When you think of the great pressure players of all time, you think of Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky. Well, Joshua Hooper better be in those conversations from this day forward. 

That’s a hyperbolic statement; but nonetheless, an amateur player hitting the shots down the stretch Hooper did is clutch. 

While it was a nail-biting finish on the back nine of the 2021 RBC PGA Scramble National Championship, the team from Whitetail Golf Club in Eganville, Ontario separated themselves from the pack during the final two holes at Cabot Links, thanks to team member Hooper. 

Maybe it was something in the water, or maybe it was something in the Cabot Cape Breton air, we may never know, but we do know that Hooper has that clutch gene.  

From 40-feet away on the 17th hole and trailing the team from Black Mountain by a stroke, Hooper stepped up and curled in the left-to-right breaker, sending his team, consisting of Jonathan Schaler, Jouni Jutila, Manraj Grewal, and Jason McGrath, the Head Professional at Stittsville Golf Course, into a frenzy.  

On the very next hole, from a downhill lie, Hooper clutched up again, hitting a 7-iron to two feet, as one of his teammates yelled, “Hooper is so clutch it’s disgusting.” 

For the full leaderboard from the final round, click here.

After all was said and done, the team from Whitetail were victorious by a stoke over the team from Black Mountain Golf Club. 

“Everything was incredible, the courses were outstanding, the people were a blast, breakfast and dinner was awesome, everything was great, there was nothing that could have been better,” said Jonathan Schaler after the win. “Winning was pretty cool too, we started in the back of the pack and moved up in crazy weather on moving day on the Cliffs.” 

Schaler is correct about the weather – the 50 km/h gusts led to scores being 5.7 strokes higher than a day prior on Monday. 

“We were pumped we got to play in such high winds, then we got a day like this, there was nothing that could have been better,” continued Schaler. 

Located in Inverness, N.S., Cabot Cape Breton is Canada’s first and only authentic links golf resort. Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the picturesque town of Inverness, the Cabot Links course represents a dramatic departure from the typical golf excursion. With six holes playing directly alongside the water and every hole offers an ocean view, Cabot Links is where traditional links-land golf comes to life against the spectacular Nova Scotia landscape.

This year’s RBC PGA Scramble was bigger than ever, with a record-setting 154 local qualifiers across the country hosting nearly 13,000 participants. In short – it was once again the amateur golf event of the summer. 

“RBC was great, Cabot was great, our caddies were awesome,” said Schaler. “After we played the first round, nobody that we saw the whole night had anything but great things to say about the event. When can we sign up for next year?” 

Playing earlier in the day, the group from Oakfield Golf Club echoed the Whitetail group’s statements about the event. 

“Thank you very much to RBC, Cabot and the PGA of Canada  for this week and making it happen,” said Oakfield Golf Club Head Professional Ryan O’Connor. “We really appreciate all the hard work and long hours and everything that goes into an event like this, it was excellent, so well done to everyone.”  

Four others earn 2022 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada status;
those in positions 6-10 earn one tournament start each in 2022

VICTORIA, B.C. – Even though he got a late start on the 2021 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season, Callum Davison made up for lost time by playing consistent, sometimes dominant, golf in his five Tour starts. Including his ninth-place finish at the season finale, the Reliance Properties DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist, Davis finished with 1,244.19 points to outdistance No. 2 Blair Bursey by 193.19 points to capture the Points List title and Player of the Year honors. Bursey began the week outside the top five, at No. 6, and mathematically couldn’t catch Davison, but he left little doubt about his status with his one-shot victory Sunday.

Davison will be exempt for every tournament on the 2022 Mackenzie Tour. In addition, as the Player of the Year, he received an invitation to play in the 2022 RBC Canadian Open, an offer also extended to Forme Tour Player of the Year Trevor Werbylo.

After Davison and Bursey, the third-, fourth- and fifth-place Points List finishers were, respectively, amateur Noah Steele, Brendan Leonard and Michael Blair. All five players earned ceremonial hockey jerseys along with their 2022 Mackenzie Tour membership cards following the end of play Sunday at Uplands Golf Club. They will all be exempt on the 2021 Mackenzie Tour for part of the season and possess the ability to maintain status based on their early season performance.

