This time, So Yeon Ryu was able to celebrate – without any hint of drama or suspense.

And the third-ranked South Korean might just have used victory Sunday in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship as a springboard for a possible rise to No. 1 in the world.

Ryu became the LPGA Tour’s first two-time winner this season, finishing at a tournament-record 18-under 195. She won the ANA Inspiration two months ago in California for her second major title, a controversial playoff victory after Lexi Thompson was penalized four strokes for a third-round rules violation reported by a television viewer during the fourth round.

“To be honest, after I won the ANA Inspiration, a lot of people said I maybe I didn’t deserve to win the tournament,” Ryu said. “It was understandable if someone was a big fan of Lexi … (Sunday’s win) feels a bit more free than after the ANA.”

Five strokes ahead after a course-record 10-uner 61 on Saturday, Ryu closed with a 69 for a two-shot victory over fellow South Korean player Amy Yang and Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn.

Yang finished with a 64, and Jutanugarn had a 66.

Local favourite Stacy Lewis (69) and Michelle Wie (64) tied for fourth at 13 under.

Ryu became the tour’s first repeat winner in the 16th event of the year, winning at Pinnacle Country Club four years after losing a playoff to Inbee Park in event.

“Hopefully, there are many more to come,” Ryu said before leaving for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Illinois.

Ryu’s lead was at four shots midway through the final round, but it closed to two for a brief stretch on the back nine. Moments after Ryu fell to 17 under after missing the green on the par-3 11th en route to her lone bogey of the week, Yang gave the final round its first taste of suspense with a birdie on the 12th.

The birdie pushed Yang to 15 under, but she followed with bogeys on 13 and 14 _ and Ryu quickly extended her lead back to five shots with a birdie of her own on the par-4 12th. She also had a long par-saving up-and-down out of the bunker on the par-4 13th.

Despite the big lead to open the round, Ryu continued to play aggressively. She went at a difficult pin location on the par-3 sixth and on her third shot into the par-5 14th _ with the pin perilously close the front of the green and a steep slope leading into the water.

“I just tried not to do something special,” Ryu said. “Just better to be like me and play to win the tournament.”

Defending champion Lydia Ko set the previous tournament best of 17 under last year. The second-ranked New Zealander shot a 68 on Sunday to tie for 25th at 8 under.

Lewis began the day five shots back and in the final pairing with Ryu, but struggled for much of the day before closing with an eagle on the par-5 18th.

“So Yeon’s played great for a year now, so I’m not surprised,” Lewis said. “She did exactly what she needed to do today; made some good key par putts, especially there on the back side.”

Click herefor the full leaderboard.

Jordan Spieth needed an extra hole, a little bit of luck and an amazing final shot to finish off a wire-to-wire victory in the Travelers Championship.

The two-time major champion holed out from 60 feet for birdie from a greenside bunker on the first hole of a playoff with Daniel Berger on Sunday at TPC River Highlands.

The 23-year-old Texan joined Tiger Woods as the only PGA Tour players with 10 victories in the era since World War II. Woods won 15 times before he turned 24.

“That was one for the ages,” said Spieth, also the winner at Pebble Beach in February.

Spieth held a one-stroke edge after each of the first three rounds. He closed with an even-par 70 to match Berger – who birdied three of the final six holes for a 67 – at 12-under 268.

.@JordanSpieth has won the @TravelersChamp in INCREDIBLE fashion.

UNBELIEVABLE! #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/qkeeaCg3ye

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 25, 2017

Berger, the Memphis winner two weeks ago before missing the cut last week at the U.S. Open, just missed a 50-foot putt from off the 18th green left that would have forced a second playoff hole.

“Jordan does Jordan things,” Berger said. “So there’s not really much you can say. I’m obviously disappointed, but happy to be in the position I was in today.”

Berger began the round in third place, three shots back. He tied Spieth for a lead with a 5-foot birdie putt on 15 as Spieth was making bogey on 14 and tied him again with a birdie from 8 feet at 17.

