The Ottawa Senators have reached a multi-year partnership with Canadian LPGA star Brooke Henderson, the NHL team announced Wednesday.

As part of the agreement, Henderson’s water bottles and golf towels will feature the Ottawa Senators logo.  

The 26-year-old Henderson is the most decorated Canadian golfer in major professional tour history. 

The Smiths Falls, Ont., native has 13 LPGA tour wins, including major titles at the 2016 Women’s PGA Championship and the 2022 Evian Championship.

“We are so happy to collaborate with Brooke on this partnership,” said Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer. “Brooke’s spirit, values and determination embody what our Ottawa-Gatineau community is all about.”

“I’m super excited to team up and partner with the Senators. It’s such a cool opportunity,” Henderson said. “Growing up, I played hockey, I watched hockey and I always cheered for the Sens, so it feels like a perfect fit. 

“I’m very proud to do it and show everybody who I’m cheering for and where my love is.”

This year’s Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club will be the most Canadian version of the international men’s golf event, ever.

Taylor Pendrith, Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes were named to the International Team on Tuesday for the upcoming best-on-best tournament that sees 12 players from around the world — excluding Europe — face 12 golfers from the United States in match-play competition. It’s the first time three Canadians have played in the prestigious international event at the same time.

Canadian golf legend Mike Weir used three of his six captain’s selections on Pendrith, Conners and Hughes. He also picked South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout, South Korea’s Si Woo Kim and Australia’s Min Woo Lee to be on his team.

Weir, who is from Brights Grove, Ont., said it was a nice bonus to have the most-ever Canadians on the International Team when Royal Montreal hosts the Presidents Cup from Sept. 24-29, but the decision was based purely on putting forward the most competitive team possible.

“You have to be fair to the whole international community. I think I was very justified on the three (Canadian) picks,” said Weir after practice with the captain’s picks at Royal Montreal. “I think it just shows the state of Canadian golf that we can pick three for five or six guys that were in the mix.

“You do want the Canadian fans. I think they’re going to be very engaged with all our International players but having some Canadians on there brings a little bit more juice, so to speak, to our team.”

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, Korea’s Sungjae Im and Byeong Hun An, as well as Australia’s Adam Scott and Jason Day had already been automatically selected as the top six golfers on the International Team rankings following the completion of the BMW Championship on Aug. 25.

Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, both from Abbotsford, B.C., had been vying to join the team but missed out. Weir said that it was tough to not include them on the team and have four or even five Canadians playing on home soil.

“Both those calls to those guys were extremely difficult,” said Weir. “The way they handled it just showed me a lot about their character, which I already knew, but even made me respect them even more.

“I just told them that they’re going to be on these Cups going forward, and stay engaged with this Presidents Cup team.”

Weir’s International side will face off against Jim Furyk’s U.S. squad in the match-play competition. 

Furyk named his six captain’s picks to the U.S. team shortly after Weir’s announcement. Keegan Bradley, Sam Burns, Tony Finau, Brian Harman, Russell Henley and Max Homa were all added to the squad.

They join world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 2 Xander Schauffele, No. 4 Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay and Sahith Theegala.

Furyk said it was a long process to settle on his lineup after being appointed captain a year ago.

“It seems like the train is moving really slowly to get to this point but it picks up a lot of speed for the next three weeks getting us to Royal Montreal,” he said. “Good to have 12 guys on our team. 

“I know they’re bonding, gelling, talking a lot about the event, and now we’ll put some finishing touches on our pairings and getting these guys ready to go in three weeks.”

The U.S. beat the Internationals 17 1/2 to 12 1/2 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte in 2022. It was the Americans’ ninth consecutive victory at the event. 

Indeed, the International team has only won the event once in 14 tries, emerging victorious at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 1998 when captain Peter Thompson led them to a 20 1/2 – 11 1/2 triumph over Jack Nicklaus’s American squad. 

“I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about how many years it’s been, but I think the things we’ve done to increase our chances are a lot of the little things behind the scenes,” said Weir. “It’s no secret that we’ve struggled to form unity with all the cultural differences and things the International Team has had to deal with over the years.

“That’s why we’ve implemented a lot more engagement amongst the players playing practice rounds and us doing some dinners to get the guys together to get more familiar with one another.”