Davison, of Duncan, British Columbia, began the season playing on the U.S.-based Forme Tour after he was the medalist at that Tour’s Qualifying Tournament in suburban Tacoma, Washington. Toward the end of that campaign, in what was a disappointing season, Davison
elected to return to Canada to play the Mackenzie Tour. He immediately put his stamp on the Tour, winning the Brudenell River Classic on Prince Edward Island in his debut. He added a second win, last week in Kelowna, British Columbia, capturing the GolfBC Championship. Davison didn’t miss a cut in his five starts, and his worst finish was a tie for 19th at the Elk Ridge Open.

“It’s huge. Coming off a pretty bad season, turning it around by going back to Canada and playing how I think I can play and what I’ve worked for has paid off a little,” said Davison, who hits full shots cross-handed. “I can’t wait for the next season.”

“We had a great year, and we saw our Points List battle come down to the final day. Callum was so impressive despite missing the first three tournaments,” said Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Executive Director Scott Pritchard. “The minute he arrived on the Tour, Callum proved his game with his victory in Prince Edward Island. The fact he backed up that win with another title, last week in Kelowna, proved that he had separated himself as the Tour’s best player this year. We congratulate Callum on what he’s been able to accomplish, and we very much look forward to watching his game progress on the Mackenzie Tour in 2022.”

The players who finished in the sixth-through-10th positions on the final Points List will each receive one playing opportunity via sponsor’s exemptions on the 2022 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada. The five Mackenzie Tour players receiving those benefits are Andrew Harrison (No. 6), Sebastian Szirmak (No. 7), Raoul Menard (No. 8), Yi Cao (No. 9) and Jared du Toit (No. 10).

Pritchard anticipates the 2022 Mackenzie Tour season will begin in late-May, early June, the full schedule of tournaments still to be announced.

The Mackenzie Tour began in 2013, with the Tour providing players a path to the Korn Ferry Tour. In 2020, the global pandemic forced the Tour to cancel its season, and issues at the Canada-U.S. border, again caused by COVID-19, turned this year’s Mackenzie Tour into a Tour for players already living in Canada.

Final 2021 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Points List Top 10

2022 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Members Via Top-Five Points List Finish

Callum Davison this Season
In his first Mackenzie Tour start, Davison shot rounds of 68-64-69 to win the 54-hole Brudenell River Classic. That 8-under 64 represented his low round of the season. He also shot a 64 Sunday at the season-ending Reliance Properties DCBank Open, a 6-under score. That ninth-place performance was his fourth top-10 of the season, to go with his tie for 10th at the ATB Financial Classic and his win at the Golf BC Championship, a tournament where Davison shot three 68s and a second-round 66 to hold on to win by two strokes.

Blair Bursey this Season
He seemingly finished in the top 10 every week and finally broke through with that elusive win at the final tournament of the season, the Reliance Properties DCBank Open in Victoria. In his seven tournament appearances, Bursey made every cut, finished in the top 10 in his first four events—three of those finishing in the top five—and broke through with the victory.

Noah Steele this Season
In six tournaments, Steele established himself as not merely the best amateur—which he clearly was—but also one of the best players. The Sam Houston State alum won the second tournament of the campaign, the Osprey Valley Open, with opening and closing 66s at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. He was the picture of consistency all season, with a runner-up showing at the Brudenell River Classic and top-15 showings at the ATB Financial Classic, the GolfBC Championship and the Reliance Properties DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist to go with his win.

Brendan Leonard this Season
He won the season-opening tournament, the Mackenzie Investments Open outside Montreal, and picked up two more top-10 finishes in a solid, consistent season that saw him miss only one cut. Leonard did enough in the final week to remain securely inside the top five, thanks to additional top-10s—at the Elk Ridge Open (tied for seventh) and the Golf BC Championship (third) and a tie for 13th at the Reliance Properties DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist.

Michael Blair this Season
He got off to a bit of a slow start, tying for 20th and tying for 47th in his first two starts—at the Mackenzie Investments Open and the Osprey Valley Open, respectively. He broke through, winning the Prince Edward Island Open on the strength of a blistering start that saw him get to 9-under with 18 holes to play. Despite an even-par showing in his final two rounds, Blair finished regulation tied with Maxwell Sear then defeated Sear in a sudden-death playoff. In total, Blair made the cut in all six of his 2021 tournament appearances.

