CALEDON, Ontario—Albert Pistorius made it look easy as he quickly broke away from the logjam of three other players tied atop the leaderboard when the final round of the Canada Life Series at TPC Toronto: Heathlands Course event began. Pistorius eagled his first hole of the day and birdied the third to quickly move to 10-under. As it turned out, Pistorius would need all those strokes.

The South Africa native who lives in Calgary was 4-over the rest of the way but that blazing start allowed him to win the third Canada Life Series tournament by a stroke over Andrew J. Funk, Callum Davison and Points List leader Yi Cao. The victory earned Pistorius 500 points, a $9,000 first-place payday and, most importantly, his first professional victory.

It was a battle late in the round, as wind blew strong and often on a crisp late-summer day. With the final grouping of Pistorius, Cao and Funk all tied at 8-under through 15 holes and Davison playing ahead, also at 8-under, it came down to who could make a putt down the stretch. As it turned out, it was Pistorius, at the par-5 16th, when he made his final birdie of the day—from eight feet. Meanwhile, the other three players all had late bogeys coming in, giving Pistorius the cushion he needed to bogey No. 18 and still walk away with the title.

“There were a lot of thoughts out there just barging into your mind, and you just have to keep focused on what you’re trying to do,” Pistorius said of both the pressure and the elements, not necessarily in that order. “It’s exhausting. With the wind swirling, it wasn’t easy out there today. Some of it was like a three-club wind.”

The weather took its toll on the field, and the leaders were not exempt. Davison shot himself out after he made back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 15 and 16. Funk bogeyed the par-3 17th to end his chances, and Cao bogeyed No. 16. After their bogeys, the trio could make nothing but pars.

“Today being such a difficult day, it’s extra sweet to be able to win. It was so tough to choose clubs. Some of the pins were tucked way back, and it was hard to get it close, especially on the back nine,” explained Pistorius, who put playing professional golf seven years ago. When his then-wife took a job in Calgary, Pistorius moved with her and began working at Pinebrook Golf and Country Club as a teaching pro. His decision to give tournament golf another try turned out to be a good one.

With a two-shot lead standing on the 18th tee, Pistorius split the fairway on his drive. On his full-wedge second shot, he caught the downslope on the green just in front of the cup, and the ball rolled away, leaving himself a 30-footer back up the hill. Pistorius misjudged the distance on his birdie effort and rolled his putt seven feet past the hole. With no scoreboards on the course, Pistorius was a little unsure where he stood against the field. He missed that putt, settling for bogey.

“On the last hole, I three-putted and thought I was going to be in a playoff,” Pistorius admitted. “It was just nice to know I didn’t have to go through that. I would have loved to show a little more emotion on 18, but I’m just glad that I got the win.

“This is my first win as a professional,” he added, “so I have to go home and think about this. It hasn’t really come to my mind that I’ve won. I’m pretty sure it will sink in a little later.

CALEDON, Ontario—Four players—Andrew J. Funk, Brendan Leonard, Canada Life Series Points Standings leader Yi Cao and Albert Pistorius—are jammed at the top of the leaderboard with one round left in the Canada Life Series tournament at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley’s Heathlands Course. Lest you think the winner will come from that group, a bevy of other players are within shouting distance and will have plenty to say who lifts the trophy Friday afternoon.

Amateur Garrett Rank is only a stroke back, while the trio of Aaron Crawford, David Byrne and JJ Regan are two behind. Friday is shaping up as a battle as the Series completes its third of four tournaments.

Leonard wasn’t doing much with his round when he got things revved up.

Shifting from calling games to making birdies? No problem for NHL ref Garrett Rank.

