CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A month removed from the Masters, Team Canada standout Corey Conners returns to the PGA TOUR by way of sponsor exemption to this week’s Wells Fargo Championship.

Conners, a 23-year-old Listowel, Ont. native, will play in his second PGA TOUR event as a professional—he played in the RBC Heritage in April following his top-amateur performance at Augusta the week prior.

Joining Conners at Quail Hollow are Canadians Adam Hadwin (Abbotsford, B.C.), David Hearn (Brantford, Ont.), Roger Sloan (Merritt, B.C.), Nick Taylor (Abbotsford, B.C.) and Canadian golf Hall-of-Famer Mike Weir (Brights Grove, Ont.).

Conners is set to tee-off Thursday at 8:50 a.m. EST.

Very excited for opportunity to play @PGATOUR @WellsFargoGolf this week at an amazing venue! Time to make some birdies ⛳️

— Corey Conners (@coreconn) May 12, 2015

The 2015 CN Future Links Ontario Championship will welcome the talents of Canada’s elite junior golfers to Pine Knot Golf and Country Club in Dorchester, Ont., from May 21-24. Following a practice round on May 21, the athletes will compete over the course of three days in a 54-hole stroke play tournament.

The CN Future Links Ontario Championship is part of a series of six junior competitions played across the country in partnership with CN. Pine Knot Golf and Country Club – located outside of London, Ont. – features a number of narrow fairways and several water hazards that offer a unique and challenging playing experience to competitors.

“Golf Canada is looking forward to hosting the CN Future Links Ontario Championship at Pine Knot Golf and Country Club. Pine Knot is an ambitious and scenic track that will serve as an excellent opportunity for the athletes to test their games early in the season,” said Justine Decock, Tournament Director for the competition.

Sun Kim from L’Île-Perrot, Que., will be in the field of 70 to defend his CN Future Links Ontario title. He won last year’s edition of this event at The Rock Golf Club in Minett, Ont., by shooting a combined 1-under 212 with rounds of 69, 73, and 70.

Returning in an attempt to improve upon her second-place finish in 2014 will be Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont. Last year, Team Canada Development Squad member Naomi Ko (Victoria, B.C.) edged out Costabile in a playoff to be crowned CN Future Links Ontario champion.

The first CN Future Links Championship of the season was played from May 8-10 at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C., with two Team Canada Development Squad members emerging victorious. Trevor Ranton led wire-to-wire to capture the Junior Boys division while Grace St-Germain (Ottawa, Ont.) claimed the Junior Girls Pacific title. The pair – who will be looking to build upon their strong starts to the season – will be joined at Pine Knot by fellow Development Squad members Tony Gil (Vaughan, Ont.) and Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.).

The CN Future Links Championships are conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with CN as part of their commitment to the growth and development of the sport at the junior level.

Four additional CN Future Links Championships will be played coast to coast throughout the summer:

• June 11-14 – CN Future Links Prairie – Cooke Municipal Golf Course, Prince Albert, Sask.
• July 2-5 – CN Future Links Quebec – Domaine Château-Bromont, Bromont, Que.
• July 6-9 – CN Future Links Western – Goose Hummock Golf Course, Gibbons, Alta.
• July 13-16 – CN Future Links Atlantic – Gowan Brae G& CC, Bathurst, N.B.

Each of the six CN Future Links Championships will reward its top six junior boys with exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, to be hosted by Summerlea Golf and Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., from August 2-6. Similarly, the top six finishers on the junior girls side in each of the CN Future Links Championships will earn a spot in the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship. These 36 exempt players will have the right to compete in the field at Deer Park Municipal Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask., from August 3-7.

Additional information on the 2015 CN Future Links Ontario Championship, including a full list of competitors, tee-times and the leaderboard are available here.

RYE, N.Y. – Canadian teen Brooke Henderson will play her first LPGA major as a pro in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

The tournament on Monday announced the 17-year-old Henderson has received a sponsor’s exemption. The major will be played June 11-14 at Westchester Country Club.

