There’s tons of pressure on Mackenzie Hughes. Playing near his hometown, in his national championship, with dozens of family and friends in the gallery watching. But the PGA Tour rookie is trying to treat the RBC Canadian Open like any other tournament.

That methodical approach paid off as Hughes, from nearby Dundas, Ont., was the low Canadian on Thursday firing a 5-under 67 to enter a 16-way tie for 17th. The 26-year-old Hughes was happy to be just two shots behind the five co-leaders Hudson Swafford, Brandon Hagy, Kevin Chappell, Matt Every and Ollie Schniederjans.

“You can’t win it on Thursday but you can lose it on Thursday,” said Hughes after signing his scorecard. “I put myself in a pretty good spot. I know the scores are up there today and someone might shoot 7, 8 under, but it’s a four-round tournament and I’m off to a great start.”

That eases some of the tension that Hughes and the 16 other Canadians competing at the event feel every year at the PGA’s annual event north of the border.

“There’s a little bit of pressure. I’d be lying if I said it was a normal week. It’s not,” said Hughes, who estimated he had between 20 and 30 friends and family at Glen Abbey Golf Course for the first round. “You see a lot of familiar faces in the gallery, people calling your name. On the PGA Tour, I don’t get noticed for my appearance usually.”

Graham DeLaet, a seven-year PGA Tour veteran from Weyburn, Sask., said that he felt the pressure too, getting nervous before teeing off in the afternoon group.

“I had butterflies in my stomach,” said DeLaet, who eagled on No. 18 just before the sun set for a 4-under 68. “I’m not used to having so many people around No. 1 as I’m teeing off on a Thursday.”

Part of the pressure comes from Canada’s decades-long drought at its own national championship. The last Canadian to win the event was Pat Fletcher at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf Club in 1954 and today’s crop of players are asked about bringing the title home on a nearly daily basis at the Canadian Open.

“We’re aware of it but it gets talked about it enough,” said Hughes. “At the end of the day, we prepare 30 weeks a year trying to win tournaments, and this is another one I’ll be trying to win. To have this be in Canada, and obviously it would be very special, but you just can’t try too hard to win your national open, because it’s not going to happen if you try that hard.”

Amateurs Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint Hillaire, Que., and Austin James of Bath, Ont., were at 1 under while Jared Du Toit of Kimberely, B.C., Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch, and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., finished their rounds at even-par 72.

Toronto’s Daniel Kim was 1-over 73 and Riley Wheeldon of Comox, B.C., was 2 over.

Matt Hill of Sarnia, Ont., amateur Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., Drew Nesbitt of Shanty Bay, Ont., and Vancouver’s Ryan Williams had their days cut short due to darkness. They’ll finish their first rounds on Friday.

Hudson Swafford, Kevin Chappell, Matt Every, Ollie Schniederjans, and Brandon Hagy carded matching rounds of 65 to lead the way at 7 under par in the rain-shortened first round of the RBC Canadian Open.

Play was halted at 3:45 p.m. due to dangerous weather and resumed at 5:40 p.m. after a 1 hour and 55-minute delay. Twenty-one golfers were unable to finish their first round when play was officially suspended for the day due to darkness at 8:48 p.m.

Swafford, from Tallahassee, Fla., parred his first hole of the day before pouring in five consecutive birdies to kickstart his round.

“I hit a lot of quality shots and gave myself a lot of looks,” said Swafford. “That’s all I was trying to do, keep giving myself looks and rolled the putter beautifully.”

He added three more birdies and just one bogey to put him himself in a good position to chase his second PGA TOUR win of the season following a victory at the CareerBuilder Challenge in January.

Chappell averages 299.9 yards per drive off the tee and took advantage of the three par-5s at Glen Abbey playing them in 4-under-par.

“I hit it really well. Got the ball in play on the par 5s, so I was able to attack those,” said Chappell.

The Fresno, Calif., native has three top-10s on the PGA TOUR this year including a win at the Valero Texas Open and a T7 at The Masters.

Hagy, a native of Santa Monica, Calif., had eight birdies and only one bogey to record his career-low round on the PGA TOUR (in relation to par). Every of Daytona Beach, Fla., had a clean card in his opening round recording seven birdies without dropping a single stroke.