He's one off the lead heading into the final round at the #CanadaLifeSeries. pic.twitter.com/2ocq6Y7jeu

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) September 4, 2020

“I made a nice eagle on No. 1. I had 217 (yards) to the pin and hit 5-iron, and I was right on it,” Leonard said of his quick start to his back nine that gave a jolt to his day. “I was 1-over going into that, so it flipped pretty quickly once I eagled there, and I hit it pretty close on the next.” Leonard followed that 3-under streak with another birdie at his 15th hole before closing with a disappointing bogey at the par-5 ninth, his 18th hole that, in retrospect, would have given him the outright lead. There’s nothing to hang his head about, though. The par-5 played .231 strokes over par Thursday as wind continued to wreak havoc on players’ strategy.

“It’s just staying patient, and that’s all I did out there,” Leonard added.

Cao, winner of the previous event at Bear Mountain and the first-round leader, found the going a bit more treacherous during his second tour of the Heathlands Course. Cao could never get out of neutral, playing the front nine in 1-under and the back nine in 1-over, with consecutive bogeys at Nos. 13 and 14 before he parred out. Like every other player, the British Columbia resident who is a native of China, battled the wind.

“I think the most-important thing about the wind out here is just how wide open it is, especially on the greens. The tee shots don’t bother me as much, but it makes the greens pretty tough to read. I was struggling a little bit on the greens.”

Even tied for the lead, Cao smiled at the prospect of going for two wins in a row.

“I just love playing out here, and I love the position that I’m in [Friday],” he added.

Pistorius had the round of the day, a 64 that moved him up 37 places on the leaderboard. His clean scorecard showed no bogeys and birdies on Nos. 1, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15 and 16. Funk only had one bogey to go with five birdies.

Rank is also more than satisfied with his position with 18 holes to play. “I got off to a nice start. The wind was kind of down for the first five or six holes. I hit some nice shots and made some nice putts,” Rank explained. “I didn’t finish as strong as I would have liked, but I’m in a good spot.”

ACTON, ON (September 3, 2020) — The PGA of Canada, along with TaylorMade Golf Canada and adidas Golf, has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 PGA Championship of Canada given continued health concerns and travel restrictions surrounding COVID-19.

The association’s flagship event was originally scheduled from July 6-10 at Edmonton’s Royal Mayfair Golf Club and later postponed in June due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“This decision has been made with the health and safety of players, volunteers and staff in mind,” said PGA of Canada President Teejay Alderdice. “We were cautiously optimistic in the spring that conditions might improve to a point where we could conduct the championship safely and at a level players expect. Ultimately, ongoing travel restrictions and risks associated with bringing a national field together during COVID-19 influenced the cancellation of this event.”

In addition to the national tournament, TaylorMade Golf Canada and adidas Golf support championships across all nine PGA of Canada Zones. Winners from both 2019 and 2020 Zone Championships will earn a coveted exemption into next year’s event as a result of the cancellation this year.

The PGA of Canada and its partners now look to 2021 to deliver an exceptional experience for members at the 99th-playing of the historic national championship.

“Golf professionals are the core of the industry,” said David Bradley, general manager at TaylorMade Golf Canada. “We are pleased to work with the PGA of Canada to offer competitive opportunities at the Zone level this season and look forward to supporting a fantastic national championship in 2021.”

“This is a top-tier event in Canada and one we are certainly proud to be a part of,” said adidas Golf General Manager Lesley Hawkins. “Our team is excited to raise the bar next year with the PGA of Canada for what promises to be a thrilling return.”

The PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC were paused in June given the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on events across the country.

Past PGA Championship of Canada winner Pierre-Alexandre Bedard of Chibougamau, Que., will hold on to his No. 1 ranking heading into next year, earning him a spot in the ’21 RBC Canadian Open at St. George’s Golf & Country Club.

The date and location of next year’s PGA Championship of Canada presented by TaylorMade Golf Canada and adidas Golf will be announced toward the end of 2020.

The 2020 CP Women’s Leadership Summit — conducted virtually for the first time ever.

The Summit features guest speakers such as former CP Women’s Open champion Brooke Henderson, Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Lorie Kane, TSN personality Lindsay Hamilton and Olympians Perdita Felicien and Marnie McBean.