Henderson had the 54-hole lead in the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic two weeks ago at Lake Merced in San Francisco. She wound up third. Henderson has played two other events this year and has earned $161,557, which would make her equal to No. 29 on the LPGA money list.

She isn’t an LPGA member because of its minimum age requirement of 18.

Henderson tied for 10th in the U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst No. 2 last year as an amateur.

This is so misunderstood in this great game, and periodically leads to a heated argument hopefully not leading to blows.  Maybe golf needs a Seinfeld themed day such as “Festivus” to air golf grievances like these?  We’ve all heard the debates on which is the No.1 stroke hole at your course; you may have taken part in them.  It usually goes something like this: “There’s no bloody way the 4th is our No.1 hole, it’s a simple 404-yard par 4.  The 7th is our hardest hole; it’s a monster 438 yard par 4, and I never par it.”

STROKE ALLOCATION

What is “Stroke Allocation”?  It’s that table you see on every scorecard, you may see it referenced by “HDCP” or “Handicap” showing each hole ranked 1 through 18. This is far too often thought of as ranking each hole by pure difficulty.  You might also think Golf Canada or your Provincial Golf Association assigns these for every course too.  In both cases, your assumptions are wrong.  Golf Canada does have guidelines and recommendations to setting your stroke hole table (in Section 17 of the Golf Canada Handicap Manual) but it is carried out by each course/club, preferably the Handicap Committee.  There are two main methods: The Comparison Method and The Regression Method (linear regression).

DARE TO COMPARE

The Comparison Method is an allocation based on scores where the committee collects 200 hole-by-hole scores for lower handicap golfers (Course Handicaps of 8 or less) and 200 scorecards for higher handicap golfers (15 to 20 strokes higher than the average of the low handicap group).  The average score for each hole is calculated for both groups, and the holes are then ranked from one to 18 where one is the hole with the largest differential between the scores of the two groups and 18 is the lowest differential. There is another option comparing scores to par, but we’ll stick to the main method for simplicity.  There is some fine tuning, picking the hole to be ranked as No.1 so as to award a stroke most useful in matches with same/similar Course Handicaps, and also assigning odd numbered handicap holes to the front nine and even numbered handicap holes to the back nine.  For specifics please reference section 17-2a in the Golf Canada Handicap Manual.

While difficulty plays a part, the true purpose of allocating strokes is to give the higher handicap golfer strokes where they will most need them as an equalizer when playing a match against a low handicap golfer.  Difficulty in making par on a hole is not an effective indicator of the need for a stroke.  And the more you read about this you’re thinking this certainly makes sense.  We also recommend allocating low numbered strokes at the end of each nine because you want players who are to receive strokes to use them before a match is decided.  In the event of a hole-by-hole playoff, we should avoid placing lower numbered strokes on the first and second holes.

REGRESS FOR SUCCESS

The Regression Method allows the collection and analysis of at least 400 gross scores from players of all handicap levels from the most frequently played tee.  Each hole uses the score and player’s Course Handicap to help determine the ranking. There is a complex mathematical function involved that you can review in Section 17-2b of the Handicap Manual.

When should a club/course review its table and consider modifying it? If your course hasn’t used one of the two methods described especially in the last 10 years, or if your course has been significantly renovated, we highly recommend going through the process. How can you do this?  Here’s where the Golf Canada Score Centre comes in handy.  Should your club want to evaluate this data, you can run a report that will automatically produce the results for you. There is one catch.  Your club will require hole-by-hole entry to calculate the results, but that can be collected over the summer from your members.  Contact Golf Canada or your Provincial Golf Association for spreadsheet templates that you can use to help in your analysis.

Don’t have a stroke over a stroke.  Sure, have the friendly “discussion.” But, now that you know the process, do so cordially.

The first event of Golf Canada’s competitive season concluded in the same way it unfolded – with a pair of Team Canada Development Squad members atop the leaderboards as Trevor Ranton and Grace St-Germain claimed victory at the 2015 CN Future Links Pacific Championship.

