VIRGINIA WATER, England – Byeong Hun An shot a 5-under 67 Saturday to share the lead with Francesco Molinari after the third round of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

The South Korean trailed by a shot at the midway stage but made seven birdies, including two in the last two holes, to equal the Italian’s overall score of 14-under 202 going into the final day.

Molinari, who has led from round one, shot a 68. Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand was two shots back in third after a 68, while Tommy Fleetwood and Miguel Angel Jimenez provided the highlights of the day as they also advanced up the leaderboard.

“It is not easy to lead the tournament from the first day even though it is the ideal position,” Molinari said. “You’ve got guys coming for you. Today, you could hear the roars for eagles and an albatross.”

The roars Molinari heard were mainly for Fleetwood and Jimenez, who galvanized the crowd at the European Tour’s flagship event.

The evergreen 51-year-old Jimenez, a winner at Wentworth in 2008, hit a European Tour-record 10th hole-in-one when he converted his tee shot from 148 yards at the par-3 No. 2 with a 9-iron.

It was the Spaniard’s third hole-in-one this season and his round of 68 took him to 10 under and into fifth place.

“I got the right club in my hand and it was a beautiful swing,” Jimenez said of his ace. “It is nice to see the leaderboard and not be too far away.”

Fleetwood made an albatross on the par-5 fourth hole, with a 7-iron from 198 yards.

The Englishman followed it up with an eagle from 15 feet on No. 12 and went on to card a 65 to rise into fourth.

“That was about as good as you can play a hole of golf,” Fleetwood said of his albatross. “Perfect drive, 198 yards to the pin. I was thinking one (club) less but went with a normal 7-iron and it pitched seven or eight feet right of the pin and span in.”

The 23-year-old An is competing in his first full season on the European Tour after playing on the second-tier Challenge Tour for three years.

“It was really consistent all day,” An said. “I started with a birdie and it is good I am a co-leader. But I am going to play my game and not look at the position I am in when I try and play my shots tomorrow.”

Top-ranked Rory McIlroy missed the cut after a 78 on Friday.

First round action at the CN Future Links Ontario Championship wrapped up today at Pine Knot Golf & Country Club in Dorcester, Ont., with Kevin Gordon and Nicholas Brisebois tied for the early lead in the Junior Boys division. Selena Costabile holds the first round lead in the Junior Girls division.

Whitby, Ont., native Kevin Gordon was in the first group off the tee this morning and he continues to lead the field. He turned in a 2 under par round of 69 and finished strong with four birdies on the back nine for a 32.

Co-leader Nicholas Brisebois from Kanata, Ont., started strong with an eagle on the second hole and added another to his card on the 13th. Standing on the 15th tee, he was 7-under par, but stumbled in the last four holes to conclude the opening day at 69.

Not far behind sitting T5 with a round of even par 71 is Team Canada Development Squad member Trevor Ranton. The Waterloo, Ont., native recently opened Golf Canada’s competitive season with a wire-to-wire win at the 2015 CN Future Links Pacific Championship.

One shot back is fellow Development Squad teammate Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont., who sits T11 going into the second day of play. Rounding out the national team contingent on the Junior Boys side is Étienne Papineau from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., who is T37 after a round of 76.

In the Junior Girls division, Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., ended the day at the top of the leaderboard with an even par 71.  She heads into the weekend in hopes of improving upon her runner-up finish at this event in 2014.

Following close behind in second place with a round of 74 is Alyssa Getty. The Ruthven, Ont., product is the reigning CN Future Links Quebec champion.

Development Squad member Grace St-Germain shot a 6-over-par 77 for sole possession of fourth place. She enters the second round aiming to continue her early season success after taking the CN Future Links Pacific title to complete a Team Canada sweep at the event.

The Junior Boys winner of the CN Future Links Ontario Championship and the following five finishers will earn exemptions into the field at the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, to be contested at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., from August 3-6. On the Junior Girls side, the winner and the first to fifth runners-up will earn direct entry into the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship hosted by Deer Park Municipal Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask., from August 4-7.

The competition at the CN Future Links Ontario Championship continues tomorrow with the Junior Girls beginning their second rounds at 7:30 a.m. EDT; the Junior Boys are set to follow at 9 a.m. EDT.

Additional tournament information and first round results can be found here.

FORT WORTH, Texas –  The leaders at Colonial won’t get to sleep late Saturday.

