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Canada’s Ryan Yip T4 after three rounds of News Sentinel Open

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(Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Golf Canada

Canada’s Ryan Yip fired a 7-under-par 64 in round three of the Web.com Tour’s News Sentinel Open presented by Pilot moving him into a tie for fourth heading into the final round at Fox Den Country Club in Knoxville, Tenn.

The Calgary native poured in seven birdies and was bogey-free in round three moving him to 12 under par and six shots back of leader Ken Looper (Snellville, Ga.) who is 18 under par after 54-holes.

The Team Canada graduate has one top-10 on the Web.com Tour this year, finishing in a tie for ninth at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER.

Yip, who is currently ranked 116th on the Web.com Tour’s Order of Merit needs to finish strong this week next week at the final regular season event the WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by Kraft-Heinz to move into the top-25 on the Web.com Tour Order of Merit and advance to the Web.com Finals.

Burlington, Ont., native Michael Gligic had seven birdies and just one bogey en route to firing a 6-under-par 65 and moving into a tie for 12th at 10 under par.

Ben Silverman (Thornhill, Ont.) who recorded his first career Web.com Tour win last week at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr. Pepper is T28 after 54 holes at 8 under par.

Click here to view the full leaderboard.

LPGA Tour

US sweeps Solheim Cup fourball matches, takes 3 point lead

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(Harry How/Getty Images)
Canadian Press

The favoured Americans found themselves trailing Europe after a sluggish start to the Solheim Cup.

The U.S. settled down on Friday afternoon, pulling away with a record-setting fourball performance.

The United States swept the afternoon fourball matches to take a 5 1/2-2 1/2 lead at Des Moines Golf and Country Club.

Lizette Salas and U.S. newcomer Danielle Kang each won two matches, teaming to beat Carlota Ciganda and Caroline Masson 1 up for the Americans’ lone full point in the morning foursomes, then leading the U.S. to its first ever fourball sweep in the afternoon.

“This is the history we really don’t want. We want the history on Sunday night. We want the Cup,” U.S. captain Juli Inkster said. “We’ve got a lot of work (ahead). I know (European captain) Annika (Sorenstam) is going to get that team fired up.”

Salas and rookie Angel Yin routed Ciganda and Emily Pedersen 6 and 5, and Kang and Michelle Wie topped Madelene Sagstrom and Jodi Ewart Shadoff 3 and 1.

In the other fourball matches, Brittany Lincicome and Brittany Lang beat Masson and Florentyna Parker 3 and 2, and Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller edged Charley Hull and Georgia Hall 2 and 1

In the morning foursomes, Americans Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson rallied to halve with Hull and Mel Reid. For Europe, Hall and Anna Nordqvist beat Paula Creamer and Austin Ernst 3 and 1, and Karine Icher and Catriona Matthew topped Lewis and Piller 1 up.

The U.S. would find a lot more success in fourball play – dominating so thoroughly that it never trailed in any of the four matches.

Salas and the 18-year-old Yin set the tone for the afternoon. Salas opened with three straight birdies to win those holes, and wins on consecutive par 5s helped the duo end the match in 13 holes.

The 6-and-5 win was the second-largest in Solheim history.

“Everything kind of fell together,” Salas said.

Kang’s putting was solid throughout the day – and back-to-back birdie putts sealed her and Wie’s win after 17 holes.

Lincicome and Lang improved to 3-0-0 as a four-ball tandem, and Lewis made a short birdie putt on No. 17 to complete the sweep.

“It was beautiful. Never seen anything prettier,” Lang said about seeing the leaderboard lit up in the Americans’ red colour.

Thompson, fueled by a surge of adrenaline provided by the pro-American crowd singing songs and chanting “USA! USA!” drilled her tee shot on the first hole to set up Kerr’s 12-foot eagle putt to open the three-day, biennial event.

But the Americans stumbled, and they appeared to be finished after Hull’s long birdie chip on No. 16. Thompson birdied the next hole, and Kerr halved the match with another 12-footer on 18 – pumping her fist in the air before the ball even dropped in.