No one could dethrone Trevor Ranton’s reign over the Junior Boys division. After opening with a course record of 7-under 65 and following with a second round of 3-under, the Waterloo, Ont., native carded a final round of 2-under 70 to complete the wire-to-wire win. When asked about his play over the past three days, Ranton credited his quick start as a key to his success. “I was pretty happy with (my performance). Right from the start, I was playing well. I started the tournament off with two straight birdies, so I felt comfortable on the course. I was hitting a lot of good shots and making a lot of putts.”

The first year Development Squad member will now set his sights upon the CN Future Links Ontario title – a competition in which he finished T2 in 2014. “If I can keep my putter hot like this week, I’m sure I’ll have a good chance again.”

Henry Lee of Coquitlam, B.C., finished runner up with a bogey-free final round of 3-under. Tony Gil – a member of the national team Development Squad – opened the back nine with four straight birdies to claim third place. Development Squad members Étienne Papineau and A.J. Armstrong took fourth and sixth place respectively, while teammate Patrick Murphy completed the tournament T18. A.J. Ewart finished in sole possession of fifth.

Grace St-Germain birdied the second playoff hole to win the Junior Girls title in exciting fashion. The extra session was only necessary after fellow Development Squad member Michelle Kim notched a pair of birdies in her final three holes to move to 2-over par and force the playoff. “I hit a pretty nice drive. After hers went in the water, I tried to stay calm and play it smart. It was a lot of fun,” said St-Germain of the second extra hole.

“I’ll try to play as well as I played this week for the rest of the summer and try to take what I did well here and incorporate it into the rest of the tournaments,” added St-Germain when asked about her outlook for the season ahead.

Tiffany Kong and Euna Han finished in a tie for third place at 2-over 220. Development Squad member Alisha Lau completed the tournament in sixth place while teammate Naomi Ko tied for the best Junior Girls round of the day at even par to climb into a tie for seventh.

The Pacific edition of the CN Future Links Championships was the first of six junior-aged tournaments presented by Golf Canada in partnership with CN. The CN Future Links Ontario Championship – the next in the series – will be contested at Pine Knot Golf and Country Club in Dorchester, Ont. from May 22-24.

The top six Junior Boys from each CN Future Links Championship will earn exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, to be held from August 3-6 at Summerlea Golf and Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Qué. The top six finishers on the Junior Girls side in each CN Future Links Championship will earn the right to join their peers at the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship. Deer Park Municipal Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask. will host the tournament from August 4-7.

Complete results from the 2015 CN Future Links Pacific Championship are available here.

The sun continued to shine at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C. for second round action at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship. For the second day in a row, a pair of Team Canada Development Squad members holds the lead with Grace St-Germain and Trevor Ranton alone atop their respective leaderboards.

After beginning the day in a four-way tie for third, St-Germain claimed sole possession of first on the strength of seven birdies, highlighted by a string of four straight on holes seven to 10. The Development Squad member’s second round of 1-under 71 has her at even par for the competition, two strokes clear of Euna Han, Janet Zhang and fellow Team Canada member Michelle Kim. Alisha Lau remains within striking distance, tied for fifth with Tiffany Kong at 4-over. Naomi Ko rounds out the Squad’s contingent at T17.

Ranton, who is in his first year as a member of the national Development Squad, was unable to match his first round course record of 7-under 65, but he still managed to build upon his lead. The Waterloo, Ont., native shot 3-under and now holds a six-shot advantage. A.J. Ewart, Khan Lee and Henry Lee are currently locked in a fierce battle for second place at 4-under 140, after tallying eight, seven and six second-round birdies, respectively.

Development Squad member Étienne Papineau sits just outside this group in a tie for fifth with Diego San Pedro at 2-under. The remaining national team junior boys are all positioned in the top-10; Patrick Murphy is T7, while A.J. Armstrong and Tony Gil hold shares of tenth place.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division will earn entry into this summer’s Canadian Junior Boys Championship. The tournament is set to be played August 3-6 at Summerlea Golf and Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Qué. Likewise, the top six Junior Girls will gain exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, hosted at Deer Park Municipal Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask. from August 4-7.