The pair, playing a group apart, both hit their approach shots on 18 into the same greenside bunker. Both chipped out close to the hole and both saved par to force the playoff.

Berger hit his drive on the first playoff hole left and into the crowd behind a fairway bunker. Spieth seemed to clip a tree left landing in the fairway but about 150 yards short of his normal drive and 230 yards from the hole.

Spieth’s approach fell into bunker. Berger’s ran off the green to the left.

Spieth had to back up after hitting his bunker shot to see the hole. When the ball rolled straight in the cup he threw his club and did a flying chest bump into caddie Michael Greller.

“If I was in Berger’s shoes, I be cursing Jordan Spieth right now for the break off the tee and then holing a 30-yard bunker shot, that’s a lot of luck,” Spieth said.

Spieth didn’t waste any time extending his lead to three strokes Sunday. He hit his approach shot to 6 feet on the first hole and made the birdie putt, then made a 5-footer at No. 2. But those would be his final two birdies until a 16-footer on the 15th hole.

He also survived a couple of big scares. The first came when his drive on 13 went right but stuck on the side of a hill to stay out of the water. He missed a 7-foot birdie putt, but saved par.

He then hit his tee shot on the 15th left, just avoiding the water and the hazard line in the rough. He chipped to the middle of the green and made a 16-foot putt for birdie, which he thought he had missed. .

His second shot at 17 also looked as if it might hit the course’s signature lake, but landed just on the edge of the green and he made par.

“That’s a lot of luck,” Spieth said. “But I took advantage of the good breaks and am happy to come out on top.”

He’s the third player to go wire-to-wire alone in the lead at the Connecticut event. Gene Littler did it in 1959 and Tim Morris in 1982. Spieth’s only other wire-to-wire win was the 2015 Masters.

Sunday’s win was also his first win in a tournament debut. The last player to win in Cromwell in his first start was Phil Blackmar in 1985.

Charley Hoffman (66) and Danny Lee (67) tied for third, three strokes back.

David Hearn (69) of Brantford, Ont., was the low Canadian, tying for eighth at 8 under.

Mackenzie Hughes (66) of Dundas, Ont., tied for 17th at 6 under, Graham DeLaet (68) of Weyburn, Sask., was in a group at 26th at 5 under, Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch (68) was 3 under to tie for 43rd and Adam Hadwin (71) of Abbotsford, B.C., was at 1 under to tie for 57th.

Boo Weekley, who began the round a shot back in second place, shot 37 on the back nine to tie for fifth at 9 under, despite the support of a large gallery, which could be heard cheering “Boooo!” and “Boo-S-A!” every time he did something good.

Rory McIlroy tried to find his short game this week and used his third putter Sunday to help him shoot a 64, his lowest round on the tour this season. He tied for 17th at 6 under.

“I must say I felt a little more comfortable on the greens than I did the previous three days,” McIlroy said. “So, this might be one that stays (in the bag) for a few weeks.”

Defending champion Russell Knox had a poor round, with six bogeys on his first 10 holes. He shot a 73 to finish at even par.

Greyson Murray had the tournament’s only hole-in-one, acing the 177 yard eighth hole with an 8-iron. It also was the first on tour for the 23-year-old North Carolinian. He shot a 68 to finish at 5 under.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Jordan Spieth continues to play just a little better than anyone else at the Travelers Championship.

The 23-year-old Texan closed with a 20-foot birdie putt for a 4-under 66 on Saturday, giving him a one-stroke lead for the third straight round at TPC River Highlands.

After predicting earlier that it would take a score of 16 under to win, the two-time major champion took a 12-under 198 total into the final round.

Boo Weekley was second after a 65. The 43-year-old Weekley, playing just in front of Spieth, birdied five of the last eight holes, basking in the chants of “Boooo! Boooo!” from the raucous gallery.

Spieth bogeyed Nos. 13 and 14, but matched Weekley with three birdies on the final four holes, capping it with the final shot of the round from below the hole.

“It’s in the shadow,” Spieth said. “I’m looking to hit the putt at the right speed. If it goes in, great, if it doesn’t, so be it, tap it in. With a few feet to go it was going to have a chance and it curled right in the middle. That was a loud roar, and those are really fun to experience.

