SHANGHAI – Rory McIlroy is replacing his Nike driver and two fairway metals this week at the HSBC Champions as he begins to search for new equipment.

Nike announced in August that it was getting out of the hard equipment business _ clubs and golf balls _ to concentrate more on its longtime strength of shoes and apparel. McIlroy, at No. 3 in the world, is the highest-ranked player in Nike’s golf stable.

“Honestly, I didn’t envision having anything in my bag until the end of the season,” McIlroy said. “Look, I’m playing well. I’ll leave it. But I brought a few clubs out to Dubai to try out and test. I hit them and I was like, ‘This is good.”’

He is using the TaylorMade M2 driver, 3-wood and 5-wood at Sheshan International.

McIlroy won the Deutsche Bank Championship and the Tour Championship to capture his first FedEx Cup. A week later, he went 3-2-0 in the Ryder in a European loss. The HSBC Champions begin a stretch in of three tournaments in four weeks to close out his European Tour season.

McIlroy, a four-time major champion, signed with Nike in 2013.

He went back to a Scotty Cameron putter for the FedEx Cup playoffs, though McIlroy plans to stick with the Nike irons, at least through the end of the year. He said Nike recently made him a fresh set of irons.

How long that lasts depends on what he finds at the end of the year. McIlroy said when his season ends at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, he plans to test equipment from every major manufacturer.

“The hardest part will be the golf ball,” he said. “I need something that works. And right now, the Nike golf ball works with the TaylorMade drive and woods, but it also works with everything else in my bag, which is perfect.”

He said Nike has stocked up enough golf balls to last him two to three years. That doesn’t mean he won’t change golf balls, but “at least I have that option.”

Nike has some three dozen players using its equipment, a roster that includes Tiger Woods. He was using the Nike clubs at a clinic at Pebble Beach two weeks ago. Woods has not played since August 2015, and his next tournament is likely the Hero World Challenge the first weekend in December in the Bahamas.

Paul Casey used a TaylorMade driver for one round at the Safeway Open last week. Kevin Chappell, who finished a career-high eighth on the PGA Tour money list last year, also switched to the TaylorMade driver for the HSBC Champions and to the Titleist golf ball.

According to one player, Nike has said it will honour contracts but that it will pay only 50 cents on the dollar if a player signs another equipment deal.

McIlroy is not in a rush to sign any deal.

“I’m going to enjoy the luxury of being able to play with what I want because it’s the best for me,” he said. “All of this, the whole Nike thing that happened, one of the great things is that it’s given me freedom to say, ‘Let’s go to market. Let’s see what works absolutely 100 per cent for me.”’

Chappell also had the Nike irons in his bag at Sheshan International, though he started testing new clubs during his two weeks after the Tour Championship. Like McIlroy, he said he was looking for the “best 14 clubs” he could find.

“If someone wants to endorse me for using them, then great,” he said.

This article was originally published in October of 2016

37-year-old Justin Randall Timberlake – better known as Justin Timberlake or simply JT – is a pop icon and a man of many talents.

Since breaking through as a teenager with the popular boy band NSYNC in the late 1990s the Memphis, Tennessee native has gone on to find massive success as a solo artist earning nine Grammy Awards – and counting.

The former Mickey Mouse Club cast member has also enjoyed success on the big screen with parts in popular movies such as Alpha Dog, The Social Network, and Shrek the Third.

Timberlake’s latest project sees him as the voice of Branch in the upcoming animated musical comedy, Trolls, which co-stars Anna Kendrick.

Besides his accomplishments as a chart-topping artist and a respected actor, Timberlake is also a talented golfer – who started playing at the age of 12 and shoots a six handicap.

“It’s pretty impressive for someone like JT, who’s constantly on the go, to be a single digit handicap,” acknowledged former Canadian national team member, Rebecca Lee-Bentham, who also started playing golf at the age of 12.

“He seems like a man of many talents, but it also takes a lot of hard work to be where he’s at,” she added about Timberlake who co-produced the 2013 documentary, The Short Game, about a group of young elite golfers preparing for the 2012 U.S. Kids Golf World Championship.

