ORLANDO, Fla. – Canadian Corey Conners spent more time grinding out pars than chasing birdies, and that proved to be the right recipe Friday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational as Bay Hill began to bake under a warm sun.

The 29-year-old Conners, from Listowel, Ont., surged into the lead with a 25-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th hole – his second eagle on that hole in two days – for a 3-under 69 and a one-shot advantage over former Bay Hill winner Martin Laird (67).

Rory McIlroy was poised to at least join Conners in the afternoon until he hit a couple of loose drives that cost him one shot when he could only pitch back to the fairway, leading to bogeys. He closed with five straight pars for a 71 that he figures could have been worse.

“It could have been the round that I could have shot 74 or 75. I got in with 71 and pretty happy with that,” McIlroy said.

He was two shots behind, along with Viktor Hovland and Lanto Griffin, who each had a 68.

Jordan Spieth remained in the mix going into the weekend, which is becoming a regularity in the last month as he tries to end more than three years without winning. Spieth hit a superb flop shot over the bunker to a fast green that rolled out to a foot to escape with par and a 69.

Conners was at 9-under 135, and now everyone braces for the weather.

The forecast featured plenty of rain Saturday, which figures to make Bay Hill play longer and tougher, while also keeping the greens from getting as crusty as they were last year when Tyrrell Hatton won with a closing 74.

“We’ll just see what happens and be ready for anything,” Conners said.

Hatton at least gets a chance on the weekend. He opened with a 77 and was 10 shots better Friday, a 67 that allowed him to make the cut was one shot to spare.

Also making the cut were both Ryder Cup captains – Padraig Harrington of Ireland with a 74 to be nine shots behind, Steve Stricker with a 71 that left him one shot better.

Conners, whose lone PGA Tour victory came two years ago at the Texas Open, saved par seven times during his round, the exception coming at the par-3 second hole when he came up short of the green, some 80 feet away, and wound up missing his par putt from 10 feet.

Otherwise, the Canadian has been solid. This is only the second time he has held the lead going into the weekend, the other occasion at the Valspar Championship in 2018 when his bid to go wire-to-wire ended with a 77 in the final round.

“I haven’t really been in this position a lot, but I have a lot of confidence in my game and feeling really relaxed the last few days, so try and keep that going,” Conners said. “I feel like I have a lot of energy. I had an off week last week and really excited for the weekend.”

Laird has recent success winning on a familiar course. In the fall, he ended seven years without a victory by winning in Las Vegas, scene of his first PGA Tour victory in 2009. He won at Bay Hill in 2011 on a final round so tough a 75 was enough to get the job done.

Now there are plenty of others in the mix.

U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau overcame consecutive bogeys at the end of his front nine and hot 71. He was three shots behind. Another shot back were Spieth, Justin Rose (68), Sunjae Im (70) and Paul Casey (69).

Hatton wasn’t the only player who saw a big improvement. Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand had the low round of the tournament with a 65, which was 10 shots better than his first round.

And then there was Robert Gamez, still exempt from winning in 1990 – three years before Spieth was born – by holing out with a 7-iron on the 18th hole. The 52-year-old Gamez shot a 92 and was disqualified for not signing his card.

Jason Day looked to be in much better shape than seven shots behind. He played in the morning, had a pair of birdies and came to the 16th, the easiest at Bay Hill. He lost his tee shot to the right and to use binoculars and the zoom lens of a camera to make sure the ball stuck in the tree was his.

That led to a double bogey, and he took another double bogey on the 18th hole by taking four to get down from a bunker.

“A little unfortunate that it got stuck. It was literally in a nest,” Day said. “So I think mama birdy is going to come back and find another egg there.”

Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin, both from Abbotsford, B.C., failed to make the weekend cut. Taylor (75) was 4 over, while Hadwin (72) was 7 over.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Bay Hill was bustling Thursday, just like golf before the pandemic. The fans were limited in numbers but they all wanted the same dose of entertainment provided by Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau.

First it was McIlroy, slowly feeling better about his game, and with good reason. Starting with a 55-foot putt on the par-3 second hole, he ran off five straight birdies for a share of the lead with Canadian Corey Conners in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at 6-under 66.