Due to the expectation of inclement weather, including the possibility of severe storms Saturday afternoon, the PGA Tour said Friday that players in the third round will be grouped in threesomes instead of the normal twosomes and go off both tees Nos. 1 and 10.

The last group Saturday is expected to start around 9 a.m., more than 3 1-2 hours earlier than usual for a weekend round for the leader at Hogan’s Alley.

Thursday’s first round started three hours late after more than an inch of rain fell overnight.

There were periodic showers for the second round Friday, though there were no delays through mid-afternoon.

Heavy rain is also in the forecast Sunday.

VIRGINIA WATER, England – After winning two titles in three weeks, Rory McIlroy ran out of steam. Now he’ll have the whole weekend to get some rest.

McIlroy missed the cut at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on Friday after an erratic 6-over 78 at the European Tour’s flagship event.

A week after winning the Wells Fargo Championship by seven shots, the top-ranked Northern Irishman made six bogeys and a double bogey on the par-four 11th, leaving him at 5-over 149 and four strokes outside the cutline. He was 15 shots behind leader Francesco Molinari, who shot a 69.

Playing his fourth straight event – he also won the Match Play Championship three weeks ago in San Francisco – McIlroy’s round was littered with wayward tee shots and feeble putting, which he put down to fatigue.

“I was trying to muster some birdies on the back nine but could not get anything going,” McIlroy said. “Coming off the back of three good weeks in the United States, I am in need of a rest. I’ll dust myself off for next week (at the Irish Open) and not read too much into it.”

McIlroy stuttered on the front nine, going out in 36 with two bogeys and a birdie before his round unraveled at the turn.

He bogeyed the 10th and on the 11th, hooked a wild shot off the tee into trees on the left for an unplayable lie, before sending his next attempt into the crowd.

He ran up a six that left him 4 over and slid further down the leaderboard with bogeys on 13, 16 and 18, where he ended his day with a three-putt from 20 feet.

“I can take a couple of days at the weekend to refresh mentally,” McIlroy said. “It was inevitable that a good run was going to come to an end but I would love to be here for the weekend.”

Molinari started with two bogeys on his first three holes but recovered with five birdies, including three on the back nine, to take a 1-shot lead into the third day.

“The start was very difficult, it was not as good as Thursday,” Molinari said. “But I managed to steady the ship. I made a couple of birdies to get even par before the turn and with this wind on the back, you can get a few birdie chances and I took three of them.”

Byeong Hun An shot a flawless 64 to move into second.

The South Korean made a blistering start with five birdies on the front nine, before moving a shot behind Molinari with three more on the way in.

“I hit it really solid today and didn’t have to putt over 30 feet,” Hun An said. “I still missed a couple out there. I haven’t been putting well all year but got going and made the most of it today.”

COPETOWN, Ont. —The Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Senior Men’s Champion of Champions took place May 21 at the Beverley Golf & Country Club in Copetown. A total of 70 senior club champions from across the province teed it up to see who would claim the 2015 title. In the end, it was Whitby’s Barry Fairhurst, from Whitevale Golf Club, who took home the honour. 

Fairhurst was the first player to bring his card to the scorers and had to wait to see where his one-over (71) would end up. It look as though it would stand until 2012 winner, Collingwood’s Mike Jackson, turned in a one-over (71) of his own that forced the two back to the first hole for a playoff.

During the playoff, Jackson, from the Georgian Bay Club, put his tee shot in a fairway bunker, while Fairhurst sailed his to within 80 yards of the green. Fairhurst would chip within nine feet and stepped up and drained his birdie putt for the win.

“Hearing who has won this before and knowing how prestigious it is, makes it great honour to be on the trophy. These are the best champions from their golf courses in the province,” said Fairhurst.

Fairhurst went on to talk about the dramatic win and where it ranks for him. “A birdie on the first playoff hole is always a good thing. The worst case, you are probably just going to the next hole. I hit a good drive, chipped it close and sank the putt down the middle. This win is definitely way up there for me.”   

Sharing the bronze medal were Brampton Golf Club and Brampton resident Rick Dodds-Hebron and Welland’s Frank Mattei, from Sparrow Lakes Golf Club. Both players finished the day at three-over (73).

With the win, Fairhurst earned an exemption into the GAO’s 2015 Investors Group Senior Men’s Amateur Championship Aug. 11-13 at Kawartha Golf & Country Club in Peterborough.