“It was pretty much a you-know-what sandwich out there,” Kerr said. “I’m glad it ended up the way it did.”

Nordqvist dealt with a case of mononucleosis this summer. But she and Hall, playing in her first Solheim Cup, cruised to the only point that came easy for the Europeans.

Europe will likely need Nordqvist and Hall’s teammates to emulate those performances if it hopes to pull closer to the surging Americans.

After more foursomes and fourballs Saturday, the event will closes with 12 singles matches Sunday.

Click here to view the Solheim Cup leaderboard.

PGA TOUR Americas

Three share share the lead in Ottawa

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(Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada)
Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada

Granby, Quebec’s Raoul Menard, Maysville, Kentucky’s Mark Blakefield and Dallas, Texas’ Kramer Hickok reached 11-under par through two rounds at Hylands Golf Club on Friday to share the lead at the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, the ninth event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

Menard, a 25-year old first-year Mackenzie Tour member, birdied his final two holes of the day to match the lead posted earlier by Blakefield and Hickok, the current Order of Merit No. 3. The trio were two shots ahead of New York’s Michael Miller, Chile’s Cristobal Del Solar, Alabama’s Will McCurdy and Mississippi’s Chad Ramey after 36 holes in Ottawa.

“I’m new to the Tour. There’s a lot of guys that have already been here, and it’s new to me. Not only the courses, but getting used to the feeling of the Tour and being comfortable playing here,” admitted Menard, who’s making his seventh start of the year and said he was beginning to settle into his comfort zone. “I’m getting more and more comfortable, and I want to compete. I know if I’m playing well, I can play with anyone.”

Menard has made one cut before this week, a T29 at the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by Times Colonist, and ranks 137th on the Order of Merit.

He played college golf at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and played in 12 events on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica in 2016, making four cuts.

Hickok, the Players Cup champion earlier this year and the only member of The Five inside the top-10 after two rounds, said he would be boosted this weekend by the experience he’s gained in his eight starts this season.

“You learn from the experience. I’ve learned from winning in Winnipeg, birdieing the last two holes, but I’ve also learned from shooting 2-over in Thunder Bay to lose by one. Unfortunately in this game, you learn more when you lose, and in this game you’re going to lose a lot more than you win. I really just think being in that position and having a chance to win and having that experience has played a big part,” said Hickok.

The University of Texas alum is a roommate of two-time major champion Jordan Spieth.

For Blakefield, a 35-year old veteran of the Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, the round was a continuation of Thursday’s outstanding play, when he hit all but two greens and carded a 6-under 65. On Friday, a 5-under 66 gave him a share of the lead in his eighth start on the Mackenzie Tour, where he said he’s relishing the chance to play a full slate of events this summer.

“I’ve been all over. I’ve had Web.com Tour status the last few years, and I’ve been bouncing around doing a lot of Monday Qualifiers, and it’s nice to be up here and to make my schedule and be able to go week-to-week,” said Blakefield.

The University of Kentucky grad earned conditional status on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada this year with a T9 finish at the USA East #1 Q-School this spring and has made five of seven cuts this year, including a season-best T11 finish at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.

Miller, Ramey, McCurdy and Del Solar were two shots off the lead at 9-under, while seven more players, including Freedom 55 Financial Open winner Lee McCoy and Golf Canada National Team member Jared du Toit were a shot further behind at 8-under.

Team Canada Amateur Squad member Austin James is 4 under par after two rounds, good enough to make the cut on the number in his professional debut.

Click here to view the full leaderboard.

PGA TOUR

Simpson, Armour share second round lead in Wyndham Championship

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(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Canadian Press

Ryan Armour shot a career-best 9-under 61 on Friday for a share of the lead with Webb Simpson after two rounds at the Wyndham Championship.

Armour and Simpson were at 13-under 127 halfway through the PGA Tour’s final event of the regular season. Simpson shot a 64.

After leading early in the round Henrik Stenson finished a stroke behind them after a 66. Ollie Schniederjans and Vaughn Taylor and were 11. Schniederjans shot 63, Taylor had a 66.

