BERTHOUD, Colo. – Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Taylor Pendrith posted the best finish of his career on the Korn Ferry Tour on Saturday, tying for third at the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes.

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., was 13 under for the tournament after shooting a 2-under 70 in the fourth and final round.

The 29-year-old Pendrith and four other golfers finished two strokes behind winner Will Zalatoris of the United States. Fellow American Chase Johnson was second at 14 under.

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., tied for 10th at 10 under, while Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald tied for 63rd at one over.

The result pushes Pendrith up 23 spots to 26th on the Korn Ferry points list. The top 25 at season’s end earn PGA Tour cards.

Pendrith’s previous best showing on the PGA Tour’s top feeder circuit was a tie for fourth in 2016 at the Club Colombia Championship.

One shot back entering the final round Saturday, Pendrith moved into a tie for the lead after draining three birdies on his front nine. But bogeys on Nos. 10 and 14 dropped him back before a birdie on No. 16 allowed Pendrith to notch the career-best result.

The tour shifts to San Antonio for its next two events.

BERTHOUD, Colo. – Canadian Taylor Pendrith is in contention for his first Korn Ferry Tour victory with one round to go at the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes.

Pendrith, of Richmond Hill, Ont., fired a 5-under 67 on Friday to reach 11 under through three rounds – leaving him in a tie for second place only one stroke back of leader Will Zalatoris.

Pendrith began the day in sixth after shooting 68-70 in the first two rounds. He followed that up on Friday with his best round of the tournament, going bogey free with five birdies to climb the leaderboard.

Zalatoris got to 12 under by shooting 70, while Erik Barnes sits tied with Pendrith after matching him with a 67.

Pendrith’s best finish this season came two weeks ago at The King and Bear Classic at World Golf Village, where he placed 14th.

Pendrith, who earned two victories last season on Canada’s Mackenzie Tour, is the top-ranked Canadian on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour, sitting 49th.

Meanwhile, Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., has moved into the Top 10 with 18 holes to play. He is 7 under following a 4-under 68, while Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald is 2 over after firing a 75.

Mackenzie Hughes doesn’t think of himself as an ambassador for golf, but when he has the opportunity to promote the sport he loves he embraces that role.

The Canadian became something of an online sensation Sunday after he drained back-to-back putts of more than 43 feet to birdie his final two holes and finish third at the Travelers Championship. Video of the two putts – especially the 48-footer on No. 17 that took almost a 90 degree turn to find its line – has had his phone buzzing for days.

A tweet from the PGA Tour of Hughes’s impressive putts has had more than 2,500 retweets and nearly 18,000 likes, even drawing casual fans into golf.

Piece of ? pic.twitter.com/MUsWWiNss6

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) June 29, 2020

“We’re just trying to put on a good show and entertain whenever we play,” said Hughes. “I’d love to get as many people as possible into the game because, obviously, I think it’s a great game.”

It’s not the first time Hughes has put on a show for fans.

At the 2019 RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf Club – essentially Hughes’s home course, having grown up in nearby Dundas, Ont. – he drew raucous cheers when he pulled on a Kawhi Leonard jersey before teeing off at No. 13 when the Toronto Raptors were in the thick of the NBA’s post-season.

“I knew that was going to get a good reaction,” said Hughes, who added that he likes to engage fans. “I think it reminds you to not take things too seriously and have a little bit of fun out there. I think when I do that I play better.

“I mean, we’re in an entertainment business so we are trying to, in essence, put on a show for people. If I can help in any way, then that’s awesome.”

Hughes is skipping this week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club, instead spending time with his wife, son and family at a cottage in western New York to celebrate Canada Day and Independence Day.

Happy Canada Day! Proud to be Canadian and to represent Canada wherever I compete #CanadaDay ??

— Mackenzie Hughes (@MacHughesGolf) July 1, 2020

There will be four Canadians in the field when the event tees off on Thursday with Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., playing.

Hughes had intended to play in the Rocket Mortgage but, with the PGA Tour having to re-shuffle its calendar because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it meant that there were seven high-quality events in a row. As a result, he reluctantly withdrew from the tournament in Detroit.

Tying for third at the Travelers Championship has been a big benefit to Hughes’s season.

