TSN’s Bob Weeks and Lindsay Hamilton set the stage for the 2019 CP Women’s Open at Magna Golf Club from Aug. 19-25 in Aurora, Ont.

Click here for tickets.

Team Canada members and Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada pros Jared du Toit and Taylor Pendrith share in the excitement heading into this week’s All-Star Pro-Am at the CP Women’s Open at in Aurora, Ont., at Magna Golf Club.

AURORA, Ont. – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the eight champions of Sunday’s Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge National Event at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.

The National Event, running for the 11th consecutive year, crowned female and male champions from four age groups (8 under, 9-11, 12-14 and 15-18). Among the 31 participants from across the country, the following eight individuals emerged as champions:

– Liam McLaren, Pheasant Run Golf Club, Georgina, ON | Boys 8 and under
– Ari Tur, Seymour Golf & Country Club, North Vancouver, B.C. | Girls 8 and under
– Noah Turner, Essex Golf & Country Club, LaSalle, ON | Boys 9-11
– Claira Frizzell, The Links at Montague, Halifax, NS | Girls 9-11
– Gabe Bugden, Blomidon Golf Club, Corner Brook, NL | Boys 12-14
– Alissa Xu, Station Creek Golf Club, Richmond Hill, ON | Girls 12-14
– Émile Journault, Cap-Rouge Golf Club, Québec City, QC | Boys 15-18
– Keighan Decoff, Glen Lovat Golf Club, Fraser’s Mountain, NS | Girls 15-18

The winners of each age group received a champion’s package from Titleist Footjoy. In addition, Émile Journault and Keighan Decoff – winners of the 15-18 age groups – have earned exemptions into their local 2020 Future Links, driven by Acura Championship.

In Sunday’s National Event, juniors competed in a three-part skills challenge which tested putting, chipping, and driving.

Sunday’s participants had the highest scores on the National Leaderboard after participating in a Skills Challenge qualifying event at their local club. Throughout the year, over 140 clubs hosted a Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge with over 3000 junior golfers participating.

“The Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills experience is a celebration of skill development facilitated by coaches at over 140 facilities across Canada,” said Adam Hunter, senior manager of junior programs at Golf Canada. “We are extremely happy with another excellent National Event and want to thank our sponsors for helping make this dream a reality.”

On Saturday, the National Event participants received an apparel prize pack from Cobra Golf handed out in the Magna locker room and played the back nine as part of the Golf Canada Junior Open.

Participants are provided weekly grounds passes and have an opportunity to be involved in Monday’s Canada Day All-Star Pro-Am and Wednesday’s Walk with a Pro event.

For more information on the Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills National Event click here.

MEDINAH, Ill. – Hideki Matsuyama has never missed the Tour Championship since his first full year on the PGA Tour. He played Friday like he doesn’t want the streak to end.

Outside the top 30 in the FedEx Cup for the first time at the BMW Championship, Matsuyama made five birdie putts from 15 feet or longer and broke the course record at Medinah with a 9-under 63 for a one-shot lead going into the weekend.

He started his second round with a 30-foot birdie putt. He ended the round with a 30-foot birdie putt.

The explanation for what went right wasn’t that long.

“I did make a lot of long putts today, and that was the difference,” Matsuyama said through his interpreter.

That was a big difference for Tiger Woods, too. He made only two putts longer than 6 feet, made a pair of bogeys from the bunkers late in the round and had to settle for another 71. Woods, who needs a top 10 to advance to the Tour Championship, was tied for 49th.

“I left quite a few shots out there,” Woods said.

Matsuyama was at 12-under 132, one shot ahead of Patrick Cantlay (67) and Tony Finau (66). Justin Thomas made six birdies to offset three bogeys in his round of 69, leaving him two shots behind.

The Canadian duo of Adam Hadwin (Abbotsford, B.C.) and Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) both put up stellar rounds of 68 and 66, respectively, to share fifth place heading into the weekend.

.@coreconn chips in to move inside the top 30 in the #FedExCup playoffs ???? pic.twitter.com/WcaJ4pdOxM

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) August 16, 2019

Cantlay, Finau and Thomas are all assured of being among the top 30 who advance to the Tour Championship next week, where everyone in the field will have a shot at winning the FedEx Cup and the $15 million prize.

Matsuyama won four times on the Japan Golf Tour as a rookie after he graduated college, and then won the Memorial in 2014 and narrowly got into the FedEx Cup finale at East Lake. He was as high as No. 2 in the world just two years ago after the U.S. Open.