Weekley is looking for his fourth tour title and first since 2013. The colorful Floridian said he’s been dealing with personal issues, but declined to elaborate. His had a season-best tie for 37th at the Puerto Rico Open in March and has made just eight cuts in 21 events.

Spieth is looking for his 10th tour win and second this season after a victory in February at Pebble Beach.

Weekley acknowledged that makes for an odd final pairing Sunday.

“He loves to fish, so we’ve got a little in common there,” Weekley said. “So we can talk about that.”

Daniel Berger, looking for his second victory of the month, was three strokes back after a 66.

C.T. Pan (64), David Lingmerth (65) and Paul Casey (66) were 8 under.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., is five shots back at 7 under after a 66. Graham DeLaet (72) of Weyburn, Sask., is 3 under, Adam Hadwin (68) of Abbotsford, B.C., is 2 under and Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch (72) is 1 under.

Because of morning showers, the players went off in threesomes from both the first and 10th tees. But the breeze helped the greens quickly dry out and play faster than had been expected.

Pan, who went out just after the rain ended, and shot a bogey-free round. The 25-year old former University of Washington star is looking for his third top-10 finish this season and his first since finishing second at Torrey Pines in January.

“It wasn’t as windy, so I made birdies on three of my first four holes,” Pan said. “That really helped my mindset and keep my momentum going.”

Spieth hit his first six fairways and got his first birdie of the day on the sixth hole, when he chipped in from 30 feet behind the green. He made another birdie on the next hole, before giving a shot back at No. 9. He repeated that pattern on the back nine, making birdies at 10 and 11 to go up by two strokes, then put his tee shot into the water at 13. He bogeyed that hole and 14.

But on 15, his chip from the greenside bunker landed inches from the hole and he had another birdie.

Spieth has a chance to join Phil Blackmar (1985) as the only players to win in their first start at the Connecticut event. He’s also trying to become the first player to lead wire-to-wire alone in the event since Tim Norris in 1982 at Wethersfield. Peter Jacobsen had at least a share of the lead after every round in 2003.

Berger had just one bogey, at the 17th, but came back with the last of his five birdies on the final hole. He won in Memphis two weeks ago before missing the cut at the U.S. Open, which was won by his Florida State teammate, Brooks Koepka. Another former Seminole teammate, Chase Seiffert, was in contention at 4 under after qualifying for the tournament Monday.

Rory McIlroy remained at even par. He’s been trying to find his short game this week and decided to switch Saturday from the putter he began using while at the U.S. Open. He spent time before his round on the practice green with several different putters before picking a new one.

The change didn’t seem to help. His first putt Saturday, a birdie attempt from 12 feet, went 3 feet past the hole and he needed 33 putts during his round of 70. He was even par overall.

For the full leaderboard click here.

A few weeks off was all So Yeon Ryu needed to kick-start what is shaping up to be possibly the best year of her LPGA Tour career.

The third-ranked South Korean star shot a course-record 10-under 61 on Saturday in the NW Arkansas Championship to take a five-stroke lead into the final round, putting in in great position to become the first repeat winner this year.

The ANA Inspiration winner in April for her second major title, she reached 16 under to break the tournament 36-hole record by two strokes. She had her lowest score on the LPGA Tour and matched her professional best set in the 2012 Australian Ladies Masters.

Ryu opened the year with eight straight top-10 finishes, including the major victory. She struggled in her two events after that run, finishing 56th and then missing the cut at the ShopRite LPGA Classic this month in New Jersey. Coming off a two-week break, she has returned to her early season form _ and then some.

“I played really well the beginning of this year, then I didn’t really play well at the last championship, kind of lost confidence a little bit,” Ryu said. “But I think it was great to have two weeks off, because when you have two weeks off you totally forget about how you played the last few tournaments.”

Local favourite Stacy Lewis and Moriya Jutanugarn were tied for second. They each shot 65.