He now sits 46th in the FedExCup standings and 98th in the world golf rankings. Hadwin is 60th and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., is 66th in the world, putting three Canadians in the top 100 of the world golf rankings for the first time ever. With Nick Taylor, from Abbotsford, sitting at 102, there could be four in the top 100 sooner rather than later.

Caledon, Ont. – Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas and legendary comedian Gerry Dee prevailed in exciting fashion at The Face-off on Tuesday, winning by a single stroke over TSN’s James Duthie and Jeff O’Neill in the $60,000 charity match at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.

Dubas converted a clutch birdie putt on the 17^th hole to take a lead that he and his team would not relinquish, leading to a one-stroke victory over Team Duthie in the 18-hole modified stroke play contest.

A total of $60,000 in donations from TPC Toronto and the Humeniuk Foundation was on the line for a charity of each player’s choice, with Dee leading the way by earning $20,000 for KidSport Ontario and Dubas earning $18,000 for the You Can Play Project. $11,000 went to both The Frontline Fund and the Down Syndrome Association of York Region on behalf of Team Duthie.

“There are a lot of charities that need our support right now, and for us to help out just by playing some golf and having some laughs together was such a treat,” said Dubas. “Our sincere thanks goes to TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley and the Humeniuk Foundation for putting together a great event and supporting some great causes in our communities.”

“All four of us had great charities, and that’s the best part of it. We won today, but these great organizations are the real winners and hopefully we can keep doing this and having more fun in the future,” said Dee.

The Face-off saw Team Dubas and Team Duthie compete in a unique 18-hole stroke play format, consisting of six holes of net best ball, six holes of modified alternate shot and six holes of scramble. After falling into a five-shot deficit through 12 holes, Team Dubas clawed their way back thanks to a number of solid drives from Dee and some timely solid shots from Dubas, who found the par-5 13^th green in two leading to a birdie that tied the teams with five holes to go.

Dee’s drive over the water and subsequent approach with a wedge on the risk-reward 17^th hole led to Dubas’ successful eight-foot birdie putt to give Team Dubas their first lead of the day, and when both teams made par on the home hole, the match’s outcome was secured.

As part of the winning team, both members of Team Dubas earned an additional $8,000 for their charities. Dee took closest to the pin honours on the par-3 eighth hole and longest drive on the par-5 13^th, worth an additional $1,000 each, while Duthie’s birdie on the par-4 second hole earned $1,000 as the day’s first birdie and O’Neill’s tee shot on the par-3 15^th earned $1,000 for closest to the hole.

The $60,000 in donations come in addition to the $350,000 in donations already announced by TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley and the Humeniuk Foundation towards COVID-19 relief efforts and community services this spring.

“We couldn’t be happier with the support we received from Kyle, Gerry, James and Jeff today,” said TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley President Chris Humeniuk. “Our goal for this event was to create a platform and raise some awareness in addition to some financial support for some outstanding charitable causes. To have the participation and engagement that we did from these gentlemen means an incredible amount to us, and we look forward to many more events like this one in the future.”

CROMWELL, Conn. – Video clips of Canadian Mackenzie Hughes draining a 47-foot birdie putt on No. 17 at the Travelers Championship – making a sharp right turn before heading into the hole – were starting to circulate online when he turned around and drained a 43-footer to birdie No. 18, too.

The back-to-back birdies put the product of Dundas, Ont., into a tie for third with American Will Gordon at 17 under on Sunday, and two shots back of eventual winner Dustin Johnson.

Although it was a flashy finish for Hughes, it was still something of a disappointment after the Canadian fired a 10-under 60 on Thursday to hold a three-stroke lead after the first round.

“Those last two holes were a huge bonus,” said Hughes. “The weekend was pretty frustrating for me. I felt like I was playing well enough to shoot some better scores, and it just wasn’t quite happening for me.”

PGA Tour events are not open to spectators in an effort to protect players and fans alike from COVID-19.

So when Hughes drained the impressive breaking putt on No. 17 at TPC at River Highlands, the celebration was limited to a couple of quiet fist pumps as he walked over to his caddie.

Piece of ? pic.twitter.com/MUsWWiNss6

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) June 29, 2020

“That was a putt that would just make people erupt, the way it was a pretty dramatic putt. It broke 20 feet, went in with perfect speed. That would have been really exciting,” said Hughes. “No. 18 would have been an amphitheater and it would have, again, kind of charged the crowd up.