In the group behind McIlroy was DeChambeau, who has been contemplating a shot across the water to cut the 528-yard sixth hole down to size by going for the green. This was not the day with a slight breeze into his face, so the U.S. Open champion had some fun. He took out an iron, and then hit a conservative tee shot (309 yards) to the middle of the fairway.

It was a boring birdie, his third in a row, and he opened with a 67.

“There was a high expectation level of me trying to go for the green there, and it was a little pressure that I wasn’t expecting,” DeChambeau said. “But no, it was fun. The crowds were great with it. I pulled out an iron as a joke off the tee box. And for me, it was just too much off of the right and more into the wind than anything.”

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In the group with DeChambeau was Jordan Spieth, making his debut at Bay Hill, and producing high adventure in a 70 that left him satisfied he remained on track – and irritated hitting off the toe of his driver and into the water on No. 6.

Even having to hit his third from the tee, he salvaged bogey with a 25-foot putt and made a 35-foot birdie on the next hole.

“Definitely proud of the way I responded, but the way I putted today, certainly would have liked a lower number,” Spieth said. “But it all just comes down to one shot for me today.”

Conners, from Listowel, Ont., played in the afternoon and was 6 under through seven holes, capped off by an eagle on the par-5 16th. He took the lead with birdie on the par-5 sixth, but finished with a three-putt bogey from 60 feet to fall into a tie with McIlroy.

Shadow Creek winner Jason Kokrak opened with a 68. Of the 60 players who teed off in the morning, only six broke 70. Defending champion Tyrrell Hatton shot a 77, while past Bay Hill winner Francesco Molinari took a step back from his progress with a 78.

McIlroy wasn’t too happy with his game after missing the cut – a rarity for him these days – at Riviera, then not having ideal practice sessions. He still managed some improvement last week in the World Golf Championship, and saw big even better results Thursday.

Most pleasing was seeing the ball go where and how he wanted it. He made three of his birdies on par 3s, the strength of Bay Hill. What stood out was a pair of 5-irons into the wind on the 14th and 17th holes, both tight draws, flighted the way he wanted to about 15 feet.

“Those shots last week that I was trying to hit were missing the target 20 yards left,” he said. “So it was nice to just see them coming out in the window I was anticipating.”

Canada’s @coreconn is putting on a clinic ??

This was to take the lead @APinv pic.twitter.com/TuOgzp3g4F

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) March 4, 2021

He said it was his best round of the year, and it helps being at Bay Hill, where McIlroy had a victory and no finish worse than a tie for sixth the last four years. He has seen enough of Tiger Woods’ eight victories in the Arnold Palmer Invitational to appreciate how to attack.

“He played it very conservatively. He took care of the par 5s. And that was usually good enough to get the job done,” McIlroy said. “So sort of take a little bit of a leaf out of his book.”

He only made birdie on two of the par 5s, going long on the 16th and having to lay up on the 12th from a fairway bunker.

Through it all, it was the activity outside the ropes at Bay Hill that stood out.

The Arnold Palmer Invitational was the last PGA Tour event that had a full complement of fans, one week before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down golf. The tournament is allowing 25% of capacity – roughly 5,000 fans a day – and when most are watching some of golf’s bigger draws such as McIlroy, DeChambeau and Spieth, it feels even larger.

All were wearing masks, though no one got high marks for social distancing.

“It’s nice to hear some cheers and a little bit of energy from the fans,” Martin Laird said after a 69. “It was fun to play in front of a crowd again.”

Nicky Taylor and Adam Hadwin, both from Abbotsford, B.C., struggled in the first round. Taylor fired a 1-over 73, while Hadwin shot a 7-over 79.

Golf Canada’s 2021 Annual Meeting culminated on Thursday, March 4^th with the election of Thornhill, Ont. native Liz Hoffman as the 116^th President of the National Sport Federation.

Hoffman, a past President of Golf Ontario who spent 39 years with the University of Toronto including 16 as Director of Athletics and High-Performance, succeeds Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Que. who served consecutive terms as President in 2019-20.

“It is an honour to represent our member clubs, and golfers from coast to coast as the 119^th President of Golf Canada,” said Hoffman. “To follow in the path of friends, mentors, and colleagues who have empowered my journey with this storied organization. We have a really special opportunity in this current environment to advance the sport of golf, and together with the Board of Directors, our CEO Laurence Applebaum, our talented staff and volunteers and so many partners across the golf and sport community, I look forward to being a part of it.”