Like many of you, I’ve always been diligent about maintaining an accurate handicap. The reasons are ridiculously obvious: I want to know if my game is improving (or not) and I want to ensure that when I compete in net events, I’m being honest and equitable with my fellow competitors.

I never really thought about the mechanics of the system, perhaps because I was too lazy or disinterested to read through the ponderous Handicap Manual (now called the Rules of Handicapping). I gave full credit to the boffins who came up with the convoluted doorstop but never cared to interview the geniuses behind the curtain.

And then, this year, along came the World Handicap System.

Perhaps because of the restrictions due to COVID-19, golfers had more time on their hands. In any case, I’ve never been asked more handicap-related questions at the course or on social media. So, taking a cue from the manuals that accompany your new car or fridge or TV, here’s my version of a “Quick Start Guide” for the World Handicap System.

Why a new handicap system?

Why not? Golf now has both a globally recognized set of Rules as well as a worldwide handicap system. Even if you never travel outside Canada, you can be assured you are playing the same game as every other golfer around the world. The new system may require some tweaking after it’s been in effect for a while but it’s doubtful there will be another significant revision in the near future.

How does the new World Handicap System work?

At one of the meetings of the 23-member committee tasked with creating the new system, a USGA delegate compared understanding the intricacies of the handicapping system with air travel.

“I have no idea how an airplane works. I don’t understand jet propulsion, aeronautics and so on, but I trust that when I get on that plane, it will get me safely to the destination I intended.”*

Likewise, the process of coming up with the World Handicap System would make your head spin, so just concern yourself with the final outcome.

But if you’re in quarantine or a masochist or one of those aforementioned boffins, you can review the Rules of Handicapping here.

Has the Course Handicap calculation changed?

Yes. To your benefit. Under the old system, there might have been just a two- or three-shot difference in your Course Handicap from the front to back set of tees, despite the fact that those tee decks might be separated by 1,500 yards.

Under the new system, that difference now might be 10 to 12 shots because the par of the course has been integrated into the calculation.

Why doesn’t my Handicap Index go up when I post a high score?

Under the old system, the low 10 of your most recent 20 scores were used to calculate your Handicap Index. Under the new system, the low eight are used. So that bad score may not enter into the calculation. Similarly, using the most recent eight scores instead of 10 may have lowered your Index.

What the heck is Net Double Bogey?

“Net Double Bogey” has replaced the old Equitable Stroke Control system (ESC).

Now everyone’s maximum score for handicap purposes is net double bogey. Simply put, this is the par of the hole PLUS two strokes (double bogey) PLUS any handicap strokes you may be allowed on that hole.

If you don’t want to have to figure that out when you’re posting your score, let the Golf Canada Score Center do it for you. When you enter your score hole by hole, the Score Center automatically adjusts for net double bogey.

And for those of you complaining about posting scores hole by hole: You play the game hole by hole so why not post your score that way? It takes only a couple of minutes and provides some interesting data.

Here’s my Super Easy Quick Start Guide:

Post all your scores hole by hole immediately after your round. Let the Golf Canada Score Centre take care of the rest. And check out the new app which makes the process even easier.

(*Thanks to Craig Loughry, Director of Golf Services at Golf Ontario, for this anecdote and other invaluable assistance with this article. Loughry was the Canadian representative on the World Handicap Operations Committee.)

ATLANTA – Rory McIlroy is the last of 30 players to arrive at the Tour Championship and couldn’t be more thrilled.

His wife gave birth to their first child.

McIlroy announced on social media that his daughter, Poppy Kennedy McIlroy, was born Monday in Florida.

“She is the absolute love of our lives,” McIlroy said.

McIlroy had told only close friends that his wife, Erica, was expecting. It was mentioned on Golf Channel last week at the BMW Championship and he confirmed she was due at any time. McIlroy said he would be willing to miss the Tour Championship and a shot at winning the FedEx Cup.