Just last month, the pop icon was in Toronto for the premier of Justin Timberlake and The Tennessee Kids – a concert documentary from his 20/20 Experience tour.

The 90 minute feature by Academy Award winning director Jonathan Demme premiered during the Toronto International Film Festival and was met with much excitement and buzz especially given that it meant Timberlake would be walking the red carpet at Roy Thomson Hall.

The “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” singer was caught up in the TIFF buzz also.  After meeting up with Demme on the red carpet and sharing a hug, Timberlake declared: “We made it!”

Then with his cell phone in his hand, he proceeded to run up and down the red carpet capturing the excitement of his screaming fans – many of whom had been camping out for hours in anticipation of his arrival.

“I always love meeting people who have achieved a lot in their careers, and who have given back a lot to their community and JT has done so much in every aspect of his life,” said Lee-Bentham, a huge Timberlake fan, who has taken in TIFF each of the previous three years.

Besides the pandemonium surrounding his arrival to Roy Thomson Hall, Timberlake also created a frenzy on the Internet when he told an E! reporter that he would like to work with former Mickey Mouse Club cast member Britney Spears again – whom he dated from 1999 to 2002.

In addition to plugging his film with reporters on the TIFF red carpet, Timberlake – now married to actress Jessica Biel – also talked to a Toronto reporter about his one and a half year old son, Silas, and the challenges and joys of parenthood.

Having thoroughly enjoyed his experience at the Toronto International Film Festival, Timberlake tweeted out: “Good times Toronto! #TIFF16. Next up @Netflix Oct 12th” to his 55 million plus followers.

Besides finding success as a musician and actor, the married father of one also carries the title of record producer, business owner, and philanthropist.

Perhaps the most notable artist that Timberlake has written for and produced is Rihanna – first working with the singer from Barbados in 2009 on her second album Rated R.

As an entrepreneur, Timberlake and his wife are minority owners of the National Basketball Association’s Memphis Grizzlies.

Another notable business venture saw the long-time golf enthusiast purchase Big Creek golf course in his home town. Timberlake would then spend millions and turn it into the state of the art eco-friendly Mirimichi Golf Course.

While it was not a profitable investment, the venture to redevelop Big Creek  and save it from becoming a housing development had a special place in his heart because it was that same course he grew up playing in.

The efforts at his hometown golf course were not Timberlake’s only good deeds on the greens.

In 2007, the PGA announced that he would be the host of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

As part of his involvement, the chart-topping artist hosted a charity concert with proceeds going to the Shriners Hospital for Children during the week of the PGA tournament in both 2008 and 2009.

As a self-described golf enthusiast, Timberlake frequently plays in PGA Pro Am events – including the Pebble Beach Pro Am in February – where he gave an impromptu performance on the 16th tee for his many fans in the gallery.

Besides his good deeds through golf, Timberlake and his wife also contributed to the Hurricane Sandy relief efforts in 2012.

Timberlake’s latest humanitarian efforts includes a remake of the 2003 smash hit “Where is the Love?” with proceeds going to fund educational programs.

While Timberlake continues to be idolized in Canada and around the world, Lee-Bentham says what the pop icon is doing with his current platform – being an ambassador for golf and to a larger extent making a difference for the betterment of society – is what’s most impressive and inspiring.

“I love that he uses his talents and gifts to influence change for the better,” said the former LPGA pro about Timberlake.

“It would be nice to have more role models like JT out there in the celebrity world for kids to look up to.”

VENICE, Fla. – Four Canadians were among 84 competitors that advanced to Stage III of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament on Sunday at the Plantation Golf & Country Club.

Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C., led all 10 Canadians in the field, finishing at 5-over par (72-72-73-76) to grab a share of 30^th. Team Canada graduate and Calgary product Jennifer Ha was the next Canadian in line, closing at 7-over par (69-71-79-76) to end in a tie for 47^th.

Fossambault, Que., native Sara-Maude Juneau—also a Team Canada graduate—carded her lowest round of the tournament (73) to solidify her place in the final stage with a T62 result.