For full results click here.

After enjoying exchange rates near or above par for the past decade, travelling golfers of Canada are suddenly faced with as much as a 30 per cent depreciation in their buying power when they head to the U.S. The decline is so swift that the real effects aren’t seen yet in many favourite American golf destinations.

“We’ve not experienced diminished Canadian visitors thus far, but we’ll continue to monitor things as they develop and plan accordingly,” said Sue Kanoho, Kauai Visitors Bureau executive director, home to many acclaimed golf courses, including Poipu Bay, Kauai Lagoons, Wailua, Puakea and Makai.  The reckoning is coming.

First, the good news.  The dollar drop is positive for domestic operators, says Gord Schultz, President at Golf Canada’s West Ltd.  “We’re on sale 25 per cent off and we haven’t done a thing to create it,” says Schultz, whose group includes the famed Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Jasper and three excellent Canmore courses.  “If history is any indication, this should have significant impact on our traditional markets in the U.S. Southwest and Pacific Northwest.”

Research agrees with Schultz.  A 2014 study released by the Conference Board of Canada predicting overnight visits in Canada says they will increase by 2.7 per cent in 2015.  “The dollar is down against most major currencies,” Schultz adds.  “Golfers in this country are acutely aware of the differences; our research shows they often make their decisions based on how much their dollar will buy, so it’s good news for Canadian operators like us.”

For American golf travel operators who depend on them, any decline in Canadian visitors is serious.  While precise numbers are hard to obtain, Canadian golf trips to the U.S. number in the many tens of thousands annually.  Many recall that, were it not for Canadian travellers- particularly from western Canada- resorts would have gone out of business during the punishing 2007-08 recession years.

“If it wasn’t for visitors from Alberta and Saskatchewan in those days, the lights might have gone out here,” says David Havens, Director of Golf at Ka’anapali resorts in Maui.  “They saved us in those years.”

Some Canadians already pre-booked for the 2015 winter season at a better rate or hedged against a drop in the dollar, so American destinations are still seeing strong Canadian numbers.  Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, which sees tens of thousands of Canadians each winter, reports no immediate impact.

“We haven’t seen a decrease in our steady stream of Canadian golfers coming down to escape the cold and play our three courses here in Myrtle Beach,” says Claude Pardue, President and CEO of Mystical Golf.  “Even with the recent decline of the Canadian dollar, we think our stay-and-play packages will still offer great value for golf vacations anywhere in North America.”

Hawaii is a mecca for Canadians, particularly from western Canada.  Sue Kanoho says they’re in wait-and-see mode.  “We’re aware of the [Canadian] exchange rate, as we are for all exchange rates for countries from where we receive a significant number of visitors.”

Mississippi, home to more than 140 golf courses, has six of its casino courses listed among the top 50 in the country by Golfweek magazine.

“The decline of the Canadian dollar, after oil’s collapse, is certainly a subject of concern and empathy for our friends up North,” said Visit Mississippi Golf and Sports Program Manager Janet Leach.  “However, our golf resorts and courses are not reporting a decline thus far, which would be of great relevance given the large number of Canadian golfers and snowbirds who visit us each year.”

In the past golf operators in border U. S. states that receive day trips have offered at-par packages for Canadians.  It’s too early yet to know if they’ll do so again, but Gord Schutlz thinks “they’ll need to compete at the risk of Canadians simply staying home.”

The dollar drop is also affecting other aspects of the industry.  For instance, golf ball reseller Knetgolf, which sources all its used balls in the U.S. for distribution in Canada, was faced with raising prices for Canadian customers or establishing a U.S.- only price.  It chose the latter.  Canadian credit cards will be charged in USD and the exchange rate will be determined at your bank.  Knetgolf said in a letter to customers: “We regret having to do this, however we live in a world marketplace and we must adapt to the economic winds of change.”

Here’s suggesting that they won’t be the only ones in the golf biz dealing with the currency changes.

Canadian and international professionals and amateurs will convene at the Glencoe Golf & Country Club in Calgary, Alta., from May 25-27 to play the first event of the 14^th Canadian Women’s Tour season.

The Canadian Women’s Tour Alberta competition will include a practice round on May 25 before the 36-hole competition begins on the following day with a purse set at $60,000 with a $10,000 share going to the winner. In addition, the champion will receive an exemption into the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to be played August 17-23 at The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C.