Like Every, Schniederjans was bogey free. The Dallas, Tex., product chipped in for eagle on hole No. 13 and another on hole No. 18 to go along with three birdies. The former No. 1 ranked amateur in the world has four top-10s on the PGA TOUR this year.

“I took advantage of the par-5s and just played real consistently well off the tee. I was in good positions all day. Just a solid round,” said Schniederjans.

Eleven players are one stroke back at 6-under-par including two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson. The Baghdad, Fla., product had six birdies and zero blemishes on his card recording his first bogey-free round since the second round of the 2016 BMW Championship.

“Today it’s a little softer but you know, light rough, firm greens, but light rough and I feel like I can play as long as I can make a couple putts and that’s what I did,” commented Watson.

Dundas, Ont, native Mackenzie Hughes is the leading Canadian sitting T17 after a 5-under-par 67. Teeing off on hole No. 10 Hughes went out in a pedestrian 1-under-par 36 before heating up on his second nine – carding four birdies in his first five holes to finish at 5 under par.

“It was pretty rock solid, lots of fairways and gave myself some really good looks. The birdie putts I made were relatively close, inside ten feet, 12 feet” said Hughes. “Those are nice days when you can be aggressive from that 15-foot range. It was a fun day.”

Graham DeLaet from Weyburn, Sask., is T33 at 4-under-par. Nick Taylor, (Abbotsford B.C.) is T53 alongside Brantford’s David Hearn at 3-under-par (69).

Team Canada Amateur Squad teammates Jared du Toit (Kimberley B.C.), Hugo Bernard (Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.) and Austin James (Bath, Ont.) carded matching rounds of 71 for a share of 87th.

CANADIANS AT THE 2017 RBC CANADIAN OPEN

• T17 Mackenzie Hughes – Dundas – 67 -5
• T33 Graham DeLaet – Weyburn – 68 -4
• T53 Nick Taylor – Abbotsford – 69 -3
• T53 David Hearn – Brantford 69 -3
• T70 Bryn Perry – Vancouver 70 -2
• T87 Jared du Toit – Kimberley – 71 -1
• T87 Hugo Bernard (a) – Mont-Saint-Hilaire – 71 -1
• T87 Austin James (a) – Bath – 71 -1
• T106 Mike Weir – Brights Grove – 71 E
• T106 Brad Fritsch – Manotick – 72 E
• T106 Matt Hill – Brights Grove –E (17)
• T121 Daniel Kim – Toronto – 73 +1
• T121 Garrett Rank – Elmira – +1 (16)
• T121 Drew Nesbitt – Shanty Bay +1 (16)
• T138 Riley Wheeldon – Comox – 74 +2
• T146 Adam Hadwin – Abbotsford – 75 +3
• 156 Ryan Williams – Surrey – +7 (17)

Round one will resume on Friday at 8:20 a.m.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Hall of Famer Karrie Webb shot a 7-under 65 in cold and windy conditions Thursday to take a one-stroke lead over Cristie Kerr in the Ladies Scottish Open.

“When we were warming up and our first few holes, obviously it was really cold and really windy,” Webb said. “I looked at the scoreboard and saw that Cristie Kerr shot 6 under, and I was like, ‘What course did she play today?”’

Webb played the final 10 holes in 7 under at Dundonald Links. The 42-year-old Australian star birdied the par-4 ninth, made five straight birdies on Nos. 11-15 and added another birdie on the par-5 18th.

“I sort of really hung in there through the front nine and made a nice birdie on 9 to turn at 1 under,” Webb said. “Then just really started swinging at it well and hitting it quite close and had some good birdie chances and made the most of them.”

She won the last of her 41 LPGA Tour titles in 2014 at the Founders Cup.

Kerr closed with a birdie on the No. 9 in her bogey-free round in the event sanctioned by the LPGA Tour for the first time. It has been part of the Ladies European Tour since 1986.

“It was still tough to stand over the shots that you needed to execute, and it’s never easy here. So, I’m very pleased with the score,” Kerr said. “I just controlled my ball really well out there, with the crosswinds and trajectory and I had a great day. I just kind of hit the ball where I was trying to hit it in the areas I was trying to hit it in, and made some putts, as well.”

Fellow major champions Stacy Lewis and Inbee Park were tied for third at 69 along with Sei Young Kim, Lina Boqvist and Pornanong Phatlum. ANA Inspiration winner So Yeon Ryu had a 71, and Michelle Wie shot 72.