About the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada is a series of tournaments played across Canada each summer, where tomorrow’s stars begin the path to the PGA TOUR. In 2021, because of
restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border, the Mackenzie Tour is for players based in Canada. The Mackenzie Tour’s mission is to deliver a PGA TOUR experience for its members, fans, volunteers and partners in order to develop the future stars of professional golf and enrich the communities it visits

JACKSON, Miss. – In his first weekend contention on the PGA Tour, California rookie Sahith Theegala is handling the pressure and his golf just fine in the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Theegala began the back nine Saturday at Country Club of Jackson with three straight birdies, had an eagle chip spin 360 degrees around the cup and finished with a 5-under 67 to take a one-shot lead into the final round.

Cameron Tringale had a pair of eagles from long range with his putter and his wedge and matched his career best on the PGA Tour with a 62. He was one shot behind, along with Sam Burns and Denny McCarthy, who each shot 65.

Theegala was at 18-under 198.

“Definitely a little nerves in there for sure,” Theegala said. “But I think people have said before pressure is a privilege, and I’m trying to use those nerves to my advantage.”

Will Zalatoris, the rookie of the year last season while playing on unlimited sponsor exemptions, was tied for the lead with Theegala and Nick Watney. Zalatoris didn’t make a birdie over the final 12 holes. He shot 72 and fell five shots behind in a tie for 16th.

Watney took a late double bogey on the 16th hole and shot 71, leaving him four back.

Canadian Roger Sloan hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation during his third round at the Sanderson Farms Championship, and finished the round bogey free. Sloan finished his day tied for 8th at 15 under.

Corey Conners hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation during his third round at the finishing at 14 under for the tournament. Conners finished his day tied for 10th at 14 under.

Additional Canadians in the field include Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Hadwin, and Taylor Pendrith.

The list of challengers includes Burns, who already won this year at the Valspar Championship and was in the final conversation to be a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup.

Tringale is still looking for his first win in his 311st start on the PGA Tour. The 62 matched his low from the RSM Classic at Sea Island last November.

He wasn’t about to read too much into this one. He kept the ball in position and the greens are pure. Plus, Tringale holed a 55-foot eagle putt on the par-5 fifth hole, and then holed a bunker shot from 100 feet away on the par-5 14th.

He had four birdie putts from the 12- to 15-foot range.

“This was a combination of hitting a lot of good shots and having good breaks just on the same day,” Tringale said. “I did give myself a lot of chances. I was never out of position. I was putting uphill most of the time. And a (55-footer) and a hole-out, you know, if I three-putt that one and don’t get up-and-down, that’s four shots difference right there.”

But he has a chance in what figures to be a shootout.

Fifteen players were separated by four shots, and nine of those players have yet to win on the PGA Tour.

JACKSON, Miss. – Will Zalatoris set the course record with an 11-under 61 to share the lead with Nick Watney and Sahith Theegala in the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Zalatoris, voted the PGA Tour rookie of the year despite not having full status last year, made it look so simple at the Country Club of Jackson that his longest putt for par was 3 feet.

One of the poorer shots he hit was on the par-5 third hole after making the turn. He hit a weak fade into a bunker some 30 yards away and blasted out to 3 feet, turning a difficult shot into yet another birdie.

“The days where I make 20-footers, those are the days that I end up putting a great round together, because I’m always going to be the guy that’s going to hit 14 plus greens to give myself chances,” Zalatoris said.

Watney, coming off his worst season in a decade, backed up a solid start with another good round. He opened with four birdies in six holes and dropped only one shot on his way to a 66.

Theegala also held his own after opening with a 64, which is new territory for the California rookie in just his second start as a PGA Tour member.

He chipped in for eagle on the par-5 third hole to right back in the mix. Theegala finished with a 30-foot birdie putt for a 67. They were at 13-under 131 in what figures to be a week of low scoring.

Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., was two strokes off the lead at 11-under after shooting a 67 on Friday, and finished the round sitting 6^th on the leaderboard.

“I had a great command of my ball, put it in great position off the tee,” said Roger. “Out here there’s a premium for hitting the fairway, I was in great position all day long and rolled in a couple putts, I think that’s really the key around here is a lot of patience, we just happened to happened to kind of can a couple putts today which was nice”

The cut was at 5-under 139. Among those who missed was Sergio Garcia, the defending champion playing a week after a draining Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. Canadians Adam Svensson, Nick Taylor, and Michael Gligic would miss the cut as well.

Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland took two shots from behind the ninth green on his final hole and made bogey for a 73 to miss the cut by one.

Zalatoris had a remarkable rookie season without having full status, boosted by a tie for sixth in the U.S. Open last September and tying to second in the Masters.