But he has gone two years without winning, and Friday was the first time he has led after any round since his most recent victory at Firestone in the Bridgestone Invitational.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in contention,” Matsuyama said. “Hopefully, I can play well. I’ve been struggling for a while this year. Hopefully, that can turn around and I’ll have a good weekend.”

Cantlay has gone 36 holes at Medinah with only one bogey, and key to his round was avoid one late. His tee shot on the 320-yard 15th caught enough of the wind that bounded right into the water. He took his penalty dropped, chipped to 8 feet and saved par, got up-and-down on the next hole and then finished with two more good putts, one for birdie and another for par.

“Any time you make a par after hitting the ball in the water it’s good,” he said. “It gave me some nice momentum to close out the round.”

Lucas Glover (69) and Rory Sabbatini (68) were among the group at 9-under 135, both suddenly in range of the top 30.

Woods won the Tour Championship last year, capping a remarkable return from four back surgeries with his first victory in five years. It was an extraordinary afternoon considering where he had been, a moment topped in Georgia some six months later when he won the Masters.

But after he pulled out at Liberty National last week citing a mild oblique strain, he slipped 10 spots to No. 38. And while it was a mild surprise when he showed up at Medinah, he’s going the wrong direction in the FedEx Cup.

He isn’t ruling out a return to the Tour Championship to defend his title, but he’s running out of time and not making enough birdies.

Woods hit it to tap-in range on the 11th, and then ran off birdies on the 14th and 15th hole to slowly get back into the picture at Medinah. And then he made consecutive bogeys from the bunker, had to settle for another 71 and was right back where he started.

“I’m going to have to have a great weekend and make a lot of birdies and post some rounds in the mid-60s to give myself a chance at it,” Woods said. “Putt well and I’ll shoot good scores. I haven’t done that.”

Jordan Spieth also is on the verge of ending a second straight season without a victory, and without a trip to East Lake. He made progress at Liberty National with a tie for sixth, and he needs another finish like that to crack the top 30.

He did not need to chop his way to a double bogey on the par-3 eighth that left him at the bottom of the back. Spieth rallied with five birdies on the back nine, and he believes he has the “firepower” to post two low scores and hope it’s enough.

There was a realistic side to him Friday, especially after the double bogey, that his season was over because of how he felt over the ball. Yes, he still has an outside chance. But he sure didn’t sound consumed by it.

“I’m far enough out that I’m going to sleep at night not expecting to be there,” Spieth said about East Lake. “It’s not where I want to live, but it’s where I am.”

Joining Team Canada for her rookie campaign is Brigitte Thibault of Rosemère, Que. Thibault enters her first year with the national squad after collecting three top-10 finishes as a member of the Fresno State Bulldogs, including a runner-up finish at the UNLV Collegiate Showdown. She added top-10 results at the Women’s Western, North & South and Quebec Amateur. She finished runner-up at the Quebec Junior Girls in 2017.

She competed in the inaugural Augusta Women’s Amateur in 2019 and went on to win a bronze medal for Canada at the Pan Am Games through the mixed team event.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – The 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge National Event will take place on Sunday, August 18 at the prestigious Magna Golf Club.

Thirty-one golfers from four age groups will compete in the 11th edition of the Junior Skills National Event, which brings together the top-scoring juniors from coast-to-coast. New in 2019 is the 8 and under age group, including four players from both the boys and girls divisions.

The participating juniors will compete in a three-part skills challenge (putting, chipping and driving) with one overall winner per age group and gender. 

Golf Canada, in partnership with Acura and the PGA of Canada will host the national finals of the 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge on Sunday, August 18 at Magna Golf Club. The event is the culmination of more than 3000 Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills participants competing at 140 qualifying events held across Canada.

The field is comprised of 31 golfers from across Canada, all selected from the top of the Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge National Leaderboard.

Girls 8 and under

Girls 9-11

Girls 12-14

 Girls 15-18

Boys 8 and under

 Boys 9-11

Boys 12-14

Boys 15-18

FORMAT:

Driving: Each competitor receives three drives. Points are awarded and dependent on distance and aim of the drive. The drive must come to rest within the 30-yard width to qualify for points. The number of points is dependent on the distances completed.

Chipping: Each competitor receives three shots. Points are awarded and dependent on the distance of the chip from the target.