The three Canadians have that familiarity baked in. All three grew up playing against each other in Ontario junior competitions and then attended Kent State University together. 

Their playing styles are complementary as well. 

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., has one of the biggest drivers on the PGA Tour. Conners, from Listowel, Ont., is arguably the best ball striker in the world. Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., is renowned for his accuracy with his putter.

___________________________________________

Corey Conners

• Country: Canada
• Age: 32
• PGA TOUR Wins: 2
• Presidents Cup: 1 (2022), 0-4-0

2024 Highlights: Has notched three top-10 finishes in 2024 including a season-best, solo-sixth-place effort at the RBC Canadian Open.

Captain Weir on Conners: “Corey is one of the best ball-strikers on the PGA TOUR and his ability to consistently put himself and his playing partner in a position to attack is invaluable in team competition. He has looked towards the 2024 Presidents Cup for two years now, and I know he’s eager to compete in front of his fellow Canadians.”

Mackenzie Hughes

• Country: Canada
• Age: 33
• PGA TOUR Wins: 2
• Presidents Cup: First appearance

2024 Highlights: Has recorded three top-10 finishes including a season-best T3 at the Valspar Championship. Only missed four cuts in 22 starts, marking a career best.

Captain Weir on Hughes: “Canadian golf fans have followed Mackenzie’s career for nearly two decades and it’s incredible to know he’s going to make his Presidents Cup debut in his home country. He is steady and calm under pressure and is without doubt one of the best putters on the PGA TOUR, which is a great combination for our team.”

Taylor Pendrith

• Country: Canada
• Age: 33
• PGA TOUR Wins: 1
• Presidents Cup: 1 (2022), 0-4-0

2024 Highlights: Picked up the first win of his PGA TOUR career at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Recorded five additional top-10 finishes while advancing to the TOUR Championship for the first time.

Captain Weir on Pendrith: “Taylor is in the midst of his best year on the PGA TOUR, and it was great to see him breakthrough for his first win in Dallas and advancing to the TOUR Championship. He has built a reputation as one of the longest hitters in our game, and that length should be advantageous in match play competition at Royal Montreal.”

Weir’s International side will face off against Jim Furyk’s U.S. squad in the match-play competition, Sept. 24-29, at The Royal Montreal Golf Club.

Pendrith and Conners — close friends — also played for the International Team at the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte.

That was the first time two Canadians had played at the elite event.

Ultimately, the Internationals lost 17 1/2 to 12 1/2 to the United States.

The International team has only won once in the event’s history, emerging victorious at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 1998 when captain Peter Thompson led them to a 20 1/2 – 11 1/2 triumph over Jack Nicklaus’s American squad. 

Leah John knows that the standard answer for on what her goals are as an up-and-coming golfer should be something like “top 15 on the Epson Tour” or “get my LPGA card.” 

But, if she’s being honest, she’d rather just refine her process.

“I am just really focused on getting me and my game the best it can be, and then seeing where that takes it,” John said on Wednesday. “I have always believed that things will work out the way they want to if you put in the work and make a plan and just stick to it.

“I know it’s kind of a lame answer. I know the proper answer is ‘be the best golfer in the world,’ but really it’s to be the best I am right now.”

The 24-year-old from Vancouver turned pro this spring after graduating from the University of Nevada and has seven Epson Tour events under her belt since late April. She’s made the cut three times, including a tie for eighth at the Twin Bridges Championship on July 19.

“I think the thing that I’m still trying to figure out is the difference between playing to win versus playing not to lose, and kind of how you work around that and using pressure to fuel you,” she said.

The top 10 at Twin Bridges in Guilderland, N.Y., is the perfect example. 

John needed a good showing or she’d have to go to the LPGA and Epson Tour’s Qualifying Tournament Stage 1. She started the final round with back-to-back bogeys and briefly got down on herself but, by sticking with her process, she bounced back with four birdies on the final seven holes to earn her first professional top 10.

“You can’t think about it at all but you want it to happen, right?” said John on the difficult balance of staying present while trying to achieve goals. “You have to dial into the process more and more. 

