PERTH, Australia – National Amateur Squad’s Hugo Bernard was eliminated from the Australian Amateur on Friday after falling to Shae Wools-Cobb on the first extra hole at the Lake Karrinyup Country Club.

Bernard, of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., put up a back-and-forth affair against the Australian, exchanging leads for the duration of the match before draining a six-foot par putt on 18 to force a playoff.

CLUTCH! @hbernard63 gets it done when he needed it. This for par to extend match to overtime against @ShaeWoolsCobb #AusAm @TheGolfCanada pic.twitter.com/Y6UzG4h7sy

— Golf Australia (@GolfAust) January 19, 2018

It took one extra hole for the match to be decided, with Wools-Cobb capitalizing on Bernard missing the green with his approach. Bernard gave one last effort to make a breaking 10-foot putt for a chance to extend the match, but left it short by a couple inches.

This marks the end of a two-event Australian swing for the former Canadian Men’s Amateur champion. Bernard will head to Sea Island, Ga., to compete in the Jones Cup from Jan. 26-28 along with Team Canada teammates Josh Whalen of Napanee, Ont. and Joey Savoie of La Prairie, Que.

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LA QUINTA, Calif. — Jon Rahm’s soaring 5-iron settled 5 feet away to set up an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole at La Quinta Country Club.

“It’s quite simple, honestly,” Rahm said. “Beyond perfect drive, perfect second shot, perfect putt.”

Two hours later Thursday in the first round of the CareerBuilder Challenge, young Charlie Reiter matched his new friend’s eagle with a low hook around a tree to a foot.

“It was a little down in the rough,” said Reiter, the Palm Desert High School senior who recently played with Rahm at nearby Big Horn. “I just closed the face and trusted my swing and it worked out perfectly.”

Rahm also had eight birdies in his bogey-free round for a 10-under 62 and a one-stroke lead. The 23-year-old Spaniard — the top-ranked player in the field at No. 3 in the world — played the first seven holes in 6 under on a sunny morning so comfortable he shed his light sweater halfway through his warmup on the driving range.

“You’re not going to make every single putt. You’re not going to hit every single shot perfect,” Rahm said. “I do feel like I could have made a couple more putts, just because I had so many that were makeable. But there’s a couple birdie putts, like the one on 14, that, if I’m being quite honest, I did not hit the line I wanted and it still went in dead centre.”

Rahm had the lowest score in his PGA Tour career, topping a 64 two years ago at Congressional in his first round as a professional. At 10 under, the former Arizona State player bested his four-day total of 9 under last year in the CareerBuilder when he tied for 34th in his first start in the event.

“This type of golf is something I love,” Rahm said. “La Quinta is really, really similar to Phoenix Country Club, which I played many times. I’ve also shot 10 under there, funny enough, and it’s just really familiar to what I’m used to playing. Four years of college on these golf courses, it’s something you’re not going to forget.”

Rahm was second two weeks ago at Kapalua in his first start since winning the European Tour’s season-ending event in Dubai in November. He’s the defending champion next week at Torrey Pines, and also won last year in Ireland.

“I feel super-rested and really in peace with my game and I think it shows,” Rahm said. “Kapalua wasn’t the best ball-striking week of my life, but I was able to scramble really well and keep calm and have a good score. Today, it was a complete opposite. I had one of the best ball-striking days of my life and just had it going.”

Canadian Adam Hadwin revisits the site where he recorded a 59 last season, becoming the ninth player in PGA TOUR history to card a sub-60 round. The Abbotsford, B.C., native picked up right where he left off with an opening 6-under 66 to lead the seven Canadians in the field. Rookie Ben Silverman (Thornhill, Ont.) trails Hadwin by one stroke in a tie for 23rd.

Reiter, 18, finished with a 68 after a shaky start to his PGA Tour debut.