Putting: Each competitor receives one putt each from each distance of 5, 10 and 20 feet. Points are awarded for holing the putt and for proximity to the hole.

The winners of the Future Links driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge National Event in the boys and girls 15-18 age groups will receive an exemption into their local Future Links driven by Acura Championship in 2020. All other attending participants of the Future Links driven by Acura Junior Skills National Event will receive prizing courtesy of Titleist Footjoy.

On Saturday, August 17, Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge National Event participants will have the opportunity to play the famous Magna Golf Club layout in an exciting match play format, outfitted by program sponsor Cobra-Puma Golf.

For more information on the Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills National Event click here.

Brooke Henderson’s victory in June at the Meijer LPGA Classic will be part of a lasting legacy for the young golfer from Smith Falls, Ont. It was her ninth LPGA Tour victory and gave her the distinction of having the most victories of any Canadian PGA or LPGA golfer in history.

At only 21 years of age, Henderson seems poised to add many more titles to that record setting total.

“I see a lot more victories to come for Brooke, I don’t see her slowing down,” said her fellow CP Has Heart ambassador Lorie Kane at the CP Women’s Open media day in early July.

“She’s got length and she’s got touch when her putters on, and she’s got mental toughness. All those thing make her tough to beat,” added the four time LPGA Tour winner about Henderson.

“She’s definitely in a class all her own; and what I would like to see is that she has a goal to win as many tournaments as she possibly can until the day she decides she doesn’t want to play any more.”

Henderson’s next opportunity to add to her history making total comes at the Magna Golf Club as she looks to defend her 2018 CP Women’s Open crown.

“Going into a tournament that you’ve won before, you have so many amazing memories and it just gives you an extra bit of excitement and motivation going into that week.  Portland was extremely special for me because that was my first LPGA Tour win and to be able to go back and repeat it was really awesome,” said Henderson.

“Coming into this event, I’m just trying to remember all those great memories and trying to think about all the energy the fans had for me last year,” added the former National Team Program member, who became the first Canadian to win on home soil since Jocelyne Bourassa did it in 1973.

While she is an inspiration to many across the country because of her success, Henderson says she drew inspiration from a fellow former National Team Program alum earlier this year.

“Watching Corey Conners win earlier this year was really exciting for me and it kind of put my mind in the correct mindset that I can win too,” noted Henderson.

Conners recorded his first career win on the PGA Tour by claiming the Valero Texas Open in early April.  By winning the tournament, it meant Conners wouldn’t have to worry about competing in Monday qualifiers as it gave him his full PGA Tour card through to the end of 2020-21 season.

“I had a couple of top 10s earlier this year but I wasn’t really doing too much and I watched him win and I was like ‘I think it’s time for me to start doing more of that.’ And it kind of put me into gear,” Henderson continued.

“So I think it’s really cool that we can all cheer on each other and the Canadians on all the tours can just push each other to improve and get better.”

Two weeks after Conners’ life changing victory, Henderson recorded her eighth LPGA victory as she won the Lotte Championship in Kapolei, Hawaii.  The victory allowed Henderson to defend her 2018 victory in Hawaii and put her in a tie with Sandra Post, Mike Weir and George Knudson for most victories by a Canadian professional golfer.

Then of course in mid June, the 21-year-old would break the record by winning the Meijer LPGA Classic at Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids.

As she reflects on the big victory, Henderson says she was inspired by the success of the Toronto Raptors.

“It was so exciting watching them play. My family was watching the playoffs and we were cheering them on every single game and it was fun for us to see how well they were doing,” said Henderson.

“They’re just a remarkable team that did something incredible for all of Canada. It was right before my victory that they won the NBA Championship and I just wanted to keep the excitement going. So to get my ninth LPGA win following that was just really special.”

Henderson received a lot of support following her history making victory.  Among those reaching out were Prime Minister Trudeau as he took to Twitter to congratulate the 21-year-old.  She also received a congratulatory text from Wayne Gretzky.

And just last month, Henderson was recognized by ESPN with an ESPY for best female golfer.

“I’ve been so fortunate in this game of golf to have made so many contacts around and made friendships. And I’m grateful for all support I’ve received,” said Henderson.

Looking at the big picture, Henderson understands that the lasting legacy she’s created through her success on the golf course and her increasing popularity has given her a platform to help others – and it’s a big reason why she’s happy to be an ambassador for CP Has Heart.