“So learning that, there’s so much your mind kind of can help you get away with. This is the thing my coach (Jennifer Greggain) and I talk about all the time: trusting your mind, trusting your brain, to create what you want, and not getting in its way.”

John will be back in action on Friday at the Four Winds Invitational in South Bend, Ind. She’ll be joined by Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., and Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C. 

Thibault is 114th on the Race for the Card points list, Szeryk is 117th, John is 120th and Kwon is unranked.

LPGA TOUR — Rookie Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., leads the Canadian contingent into this week’s FM Championship. She’s 93rd on the Race to CME Globe rankings heading into play at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (113th) and Maude-Aimee Leblanc (141st) of Sherbrooke, Que., are also in the field.

PGA TOUR — Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is the lone Canadian in the Tour Championship at East Lake golf Club in Atlanta. The final event of the season has the top 30 players on the PGA Tour start with a score based on their rankings. Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler will tee off on Thursday at 10 under, No. 2 Xander Schauffele begins at 8 under, and so on. Pendrith, who starts tied for 21st, will start the tournament at 1 under.

PGA TOUR AMERICAS — Matthew Anderson of Mississauga is second in the Fortinet Cup standings, heading into the second last event of the PGA Tour Americas season. He can gain some ground on John Keefer of the United States at this week’s CRMC Championship in Brainerd, Minn. There are 13 Canadians in the field at Craguns Legacy Course.

To learn more about how to get involved with First Tee – Canada or Youth on Course, visit firstteecanada.ca or golfcanada.ca/youthoncourse.

Golf is now the most-played sport in Canada and will be played by approximately six million Canadians from a variety of socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds this year. To sustain the growth of the sport and ensure that golf represents the strengths of Canada’s diversity, junior programs must be accessible and affordable. 

Golf courses operated by cities are open to the public and provide affordable golf opportunities for people of various ages and economic means. Municipally run spaces also serve as community hubs, fostering social interaction and integration among people of all backgrounds. This sense of community encourages participation in golf and attracts individuals and families who may not have considered the sport otherwise.

These facilities are especially welcoming for children, as they provide quality recreation at an affordable cost. Many municipal golf courses, particularly those in major markets, offer a low-cost annual pass for children 18 and under. For example, an annual junior pass to play at all five of the City of Toronto courses costs $378, with financial aid available for qualifying families.

Membership at a municipal golf course provides children with an entire spring, summer and fall’s worth of outdoor activity and in-person social time for a cost that is more affordable than most other sports.

The initial step in Golf Canada’s partnerships with municipalities is to engage children through First Tee – Canada, a youth development program that provides life-enhancing experiences through golf at community centres, schools and golf courses.

Golf Canada has formally partnered with 34 municipalities from coast-to-coast, including major metropolitans like the cities of Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax. In addition, over 83 per cent of First Tee – Canada’s community centre locations serve low-socioeconomic neighbourhoods.

The intention is to first introduce children to golf through First Tee – Canada at city-operated community centres, then transition them to on-course programming at their nearby municipal golf course through events and registered programming.

Golf Canada distributes private registration links to local community centres, who primarily serve children from equity deserving communities. With the support of RBC, all First Tee programming provided at the municipal level is offered at no cost to the participants or program locations.

After children have experienced registered programming and are ready to progress their skills on the course, they can play rounds of golf at their municipal course for $5 or less through Youth on Course. All First Tee – Canada participants receive a complimentary Youth on Course membership that allows them to access affordable green fees at participating courses across Canada.

There are currently 21 municipal courses that have partnered with Golf Canada and Youth on Course. With the continued support of RBC and provincial golf associations, Golf Canada helps subsidize rounds of golf to youth aged 18 and under. Since 2018, nearly 17,000 rounds of affordable golf have been played by juniors at these participating courses.

Together, Golf Canada and municipalities are working together to create an accessible, affordable entry-point into the sport for all young people across Canada.

The R&A and the USGA have put together a survey about the World Handicap System (WHS™) and you are invited to participate.

Your honest feedback and insights are invaluable to the ongoing review of the Rules of Handicapping™ and the Course Rating System™, which have accuracy, consistency and equity as core principles – as well as enhancing the enjoyment of the game of golf for everyone. 