“We went over to the Mountains Course because I can’t hit driver here because the range is too short,” Reiter said. “I hit a couple drives and my legs were like wobbly and I was like getting light-headed and I said, ‘I think I’m going to throw up.’ And then I got to the course and I kind of settled down.”

The University of Southern California recruit is the first amateur to receive a sponsor exemption in tournament history. He tied for 65th in the Australian Open in November in his first pro event.

“It was a little different playing with everybody I know watching me,” Reiter said.

Austin Cook, Jason Kokrak and Andrew Landry were a stroke behind Rahm at 63. Cook closed with a 15-foot par save on PGA West’s Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course. Kokrak and Landry opened at La Quinta.

Beau Hossler, Aaron Wise, Brandon Harkins and Martin Piller were at 64. Hossler, Wise and Harkins played La Quinta, and Piller was on the Nicklaus layout. Nick Watney and Grayson Murray shot 65 to top the players at PGA West’s Stadium Course, the once-feared layout that will be the site of the final round.

Phil Mickelson had a 70 at La Quinta in his first tournament round since late October.

“It was fun to get back out and be competitive,” Mickelson said. “For some reason, I’m stuck on 70 here at La Quinta. Whether I get off to a good start or a bad one, I end up shooting the same score.”

The 47-year-old Hall of Famer was 4 under after six holes, and then had one birdie and three bogeys — the first on the par-4 eighth after driving out-of-bounds to the right — on the final 12.

“With the exception of one tee shot, I drove it pretty well today and putted OK,” Mickelson said.

PERTH, Australia – National Amateur Squad member Hugo Bernard posted a 1-under 71 on Wednesday to advance to the match play draw in the Australian Amateur.

Bernard, of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., finished the opening 36 holes of stroke play in a tie for 6th at 5 under par. The 23-year-old will square off against Australia’s Kiran Day in Thursday’s first round of match play.

Co-hosted by the Wanneroo Golf Club and Lake Karrinyup Golf Club, the Australian Amateur features a 264-player field from 15 countries, cut to the top 64 for match play.

Team Canada teammates Joey Savoie (La Prairie, Que.) and Josh Whalen (Napanee, Ont.) fell short of the mark and were eliminated from play. Australia’s Connor McKinney and Darcy Boyd shared medallist honours at 9 under par.

In the women’s division, Korea’s Yean Cho medalled with a score of 9 under par (70-67).

Click here for full scoring.
Click here for the match play draw.

After spending the last year playing golf in such places as Italy, Morocco, Fiji, Australia, and South Africa, Canadian Mike Weir returns to the PGA TOUR this week for the first time since last year’s RBC Canadian Open.

Weir, of Brights Grove, Ont., is a past champion at the CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, Calif. He’s in the field on a sponsor exemption alongside six other Canadians including Adam Hadwin of Moose Jaw, Sask., who finished second in 2017.

Weir, the ’03 Masters champion, has been relying on special invitations to earn starts on the European Tour and PGA TOUR of Australasia since he has very limited status on the PGA TOUR. His tie for 15th at the Australian PGA Championship in November was his best result since a tie for 21st at the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur in 2014.

Since then, Weir has missed 25 cuts and withdrawn five times on the PGA TOUR. Despite setbacks and injuries, the 47-year-old shows no signs of giving up.

“My game feels good,” Weir said during a telephone interview. “Since Australia, I had a month off.

“Last week was OK?I shook off a little rust. I was a little bit inconsistent, but a lot of good things. Overall I feel good, there’s a lot of power back in my swing again.”

Weir said he’s not doing anything differently to get stronger but is working on his flexibility. As he gets older Weir said keeping his back strong is key otherwise he’s working mostly on core strength and stability.

Weir admitted he’s battling a knee injury after “landing funny” while walking a course in South Africa early last week. He’ll get an MRI on his right knee at the end of this week but his doctor said he wouldn’t do any further damage if he played.

“It’s definitely uncomfortable,” he said. “Bit of a bummer but hopefully it’s nothing serious.”