First-round leader Matt Every followed his 61 with a 72 to slip six strokes off the lead.

The field at Sedgefield Country Club is once again full of players trying to force their way off the bubble and qualify for the post-season. The top 125 players on the points list earn berths at The Northern Trust next week in New York.

At No. 187 on the list, Armour isn’t even close to the bubble.

“Could turn your life around,” Armour said. “I had some goals at the beginning of the week. I knew where I stood and, you know, right now the goals are attainable.”

The 41-year-old who has yet to win on tour and has bounced between the big tour and the Web.com Tour throughout his 14-year professional career, had nine birdies – five on his first nine holes, then four in a row on Nos. 5-8 – to quickly climb the leaderboard.

His round was two strokes better than his previous best of 63 nine years ago in Milwaukee.

Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch (66) is tied for 19th at 7 under, David Hearn (68) of Brantford, Ont., is tied for 37th at 5 under and Nick Taylor (68) of Abbotsford, B.C., is in a group at 44th at 4 under.

Simpson, a North Carolina native who won here in 2011 and named his third child Wyndham, put himself in position to contend for his first victory since 2014.

He had four birdies on the first six holes of his back nine, pulling even with Armour at 13 under after his birdie on the par-5 15th.

“Keep making birdies, stay aggressive and know that there’s plenty of good golfers behind me,” Simpson said. “I got to keep the hammer down.”

Stenson, who started on the back nine, offset his lone bogey of the round – he missed a 15-foot par putt on the par-4 18th – with three birdies during the four-hole span between Nos. 4-7.

“The game plan is there,” he said. “I got the set-up in the bag to give me those numbers off the tee that we need and it’s just about going out there and playing, continue making birdies and giving myself birdie chances. It’s a low scoring golf course … keep it going.”

Among bubble players, No. 125 Geoff Ogilvy played his way to the weekend late in his round.

He had birdies on five of his final six holes to move to 4 under for the tournament – good enough to help him beat the cut line of 3 under.

And No. 141 Johnson Wagner had the shot of the tournament so far, with an albatross on the par-5 fifth, using a 5-iron to hole out his 215-yard second shot from the right fairway. It was the first double-eagle at the tournament since Fabian Gomez had one on No. 15 in 2011.

“I had a bunch of family that’s up by the green and they started going bananas,” Wagner said. “Pretty clear it had gone in.”

Wagner shot a 64 to move to 9 under.

Some others weren’t so fortunate: No. 126 Daniel Summerhays was at even par while No. 126 Cameron Tringale was 1 under.

Click here to view the full leaderboard.

CPKC Women's Open

Tip: Long-range putting with Brooke Henderson

Canada’s Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shares some expert tips to help you with long-range putting.

Watch her perform in person this summer at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club from Aug. 21-27 – tickets are available here.

LPGA Tour

Solheim Cup opens Friday in Iowa

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(Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – If the last Solheim Cup was any indication, golf fans should be in for a treat this weekend in Iowa.

In 2015 in Germany, the Americans rallied from 8 1/2 points down to beat Europe 14 1/2 to 13 1/2 – the largest rally in the history of the biennial event that began in 1990.

The Americans hold a 9-5 advantage in the series, winning three straight from 1994-98 and from 2005-09. But Europe has had the upper hand of late, winning in 2011 and 2013 before its collapse two years ago.

Here are some of the things to watch as play kicks off Friday at Des Moines Golf and Country Club:

THE COURSE

The par-72, 6,894-yard course, located roughly 10 miles from Iowa’s capital, is the second-longest in Solheim Cup history behind the Colorado Golf Club in 2013. The front nine figures to have its fair share of birdie opportunities, while the back nine could be much stingier. It also rained quite a bit Tuesday and Wednesday, softening the course that suffered through drought-like conditions all summer. “The greens are a lot more receptive than they thought it would be,” European captain Annika Sorenstam said. “Earlier on, the ball was rolling in the fairways, but now they won’t. So it’s going to add some distance to it.”