This is a global survey, and all individual responses are confidential and anonymous.

Please click on the link below to start the survey:

START SURVEY

Oakville, Ont. – Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Ryan Paul of Ancaster, Ont. has been appointed Tournament Director of the RBC Canadian Open.

Paul has served the past seven years with Golf Canada as Tournament Director of the CPKC Women’s Open, Canada’s lone stop on the LPGA Tour. During Paul’s tenure as CPKC Women’s Open Tournament Director, the National Open Championship has been hosted in four provinces and has become a signature women’s sporting event in Canada, having earned back-to-back LPGA Tournament of the Year honours in 2022 and 2023. In addition, the tournament has won a number of awards including, Best Sponsor Activation (2023, 2022 and 2019), Best Charity and Community Engagement (2022, 2019 and 2017), Best Volunteer Appreciation (2023) and has seen the largest build on the LPGA Tour (2023, 2022).

A member of Golf Canada’s Senior Leadership Team, Paul has led Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship to record levels of commercial and operational success since taking over as Tournament Director in 2017. Last month’s CPKC Women’s Open – hosted for the first time ever at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary, Alta. set a new tournament record with 73,290 fans attending the event.

“Ryan Paul has done a tremendous job in growing every aspect of the CPKC Women’s Open and he will now take that stellar record into continuing to grow the RBC Canadian Open and maintain the amazing trajectory of this award-winning PGA TOUR event,” said Laurence Applebaum, Chief Executive Officer, Golf Canada. “Ryan comes from a lineage of great tournament directors with his father Bill occupying a similar role for many years. Ryan is just the right leader and growth mindset to be the ideal new leader of this great national championship.”

A collaborative and experienced golf industry leader, Paul has been a key contributor to Golf Canada’s professional championships team and the success of Canada’s National Open Championships dating back to 2007. Prior to being named Tournament Director of the CPKC Women’s Open, Paul worked as Golf Canada’s Manager, Professional Championships and Assistant Tournament Director, supporting both of Canada’s National Open Championships – the RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open. 

Paul honed his executive management skills with Wasserman from 2011-2016 as an account manager on the agency’s key golf accounts for RBC, CN, Shaw, Manulife, and CPKC where he managed operations, experiential activities, and player relations. 

For Paul, taking on the leadership position of Canada’s lone stop on the PGA TOUR begins a new chapter stewarding a signature Canadian sporting event that has long been a part of his life.

“I’m incredibly excited about the opportunity to take on the role of Tournament Director for the RBC Canadian Open. The RBC Canadian Open has always been a big part of my life having grown up with it and is one I am very passionate about. For Golf Canada and RBC to have the confidence in me to play a lead role in our National Men’s Open Championship is truly an honour. I am excited to dive right into preparations for the 2025 RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. The RBC Canadian Open is a world-class event and I look forward to continuing to build upon the growth and success it has achieved,” said Ryan Paul, Tournament Director, RBC Canadian Open. “I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to CPKC, the LPGA Tour’s players, caddies, staff and key stakeholders for an incredible seven years working to elevate the CPKC Women’s Open and women’s golf in Canada. I am beyond proud of what we’ve collectively accomplished highlighted by back-to-back Tournament of the Year honours. I look forward to remaining part of the CPKC Women’s Open team in a supporting role and watching the tournament continue to succeed.”

Paul takes over the role of RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director from Bryan Crawford who left Golf Canada in June to become Commissioner of the Ontario Hockey League.

Paul and his wife Samantha are parents to three young children.

The 2025 RBC Canadian Open will be conducted June 3-8 for the first time ever at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. The 2025 CPKC Women’s Open will be played August 18-24 at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont.  

Golf Canada has already begun the search for a new CPKC Women’s Open Tournament Director.

Three business leaders in Quebec alongside the Presidents Cup make
major philanthropic contributions to First Tee in Quebec and across Canada

MONTREAL, QUE. (August 6, 2024) – The Presidents Cup, Golf Canada and Golf Canada Foundation are proud to announce First Tee – Canada has been named as one of the 2024 charitable beneficiaries of the upcoming Presidents Cup and will receive a $250,000 donation from the event, returning to The Royal Montreal Golf Club Sept. 24-29.