“It was definitely different to hear crickets when you make some putts, but I was happy nonetheless.”

Hughes is projected to jump up 24 spots in the FedExCup rankings after the top three performance to sit 46th.

Johnson closed with a 3-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over Kevin Streelman. Johnson, who extended his career-long season victory streak to 13, last won in Mexico City in March 2019.

“I’m definitely proud of myself for continuing the streak and I want to keep it going,” Johnson said. “It was a long time between wins, though, and, so, hopefully it won’t be that long for the next one.”

Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus each won in 17 consecutive years. Johnson failed to win in 2014, but is given credit for winning in the 2013-14 season from his victory in the fall of 2013 in Shanghai. The tour changed to a wraparound season in 2013.

Johnson tapped in for par on the par-4 18th, raised his ball to acknowledge the smattering of applause from course workers, officials and reporters, the only in-person witnesses allowed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He finished at 19-under 261 for his 21st PGA Tour title.

Streelman also shot 67.

Streelman, who made seven straight birdies to win at TPC River Highlands in 2014, had a 37-foot birdie try on 18 that ended up just short and right.

He was two strokes behind Johnson on the 17th fairway when the weather horn blew for an hour-long storm delay.

Johnson came out of the delay and hit his tee shot on 16 into a greenside bunker. His second shot went well past the hole and made bogey to cut his lead to a stroke.

“I’ve had a few missed cuts, so to come back and finish a solo second is nice, but to be that close and perform and be right there, I’m just a little disappointed right now,” Streelman said.

Johnson was at 19 under when his tee shot on the par-4 15th went left and came inches from going into the signature lake that surrounds the finishing holes. His first pitch didn’t make it to the green, and he hit the second to 4 feet to save par.

“It was lucky, but a still had to made a good up-and-down to make par,” he said.

Gordon, who has no status on either the PGA Tour or the Korn Ferry Tour, had seven birdies in a 64. His third-place finish was just enough to earn him a special temporary card and unlimited exemptions for the rest of the season.

His lone bogey came on 17, and briefly dropped him to fourth place.

Johnson started the day two strokes behind Brendon Todd, and took the lead after three straight birdies put him at 20 under after 10 holes. Todd shot a 75 to tie for 11th at 13 under. He made a 7 on the par-4 12th.

Bryson DeChambeau shot a 68 to tie for sixth at 15 under. Top-ranked Rory McIlroy tied for 11th at 13 under after a 67.

Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., had a 3-over 73 day to finish 66th at even par.

There were seven COVID-19-related withdrawals from the Connecticut event, with two positive tests among players. Cameron champ withdrew Tuesday and Denny McCarthy had a positive test on Friday.

The PGA Tour is making some tweaks to its coronavirus policies as a result of this week’s issues. Players, caddies and anyone else considered “inside the bubble” will have to test negative before being allowed on the grounds of the Detroit Golf Club for the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

INDEX: SPORTS

CROMWELL, Conn. – Brendon Todd and Dustin Johnson each shot career-low 61s at the Travelers Championship on Saturday, leaving Todd with a two-stroke lead over the 2016 U.S. Open champion.

The 34-year-old Georgian, playing a couple holes behind Johnson, had a chance at the tournament’s second 60 of the week but missed a 10-foot putt to the left on the 18th hole.

He finished with a 54-hole score of 192 after shooting 66-65 the first two rounds. Johnson, who is looking for his 21st win on tour, also has improved each day, opening with a 69-64.

Both golfers shot bogey-free rounds, with Todd making five birdies on the front nine and Johnson five on the back. Todd said the round became a game of whatever you can do, I can do just as well.

“It’s hard to miss the leader boards obviously, so (Johnson’s) name was up there from a pretty early point,” Todd said. “Again, I just use it as motivation to go out there and make some more birdies.”

Todd is looking for his third win of the season but his first since the fall, when he went back-to-back at the Bermuda Championship and the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico.

“Whenever I get a two- or three-week stretch in a row, I tend to be playing better by the end of it,” he said. “That’s just something I’m using to my advantage now after missing two cuts. I’m peaking in the third week and hopefully I can get it done tomorrow.”

