Golf Canada in partnership with Canadian Pacific (CP) announced today the final field of competitors set to challenge for the 2017 CP Women’s Open taking place August 21-27.

Defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn, world no. 1 So Yeon Ryu and three-time winner Lydia Ko along with Canadian sensation and hometown favourite Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., highlight the 156-player field competing at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club.

With one of the strongest fields on the LPGA Tour, Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship will feature 22 of the top 25, 44 of the top 50 and 92 of the top 100 players on the LPGA Tour’s Official Money List.

The field will also have a strong Solheim Cup presence as 19 of 24 competitors in this week’s biennial U.S. versus Europe contest have confirmed their intention to compete in Canada’s capital city.

Past CP Women’s Open champion Suzann Pettersen will lead 10 of 12 Team Europe competitors back to Canada following this week’s Solheim Cup in Des Moines, Iowa. Ranked no. 33 on the LPGA Money List, Pettersen will be joined by fellow European team members Anna Nordqvist (no. 20); Carlota Ciganda (no. 22); Jodi Ewart Shadoff (no. 23); Karine Icher (no. 36); Caroline Masson (no. 39); Charley Hull (no. 47); Madelene Sagstrom (no. 51); Emily Pedersen (no. 75); and Mel Reid (no. 95).

A trio of former CP Women’s Open champions – Cristie Kerr (2006), Michelle Wie (2010) and Brittany Lincicome (2011) – will lead Team USA to Ottawa. Kerr (no. 10), Wie (no. 12) and Lincicome (no. 27) will be joined by teammates Danielle Kang (no. 11); Stacy Lewis (no. 18); Austin Ernst (no. 32); Angel Yin (no. 41); Brittany Lang (no. 63); and Paula Creamer (no. 78).

Ottawa Hunt will challenge 10 past CP Women’s Open champions including Jutanugarn (2016), Ko (2012, 2013 & 2015), Ryu (2014), Lincicome (2011), Wie (2010), Pettersen (2009), Kerr (2006), Karrie Webb (1999) and Laura Davies (1996), along with Katherine Kirk who won in 2008 when Ottawa Hunt last hosted the stars of the LPGA Tour.

“We are thrilled to welcome the world’s best to Ottawa as the CP Women’s Open returns to our nation’s capital to coincide with the Canada 150 celebration,” said Golf Canada’s Chief Championships Officer, Bill Paul. “The CP Women’s Open will feature a strong LPGA tour field along with the very best rising talents in Canadian and international golf. Ottawa area golf fans are sure to be treated to an unbelievable showcase of world-class golf.”

Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson, an honorary member of host Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club and a CP ambassador who is no. 5 on the LPGA Money List, leads a strong Canadian LPGA Tour contingent. Joining Henderson are Tour regulars Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City, Jennifer Ha of Calgary, Augusta James of Bath, Ont. and Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., along with fellow CP ambassador and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Lorie Kane of Charlottetown.

Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., who picked up her first Symetra Tour victory earlier this month at the PHC Classic, will also be in the field competing on a tournament exemption.

All four members of Golf Canada’s National Amateur Team will be competing, including Ottawa native Grace St. Germain, Jaclyn Lee of Calgary, Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C., and dual citizen Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont. Tanguay, James and Ha are also members of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Squad.

Each of the strong Canuck contingent have one goal in mind: to become the first Canadian to win an LPGA Tour event in Canada since Jocelyne Bourassa won La Canadienne in 1973.

The field of 156 competitors will vie for the US$2.25 million purse as the championship returns to Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club for the first time since 2008. The 2017 winner’s prize is $337,500.

On Monday, Aug. 21, an 18-hole stroke play qualifier will take place at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Ottawa to determine the final four exemptions directly into the CP Women’s Open.

The champion of the Data PGA Women’s Championship of Canada which concludes today at Scarboro Golf and Country Club in Toronto also receives an exemption into the 2017 CP Women’s Open.