The third and final day of competition will begin at 7:30 a.m. PT with the final group teeing off at 12:50 p.m. At the end of the day, two junior athletes will be crowned this season’s first CN Future Links champions.

For additional information and full second round results, please visit the tournament website.

The Pacific edition of the CN Future Links Championships began today on the sun-soaked links of Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C. Team Canada Development Squad members Trevor Ranton and Alisha Lau took advantage of the ideal course conditions to top the leaderboards of the Junior Boys and Junior Girls divisions, respectively.

Ranton, a Waterloo, Ont., native, potted nine birdies en route to a 7-under 65 performance to lead the field of 72. The Team Canada Development Squad member sits four strokes clear of Khan Lee of Surrey, B.C., who was only one of five junior boys to notch an eagle on the day. Rounding out the top three at 2-under was Henry Lee of Coquitlam, B.C.

Team Canada`s Development Squad fared well on the first day of the tournament. A.J. Armstrong is in a four-way tie for fourth after a round of 1-under par. Squad members Patrick Murphy and Étienne Papineau carded even-par 72s for shares of eighth, while Tony Gil began the tournament at 2-over.

A pair of Richmond, B.C. products are atop the standings on the Junior Girls side of the competition. Development Squad member Alisha Lau tallied three birdies on the back nine to finish 1-under 71 to match Janet Zhang`s opening round. As part of a four-way tie for third with Mary Parsons and Esther Subin Lee are national team Development Squad members Grace St-Germain and Michelle Kim. Naomi Ko, the final Team Canada member in the competition, finished the round at T20.

The CN Future Links Pacific Junior Boys champion and those placing second to sixth will earn entry into the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, to be played August 3-6 at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Qué. Their six Junior Girls counterparts – the winner and the first to fifth runners-up – will gain exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship; Deer Park Municipal Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask. will play host to the tournament from August 4-7.

The second day of competition will see the Junior Girls tee-off at 7:30 a.m. before the Junior Boys take to the course at 11:30 a.m. Additional information and complete opening round results can be found here.

Dans le cadre du Gala Femmes d’Influence, spécial 10e anniversaire d’Égale Action, Diane Barabé a reçu le prix dans la catégorie Volet sport provincial/national et/ou international alors que Diane Dunlop-Hébert a reçu une distinction spéciale pour ses accomplissements dans le monde sportif féminin. L’événement s’est tenu le 6 mai au Sheraton Laval lors des Assises du sport 2015, organisées par Sports-Québec.

En nomination en compagnie de Johanne Boivin, entraîneur en plongeon et Jocelyne McLean, officielle en natation, Diane Barabé a eu la surprise d’être couronnée récipiendaire du prix décerné dans sa catégorie. Un honneur pleinement mérité pour de nombreuses années de bénévolat à Golf Québec et partout au Canada. Sa compétence déborde même les frontières du pays.

Diane Dunlop-Hébert s’est vue décerner une distinction spéciale tout comme la plongeuse et médaillée olympique Annie Pelletier. Les réalisations de Madame Dunlop-Hébert aux niveaux provincial et national ainsi que son influence dans l’industrie du golf lui procurent une reconnaissance à l’international.

Les accomplissements de ces deux grandes dames contribuent concrètement au développement de la pratique du golf et au rayonnement des jeunes filles et femmes dans le sport.

Diane Barabé

Femme de tête inspirée et inspirante, Diane Barabé a marqué l’univers du golf québécois et canadien au cours de l’année 2014. Arbitre certifiée sur les règles de golf de niveau 4, elle a agi comme officielle en chef dans de nombreux événements provinciaux et nationaux. En juillet dernier, elle est devenue la première Québécoise et seulement la deuxième Canadienne après Ann Edgar à agir à titre d’arbitre lors de l’Omnium canadien RBC présenté au Club de Golf Royal Montréal. Un fait marquant dans les 105 ans du championnat national associé à la grande PGA.