“I think I go try to play a round like I have the last couple of days, really,” Lewis said. “That’s all I can do, and then hope for some help.”

First-round leader Sung Hyun Park followed her opening 63 with a 73 to drop into a tie for 10th at 6 under. Defending champion Lydia Ko was 5 under after a 67.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is the top Canadian. She shot a 75 and is 2 over.

A day after opening with a 65 in gusty afternoon conditions, Ryu preyed on the Pinnacle Country Club course on a calm Saturday morning.

She needed only 25 putts, posting a 30 on her opening nine holes before closing out the blistering round with three birdies on her final four holes. Ryu capped the round with an uphill 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 nine, much to the delight of the gallery.

She also earned the praise of Ai Miyazato, the retiring Japanese star who finished a group ahead of Ryu and was nearby at the scorer’s tent as the South Korean walked off the course.

“Way to go, So Yeon,” Miyazato said. “You were on fire out there.”

The previous course record was 62, set by Angela Park and Jane Park in 2008 and matched last year by Ko and Ayako Uehara. Ko went on to win the tournament with a record score of 17 under.

Ko and Morgan Pressel held the previous 36-hole best at 14 under, set last year.

Ryu nearly won the tournament in 2013, losing playoff to Inbee Park.

She’s trying to win her fourth LPGA Tour title.

“I have a few good memories out here,” Ryu said. “Maybe losing in a playoff is not a good memory, but you know, close to a win. I think a lot of positive out there, so hopefully I can catch my opportunity tomorrow.”

For the full leaderboard click here.

Sung Hyun Park has said one of her goals this season on the LPGA Tour is to win the Rookie of the Year award.

The South Korean might add the title of “winner” to her resume well before any season-ending awards, particularly after opening the NW Arkansas Championship with an 8-under 63 on Friday.

Park finished with nine birdies on her way to nearly matching the course record of 62, needing only 24 putts to take a two-shot lead over Mel Reid, Ally McDonald and So Yeon Ryu.

“My play was best with the putter today, very good,” Park said.

Reid also reached as low as 8 under midway through her round, making a hole-in-one on the par-3 11th. She used a 9-iron on the 135-yard hole, hitting it just past the flag before it spun back and rolled into the hole.

“As soon as I hit it, I thought, ‘Oh, it’s got a chance,”’ Reid said.

Local favourite Stacy Lewis and 56-year-old Juli Inkster were at 66 along with Felicity Johnson, Moriya Jutanugarn, and Katherine Kirk. Defending champion and second-ranked Lydia Ko opened with a 70

The 34-year-old Park won seven times and was the top earner last year on the Korean LPGA tour, but she also played in seven LPGA Tour events with an eye on making the move to the U.S. She has finished in the top 10 four times this year, nine times in her 19 total LPGA Tour appearances.

All that is lacking to solidify her rapid rise into the ranks of the LPGA’s elite is a victory, possibly this weekend in advance of next week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

“I wasn’t really surprised to see how well (Park) is (playing),” fellow South Korean Ryu said. “Even last year, she played a few LPGA tournaments as a non-member, but she would finish top-five, top-10. I think she is a really great golfer, and it’s a matter of how comfortable she is on the tour.”

Park played in the humid and overcast conditions during the morning at Pinnacle Country Club, avoiding a 46-minute weather delay and gusty conditions during the afternoon.

She entered the tournament fourth in the LPGA Tour in driving distance, and she lived up to that Friday, booming 290-yard drives on the 7,001-yard course.

Ryu was the only player in the afternoon to come within two shots of Park’s morning round, capping her round by reaching the par-5 18th in two and two-putting for her sixth birdie and a bogey-free round.

“I had two weeks off and was really fresh to play,” Ryu said. “I think was everything was really smooth from start to end, and it feels really great to be back.”

Former world No. 1 Ai Miyazato shot a 72 in her first round in the U.S. after announcing last month that she plans to retire at the end of the season.

Michelle Wie opened with a 68.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is T37 at 2-under-par.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Jordan Spieth played well enough in the second round of the Travelers Championship to stay in the lead. Rory McIlroy played just well enough to stay in the tournament.

