wind on No. 12 and over the green with the wind at his back on No. 13.

The only unnerving moment came at the 16th, when he tugged his iron off the tee into the trees. Woods realized he would hit the tree on his follow through, asking the gallery – thousands of them – to be careful in case the club snapped. He had to take it toward the lake on the right and bend it back to the left, and it came off perfectly.

But it looked painful.

Because he had to generate so much club speed, his left forearm and hands struck the oak and Woods dropped the club and winced on impact.

“It didn’t feel very good,” he said.

Woods followed with a 5-iron that rolled just right of the cup for a tap-in birdie and finished with a long two-putt par after getting fooled again by the shifting wind.

“This is a tough golf course. Not too often in Florida do you find elevation. Great driving golf course,” Woods said. “I asked Henrik, ‘What do you around this golf course when there’s no wind here?’ He said it’s still a hell of a test. We can all see that.”

The R&A and the USGA have completed the annual review of driving distance in golf, producing a research report that documents and evaluates important findings from the 2017 season.

Introduced in 2015, the annual report examines driving distance data from seven of the major worldwide professional golf tours, based on nearly 300,000 drives per year. The data from studies of male and female amateur golfers is also included.

The 2015 and 2016 editions of the distance report presented the increases in driving distance since 2003 as a slow creep of around 0.2 yards per year. The 2017 data shows a deviation from this trend. The average distance gain across the seven worldwide tours was more than 3 yards since 2016.

As noted in previous annual reports, variability in driving distance of 4 or more yards from season to season on any one tour is not uncommon. However, this level of increase across so many tours in a single season is unusual and concerning and requires closer inspection and monitoring to fully understand the causes and effects.

As the review of this issue progresses, The R&A and the USGA remain committed to the spirit of the 2002 Joint Statement of Principles which recognise that distance impacts many aspects of golf and that any further significant increases in hitting distances at the highest level are undesirable.

Increases in distance can contribute to demands for longer, tougher and more resource-intensive golf courses at all levels of the game. These trends can impact the costs to operate golf courses and put additional pressures on golf courses in their local environmental landscape. The effect of increasing distance on the balance between skill and technology is also a key consideration. Maintaining this balance is paramount to preserving the integrity of golf.

Building on the extensive research we have undertaken in recent years, we will conduct a thoughtful conversation about the effects of distance prior to making any specific proposals. We remain open-minded and our absolute priority is to ensure that all key stakeholders are involved in an open and inclusive process and that we move forward together in the best interests of golf at all levels. There is no fixed timetable but we will commence this process immediately and endeavour to reach a conclusion as promptly as possible.

In conjunction with the publication of the 2017 distance research report, The R&A and USGA are carrying out a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of increased distance on both the playing and overall health of golf.

The R&A and the USGA intend to consolidate previous work conducted by the two organisations, as well as others in the golf industry, regarding the effect of distance on the footprint and playing of the game, conduct new research on these same topics to augment the current state of knowledge of the issues, and, most importantly, in the coming months, engage with stakeholders throughout the golf industry to develop a comprehensive understanding of perspectives on distance. Additional information on this stakeholder engagement will be made available in due course.

Ultimately, The R&A and the USGA remain steadfastly committed to ensuring a sustainable and enjoyable future for golf.

Download the 2017 Distance Report.

MEXICO CITY – Phil Mickelson ended the longest drought of his career with a playoff victory Sunday over Justin Thomas in the Mexico Championship, capping off a final round of lustrous cheers in thin air that included Thomas holing a wedge for eagle on the final hole of regulation.

Mickelson, who closed with a 5-under 66, won for the first time since the 2013 British Open at Muirfield, a stretch of 101 tournaments worldwide.

“I can’t put into words how much this means to me,” Mickelson said. “I knew it was going to be soon – I’ve been playing too well for it not to be. But you just never know until it happens.”

Thomas was coming off a playoff victory at the Honda Classic last week, and he delivered the biggest moment at Chapultepec Golf Club. Tied for the lead, his shot to the 18th from 119 yards landed in front of the pin and spun back into the hole for an eagle and a 64.

It almost was too good to be true. Thomas, who said Thursday he had never felt worse over the ball, had a 62-64 weekend and suddenly had a two-shot lead.

Mickelson, who turns 48 in June, responded with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 15th and a 20-foot birdie putt on the 16th to tie Thomas.

Tyrrell Hatton, playing in the final group with Mickelson, was stride for stride. He capped off a 3-3-3-3 stretch on the back nine with an eagle at the 15th. But on the final hole, Hatton missed the green to the right, chipped 10 feet by and missed the par putt for a 67 to fall out of a playoff.

The sudden-death playoff – the sixth in eight PGA Tour events this year – didn’t last long.

Thomas went long on the par-3 17th hole and chipped to just inside 10 feet. Mickelson’s 18-foot birdie putt for the victory swirled around the cup, more agony for a 47-year-old who has seen plenty of it since his last victory.

Thomas, however, never got his par attempt on the right line.

They finished at 16-under 268.

Adam Hadwin (66) of Abbotsford, B.C., finished in a tie for ninth at 10 under.

.@ahadwingolf put up a 5-under 66 on Sunday to finish inside the top 10 @WGCMexico ???? pic.twitter.com/2fWY1K8nEe

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) March 5, 2018

Mickelson won his third World Golf Championships title and, just a month after being on the verge of falling out of the top 50 in the world for the first time in two decades, moves to No. 18 in the world.