WIE’S JOURNEY

American Michelle Wie has been a member of every U.S. Solheim Cup team since she was 19. But after a dismal 2016 in which she made just 13 of 25 cuts, Wie needed a strong start to this season to make the team on points. She did just that, finishing in the top five seven times and tying for third at the Women’s British Open two weeks ago. “This year, more so than any other year, it’s more special to me just because of what I had to do to get here,” Wie said. “I clawed my way up here. I made my way on to the team. And for me this year it’s just so much more special because it’s already a victory for me just to be here, just to be part of this experience.”

ALTERNATES

Paula Creamer became the first alternate in Solheim Cup history to earn a spot on a 12-player team after Jessica Korda withdrew because of a forearm injury. But the Europeans were also forced to bring in another player, Catriona Matthew, after Suzann Pettersen withdrew because of a back injury. Pettersen will take Matthew’s spot as a vice captain. “Obviously was disappointed when I didn’t (earn a spot). But I’m very excited to be playing now,” the 47-year-old Matthew said. I’m “upset for Suzann not playing, but excited for myself to be playing now.”

CAREFREE AMERICAN ROOKIES

If U.S. rookies Danielle Kang and Angel Yin are nervous about the prospect of playing in front of packed galleries cheering them on for every shot, they weren’t showing it earlier this week during a relaxed and jovial press conference. Yin, 18, said she was mistaken for a junior player and remarked that “it means a lot, from Junior Solheim to two years later I’m playing the adult Solheim. The big Solheim.” Upon hearing that, Kang, 24, turned to her younger teammate and said, “Adult Solheim? Really?”

ROAD TRIP

The Europeans have traditionally struggled when the U.S. hosts the tournament, winning just once in seven tries in America. But that lone win came during their last trip to America four years ago – and it was a big one. Europe routed the U.S. 18-10 in Colorado.

Canadian Women's Senior Championship

Canadian Women’s Mid-Am and Senior heads to Humber Valley Resort

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(Humber Valley Resort)
Golf Canada

115 golfers ranging from 25-74 years of age will descend on Humber Valley Resort from Aug. 21-24 for the 47th playing of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Am and Senior Championship.

Four individual trophies are up for grabs at the 54-hole tournament in Little Rapids, N.L.

Competitors over 25 will vie for the Mid-Amateur title, players over 40 will be eligible to compete in the Mid-Master competition and those over 50 will play for the Senior championship. Finally, those 60-and-over will compete for the Super Senior title over the tournament’s first 36 holes.

Humber Valley Resort – designed by renowned Canadian golf course architect Doug Carrick – features incredible views of the nearby Humber River and several holes run adjacent to the beautiful Deer Lake, with 105 uniquely designed bunkers dotting the course’s tranquil landscape.

“Our course is renowned for its stunning and challenging layout,” said Humber Valley’s general manager Gary Oke. “It’s in great condition and we’re thrilled to share our course with these talented women.”

“Humber Valley Resort boasts a beautiful layout and we are very excited for the competition to get underway,” added tournament director Adam Cinel. “The field is in for a tough, yet fair test, here this week in Little Rapids.”

In 2016 at Wolf Creek Golf Course in Ponoka, Alta., Judith Kyrinis (Thornhill, Ont.) took home three of the four trophies winning the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master and Senior titles at 2 under par after a final round 4-under-par 68. Holly Horwood (Vancouver, B.C.) won the Super Senior division at 7 over par.

Kyrinis is back this year looking to become the first repeat champion in the Senior division since Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured member Mary Ann Hayward won back-to-back titles in 2010-2011.

In addition to the four individual competitions, an inter-provincial team competition will take place during the first two rounds.

In 2016, the Ontario team of Kyrinis, Ivy Steinberg (Stouffville, Ont.), and Hayward (St. Thomas, Ont.) won the team competition with a two-day score of 12-over-par 300.

After 36 holes, the field will be reduced to the low 70 players and ties from the senior division. Further to that, all Mid-Amateurs and Mid-Masters postings a 36-hole score which is equal to the last player(s) to qualify for the final round, will make the cut. A minimum of 10 Mid-Amateurs (Age 25-39) and five Mid-Masters (Age 40-49) will make the cut.