Paris, Ont., native and former Team Canada member Jennifer Kirby finished one stroke clear of the cut line to become the fourth Canadian to advance to the final stage. Kirby struggled out of the gate with an opening-round 80 (+8), but fought her way back into contention with three consistent rounds to finish the event tied for 76^th.

Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord (Sarpsborg, Norway) cruised to medallist honours at Stage II of LPGA Qualifying Tournament on Sunday with a final-round 1-under, 71 to finish at 11-under, 277, five shots clear of second.

World No. 2 amateur, Bronte Law (Manchester, England), finished second at 6-under, 282 while runner-up at the 2015 U.S. Girls’ Junior Angel Yin (Arcadia, Calif.) finished third at 5-under, 283.

The final stage will commence from Nov. 30 – Dec. 4 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach. The top 20 finishers at final stage will earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2017 season.

Click here for full scoring.

SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of – The PGA Tour expanded its Asia swing to three tournaments Monday by adding a new event in South Korea with a limited field and a $9.25 million purse.

The size of the purse for the 78-man field at The CJ Cup would trail only The Players Championship, the majors, and the World Golf Championships. The field would be comprised of the top 60 players available from the previous year’s FedEx Cup. The other 18 will be determined by exemption to be decided later.

The CJ Cup is scheduled for Oct. 19-22 at Nine Bridges, located on Jeju Island off South Korea’s southern coast.

The tournament will be in the middle of the Asia swing, which starts with the CIMB Classic in Malaysia (Oct. 12-15) and ends with the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai on Oct. 26-29.

The PGA Tour first went to South Korea a year ago for the Presidents Cup at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon.

“We had such a phenomenal experience in Korea last year at the Presidents Cup, and we hoped an official, permanent event in this great country would be the result of that success,” said Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour’s deputy commissioner.

Title sponsor CJ Corporation agreed to a 10-year deal.

CJ is a South Korean conglomerate that already is involved in golf. It sponsored an LPGA Tour event at Nine Bridges from 2002 to 2005, and it was the sponsor of an Asian Tour event, the CJ Invitational, from 2011 to 2013. It also sponsors Korean players such as Byeong Hun An and Si Woo Kim.

The PGA Tour has 12 players from South Korea on its international roster this year, second only to the 15 from Australia among countries outside the United States. Last year there were 20 South Koreans who were members of either the PGA Tour or the Web.com Tour.

“Partnering with a respected business leader like the CJ Corporation means this tournament will be on the Korean sports landscape for years to come,” Monahan said. “We have a tremendous population of Korean golfers on the PGA Tour, and we anticipate that will continue as The CJ Cup … inspires a new generation of players, not only in Korea, but also around the world.”

The tournament will be run by the PGA Tour’s championship management division. The CIMB Classic in Malaysia is co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour, while the HSBC Champions is run by the International Federation of PGA Tours, with the European Tour serving as the lead tour.

The final round of the CCAA Golf Championships at Fox Meadow Golf & Country Club began with a lot of excitement in the air. Players knew that the forecasted weather would provide a true test for the best collegiate players in Canada. High winds, cold temperatures and heavy rain gave the participants everything they could handle during the championships final day.

Josiah Dixon of the Niagara, Conner Watt of Humber and Marc-Olivier Plasse of Cégep André-Laurendeau battled all day in the tournament’s final group. Watt entered the 18^th hole with a one-stroke lead over Dixon. However Dixon got into to trouble and finished with a triple bogey while Plasse closed with a par, leaving the two tied at 5-under par. Watt ended with a bogey and was presumed to be the individual winner by a three shot margin over the other two.

During the closing ceremonies it was brought forward by the rules officials that Watt had signed for a six on his scorecard instead of a seven. Watt was then disqualified and the green was cleared for Marc-Olivier Plasse and Josiah Dixon to compete in a playoff for individual gold. With darkness falling quickly, the pair matched each other shot for shot before Dixon finally clinched the event on the third playoff hole.