“The weather wasn’t good this morning but definitely got off to a great start.” Lewis said. “It was super hard out there and just really happy, happy to be done and getting to warm up.”

Lydia Ko opened with a 74. She has gone a full year without winning on the LPGA Tour.

Defending champion Isabelle Boineau shot a 76.

The Ricoh Women’s British Open is next week at Kingsbarns.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Hudson Swafford birdied on No. 18 to take a share of the clubhouse lead with a 7-under 65 on Thursday in the first round of the RBC Canadian Open.

Swafford two-putted on the par-5 18th to separate himself from a crowded top of the leaderboard on a rainy day that softened the fairways and greens of the normally firm Glen Abbey Golf Club.

“It’s gettable. It’s about as gettable as I’ve seen this golf course but it’s in great shape,” said Swafford. “The greens are perfect. So you can make some putts. I was just trying to give myself as many chances as possible; if the ball was 30 feet or two feet.

“That was the main concern today, just get it on the greens. Felt great with the putter. Really rolled it beautifully.”

Brandon Hagy was also 7 under, ahead of a five-way tie for second at 6 under. Tyrone Van Aswegen, James Hahn, Smylie Kaufman, K.J. Choi and Bubba Watson all shot 66.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was the low Canadian from the morning group, firing a 5-under 67 to enter a seven-way tie for eighth.

“If you hit it in the fairway, you can be aggressive,” said Hughes. “The few fairways I missed, I was just trying to make par and you have to be a little bit defensive.

“All in all it was a great day. Probably could be a bit better but I made a couple nice par putts, too. Overall, happy with my start.”

Amateurs Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint Hillaire, Que., and Austin James of Bath, Ont., were at 1 under while Jared Du Toit of Kimberely, B.C. Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., finished their rounds at even-par 72. Toronto’s Daniel Kim was 1-over 73.

There are a total of 17 Canadians competing in the national championship.

Jennifer Kupcho shot a 4-under-par 66 at Cutten Fields on Thursday to head into the final round of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship with a four-shot lead.

For the second time in three rounds, Kupcho carded a score in the 60s to move her to 9 under par for the tournament. Her third round came as a relief after Wednesday’s even-par 70 left her feeling like she missed out on a lot of opportunities.

“I hit my irons a lot better today, a little bit closer and in the right areas of the green,” she said, after signing a couple of golf balls for some volunteers. “I had my putter going today and that just helped me out a lot.”

The 20-year-old from Westminster, Colo., started the round in a tie for the lead with Lilia Kha-Tu Vu and the two duked it out for much of the day. After the 14th hole, the two remained tied at 7 under par for the tournament until Vu’s par putt lipped out and left her one back of Kupcho.

“I guess it gave me a little bit more confidence, but you just have to keep going the whole day and see what you can do,” said Kupcho.

And she did keep going.

Heading down the final four holes, Kupcho – the highest ranked golfer in the field – made birdies on holes 16 and 18 while Vu added another bogey on the final hole.

Vu ended her day with an even-par 70, placing her into a T2 tie with Mexico’s Maria Fassi who stayed red-hot with another fantastic round on Thursday.

Fassi shot a bogey-free, 5-under-par 65 to continue her ascension up the leaderboard. The top-ranked amateur golfer in Mexico made five birdies during her round including back-to-back birdies on holes seven and eight.

“It’s a great feeling,” she said. “I’m really comfortable off the tee and on the greens. I’m making good reads and my distance control has been really good these past two days, and I think that has helped me to make some of these putts.”

The 19-year-old has fully rebounded after her disappointing 8-over-par 78 to start off the championship. Since then she has carded just one bogey and 14 birdies as well as locking in a new course record at Cutten Fields with her 8-under-par 62 on Wednesday.

“I’ve been a lot more patient these last two rounds and have been able to forgive myself for the shots I don’t like as much,” said Fassi. “I think the first day I was in a constant fight with myself and these last few days I’m just taking what it’s giving me.”

Kupcho, Vu and Fassi will make up the final grouping while Rachel Heck (-3), Hira Naveed (-1) and Jaravee Boonchant (-1) will tee off in front of them

Canadians Susan Xiao (Surrey, B.C.), Grace St-Germain (Orleans, Ont.) and Naomi Ko (Victoria, B.C.) all sit inside the top 10 at even par, 1 over and 2 over par respectively.