The Glencoe Golf & Country Club will welcome Canadian Women’s Tour players to its Meadows Course built upon elevated terrain which runs alongside the picturesque Elbow River.

“Golf Canada is proud to begin the 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour at the Glencoe Golf & Country Club. It will be an exciting competition with an experienced international field of athletes vying for the opportunity to participate in Canada’s National Women’s Open championship,” said Mary Beth McKenna, Tournament Director for the event.

California native Michelle Piyapattra will be in the field to defend her title obtained on the first stop of the 2014 tour. As an amateur last year, Piyapattra won the Canadian Women’s Tour B.C. event in a playoff at Morningstar Golf Club in Parksville, B.C. She has since turned professional and is currently in her rookie season on the Symetra Tour.

A number of former Canadian Women’s Tour champions will be joining Piyapattra in the field including Jessica Boris née Shepley who has seen much success on the Tour including two PGA Women’s Championship of Canada titles.

Samantha Richdale and Emily Childs, winners from the 2013 Canadian Women’s Tour season, will also be in the field. Joining their pursuit for victory will be former Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario winners Charlotte Mayorkas (2010) and Kirby Dreher (2008). A total of 11 players will return to their home province in hopes of claiming the first leg of the tour.

Competing alongside these seasoned veterans will be Team Canada member and Kent State University athlete, Jennifer Ha who will be playing in her hometown. Fellow national team members Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont., and Orangeville, Ont., native Brittany Marchand will also be competing.

Four members of Canada’s Development Squad will participate in the competition, including local product Jaclyn Lee playing at her home club, Ottawa’s Grace St-Germain and B.C. natives Michelle Kim and Naomi Ko.

The next Canadian Women’s Tour event will be hosted by Brooke and Brittany Henderson’s home club of Smiths Falls Golf & Country Club in Smiths Falls, Ont., from June 15-17. The PGA Women’s Championship of Canada will conclude the 2015 tour at Burlington Golf & Country Club in Burlington, Ont., from July 20-22.

The winners of each stop on the Canadian Women’s Tour will join the field at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. Also receiving exemptions will be the top two competitors on the 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit. To be eligible, participants must play in at least two of the three events on the 2015 schedule.

At season’s end, the five highest ranked players on the Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit will be awarded direct entry into the second stage of LPGA Qualifying School.

Additional information regarding the competition can be found at the tournament’s website here.

The Canadian Turfgrass Research Foundation (CTRF) has announced a total of $114,600 in turf research funding over a three year period to help fund two new projects. This announcement is the result of an eight month process to generate, evaluate and decide on which of 18 project submissions would be funded from 2015 to 2018.

The two new projects hosted by the University of Guelph and the University of Wisconsin include: Determining Soil Potassium Requirements of Sand-Based Putting Greens; and Testing Lower Risk Fungicides Against Turf Disease.

A grant of $9,600 has been allocated to the project, “Determining Soil Potassium Requirements of Sand-Based Putting Greens.” Its goal is to evaluate putting green quality and disease incidence over a wide range of soil test and tissue potassium levels. Coordinated by Dr. Douglas Soldat, the project is scheduled for completion by February 2017.

The second project, “Testing Lower Risk Fungicides Against Turf Diseases” will receive $105,000 over a three year period and will be coordinated by Dr. Thomas Hsiang at the University of Guelph. The project will research how common diseases such as dollar spot, fusarium patch and snow molds can be reduced in lab and field tests, using different application regimes of low risk chemicals. Research will be complete by April 2018.

To learn more about these projects, click here.

What’s keeping you from trying golf for the first time or, if you have played in the past and strayed away from the most popular sport in Canada for some reason, seeing if you want to take it up again?

What if there was a fun, inexpensive and easy way to find out? It’s Get Golf Ready.

Dubious? Need some reassurance?

How about this overwhelming endorsement?  Last year, every single person—100 per cent—who participated in Get Golf Ready across Canada not only said they plan on continuing to play golf, but would recommend Get Golf Ready to their friends. Participants included men, women, children, couples and families.