Matt Lemay from the Georgian College Grizzlies would claim the individual bronze at +1 while Nick Earle (UNB Varsity Reds), Marc-Antoine Hotte (Cégep André-Laurendeau Boomerang) and Antoine Roy (Cégep Champlain St. Lawrence) would tie for fourth at +2.

In team play the women’s golfers from the Georgian College Grizzlies and the men from the Niagara College Knights survived the elements on their way to become the PING CCAA National Golf Champions.

The women from the Georgian College Grizzlies led wire-to-wire, clinching the championship on Friday by posting a team score of 161. They defeated the Humber College Hawks by 14 strokes.

Members of the Grizzlies are Addison Wallwin (+14, 1st), Emilie Tyndall (+21, T5th) and Sady Beelik (+37, T11th).

Cégep Champlain St. Lawrence Lions (+53), University of the Fraser Valley Cascades (+55) and the Medicine Hat College Rattlers (+59) rounded out the top five in the championship.

Individually Wallwin of the Georgian College Grizzlies won the women’s title by three strokes over Noémie Oullette of the Cégep Champlain St. Lawrence Lions after a final round 78.

Other notable finishers were Becky Martin (Medicine Hat, +18), Lorelle Weavers (Niagara College, +19), Tyndall (Georgian College, +21) and Sheila McKeen (Humber College, +21) rounding out the top five.

For the host-team from Holland College Karleigh McEwen led the way by finishing tied for 14th; she was joined by teammates Daria Leidenius finishing in 23rd and Jaylene Holmes-Tang ending the tournament in 26th. As a group the Hurricanes finished in seventh place overall.

The men’s championship was claimed by the Niagara College Knights who stormed to the top of the leaderboard by posting a final round team score of 297. They claimed the championship by one shot over the second place team from Cégep André-Laurendeau Boomerang.

The Knights were made up of individual champion Josiah Dixon (-5), Evan Littlefield (+7, T15), Ben Kenel (+12, T29), Brett Shewchuk (+12, T29) and Logan Lammerant (+22, T53).

Rounding out the top five in the team competition was the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds (+26), Cégep Champlain St. Lawrence Lions (+27) and the Humber College Hawks (+27).

The host men’s Hurricanes finished in a tie for seventh place after posting a score of 304 on Friday; they were represented by Tyson Gavin (T10), Connor Shea (T20), Bradley Jenkins (41st), Peter Frenette (T42) and Spencer Compton (T53).

The event featured several firsts for the championship. This was the first time that the results from the PING CCAA National Golf Championships were counted towards the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

This was also the first time that this Championship was broadcasted live which was a major success thanks to the hard work from all involved including TV1 presented by Bell Aliant and Universum Media.

For a full look at the official tournament photos by Mike Bernard Photography visit this link.

To watch archived footage of the events broadcast visit this link.

For a full look at the final championship leaderboard visit this link.

HAINAN, China – Minjee Lee got up-and-down one last time at Jian Lake on Sunday to win the Blue Bay LPGA for her second victory of the year and third in 17 months.

The 20-year-old Australian chipped to 3 feet from the front runoff area on the par-5 18th to match Jessica Korda’s birdie and beat the American by a stroke. Lee’s chip left Korda with an 18-footer for eagle from off the back edge that she missed to the left.

“It was a good fight out there, and I fought to the end,” Lee said.

Ariya Jutanugarn tied Lee with a two-stroke swing on the par-3 17th, then hooked her 3-wood drive into the water on 18 to end her chances for a tour-high sixth victory.

“I knew that I had a good opportunity, but I wasn’t getting ahead of myself,” Lee said. “I knew Jess was going to make birdie – was probably going to make birdie – and so I thought to myself, ‘I need to make birdie here.’ I just put myself in good spots and then I ended up making birdie. Just stuck to my game plan.”

Lee rebounded after losing a six-stroke lead Saturday, closing with a 2-under 70 in hot and humid conditions to finish at 13-under 275. Korda had a 71. Jutanugarn shot 70, her closing bogey leaving her two strokes back.

Five days after Typhoon Sarika blew through the South China Sea beach resort, the wind jumped up on the final holes, making it more difficult to hit the valleys and plateaus on the large greens.