Information regarding tickets and corporate hospitality for the CP Women’s Open can be found at www.cpwomensopen.com. A full field list of players confirmed to compete in the 2017 CP Women’s Open is available by clicking here.

 CP Has Heart charity campaign to benefit Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario…

Now in its fourth year, CP’s community investment program, CP Has Heart, is committed to raising funds in support of children’s heart health in the host community of the CP Women’s Open. The 2017 edition of Canada’s National Women’s Open is proud to have the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) as the beneficiary charity.

The CP Has Heart fundraising activities tied to the CP Women’s Open and CHEO are part of CP’s overarching “Beautiful Hearts” campaign across the Ottawa region which will also run during the CFL regular season, playoffs and Grey Cup
The “Beautiful Hearts” campaign will support the refurbishment of facilities that patients use every day at CHEO and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and celebrate the resiliency and spirit of the human heart.
Through August 27, 2017, CP will match all donations made towards pediatric cardiac at www.cheoheart.com. CP will also donate $5,000 to CHEO for every birdie made by a player on the 15th hole at Ottawa Hunt during this year’s championship. The 15^th hole will also feature the 15^th Green CP Fan Zone where golf fans can donate $20 to upgrade their grounds pass to access a covered greenside bleacher and viewing area with all proceeds to benefit CHEO.

Since 2014, the CP Has Heart charity campaign has raised more than $4.5 million in support of children’s heart health.

Kids 17-and-under Get in Free…

Golf Canada and CP are committed to offering a fan friendly, family event with the CP Women’s Open. To introduce more juniors to the sport, children aged 17-and-under get FREE admission to the CP Women’s Open for the entire week.

Tickets…
Juniors – 17 & Under Free
Early Week (Mon-Wed) $11.30
Anyday Grounds (Thurs-Sun) $39.55
Weekly (Mon-Sun) $90.40

Television coverage…
Thursday, August 24        Golf Channel      10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Friday, August 25              Golf Channel      10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 26        Golf Channel      3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, August 27           Golf Channel      3 p.m. – 6 p.m.

NOTE: All times listed are in Eastern Time. Times are approximate and are subject to change without notice.

Click here to learn more about the CP Women’s Open

With laser-like precision off the tee at Scarboro Golf & Country Club, Augusta James found herself atop a crowded leaderboard at the DATA PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.

The Bath, Ont., native and LPGA Tour rookie posted an opening-round 4-under-par 68 Tuesday to lead an impressive group of players that includes LPGA and Symetra Tour winners.

“Other than the eighth hole, I hit every fairway out there,” James said. “Hitting a lot of fairways and my accuracy with longer clubs are definitely the strengths of my game.”

Apparently, making birdies is another strength of James’. Her day included seven birdies and three bogeys.

Remarkably, James wasn’t the only one who made seven birdies Tuesday at Scarboro. Lindsey McPherson of Flushing, Mich., also made seven—however, she made all seven of hers in succession.

“I can honestly say I’ve never made seven birdies in a row, so that was pretty cool,” McPherson said. “It was kind of funny though because I didn’t feel like I was playing that great. But then I looked at the card and saw that I had made seven in a row.”

McPherson, along with former three-time Symetra Tour winner and LPGA Tour player Mina Harigae of Mesa, Ariz., are T2 at 3-under-par.

A trio of Canadian standouts—Anna Kim, Anne-Catherine Tanguay and Brittany Marchand (who is the most recent winner on the Symetra Tour)—along with Americans Madeleine Sheils and Samantha Troyanovich are all at 2-under-par, T4.

The DATA PGA Women’s Championship of Canada’s most decorated champion, Lorie Kane (a five-time winner) and Jenny Lee of California lurk just three back of James at 1-under-par.

Hannah Hellyer of St. Georges Golf & Country Club leads the Club Professional Division by a pair of shots over Rebecca Lee-Bentham.

The winner of this year’s championship will earn an exemption into the CP Canadian Women’s Open at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club, Aug. 21-27.