Weir captured the ’03 CareerBuilder Challenge as part of a three-win season — including the Masters — en route to being named the Lou Marsh Award winner as Canada’s athlete of the year. He’s the last golfer to win the honour.

Although Weir doesn’t tee it up as often these days, he remains a beacon for golf in the country according to Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum.

“(Weir) continues to be such an example for Canadians from coast to coast with his work ethic and his commitment and his warrior mentality out on the golf course,” Applebaum said. “He’s in phenomenal shape and has a great balance in life going.

“I know that next chapter, which includes a really strong push on the PGA TOUR, is what he’s trying to write and Golf Canada is behind him through and through.”

Weir is hopeful to play the PGA TOUR’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February but hasn’t heard from tournament organizers yet.

Weir said he’d be interested in playing on the Web.com Tour — a PGA TOUR feeder — and is hopeful for some exemptions this spring leading into the Masters.

Weir hasn’t earned official money on the PGA TOUR since 2014. But he remains focused on earning a PGA TOUR card via the Web.com Tour by finishing in the top-25 on the money list — something Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., did last year.

The Web.com Tour has a special category for longtime PGA TOUR members who are 48-to-49. Weir will take advantage of some of those spots after he turns 48 on May 12.

“When I turn 48 in May I’ll have pretty much unlimited access to the Web.com Tour but I’d like to play some events before May comes along,” he said. “Not only for prep for Augusta (National), but if I end up focusing on the Web.com Tour come May, I don’t want to be too far behind when that date comes along to try to secure a spot in the top-25.”

Weir said he’s committed to regaining some status on the PGA TOUR one more time before he begins playing on the PGA TOUR Champions, the circuit for golfers aged 50 and over.

“I love the game, I love to compete, I love to see what I can do,” he said. “I love to experiment and try to get better and overcome obstacles.

“That’s what golf is about.”

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – National Amateur Squad member Chris Crisologo hoisted the South American Amateur trophy on Tuesday following a four-stroke victory at the Martindale Country Club.

The Richmond, B.C., native struggled early in the final round, going 4 over par through his first five holes before recovering on the back nine with four birdies. Crisologo, 23, recorded the tournament’s two lowest rounds (64-66) to hold a lead as large as seven. He went on to close the event at 13 under par, four strokes clear of runner-up Alejandro Tosti of Argentina.

With the win, the Simon Fraser University junior becomes the first Canadian male to capture the event. LPGA star Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., captured the women’s division in 2013. The victory also marks Crisologo’s first win as a member of Team Canada—he joined the National Amateur Squad back in October.

pic.twitter.com/D83j7SnULp

— AAG (@GolfAAG) January 16, 2018

Fellow countryman Matt Williams of Calgary finished the 13th edition of the event with a 3-under-par 69—his best score of the tournament. The University of Houston of Houston junior finished the event at 4 under par in a tie for 12th.

In the women’s division, Team Canada Development Squad member Céleste Dao finished T8 at 1 over par. The Notre-Dame-de-lÎle-Perrot, Que., product carded four birdies in her final round to record her best score of the tournament with a 3-under 69.

Teammate Ellie Szeryk of London, Ont., finished tied for 22nd at 9 over par (72-79-74-72).

Click here for full scoring.

Chris Crisologo campeón del Abierto Sudamericano Amateur! Congratulaciones ! pic.twitter.com/0fJVQBp75E

— AAG (@GolfAAG) January 16, 2018

The Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship returns for its ninth consecutive year March 1-4 at the Fairmont Southampton’s Turtle Hill Golf Club on the island of Bermuda.

Turtle Hill Golf Club has been recognized by Golf Magazine as one of the “Top 5 Par 3 Courses in the World” and is a recipient of Golf Digest’s “Best Places to Play Golf Award.”