“It played like a totally different golf course,” Korda said. “It wasn’t the same as every day. The golf course conditions were a lot harder today. Some greens were slow and there were some greens that were fast. All in all, it was a tough day out there.”

Lee chipped in for birdie on the par-4 first to break a tie with Korda, chipped to 2 feet for birdie on the par-5 eighth and had eight straight pars before stumbling on the 154-yard 17th. She ran her 30-foot first putt 6 feet past, watched Jutanugarn make a 15-footer for birdie, then missed the comebacker to give up sole possession of the lead for the first time since the start of the round.

Lee earned $315,000 and is projected to jump from 17th to 16th in the world ranking. She won last year at Kingsmill and in April in Hawaii.

The Australian tied for 37th last week in South Korea and was one of the many players who didn’t get to Hainan until Wednesday afternoon, leaving little time to prepare.

“I really came into this week with no expectations,” Lee said. “Just wanted to have fun.”

She did, and her mother and grandmother were there to celebrate with her.

“My Nan, she my biggest supporter,” Lee said. “I love having her around. She normally comes around for the Asia Swing, so yeah, it’s nice to have won in front of her. She was here, so that’s really nice.”

Korda bogeyed the par-3 seventh, firing her tee shot over the green a day after hitting to 6 inches. The defending champion next week in Malaysia, the 23-year-old American birdied the par-3 11th and par-5 14th. She three-putted the par-4 16th for a bogey, charging a 25-footer 15 feet long.

“I think considering we had zero preparation for the tournament and came in on Wednesday, I think I would have taken a second place if you would have told me that that’s what I would have gotten,” Korda said. “We didn’t get a lot of preparation. But with the typhoon, there’s nothing you can do.”

Ten shots behind Lee after two rounds, Jutanugarn made $139,681 to take the money lead from Lydia Ko with $2,439,878. The 20-year-old Thai star also moved atop the Race to CME Globe and extended her lead over Ko to 13 points for player of the year. Ko and Jutanugarn are playing next week in Kuala Lumpur.

Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum (72) and Germany’s Caroline Masson (73) tied for a distant fourth at 6 under. England’s Charley Hull (69) was 5 under, and Sweden’s Pernilla Lindberg (72) 4 under.

Brooke Henderson (71) was 3 under. The 19-year-old Canadian has played all four weeks in Asia and plans to make it six in a row with stops in Malaysia and Japan.

Michelle Wie was one of the 13 players to break par, closing with a 74 to tie for 10th at 1 under. She had her best finish of the year, topping a tie for 25th in February in the second event of the season.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Justin Thomas completed a fairytale return to the CIMB Classic with a successful title defence after eight birdies in the final round Sunday earned him a three-shot victory over closest rival Hideki Matsuyama.

The American did not match his record tournament score of 26-under 262 in 2015, but still finished with an impressive 23 under for only his second PGA Tour title.

“It’s great to win again here. It’s a place I’m comfortable with … Hopefully I will be able to come back next year,” said Thomas, who shot a 64 to match his first-day score.

Overnight leader Anirban Lahiri, who led the field by four shots into the final round, lost ground after a quadruple bogey on the third hole, after his tee shot went into a tree.

The Indian recovered admirably with a birdie and eagle in the next two holes, but the early setback meant he only settled in joint third with Derek Fathauer (67).

“I got unlucky with the tee shot and just compounded my errors. My short game again, coming up a little bit to bite me,” said Lahiri, the 2015 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner.

Marc Leishman (66) finished one shot away from Lahiri in fifth, with Keegan Bradley (68) one spot below him on 16 under.

HAINAN, China – Jessica Korda caught Minjee Lee on Saturday in the Blue Bay LPGA. Ariya Jutanugarn made up even more ground to move into contention for her sixth victory of the season.

Korda shot a 6-under 66 at Jian Lake to make up seven strokes on Lee for a share of the lead, and Jutanugarn had a 65 to cut her deficit from eight to two shots and get in the final group Sunday.