“I’m so proud and honoured to be a CP ambassador.  And I know CP Has Heart has made a lot of progress in heart health and to be a small part of CP Has Heart and the great work that they do to help people, children, families to feel better and be healthy is truly incredible,” Henderson pointed out.

“I’m fortunate that I can be part of it with Lorie again this year and hopefully we raise a ton of money at the CP Women’s Open and impact a lot more lives.”

This year CP Has Heart has the goal of raising $1.75 million during the CP Women’s Open. The funds raised will go towards renovating a Cardiac Operating Suite at SickKids. In addition, CP also plans to support the tournament host community in 2019 with a donation of $250,000 to Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ont. to support paediatric cardiac care.

In the five years of CP’s title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open, $8.5 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in Canada.

Having been a CP ambassador during those five years, Kane is very pleased to have Henderson on board.

“We couldn’t have a better partner at CP than Brooke and all the success she’s having on the golf course just helps to bring more attention to the important work done through CP Has Heart,” said Kane about Henderson who joined CP as an ambassador in 2017.

“Brooke is taking on the responsibility of doing what she needs to do and that is being a super special individual playing a game that is encouraging young people to keep playing.”

With 156 of the best golfers in the world vying to be the 2019 CP Women’s Open champion at the Magna Golf Club, Henderson will be facing stiff competition in her quest to defend her title.

Still the 21-year-old says she’s up for the challenge – and expects the passionate Canadian fans in Aurora, Ont. could give her that edge she needs to add to her recording breaking total.

“This year – especially being closer to home for me – I’m expecting great crowds,” said Henderson.

“Hopefully, I can feed of them and use their energy and put myself in a position where on the weekend I can make a charge and hoist that trophy again.”

AURORA, Ont. – Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific (CP) have announced the names of 13 players who have received exemptions to compete in the 2019 CP Women’s Open, set to take place at Magna Golf Club from August 19-25.

Headlining the list of exemptions is Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured member and CP Ambassador Lorie Kane. The Charlottetown native will be making a record-setting 29th appearance at the CP Women’s Open appearance, besting World Golf Hall of Fame member JoAnne Carner (28) for most all-time appearances at the event.

Joining Kane will be a teenager who made national headlines last month, Vancouver’s Michelle Liu, who finished as the low Canadian at the 2019 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in July to earn an exemption. Liu will be 12 years, nine months and seven days when she tees off at Magna Golf Club, becoming the youngest player ever to appear at the CP Women’s Open. The record was previously held by Canadian star Brooke Henderson, who played as a 14-year-old in 2012.

Lorie Kane (Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)

Symetra Tour professionals Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C., Valerie Tanguay of Saint-Hyacinthe, Que. and Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., have also been extended exemptions. Leblanc, who will be playing her 10^th CP Women’s Open, recently finished with a share of runner-up honours at The CDPHP Open. Leblanc’s best performance at the CP Women’s Open came in 2016, when she finished T14. Osland, who earlier this year qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open, will be playing in her second CP Women’s Open while Tanguay, in her rookie year on the Symetra Tour will compete in her first CP Women’s Open. Szeryk, a Symetra Tour rookie and a member of the Team Canada Young Pro Squad, has three top-5 finishes in 2019, including a runner-up performance at the Zimmer Biomet Championship in May. This will be Szeryk’s fourth appearance at the CP Women’s Open.

Team Canada National Amateur Squad member Brigitte Thibault of Rosemère, Que., has been given her second exemption to the CP Women’s Open, while Mary Parsons of Delta, B.C., will be making first appearance at an LPGA Tour event. Both Thibault and Parsons finished in the top-5 at the 2019 Women’s Porter Cup and recently represented Canada at the 2019 Pan Am Games golf competition in Lima, Peru where the duo (joined by the men’s pair of Austin Connelly and Joey Savoie) helped Team Canada claim a bronze medal in the mixed team competition, Canada’s first-ever medal in golf at the Pan Am Games. Parsons finished fifth in the Pan Am women’s individual competition while Thibault finished T9.

Two of the brightest young players in Canadian golf – both members of Canada’s National Junior Squad – will also be joining the field at Magna Golf Club. Emily Zhu of Richmond Hill, Ont., 15, recently won the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship and has runner-up finishes in 2019 at both the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship and Ontario Women’s Amateur. Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que., the 2018 Canadian Junior Girls champion who placed T2 at this year’s Canadian Junior will make her second consecutive start in the CP Women’s Open.