A tie for the championship will be decided by a hole-by-hole playoff immediately following conclusion of play.

The senior division winner receives an exemption into the 2017 U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur being contested at Waverley Country Club in Portland, Oreg., from Sept. 9-14.

Click here to learn more about the Canadian Women’s Mid-Am and Senior Championship.

NOTABLES

Hélène Chartrand, Pincourt, Que.
The 60-year-old won the 2014 Canadian Women’s Senior Championship and was the runner-up in 2016. Chartrand was second at the 2017 Quebec Mid-Amateur Championship and third at the 2017 Quebec Women’s Senior Amateur Championship.

Mary Ann Hayward, St. Thomas, Ont.
The 57-year-old Canadian Golf Hall of Famer is a three-time winner of this event (2010-11, 2013). Hayward finished T10 at this event in 2016. She reached the round-of-32 at the 2016 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. Hayward won the 2017 Quebec Mid-Amateur Championship and was the runner up at the 2017 Ontario Women’s Senior Championship. She’s a four-time Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion (1993, 1996, 1999, 2004).

Judith Kyrinis, Thornhill, Ont.
The 53-year-old defending champion won her first Canadian Women’s Senior title in 2016. Kyrinis was the medallist after two rounds of stroke play at the 2016 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur and reached the quarterfinals in match play. She reached the round-of-64 at the 2016 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur. She was T22 at the 2017 Investors Group Ontario Women’s Amateur.

Jackie Little, Procter, B.C.
The 59-year-old won this event back-to-back in 2008-2009 and was tied for sixth last year. Little was third at the 2017 B.C. Senior Women’s Championship.

Alison Murdoch, Victoria, B.C
The 67-year-old Canadian Golf Hall of Famer has won this event four times, most recently in 2007. She was seventh at the 2017 B.C. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship. Murdoch is a four-time Irish Senior Women’s Open Champion and won the 2007 Senior Ladies’ British Amateur.

Terrill Samuel, Etobicoke, Ont.
The 56-year-old is a two-time champion at this event, most recently winning in 2015. She finished third in 2016 at this event. She was third at the 2017 Ontario Women’s Senior Championship and 24th at the 2017 Investors Group Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship.

FAST FACTS

Five Canadian Golf Hall of Famers have won the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship: Marlene Streit, Gayle Borthwick, Alison Murdoch, Marilyn O’Connor, and Margaret Todd.

Streit (1985, 1987-88, 1993), Borthwick (1994-1995, 1999-2000) and Murdoch (2002, 2004-05, 2007) are tied for the most Canadian Women’s Senior Championship victories with four each.

Nancy Fitzgerald has the most consecutive Canadian Women’s Senior Championships wins – winning three straight titles from 1996-1998.

The last non-Canadian to win was American Ginny Burkey in 2006.

The senior division winner receives an exemption into the 2017 U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur at Waverley Country Club in Portland, Ore., from Sept. 9-14.

COURSE FACTS

Par 72,

5,755 yards, slope 132

Architect: Doug Carrick

The course has 105 bunkers, 49 on the front nine and 56 on the back nine.

Humber Valley has Creeping Bentgrass greens and tees, Dwarf Kentucky fairways and fescue rough

Named ScoreGolf’s best new course in 2007

Click here for more information on the Canadian Women’s Mid-Am and Senior Championship.

PGA TOUR

Matt Every ties first round record with 61 at Wyndham Championship

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(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Canadian Press

Matt Every matched the Wyndham Championship’s first-round record with a 9-under 61 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead.

Every tied the opening-round mark set in 2010 by Arjun Atwal, who went on to win the PGA Tour’s final tournament before the post-season.

Henrik Stenson opened with a 62. Former Wyndham winner Webb Simpson was at 63 along with Cameron Smith, Vaughn Taylor, Tim Wilkinson, Harold Varner III, Brian Campbell and Sam Saunders.

Davis Love III – the 53-year-old player who has won this tournament three times, most recently in 2015 – matched Martin Flores and Rick Lamb with a 64.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch both shot 67’s and are 3 under. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a 68.