In hot and mostly calm conditions four days after Typhoon Sarika hit the South China Sea beach resort, Korda had five birdies in a six-hole stretch and got up-and-down for another on the par-5 18th.

“I missed a lot of birdie opportunities at the beginning and I was just saying in my head, ‘Stay patient.’ and, ‘Stay positive,”’ the 23-year-old American said. “Yesterday, I was 4 over through seven and then battled back to shoot even par. I was really proud of myself to keep myself in it. I just knew that I can make birdies out here.”

Lee had a 73, also getting up-and-down for birdie on 18 to match Korda at 11-under 205. The 20-year-old Australian began the day six strokes ahead of Germany’s Caroline Masson after shooting 65-67 the first two rounds.

“It wasn’t that windy today, so I guess you could be a bit more aggressive at the pins,” Lee said. “I wasn’t striking it that well, so I think I just got by making up-and-down.”

The second-ranked Jutanugarn had the best round of the day on the course with difficult to hit valleys and plateaus on the large greens.

“This course, you have to be really patient,” Jutanugarn said. “I just be like waiting for birdies, not really rushing trying to make birdies. Just trying to have fun.”

The 20-year-old Thai star leads the tour in victories and tops the player of the year points race.

Korda hit an 8-iron to 6 inches on the 141-yard seventh to start the birdie spree.

“I actually thought it was going to go in,” said Korda, set to defend the last of her four LPGA Tour titles next week in Malaysia.

The 5-foot-11 Floridian made a 20-footer from the fringe on the par-5 eighth, hit to 3 feet on the par-4 ninth, 5 feet on the par-3 11th and made a 25-footer on the difficult par-4 12th after holding the green with a mid-iron.

“You have to land it perfectly at the top to have any shot at that pin staying on the back of the green,” Korda said. “It’s really wet back there so you don’t want to have to chip up. It’s not an easy chip. I was just really happy to be on the green to be honest with you and have some type of putt at it.”

She has played 20 holes without a bogey. She made a key 6-foot par save on the par-4 sixth.

“Making par on six was important,” Korda said. “It’s a really tough pin today. It’s almost impossible to get close to.”

Lee got on the wrong side of the ridges on 11 and 12, three-putting for bogeys – after Korda birdied both in the group ahead – to drop into a tie.

“I think the girls did pretty well considering where the pins were today,” said Lee, the winner last year at Kingsmill and in April in Hawaii.

Masson (71) was 7 under, and Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum (69) was 6 under.

Michelle Wie (71) was tied for seventh at 3 under. She has only one top-25 finish this year, a tie for 25th in February in the second event of the season, and needed a sponsor exemption to get in the event.

Brooke Henderson (70) was another stroke back. The 19-year-old Canadian birdied three of last five holes. She’s playing for the fourth straight week in Asia and plans to make it six in a row.

Spain’s Carlota Ciganda (75) also was 2 under. She won her first LPGA Tour title last week in South Korea.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Defending champion Justin Thomas endured a terrible start to the third round of the CIMB Classic after the American faltered with three bogeys and a double bogey to finish with a 1-under 71 Saturday.

Thomas was swiftly overtaken by Anirban Lahiri, who shone at the TPC Kuala Lumpur with nine birdies for a 65 to open up a four-shot lead going into the final round on Sunday.

Thomas had two bogeys and a double bogey in the first three holes of the back nine.

“Yeah, it was really just terrible golf for the first 13 holes. To be 4-over par out here, it was a very weird feeling. I don’t know,” he said.

At least the 23-year-old Thomas ended the penultimate round with five consecutive birdies.

“It was great to have that finish,” Thomas said. “I feel like that showed a lot of me and I hope that I can ride the momentum into tomorrow.”

Lahiri’s low score positioned him at 19 under, a mark which could have been better if not for a double bogey on the 12th hole in an otherwise flawless scorecard.

“I just told myself that I got rid of my double-bogey early in the round today and just tried to focus on what I needed to do,” said Lahiri, who was runner-up at the Asian Tour’s Macau Open last week.

“You know, like I said, I feel like I’m hitting it good with my irons, my wedges and I’m putting it good.”