Despite going 9 under for the day, Johnson lamented missing several birdie chances and and eagle attempt on the par-4 ninth, when his ball stopped six inches from the pin.

Just two of his birdie puts, an 18-footer at the 10th hole and a 21-footer on the 12th, were longer than 9 feet.

“I really felt like I controlled the distance with my irons really well and hit tons of good shots,” he said. “I had a lot of really good looks at birdie.”

Kevin Streelman fired a 63 after two straight rounds of 66 and was just three shots back. Mackenzie Hughes, who led after a 60 on Thursday, shot his second straight 68 for sole possession of fourth place.

“Today if I had putted like I did the first day, I could have shot low 60s for sure,” Hughes said. “Play the same as I did today tee to green and roll in a few putts and it’ll be awesome.”

Off to a good start ? https://t.co/PAimGF2U1Q

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) June 27, 2020

Bryson DeChambeau and Kevin Na each shot 65 and were tied for fifth at 197.

Phil Mickelson, who celebrated his 50th birthday last week, began the day with a one-stroke lead but struggled, finishing tied for seventh in a group six shots back. He made just his second bogey of the week on the third hole and also dropped strokes on the seventh and 13th before finishing with a 71.

Mickelson, looking for his 45th win and third on this course, has mostly struggled. He missed the cut in his previous three tournaments.

“I haven’t played great this year,” he said. “I’ve missed a lot of cuts, and the next thing I know my game is starting to come back and I can sense it. I played two great rounds, and this is really a lot of fun.”

Top-ranked Rory McIlroy, who opened the tournament with a 63, said he feels he is too far back to contend for the title after rounds of 68 and 69. He bogeyed two of his final four holes – his tee shot landed in the water on the course’s signature 15th hole and he also made bogey at 18 – to finish in a group eight shots back.

“I guess, if I had have been able to sneak a couple more over the last few holes, get to 14 and then all of a sudden you feel like you’re right in it. But I went the other way those last few holes, and that’s what took me out of it,” he said.

Jason Day requested to be tested for COVID-19 on Saturday morning just before his round. Officials decided to have him play as a single on Saturday as a precautionary measure. He shot a 69 and is 1 under par headed into Sunday.

There have been seven COVID-19-related withdrawals from the Connecticut event.

Two players withdrew because of the coronavirus Friday – Denny McCarthy for a positive test, and Bud Cauley, who tested negative but decided to pull out after playing alongside McCarthy on Thursday.

McCarthy was the third PGA Tour player to test positive for the virus since its restart and the second this week, joining Cameron Champ, who withdrew Tuesday.

Nick Watney withdrew just before the second round of last week’s RBC Heritage Championship. Webb Simpson, Graeme McDowell, Brooks Koepka and his brother Chase also withdrew from the Travelers after coming into contact with people who had the virus.

McDowell and Brooks Koepka’s caddies both tested positive. Simpson cited the positive test of a family member.

The PGA said because of the positive tests this week, players, caddies, and anyone else “inside the bubble,” will not be allowed on the property at future tournaments until first being cleared with a negative test for the coronavirus.

Officials said Saturday that all of the follow-up tests as a result of potential contact with McCarthy came back negative.

The round began early in the day because of threatening weather, with golfers going off both the first and 10th tees. It finished just before the skies opened. A forecast for more rain on Sunday will mean another early start.

CROMWELL, Conn. – Phil Mickelson figures age might be an asset.

Playing his first tournament since turning 50 this month, the five-time major champion shot a 7-under 63 on Friday in the Travelers Championship to take a one-stroke lead into the weekend.

Lefty said said it was perhaps the wisdom that comes with his age that made him stay within himself instead of going toe-to-toe with his long-hitting playing partners, top-ranked Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau.

“There’s some holes I can open it up and try to hit driver, but really I just want to get it in play on a lot of holes and let my wedges take over, and I’ve hit a lot of good wedge shots this week,” said Mickelson, the 2001 and 2002 tournament winner.

Two more players withdrew because of the coronavirus Friday – Denny McCarthy for a positive test, and Bud Cauley, who tested negative, but decided to pull out after playing alongside McCarthy on Thursday. There have been seven COVID-19-related withdrawals.