The final round of competition will see the first groups tee off at 7:30 a.m. from holes 1 and 10.
In addition to the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur title, the individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and – along with the low Canadian – the CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa from Aug. 21-27.

For full results and final tee times click here.

ZTE announced today a three-year extension as official smartphone of the RBC Canadian Open, through the end of 2019. This year’s RBC Canadian Open takes place at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario, from July 24-30, 2017.

This partnership is another milestone in ZTE’s ongoing commitment to invest in Canada, and is part of a larger movement to grow the company’s presence on the world stage.

“The RBC Canadian Open is a major part of ZTE’s global sports partnership strategy, and provides us with broader reach in Canada and in regions around the world,” said Lixin Cheng, CEO of ZTE Mobile Devices and Chairman of ZTE North America. “Brand building relies on long-term and consistent investment, and we are thrilled to continue to showcase ZTE’s brand and devices at such a world-class event.”

“We are thrilled to extend our partnership with a strong global brand like ZTE,” said Laurence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada. “I’d like to thank them for their commitment to Canadian golf and for enhancing the championship experience at Canada’s National Open Championship.”

Partnering with local sports teams, organizations and players is a strategic initiative of ZTE’s around the globe to help build awareness and affinity towards the brand.  With partnerships now in Canada, the United States, Germany, Australia, Mexico and other regions, ZTE can engage more fans with the ZTE brand in key markets around the world.

To engage with fans at the RBC Canadian Open, ZTE has the Grand X View tent, a large, covered structure set between the 6th green and 7th tee, to demonstrate its latest products including the new ZTE Connected Car Solution. There are also charging stations for spectators and daily giveaways. New this year, ZTE is offering fans the opportunity to get up close with the professional golfers through a custom-designed Player Walkway. This walkway will give fans a unique vantage point of the players walking past, along with a Selfie Mirror set up in front of the walkway. Finally, fans can also check out the ZTE Experience Tour truck, a hands-on mobile showcase of ZTE’s amazing technologies.

Lilia Kha-Tu Vu shot a 6-under-par 64 to pull even with Jennifer Kupcho after the second round of the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at Cutten Fields on Wednesday.

Vu started the day at 1 over par and didn’t waste any time climbing the standings as she birdied four of her first six holes. After she made the turn, the 19-year-old added three more birdies to her card and limited herself to a single bogey on the day.

She was relieved to turn things around after her opening-round 71.

“Yesterday I missed almost every fairway and today I hit every single one,” she said. “I put myself into a good position with my approach shots and was able to keep my ball below the hole which is good because three-putts happen when the ball lands above it.”

Kupcho shot an even-par 70 after her impressive 65 in Tuesday’s opening round. The 20-year-old from Westminster, Colo., carded 11 straight pars to start her day before she traded three birdies and three bogeys to end her round where she started earlier in the morning at 5 under par for the tournament.

Despite maintaining her lead, she was disappointed with her missed opportunities.

“I didn’t play as well as yesterday,” she said, next to the 18th green. “I didn’t hit the ball as well and I wasn’t making putts. I had a bunch of putts for birdie that just never went in and there’s nothing you can do about it. Hopefully going forward the putts go in.”

Mexico’s Maria Fassi was dominant all day long and broke a course record after her 8-under-par 62. The 19-year-old, who finished fifth at the same event last year, was frustrated after her opening-round 78 on Tuesday, but managed to turn things around to the tune of a 16-stroke improvement.

“I was just really comfortable on the greens today and everything was going in,” she said. “That helped take all the pressure off my second shots so that I could be more aggressive and really aim at the pin.”

Mexico's Maria Fassi shot an 8-under-par 62 to set a new @cuttenfields course record! 💪

Leaderboard: https://t.co/dmnhrBpbpV pic.twitter.com/bPxkJ0xSJ9

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) July 26, 2017

Fassi rode the momentum from a birdie-birdie start and only registered one bogey on the day to move her into sixth place.

“I was 2 under par after the first two holes and made a really long putt on No. 2 from above the hole,” said Fassi. “After that the hole looked a little bigger for me and I just wanted to make those putts whenever I could because you don’t get these rounds too often.”