Scotland’s Russell Knox played another solid round for a 68, to move tied for second with Thomas.

Trailing a shot behind them are Derek Fathauer, James Hahn and Hideki Matsuyama, who are tied at 14-under.

Ryan Moore, the 2013 and 2014 winner, finished tied on 17th after managing a 70.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the athletes who have been chosen to represent Team Canada as part of the 2017 National Amateur Squad and Development Squad programs.

In all, eight athletes comprise Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad including four players on the men’s team and four on the women’s.

The following athletes have been selected to Team Canada’s 2017 Amateur Squad:

WOMEN’S NATIONAL AMATEUR SQUAD

Maddie Szeryk, Allen, Tex., Ontario Public Player (20)
Naomi Ko, Victoria, B.C., Royal Colwood Golf Club (19)
Jaclyn Lee, Calgary, Alta., Glencoe Golf & Country Club (19)
Grace St-Germain, Ottawa, Ont., Camelot Golf Club (18)

MEN’S NATIONAL AMATEUR SQUAD

Jared du Toit, Kimberley, B.C., Glencoe Golf & Country Club (21)
Hugo Bernard, Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., Laval sur-le-Lac Club (21)
Austin James, Bath, Ont., Loyalist Golf & Country Club (21)
Stuart Macdonald, Vancouver, B.C., Point Grey Golf & Country Club (21)

Complete National Amateur Squad bios can be found here.

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The National Development Squad—primarily a U19 program—will also feature eight players (four men and four women). The Development Squad is designed to help facilitate the continued development of Canada’s top young talents.

The following athletes have been selected to Team Canada’s 2017 Development Squad:

WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT SQUAD

Mary Parsons, Delta, B.C., Mayfair Lakes Golf Club (17)
Monet Chun, Richmond Hill, Ont., Summit Golf & Country Club (15)
Chloe Currie, Mississauga, Ont., Mississaugua Golf & Country Club (16)
Hannah Lee, Surrey, B.C., Northview Golf & Country Club (16)

MEN’S DEVELOPMENT SQUAD

A.J. Ewart, Coquitlam, B.C., Pitt Meadows Golf Club (17)
Peyton Callens, Langton, Ont., Delhi Golf & Country Club (16)
Chandler McDowell, Springbrook, Alta., Red Deer Golf & Country Club (16)
Max Sekulic, Rycroft, Alta., Grande Prairie Golf & Country Club (17)

Complete Development Squad player bios can be found here.

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“Based on their outstanding performances this year, we are very excited to announce the young men and women chosen to represent Canada as part of the National Program,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “It is the goal of our program to support and assist the players in their development. We accomplish that by bringing this group of elite-level players together and surrounding them with world class coaching, sport science expertise and exposure to training and competitive schedules that will serve as a benchmarks for their development from a global perspective.”

Golf Canada is also pleased to announce the 2017 Team Canada coaching staff with Derek Ingram returning as Men’s Squad Head Coach, supported by Robert Ratcliffe who will also head up the Development Squad. On the women’s side, Tristan Mullally returns as Women’s Squad Head Coach and will receive support from Ann Carroll, who will oversee the Women’s Development Squad specifically. All coaches are all class “A” professionals with the PGA of Canada.

The athletes named to the 2017 National Amateur and Development Squads are a product of a circle of support that includes personal coaches, parents and high performance activities conducted by the respective provincial golf associations.

The 2017 Young Pro Squad team selection is expected mid-November.