Click here for a detailed bio on Golf Canada’s 116^th President, Liz Hoffman.

Hoffman is joined by Vice-President Dale Jackson of Victoria, B.C. in leading the 13-member Board of Directors who will work closely with Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. Based on the report of Golf Canada’s Nominating Committee, Hoffman and Jackson will be joined on the 2021 Board of Directors by David McCarthy of Toronto, Ont., Susan MacKinnon of Calgary, Alta., Adam Daifallah of Montreal, Que., Jean Stone-Séguin of Ottawa, Ont., Patrick Kelly of Victoria, B.C., Shawn Evans of Kitchener, Ont., Rai Sahi of Mississauga, Ont. and Alison Chisholm of Rothesay, N.B. New additions to the Board included Peter Major of Calgary, Alta., along with Diane Drury-Clarke and Jean-Sebastien Monty, both of Montreal, Que.

Outgoing Golf Canada President Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Que. was recognized for his leadership of the association as an Honorary Life Governor.

Golf Canada’s 2021 Annual Meeting was conducted virtually over two days, March 3-4 with volunteers, staff, member clubs, and key industry stakeholders participating.

Annual Report & Financial Statements:

Click here to read Golf Canada’s 2020 Annual Report, which includes a recap of the past season, as well as the organization’s 2020 Financial Statements, which were released during Golf Canada’s Annual General Meeting.

Feature Presentations

In addition to the formal business of the Annual General Meeting, a number of feature presentations delivered on March 3 outlined key Golf Canada initiatives for 2021 including:

• Golf Canada’s 2021 Outlook – presented by Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum

• Golf Industry Advisory Council: National Golfer Retention Campaign – presented by Golf Canada Chief Marketing Officer Vanessa Morbi

• Keynote Presentation: Fireside Chat on Global Golf – hosted by Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum featuring R&A CEO Martin Slumbers and the USGA’s outgoing CEO Mike Davis

• Overview of Golf Canada’s Diversity and Inclusion Alliance – presented by Alliance Chair & Team Canada Sport Psychologist Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood. The session also includes a panel discussion with Sandy Cross (Chief People Officer, PGA of America) as well as Teri Dennis-Davies (Senior Vice-President Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment).

• Sport Overview – presented by Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer Kevin Blue

Tribute to Canadian Golf in 2020

To close its Annual Meeting, Golf Canada shared a video tribute to acknowledge the players, golf facilities and industry stakeholders across the Canadian golf community who supported the sport’s safe return and emergence in 2020 through the COVID-19 pandemic. The video acknowledges the entire Canadian Golf industry as the collective recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award. Click here to watch.

Nancy Spineti Delle Donne selected as Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year

Nancy Spineti Delle Donne of Montreal was named the 2020 recipient of the Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year Award. For more than 20 years, Nancy has been a major contributor to Golf Quebec and Golf Canada as an expert in Handicapping and Course Rating. In 2014, Nancy was named Chair of the Golf Canada Course Rating and Handicap Committee, a position she held proudly until the end of 2020. During this time, she played an integral  role in the national launch of the new World Handicap System which was rolled globally in 2020.

Oakville, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Nancy Spineti Delle Donne of Montreal has been named the 2020 recipient of the Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year Award. A presentation of the award will take place on Thursday, March 4 as part of Golf Canada’s Virtual Annual Meeting.

For more than 20 years, Nancy has been a major contributor to Golf Quebec and Golf Canada as an expert in Handicapping and Course Rating.

In 2008, Nancy was named to the Golf Canada Handicap & Course Rating Committee, a position she held proudly until the end of 2020. During this time, she played an integral  role in the national launch of the new World Handicap System which was rolled globally in 2020.

“Volunteers are a driving force behind golf in this country and we are proud to recognize Nancy Spineti Delle Donne for her deep contributions to Handicapping and Course Rating this past year and over the last 20 years,” said Liz Hoffman, Golf Canada’s 1^st Vice President who will sworn in as the Association’s 116^th President during the Annual Meeting. “Nancy’s contribution to the game and her support in the execution of an important golf service has made and major impact. She has carried those responsibilities with excellence and is truly deserving of this recognition.”