Get Golf Ready offers five one-hour group sessions at a participating course or driving range at a recommended fee of just $99 for all five.  All equipment, including clubs and balls, is provided as is instruction by a PGA of Canada professional where available. Sessions include:

The Hole is the Goal

• How to get around the clubhouse and practice areas
• The many social benefits both on and off the golf course
• Suggestions on what to wear for golf fashion and comfort
• All about golf clubs and why there are different clubs in your bag
• Putting— the excitement of rolling the ball into the hole

Getting it Close

• Warm up, stretching and wellness tips
• The best ways to hold the club and get ready before you take a swing
• Getting the ball close to the hole—chipping, pitching and other shots from short distances
• Caring for the course

Swing, Swing, Swing

• Getting comfortable with the full swing
• Using your irons to get the ball in the air and onto the green
• Learn the “lingo,” like fairway, rough, tee box, green, divot, bunker, and more
• Having more fun using ‘It’s OK’ as the way to play

Driving School

• Swinging your driver and other big clubs to hit the long shots
• Starting your play from the correct tee markers – use Tee It Forward to have more fun
• Helpful shortcuts to save time while you play

Ready, Set … Go Golf!

• Linking all that you’ve learned to play a few holes
• Tips for playing in groups, on teams and other fun ways to play
• Getting you more comfortable on the course
• Review of basic rules and keeping score
• More opportunities for you to come back and play golf

“Get Golf Ready is designed to make people comfortable at the course, to help them get over that ‘intimidation factor’ that we all face the first few times we golf,” says Morgan Court, managing director of education for the PGA of Canada.

“I didn’t take up golf until I was in my late teens and I remember being a bit out of my comfort zone when I showed up at a course and had to ask some pretty basic questions. Get Golf Ready will answer those questions for a new golfer coming into the game now.”

The PGA of Canada partnered with the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada in 2010 to introduce the program to this county after it has been pioneered in the United States.

“Get Golf Ready is a tried-and-true program to ease anyone into the game,” says Nathalie Lavallee, NGCOA Canada’s chief operating officer. “It is especially welcoming for women who, for family or social or career reasons, want to see what golf is all about.

“To someone new to the game, a golf course can be an intimidating and confusing environment, and that has been a huge barrier in the past. This program helps everyone understand how to be comfortable in that environment. They quickly realize that it’s a fun and inclusive place to be.”

Participating facilities register for free and are provided with complimentary marketing, branding and resource materials and other support. “It’s a great opportunity for our golf professionals to connect with new or returning golfers,” says Court.

To find out more about Get Golf Ready, visit www.getgolfready.ca.

For the third time in the tournament’s history, the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and the stars of the LPGA Tour will return to Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club in Calgary, Alberta, August 22-28, 2016.

“We are excited to announce the return of the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club in 2016,” said Canadian Pacific Women’s Open Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin. “The venue is outstanding; the city of Calgary is a world-class hosting community; and we are confident that Alberta golf fans will once again rally around the LPGA Tour’s return to Western Canada.”

The championship, which typically draws arguably the strongest field on the LPGA Tour, will once again make a significant charitable contribution to the host community through the CP Has Heart campaign.

“CP and our 2,000 Calgary-based employees and their families are thrilled to bring world-class LPGA Tour golf back to our hometown,” said CP’s VP Corporate Affairs Mark Wallace. “In addition to some great golf, we look forward to working with the tournament as we raise funds for pediatric cardiac care and research at Alberta Children’s Hospital.”

The 44^th playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship will return to the formidable venue which had previously hosted in 1999 and 2009. The 2009 edition of Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship saw Norway’s Suzann Pettersen card a final-round one-under par 70 and tournament-total 269 (15-under) to claim the title. Among those in the five-way tie for second that year was World Golf Hall of Fame member Karrie Webb, who claimed victory in 1999 when Priddis Greens hosted the LPGA Tour for the first time.

“It is an honour to welcome back the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club, Calgary and the province of Alberta,” said Rod McBride, President of Priddis Greens. “Hosting the CP Women’s Open provides us with another opportunity to showcase our course as one of the premiere golfing experiences in Canada and to further demonstrate Calgary’s love of the game.”

The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C., will play host to the 2015 edition of the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship will be contested August 17-23. First conducted in 1973, Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship has allowed the brightest stars of the LPGA Tour to shine on Canadian soil and inspire the nation’s next generation of female golfers.

Additional information regarding tickets, volunteer opportunities and corporate hospitality for the 2015 or 2016 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open can be found at www.cpwomensopen.com.