Scarboro Golf and Country Club, with a history dating back to 1912, has been the site of four Canadian Opens, the Canadian Tour Championship and several amateur championships. The course was originally designed by noted professional and Canadian golf course architect George Cumming, but underwent extensive changes in 1924 under the direction of Albert Warren Tillinghast. Tillinghast was one of North America’s premier golf course designers, who was at the peak of his career when hired to redesign Scarboro.

Scarboro is in great company among such renowned Tillinghast courses as Winged Foot, Ridgewood, Five Farms East, the redesign of Baltusrol and the fearsome Bethpage Black at Farmingdale, Long Island, N.Y. The latter literally consumed the games greatest golfers at the 2002 U.S. Open.

Scarboro remains the only course outside the U.S. designed by Tillinghast.
He masterfully used Highland Creek, which comes into play as many as 11 times in 18 holes, and the hilly terrain, gullies and trees as natural hazards, making artificial hazards almost unnecessary at Scarboro.

The PGA Women’s Championship of Canada was first played in 1987 and past champions include five-time winner Lorie Kane, Brooke Henderson, Alena Sharp, Cathy Sherk, Gail Graham, Nancy Harvey, and Jessica Shepley.

Admittance to the DATA PGA Women’s Championship of Canada is free and spectators are encouraged to attend during the 36-hole championship play.

To follow the DATA PGA Women’s Championship of Canada online throughout tournament week, visit www.pgaofcanada.com.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

Austin James is earning his professional stripes.

The 21-year-old Team Canada Amateur Squad member earned a sponsor exemption into the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops taking place on Aug. 14-20 at Hylands Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont., and will officially turn pro on Thursday.

“I think everyone when they’re playing junior golf as a kid and playing amateur golf, you think in the back of your head it would be really cool to be a professional golfer, but it didn’t come to the forefront of my head until my last year of junior golf,” said James in an interview with Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada. “I had a good season that year and played well at the Canadian Junior Championship and won that, and that made me realize I can make a go at this if I really want to and if I start working hard.”

James played college golf at Charleston Southern University during which he earned Big South Player of the year honours in his junior year after he was crowned champion of the Big South Conference Championship in 2016. During his impressive 2016 collegiate run, he totaled 11 under par at Big South Championships, which was one stroke shy of world No. 1 Dustin Johnson’s conference record.

“James is ready to take the next step,” said Derek Ingram, head coach of Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad. “He’s got all the right stuff to have a successful career and now he just has to go out there and perform. Once he starts getting some professional events under his belt he’s going to start turning some heads with the way he can play.”

His playing resume also includes a win at the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, runner-up at both the 2017 Charleston Southern Challenge (NCAA) and 2015 Coca-Cola Wofford Invitational and a solo-third finish at the 2016 General Hackler Championship.

The Bath, Ont., native will be the second James to turn pro in the last few years. His sister, Augusta, made her pro debut in 2014 and currently has conditional LPGA Tour status and is also a member of Team Canada’s Young Pro Squad.

James will join fellow National Amateur Squad graduates Jared du Toit and Stuart Macdonald who also turned pro earlier this year and will be competing in the event.

Click here for the full field.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shares some expert tips to help you get out of greenside bunkers.

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

Team Canada Head Physiotherapist and Strength Coach Greg Redman says improving your mobility and setup are the keys to avoiding pain in your shoulder.

The third-most commonly injured part of the body for a golfer is the shoulder. This is mainly because the shoulder joint has to pivot through a tremendous range of motion yet be stable throughout the unique movement we call a golf swing.

The shoulder is not simply one joint either, but rather a connection between our thoracic spine, ribs and shoulder blade. For example, a common physical limitation that leads to pain in the front of your shoulder is a lack of mobility in your chest, which includes your mid-back, spine and ribs. This can often be the result of one’s day job and frequent bending of his or her mid-back. I see this posture brought to the golf course a lot, which in setup is called “C-Posture.”

