LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The trophies continue to pile up for Canadian superstar Brooke Henderson.

The 21-year-old Smiths Falls, Ont., native was honoured with an ESPY award on Wednesday night for the Best Female Golfer of 2019. Earlier this spring, Henderson collected her ninth LPGA Tour title, becoming the winningest Canadian professional golfer in history.

The Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards are presented by the ABC television network and were previously put on by American sports network ESPN.

“Extremely honoured to receive Best Female Golfer at the #ESPYS!! So cool!” said Henderson from her verified Twitter account.

She was unable to attend the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles because she’s competing at the Marathon Classic at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio, this week.

Extremely honoured to receive Best Female Golfer at the #ESPYS!! So cool! ☺️??

— Brooke Henderson (@BrookeHenderson) July 11, 2019

Henderson, a graduate of Golf Canada’s National Team program, captured the hearts of Canadians from coast-to-coast in August of 2018 when she became the first Canadian to win the National Open since 1973. 

The other nominees were Ariya Jutanugarn, Jin-Young Ko and Sung Hyun Park.

When your ball is on the putting green, your caddie is now allowed to mark, lift and clean it, with or without the player’s approval.

Visit golfcanada.ca/rules to learn more.

WINDSOR, Ont.— Entering the final round of the Windsor Championship with 26 players within four strokes of the lead, the stage was set for an incredible day of golf. Sunday did not disappoint.

Especially if your name is Dawson Armstrong.

Opening with two birdies in his first three holes, the Lipscomb University alum managed a clean card, marking down three more circles throughout the day.

Not having to make a par putt from outside three feet for the duration of the round, Armstrong picked up his first-career Mackenzie Tour title by one stroke over six players.

“I’ve never seen a leaderboard as jam-packed as that one,” said Armstrong following the victory. “Come about No. 16 today there were 12 guys within two shots of the lead, it was just jam packed all day and anyone could make a run at any given time.”

Playing in the third to last grouping of the day, Armstrong tapped in for par on hole No. 18 at 20-under and managed to dodge bullet after bullet as he became a highly-engaged spectator. This was already after Patrick Fishburn missed a short par putt on the last hole in the group ahead to drop to 19-under.

Playing competitor Ryan Ruffels missed a six-foot birdie putt which would have matched Armstrong in the clubhouse. At the same time, the entire final group of Bryson Nimmer, Jonathan Garrick and Will Register, who were all within one-stroke of the lead, made bogey on the difficult No. 16 to fall two back.

Register managed birdie on No. 17, giving himself a chance to force a playoff, but had to chip out from the fescue following his drive, leaving himself 65-yards to the pin.

“I called my fiancé [after finishing] and she said, ‘don’t get excited until you know for sure’,” said Armstrong. “I really kept an even keel and came out here and watched, there was nothing I could do but just accept whatever happened.”

What happened was that Register almost made it, twice. The ball landed two inches from the pin, jumped a few feet past, and slowly trickled back, burning the edge of the cup; Armstrong hugged caddie Derek Bayley.

“That was the most nerve-racking shot I’ve ever seen from someone, he’s got some guts to hit that shot when he needed it,” said Armstrong. “Sadly, he didn’t make it and sadly we didn’t have the chance to perform in a playoff. (Register) is a deserving player and he’s going to get his share out here.”

Entering the week in spot No. 13 on the Order of Merit, Armstrong said that it was his previous professional experience that helped propel him through Sunday.

“This is my 15^thevent up here, so putting myself in contention two of the last four events, I’m really happy with where I was,” said Armstrong. “The game felt great and I’m more confident than I’ve ever been

“To have it all cap off this week was really special, because it feels good to be back in that situation where you have the nerves running and you have to calm down and just perform, that was the best feeling.”

His second year on the Mackenzie Tour, Armstrong had a moderately successful debut campaign, finishing in spot No. 34 on the order of merit following a successful collegiate career where he managed the lowest career scoring average (71.2) in Lipscomb history.