Nancy was Chair of the Golf Québec Course Rating and Handicap Committee from 2008 to 2020 and served on the Golf Québec Board of Director from 2008 to 2015.

During her tenure with Golf Quebec, Nancy helped to train course rating teams across eight regional associations. She would visit 40+ member clubs a year and has rated nearly 90 courses. Her commitment to the craft included meticulous data collection and support documentation to ensure the highest standard of Golf Quebec’s course rating services.

Nancy has also served as Golf Quebec’s feature presenter for handicap seminars and played an instrumental role in training a province-wide network of club Handicap Committees who supported countless members in establishing a valid Handicap Index. From 2011 to 2014, she was also Chairperson of the Golf Québec Membership Committee.

A public player with provincial contributions dating back to 1997, Nancy was recognized for her exceptional service as Golf Quebec’s 2004 Volunteer of the Year, and in 2020, Golf Québec Board of Directors celebrated her retirement from the association by naming her an Honorary Governor.

Now in its 15^th year, candidates for the Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year Award are put forth to Golf Canada for consideration by the respective provincial golf associations in acknowledgment of significant contributions to the game of golf in their community.

The Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year Award is named in recognition of Toronto native Bruce Mitchell who in 2017-18 was the first Canadian to serve as captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A). Born in Victoria and raised in Edmonton, the former president of the Toronto Golf Club and R&A member since 1988 was just the ninth internationally appointed captain of the R&A, one of the most prestigious volunteer positions in the world of golf. Duties as captain included representing the R&A as a global ambassador and aiding in the R&A’s effort to develop golf around the world.

Congratulations to Nancy Spineti Delle Donne of Montreal, Que. on being named the 2020 Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year!

Liz Hoffman has served on Golf Canada’s Board of Directors since 2012 and has been a recognized leader in Canadian sport as an athlete, coach, and administrator.

She honed her executive leadership skills over a 39-year career with the University of Toronto including 16 years as Director of Athletics and High-Performance. She has been active with many sport organizations, serving as a past president of Canadian USport and Ontario University Athletics and as an officer and board member of both Ontario and Field Hockey Canada. She also served on the Board of Directors of Coaches of Canada and as a member of the Sport Development Committee of Swim Canada.

During her time with Golf Canada, she has contributed across a multitude of committees, councils and working groups including most recently serving as Chair of the Compensation Committee, the World Junior Girls Steering Committee and as a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Governance Renewal. She has previously chaired the Amateur Competitions, Sport Development and Human Resources Committees, as well as the Ad Hoc Committee to Review the COC Report. She has been a member of the Audit and Risk Committee, the Diversity Enhancement Working Group, and the Volunteer Services Working Group. Hoffman is also a member the Board of Directors of the Golf Canada Foundation, serving on the Executive Committee as Secretary and chairing both the Scholarships & Grants and the Women’s Fund Committees.

A past President of the Golf Association of Ontario, she was also the non-playing captain of Canada’s Women’s Team at the 2012, 2014 and 2016 World Amateur Team Championships and served as Golf Canada’s delegate to the Biennial meeting of the International Golf Federation in 2018. In 2020, she participated as a program mentor in the R&A’s Women in Golf Leadership Development Program and also joined the PGA of Canada’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. She has been active as a tournament chair and starting & scoring official at Golf Canada amateur, professional, and international competitions.

A former provincial, national, and international golfer who won both the Ontario Junior and Quebec Women’s Amateur Championship, Hoffman is a member of both the Thornhill Golf Club and the Mad River Golf Club and shares her passion for the game with her husband Rick and their sons Matt and Mark.

Golf Canada’s 2021 Annual Meeting shifts to a two-day virtual experience this week, March 3-4 as the National Sport Federation looks ahead in preparation for the 2021 season.

The event will bring together Golf Canada’s Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers as well as representatives from Canada’s provincial golf associations and other stakeholders.

The opening day session runs from 1-4 p.m. ET on Wednesday March 3^rd with a selection of feature presentations outlining key Golf Canada initiatives for 2021 including:

• Golf Canada’s 2021 Outlook – presented by Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum

• Golf Industry Advisory Council: National Golfer Retention Campaign – presented by Golf Canada Chief Marketing Officer Vanessa Morbi

• Keynote Presentation: Fireside Chat on Global Golf –featuring R&A CEO Martin Slumbers and the USGA’s outgoing CEO Mike Davis, hosted by Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum.