Rounding out the list of announced player exemptions are reigning Canadian Women’s Amateur champion Brianna Navarrosa of San Diego, 2018 Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion Yealimi Noh of San Francisco, a rising star who earned the Marlene Streit Low Amateur at the 2018 CP Women’s Open, and LPGA Tour professional Cheyenne Woods of Phoenix, Ariz.

“We are pleased to extend tournament exemptions to each of these deserving athletes and look forward to welcoming them all to Magna Golf Club,” said CP Women’s Open Tournament Director Ryan Paul.

“Each of these players brings added depth and a unique personal storyline to our National Women’s Open Championship and we look forward to having them compete at the CP Women’s Open.”

A list of early player commitments was announced July 2^nd and included notable names such as defending champion Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., former champions Lydia Ko of New Zealand, So Yeon Ryu of South Korea and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, as well as 17of the top 20 players on the LPGA Tour Money List. In all, the 2019 CP Women’s Open will feature 95 of the top 100 players from the LPGA Tour Money List. The final field including additional player exemptions (not including four Monday qualifiers), will be announced Wednesday, August 14.

2019 CP WOMEN’S OPEN TICKETS

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the CP Women’s Open features miles of front row seating for golf fans to experience Canada’s lone stop on the LPGA Tour and cheer on Canadian sensation and CP Ambassador Brooke Henderson as she defends her national title on home soil.

General admission tickets, starting at just $20 for early week access, provide access to the grounds to get an up-close look at the stars of the LPGA Tour. Tournament rounds for Thursday, Friday and Saturday are just $50; a Sunday final-round ticket is $60; and a weeklong, fully transferable badge is $120.

A specially priced youth ticket (13-17 years old) is also available while juniors aged 12-and-under gain FREE grounds admission all week long.

In addition to general admission tickets, a limited number of upgraded spectator viewing experiences are still available. A full list of ticket packages and pricing is available online at www.cpwomensopen.com/tickets.

CP HAS HEART IN SUPPORT OF SICKKIDS FOUNDATION

Canadian Pacific will continue its history of making a substantial donation to the host community through its CP Has Heart community investment program. In the five years of CP’s title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open, $8.5 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in communities across Canada. This year, the campaign will benefit SickKids Foundation, the primary charity partner for the 2019 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, as well as Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ont. For more information on CP Has Heart, visit www.cphasheart.com.

BIRDIES FOR HEART

You can help fundraise for an upgraded Cardiac Operating Suite at SickKids by pledging a donation amount or per birdie for 2019 CP Women’s Open tournament play. Whenever a LPGA Tour player sinks a birdie on the 17th hole, your chosen dollar amount is donated to SickKids Foundation. For all donations made through Birdies For Heart, spectator support will be matched by CP. To participate, please click here.

CP WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT TO KICK OFF TOURNAMENT WEEK

Canada and Canadian Pacific are proud to conduct the second annual CP Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday, August 20 at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North in Richmond Hill, Ont., as part of the weeklong excitement of the 2019 CP Women’s Open. The CP Women’s Leadership Summit will bring together like-minded businesswomen from across the country for a day of networking, empowerment and philanthropy. The Summit will also raise awareness for the CP Women’s Open, with attendees receiving access to the tournament during the week.

Keynote speaker Roberta Bowman, Chief Brand & Communications Officer of the LPGA will be joined by LPGA Tour Professional Mariah Stackhouse for an athlete Q&A. Attendees will hear from business leaders Maeghan Albiston, Assistant Vice-President of Investor Relations & Pensions at CP, Anne Simard, Chief Mission & Research Officer of the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Jennifer Tory, Chief Administrative Officer of RBC. A new addition to the leadership summit in 2019 is the athlete panel, which will feature four accomplished Canadian Olympians—speed skater Anastasia Bucsis, soccer goalkeeper Karina Leblanc, multi-sport star Georgia Simmerling and two-time ice hockey gold medalist Natalie Spooner. Rogers Sportsnet Central Co-Anchor Evanka Osmak will act as the emcee and panel moderator for the event.

For more information about the CP Women’s Leadership Summit, including tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.cpwomensopen.com/wls.

NORTH PLAINS, Ore. — Annually one of the most pressure-packed days in golf, the final round of the WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by KraftHeinz didn’t disappoint with Bo Hoag shooting a final-round 65 to take home his first title. With the win, Hoag earns a spot in The 25, joining 24 other graduates on Sunday evening in securing 2019-20 PGA TOUR membership.