Poppy Kennedy McIlroy, born August 31st, 12:15pm. She is the absolute love of our lives. Mother and baby are doing great. Massive thank you to all the staff at Jupiter Medical Center and Dr Sasha Melendy for their amazing care ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/IwFeGf8rod

— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) September 3, 2020

That won’t be the case now.

McIlroy, trying to become the first three-time FedEx Cup champion, starts the Tour Championship as the No. 11 seed, meaning he is seven shots behind Dustin Johnson.

Mackenzie Hughes pumped his fist when he drained a five-foot putt on the 18th green on Sunday at the BMW Championship to move into the top 30 of the FedEx Cup rankings. After retrieving the ball from the hole he threw his hands into the air as much out of relief as excitement for the future.

Making par on No. 18 at Olympia Fields Country Club meant that Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., tied for 10th at the tournament to move eight spots up in the rankings and qualify for the exclusive Tour Championship, which tees off on Friday.

The Tour Championship, held at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, sees the top 30 players on the PGA Tour play four rounds of golf. Top-ranked Dustin Johnson starts at 10 under, No. 2 Jon Rahm begins at 9 under, and so on, with Hughes in a five-way tie for 26th at even par.

CLUTCH ? pic.twitter.com/ymUALeZh8p

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) August 30, 2020

“I know I’ll start with long odds, but that’s why you play. There’s no guarantees,” said Hughes. “I’m excited to be there and to have the opportunity and I’ll go and try to make the most of it.”

Finishing the PGA season in the top 30 has other perks for Hughes, including making three of golf’s four majors, as well as the Players Championship and the Tournament of Champions.

Hughes said he’s excited for what the 2021 season holds, but returning to storied Augusta National Golf Club has long been a target after missing the cut in 2017, his lone appearance at the event.

“Going to the Masters again has been on my radar ever since I went my rookie year. I was just really disappointed with how it went the first time around,” said Hughes on Monday. “I just wanted to have another chance at it someday.

“You don’t get tons of cracks at it. The Masters is one that’s really tough to qualify for, you’ve either got to win, be top 50 in the world, or make the Tour Championship. I’m just super excited to be a part of it.”

Hughes had a difficult start to the 2020 season, missing nine of 11 cuts until the Honda Classic where he finished second on March 1.

He credits caddy Jace Walker and coach Ralph Bauer – who he started working with this summer – in helping him turn his season around. In particular, Hughes thinks mental toughness and creating a positive vibe with Walker when they’re on the course has made the difference.

“I’m a pretty gritty and determined player,” said Hughes. “If I keep my head on straight and think clear in tough moments I think that’s a big asset of mine. That’s been a huge strength in the last year.”

 

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On the big stage ? Mac kicks things off Friday at 12:10 pm, starting at even par.

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on Sep 2, 2020 at 7:01am PDT

That fortitude was put to the test on Sunday when Hughes was on the 18th fairway and a spot in the Tour Championship was on the line. After hitting a drive to the fairway, Hughes’s approach shot landed in a greenside bunker.

“My thought was ‘what the heck are you doing, man?’ I was not super pleased with myself there,” said Hughes. “Obviously, made a bad swing at the wrong time after hitting a great drive too.”

Hughes and Walker spoke as they walked to the bunker, clearing the golfer’s head and leaving the bad shot behind on the fairway.

“I just told myself I had to make an up-and-down out of the bunker and I do that all the time,” said Hughes, who did make the clean out to set up the five-foot putt.

After the BMW Championship Hughes flew home to Charlotte, N.C., to sleep in his own bed and take advantage of the Tour Championship’s Friday start. He’s pleased that his support system will be even broader at the season’s finale as his wife Jenna, their son, and her parents will be able to come to the Tour Championship after the PGA loosened its COVID-19 protocols for the tournament.

“I think with anything you do in life that’s good it’s more fun to do with the people that you love and be able to share with people,” said Hughes. “It’s going to be great to have them all there with me.”

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA TOUR today announced the complete schedule for the 2020-21 PGA TOUR Season, featuring 50 official FedExCup tournaments – including 14 tournaments that were postponed or canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic – culminating with the crowning of the FedExCup champion Labor Day weekend in 2021.

