HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Bud Cauley took advantage of pristine, windless conditions at Harbour Town Golf Links with birdies on four of final five holes for an 8-under 63 and a two-shot lead Thursday after the opening round of the RBC Heritage.

Cauley hadn’t made many waves at Harbour Town his first three visits with two missed cuts and only one round in the 60s. This time, though, with mild, 70-degree conditions, practically no wind and abundant sunshine, Cauley made eight birdies in a bogey-free round, including three straight to finish with a flourish.

“You never go out thinking you’re going to shoot that,” Cauley said. “I just got into the round and was swinging well and tried to give myself as many looks as I could.”

The 63 was one shy of the 27-year-old Cauley’s career low (62 at the McGladney Classic in 2012) and two off the tournament mark of 61 shared by David Frost and Troy Merritt.

Cauley was two in front of Luke Donald, Graham DeLaet and Sam Saunders, the grandson of the late Arnold Palmer. Russell Henley continued his recent run of top-flight golf with a 66 to join a group that included former U.S. Open winner Webb Simpson and Ian Poulter.

But it was Cauley’s strong finish that led the way. He rolled in a 5-footer for birdie on No. 16, an 8-footer for another on No. 17 and hit a near perfect approach to the usually wind-swept 18th green off Calibogue Sound to inside 12 feet for the two-stroke edge.

While the lack of wind certainly helped, Cauley said his shot selection and game plan coming in were essential in his success. “The last five holes I hit every shot just kind of how I was looking,” he said. “So that was a nice way to finish.”

Cauley hasn’t had the greatest season, missing seven cuts in 12 starts. His best showing was a third at the CareerBuilder Challenge in the California desert. He hopes this start can propel him to bigger things.

Cauley knows he could’ve been elsewhere under different circumstances. He chuckled at pictures of his four good PGA Tour friends, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Smylie Kaufman and Justin Thomas, on a spring break jaunt – including a yacht – to Baker’s Bay in the Bahamas. If Cauley continues his strong play at Harbour Town, he’ll have just as good a time as his foursome of pals.

“I had to keep my shirt on today,” he joked.

Donald got the ball rolling with his early 65. The former world No. 1 was frustrated at missing his second straight Masters last week and used it as motivation to once again batter Harbour Town.

“It’s never fun to be sitting at home,” Donald said of the Masters miss. “But in a way, it motivates you. It gets the fire under you and you get a little bit more inspired.”

Donald has finished second four times and third twice in his past eight appearances at Harbour Town.

His 65 was the 20th time in 41 career rounds that Donald shot in the 60s at Harbour Town. It was also his eighth straight round under par here, closing in on the record of 11 in a row he already shares with Larry Nelson. Donald says there’s no secret to his success here: Scramblers and those who manage their games well have as much of a chance as any long bomber at Harbour Town.

“The long hitters, it’s taking driver out of their hands a lot,” Donald said. “So I feel like the playing field’s levelled out.”

It also helps when many of the world’s best don’t show up. Just five of the world’s top 25 are playing, starting with England’s Tyrrell Hatton (No. 16) who shot a 69. Matt Kuchar, 17th in the world, is the best Masters finisher at the RBC Heritage, following a fourth at Augusta National with an opening 68.

Henley continued his strong recent play. He won in Houston two weeks ago simply to make the Masters, then finished in 11th in the major to earn an invite back to Augusta National in 2018. Henley said he put the clubs away Monday and Tuesday to rest up after arriving from Augusta. “It’s been a whirlwind the last two weeks,” he said.

ACTON, ON. —The PGA of Canada is proud to announce RBC as the new title sponsor of the RBC PGA Scramble of Canada.

The RBC PGA Scramble of Canada is a national series of team events featuring amateur golfers and PGA of Canada professionals taking place at more than 100 golf facilities around the country. All RBC PGA Scramble of Canada local qualifying events in 2017 will have guaranteed prize tables for the top three teams.