Playing on sponsor exemptions last year, he still finished No. 22 in the Ryder Cup standings.

Watney hit only two fairways, though not by much and he was rarely out of position.

“It didn’t seem that stressful. That sounds really stressful, but it wasn’t that stressful,” he said. “For the most part I kept it in the right spot on the greens and I made a few kind of bonus putts that you might not expect to make. So those are always fun.”

Cameron Young and Hayden Buckley each shot 65 and were one shot out of the lead.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., shot a 69 and was 8-under after two rounds. Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., was 7-under after posting a 66.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, Ont., and MacKenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., shot 71 and 66 respectively Friday to make the cut at 6-under.

For full scores click here.

Jackson, Miss. – California rookie Sahith Theegala carved his tee shots into play and made it look easy from there Thursday for an 8-under 64 and a one-shot lead over Nick Watney and Harold Varner III in the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., opened with a 66 to sit two strokes back of Theegala.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., each shot a 67 to trail by three.

Theegala missed three fairways but was out of position just once at the Country Club of Jackson. He had a birdie putt on every hole but one and finished his round with a 15-foot birdie on the par-4 ninth.

It also was a big start for Watney, coming off one of his worst seasons. Watney holed a couple of long putts, including a 45-footer for eagle on the par-5 second hole, for his lowest start to a PGA Tour event in 15 months.

Varner, whose wife is due next week, had another strong putting round in making nine birdies.

“The place is pretty pure right now, if you hit a lot of good golf shots you’re going to get a lot of looks and you just got to be patient,” Varner said. “And the way I’m putting it right now I just need to get it on the green.”

Defending champion Sergio Garcia, the only player from the Ryder Cup last week in the field, had two birdies in a bogey-free round of 70 that left him six shots behind. He is drained from last week, when he set the Ryder Cup record for most matches won in a European loss. His only frustration was having too many chances from the 20-foot range.

His birdies putt were from 3 feet and 10 feet, one of them on a par 5.

Very happy about not making bogeys. Obviously, that’s always a very positive thing, first round of the season bogey-free, very proud of that,” Garcia said. “But at the same time I feel like I drove the ball quite well and didn’t take advantage of it.”

Theegala is on the growing list of young Americans with a strong pedigree. He swept the three awards as NCAA college player of the year his senior year at Pepperdine, which was cut short by the pandemic. He made it to the PGA Tour on his first try through the Korn Ferry Tour finals.

In his second start as a rookie, he found the tree-lined course to his liking and said his round was best described as “really stress free.”

That started from the tee.

“Just drove it really well. I was really working it well,” Theegala said. “I got my slider back. I was hitting a pretty good cut _ probably 25- to 30-yard cut _ out there and this course kind of allows it because the trees around the tee box aren’t that close.

“I really felt comfortable all day,” he said. “Being in the fairway helps so much.”

His putter was working just fine, too. Only three of his eight birdies were inside the 15-foot range, and those were on the par 5s. He also made a 15-foot par save from the bunker on the par-3 fourth hole, the only time he was threatened with a bogey.

Watney once reached the Tour Championship five straight years and played in the Presidents Cup until he was slowed by a herniated disk in his lower back. He missed the cut in all but six of the 25 events he played last year and worked hard in the month off between seasons.

Most of that was his putting, and that started with his head.

“I think I missed a lot of putts before I even stroked the ball,” Watney said. “A lot of doubt on my read or stroke or posture, just a lot of unnecessary thoughts. So I tried to develop a process of trusting myself more. And so far, so good.”

Two shots behind were Sloan, Si Woo Kim and Kurt Kitayama, a 28-year-old California in his first year on the PGA Tour.

Kitayama went to UNLV and after two tough years on the PGA Tour’s developmental circuit, he took his game overseas. He started on the Asian Tour, earned his European Tour card through qualifying school and has won twice on the European Tour.

He earned a PGA Tour card for the first time by finishing 23rd in the Korn Ferry Tour finals.

Since then, Kitayama went back to England to play the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, his caddie tested positive for the coronavirus and he had to find a new caddie for the start of his PGA Tour season two weeks ago in Napa, California.

There was no golf last week because of the Ryder Cup.

“Having a week off was kind of nice to settle down,” he said.

Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., posted a one-under 71 to start the tournament. MacKenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was even-par on the first day.

Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., turned in a 1-over 73. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., each shot 74.