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Jared du Toit makes his return to the Amateur Squad after his captivating performance at the 2016 RBC Canadian Open, where he played in Sunday’s final group and would finish in a tie for ninth to win the Gary Cowan Award (low amateur). Growing up in Kimberley, B.C., and now based in Calgary, du Toit’s impressive 2016 campaign also featured Top-5 finishes at the Monroe Invitational and Porter Cup, as well as a T15 result at the Canadian Men’s Amateur. The 21-year-old was also a part of the three-man team that lifted Canada into a share of ninth at the 2016 World Amateur Team Championships. On the strength of five Top-10 NCAA finishes in his junior season, du Toit earned the nod as team captain for his final season with the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Also making his return to the Amateur Squad is Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., native Hugo Bernard. The 21-year-old’s season was highlighted by a victory at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, an event in which he finished runner-up the year prior. Bernard made a lasting impression in his rookie campaign with the Saint Leo Lions, posting six Top-5 finishes in eight events, including medalist honours at the NCAA Div II Championship. His efforts at Saint Leo earned him Freshman of the Year honours to go with being named as a first-team all-American. Bernard was also one of three to compete for Canada at the World Amateur alongside teammate du Toit. He boasts victories earlier in his amateur career at the Quebec Men’s Amateur in 2013 as well as the 2012 Quebec Junior Boys Championship.

The third returnee to the men’s squad is Vancouver native Stuart Macdonald. The 21-year-old recently graduated from the University of Purdue, where he amassed seven Top-10 finishes over his collegiate career with the Boilermakers. His 2016 campaign was underlined by a third place finish at the Canadian Men’s Amateur alongside a T35 result at the Jones Cup. Macdonald took home runner-up honours at the 2015 B.C. Men’s Amateur.

The lone rookie on this year’s men’s squad is Bath, Ont., product Austin James. James has been on the cusp of making the national team before breaking through this year on the heels of an exemplary junior season at Charleston Southern that saw him earn Big South Player of the Year honours in addition to capturing medallist honours at the Big South Championship. James was a quarter-finalist in the 2015 U.S. Men’s Amateur and also holds the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys title. The 21-year-old has strong family ties to golf, with sister Augusta being a staple with the women’s program—most recently as a member of the Young Pro Squad—and father Geoff acting as the Head PGA of Canada Professional at Loyalist Golf & Country Club (the family’s home course).

On the women’s side, the Amateur Squad is headlined by three-time returning member and dual-citizen Maddie Szeryk, who’s 2016 season included a victory at the Florida State Match-Up to go along with a T14 finish at the Canadian Women’s Amateur. In two seasons with Texas A&M, Szeryk has collected 12 Top-10 finishes in addition to being twice named to the First-Team All-SEC as well as SEC Freshman of the Year in 2014. The 20-year-old helped Canada finish ninth at the 2016 World Amateur as one of three Canadians to tee-it-up in chase of the Espirito Santo Trophy. The Allen, Tex., resident notched victories at the Ontario Women’s Amateur in 2015 and the Canadian Junior Girls Championship in 2013.

Victoria, B.C., native Naomi Ko solidified her return to the Amateur Squad after an impressive 2016 campaign that featured wins at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship and PNGA Women’s Amateur, plus Top-10 performances at the Canadian Women’s Amateur, Porter Cup and World Amateur Team Championship. Her freshman season with N.C. State was highlighted by a T5 finish at the ACC Championship. Ko, 19, won the B.C. Junior Girls Championship title in 2014. Entering her second year with the Amateur Squad, 2017 marks Ko’s fifth year with the Team Canada program—she was on the Development Squad from 2013-2015.

Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee also returns for a second year on the Amateur Squad. Lee’s summer was highlighted by winning the Marlene Streit Award (low amateur) at the CP Women’s Open in addition to winning the Alberta Ladies Amateur title for a second time. The 19-year-old recorded a T3 finish at the Porter Cup while also making the quarter-finals at both the PNGA Women’s Amateur and North & South Women’s Amateur. The former CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event winner grabbed a share of 27^th at the Canadian Women’s Amateur. Lee added two Top-10 collegiate finishes in her freshman year at Ohio State.

Rounding out the women’s team is 18-year-old Grace St-Germain. The Ottawa product makes the jump to the Amateur Squad after spending two seasons with the Development Squad and one with Team Ontario. St-Germain took home the hardware at the Ontario Women’s Amateur in 2016, while adding a runner-up finish at the Quebec Women’s Amateur for the second straight year—an event which she won in 2014. She closed her season with a T20 finish at the Canadian Women’s Amateur and a share of ninth at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship—also a title she held in 2014. St-Germain joined the Daytona State Falcons—an NJCAA school—as a freshman in September.