The schedule, which reflects a net increase of one tournament over the original 2019-20 schedule, features the most tournaments in a season since 1975 (51). Three events postponed in 2020 – U.S. Open, Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship and Masters Tournament – will be played in the fall portion of the 2020-21 season and again in their traditional dates during the 2021 calendar year, along with 11 tournaments that were canceled and not rescheduled as a result of the pandemic, including THE PLAYERS Championship. In addition, with the postponement of the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020, the men’s Olympic Golf competition will take place July 26-August 1, 2021, as a standalone event for the first time.

“We are excited to present the full 2020-21 PGA TOUR schedule – a ‘super season’ of 50 fully sponsored events and capped off by the 15^th edition of the FedExCup Playoffs,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “If you’re a golf fan, this is a dream season with more significant events than ever before, including the Olympic Games. Building our schedule is always complicated, but never more so as over the past several months as we continue to navigate challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. We appreciate the extensive collaboration with our title sponsors, tournament organizations and golf’s governing bodies that has brought us here – to the exciting conclusion of an extraordinary 2019-20 season this week, and on the brink of a season of 50 events, beginning next week.”

As previously announced, the 2020-21 season will begin September 7-13 at the Safeway Open in Napa, California, which will serve as the season-opening tournament for the sixth time in seven years since the TOUR went to a wraparound schedule. The U.S. Open (September 14-20) at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, follows, being played in the month of September for the first time since 1913, as well as the rescheduled Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship (September 21-27), which will award full FedExCup points (500) for the first time.

The Sanderson Farms Championship (September 28-October 4) will precede a three-event swing on the West Coast with the relocation of two of the TOUR’s Asia Swing events. Following the TOUR’s annual stop in Las Vegas for the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (October 5-11), THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, annually played in Jeju Island, Korea, will be played at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, and will be renamed THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK (October 12-18) for 2020. The following week, Japan’s ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP will be played at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California, and renamed the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP @ SHERWOOD (October 19-25) for 2020.

The final event of the traditional Asia Swing and the season’s first World Golf Championships event, the WGC-HSBC Champions has been canceled, with the Bermuda Championship (October 26-November 1) occupying the week on its own and awarding full FedExCup points.

The Houston Open moves a month later on the 2020-21 schedule (November 2-8) and precedes the Masters (November 9-15).  The fall portion of the schedule concludes with The RSM Classic (November 16-22), the week prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, and the Mayakoba Golf Classic (November 30-December 6) the week after.

The TOUR returns at the Sentry Tournament of Champions (January 4-10) with the same sequencing as the 2019-20 season until March, as there have been adjustments made to a number of Florida-based tournaments. The Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (March 1-7) and THE PLAYERS Championship (March 8-14) will follow the WGC-Mexico Championship and Puerto Rico Open (both February 22-28), while The Honda Classic (March 15-21) moves to the week after THE PLAYERS. The Valspar Championship (April 26-May 2), traditionally played the week after THE PLAYERS, will now conclude on May 2, between the Zurich Classic of New Orleans (April 19-25) and the Wells Fargo Championship (May 3-9).

After the 40^th playing of The Honda Classic, the TOUR’s longest-running title sponsored event dating back to 1982 – an eight-week stretch begins that includes six tournaments that were canceled and not rescheduled during the 2019-20 season prior to the PGA Championship, beginning with the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (March 22-28) through the AT&T Byron Nelson (May 10-16), set to be contested for the first time at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas.

Additional tournaments that return to the schedule include the RBC Canadian Open (June 7-13), John Deere Classic (July 5-11), The Open Championship and the Barbasol Championship (both July 12-18).

The men’s Olympic Golf competition (July 26-August 1) will be played the week after the 3M Open (July 19-25) as a standalone event for the first time and will be followed by the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational and Barracuda Championship (both August 2-8), before the FedExCup Regular Season concludes at the Wyndham Championship (August 9-15).