Unfortunately this posture allows the shoulder blade to slide forward and leads to pinching of your rotator cuff muscles in the front of your shoulder.

Two important ways to limit the effect of a sore shoulder on your swing are to improve the mobility of the mid-back spine and to improve your golf setup position. Here’s how.

Mobility

Lay on a high-density foam roller with your knees bent and your hands behind your head supporting your neck. Slowly push with your feet and pivot over the roller using it as a fulcrum for your mid-back. If this is too uncomfortable place a towel over the roller to soften the compression of your back on the hard foam. Complete 20 to 30 seconds of this exercise, rest for a minute and then repeat it three times.

Setup
When you address the ball at setup, rather than hunching over the ball, press your sternum (front of your chest) towards the ball. This should require no more than 25 per cent effort so that you can straighten out your mid-thoracic spine but not use so much muscular effort that you limit your ability to fully rotate through the swing.

Work on these two exercises for three weeks to see a change in your swing and, just as importantly, a reduction in any frontal shoulder pain.

This article was originally published in the Summer Issue edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine

A sore back left Graham DeLaet unsure if he’d even be able to tee off at the PGA Championship. Instead, he recorded one of the best performances of his career.

DeLaet, of Weyburn, Sask., finished Sunday’s final round tied for seventh at Quail Hollow golf course in Charlotte, N.C. It was his best result in one of golf’s four majors and just four shots back of winner Justin Thomas.

DeLaet said he was competing despite suffering from an ongoing back injury that flares up a couple of times a year, but the 35-year-old rallied to shoot 68 and 69 over the tournament’s final two rounds, the same weekend score as Thomas.

?? to Canada's @GrahamDeLaet on his T7 @PGAChampionship

It's his best career finish at a major ?️⛳️

Scores https://t.co/YPnD6DPt79 pic.twitter.com/1My1RmxoYc

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) August 14, 2017

He said focusing on his health rather than his score actually helped him.

“When I was out there, I wasn’t really thinking about where I was at on the leaderboard, I was just trying to get through. From a mental standpoint it was actually kind of beneficial,” he said Monday. “Physically obviously I would have liked to have been healthy, but I kept my mind in a pretty good spot.”

Although DeLaet was in one of the final groups Sunday at a major for the first time in his career, he felt as though he belonged.

“There was a weird calmness about me, even on Saturday night,” he said. “If I could shoot 5 or 6 under, which was possible, but difficult (on Sunday), I would have had a chance to win a major. Even knowing that, I felt good.”

-6 in FOUR HOLES!!!!

?????????
?????????
??@GrahamDeLaet??
?????????
????????? pic.twitter.com/7VZQil6N0a

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 12, 2017

Physically, DeLaet felt better thanks to the efforts of Dr. Craig Davies, a Canadian conditioning coach and trainer who is based out of Orlando and has been working with DeLaet since 2011.

Davies said they did some acupuncture, dry needling, cupping, muscle adjustments, soft-tissue work and applied a new product called a Luminas patch that uses electrons from natural anti-pain compounds, prior to Thursday.

“Truth of the matter is, all of what we did would have been for not if it wasn’t for the fact that Graham has this playoff-hockey mentality where he can play through a lot of pain that a lot of players wouldn’t be able to play through,” said Davies.

“And if they could play through it, they wouldn’t have played at the level he could. It’s a massive testament to Graham.”

Solid week at the PGA. Couldn't have done it without @Coach_Davies. Countless hours on the table. #needles #cups #stem

— Graham DeLaet (@GrahamDeLaet) August 13, 2017

DeLaet, who withdrew from the Barracuda Championship two weeks ago, said this season has been solid overall with six top-10 finishes.

Still, as younger countrymen Nick Taylor, Mackenzie Hughes, and Adam Hadwin have all captured PGA Tour victories in the last few seasons, DeLaet wants more.

“I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed to not have a few more chances, but it’s tough,” he said. “It’s tough to get into that position and when you are, it’s harder to play well and finish it off. Obviously, I’ve never done it yet,” he said.