• Sport Overview – presented by Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer Kevin Blue

• Overview of Golf Canada’s Diversity & Inclusion Alliance – presented by Alliance Chair & Team Canada Sport Psychologist Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood. The session also includes a panel discussion with Sandy Cross (Chief People Officer, PGA of America) as well as Teri Dennis-Davies (Senior Vice-President Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Maple Leaf Sport and Entertainment).***each of the feature presentations will be available online at golfcanada.ca.

The event will continue on Thursday March 4^th with a virtually conducted Annual General Meeting beginning at 1:00pm ET which will include the release of Golf Canada’s 2020 Annual Report and Financial Statements posted to www.golfcanada.ca.

Golf Canada will also introduce its 2021 Board of Directors including the appointment of Liz Hoffman of Thornhill, Ont. as the association’s 116^th President. Hoffman will take over the role from Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Que. who served consecutive terms as President in 2019-20.

In addition, Golf Canada will celebrate outstanding contributions to the game of golf including a presentation of the 2020 Bruce Mitchell Volunteer of the Year Award to Handicap and Course Rating expert, Nancy Spineti Delle Donne of Montreal.

Kevin Sutherland chipped in for the only birdie of the final round on No. 16 and had a tap-in for another on the next hole, shooting a 4-under 69 to overtake Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont. in the Cologuard Classic on Sunday.

Sutherland trailed by two to start the day and was down four after Weir birdied the par-5 eighth in blustery conditions at Tucson National. Sutherland cut Weir’s lead in half with two birdies in his first three holes to start on the back nine and chipped in from short right of the 183-yard, par-3 16th.

Sutherland tapped in on 17 after putting through the fringe on the par 5 and just missed another birdie on the difficult 18th to close out his second victory in his last three PGA Tour Champions starts and fifth overall. He finished at 15 under, two ahead of Weir, three up on Steve Stricker and Scott Parel.

Weir had bogeys on two of his final three holes to shoot an even-par 73. The 2003 Masters champion has twice been runner-up on the PGA Tour Champions since turning 50 last year.

Calgary native Stephen Ames finished in a tie for 52nd place at 4-over par.

Phil Mickelson’s long-shot bid to win his first three PGA Tour Champions starts came to a screeching halt with a triple bogey on the par-4 ninth. He shot 73 to finish 11 shots back.

Weir opened the second round with a birdie as gusting wind bent flagsticks at sharp angles. He followed with five straight pars and walked up to the green at the par-3 seventh as Rush’s “Limelight” blared from one of the backyards lining Tucson National.

The Canadian left-hander responded with a little inspiration of his own, chipping in for birdie from about 90 feet. A curling 15-foot birdie putt at the par-5 eighth gave him a four-shot lead over Sutherland.

Sutherland, who won the Charles Schwab Championship in November in Phoenix, opened the back nine with a birdie and had another on the par-5 12th. The 56-year-old from Sacramento, California, stumbled when he couldn’t get up and down from a bunker on the par-3 14th, but closed with a flourish as conditions worsened.

Weir watched a slick 4-foot par putt slide by the hole after a nice bunker shot on No. 16 and missed a birdie putt from the fringe on No. 17 after a bunker shot ran through the back of the green. He three-putted to bogey the par-14 18th.

Mickelson was the last amateur to win on the PGA Tour in Tucson 30 years ago, but couldn’t conjure up the same magic in his return.

Nine shots back entering the final round, he had three birdies and a bogey through the first eight holes before hitting his tee shot into the water on the par-4 ninth. He then hit into the greenside bunker and three-putted for a seven.

Mickelson did avoid the mud on No. 15, at least.

He hit two good tee shots in the opening two rounds and both found the pond on the dogleg of the par 5. Mickelson made a birdie after hitting his second shot out of the mud in the first round and salved par after another mud shot in the second.

He avoided the pond altogether Sunday by hitting into the adjacent 17th fairway and ended up with par after missing a birdie putt of about 15 feet.

Team Canada along with activating on site at Golf Canada’s National and Amateur Championships. For this year, here’s a breakdown of some of the key products that FootJoy has to offer. With more Canadians playing more golf than ever in 2020, FootJoy is providing gear to help make every day playable. Be sure to contact your local PGA of Canada professional for fitting and availability, or head to FootJoy’s website to learn more.