“Last year I never felt like I could get myself in contention, whether it was me backdooring a top 10 or worrying about the cut every week, it was a different mindset last year compared to this year,” said the 23-year old. “Instead of trying to finish top-10, I’m going out trying to win, and this week it worked out pretty good.”

Fishburn, Ruffels, Garrick, Register, Paul Barjon and Anthony Maccaglia made up the grouping one-stroke back, while Riley Wheeldon managed his second Canada Life Canadian Player of the Week title of the season, as well as his first top-10 finish of the year, finishing two-strokes back at T8.

BLAINE, Minn. – Matthew Wolff shot a 9-under 62 Saturday to share the lead with Collin Morikawa and Bryson DeChambeau at 15 under after three rounds of the inaugural 3M Open.

Morikawa shot a 64 at the TPC Twin Cities, while DeChambeau had a 70.

Wolff, 20, who won the NCAA individual title on Memorial Day, is playing in his third event since turning professional, and the 22-year-old Morikawa his fourth.

DeChambeau, who opened the day with a two-shot lead, is vying for his sixth career win and first since the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in November.

Seeking his first tour win in 31 starts, Wyndham Clark, 25, shot a 64 and was tied with Canada’s Adam Hadwin (69) one shot back.

Fellow Canadians Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C. are both inside the top 20 at T9 and T17, respectively.

Sixteen players are within four shots of the lead, including Hideki Matsuyama, Charles Howell III and Troy Merritt, who graduated from nearby Spring Lake Park High School. Each shot a 66 and were two shots behind.

Playing in ideal weather conditions – temperatures in the low-80s, increasing clouds and no wind – 65 of the 85 players shot under par on the par-71 layout.

Wolff, who made his professional debut two weeks ago by finishing 80th at the Travelers Championship and missed the cut at last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, used stellar approach shots to help him record six straight birdies on Nos. 5-10. None of the putts were longer than 8 feet. Birdies at No. 13 and 15 made a round of 59 seem possible.

However, Wolff missed a 4-foot birdie putt on No. 16 and a tee shot into a bunker led to bogey on the par-3 17th. He scrambled for birdie on No. 18 after an errant tee shot.

Named the Pac-12 Men’s Golfer of the Year in May, Morikawa made his professional debut four weeks ago and finished tied for 14th at the RBC Canadian Open. He tied for 35th at the U.S. Open and tied for 36th at the Travelers Championship two weeks ago.

Morikawa birdied five of his first seven holes, but only three the rest of the way.

DeChambeau birdied the first and last holes, had one bogey and 15 pars.

Clark, 25, who has two top-10s in his previous 30 events since 2017, had eight birdies, including four straight to start the back nine, as part of a 7-under 64.

You or anyone else are now allowed  to repair almost any damage on the putting green.

Visit golfcanada.ca/rules to learn more.

BLAINE, Minn. – Scott Piercy went on a late birdie binge en route to a 9-under 62 and the first-round lead at the inaugural 3M Open on Thursday.

Adam Hadwin and Hideki Matsuyama are each two shots back after a 7-under 64 at the TPC Twin Cities.

Hadwin, an Abbotsford, B.C., native, posted a string of four consecutive birdies on the front to move into contention. Three fellow Canadians are three strokes back at 4 under par: Nick Taylor (Abbotsford, B.C.), Mac Hughes (Dundas, Ont.), Roger Sloan (Merritt, B.C.).

Seeking his fifth career tour win and first since the 2018 Zurich Classic, Piercy birdied one of his first seven holes and eight of his final 11, including a nearly 30-foot putt on No. 16 to get to 8 under.

Brian Harman, Sungjae Im, Patton Kizzire and Sam Saunders are among a group three back after shooting 6-under 65.

Bryson DeChambeau is among nine players who shot 5-under 66 and are four shots back.

Brooks Koepka, the world’s top-ranked player, is among more than a dozen players that shot a 4-under 67. Nate Lashley, who won last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, finished 2 under.

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@ahadwingolf is 2 off the pace through 18 at the @3mopen ?? 3 more Canadians are inside the top 20 ?