Spieth shot a 1-under 69 on Friday morning, then watched as a windy afternoon kept anyone from overtaking him.

The conditions also kept fourth-ranked Jason Day from making the cut for a second straight week. He bogeyed the 18th for a 70 to finish at 2 over. No. 3 McIlroy shot a 73, also closing with a bogey, but managed to just sneak into the weekend at even par.

Spieth, who began the day one shot ahead after a first-round 63, started on the back nine. The 23-year-old Texan had to recover from a double bogey on the par-5 13th hole after hitting his tee shot left and out-of-bounds. He also had four birdies and a bogey to reach 8 under.

“We’ve been kind of far behind in a lot of the events in making comeback runs,” said Spieth, the two-time major champion who tied for 35th last week in the U.S. Open. “But being able to be toward the front of the pack on a Saturday afternoon is a beautiful position to be in and one that we’ll certainly embrace. I’m going to try to have a lot of fun this weekend.”

Patrick Reed (66) and Troy Merritt (68) were tied for second. Both fought off wind gusts that exceeded 20 mph to hit 11 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens.

“A golf course like this, even when the wind is blowing, if you’re hitting your tee shots straight, you’re going to have some wedges into the greens,” Reed said.

A 1-under 69 has @JordanSpieth still atop the leaderboard after his second round at @TravelersChamp. pic.twitter.com/uboe9gA3Va

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 23, 2017

U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka isn’t in Connecticut this week, but former Florida State teammate Chase Seiffert is in contention. The 25-year-old had to qualify Monday to get into the tournament. He made two eagles Friday and finished with a 66 to reach 6 under.

“I came into the week with no status on any tour, but I knew my game was really good,” Seiffert said. “I just had to get it done. To come out and play the first two rounds the way I did, it gives me a lot of confidence.

Wesley Bryan (67), Daniel Summerhays (68) and Boo Weekley (68) also were 5 under.

Graham DeLaet (Weyburn, Sask.) led briefly during the afternoon, but had a double bogey on 18 for a 70 to drop into the group at 5 under.

Eighty-five players made the cut and 68 finished within seven shots of the lead.

The biggest drama of the afternoon was watching the world’s third- and fourth-ranked players try to make it to the weekend.

Day was close, until he hit his second shot at 18 into a greenside bunker. He failed to get up and down, missing a 6-footer for par.

McIlroy seemed to be in good shape on 18. He was on the right edge of the fairway and looking at a second shot 105 yards from the hole. But he slipped during the swing and the ball went just 63 yards and farther right.

“My right foot completely came out from under me,” he said. “Obviously, there was a tiny bit of drizzle. Maybe a little bit of surface water. Just, I don’t know. It was weird. As soon as I started down, I just felt it and I couldn’t stop.”

No. 4: Par-4, 477 yards.@McIlroyRory yards to hole: 84! #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/AlpRpFJC0B

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 23, 2017

McIlroy may have saved his tournament on the 13th. After hitting his first shot in the water and taking a drop, he hit his third shot to 17 feet and made par. He then putted in from off the green on 14. McIlroy, who didn’t qualify for the weekend at Erin Hills, hasn’t missed consecutive cuts since 2012.

“I won’t be thinking about trying to win the tournament from there,” he said. I’ll be thinking about trying to go and play a good, solid round of golf. But we have seen here in the past guys going out and shooting a low score and getting themselves back into the tournament.“

Anirban Lahiri of India, playing his first tournament since tying for second at the Memorial, shot a bogey-free 63 to move to 4 under. He made a 32-foot eagle putt on No. 13.

“I was out (since the Memorial) meditating,” he said. “So I’ve been a little bit rusty. The body is kind of easing its way back in. So I think I’m going to get better as the week progresses.”

Two-time Travelers champion Bubba Watson, who missed the cut at Erin Hills, will have another weekend off. He followed up a 75 in the first round with a 67 and finished at 2 over.

Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.) and David Hearn (Brantford, Ont.), and Brad Fritsch (Ottawa, Ont,) are T27 at 3-under-par.