“That’s always the goal. It’s been good, but I feel like that really, really high finish is what’s missing on the year.”

One of the greatest 3-hole stretches we've seen.

Wow, @GrahamDeLaet. #MustSeeMomentshttps://t.co/o0YoN8C1fr pic.twitter.com/P6VxQXt19g

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 13, 2017

DeLaet has been buoyed by the support of his wife, Ruby, and being a new dad. He said playing for his twins – daughter Lyla and son Roscoe, born in 2015 – is something that’s always in the back of his mind.

“Ruby was watching (the PGA Championship) on TV and they knew it was me on the TV, which was cool, but I still don’t think they quite get it,” said DeLaet. “A couple more years for them to understand what I do, but that’s a motivator for sure.”

DeLaet will head to the family’s home in Idaho this week to rest up prior to playing the FedEx Cup playoffs starting next week at The Northern Trust in New York.

He said the week at the PGA Championship wore him out physically and mentally, and he’s eager for a break.

“It really took its toll on me,” he admitted. “But I hope this week will give me just enough to get back to where I need to be.”

Click here to view the full PGA Championship leaderboard.

The last time the CP Women’s Open was played at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, about 15 minutes from Parliament Hill in Canada’s capital, Brooke Henderson was a 10-year-old with big dreams, participating in a clinic with Morgan Pressel – her golf idol – who gave her a glove, a memento Henderson still has to this day.

Fast forward nearly a decade and the 19-year-old Henderson is one of the LPGA Tour’s best golfers. She’s been ranked as high as second in the world (she’s currently eighth), and has won four times on Tour (including a major), double the amount of LPGA wins her childhood idol Pressel has.

Henderson, and Canadian golf hall of famer Lorie Kane, serve as ambassadors for Canadian Pacific (CP) – the title sponsor of the event. In addition to supporting professional golf in Canada, CP uses its sponsorship to leave behind a legacy in the host community through its community investment program, CP Has Heart. This year’s charitable partner is the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). The popularity of Henderson, who hails from Smiths Falls just an hour away from the course, means the goal to raise $1.8 million to upgrade the hospital’s catheterization lab and interventional suite will be helped along by willing donor-fans.

The Aug. 21-27 event is a home game for Henderson and she will be the star of the show. Management at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club bestowed both her and her sister, Brittany, with honourary memberships in 2016, giving the Henderson sisters an opportunity to play and practice at the course, and, hopefully, give them a home-course advantage when the tournament gets started next week.

The four-time LPGA Tour winner has already captured one title during the 2017 season, and would like nothing more than to add the CP Women’s Open trophy to her ever-growing collection.

In order to do so, Henderson will need to keep her emotions in check with thousands of Canadian golf fans rooting her on and trying to get a glimpse of Ottawa’s favourite daughter and beat an elite field of players that includes all of the world’s best.

Defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn is back, along with three-time champion Lydia Ko. World No. 1 So Yeon Ryu is playing, along with major champions Shanshan Feng, Anna Nordqvist, Stacy Lewis, Lexi Thompson, Michelle Wie and Suzann Pettersen.

The course itself will be a much different one than what the women played in 2008. Ottawa Hunt, which opened in 1908, has undergone a significant redesign by Dr. Michael Hurdzan, one of the designers behind this year’s U.S. Open venue, Erin Hills Golf Club.

From 2011-2013, Dr. Hurdzan and his team returned the storied venue to its roots, transforming the West and South nines – the two nines that will be used for the championship.

In a recent interview, Hurdzan even remarked that the opening hole on the West nine was his “favourite par 5” designed in his long career.

Between Canada 150 celebrations, the spectacular field, the chance to support a deserving charity, the new design of a classic course, and of course, the opportunity to see local hero Brooke Henderson tee it up with the best in the world, this year’s CP Canadian Women’s Open is an event not to be missed.