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on Jul 4, 2019 at 5:58pm PDT

The 3M Open is the first regular tour event in Minnesota since 1969; however, the U.S. Open and PGA Championship have each twice been contested at Hazeltine National Golf Club. The 2016 Ryder Cup was also played there and is to return in 2028.

The tournament replaces a PGA Tour Champions event held in the Land of 10,000 Lakes for 26 years.

A 36-minute weather delay occurred shortly after Piercy teed off, and showers fell briefly a couple of times during the rest of his round. The winds also picked up at times in the afternoon.

Playing in the calm morning, Matsuyama and Hadwin found better success on the soft greens.

Matsuyama entered the day ranked 93rd on tour, averaging 28.95 putts per round. He had 26 Thursday, including making 13 of 14 from inside 10 feet and four of five from 10 to 15 feet. He did not three-putt a hole.

Starting on No. 10, Matsuyama, a five-time tour champion who last won at the 2017 Bridgestone Invitational, had four straight birdies around the turn to get to 6 under before back-to-back birdies on Nos. 5 and 6, the first an 18-foot putt. His lone bogey was his final hole.

Playing two groups behind Matsuyama, Hadwin, 40th in putts per round, was 3 under through nine holes, and birdied four straight holes among his final nine. He made all 15 putts from inside 10 feet and made two of three from between 20 and 25 feet.

“Hideki and I are kind of taking out the Fourth of July celebration for Americans so far,” joked Hadwin, a Canadian whose wife is from the United States. “I’ve got a green card, so it’s home for me.”

Phil Mickelson had seven penalty strokes, including two on the par-5 18th, and finished 3 over.

Minnesota native Tim Herron aced the 208-yard eighth hole.

It wasn’t long ago that Rebecca Lee-Bentham walked away from chasing the dream of playing competitive professional golf at the game’s highest level.

Somewhere along the line the former Canadian National Amateur Team standout and LPGA Tour player lost her passion for competitive golf. She wasn’t the first golfer this has happened to and she certainly won’t be the last. But, as golf has a way of doing, pulled her back.

And today, the 27-year-old from Markham, Ont., can officially say she’s back on track to the long and winding road of competitive professional golf after winning the DCM PGA Women’s Championship of Canada in thrilling fashion Thursday at the Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto.

Lee-Bentham posted a final round 9-under-par 63—both a new course record at Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto and personal best—to come from behind and claim the title by four-shots over last year’s winner Jessica Porvasnik.

“I really leaned on my past experiences today,” Lee-Bentham admitted after her round. “All day I was thinking about all the little moments in my golf journey out and tried to use them as a guide throughout today’s round.”

Starting the day two shots off the lead—held by 15-year-old Emily Chu, Elizabeth Tong, Selena Costabile, Liv Cheng and Tiana Cruz—Lee-Bentham made 11 birdies and two bogeys on the day, setting a new course record (that was set just hours earlier with Porvasnik’s 64.)

“To be honest, I got a lot of good bounces out there today,” Lee-Bentham said. “A lot of times when you get a bad bounce or two your mood gets down, but when you get a good bounce, your spirit stays up and allows you to keep playing good golf.”

With the win, she joins the likes of Brooke Henderson, Lorie Kane, Alena Sharp, Cathy Sherk, Gail Graham and Nancy Harvey as a winner of this historic event.

“There are so many great names on this trophy and it’s so nice to add my name to it,” she said.

Lee-Bentham also earns an exemption into this year’s CP Canadian Women’s Open at Magna Golf Club later this summer.

Porvasnik finished alone in second at -6, while Zhu rounded out the top three at -5. Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto member Costabile was at -4 in fourth with Valerie Tanguay and Cheng rounding out the top five at -3.

The Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto hosted the inaugural DCM PGA Women’s Championship in 1987, which was won by PGA of Canada Hall of Fame member Cathy Sherk. The club also hosted the event in 1999 (won by Lorie Kane), in 2007 (won by Salimah Mussani).

The PGA of Canada’s Women’s PGA Cup spot were handed out Thursday.

Taking place Oct. 22-26 at the Omni Barton Creek Resort  & Spa in Austin, Texas, PGA members from across the world come together in a team competition for this landmark event.