Weather could also affect the scoring Saturday. A forecast of rain led tournament officials to move the start of the third round back to 11 a.m., with the players going out in threesomes off the first and 10th tees.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Canadian Jennifer Kirby posted a 4-under-par 68 and is T4 after 18 holes of the Symetra Tour’s Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass Golf Club in Harris, Mich.

The Paris, Ont., product recorded six birdies and one double-bogey Friday to sit three shots back of the leader China’s Ruixin Liu who’s 7-under-par after an opening round 65.

A graduate of the Team Canada Amateur Squad Kirby’s play has been trending upwards. She’s made the cut in her last two Symetra Tour events after missing the cut in three of her previous four starts.

Kirby’s best result of the season came in her first event of the year, Florida’s Natural Charity Classic where she finished T34.

Kelowna, B.C., native Samantha Richdale is T6 after an opening round 3-under-par 69. She fired a 35 (-1) on the front nine and closed with a 34 (-2) on her second nine, to sit four shots back of Liu.

The Illinois State alumnus is looking to get back on track after missing the cut in two of her last four events and failing to finish inside the top-40.

Brogan McKinnon (Mississauga, Ont.) is T12 after an opening round 70 (-2), alongside Anna Kim (Toronto, Ont.)

Quebec City native and Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Anne-Catherine Tanguay, is T36 after an opening round 72 (E). Her teammate Augusta James (Bath, Ont.) is T92 (+3).

For the full Resort Island Championship click here.

Symetra Tour standout Brittany Marchand has been awarded the 2017 Mackenzie Investments-GJAC Player Bursary.

Marchand, 24, was given the $3,000 prize after a vote of the membership of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada, an organization that represents the majority of Canada’s golf media.

“It’s an honour to be the recipient of the player bursary from the GJAC and Mackenzie Investments. This is a tremendous initiative and significantly helps young Canadians golfers achieve their dreams,” said Marchand. “Thanks to the GJAC and Mackenzie Investments—this will go a long way towards my journey to the LPGA.”

“We are very excited to name Brittany Marchand as the recipient of this year’s Player Bursary,” said GJAC President Robert Thompson. “Marchand is working hard on honing her craft to get to the next level, and we, along with Mackenzie Investments, wish her the best of luck moving forward.”

A rookie on the Symetra Tour in 2016, Marchand is back on that tour again this year, with her sights on making the LPGA Tour. Marchand has notched four top-20 finishes this year, with her best being a tie for 11th at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in March.

She also was in the top-10 of the Manulife LPGA Classic in Cambridge, Ont. going into Sunday’s final round, which was a good confidence boost for her moving through the rest of the season.

Marchand, from Orangeville, Ont., captured the Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship in 2012 and recorded three wins while attending North Carolina State University.

“We are thrilled to once again partner with the Golf Journalists Association of Canada for this award and continue our support of golf in Canada,” said Court Elliott, Vice President Sponsorships, Mackenzie Investments. “Congratulations to Brittany and we hope winning this award gives her the confidence she needs to strive to the next level.”

In 2018, the player bursary will be awarded to a member of the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada. The bursary will be awarded to Symetra Tour/Mackenzie Tour members in alternating years.

To learn more about the GJAC click here.

Team Canada Men’s Head Coach Derek Ingram says using an alignment aid is a simple way to maintain your swing when practising solo.

Oftentimes on the PGA Tour, you’ll see guys practising with alignment sticks on the ground on the range and it’s no surprise why. The training aid is easily transportable, quick to set up and ideal to use individually. It’s something I encourage my athletes to use as well, as part of their daily maintenance practice to work on body alignment, clubface alignment and the starting line of their shots.

In this case, Team Canada’s Austin James has an alignment stick aimed slightly right of the target just outside the ball to guide his club face.

He has another between his feet and the ball to monitor his body alignment. Though some players are accustomed to the alignment rod right against the toes, I don’t like it because I feel the sticks get in the way and we are also trying to check hips, shoulders and even eye line.