Rachel Heck, a 15-year-old from Memphis, Tenn., carded a 4-under-par 66 to land herself in third place, one stroke behind the co-leaders. Canadian Susan Xiao shot a 71 and sits in fourth place at 3 under par for the tournament, 2 strokes ahead of Thailand’s Jaravee Boonchant who is 1 under par in fifth place.

70 players have advanced to the final two rounds of the national championship. The first groups will tee off Thursday at 7:30 a.m. from holes 1 and 10.

Team British Columbia won the inter-provincial competition after the team consisting of Naomi Ko, Michelle Kim and Gloria Usu Choi shot a combined 9 over par through the two-round event. Team Ontario came in second at 25 over par and both Quebec and Alberta finished one stroke behind to finish with a share of third.

In addition to the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur title, the individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and – along with the low Canadian – the CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa from Aug. 21-27.

For full results click here.

The 108th playing of Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship gets underway Thursday with 156 of the world’s best golfers, including 17 Canadians and world No. 1 Dustin Johnson set to compete for the 2017 RBC Canadian Open trophy and their share of the $6 million (US) purse.

Johnson leads the PGA TOUR in wins this year with three, and was the runner-up at the RBC Canadian Open in 2013 and 2016.

“I’ve played well here the last couple years, and you know, I’m looking forward to it this year,” said Johnson. “I enjoy playing this golf course.”

Johnson went on to talk highly of the host city, and the support he receives from the Canadian fan base.

“The fans have been great since the first time I came,” said Johnson. “When I’m out there on the course, I’ve always got a lot of fans and they are always supporting me a lot.”

When asked about the condition of Glen Abbey, the world’s No. 1 golfer had high praise for the work superintendent Andrew Gyba and his team have done to get the course ready for the RBC Canadian Open.

“It’s in perfect condition. You can’t find anything wrong with it,” added Johnson. “The greens are perfect. The fairways are perfect.”

The first round of the RBC Canadian Open starts at 7:10 a.m. with players teeing off on the first and 10th tees.

Click here to view the pairings for the first round on Thursday July 27, and the second round on Friday July 28.

Click here to view images from Wednesday’s Championship Pro-Am.

When Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor begin the opening round of the RBC Canadian Open on Thursday afternoon, it’s going to feel more like a trip down memory lane than a national championship on the PGA Tour.

They’re paired up in the first round of a tournament for the first time since their teenage years when they sometimes played together at Ledgeview Golf and Country Club. Just six months apart in age, Hadwin and Taylor grew up together in Abbotsford, B.C., and have become two of Canada’s top professional golfers.

“It might feel like just a casual round, a round around Ledgeview for us as a 15- and 16-year-old,” said Hadwin on Wednesday after playing in a pro-am at Glen Abbey Golf Course. “We’ll just hopefully go out and have some fun. Maybe have a few side bets or two. But don’t tell anybody that.”

Taylor laughed when he heard about the side bets. “Yeah, I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”

Taylor won his first PGA title at the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2014. Even though Hadwin’s the older of the two, it took him a few more years to earn his first victory on the Tour, winning the Valspar Championship in March. He also shot a 59 at the CareerBuilder Challenge in January.

“We definitely have a comfort level playing with each other,” said Taylor. “I don’t think that will be a huge deal playing together, it’s playing together at the Canadian Open that will make it a little more fun, a little more memorable.”

Hadwin and Taylor are two of 17 Canadians competing in the tournament at Glen Abbey this weekend. No Canadian has won the national championship since amateur Pat Fletcher did it at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf Club in 1954.

It’s a drought that all the Canadians are well aware of.

“We’re all trying our best. Yes, we know that Pat Fletcher was the last one to win,” said Hadwin with a smile. “We know that. So we’re all trying our best to be moving forward. If one of us wins then it’s only been a couple years since a Canadian’s won.”

Hadwin is the highest rated Canadian on the PGA Tour right now, ranked 13th in the FedExCup standings. Coming just four days after the Open at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England, it will be a depleted field on Thursday with only No. 2 Dustin Johnson above Hadwin in the standings.

Johnson feels that going from the United Kingdom to Canada isn’t that hard because the jet lag that comes from travelling westward isn’t as taxing on his sleep schedule. He’s looking forward to playing at Glen Abbey, where he tied for second last year.