For Every, a 33-year-old with two career victories on tour, this was a much-needed strong start to what he hopes is a long week.

“I played good, and have been playing good for a while,” Every said. “So it’s just nice to see it come together.”

Every arrived at par-70 Sedgefield Country Club in a tie for 183rd on the FedEx Cup points list. The top 125 qualify for The Northern Trust next week in New York.

His best finish this season was a tie for 14th at the Canadian Open, and he had a string of seven consecutive tournaments from April-June in which he either withdrew or missed the cut. Both of his victories came at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in 2014 and ’15.

“I have a high regard for my talent. Like, I know I’m as talented as anyone out here – maybe like five guys are more talented than me – so I couldn’t let myself quit,” Every said. “There were a lot of low points, though. That’s life. Just everything that I’ve been through, I’ve brought on myself. So I don’t need any sympathy or anything. It’s just the way my path has gone so far in the last couple years.”

After the best round of his career, he sure looks like a safe bet to reach the weekend at Sedgefield.

Every started his round with an eagle on the par-4 first, holing out a 105-yard shot from the left fairway that bounced three times and rolled in. He birdied three straight holes from Nos. 3-5, then added another on No. 7 and three more on the back nine.

He had a chance at the overall course record of 60 with a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 18, but missed it and tapped in a 5-inch putt for par.

Stenson, the 2016 British Open champion and FedEx Cup winner in 2013, had eight birdies in his bogey-free round and could have had another one but missed a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 15.

Simpson, the North Carolina native and former Wake Forest player who won this tournament in 2011, started his round on the back nine and had five birdies and an eagle on his first nine holes. Bogeys on the 418-yard first hole and the 428-yard fourth hole left him two strokes behind Every.

Varner had five birdies on his front nine, and after a bogey on the 10th hole, he reeled off three straight birdies on Nos. 13-15 – and celebrated by dabbing. The former East Carolina player began the tournament at No. 138 on the points list.

Click here to view the leaderboard.

Canadian Men's Mid-Amateur Championship

Wascana Country Club to host Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship

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(Wascana Country Club)
Golf Canada

Amateur golfers over the age of 25 will gather for the 31st playing of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Wascana Country Club from Aug. 22-25.

The field of 156 amateur golfers will navigate the course that is stretched out along the winding shoreline of the Wascana Creek. Established in 1911, the Wascana Country Club offers a peaceful wetland setting and identifies as one of the premier golf courses in Saskatchewan.

“We are truly honoured to host this prestigious tournament here at Wascana,” said Greg Dukart, CEO of Wascana Country Club. “We look forward to challenging this strong field with our ‘wetlands’ golf course, in addition to showcasing what the city of Regina has to offer.”

Graham Cooke of Hudson, Que., captured the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title seven times between 1987 and 2002. He is among a group of five other players who have captured this championship on multiple occasions, including 2014, 2015 and 2016 winner Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont.

“The Mid-Amateur is a great opportunity for Canadian amateurs to find success and experience on a national stage and we are excited to bring this talented field to Wascana,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna. “The course is beautiful and in great condition to draw out some exciting competition.”

In 2016, Rank finished at 19 under par to claim a six-stroke victory at Golf Château-Bromont for his third consecutive victory at the event. He became the third person to win the tournament three years in a row along with Dave Bunker (2008-2010) and Graham Cooke (2000-2002). Rank will look to become the first ever champion to win four consecutive titles.

The first round will take place on Aug. 25 and the field will be reduced to the low 70 and ties for the final two rounds.

The championship was first contested in 1987 and includes an inter-provincial competition which is held over the first 36 holes. In addition, the championship includes a Mid-Master competition for players over the age of 40 that runs concurrently with the tournament.

Team Ontario will attempt to defend its title in the inter-provincial team competition, and a new winner will try to win the 40-and-over Mid-Master division. Rob Couture, who won the division last year, will not be competing.

In addition to the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, the 2017 champion will receive an exemption into the 2018 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Additional information about the tournament, including the full field and tee-times is available here.