The series of events expects to draw thousands of amateur golfers—who will form their own team of four players— from across the country. Teams will look to make it through local and regional qualifying with the ultimate goal of playing in the national final later this year with a PGA of Canada professional playing on their team at one of Canada’s greatest golf courses.

“We couldn’t ask for a better partner than RBC for this national grass-roots series of events,” said PGA of Canada CEO Gary Bernard. “Their commitment to the game of golf in this country is fantastic and we look forward to growing the RBC PGA Scramble of Canada in communities across Canada.”

As part of the partnership, RBC staff will interact and engage with golfers at the local events, market the scramble with in-branch advertising at select RBC locations across the country and utilize Team RBC autographed merchandise for giveaways all season.

“We are thrilled to support grassroots golf initiatives like the RBC PGA Scramble in communities across the country, providing thousands of amateur players the opportunity to compete at a higher level,” said Matt McGlynn, Vice President, Brand Marketing RBC. “This is just another example of how RBC works together with the PGA of Canada to create exceptional events to support the growth of golf in Canada.”

RBC proudly supports golf around the world through high profile relationships with the PGA TOUR and Golf Canada. RBC is the Official Banking and Financial Services partner of touring professionals Graham DeLaet, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Adam Hadwin, David Hearn, Brooke Henderson, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Ryan Palmer, Morgan Pressel, Alena Sharp, Nick Taylor and Brandt Snedeker.

For those qualifying to play out of their regional qualifier, the RBC PGA Scramble National Final promises to be a golf trip of a lifetime. The 54-hole championship at one of Canada’s premier venues will be part of a festival of special events, prizing, activations and a chance to interact with celebrities.

For more information about the RBC PGA Scramble of Canada, please click here.

KAPOLEI, Hawaii – A funny thing happened in sunny Hawaii while waiting for someone to break away from a pack of leaders in the opening round of the LPGA Lotte Championship Wednesday.

Rain zeroed in on Ko Olina Golf Club, forcing a 45-minute delay.

Then Paula Creamer and South Korea’s Mi Hyang Lee took over, bolting into first at 6-under 66. Both had seven birdies and a bogey, with Lee’s coming on the final hole, in the dark.

“I couldn’t see the line or anything,” she said. “It was too hard.”

Play was suspended with six golfers still on the course.

Lee, 24, made the cut just once in three previous starts at Ko Olina. She is ranked 51st in the world, with a win in 2014 after earning Rookie of the Year honors on the 2012 Symetra Tour.

Canada’s Alena Sharp fired a bogey-free 67 (-5) to hold a five-way share of third place. Fellow countrywoman Brooke Henderson carded a 2-under 70 to sit T31.

Sharp, 35, is coming off her best season, finishing 41st on last year’s money list. She has played all six Lottes, with her best finish in her first, when she tied for 25th.

Two of Creamer’s 10 victories have come in Hawaii and she would surpass $12 million in career earnings with a win Saturday.

Her only bogey came on the 15th and she erased it with a tap-in birdie two holes later. She waited out the rain delay under the waterfall next to the 12th hole, sitting next to 2012 champion Ai Miyazato.

“I’m 30, I’m getting old out here,” Creamer said. “I was like, ‘Oh, gosh. I got to warmup a bit.’ I went out with a good two-putt (at No. 12) and then birdied the par-5 right afterwards.

“You know, I played solid. I putted really well. I switched back to conventional-style putting. I’ve been left-hand-low for the last three years. This is my first week back doing that and using my line, and seems to be doing pretty good so far.”

Lizette Salas, Su-Yeon Jang, Beth Allen and Eun-Hee Ji shot 67 in the morning, when the wind came and went. Canadian Alena Sharp joined them in the afternoon, playing her final two holes after rain drenched the course and left puddles on the greens and in bunkers.

Second-ranked So Yeon Ryu, who won the year’s first major two weeks ago, parred her last nine holes to finish with a 68. She can overtake top-ranked Lydia Ko with a win here.

Stacy Lewis also shot 68 and Hawaii’s Michelle Wie, the 2014 Lotte champion, had a 71.