“It’s in perfect condition,” said Johnson of the course. “You can’t find anything wrong with it. The greens are perfect. The fairways are perfect.

“If I drive it straight, I’m going to have a good week.”

Other Canadians in the field are Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., who will also be paired together on Thursday, as well as Ottawa’s Brad Fristch, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., Jared Du Toit, of Kimberley, B.C., Matt Hill of Sarnia, Ont., Vancouver’s Ryan Williams, Riley Wheeldon of Comox, B.C., Bryn Parry of North Vancouver, B.C., Drew Nesbitt of Shanty Bay, Ont., and Toronto’s Daniel Kim.

Three Canadian amateurs will also be playing: Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint Hillaire, Que., and Austin James of Bath, Ont.

Last season Du Toit took the tournament by storm as an amateur, sitting second heading into the final round of play before dropping into a tie for ninth. He’s since completed his senior year at Arizona State University and turned professional.

“I don’t like setting numerical expectations,” said the 22-year-old Du Toit. “I’m just going to go out, try and play great golf and if it’s a great finish than that’s awesome and if not, that’s OK too. I’m not too worried.”

As a uniquely Canadian touch, the tee of the par-3 No. 7 hole has been surrounded by hockey boards with a hockey net, pucks and hockey sticks kept on one of the forward tees so players can stop to take slapshots before making their way around a large pond to the green.

“I hope they leave it during the tournament so we can keep taking shots,” said Hadwin. “You hit one in the water and you can kind of relax and take up slapshots or something or cross-check the caddie into the boards or something.”

Higher Ground Sports Management Inc., an athlete representation and sports marketing agency based in Mississauga, Ontario, announced today the signing of top professional golf prospect and former number one ranked Canadian amateur golfer, Jared du Toit of Kimberley, British Columbia.

A former captain of Arizona State University Men’s Golf Team and member of the Canadian Men’s National Team, du Toit made his professional debut in June after wrapping up a stellar amateur and collegiate career that included a win at the 2017 Prestige at PGA West, a tied-1st finish at the 2017 Amer Ari Invitational and a top-10 finish at the 2016 RBC Canadian Open, where du Toit was low-Canadian for the tournament.

Du Toit also had the honour of being named a finalist for the 2017 Byron Nelson Award and Semi-finalist for the 2017 Ben Hogan Award, two of the most prestigious awards in college golf.

Higher Ground, who also manages the business affairs of PGA Tour winner, Adam Hadwin, and LPGA Tour player, Alena Sharp, will assist du Toit in sourcing and securing endorsement arrangements, developing and marketing his professional brand, as well as overall day to day management of the young professional’s career.

“In sport industry terms, Jared represents the total package. He is ultra-talented with a very real opportunity to be one of the top golfers Canada has ever produced,” said Higher Ground President, George Sourlis.

“But every bit as relevant in realizing success is quality of character. It’s clear to me that Jared has that in spades, which is a credit to his family and upbringing. I’m excited and privileged to be a part of Jared’s journey and look forward to experiencing many victories with him on and off the golf course.”

Said du Toit, “As I begin my professional career, it’s very important to me that I surround myself with an experienced and respected management team with a strong track record of success. George’s reputation in the industry is as solid as they come and I know we’re going to do a lot of fun and exciting things together.”

Fired up to get things going this week! Excited to join @georgesourlis @HigherGroundSM #MNP #Titleist & #Footjoy at the @RBCCanadianOpen pic.twitter.com/EfSun9i655

— Jared du Toit (@Jareddutoit) July 25, 2017

Du Toit will play in this week’s RBC Canadian Open via a sponsor exemption extended by Golf Canada, where he will also debut and showcase his newest sponsors, having secured endorsement agreements with Titleist, FootJoy Apparel, and Canadian accounting firm, MNP.

“MNP is excited to be sponsoring Jared as he launches his professional career. Jared is an exceptional young man whose success – like MNP’s – has been made in Canada. He extols the MNP values, demonstrating unwavering commitment to the quality of his game and a strong competitive spirit,” said Randy Mowat, MNP’s Senior Vice President of Marketing. ”

With conditional status on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada in 2017, du Toit’s goal will be to finish inside the top five on the year-end money list.

The top five finishers at the end of the 2017 season will receive status on the Web.com Tour in 2018. The Web.com Tour awards 50 PGA Tour cards to its top finishers at the end of the season.