The FedExCup Playoffs will consist of three events: THE NORTHERN TRUST returns to Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey, which will host the event for the fourth time; the BMW Championship will be played for the first time at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland, outside of Baltimore; and the season-ending TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta will conclude on September 5, the Sunday of Labor Day weekend.

In addition to Caves Valley Golf Club, host of the 2021 BMW Championship, the 2020-21 season features several new or familiar venues. As previously announced, Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas and Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California, will host tournaments for one year only. For the first time, the Houston Open will be played at Memorial Park Golf Course in downtown Houston; TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, will host the AT&T Byron Nelson for the first time; and St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto, Canada, will return as host of the RBC Canadian Open for the first time since 2010.

Rotating major championship venues in 2021 include The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort at Kiawah Island, South Carolina (PGA Championship), Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, California (U.S. Open), and Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent, England (Open Championship). Kasumigaseki Country Club in Japan will host the men’s Olympic Golf competition.

CALEDON, Ontario—Two weeks ago, Yi Cao won the second Canada Life Series tournament in Langford, B.C., and in the process he moved to the top of the Canada Life Series Points Standings. He certainly likes his position and doesn’t seem to be interested in relinquishing his status as the Series’ top player. Wednesday at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley’s Heathlands Course, the native of China who moved to Canada during his teenage years, fired an opening-round, 7-under 64 to take a one-shot lead over Tyson Turchanski. A quartet of players, Derek Gillespie, Brendan Leonard, Blair Bursey and JJ Regan are at 5-under with 36 holes to play.

Cao is still smiling not only about his solid first-round play and his win two weeks ago but the trajectory of his career and how quickly things changed once the Canada Life Series began.

“With little playing opportunities this year, I was thinking about quitting golf to pursue another career,” Cao said. “The Canada Life Series literally changed my life, and with four events I really can’t ask for anything more.”

Wednesday, under rainy, gloomy but warm conditions that gave way to sunshine later in the day, Cao began quickly on the Heathlands Course’s back nine. He birdied his first two holes of the day then remained in neutral the remainder of his opening nine, making seven consecutive pars. He got things going after the turn, with three consecutive birdies and four in five holes. Cao’s lone bogey of the day came at No. 7, but he atoned for that with closing birdies on his final two holes.

Even after one round, Cao, a winner on PGA TOUR China-Series in addition to his breakthrough Canada Life Series triumph, is not necessarily thinking ahead.

“I try not to think about the benefits of winning the Canada Life Series,” Cao said of what’s afforded the Points Standings champion—conditional 2021 Mackenzie Tour status and a start in the 2021 RBC Canadian Open. “The most important thing for me is to stay positive and accept the result.”

Turchanski had a clean scorecard Wednesday, with six birdies—three on each TPC Toronto nine. He couldn’t have gotten off to a much better start as he birdied the first three holes of the tournament. Turchanski also closed in style, making a pair of birdies at Nos. 17 and 18.

Bursey, a former Utah Valley University golfer, joined the group at 5-under but looked like he might even hold the lead the way things were going on his opening nine and as he made the turn. Yet after making birdies on his 10th, 11th and 12th holes of the day (TPC Toronto’s Nos. 1-3), Bursey made six consecutive pars as he stalled at 5-under.

“I think the biggest thing for me is my coach and I were working on some stuff that would help long-term, and I’m just trying to get comfortable with those changes,” said Bursey, who seemed plenty at ease in the opening round. “I want to see how it maybe changes my approach, mostly in terms of hitting it farther.”

In July, the LPGA Tour released the latest in its series of Drive On videos – showcasing the journeys its players have gone through to get to the biggest stage in golf, while also connecting fans with the real person behind the clubs.

For Lydia Ko, whose video has since drummed up tens of thousands of views, her Drive On story got started in Canada. And she’s never forgot that.

“I’m questioning if I’m actually Canadian with how nice Canada has been to me,” Ko said on a Zoom interview, with a laugh.