Salas, who played for the U.S. in the last two Solheim Cups, has fond and frustrating memories of Ko Olina. She fired a career-low 62 in the final round of the 2013 Lotte, but lost a playoff with Suzann Pettersen. They still share the tournament record of 19-under 269.

Salas played the back nine in 29 that day. She was 4 under Wednesday and finished with seven birdies. A pair of bogeys on the front nine kept her out of the lead.

“This week we really just tried to be aggressive from the get-go,” said Salas, who broke 70 just twice in her first seven tournaments this year. “I know this course pretty well and I’ve had some good success here, so being comfortable and confident coming in just really gave me that start that we’ve been wanting.”

She was not alone. Nearly half the field broke par on a day when the tropical breeze came and went, leaving a huge dark cloud over the course that let loose just before 4 p.m.

Those near the top of the leader board will come at Thursday’s second round from different directions.

Salas’ only win came the year after she lost the playoff with Pettersen. Jang is playing on a sponsor exemption for the second time. She finished fifth last year. Ji won the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open and was third there last year, but has never been in the Top 15 at Ko Olina.

Allen, 35, has never played Ko Olina before. She was a rookie on the LPGA tour in 2005, then moved around before becoming the first American to lead the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit last year.

“It was a great year for me,” she said on TV. “I thought I’d go back to the States and see what happens. I’ve taken my experience with all those wins and being in contention more and brought it here.

“At the end of the day it’s golf. It’s the same in every country. I thought I’d try it again on the LPGA.”

Golf Canada and Subaru have announced a three-year extension of their partnership in which Subaru will continue as Presenting Sponsor of Golf Fore the Cure—Canada’s golf participation program for women.

Celebrating 10 years as presenting sponsor, Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru is a Golf Canada initiative to engage women in the game of golf through fundraising and awareness for breast cancer research. Golf Fore the Cure boasts over 110,000 participants throughout 13 seasons, raising over $5.9 million dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society and Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation in support of breast cancer research.

“Subaru’s dedication to Golf Fore the Cure plays a significant role in helping drive women’s participation in golf across Canada,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada chief sport officer and interim CEO. “Their continued support speaks volumes to the success of the program and we’re beyond excited to continue our great partnership.”

As the official vehicle of Canada’s grassroots golf participation program for women, Subaru will provide a Safest Drive contest for each event, a $750 rebate offer towards the purchase or lease of a new Subaru vehicle, a National Contest draw for all program participants and prizing for National Event participants.

“Golf Fore the Cure’s close connection to local communities and active lifestyles aligns perfectly with the Subaru Canada brand,” said Tod Sullivan, Subaru Canada’s director of vehicle operations, fleet & sponsorship. “We are pleased to enable more Canadians to help the advancement of breast cancer research while encouraging the continued growth of women’s golf in our country.”

Over 140 Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru events were run in 2016 by volunteer site coordinators from coast to coast, each leading fundraising efforts through the help of participants.

2017 event registration is open at golfcanada.ca/golfforethecure

Golf Canada conducts 26 championships and qualifiers each season across the country. Notably, eight National Championships are conducted throughout the summer offering opportunities to elite players of all ages to compete on the highest level of amateur golf. 

These Championships cannot be conducted without our valuable Golf Canada member clubs. 

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey – With the first major championship of the season in the books and a host of big events on the horizon, the U.S. and International Teams are starting to take shape for the Presidents Cup 2017, which will be held in Jersey City, New Jersey, Sept. 26 – Oct. 1 at Liberty National Golf Club. 

U.S. Team Captain Steve Stricker and Captain’s Assistant Fred Couples proved they can still compete with the best in the world after both posted finishes within the top 20 at the Masters. Notably, Stricker posted a final-round 68 to finish T16, his best finish at Augusta National since a T11 in 2011. Stricker will be serving as captain for the first time after being a member of the team on five previous occasions and serving alongside Couples as a captain’s assistant in 2015 for Jay Haas. Couples, the 1992 Masters champion, showed early promise in the second round of the Masters, sitting just three shots back from the lead after 36 holes. Ultimately, the 57-year-old finished tied for 18th, the fifth time he finished within the top 20 since turning 50.