As the world’s premier par 3 championship, the event is expected to attract 150 participants from more than 10 countries, including a number of noted professionals and celebrities. In addition, the field will be rounded out by an impressive list of amateur golfers—from Bermuda, the United States, Canada and Europe—vying for titles in the men’s, women’s and senior amateur divisions.

This year’s championship package includes:

• Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship entry
• Three nights single occupancy luxury accommodations at the Fairmont Southampton
• Daily breakfast and lunch
• Exclusive activation event at the iconic Bacardi Limited headquarters in Hamilton, Bermuda
• Premium Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship tee gifts
• Opportunity to take part in the $1-million (USD) hole-in-one contest

For more information about this year’s Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship, please click here.

PERTH, Australia – Team Canada’s Hugo Bernard opened the Australian Amateur on Tuesday with a 4-under-par 68 at the Wanneroo Golf Club to hold a share of 4th place.

The Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., product jumped to a hot start, going birdie-eagle-birdie in his first three holes to sit inside the top-five against competitors from 15 countries across the world. Bernard, 24, will tee-it-up Wednesday at co-host Lake Karrinyup Golf Club for the second and final stroke play round.

Team Canada teammates Joey Savoie (La Prairie, Que.) and Josh Whalen (Napanee, Ont.) sit T20 and T55, respectively.

The top 64 men and 32 women will advance to Thursday’s match play draw.

Impressive opening 68 by @Hbernard63 at @Wanneroogc to start #AusAm. And some bonus weather advice for those shivering at home in @TheGolfCanada. pic.twitter.com/l7sIYe8vgL

— Golf Australia (@GolfAust) January 16, 2018

Japan’s Yuna Nishimura leads the women’s division at 6 under par; there are no Canadians in the field.

The Amateur Championships are Australia’s oldest golfing events, dating back to 1894.

Past winners include Michael Clayton, Michael Campbell, Mat Goggin, Brett Rumford, Kristie Smith and Nikki Campbell, and more recently Cameron Smith, newly crowned Australian Open champion Cameron Davis, former world No.1 Lydia Ko, Minjee Lee and current world No.12 Hye-Jin Choi, who won in 2017.

With both champions receiving exemptions into their respective Australian Opens, they are the most prized titles in Australian amateur golf.

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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – National Amateur Squad member Chris Crisologo fired a 6-under 66 on Monday to extend his lead to seven at the South American Amateur.

The 23-year-old Richmond, B.C., native posted the low round for a second consecutive day at Martindale Country Club to sit a 14 under through 54 holes.

The Simon Fraser University junior will look to become the first Canadian male to win the event when he tees off in tomorrow’s final round at 1:30 p.m. local time. LPGA athlete Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., captured the event in 2013 with a wire-to-wire victory in Bogotá, Colombia, to become the first female Canadian to win the event.

Fellow Canadian Matt Williams of Calgary carded a 2-under-par 70 jump inside the top 20 with a share of 17th.

On the women’s side, Team Canada duo of Céleste Dao () and Ellie Szeryk (London, Ont.) sit T14 and T23, respectively. The pair of Team Canada Development Squad members are in chase of Colombia’s Silvia Garces and Maria Serrano who share the lead at 4 under par.

Click here for full scoring.

HONOLULU – Patton Kizzire figured he was in for a long day when his putting stroke wasn’t up to his standards.

He just wasn’t expecting the Sony Open to go this long.

The longest playoff in more than five years on the PGA Tour finally ended Sunday when Kizzire two-putted for par from just off the green on the par-3 17th hole, and James Hahn’s 8-foot putt to keep it going caught the right edge of the lip and spun away.

“It wasn’t pretty,” Kizzire said. “I was able to get it done.”

Kizzire, who closed with a 2-under 68, became the first multiple winner on the PGA Tour this season. He went head-to-head with Rickie Fowler and beat him by one shot in the OHL Classic in Mexico last fall for his first PGA Tour title. He was in a four-man battle on the back nine at Waialae that was whittled down to Kizzire and Hahn, who closed with a 62 to match him at 17-under 273.