In conjunction with being named a beneficiary of the Presidents Cup, philanthropists Paul Desmarais Jr., Jean C. Monty and Rémi Racine have each made $1 million USD gifts to support the continued growth of First Tee in Quebec and across Canada.  

Today, at the Presidents Cup media day, two lucky First Tee – Québec participants had the opportunity to caddie for Montreal Canadiens players Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Suzuki and Caulfield put their golf skills to the test as they went head-to-head in a three-hole match play competition, followed by a cheque presentation to Golf Canada Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, Martin Barnard.

“Gifts of this nature are pivotal for our program,” said Barnard. “They allow us to implement more programming across all six Canadian chapters, introduce more children to golf and make a bigger impact in local communities. The pace of growth for First Tee in Canada has been incredible and that’s owed to likeminded individuals who share the vision of championing youth.”

First Tee – Canada is Golf Canada’s youth development program that provides accessible and inclusive life-enhancing experiences through golf for children who may have otherwise not had the opportunity.

The launch of First Tee in Canada was announced in 2020 by PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan at a global press conference which revealed the 2024 Presidents Cup would be returning to Montreal.

“It feels like a full circle moment as we celebrate the new announcements today in collaboration with the Presidents Cup and reflect on the growth of First Tee in Canada over the last few years,” said Laurence Applebaum, Chief Executive Officer, Golf Canada. “We are now proudly operational in every province and earlier this year, surpassed 100,000 participants. First Tee – Canada’s success would not be possible without a generous network of supporters like Paul Desmarais, Jr., Jean C. Monty, Rémi Racine and the PGA TOUR.”

The program is delivered at golf courses, schools and community centres and provides accessible pathways of participation for children from all backgrounds. First Tee – Canada combats typical barriers of entry including affordability, transportation and perception or unfamiliarity to the sport. First Tee – Canada proudly offers over 70 per cent of programming at no cost to participants and over 50 per cent of participants identify as equity-deserving.

By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, First Tee creates active learning experiences that continue to foster life skills like inner strength, self-confidence, resilience, honesty, and respect.

“The impact First Tee has on the future of our sport is crucial,” said Ryan Hart, Executive Director, Presidents Cup. “The Presidents Cup is a proud supporter of First Tee and is pleased to showcase First Tee – Canada on our international stage. First Tee – Canada’s focus on making golf courses accessible, inclusive and empowering spaces for children and families is so important. As the Presidents Cup moves on to new stages in 2026 and beyond, we are grateful to have played a role in the greater development of the First Tee – Canada through this year’s event in Montreal and will be proud to see this chapter continue to flourish for years to come.”

The Presidents Cup will be taking place September 24-29 at The Royal Montreal Golf Club. Following the event, on Monday, September 30^th, Laval-sur-le-Lac will play host to the third annual First Tee – Québec Cup, an exclusive fundraising event to help meet the growing demand for programming across the province. More information about the fundraising event can be found at the First Tee – Québec Cup website.

Golf Canada and Golf Canada Foundation are continuously pursuing gifts to deliver programming to more children across Canada. To date, First Tee – Canada has received nearly $16 million in donations to support the launch and growth of six chapters and the onboarding of over 80 golf facilities, 80 community centres, and 200 schools.

“We are excited the Presidents Cup is coming back to Canada at Royal Montreal Golf Club,” said Paul Desmarais Jr. “As a proud supporter of the event and First Tee I am thrilled that the tournament is giving back to benefit youth in Quebec and across Canada.”

To learn how to support First Tee – Canada, please email Adam Hunter. To find a chapter near you, visit firstteecanada.ca.

Big crowds and memorable performances during the CPKC Women’s Open helped Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) raise a record $4.3 million for heart health in Alberta, with $3.8 million to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and $507,000 to the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation.  

Lauren Coughlin finished the week 13 under par to take home her first LPGA Tour victory and the US$390,000 winner’s share of the US$2.6 million purse, one of the largest for a non-major on the LPGA Tour.  