Having competed in each of the 11 playings of the Presidents Cup, U.S. Team hopeful and three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson sits just outside the top 10 at No. 12 in the U.S. Team standings, thanks to a T22 at Augusta to go along with three other top-10 finishes during the 2016-17 PGA TOUR season. Rickie Fowler, a Presidents Cup rookie in 2015, finished T11 and is currently No. 4 in the standings; Also posting a T11 was 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth, who is ranked No. 3 in the standings. Spieth is in position to make his third appearance in the Presidents Cup, and owns an overall record of 5-4-0.

1. Dustin Johnson

2. Justin Thomas

3. Jordan Spieth

4. Rickie Fowler

5. Daniel Berger

6. Kevin Kisner

7. Patrick Reed

8. Gary Woodland

9. Brandt Snedeker

10. Ryan Moore

While there was relatively no movement in the U.S. Team standings, the standings shuffled a bit on the International Team with Marc Leishman dropping two spots to No. 7 and Branden Grace dropping one spot to No. 5, although both had suitable finishes at the Masters with a T43 and T27, respectively. 

Among the most notable moves in the team standings was authored by Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion who finished solo third on Sunday to jump from No. 7 to No. 4 in the standings and further strengthening his chance of making the International Team for the fourth consecutive time.

1. Jason Day

2. Hideki Matsuyama

3. Adam Scott

4. Charl Schwartzel

5. Branden Grace

6. Louis Oosthuizen

7. Marc Leishman

8. Emiliano Grillo

9. Yuta Ikeda

10. Adam Hadwin

The U.S. Presidents Cup Team is comprised of the top-10 U.S. players who earn the most FedExCup points from September 14, 2015, through September 4, 2017, with points earned in 2017 doubled, plus two captain’s selections. The International Team consists of the top-10 international players from the Official World Golf Ranking as of September 4, 2017, plus two captain’s selections. For full standings, visit presidentscup.com.

Tickets to the Presidents Cup 2017 are on sale at presidentscup.com. Tickets are limited to this once-in-a-lifetime event, so fans are encouraged to act quickly before the event is sold out.

The most reliable rankings in golf are based on merit—best on best athletes competing over the course of a season offers a definitive snapshot of performance consistency.

With that in mind, Canadian golf’s Order of Merit will be getting an overhaul beginning in 2017. Golf Canada set out to enhance Canada’s National Golf Ranking System to improve the accuracy of the rankings used to evaluate player performance at all levels of competition.

In addition to improving on the accuracy of Canada’s Amateur and Junior Orders of Merit, the evaluation system will be more closely aligned with the R&A’s World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

The improved system and evaluation criteria will award points based on the quality of the event combined with the numbers of participants in the field.

The revamped Order of Merit was tested in a BETA environment during the summer of 2016 to test the changes and determine how they would impact player rankings; to identify and correct perceived flaws in the new proposed system; and ensure that the changes were equitable to all competitors hailing from large, medium and small provinces.

The review and overhaul of the Order of Merit was tasked to a committee that included representatives from Golf Canada and the provincial golf associations along with Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured members Doug Roxburgh and Mary Ann Hayward, a duo well versed in amateur and high performance golf. The final recommendations of the Order of Merit Review Committee were presented to, and approved by, the Provincial Golf Associations prior to the start of the 2017 competitive golf season.

“We went through a very comprehensive review process in evaluating the changes to the National Orders of Merit,” said Dave Stockton, Director of Sport Programs with Golf Canada.  “The BETA testing phase last summer gave us some tremendous insight that we used to make some additional adjustments to the evaluation criteria. At the end of the day, you want the Order of the Merit to be a truly reflective measure of player performance and we think we’ve done that.”