First-round leader Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., followed an opening 60 with a 68 to drop into a second-place tie with 23-year-old Will Gordon, who led most of the day after shooting an early 62.

Since winning at Pebble Beach early last year for his 44th PGA Tour title, Mickelson has mostly struggled, with far more missed cuts than good finishes.

On Friday at tree-lined TPC River Highlands, Mickelson made a bogey on his second hole before moving up the leaderboard. He made the first of his eight birdies from a green-side bunker on No. 5 and shot 30 on the back nine.

While Mickelson is making his 624th PGA Tour start, Gordon is in his eighth tour event on a sponsor’s exemption.

He had nine birdies and just missed a few others, including on the fourth hole where his 35-foot birdie putt came to rest on the edge of the cup.

The former Vanderbilt star is carrying on a long tradition of young players who received a break at TPC River Highlands. Since 1996, 77 of the tournament’s 98 unrestricted sponsor invitations have gone to players with fewer than 15 starts on the tour and those players have gone on to combine for 90 victories.

“I was supposed to play in three events that got cancelled over COVID, so for those guys to take a chance on me and believe in me means the world,” he said.

McIlroy followed his first-round 63 with a 68. He was tied for fourth, four strokes off the lead and happy to be in contention.

“I know what it feels like to go low out here, so I’ll need a couple of good ones over the weekend,” he said. “But the game feels in decent shape, and obviously get out early tomorrow and try to get back in the mix.

DeChambeau, the third member of the marquee trio, had the most entertaining round of the three. He was 8 under after a 67 that included the strangest bogey of the day.

His tee shot on the par-4 10th hole hit the cart path, rolled and rolled and ended up 428 yards from the tee and 48 yards from the hole.

But after pitching over the green, then chipping back well short of the hole, he missed a 7-foot putt.

“I tried to hit a 35-yard shot and it came out 50 yards, and I’m like, `What is going on?”’ he said. There’s some things I’ve still got to work out and some stuff I clearly don’t understand yet with the wedging.“

McCarthy, who shot an opening-round 67, said he began began feeling sick Thursday night and tested positive for the virus Friday morning.

“I woke up in the middle of the night with additional aches and soreness and sensed something was off,” he said. “I felt like the only thing to do was get tested at that point before I went to the course.”

Cauley, who opened with a 69, had two negative tests Friday. He withdrew “out of an abundance of caution for my peers and everyone involved with the tournament,” he said.

Matt Wallace, the third member of their group, teed off by himself early Friday, shot a 72 to miss the cut.

“I haven’t felt better myself,” he said. “I’m playing with a chance to change my career if I win, so why wouldn’t I play? It’s black and white for me. I tested negative and I can go play.”

McCarthy was the third PGA Tour player to test positive for the virus since its restart and the second this week, joining Cameron Champ, who withdrew Tuesday.

Nick Watney withdrew just before the second round of last week’s RBC Heritage Championship. Webb Simpson, Graeme McDowell, Brooks Koepka and his brother Chase also withdrew from the Travelers after coming into contact with people who had the virus.

McDowell and Brooks Koepka’s caddies both tested positive. Simpson cited the positive test of a family member.

Collin Morikawa, also is heading home, but not because of COVID-19. The 23-year-old Californian missed the cut for the first time in his PGA Tour career after rounds of 72-71.

Morikawa had made 22 straight cuts since turning pro, the longest such streak since Tiger Woods began his PGA Tour career with 25 consecutive cuts.

“It was bound to happen at some point,” Morikawa said. “Who knows when that was going to be. But now I guess we’re going to stop talking about it and I can go and just go on to next week. I’m going to learn a lot from this week.”

Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., is the only other Canadian to make the weekend at 4 under following a 1-under 69.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., shot 66 Friday to move to 1 under, missing the 4-under cutline, while David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot his second straight 72 to finish 4 over.

There is rain in the forecast for Saturday, with the players grouped in threesomes and started on the first and 10th tees.

CROMWELL, Conn. – Mackenzie Hughes had the best round of his professional career Thursday morning, but in his mind it’s still not the best he’s ever played.

The Canadian shot an opening round 10-under 60 at the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship, making 10 birdies and no bogeys to lead Rory McIlroy by three shots among the round’s early finishers.