Indeed, the now 23-year-old burst onto the LPGA Tour with a victory at the 2012 CP Women’s Open. At the time she was just 15 years and four months – the youngest-ever winner of an LPGA Tour event.

The following year Ko won the CP Women’s Open again – and was still an amateur – by five strokes.

After turning professional in 2014, Ko would go on to win the CP Women’s Open again in 2015. In the process she became just the third golfer in the event’s storied history to have three titles to her name (the others being Americans Pat Bradley and Meg Mallon).

When Ko was 15 she came to that year’s CP Women’s Open at Vancouver Golf Club having just won the U.S. Women’s Amateur, so, she said, she was “walking on air.”

“I just was so excited to be out there and play with these ladies that I had really seen on magazines and TV not too long ago, and for some of them to come up and even say ‘hi’ to me… I didn’t have a lot of experience playing on the LPGA before, so it was just cool being in that vibe,” she said.

“I just remember that week I said, ‘hey, now I just want to make the cut and go from there and just kind of experience what it’s like playing on the LPGA alongside the best female golfers,’ and that week turned out to be like so much bigger, better, greater than I could have ever imagined.”

Ko said she was actually invited to play in another event on a different tour that week eight years ago, but she opted to play the CP Women’s Open.

And of course, she’s very happy she did.

“If we can make a little bit of a good difference in other people’s lives, it makes the whole thing worth it.”

Lydia Ko | #DriveOn pic.twitter.com/WrwFCSTXiy

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 16, 2020

“I was like, whoever made the final decision (to play in Canada) did a stellar job. I’m so glad I played it,” she said.

Ko’s career, outside of her three wins in Canada, as been nothing short of spectacular.

She’ll be the first to admit that she’s had ups and downs as it relates to caddies and coaches – she now works with Canadian Sean Foley – but there’s no denying how impressive this resume is: 15 LPGA Tour titles, two major championships, past Player of the Year, former No.1 in the world, and the youngest to ever earn $1-million in a season.

Even with all the accomplishments, Ko (who of course is not Canadian, but from New Zealand – and has been named New Zealand’s sportswoman of the year three times) stays humble when asked about being a role model for the next generation of golfers out there.

She laughs at the statement, as she is only in her early-20’s herself, but knows there are teenagers who, like her, are nearly ready to make the leap to the LPGA Tour.

While acting as a role model to so many, she cites some big names that have been helpful as well.

“It’s been so amazing to have lots of role models that you really look up to and say, ‘hey, I want to be the next Se Ri Pak or the next Annika Sorenstam, the next Brooke Henderson.’ But at the end of the day all you can do is really, like I said earlier, be the best version of you,” said Ko.

“I think as long as you’re working hard and having fun while you’re doing it, that’s all you can do.  Sometimes I think we just try and make it so much bigger than it already is, and it makes it look a lot more complicated.  But as long as you’re having fun and as long as you have belief in yourself, that’s what really matters.”

Ko will have another opportunity to inspire young Canadian golfers at next year’s CP Women’s Open when it returns to Vancouver and Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in 2021. She’ll go for her record fourth CP Women’s Open title next year after the 2020 edition was cancelled due to COVID-19.

She said she’s super excited to return to Vancouver specifically.

She visited the city in 2019 for an event with Canadian retailer Lululemon and even visited a Korean restaurant that had the same name as her sister (“It’s called Sura and it was probably hands down some of the best food I’ve had in my life,” she said). She complimented CP as an “incredible sponsor and supporter of the LPGA” and has heard Shaughnessy is one of the top courses in the country.

She joked, even, that Coquitlam should change it to K-o instead of C-o because of her success and her love (“I actually would love to live in Vancouver,” she said) of the area.

So while Ko’s Drive On story has circled the globe, and she’s reached the top of golf’s mountain already, her connection to Canada is undeniable.

“Every time I go back to Canada,” she said, “it actually makes me feel like I’m home.”