Tickets can be purchased now by visiting cpwomensopen.com/tickets. Don’t miss out on this tremendous opportunity to see some of the world’s best athletes up close and personal.

To donate to CHEO, visit cheoheart.com.

During his childhood years, Garrett Rank kept busy with his two biggest passions – hockey during the winters; and golf in the summers.

Today, at 29 years old, not much has changed for the now full-time National Hockey League referee, who also holds the distinction as one of Canada’s top ranked amateur golfers.

“I grew up in the small town of Elmira, Ontario and as a Canadian boy it was hockey in the winter time and golf in the summer,” said Rank, a former member of the national team program from 2012 -2014.

As a child, young Garrett would follow his father, Richard and his older brother, Kyle, to the golf course during the summers.

“My parents thought taking us to the golf course was a good idea because they knew that we wouldn’t get into much trouble on a golf course,” Rank recalled.

During the winters, his focus shifted from the links to the hockey rinks.

“I grew up playing a lot of hockey in the winters and had dreams of playing in the NHL. I was a forward and played centre and played some junior hockey and also played college hockey at the University of Waterloo,” he pointed out.

“As I grew older, I realized a professional career as a hockey player was not going to happen. So being a referee was neat way to stay involved in the game; and lucky enough for me, I had the opportunity to start right away as a referee in junior hockey,” he added.

“I spent four years in the OHL and they saw some potential in me; and before I knew it, I was refereeing professional hockey games.”

The Elmira, Ont., native still clearly remembers his first NHL game on Jan. 15 of 2015.

“It was a game between Minnesota and Buffalo and my first call was overturned after video review… I had to make the announcement to the arena saying that there was a goal being awarded to Minnesota and so the fans in Buffalo didn’t like that too much,” Rank pointed out.

“My boss called me the next day and said ‘look at it this way, you can only go up from here,’” he recalled with a laugh.

Things have certainly trended upwards for Rank who went from refereeing seven NHL games that first season to 40 games the following season.  And just last year, he was promoted to full-time status and officiated over 70 NHL games.

Having recently completed his first full season as an NHL referee, Rank has shifted his focus to his summer sport of choice – golf.

Having recently competed in his third consecutive RBC Canadian Open, the three-time defending Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Champion is quick to offer his thoughts on the hockey rink design on the seventh hole.

“The fact that they have a rink this year is really neat. It ties in with Canada really well because hockey is huge in our country. It allows the players to have a little bit of fun and joke around with the fans,” said Rank, who made the 36-hole cut last year.

NHL referee Garrett Rank rockin' the stripes at #TheRink. Amazing.@RBCCanadianOpen #RBCCO
??? pic.twitter.com/THjiNkvD3n

— Rob Leth (@RobLeth) July 28, 2017

Glen Abbey Golf Club superintendent, Andrew Gyba, is quick to acknowledge the favourable feedback in regards to the hockey rink on the seventh hole.

“I think it’s a great idea, especially seeing how much fun the players are having with it through the practice rounds and through the Pro-Ams…Yeah, I’m all for the rink. Let’s keep it going,” said Gyba.

While he didn’t bring his ‘A’ game to the RBC Canadian Open this year, Rank – who shot a combined two-round total of 11 over par at Glen Abbey – is hoping to step up his game for what promises to be an exciting summer ahead.

First, he will be aiming to put in a strong performance at the upcoming U.S. Amateur, which runs from Aug. 14-20 at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, Calif.

“I played the U.S. Amateur the last few years and feel that I have a bit of unfinished business there,” said Rank who has yet to advance past the round of 32 at the tournament. “The winner gets to play at the Masters, so I’m definitely looking to have a great week.”

The week after, Rank will be looking to defend his Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title for a fourth consecutive year at the Wascana Country Club in Regina, Sask.

“With the Canadian Mid-Am, it’s cool that the winner gets to play at the RBC Canadian Open each year – so that’s the goal to win that and get back here next summer,” he said.