For updated scores click here.

The PGA TOUR and European Tour today unveiled new details around their Strategic Alliance, with the PGA TOUR also releasing its 2021-22 PGA TOUR Season schedule.

The landmark agreement, announced in November 2020, further enhances and connects the ecosystem of men’s professional golf through a number of areas, including global scheduling, prize funds and playing opportunities for the respective memberships. 

In terms of scheduling, the most significant piece of collaboration is the fact that three tournaments will be co-sanctioned in 2022 and therefore count on both the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup and the European Tour’s Race to Dubai next season: the Barbasol Championship; the Barracuda Championship; and the Genesis Scottish Open.

The latter event also has a new title sponsor in Genesis, the luxury automotive brand from South Korea, who will now title sponsor two tournaments on the PGA TOUR, with the Genesis Scottish Open joining The Genesis Invitational, which Genesis has titled since 2017; The Genesis Invitational will once again be played at The Riviera Country Club next year (February 14-20).

The Genesis Scottish Open (July 4-10), which is part of the European Tour’s Rolex Series, retains its place in golf’s global calendar the week ahead of The Open Championship (July 11-17), a date confirmed through to 2025. The player field will be a split between members of both Tours. 

The tournament will also benefit from the continued commitment of the Scottish Government, managed by Visit Scotland – the agreement also running through 2025.

“We are delighted to welcome Genesis as a title sponsor of a European Tour event for the first time,” said European Tour Chief Executive Keith Pelley. “Genesis has a strong history of sponsorship on the PGA TOUR through The Genesis Invitational, and their commitment to the Scottish Open will further enhance one of our premier events of the season.”

Although it will be on the PGA TOUR’s official schedule for the first time, the Genesis Scottish Open has a rich history on the European Tour, appearing in the Tour’s first two official seasons (1972 and 1973) and as part of the Tour’s International Schedule since 1986. It has also been part of the Rolex Series – the European Tour’s premium series of events – since the Series’ inception in 2017.

“Adding an existing, strong title sponsor in Genesis to our Strategic Alliance in the form of the Genesis Scottish Open – to be sanctioned by both Tours – is a significant step for the global game,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Coupled with their support of The Genesis Invitational at Riviera, we’re incredibly proud to forge a deeper relationship with this premier brand across the global game.”

Genesis will take over the title sponsorship of the event from abrdn, who are exploring ways for the decade-long partnership with the European Tour to continue moving forward. The venue for the 2022 Genesis Scottish Open will be confirmed at a later date.

“We are extremely excited to become title sponsor of the Scottish Open at this historic moment, as the PGA TOUR and European Tour announce details on their Strategic Alliance,” said Jay Chang, Global head of Genesis. “Genesis and golf share a culture centered on respect, mutual admiration and innovation. We will continue to strengthen our partnership with both Tours to deliver this spirit to golfers, communities and individuals around the world through successful tournaments.”

Paul Bush, Director of Events at VisitScotland, said, “We are thrilled the European Tour and PGA TOUR have identified the Genesis Scottish Open to further develop their Strategic Alliance, and there is no more fitting stage than Scotland, the Home of Golf, on which to embark on such a historic journey.”

In addition to the Genesis Scottish Open being co-sanctioned, there will also be access for 50 European Tour members to each of two PGA TOUR events in 2022 for the first time – the Barbasol Championship, which will be played concurrently with the Genesis Scottish Open, and the Barracuda Championship, which will be played alongside the following week’s 150^th Open Championship at St. Andrews. Both events will be added to the Race to Dubai for European Tour members.

It was also confirmed today that as part of the Strategic Alliance and collaboration between the two Tours, the Irish Open will see a significant increase in prize money for its annual European Tour event – to $6 million, starting in 2022 – nearly double the amount on offer at Mount Juliet last month. In addition, the PGA TOUR will continue to work with the European Tour on commercial opportunities across the Tour.

“When we announced the Strategic Alliance at the end of last year, we said it was a landmark moment for global golf’s ecosystem that would benefit all members of both Tours,” said Pelley. “Today’s announcement underlines that promise, with further enhancements to the Genesis Scottish Open, a strengthening of the Irish Open for our members, and direct access for European Tour members to two PGA TOUR events.

“There has been considerable collaboration behind the scenes between our two Tours since November’s Alliance was unveiled, and we are delighted to share these initial developments, which demonstrate our commitment to working together for the betterment of our sport globally.  We will have more to announce in the coming months – this is most definitely just the beginning.”