SHOES

The first thing golfers will notice about the FootJoy Premiere Series is that it’s an old-school cool vibe about it. But once you look under the hood and understand all the modern technology that goes into the newest shoe line from FootJoy, you can’t help but be wowed.

“It was a really fun project to work on,” says Keith Duffy, a senior product manager at FootJoy. “I’m confident we have the best design and development team in footwear but everyone upped their game a bit. When we started to look back at old catalogues and the footwear we used to release… it’s such a competitive advantage for us, that we have that history. We first started making golf shoes in 1910, and there’s just so much to lean back on.”

Designed and developed in collaboration with many PGA Tour players, the Premiere Series boasts three new upper designs. The Tarlow Collection has a cap toe design, The Packard Collection has a calfskin croc print accent in the saddle area, and The Flint Collection features embossed detailing on the saddle area but is clean otherwise. The shoes are 12 percent lighter than the ones they are replacing in the FootJoy line and boast the new Versatrax+ outsole to help deliver maximum traction. They are available, for both men and women, on March 1st.

“In talking to consumers, and that includes PGA Tour players, members at clubs, or daily-fee players, when they think back on the FootJoy brand, especially those who have been playing golf for a while, everyone always brings up the Classics!” says Duffy.

From modern traditional to modern-modern, the other new golf shoe option for 2021 from FootJoy is the Hyperflex. Featuring a new BOA fit system called WRAPID, it ensures a dialed-in, precision fit with a reduction in pressure on the top of the foot. It boasts a new foam blend in the cushioning and multiple flex grooves in the outsole to move naturally with your foot. It’s not just a good walking shoe, but it helps to maximize the ground force interaction through every swing.

“There’s a better connection to the show (with the WRAPID system) and it holds your foot down and closer to the outsole than any other in the footwear category,” says Duffy. “And since the shoe is connected to the ground, it gives you a better connection to the ground as well.”

The only piece of equipment golfers use for every shot, other than the ball, is their footwear. That’s why you see such strong effort put forth by FootJoy every year.

“So many players think of footwear as an extension of their equipment, or as equipment period, and so do we,” says Duffy. “We take it very seriously.”

APPAREL AND OUTERWEAR

Golfers in Canada took the course in record numbers in 2020 partially because many didn’t know if they might have had the game taken away from them, due to COVID-19 restrictions. Golf was played in all kinds of weather a year ago, and FootJoy has produced a solid line of apparel built for all conditions in 2021. There are four key performance outerwear jackets for 2021, all under the Hydroseries line.

“Everything we’re designing and developing at FootJoy is done so with the golfer in mind,” says Chad Crocker, the product manager of FootJoy apparel. “A lot of apparel companies can adapt from their other main focus, whether that’s running or outdoors or basketball or football. They make great products, but they adapt them to golf. Whereas FootJoy, we start with golf and that’s it. It’s focused on that.”

The HydroTour is designed to withstand the most extreme weather conditions and boasts a new technology called DrySeal – a double collar system that keeps rain out.

“We challenged our designer. ‘That’s just the way it is’ was not acceptable to us,” says Crocker of the ongoing issue with water dripping down the back of a golfer’s neck. “We had to figure out a way to stop that from happening.”

The two-layered collar features a cinch cord on the inside that seals off the elements. It’s also a soft multi-directional stretch fabric (so it’s not too loud or noisy) that has fewer seams. The other pieces FootJoy is releasing include the DryJoys Select LS (the lightest, most waterproof garment FootJoy as ever produced), the HydroKnit (feels like a mid-layer, protects like a rain jacket), and the HydroLite (a 100 percent waterproof piece that also comes in a short-sleeve version).

“The resistance to wearing rain jackets for a long time while playing golf came from the resistance the jacket presented throughout the swing,” says Crocker. “But as we design these garments, it’s imperative there is a full range of motion without any sacrifices.”

GLOVES

For 2021, FootJoy has developed one new glove called the Hyperflx. That new addition compliments two others, making FootJoy the most-worn glove in the game. The Hyperflx boasts superior feel, ultimate breathability, and soft comfort. It was built, according to Zabkar, with athlete construction in mind.