“I’ve probably had more like meaningful rounds of say 65 or 66, but as far as going low and how I felt about the game, it’s definitely probably top five,” Hughes told reporters over a remote news conference.

Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., had a chance to shoot the 12th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history, but missed a 40-foot putt for birdie on hole No. 9, his 18th hole of the day.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., is the only Canadian to shoot under 60, carding a round of 59 at the 2017 CareerBuilder Challenge.

Hughes did beat his previous best round on the tour, however, a 61 in the first round of the RSM Classic in November 2016. He went on to win that tournament in a five-way playoff after shooting a fourth-round 69 at Sea Island Golf Club.

Come on. After this putt @MacHughesGolf needs 1 more birdie on his last hole to shoot 59 pic.twitter.com/XJzh6TgANI

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) June 25, 2020

Jim Furyk shot a 12-under 58 on the same par-70 TPC River Highlands course four years ago, the lowest score in a tour event.

“I kind of joked walking off there that 59 wasn’t even the record because of Jim’s 58,” Hughes said. “It’s probably not even that special around here. But as a personal milestone it would have been neat.”

Hughes alluded to his previous best at the RSM Classic, saying that he learned a lot from that experience and how to carry the momentum into later rounds.

“Really the mentality tomorrow is to go out there and make a bunch of birdies again,” said Hughes, who said he intended to have a brief afternoon round of practice before relaxing. “The golf course is kind of yielding some scores, and in order to be there on Sunday, I’ll have to keep making birdies.”

View this post on Instagram

Mac is on a MISSION! He put up 10 birdies on Thursday to shoot 60 and hold the lead at the @travelerschamp

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on Jun 25, 2020 at 10:30am PDT

Phil Mickelson, paired with McIlroy in his first competitive round since turning 50, was one of five players to shoot 64. Bryson DeChambeau’s 65 was the worst score in the marquee threesome.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., are also in the field.

Hughes’ bogey-free round included a 30-foot birdie putt on his second-to-last hole, the par-3 eighth. Patrick Cantlay also shot 60 at TPC River Highlands as an amateur in 2011.

McIlroy, who also started on the back nine, eagled the par-5 13th and followed that up with two straight birdies. He made four more birdies on the front nine for a 31.

“It’s just been nice to get back into some competitive golf again,” McIlroy said. “You know, it doesn’t feel the same because you’re not having thousands of people reacting to your birdies and getting that going. I felt the weekends have been a little flat for me just because that’s when you’re in contention and that’s where you sort of start to feel it. Thursdays and Fridays don’t feel that different to be honest, but into the weekends they do.”

Mickelson learned earlier Thursday that he was granted an exemption into this year’s U.S. Open for being in the top 70 in the world on March 15, when golf was shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Hughes wore a facemask when approaching the podium for his virtual news conference, sitting in a chair that had been repeatedly wiped down by PGA Tour staff. Off-site media were given the opportunity to speak with Hughes through a videochat since in-person access to the event was so limited. He said that the protocols have been “top notch” and that all the other precautions didn’t “feel that strange.”

But he did miss having spectators.

“The absence of fans really hurts,” said Hughes. “That would be a lot of fun to play a round like that with the gallery kind of getting into it, but the new normal is here, and we’re all just going to try to adapt and do our best.”

UXBRIDGE, Ont. – Golf Ontario and Golf Canada today announced the expansion of the Youth on Course initiative to Ontario, providing junior golfers aged 6 – 18 with greater access to play golf at lower rates.

Beginning in June, junior members of Golf Canada/Golf Ontario will receive access to a Youth on Course membership, granting $5 green fees at participating facilities across the province. There is no limit to how often members can play through Youth on Course.

Click here to sign up for a membership.

“Golf Canada and Golf Ontario are constantly striving to inspire and nurture a new generation of golfers and by providing access to affordable rounds they’re expanding that commitment to an even higher degree,” says Adam Heieck, CEO of Youth on Course. “With the highest per-capita golf participation in the world, the Youth on Course expansion to Ontario will benefit the sport’s sustainability in a big way.”

The 2020 season will see its first phase centered in four regions:

• Niagara/Hamilton Regions
• Durham Region
• Simcoe/Dufferin Regions
• Ottawa Valley

Members in Ontario will receive access to the international Youth on Course network, featuring lower green fees for Youth on Course members at over 1,400 golf courses in Ontario, Alberta and 37 different states.