And the fun was just getting started.

Kizzire had to watch three times as Hahn had a putt to win, two of those putts from 6 feet and 10 feet on the par-5 18th hole. Kizzire had two putts to win, though both of them were in the 30-foot range.

“That playoff was quite a marathon,” Kizzire said.

Canadian Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., — the lone Canadian to make the cut — finished in a tie for 39th place at 8 under.

Hahn has won both his PGA Tour title in playoffs, at Riviera and Quail Hollow. Closing with a 62 to even have a chance was no consolation.

“I played good enough to win, but I didn’t,” he said. “So for me, no matter how many birdies I make, if I’m not coming out of the room with the trophy, it really feels like I was defeated out there. I had a putt to win it. I’m going to be playing that over and over and over again.”

The six-hole playoff was the longest on the PGA Tour in just over five years, and given how the week transpired, it was only fitting.

Saturday brought panic to the islands with a push alert of a ballistic missile strike that turned out to be a false alarm.

There was a real strike on Sunday – the audio and video production workers for Golf Channel walked out over a labour dispute, leaving the network scrambling to provide at least limited coverage of an event that ended in prime time after the NFL playoff games were over.

Golf Channel managed enough cameras to provide coverage of the final three holes – one of their on-course reporters manned a camera on the 16th tower – and all six holes of the playoff.

It was worth the wait for Kizzire. His goal is to get to East Lake for the FedEx Cup finale, and he is well on his way with two victories so early in the season.

“One win doesn’t necessarily mean a whole lot,” Kizzire said. “Two means a little more, and three is even better. I’m always looking for the next one. I’m super excited right now.”

Missing from the playoff was Tom Hoge, who did everything right in his bid to win for the first time on the PGA Tour except for one swing. He had a one-shot lead when he was between clubs on the 16th hole, and opted to hit a draw to the back-left pin. He turned it too much and it found the bunker. His next shot got hung up in the shaggy rough, he chipped that to 12 feet and missed to make double bogey to slip one shot behind.

Hoge gave himself two good chances with putts of about 7 feet. Both burned the edge. He shot 70 and had to settle for third place, his best finish on the PGA Tour.

“This sets me up a lot better for the rest of the year, and hopefully made the FedEx Cup playoffs,” said Hoge, a 28-year-old from North Dakota who hasn’t kept his full card his previous three years on tour. “More so just the confidence I had to play in the final group and play well today.”

Brian Harman, who played in the final group at both Hawaii events, was two shots behind after a tap-in birdie at No. 12. But he three-putted for bogey from long range on the 13th, took two shots to get out of the bunker left of the 16th green and had to settle for a 70. He tied for fourth.

Defending champion Justin Thomas closed with a 68 and tied for 14th. Jordan Spieth finished with eight straight pars for a 66 and tied for 18th, ending his streak of seven consecutive top 10s dating to the PGA Championship in August.

BEUNOS AIRES, Argentina – National Amateur Squad member Chris Crisologo climbed into the lead at the South American Amateur following a tournament-low 64 on Sunday at the Martindale Country Club.

Crisologo, a Richmond, B.C. product, sits at 8 under (72-64) to hold a two-stroke advantage through 36 holes. Fellow Canadian Matt Williams of Calgary stands at 1 over par in a tie for 27th.

On the women’s side, Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que. leads all Canadians with a four-way share of 5th place at even par. Fellow Team Canada Development Squad member Ellie Szeryk of London, Ont., sits a 7 over par in a tie for 21st.

The Canadian pair is chasing Peru’s Luisamariana Mesones and Colombia’s Maria Serrano who share the women’s outright lead at 3 under par.

LPGA superstar Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., captured the event in 2013 with a wire-to-wire victory in Bogotá, Colombia, to become the first (and only) Canadian to win the event.

Click here for full scoring.