“We wanted to use best-in-class materials to help a golfer with their game. We’re utilizing premium cabretta leather for ultimate breathability, Tour-proven, soft and supple leather, and unmatched softness,” says Zabkar. “It’s the perfect glove for everybody.”

Zabkar says FootJoy quantifies success by showing how many PGA Tour golfers are deciding to wear the product. They’re the ones, he says, week after week trying to make money and are trusting FootJoy gloves to help them notch great results.

The other gloves in FootJoy’s line include the StaSof (which has been the No.1 leather glove in golf since 1983. The current version was released in 2018 and FootJoy leaned on decades of product innovation and testing), and the Pure Touch (“A gift to yourself,” Zabkar says. As it’s the ultimate in soft feel). No matter the product, however, the most important thing to do with gloves – like with shoes or clubs – is to get fit. Zabkar says over 60 percent of all golfers are wearing a glove that is too big for their hand. If you’re wearing a glove that is too big, he says, it’s going to cause early wear and tear.

“Gloves, says Zabkar, “are a key and essential piece of equipment for all golfers.”

The USGA and The R&A have announced proposals for significant changes to the Rules of Amateur Status that govern the game worldwide.

These proposals result from a modernization initiative that has identified a clear need to bring the Rules up to date to reflect today’s global amateur game and ensure that the Rules are easier to understand and apply.

The proposed Rules, along with explanations to key changes, have been posted on usga.org and randa.org and the organizations are now inviting feedback from golfers and stakeholders. Comments will be accepted through Friday, March 26, with the new Rules scheduled to be adopted on January 1, 2022.

A comprehensive review of the Rules of Amateur Status began in late 2017, focusing on three main goals: to ensure the Rules are in the best interests of the game, reflect the modern game, and are easily understood and applied.

This review reaffirmed amateur golf’s important position in the game and the value in maintaining amateur status Rules to safeguard all the ways golf is played and enjoyed.

The result is a set of Rules that redefine the distinction between amateur and professional golf and provide a condition of eligibility – amateur status – for amateurs who compete in golf competitions.

As part of the modernization effort, it is proposed that the new Rules will identify only three acts that will result in a golfer losing their amateur status:

• Accepting a prize in excess of the prize limit
• Accepting payment for giving instruction
• Accepting employment as a golf club professional or membership of an association of professional golfers

To achieve this simplified approach, the following key changes are proposed:

• Eliminating the distinction between cash prizes and other prizes.
• Using the prize limit as the only way an amateur can lose amateur status through their play (meaning that entering or playing a competition as a professional would not, of itself, result in the loss of amateur status).
• Removing restrictions from the Rules surrounding competitions such as long-drive events, putting competitions and skills competitions that are not played as part of a tee-to-hole competition; and
• Eliminating all sponsorship restrictions.

“Golf is unique in its broad appeal to both recreational and competitive golfers,” said Craig Winter, USGA Senior Director, Rules of Golf and Amateur Status. “We understand and value how important amateur status is, not only to those who compete at the highest level of the amateur game, but for the millions of golfers at every age and skill level who enjoy competitive events at their home courses. These updates should help simplify these Rules and ensure the health of the amateur game.”

Grant Moir, Director of Rules at The R&A, said, “The Rules of Amateur Status play an important role in protecting the integrity of our self-regulating sport but the code must continue to evolve. This is particularly so in relation to the modern elite amateur game, where many of the players need financial support to compete and develop to their full potential, and the proposed new Rules will give much greater scope for this.”

“Today marks another important step in the process to modernize the Rules of Amateur Status,” said Akash Patel, Rules and Competitions Manager at Golf Canada. “A great amount of work has gone into making the Rules easier to understand and apply for both the recreational and competitive golfer. We are confident that the proposed changes reflect the modern game and will help with our continued efforts to grow the game.” The proposed new Rules are accompanied by an overview document and explanations that detail the rationale for why changes are being proposed and, in some instances, why they have stayed the same.”

FORESIGHT AND GOLF CANADA Hardy says Foresight’s partnership with Golf Canada is a perfect fit. The company’s goal, first and foremost, is to reflect the fact that it’s a performance solution. The country’s top coaches and its top amateur players are using the Foresight product to get better.

“They’ve been great partners in moving our business forward and we enjoy the fact our product moves their coaching and their programs forward as well,” says Hardy.