“It was wonderful to have the CPKC Women’s Open back in Calgary, home to CPKC’s global headquarters and over 2,000 of our railroaders, many of whom contributed to the incredible success of this week’s tournament,” said Keith Creel, CPKC President and CEO. “Congratulations to Lauren Coughlin on winning the CPKC Women’s Open and her first LPGA tour victory. Calgarians cheered on Lauren and all the world-class golfers while helping make a big difference for kids who are fighting to live the full, healthy lives they deserve. 

“Together, this year we raised an incredible record amount to support children’s heart health,” Creel added. “CPKC is honored to continue making a lasting difference in communities across Canada through CPKC Has Heart, our community investment program supporting heart health initiatives.” 

Since 2014, CPKC has helped raise more than $22 million for children’s heart health as the title sponsor of the CPKC Women’s Open. This year’s total donation, the biggest in the CPKC title sponsorship’s history, is the result of several fundraising efforts of the CPKC Has Heart campaign. Through CPKC Birdies for Heart, CPKC contributed for each birdie made by Earl Grey Golf Club members prior to the tournament and $5,000 for each birdie made by LPGA players on the 14th hole during championship tournament play at Earl Grey. CPKC also matched donations made during Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation campaign online in February, which is Heart Month. 

“We are so grateful for our longstanding partnership with CPKC,” said Saifa Koonar, President and CEO of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Over the last several months and culminating with this week’s tournament, CPKC has been helping inspire our community to support pediatric heart health and generously matching donations. We are in awe of the amount that’s been raised, which will fuel ground-breaking research to support early detection of heart defects in babies and give them the best possible outcomes in life.” 

Red Deer Regional Health Foundation was the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open community partner.  

“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity and support from CPKC and the participants of the CPKC Women’s Open,” said Manon Therriault, CEO of the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation. “We thoroughly enjoyed working with the various teams that made this happen and were overjoyed to be chosen as a community partner. We were thrilled to engage our community, our donors, and our hospital staff in this initiative.” 

“The funds raised will make a significant impact on cardiac care in the Alberta Central Zone, ensuring that our community has access to the best possible heart health services,” added Therriault. “Our hospital is currently undergoing an expansion, and community partnerships like this are the reason why our expanded hospital will have the enhanced care that our community members deserve. This partnership exemplifies the power of coming together to create meaningful change and improve lives.” 

“The impact that the CPKC Women’s Open has on the communities that it touches through CPKC Has Heart is immense,” said Laurence Applebaum, Chief Executive Officer, Golf Canada. “The legacy and lasting benefit to pediatric heart health saves lives and improves patient care in meaningful ways. In 2024 CPKC Has Heart once again set a new standard strengthening its position as one of the leading philanthropic initiatives in Canada.”

Brooke Henderson is geared up for the most important four weeks of her year.

The winningest professional golfer in Canadian history will tee it up in the featured group of the Amundi Evian Championship on Thursday, the fourth major of the women’s season. She’ll then play in the CPKC Women’s Open — the Canadian national championship — at Calgary’s Earl Grey Golf Club before heading back to France for the Paris Olympics, all in the span of a month.

“It’s definitely a huge stretch, so it would be a great time for the game to really show up and be in a good spot,” said Henderson, who last played at the Dow Championship where she tied for eighth with partner Lexi Thompson of the United States. “I feel like it’s definitely trending in the right direction.

“It was a lot of fun playing with Lexi a couple weeks ago, and she is playing so well and has a lot of confidence right now. I was trying to feed off that and add some of that to my game as well.”

She’ll be playing alongside reigning champion Celine Boutier of France and 2021 winner Minjee Lee of Australia in the tournament’s first and second rounds on Thursday and Friday. Henderson won the fourth major of the season in 2022 and was runner-up to Boutier last year.

“I think it’s going to be really fun for all of us in the group to feed off (French fans cheering for Boutier) and be in a really amazing atmosphere,” said Henderson. “The show that she put on last year was incredible. Nobody was going to catch her. I tried, but I couldn’t keep up.

“She’s been playing some great golf and as everyone knows she’s a great person as well, so I’m looking forward to seeing how she does here this week.”

Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., is the other Canadian in the field at the Evian. The LPGA Tour rookie said “it still feels surreal” that she’s playing in her third major after turning professional in November.

“It’s still crazy to me that you know, I’m out on tour now and I get to play in major championships that I grew up watching on TV,” said Grewal.