Hoag was one of two players to move into The 25 this week, joining local favourite Scott Harrington who finished in solo-second place. Hoag moved from 31^st to seventh in the points standings, while Harrington rose from 38^th to 19^th.

“Life-changer; You know what’s at stake on a day like today and your mind drifts to it a little bit,” said Hoag, who set the tournament record at 22-under. “You picture what you’re going to be doing after your round….either back here getting a card on this green or packing your car up to go home. I just told myself I wasn’t going to leave here this evening without getting a card on this green. Great day.”

Hoag, a 31-year-old Ohio State University alum, carded a bogey-free round on Sunday to clinch the victory. While as many as five players were tied for the lead on the back nine, Hoag birdied three of his last five to claim the two-stroke win. The former Buckeye has competed on the Korn Ferry Tour each of the past three years and was a member of the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada from 2013-15. The veteran tied for the lead in bogey avoidance, tallying only three over 72 holes. He had a dramatic escape at the par-3 12^th when his ball came to rest about a foot outside the pond.

The Columbus, Ohio, native is especially looking forward to advancing to the Korn Ferry Tour Finals with his TOUR card already in hand. The first event, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship, is next week in Columbus. Fellow Ohio State alum Jack Nicklaus called Hoag to congratulate him following the win.

“For me, going to the Memorial Tournament in Columbus [next year] will be special,” said Hoag. “I’ve got some roots there. That’s what got me started thinking this was what I wanted to do. It wasn’t going to be easy, but I was inspired by all that going on out there with my grandpa and dad and watching. Next week will almost be like a victory lap.”

Canadian Michael Gligic (Burlington, Ont.) secured his card in July after his strongest season as a professional, highlighted by a win at the Panama Championship in February.

“It’s been pretty crazy. This might be, like, year 11 now, so it’s been a lot of time on the mini tours, a lot of time practicing with the goal of getting there,” said Gligic. “For it to happen has been pretty special. You dream about making it to the PGA TOUR, or at least it’s always in the back of your mind. It’s golf, so if anyone tells you they haven’t thought about quitting out here, they’re lying to you.”

Harrington, the 54-hole leader, entered the day needing at least a solo-third finish to earn his first PGA TOUR card. A closing birdie at the 18^th allowed the hometown hero to secure solo-second and ascension to the TOUR. The win in a familiar place was even more for Harrington with his wife, Jenn, in attendance. Jenn has twice battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma and is now cancer-free. She flew in on Saturday night and watched Harrington earn his card.

“A lot of focus gets put on us, and what we’ve been through, but what she’s been through has been hell,” said Harrington. “It was rough for me, but it pales in comparison to what she’s actually had to go through. To see her so happy on 18, it’s just everything. Family is everything, family trumps golf. To be able to do it for her and have her in attendance makes it that much more meaningful.”

Vincent Whaley, a rookie from Atlanta, earned the 25^th and final PGA TOUR card despite missing the weekend. The Georgia Tech alum waited for 48 hours to see if his 761 points would ultimately be enough.

“Honestly, I probably had the worst two days of my life trying to figure it out, doing the math and being a complete psychopath,” said Whaley. “It was a horrible two days, but it worked out…I’m just really happy right now. This is a dream since I started playing golf, to make it onto the PGA TOUR.”

Chris Baker, who also missed the cut this week, finished as the odd man out at 26^th in the points standings. Baker, along with the rest of the top 75 players in the standings, will advance to the Korn Ferry Tour Finals where he will attempt to earn one of 25 additional TOUR cards. Two out of the past three players to finish 26^th in the standings have gone on to earn their cards in the Finals. Those players (Keith Mitchell and Xander Schauffele) have already combined for five PGA TOUR victories.

China’s Xinjun Zhang, who finished T43 this week, retained the top spot in The 25, though Robby Shelton, No. 2 in the standings, gained ground with a T11 finish. The top points-earner after the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance will earn fully exempt status and an exemption into the 2020 PLAYERS Championship.

CP ambassador and Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Lorie Kane plays hole 17 alongside Canadian #golf journalist Adam Stanley in support of Birdies for Heart at Magna Golf Club, site of the 2019 CP Women’s Open from Aug. 19-25.

Click here to learn how to donate.