Look no further than Women’s National Team Coach Tristan Mullally’s own garage for an example of where Foresight can help work meet play. Mullally, a long-time leader with Golf Canada, is also pretty handy. He built most of the system where a Foresight unit is installed himself, turning part of his garage into a little room where he could do online coaching with the team, have fun with his family, and post videos to social media.

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“It’s just allowing him to do a lot of great stuff,” says Hardy. “It was a fun set up. It was great to work with him and we always are able to have fun and work at the same time.”

FORESIGHT AT HOME

Even if you’re not one of the top golfers in the country you’re still able to take advantage of everything that Foresight has to offer for in-home or at-course solutions. Last year Foresight launched its GC Hawk product, which is a ceiling-mounted device. That’s been a huge success in Canada, Hardy says, thanks in part because it allows golfers who are both left and right-handed to switch off easily. Previous models of the product forced golfers who were of opposite hands to pivot the device before hitting a shot. But that is no longer. Foresight’s product is superior because it helps measure the launch window before a shot is struck – of both the ball and the club independently of one another.  The data provided by Foresight allows golfers to analyze their true club delivery and helps to see their true ball-flight measurements without the effects of wind or weather.

“It’s a perfect snapshot into the launch window,” says Hardy.

But while you may sometimes get overwhelmed by numbers, Hardy says that the company’s big objective is still for people to have fun.

With the GC Hawk, Foresight has added the ability to provide data on a ton of different sports including baseball and soccer. It will also be adding hockey soon, meaning there will be a lot more in the multi-sport realm for the GC Hawk. It has also released a new software model called the FSX Pro, which is a coaching platform.

The cool thing about the FSX Pro software suite is that a lot of it has been developed with input from Canadians including coaches Liam Mucklow and Ralph Bauer, short-game guru Gareth Raflewski, and club expert Ian Fraser.

“We have a really strong, Canadian component for anything that Foresight is developing which is pretty awesome,” says Hardy. “I can’t think of a lot of other companies that include Canadian talent. We’ve got some smart guys and it’s great that Foresight gives them a microphone.”

SIMULATOR SEASON

Part of the FSX software suite also allows golfers to play simulator golf on some of the world’s top courses. Glen Abbey, the iconic RBC Canadian Open venue, was the most recent Canadian track added to the system. Fellow ClubLink course Rattlesnake Point will be added soon along with Westmount Golf and Country Club in Kitchener, Ont. There will be upwards of 14 Canadian golf courses says Hardy including (“hopefully,” he says) a few mountain courses in Alberta and B.C., plus the potential for Cabot, too.

“There’s definitely some exciting stuff on the course-play side of things,” says Hardy.

Not only that, but the new E6 software from Foresight links up launch monitors to allow people with a Foresight product to play against someone with a totally different launch monitor. It’s been popular during COVID-19, Hardy says, and has opened the company’s eyes to the kind of demand there could be while there is so much uncertainty in the world right now.

“It was a feature in the old world of course, but now you’ve got 1000’s of people around the world who want to participate in a simulator,” says Hardy. “So we’re looking forward to a new and improved version of that to open up tournaments, leagues, local events and things that would allow people to participate in in groups.”

Big shout out to #quadsquad team member, @mweirsy on recording a 59! Congrats Mike! ?? ?️ ? pic.twitter.com/Ad5YatHGdd

— Foresight Sports?? (@ForesightCanada) January 25, 2021

While the Foresight technology is trusted by Golf Canada’s coaches and its national team players, it remains the top choice for those keen Canadians who are hopeful to take swings (and track their data) 12 months per year.

“It’s probably never been more important to make something like this happen,” says Hardy of in-home installations. “In some ways its harder because most simulator companies are sold out for months in advance, but we’ve grown a bunch. Our bandwidth is probably 10x was it was two years ago.

“And our product is great because there is not a lot of space restrictions – that’s one of the reasons why we do great in the residential space because not everyone has the right space for a traditional simulator so being able to make solutions in single garage bays, small rooms in a basement where you don’t have 11-foot ceilings… it’s a great advantage of our product and sets us apart from the competitors. It can be a net, a laptop computer, a lot of different ways to create that experience in your house.”

No matter where you are, Foresight is there for you and your game