The five members representing the PGA of Canada at the event are determined by their performance at the DCM PGA Women’s Championship in 2018 and 2019. Furthermore, the low club professional at the championship in ’18 and ’19 receives an automatic spot on the team.

The team consists of:

• Emma De Groot, Hamilton Golf and Country Club;
• Meghan Allum, Magna Golf Club;
• Casey Ward, Credit Valley Golf and Country Club;
• Rebecca Lee-Bentham, RLB Golf;
• Christine Wong, Langara College

The next PGA national championship takes place this August at Carleton Golf and Yacht Club for the PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada.

There is no longer a penalty for hitting the flagstick that is in the hole when you’ve played your stroke from off the putting green or if you’ve played your stroke from on the green.

Visit golfcanada.ca/rules to learn more.

The term penalty area has been introduced and will replace areas previously known as water hazards.

Visit golfcanada.ca/rules to learn more.

AURORA, Ont. – When she was just 10 years old, Brooke Henderson’s dad Dave took her to an LPGA event where she briefly met her idol Morgan Pressel. Pressel spoke to Henderson about her golf game, took a picture and autographed her shirt.

Weeks later, they met again at the CP Women’s– Open at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club. Pressel remembered Brooke Henderson’s name, a moment the young Canadian still treasures.

Now 21-years old, ranked No. 8 in the world, and with the most wins in Canadian pro golf history, Henderson sees it as her responsibility to create memories for her young fans like Pressel did for her.

“When I first met her, she spent that little bit of extra time with me, signed my shirt, took a picture with me, it was just a really incredible moment that I’ll remember forever,” said Henderson on Tuesday. “I think now I’m just trying to pay that forward to every little kid that I meet.”

Henderson will easily be the most popular player at the CP Women’s Open at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont., this August, and will have plenty of opportunities to interact with her fans, most of whom are children.

“It’s really special to see those young kids, when they want my autograph or they want a picture with me it’s sort of surreal but it’s really inspiring for me,” said a beaming Henderson. “I do think that the LPGA is very approachable. We love little kids and we love spending time with them.

“I think that’s kind of what separates our tour from a lot of other major sports.”

The CP Women’s Open has not been in the Greater Toronto Area since 2001, when Annika Sorenstam won at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont. Because of Henderson’s popularity among Canadian fans and its proximity to Canada’s largest city, it’s expected that it will be one of the best attended events on the LPGA Tour’s calendar this year.

Defending champ @BrookeHenderson leads a star-studded field of early commitments to the 2019 #CPWO ??⛳️#CloserToTheGame

➡️ https://t.co/w2G0RCHkrH pic.twitter.com/uMii5HFTVU

— CP Women's Open (@cpwomensopen) July 2, 2019

Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane, who will be playing in her 29th CP Women’s Open, thinks the timing couldn’t be better for the popularity of the sport in Canada.

“It’s time that we came back to the GTA. It’s time for women’s golf to be elevated one more level in this country,” said Kane, raising her hands for emphasis. “We all know in this room that (Henderson) is changing the way people see women’s golf in our country.

“We’ve been trending in the right direction but why do we keep saying that? We’re in a really awesome place.”

Golf Canada, the LPGA, and Canadian Pacific railways – the event’s title sponsor – announced on Tuesday that the field at the US$2.25 million tournament will include 15 of the top 20 golfers on the LPGA’s money list, and 90 of the top 100.

Henderson, the first Canadian to win the national title in 45 years, is one of seven past CP Women’s Open champions confirmed for 2019. Sung Hyun Park (2017), Ariya Jutanugarn (2016), So Yeon Ryu (2014), Katherine Kirk (2008), Cristie Kerr (2006) and three-time winner Lydia Ko (2015, 2013, 2012) are the other past winners in the field.

Henderson welcomes the stiff competition.

“I love it. Being able to beat the best in the world is one of the best things about this sport,” said Henderson. “To tee it up and know that you are playing the best and that you have to play really, really, well and hit shots that you’ve never hit before and shoot low scores, make a ton of birdies, that’s really exciting.”