Austin’s stuck a third alignment stick in the ground about 15 feet in front of the ball on the target line. He is trying to start the ball right of this stick and his target line and then draw it back to the target. In a perfect world, the ball does not overdraw past the target.

Those are the basics of an alignment station. Opening up and closing out your practice sessions with a drill like this for as little as 10 minutes with a mid-iron (six- to eight-iron) is a great way to maintain your body setup, your clubface at address and your clubface at impact (start line).

I believe it’s the small things that add up to make a big difference.

Check out other practice tips from the Team Canada coaches here

Follow @digingramgolf

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

Traditional stroke play isn’t the only way to tee it up. Craig Loughry Golf Canada Director of Handicapping & Course rating explains a number of team formats available to spice up your next game.

Last fall, the PGA Tour announced a big change to its Zurich Classic of New Orleans event. Like most stops, it had been an individual stroke play tournament since its inception in 1938 but that is no longer the case.

This year, and moving forward, it was conducted as a team format played in partners of two, with two rounds of foursomes and two rounds of four-ball stroke play.

It’s worth reviewing these team formats in some detail. Foursomes is a competition in which two golfers team as partners and alternately play one ball.

Meanwhile four-ball is a competition in which teammates play their own ball with the lower score between the two on each hole counting as the team’s score. This is also known as better-ball.

I won’t argue that these formats could probably be better named or labelled, as it’s not evident what they mean simply by reading them. Better-ball is too often confused with a scramble; four-ball seems like it would be a four-person team; and foursomes just sounds like a group that is playing in one slotted tee time.

I’ve heard through the years that it would be great if this was less confusing and their names derive from the fact they are usually part of a match-play competition pitting two teams of two head to head (hence four balls in play or a foursome in play).

However, once you get accustomed to the terms, it’s digestible. And Stableford, well that’s named after the inventor of the points game. That format dates back to the 1930s (and can be played by a team in several ways).

I highly recommend checking for these formats in either the Rules of Golf or more specifically in the Golf Canada Handicap Manual (Section 9), which can be conveniently found on our website.

When the Zurich Classic format change was announced, I heard and read comments that golf could use a shot in the arm with more team play. Most people referenced the Presidents Cup (run by the PGA Tour), Ryder Cup (PGA of America/European Tour) and Solheim Cup (LPGA Tour/Ladies European Tour) as perfect examples of exciting team golf. Both exhibitions use these forms of team play, which — judging by the television audiences and player comments — is key to the allure of these events.

Congratulations to our winning team, Jonas Blixt and Cameron Smith! Your 2017 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Champions! #teamgolf pic.twitter.com/i8OKDLDtwd

— Zurich Classic (@Zurich_Classic) May 1, 2017

I don’t disagree, since golf is perceived to be an individual sport despite one generally played with two or three others in a group. Similarly, it seems natural and logical that team play would slide in seamlessly and add an element of friendly competition.

I’d like to help change the perception of golf being an individual sport so I did a little digging in the archives. I knew the aforementioned formats were mentioned in the Rules of Golf specifically (Sections 29-30 and 31) and that they have been around for a long time.

What I wasn’t sure of was how long these formats have existed, as the sport of golf can be traced back to 1467 (some 560 years — just think about that history). My research showed that these forms of play were first officially documented in the early 1800s, although I’d bet they existed long before that.

Even outside of golf’s top tours, team formats have been enjoyed at the club level for at least 200 years. All you have to do is look at how many clubs run team competitions, or member/guest events, which are typically four-ball stroke play. This is a great format because if you are playing badly — much worse than your partner on a particular hole — you can just pick up, pull out the pom-poms and cheer on your pal.

And let’s not forget, the Handicap System can be used to set these events up equitably for all golfers. There is an entire section in the Handicap Manual (Section 9-4) that explains various allowances for recommended use to ensure these formats are played fairly.

Anyone who’s played in such team events knows about the thrill of competing with a friend (such as my partner Ray, who I call “Mr. Clutch”) and the added social engagement it contains. I’d certainly encourage the golfing public to give these formats a try if you haven’t already.

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