Shubhankar Sharma, the 21-year-old from India who started with a two-shot lead, didn’t make his first birdie until the 12th hole. He finished with consecutive bogeys for a 74, six shots behind in a three-way tie for ninth. That will leave him on the bubble at No. 66 in the world for making it back to the next World Golf Championship, the Dell Match Play, in three weeks in Texas. Sharma first flies home for the Hero Indian Open next week.

Hatton tied for third with Rafa Cabrera Bello, who holed a bunker shot for eagle on the opening hole and was among six players who had at least a share of the lead.

Mickelson was the first player who appeared to seize control with a birdie on No. 10 to take the lead, and facing a reachable par 5 and a drivable par 4.

Instead, Lefty made it as entertaining as ever.

Going for the green in light rough with the ball below his feet, he hooked it deep into the bushes right of the green, and played his next one when he could barely see the golf ball. That stayed in the trees, and his fourth shot narrowly missed another tree before settling 10 feet away. He made bogey, and just like that, it was a sprint to the finish 7,800 feet above sea level.

Brian Harman and Kiradech Aphibarnrat both had chances until dropping shots at the wrong time.

Thomas made a bogey on the 17th hole twice on Sunday. He missed a 5-foot par putt in regulation that dropped him out of the lead, only to respond with the perfect shot at the right time. It just wasn’t good enough.

Mickelson, now with 43 victories on the PGA Tour and 46 around the world, made good on his pledge earlier this year that more victories were in store for him. He has four consecutive top 10s for the first time since 2005.

That also was the last time he had won in a playoff.

It all seems so long ago – playoffs, trophies, consistent play. Now he’s just more than a month away from the Masters, and feeling invigorated.

And feeling like a winner.

SINGAPORE – Canadian Brooke Henderson closed out another strong performance with a bogey-free 67 on Sunday to share 2nd place at the Women’s World Championship.

Sunday marked the second-straight bogey-free round for the Smiths Falls, Ont., product, who notched her third top-10 performance in four events this LPGA season.

Henderson birdied four of her first eight holes to move up the leaderboard but could not get another birdie putt to drop in until the final hole when it was too late for her to catch the champion Michelle Wie.

A bogey-free final round for @BrookeHenderson at @HSBC_Sport!

Watch highlights: pic.twitter.com/EMBhCxYoe0

— LPGA (@LPGA) March 4, 2018

Michelle Wie holed a 36-foot putt from off the green on the final hole to win the championship, her first LPGA tournament since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open.

With four players in contention to win on the last hole, Wie managed to separate herself from the pack when she drained her lengthy birdie putt on the 72nd hole at the Sentosa Golf Club for a final round of 7-under 65 to finish at 17-under 271.

The 28-year-old Wie, who led the tournament after three rounds a year ago before fading on the last day, leaped into the air and clenched her fist in celebration as the ball disappeared into the bottom of the cup.

But she still faced an anxious wait before being declared the champion.

“Winning is everything. I mean, there is no better feeling than when you think you sink that winning putt. It’s a high, for sure,” Wie said.

“You go out there, and it’s this feeling that gets you going. It’s this feeling that makes you practice. It’s that winning putt that makes you practice for hours and hours and hours, and even the hard times, it gets you going back. You know that good feeling is on the other side.”

Brooke’s T2 finish at #HWWC is her third @lpga_tour top-10 in four events this year ?? • • ? (Getty Images) • • #golf #golfcanada #golflife #golfstagram

A post shared by CP Women's Open (@cpwomensopen) on Mar 4, 2018 at 5:43am PST

Third-round leader Nelly Korda parred her last 8 holes in a row. The 19-year-old, who only joined the LPGA Tour last year, hit a superb approach into the 18th to set up a birdie opportunity that would have forced a playoff but missed her 8-foot putt and settled for a final-round 71.

“I had a bunch of putts that were really close and a lot of them lipped and burned edges. It definitely hurts, but that’s golf,” Korda said.

“There’s going to be another tournament. There’s going to be another feeling like this. Just have to keep going forward”.

Danielle Kang, last year’s Singapore winner, parred her last 14 holes and was unable to drain a longer birdie putt on the last to miss out on a playoff as she closed with a 70. Korda and Kang finished in a four-way tie for second at 16-under, alongside Jenny Shin (65) and Brooke Henderson (67).

“I couldn’t capitalize on those holes, which was kind of disappointing,” Kang said. “But other than that, struck the ball well and I hung in there. So she (Wie) dropped the bomb on the last. I heard it from a hole back.”

Shin held the outright lead when she teed off at the last after reeling off eight birdies between the sixth and 16th holes, but she dropped back to 16-under when she made her only bogey of the day on the final hole.

“The nerves got me, maybe,” Shin said. “Not sure if I would have made that mistake on many other holes. Oh, well.”

Plagued by injuries since capturing her first major at Pinehurst, North Carolina in 2014, Wie started Sunday’s final round five strokes off the pace and needing to shoot low after Sei Young Kim set the bar high, flirting with a 59 before settling for a course record of 10-under 62.

Wie made a strong start with three birdies on the front nine then added three more in her first five holes after the turn before saving her best for last when the pressure was at its most suffocating.

“It’s been a tough journey since 2014. I think it’s been kind of well documented. You know, I’ve had some injuries, had a really bad year, just lost a lot of confidence,” Wie said.

“But I’m just really proud of myself for pulling myself out of it. I felt like I had a good year last year, a year where I built confidence, and I just want to keep building confidence from there.”

Hamilton, Ont., native Alena Sharp carded a final-round 76 to finish the tournament at 8 over par in a tie for 60th.