Among the changes are a revised tournament listing for junior and amateur competitions adjusted for quality of event and strength of field as well as a reduction in the number of Order of Merit counting events from 12 to 10 (reduction from 12 to 8 on the Junior Orders of Merit). The Order of Merit point breakdown will now be tiered based on field size with seven tiers that range from 10 or less participants all the way up to 81 or more competitors. As well, Canada’s Men’s and Women’s Orders of Merit will no longer have Junior counting events, regardless of WAGR ranking.

“Reducing the number of counting events and the tiered points breakdown will really challenge players to put a focus on scheduling and choosing events that best meet their age and/or stage of development.  Obviously, higher ranking events will yield the most points,” added Stockton. “As well, removing junior counting events from the Amateur Order of Merit eliminates a perceived advantage from competitors who were additionally counting those events towards our Junior Order of Merit.

Jared du Toit of Kimberley, B.C. and Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont. topped the respective National Men’s and Women’s Orders of Merit in 2016 while A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C. and Mary Parsons of Delta, B.C. topped the Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Boys and Junior Girls Orders of Merits.

A link to the 2017 Canadian Golf Order of Merit including points breakdown and tournament standing is available here.

Click here for a full summary of changes.

Update: Gordon de Laat passed away at the age of 100 in November of 2017

Canada’s oldest golf professional, Gordon de Laat, turns 100 this year, a milestone as remarkable as the legends he’s encountered.

Not only is July 1st a historic day in Canada but it’s also an historic day in the career of Gordon de Laat.

On that day in 1927, the young Dutch boy ventured over to Lambton Golf and Country Club in Toronto eager to make a buck. He came away with only 20 cents but it was still his first paid job in the game, having carried a member’s bag for nine holes while all the other kids were off celebrating the jubilee.

Slowly but surely the hardworking immigrant climbed the ranks at Lambton and beyond. He learned the game, the rules and how to conduct himself with class and dignity at all times.

As he approaches his 100th birthday on April 11th, Canada’s oldest golf professional still embodies those same qualities. He’s friendly, courteous and eager to regale in the stories of his past. And boy, are there many.

Like the days he spent shagging balls at the Lambton range for George S. Lyon. Like when he met Bobby Jones at the Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta. Like when he sat and watched Ben Hogan hit balls for an hour and a half in 1960. Like when he played with Sam Snead or Bob Hope, just a few of the many iconic figures he rubbed shoulders with through the years.

The tales extend beyond golf too. De Laat skated with the Toronto Maple Leafs practice squad for a few years as well, playing alongside Punch Imlach and Stafford Smythe, and was part of the Aurora Army’s 1943 Ontario Hockey Association championship team. The 5-7, 145-lb. right-winger was a speedy sniper, once potting nine goals in a game and leading the team in scoring for four seasons.

Golf was his true passion though. He paid close attention to the club professionals who had come over from Scotland at the time and soaked up every word they said.

“They taught the game and there was no fooling around,” he explained. “Do it his way or get going.”

Having graduated from a B caddie to an A caddie thanks to his hustle and tenacity, Lambton’s head pro Willie Lamb took de Laat under his wing. Lamb, who had been mentored by Percy Barrett, who himself was mentored by Harry Vardon, showed de Laat the ropes of club cleaning, club repairing and instruction. He developed de Laat into a valuable junior assistant pro and an improving player too.

De Laat never possessed the natural ability of his counterparts but was, and still is, committed to practising. It’s the key to his exceptional, creative short game and what helped the PGA of Canada’s longest serving member capture the Toronto District assistants’ championship in 1938 and a spot in the first of his 15 Canadian Opens in 1941.

Always one to pave his own way, de Laat moved on from Lambton after that. He enjoyed a brief stint as an assistant at Lakeview Golf Club and then some time out of the golf industry during the Second World War. But the 1944 Millar Trophy Match-Play Championship was arguably the turning point in his career.

He pooled all his money together just to compete, entering as a huge underdog in the match play bracket. One by one, de Laat defeated all the higher seeds he faced — earning the nickname “The Giant Killer” — until the final, which he lost 6&4 to his friend Bill Kerr.