“We are in a great position to provide more children with access to our great game,” said Adam Hunter, senior manager of Grow the Game for Golf Canada. “Together with Golf Ontario and our participating partner courses, we are eager to offer communities more opportunities to access junior golf.”

“We have been working closely with facilities in the key targeted regions for 2020, and are thrilled with the support we have received from many facilities. These courses are committed to helping grow the game of golf, and will be helping to provide very affordable golf options for youth in Ontario”, said Kyle McFarlane, senior director at Golf Ontario.

If you are interested in more information on bringing Youth on Course to your region/facility, please contact Jessie Mercer (jmercer@gao.ca or 905-852-1101 ext. 225) or visit youthoncourse.org.

As each provincial golf association has planned its respective amateur championships, organizers have had to take a back-to-basics approach to keep players, officials, and volunteers safe from COVID-19.

“It’s all about the players, the golf course, and the tournament,” said John Deneer, events and tournament manager for Alberta Golf. “No excess, no nothing. Just the players, so I’m glad we can do that.”

Alberta began its championship season on Tuesday with its men’s mid-amateur championship at Coyote Creek Golf & RV Resort in Sundre.

That province has implemented strict rules for its championships including no caddies, no guardians accompanying juniors and no spectators at its championship tournaments. Volunteer commitments have been reduced as much as possible and scorecards won’t be signed by both players, all in an effort to “reduce multiple touch points.”

View this post on Instagram

Take a look at the COVID-19 PROTOCOLS competitors this week at the Alberta Mens Mid Am are playing under at Coyote Creek Golf and RV Resort in Sundre. June 24th, 2020.

A post shared by Alberta Golf (@alberta_golf) on Jun 24, 2020 at 12:12pm PDT

Deneer said that although he expected there would be slightly lower registration for the provincial championships, it was actually higher than usual.

“When we announced that we were going to run the championships we felt comfortable that we could run them in a safe manner,” said Deneer. “(The men’s mid-amateur) was full with a waitlist. … We’re getting full fields, a lot of participation.”

Golf Ontario opened registration for its championships on Wednesday morning, with executive director Mike Kelly confirming that its men’s amateur sold out in eight minutes. Ontario’s provincial association actually had to split up registration times for its amateur and junior championships – which open Thursday – in an effort to make sure its web servers didn’t crash.

Ontario is taking similar precautionary steps to safeguarding participants at its amateur championships, although its junior players will be permitted one guardian to walk the course with them.

Trophy ceremonies in Ontario will be limited to the winners and one official, although Golf Ontario plans to broadcast the championship celebrations online.

“The first championship trophy won’t be handed out until the very end of July so we have a bit of time to figure it out,” said Kelly, who noted that tournaments like the men’s and women’s senior championships would be held at the same venue so joint ceremonies can be held. “One of the things we’re looking at is using Zoom so we’re able to provide a link.”

Manitoba has also begun its championship schedule, with Bobbi Uhl (amateur women), Carl Lechman (senior men) and Austin Dobrescu (amateur men) being crowned provincial match play champions on Sunday.

These provincial championships will be the biggest golf tournaments of 2020 as Golf Canada had to cancel all of its national championships due to travel restrictions. The RBC Canadian Open, Canada’s men’s professional championship, was also cancelled, although the CP Women’s Open is still scheduled for early September in Vancouver.

Many provincial championships serve as qualifiers for national tournaments, so the cancelling of Canada-wide events have freed up dates later in the summer. British Columbia Golf CEO Kris Jonasson said his organization plans to make the most of those open weekends.

“We had very early in the competitive season determined that we would make a decision on each of our individual events four weeks in advance of the start of that particular championship,” said Jonasson, who noted that the first four events of B.C.’s season were cancelled but will now be rescheduled, likely into those slots left open by Golf Canada.

Jonasson also said that B.C.’s men’s amateur – slated for three weeks from now – may also be postponed, depending on when health authorities lift their ban on non-essential within the province.

“We’re now hopeful that in some type of a modified format we can get all of our championships in or at least enough championships that we can crown an individual winner in each of our respective categories.”