“With today’s news, I am pleased to say that the PGA TOUR and the European Tour are both stronger than at any time in our history, as we are positioned to grow – together – over the next 10 years faster than we have at any point in our existence,” said Monahan. “We are committed to continuing to evolve and adapt, and with our ever-strengthening partnership with the European Tour, to take the global game to the heights we all know it is capable of.”

PGA TOUR Schedule Highlights

The 2021-22 PGA TOUR Schedule includes several significant enhancements and features a total of 48 official events – 45 during the FedExCup Regular Season along with three 2022 FedExCup Playoffs events.  

The 2022 portion of the schedule will kick off the PGA TOUR’s new, nine-year domestic media rights agreements with ViacomCBS, Comcast/NBC and ESPN. As part of the agreement, all three 2022 FedExCup Playoffs events will be broadcast domestically on NBC network television, beginning a rotation that continues with CBS hosting all three events in 2023.

Headline news includes the change in location and venue for the kickoff of the FedExCup Playoffs to TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, starting in 2022, replacing the Regular Season event that has been held in Memphis since 1958. FedEx will serve as the title sponsor of the event, to be known as the FedEx St. Jude Championship (August 8-14), replacing existing title sponsor Northern Trust after this year’s playing of THE NORTHERN TRUST at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey. 

“FedEx is excited that the first event of the 2022 FedExCup Playoffs will be hosted in our hometown of Memphis, Tennessee,” said Raj Subramaniam, President and Chief Operating Officer of FedEx Corporation. “We are proud of our history and the community impact we’ve had since becoming title sponsor of our hometown TOUR stop in 1986. We look forward to the impact it will bring to our local community and will continue to use it as a platform to showcase the groundbreaking work being done by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to golf fans around the world.”

“Since the inception of the FedExCup in 2007, we have made a number of changes to enhance the quality of the FedExCup Playoffs for our players, fans and partners,” said Monahan. “Thanks to the continued support from FedEx as the TOUR’s umbrella partner, we’re proud to bring the start of the FedExCup to Memphis and a course loved by our players. Not only will it be a great test worthy of Playoff golf, but we also anticipate tremendous enthusiasm from a community that has steadfastly supported the PGA TOUR for more than 60 years. And, of course, the important work of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will continue to be front and center.

“In totality, the 2021-22 PGA TOUR Schedule, combined with the momentum we have with our now-entrenched partnership with the European Tour, puts the PGA TOUR in a position of strength within professional golf like never before. We’re confident this schedule will give the world’s best players the opportunity to do what they do best – inspire and entertain our fans around the globe while helping our tournaments make a significant impact in their respective communities.”

The 2022 FedExCup Playoffs will continue to include the BMW Championship (August 15-21), which rotates next year to Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware, and the FedExCup Playoffs finale, the TOUR Championship (August 22-28), once again slated for East Lake Golf Club. 

The PGA TOUR’s flagship event, THE PLAYERS Championship (March 7-13), will anchor a true Florida Swing in 2022, which features four consecutive events through The Sunshine State in the spring, including the Valspar Championship, which was played in April/May this past year. THE PLAYERS will be in year three of its March date and as a kickoff to the Season of Championships, with Justin Thomas returning as defending champion.

The Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (May 30-June 5) enters the first year of a 10-year agreement in 2022 with new presenting sponsor, Workday. Founded in 1976 by golf legend Jack Nicklaus and held annually at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, the tournament partners for the first time with three-time NBA champion and two-time MVP Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, and Ayesha Curry, an entrepreneur, host and New York Times bestselling author. 

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the RBC Canadian Open (June 6-12) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, returns to the schedule in 2022 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club. Rory McIlroy won the last RBC Canadian Open, played in 2019.

Other notable items and changes to the 2021-22 PGA TOUR Schedule include (in chronological order):

2021

• As previously announced, the Fortinet Championship (September 13-19), with new title sponsor Fortinet, kicks off the 2021-22 FedExCup Regular Season at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, California.
• The Ryder Cup will be played the week following the Fortinet Championship, with nine official events played during the balance of 2021 for a total of 10 events to be played in the fall.
• The reconfigured Asia Swing will begin with THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT (October 11-17), which moves to the United States for the second year in a row and will be staged at The Summit Club in Las Vegas, Nevada, delivering back-to-back weeks of PGA TOUR golf in Las Vegas, as the Shriners Children’s Open will be contested October 4-10. 
• Following THE CJ CUP @ SUMMIT will be the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP and World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, with additional details to be available in the near future.
• As previously announced, World Wide Technology embarks on its first year of title sponsorship of the TOUR’s original event in Mexico, the World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba (November 1-7).