Plus tôt en juin, elle avait été sélectionnée pour agir à titre d’officiel lors de l’U.S. Open de la LPGA à Pinehurst. Un honneur remarquable. Cette sélection a été rendue possible grâce à un stage d’officiels au Royal and Ancient Golf Club, à St. Andrews en 2013. Une formation, que très peu de femmes détiennent, qu’elle a réussie avec un pointage de 97 % soutenu par une mention de distinction.

Déjà honorée par Golf Québec en 2011 et par Golf Canada en 2014 à titre de bénévole de l’année, Madame Barabé a poursuivi son parcours depuis les débuts de son implication en 1992. Son parcours unique dans l’univers du golf a ouvert la porte et stimulé de nombreuses personnes à pratiquer le golf ou à s’impliquer activement. Elle est active sur le comité des règles de Golf Québec et de Golf Canada et agit en tant qu’instructeur lors des séminaires règles du golf. L’année 2014 aura été une année de consécration pour Diane Barabé par sa contribution dans de nombreux événements provinciaux, nationaux et internationaux.

Diane Dunlop-Hébert

Membre du prestigieux Club de golf Mount-Bruno et dame d’affaires avertie et prospère dans le monde de l’automobile, Diane Dunlop-Hébert est une pionnière. Elle a commencé à s’engager au début des années 90 en golf féminin puis dans différentes fonctions, en premier lieu à l’Association canadienne des golfeuses – section Québec, où elle agit comme bénévole trésorière et administratrice durant deux ans. La fusion avec Golf Québec l’a ensuite amenée à devenir présidente durant deux mandats en 2007 et 2008.

Après deux années à la présidence de Golf Québec, elle accéda en 2012, seulement six ans plus tard, à la barre des grandes décisions du golf au pays pour une année à la présidence de Golf Canada. Cela témoigne de la très grande vitesse avec laquelle elle s’est hissée au sommet de la hiérarchie de Golf Canada. Son accession à la haute gouvernance de cet organisme plus que centenaire fut une première pour une Québécoise, ce qui dit tout de l’importance de la nomination. Gestionnaire très efficace, elle a su relever de nombreux défis autant à Golf Québec qu’au niveau national. Augmentation de l’effectif, développement de l’excellence, meilleure visibilité pour les tournois majeurs ont été parmi les nombreux succès accomplis.

Au cours des derniers mois, un honneur ultime lui fut offert. Madame Dunlop-Hébert vient d’être du nombre des deux vagues annoncées par le club Royal & Ancient à St. Andrews, en Écosse, comme premières membres féminines.  Elles ne sont que sept choisies partout sur la planète. Jamais en 260 ans, le berceau du golf n’avait accepté la gent féminine.

The PGA of Canada today announced the creation of a new PGA national championship, the Nike Golf PGA Team Championship of Canada.

This unique championship sees two PGA of Canada professionals pairing up with the partner of his or her choice. The pair competes together in their respective PGA of Canada Zone Qualifier with hopes of landing one of the coveted spots in the $90,000 purse Nike Golf PGA Team Championship of Canada.

“We couldn’t be more excited to launch this one-of-a-kind PGA national championship with our friends from Nike Golf Canada,” said PGA of Canada CEO Gary Bernard. “Their support of the association, at both the national and zone level. with this championship will create incredible competition and camaraderie around the country.”

A Nike Golf PGA Team Championship of Canada qualifier will be held in each PGA of Canada Zone this summer with the 52 top teams booking their ticket to the national championship final at a location that will be announced in the very near future.

“We are proud to launch the inaugural Nike Golf PGA Team Championship,” said Tyler Keenan, Marketing Director at Nike Golf Canada.  “We are confident the format will inspire PGA professionals across the country to team up and compete for a spot in this one-of-a-kind national championship.”

The Nike Golf  PGA Team Championship of Canada will be a 54-hole championship with a different team format each day—fourball, scramble and foursomes.

The winning team from the Nike Golf PGA Team Championship of Canada will also receive an exemption into the PGA’s of Europe International Team Championship in November to represent the PGA of Canada.