“I remember watching Celine Boutier win this tournament last year and now I’m here, playing the holes that I watched on TV. 

“Every major I can check off it’s just another unreal opportunity to get to go do what I love.”

Both Henderson and Grewal remarked on the unique Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, just by the Swiss border in the Alps.

“This course being built on a mountain, a slope, it’s very challenging,” said Henderson. “You never have a flat lie. You’re always compensating for something and always having to think your way around, which I think is really cool and very unique to this area.”

Grewal agreed.

“I’ve definitely noticed that there’s a lot more side slope lies in the fairway than what I’m used to,” said Grewal, after spending the day in Switzerland. “Even hilly courses that are in the mountains in North America, they tend to be more so hilly in the sense of up and down. 

“Whereas here, everything’s leaning toward one side. The front nine, I think everything’s kind of leaning left to right and then you have the back nine, where everything’s right to left.”

EPSON TOUR — Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., is the lone Canadian in the field at the Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship. She’s 128th on the Race for the Card points list. The tournament at the Great River Golf Club in Milford, Conn., begins Friday.

PGA TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., the only Canadian player on the European-base DP World Tour, will make a rare PGA Tour appearance at this week’s Genesis Scottish Open. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., is the highest-ranked Canadian in the lead-up event to the British Open. He’s 33rd on the FedEx Cup standings. Corey Conners (35th) of Listowel, Ont., Nick Taylor (43rd) of Abbotsford, and Mackenzie Hughes (51st) of Dundas, Ont., are also in the field.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., is No. 23 on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour’s points list heading into this week’s The Ascendant. Edmonton’s Wil Bateman (35th), Etienne Papineau (53rd) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., Sudarshan Yellamaraju (106th) of Mississauga, Ont., and Jared du Toit (122nd) of Kimberley, B.C., are also in the field at TPC Colorado in Berthoud, Colo.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames is still No. 1 overall on the Champions Tour. He hopes to build his lead on the senior tour at this week’s Kaulig Companies Championship starting Friday. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., is No. 25 on the Schwab Cup points list heading into play at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.

PGA TOUR AMERICAS — Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont., is second on the third-tier tour’s points list heading into the Explore NB Open. There are 18 Canadians in the field at Mactaquac Golf Course in Fredericton, N.B.

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – The International Golf Federation (IGF) today announced the fields for the men’s and women’s Olympic golf competitions at Paris 2024. The men’s Olympic golf competition will take place 1-4 August, while the women will compete 7-10 August. The Olympic golf competitions will be contested at Le Golf National, which annually hosts the FedEx Open de France on the DP World Tour and was the site of the 2018 Ryder Cup.

Once the Olympic Golf Rankings were finalised on 18 June and 25 June for the men’s and women’s Olympic golf competitions, respectively, each National Olympic Committee (NOC) then began the process of confirming their qualifiers for the competitions by 27 June (5 p.m. US Eastern Time). Past this deadline, all unused quota places were then reallocated as per the Qualification System for golf.

With 32 countries represented in the men’s Olympic golf competition and 33 in the women’s field, the composition of the Olympic fields highlights the broad global interest in golf and the opportunity to reach new audiences across all six different continents. Golf is looking to continue building upon the success of the previous two Olympic golf competitions at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Paris 2024 will mark the fifth occasion in which golf has been featured as an Olympic sport, and just the third time since 1904.

In total, 38 different NOCs will be represented across both the men’s and women’s Olympic golf competitions, with the United States of America sending the most athletes: seven (four men, three women). The following is the full list of NOCs represented in the fields for the men’s and women’s Olympic golf competitions: Australia, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United States of America.

In the men’s field, 10 of the top 15 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, as of this week, are competing in the Olympic golf competition, including all of the top-5 ranked players. In the women’s field, all 15 of the top-15 ranked women in the Rolex Rankings, as of this week, are competing in the Olympic golf competition.

FIELD FOR THE MEN’S OLYMPIC GOLF COMPETITION

Listed in alphabetical order of the NOCs

FIELD FOR THE WOMEN’S OLYMPIC GOLF COMPETITION

Listed in alphabetical order of the NOCs