Looking at the bigger picture, the 29-year-old feels that he is truly living the dream in that he remains so closely connected to his two childhood passions.

“Obviously there’s been a lot of hard work and dedication to get to this point, but I feel really fortunate to be where I am today. I’m really living the dream,” said Rank.

“I mean, I’ve got one of the coolest jobs in the world as a hockey official; and it’s just neat that it enables me to spend my summers pursing my other childhood passion at such a high level.”

Canada’s Ben Silverman is the newest winner on the Web.com Tour after carding a 5-under-par 67 in the in final round to win the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper at Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield, Mo.

“I couldn’t miss with the putter,” said Silverman, who needed 107 putts for the week. “It felt so good. I was seeing the breaks and I think I was at 8-under for the round without realizing it. Things were just clicking.”

The Thornhill, Ont., native had five birdies and no bogeys in Sunday’s final round to finish at 25 under par, one stroke ahead of runner-up Talor Gooch (Midwest City, Okla.) to earn his first career win on the Web.com Tour.

After Gooch made a birdie on the par-5 18th, Silverman was forced to birdie his final hole to avoid a playoff. He stuck a five-iron to fifteen feet and two-putted for the win.

The winning swing. ⛳

This shot on No. 18 by @BenW_Silverman helped set up the birdie putt that would lead to his @PriceCutterCC victory. pic.twitter.com/mZGfdzzkQu

— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) August 14, 2017

Silverman played nearly flawless golf this week after getting off to a slow start with a 2-under-par 70, he didn’t make a bogey in his final three rounds.

“It’s amazing,” said Silverman. “Since I was 16 years old, I have wanted to be a professional golfer. I also made a goal that I wanted to be on the PGA TOUR before my 30th (birthday) and I’m 29. I’m hitting my goals and I’m excited.”

This is the second consecutive year a Canadian has won the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper. Last year it was Dundas, Ont., native Mackenzie Hughes who hoisted the trophy on the 18th green at Highland Springs Country Club.

That winning feeling. ?

A birdie on the final hole earns @Benw_Silverman his first #WebTour title. pic.twitter.com/g4vT2IvRhG

— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) August 13, 2017

The victory comes at special time in Silverman’s life as he and his wife Morgan just had their first child Jack Palmer on July 18th.

“I’m in a different frame of mind,” he said. “It’s just different now after having a son. Golf is not 100 percent everything that matters anymore.”

With his win, Silverman moves from 63rd up to 16th on the Web.com Tour Order of Merit, in position to earn his PGA TOUR card.

✅ Become a new father
✅ Pick up a win on the #WebTour
✅ Move into the top 25

It’s been quite the month for @Benw_Silverman. pic.twitter.com/98jI5nESj2

— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) August 13, 2017

Coming into this weekend his previous best finish on the Web.com Tour was a T5 at the Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank earlier this season.

Click here to view the full leaderboard.

Justin Thomas emerged from the shadow of a longtime friend and won the PGA Championship to take his place among the young elite in golf.

With two big breaks to start the back nine, a chip-in for birdie to seize control and a timely 7-iron that soared over the water to a peninsula green, Thomas closed with a 3-under 68 for a two-shot victory.

The PGA Championship was the most fitting major for the 24-year-old son of a PGA professional. Mike Thomas, a former PGA board member and longtime pro at Harmony Landing outside Louisville, Kentucky, walked along the edge of the 18th green and into the arms of his son, a major champion.

Dad and son. ❤️️

Dream come true. ? pic.twitter.com/n6en0cwwEK

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 13, 2017

The week began with Jordan Spieth’s quest for a career Grand Slam. Spieth was at the 18th green late Sunday afternoon at Quail Hollow, but only so he could celebrate the moment with Thomas, close friends since they were 14.

“So awesome, dude,” Spieth told him.

Thomas was every bit of that.

With five players still in the mix on the back nine, Thomas surged ahead by chipping in from 40 feet on the par-3 13th hole, and holding his nerve down the stretch as his challengers eventually faded, one after another.

Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., tied for seventh at 4 under. The Canadian shot a 2-under 69 on Sunday and had five birdies.

Hideki Matsuyama, bidding to become the first player from Japan to win a major, recovered from back-to-back bogeys with birdies on the 14th and 15th holes to get within one shot. But the championship turned on the 16th hole.

Justin and Jordan.

From minors to majors. ?? pic.twitter.com/vmcZX4b6BX

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 13, 2017

Thomas faced a 6-foot par putt to stay at 8 under. Matsuyama caught a good lie over the green and chipped to 5 feet. Thomas wasted no time over the putt and drilled it in the centre of cup. Matsuyama missed and was two shots behind.

“The last major of the year, and I was in contention,” said Matsuyama, a runner-up at the U.S. Open. “All I can do is try harder next time.”

Thomas sealed it with a 7-iron from 221 yards, so pure that he let the club twirl through his hands as he watched it clear the water and roll out to 15 feet. The birdie putt curled in and his lead was up to three going to the 18th. A final bogey only affected the score.

Thomas finished at 8-under 276 for his fourth victory of the year.

The PGA has been part of the Thomas family for three generations. Paul Thomas, his grandfather, was the longtime pro at Zanesville Country Club in Ohio who played in the 1962 U.S. Open. His father played at Morehead State and had aspirations of playing the tour that didn’t last long. Instead, Mike Thomas became a club pro who watched his son fall in love with the game and grow into a force on the PGA Tour.

“I can’t put it into words,” Thomas said about his PGA of America heritage. “I wish my grandpa could be here for it. It’s so special to get it done. I’ve glad we have a trophy now.”

Kevin Kisner was the last one who had a chance to catch him. But he three-putted from 100 feet on the 16th for bogey, couldn’t birdie the 17th from long range and hit his second shot into the water and finished with a double bogey. Kisner, the 54-hole leader, played the final three holes in 6 over on the weekend. He closed with a 74.

It's over! ?

24-year-old @JustinThomas34 has won the #PGAChamp!

It's his FOURTH win this season. ???? pic.twitter.com/KeTvkDjBx3

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 13, 2017

“That’s not going to be fun to look at,” he said of his weekend finish over the brutal closing stretch at Quail Hollow. “I thought I had to get to 10 (under) starting the day to win, and that was about right. I had every opportunity. I just didn’t finish it off.”

Matsuyama also hit into the water on No. 18 and made bogey for a 72 to finish three back.

Louis Oosthuizen (70), Patrick Reed (67) and Francesco Molinari (67) tied for second, though none had a chance to win playing the 18th. Oosthuizen holed a 50-foot birdie putt on the 18th to get a runner-up finish in the majors for the fourth time.

For Reed, it was his first top 10 in a major.

Just two months ago, fresh off a record-tying 63 in the U.S. Open to get in the final group at Erin Hills, Thomas struggled from the start and shot 75. He started this final round two shots behind, skulled a bunker shot on the first hole and had to make a 15-foot putt to avoid double bogey. He missed a short par putt on No. 3, and that was the last mistake he made until it no longer mattered.

Thomas began his move with a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 9, and then caught two breaks on the par-5 10th. His tee shot sailed left into a tree and bounced out into the fairway. Then, his 8-foot birdie putt hung on the left edge of the cup. Thomas smiled and lazily turned away, and a few seconds later as he looked back toward the hole, gravity took over and the ball dropped into the cup.

He had a chance for a knockout until failing to birdie the two easiest holes on the back nine, only to make up for it with the tough bunker shot on the 16th that led to his clutch par, and a 7-iron that made him a major champion.

He gets referred to endlessly as Spieth’s best friend because Spieth, who is 3 months younger, has done so much so quickly. Their friendship dates to France when they represented the U.S. in the Evian Junior Masters. Thomas won that 36-hole event.

Ten years later, they have won consecutive majors and head into the FedEx Cup playoffs battling for PGA Tour player of the year.

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