That run to the Millar Trophy final got him noticed, and he accepted a head professional position at Pine Point Golf Club. Then in 1948, three seasons into his tenure there, he agreed to take over as head professional at nearby Weston Golf and Country Club, a post he would remain at for 30 years.

Gord de Laat (second from left) engaged with many golf icons during his career, including Sam Snead (far right), winner of 82 PGA TOUR events

He was the consummate club pro, always treating the game and members with respect. It earned him countless friends, like Arnold Palmer, who won the 1955 Canadian Open at Weston, and Charlie Sifford, the first African-American to tee it up on the PGA Tour. De Laat was good enough to play with them, but he was just a little bit short of what it took to be a tour pro and beat them.

Something else was also nagging at him: The idea to establish his own club. Twenty-three years after putting $15,000 down on a piece of land in Caledon, Ont. — which he did on the Monday after the ’55 Open in which he played all four rounds — the longtime club professional founded Mayfield Golf Club in 1978.

“I had nine children and we had to keep them busy, so we built a golf course!” he laughed. “And one day on the first of April we started, then got the farmers to help us, working in teams. Land was ploughed and developed and in the first year we had nine holes going.”

Growing up as an immigrant, de Laat didn’t have any access to the game. Mayfield, which grew to 27 holes in 2004, was always intended to be a public facility and still remains so.

Three of his kids — Christopher, Gregory and Paul — have taken over the day-to-day operations of the family business but dad still likes to interact with people in the clubhouse and sit in on the odd management meeting, when he’s not practising on the range.

His kids say he’s always been active and busy, which has likely contributed to his resilient health. But his achievements after sailing into Halifax’s Pier 21 in 1924 are just as unparalleled. Gord de Laat has given golf in this country nearly 90 years of service. Asked what golf and Canada have given to him, he simply says, “A way of life.”

This article was originally published in the April 2017 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. To view the full magazine, click the image to the left.

The mystery surrounding an authentic green jacket from Augusta National Golf Club that was once bought for C$5 at a Toronto thrift store likely stoked the enthusiasm of collectors and drove its sale at auction for more than US$139,000, the auction house said Monday.

Green Jacket Auctions said the distinctive sport coat worn by members of the famed Georgia club and presented each year to the Masters winner was sold Saturday, a day before the final round of this year’s tournament. The club has confirmed its authenticity.

Ryan Carey, who co-owns the auction house, said it was purchased in 1994 at a Goodwill store in Toronto, though he couldn’t say which location.

The jacket _ from which the original owner’s name has been cut out _ apparently escaped the store’s notice, but the man who bought it “knew exactly what it was,” Carey said, adding the discovery made headlines at the time.

That man, who Carey said was a member of the Canadian media, sold it shortly afterwards to a golf journalist in the United Kingdom “for a very reasonable amount of money,” he said. The British journalist held on to it until it was put up for auction over the weekend, he said.

“We’ve been begging the guy to sell it for years because we knew the story was so intriguing,” Carey told The Canadian Press.

The auction house has sold several similar jackets over the years, with jackets from club members usually going for about $20,000 or less, he said.

The buzz surrounding this jacket made the auction house believe it would sell at a premium, though no one suspected it to do this well, he said.

“We did not expect it to be several hundred per cent of the traditional value of a member’s green jacket but the story’s quite compelling, the mystery surrounding the jacket _ I mean, it could be a champion’s green jacket, we just don’t know,” he said.

So many questions about the jacket remain, he said.

“Why was it in a thrift store? How did multiple people touch it without actually knowing what it was? And if all that happened, then why was the name cut out of it? What was there to hide by cutting the name out of it? Whose was it? And we just don’t know those answers,” he said.

“It’s just a crazy story.”

Mike Weir became the first Canadian to win a Masters green jacket in 2003.

The auction house also sold the putter Arnold Palmer used to win the 1964 Masters for more than $97,000 Sunday.