CPKC Women's Open LPGA Tour

Ariya Jutanugarn: Enjoying success on Canadian soil

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(Bernard Brault/Golf Canada)
David Li

In any given profession, with success comes recognition.  And of course, the same applies in the sport of golf.

With that said, former world No. 1, Ariya Jutanugarn, from Bangkok, Thailand has certainly made her mark in Canada given her recent success on Canadian soil.

Last August after winning the 2016 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open by four strokes at the Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club in Calgary, Jutanugarn expressed how much she enjoyed playing in Canada and also spoke about how much she looked forward to coming back.

And she wasn’t kidding.

In early June, she returned to Canada for the Manulife LPGA Classic in Cambridge, Ont. – and the 21-year-old did it in style as she won the tournament in a dramatic three-way playoff.

In the final round at the Whistle Bear Golf Club, Jutanugarn shot a 3-under-par 69 to pull into a three way tie with Lexi Thompson of the United States and In Gee Chun of South Korea after 18 holes.

With both Thompson and Chun missing their birdie attempts on the first playoff hole, Jutanugarn calmly stepped up and sank a 25 foot putt to claim the victory; and also the distinction as the world No. 1 at the time.

“She made a really good putt.  It was perfect,” said Chun, the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open Champion and 2016 LPGA Rookie of the Year.

The title at the Manulife LPGA Classic was Jutanugarn’s first of 2017; and in her post-victory press conference she spoke about the level of her game leading up to start of the tournament – which she felt was anything but perfect.

“I just can’t believe I won the tournament. I didn’t expect anything at all, because when I got here I didn’t feel comfortable with my swing. I (felt) like my tee shot (was) not that good,” she said candidly.

A couple days later at the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan, after having some time to soak in her accomplishment and reflect, Jutanugarn spoke about of the significance of reaching world No. 1 – specifically as it relates to the people in her native Thailand.

“I think they (are) really excited about that and I’m really happy to be representing Thailand and I’m very proud of myself that I can make them happy,” said Jutanugarn, who is the first male or female golfer from Thailand to have reached world No. 1.

According to the 2017 Meijer LPGA Classic champion, Brooke Henderson, Jutanugarn’s success has a lot to do with her unique combination of power combined with her soft hands on the greens.

“Ariya is an amazing player and a very powerful player – she hits it a long way.  And she has an exceptional short game which is usually uncommon for that powerful of a player,” said the 19-year-old from Smith Falls, Ont. about Jutanugarn during a media day lead up to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

Henderson adds that she is motivated by Jutanugarn’s success and also has aspirations of reaching the pinnacle of her profession one day.

“I think that’s everyone’s goal out on the LPGA Tour which is to be the best player they can be; and to be the top player amongst everybody,” said the former Canadian national team member, who climbed to world No. 2 last summer.

“Becoming number 1 is a tough thing to accomplish because there’s a lot of hard work involved and a lot of good breaks that need to go your way.”

Despite losing the world No. 1 ranking to So Yeon Ryu after South Korean’s victory at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, Jutanugarn still holds the distinction as the reigning champion for the only two Canadian events on the LPGA schedule.

However, that is something Henderson hopes to change when the CP Women’s Open tees off from Aug. 24-27 in her home golf course at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club.

The 19-year-old revealed recently at the media day for the CP Women’s Open that winning the title is one of the things on her bucket list.

With both Jutanugarn and Henderson currently playing their best golf, it bodes well for the potential of a budding rivalry between the two young stars over the summer and beyond.

While both share a healthy competitive spirit to be the best of the best in their profession, their success has also earned them recognition as role models and ambassadors of the sport.

Given that responsibility and honour, Jutanugarn was asked after her recent victory in Cambridge what her advice would be for the aspiring young golfers with the goal of reaching the pinnacle of the sport one day.

“Follow your dream and never give up,” replied the 21-year-old from Thailand. “That’s the key for me.”

Click here to buy tickets to see Jutanugarn, Henderson and the stars of the LPGA at the 2017 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt from August 21-27.