The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) held it’s annual Ontario Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Wooden Sticks Golf Course in Uxbridge, Ont. Bob Breen, Doug Carrick, Edie Creed and Bill Kerr were inducted as the class of 2015, while Garry McKay was the recipient of the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award.

GAO president Chris Osborne began the evening by introducing the great class of 2015. “When I joined the GAO, I was told I could play lots of golf and meet many cool people. I haven’t seen much of the golf, but I have met many great people and that echoes here tonight. What I like most about golf is it is enjoyed by great people. On behalf of our board, staff, volunteers and Hall of Fame Committee thank you all for coming out and let’s induct this great class.”

The ceremony began with the presentation of the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award to McKay. McKay, who has covered golf for more than 40 years, has written for a number of news publications, golf magazines and hosted golf radio programming. He is a member of the Golf Writers Association of America, the International Network of Golf and is currently the past-president of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada.

“I want to congratulate all of the inductees, they have all had amazing careers,” said McKay. “There are so many people I want to thank, but I really need to thank all of the people in this room because all golfers have great stories and I wouldn’t have had a great career if I couldn’t tell your stories.”

Bob Breen excelled at golf capturing the Ontario PGA Hunt Trophy as a junior, a feat he would go on to do again three times as a senior. He turned pro in 1960 and went on to have tremendous success. He captured 15 victories on the Ontario PGA Tour and another three on the Canadian Tour. Breen also participated in the Canadian Open on 10 occasions, played on the American Tour, where he won the Bahamas International, the Florida tour, where he was a four-time winner, the South American Tour and events on the PGA Tour.

Accepting on behalf of Breen, who passed away in August of 2014, was his son Blair Breen who was visibly emotional about the honour his father was given. “I’m sure that back in the 1950s, when my dad started playing golf he would have never imagined this moment, being inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. It is a true honour for him and his legacy to Ontario golf.”

Doug Carrick entered the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in the builder category. A renowned course designer, Carrick has designed 25 courses in Canada and another four internationally. In addition, he has been involved in the renovations of 45 courses. His courses have earned him numerous awards and have hosted multiple professional events.

“I was traveling in Austria when I received a call from GAO Executive Director Steve Carroll telling me I was to be inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame and I can tell you I was completely stunned.” said Carrick. “I’d like to thank all of my clients over the years for putting their trust in me to design and remodel their golf courses.”

Edie Creed had tremendous success as an amateur golfer as a member of the Oakdale Golf and Country Club. Her list of accomplishments is long and includes being a 37-time Club Champion at Oakdale. Creed also won the York District Championship in 1982. It was as a senior competitor where Creed made her mark on the game. She captured the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship three times (1979, 1981 and 1982). She also added five Ontario Senior Women’s Championships (1978, 1981-83 and 1986).

Creed talked about her inspiration in golf, her husband Eddie. “I’m honoured to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I got started in golf all because of my husband Eddie. He always encouraged me to practice and I listened to his advice. While I don’t play golf anymore, my memories are as sharp as the tee, my friendships as long as the fairway. This induction is my eagle.”

Bill Kerr captured the 1945 CPGA Championship, a feat he would go on to replicate in 1960. He also won two Miller Trophy Match Play Championships in 1944 and 1945, another feat he would duplicate while in Quebec in 1947 and 1950.  Throughout his career, Kerr played in six Canadian Opens and the 1961 Masters Championship. He was a five-time winner on the Quebec PGA Tour, the 1956 Bermuda Goodwill Champion, and the 1963 and 1964 CPGA Senior Champion. In addition to his contributions to the game as a head and touring professional, Kerr also served as a two-time President of the Quebec Golf Association and President of the CPGA from 1955-1958.

Accepting on his behalf were Rob Kerr and Bill Kerr III. “Our family is honoured to accept this great award for my father,” said Rob. “He had the chance to play with many great players and also the opportunity to teach many people about the game of golf and he really enjoyed that. It is difficult to have a professional career while running a golf course but he was a determined individual and was able to have a pretty decent career.”

With that the 2015 class entered the hall capping off an excellent Hall of Fame Day celebration.