2022

• The Sentry Tournament of Champions – a PGA TOUR winners-only event – leads off the 2022 calendar year (January 3-9).
• The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (January 31-February 6) and the Waste Management Phoenix Open (February 7-13) trade spots in the schedule, as the TOUR’s event at TPC Scottsdale remains in its traditional date of Super Bowl week.   
• The Puerto Rico Open (February 28-March 6) will be played as an additional event alongside the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard.
• The Corales Puntacana Championship (March 21-27), in its first year under an extended term, will be played as an additional event alongside the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play.
• The Mexico Championship (April 25-May 1) returns to the calendar as a PGA TOUR co-sponsored event, no longer under the World Golf Championships umbrella. With the field of 132 players, there is an anticipation of additional Mexican golfers in the field to help in inspire and grow the game in one of golf’s key emerging markets. 
• With the biennial Presidents Cup being held at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte in 2022, the Wells Fargo Championship (May 2-8) will be contested for one year at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm in Potomac, Maryland.
• The John Deere Classic (June 27-July 3), traditionally played the week prior to The Open Championship, moves one week earlier.
• Following The Open Championship, the 3M Open (July 18-24), Rocket Mortgage Classic (July 25-31) and Wyndham Championship (August 1-7) close out the FedExCup Regular Season.

The European Tour will announce the initial portion of its 2022 schedule later this month, with the full season announcement to follow in due course.

With a win in his rookie season, it seemed success came easy for Mackenzie Hughes, yet that is anything but the case. The Canadian has overcome hardships at every level of his career, most notably last season with his first trip to the TOUR Championship, thanks to a simple mindset that is prominent in all aspects of his journey from Canada to the United States.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida—The PGA TOUR announced Thursday the creation of the Forme Tour for current PGA TOUR Canada members as a result of restrictions and other COVID-19-related issues at the U.S.-Canadian border. For 2021, PGA TOUR Canada members will be given access to the Forme Tour, allowing them the ability to compete in a series of U.S.-based events between June and September. 

The Forme Tour will continue to provide Official World Golf Ranking points and is planning an eight-tournament schedule played during the summer. The top-five points earners earning 2021-22 Korn Ferry Tour membership along with others advancing to the second and final stages of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament. 

The Forme Tour’s 72-hole, medal-play events will be conducted identically to other PGA TOUR-affiliated Tour tournaments. Auburn University Club in Auburn, Alabama, and Ohio’s TPC River’s Bend in the Cincinnati suburb of Maineville, two premier golf facilities, have already signed as host sites. The Tour’s other six venues—as well as tournament dates—will be announced later this spring.

“We are excited to offer this opportunity to our PGA TOUR Canada members, and our commitment is to continue to do business with high-caliber golf courses,” said Greg Carlson, Executive Director of the Forme Tour, who previously filled the same role for seven years for PGA TOUR Series-China. We look forward to announcing the remaining schedule and venues in the coming weeks.”

The Mackenzie Tour will conduct events held across Canada for Canadian-based players later this summer. These players will compete to earn access to the traditional Mackenzie Tour in 2022. The Mackenzie Tour expects that a number of familiar sites from coast to coast will be included in a schedule announcement that will arrive in the coming weeks.   

Mackenzie Tour Executive Director Scott Pritchard has seen firsthand the challenges the global pandemic has caused and is seeking and expects to secure competitive opportunities under the Mackenzie Tour banner for players who reside in Canada.

“The Canada-based players will play in 72-hole Mackenzie Tour events, and the tournaments will continue to support local charities and local economies. We will share more details about specific plans in the near future,” said Pritchard. “We’re excited to continue to further develop golf and competitive golfers in this country.”

The Forme Tour will adopt its eligibility from PGA TOUR Canada and will feature the top-60 points earners from the 2019 PGA TOUR Canada season, qualified members from the PGA TOUR University Ranking and those who successfully qualified at the three Qualifying Tournaments in 2020 (prior to cancellation of 2020 PGA TOUR Canada season due to Covid-19) and the seven 2021 Qualifying Tournaments.

(more…)