Uxbridge, Ontario – The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) Board of Directors have appointed Mike Kelly as its next Executive Director, following a four month interim role.

“I am very pleased to announce Mike Kelly’s appointment as Executive Director of the GAO. Mike has been an integral part of the GAO for the last decade and has demonstrated a clear ability to lead this organization towards a prosperous future. His enthusiasm, work ethic, knowledge and creativity will enable the GAO to pursue our strategic plan that will serve golf in Ontario. I am very excited at the prospect of continuing to work with Michael,” stated GAO President Christian Osborne.

“It is a true honor and privilege to continue to serve the GAO as its next Executive Director, an opportunity which is very exciting for myself and my family,” said Kelly.

Kelly joined the GAO in 2006 after nine years with ClubLink Corporation and has served in a variety of roles, most recently as the Managing Director of Sport. During his tenure, he helped pioneer many initiatives across the province, including Golf in Schools, Team Ontario, National Junior Golf Development Centres and the World Junior Girls Golf Championship.

After receiving a golf scholarship to Union College in Kentucky, Kelly graduated from the Professional Golf Management program at Georgian College, where he received the Board of Governors Distinguished Alumni Award. A Class ‘A’ member of the PGA of Canada, Kelly is a two-time Zone and National Award winner.

“I’m very lucky to be surrounded by an incredible team at the GAO and look forward to meeting our many opportunities and challenges head on as we collectively work to build golf in every corner of the Province,” added Kelly.

For more information on the Golf Association of Ontario, visit www.gao.ca.

LAS VEGAS – Canada’s David Hearn birdied his final three holes in perfect morning conditions for a 7-under 64 and a share of the lead Thursday in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

Michael Thompson, Mark Hubbard and Tyler Aldridge also topped the leaderboard at TPC Summerlin. Aldridge had two holes left when first-round play was suspended because of darkness.

Hearn, of Brantford, Ont., had eight birdies and a bogey.

“The course was playing pretty much perfect as it’s going to get,” Hearn said. “The greens were great this morning. I think that there’s a reason there’s a lot of good scores on that board. It’s because the course is in such good shape.”

Patrick Rodgers, Patton Kizzire, Chad Campbell, Ryan Palmer, Ricky Barnes, D.H. Lee, Ryo Ishikawa, Greg Owen, Shane Bertsch and Brendon Todd shot 65, and Henrik Norlander also was 6 under with two holes left.

Lee birdied six of his first seven holes, then bogeyed the next two.

Kizzire is making his first start as a PGA Tour member after winning twice last year on the Web.com Tour and topping the regular-season and finals-combined money lists. He was married Saturday.

Jimmy Walker opened with a 66, and U.S. Presidents Cup teammate Rickie Fowler had a 72. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a 66 while fellow Abbotsford native Adam Hadwin had a 70. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., shot 72.

Thompson and Hubbard eagled the par-5 16th, with Hubbard holing 30-foot putt and Thompson a 25-footer in their morning rounds. Thompson also had seven birdies and a double bogey.

“It definitely helps when there’s no wind and real calm and sunny,” Thompson said. “The only thing that we really have to consider is the cold in the morning. … It helps when the greens are a little bit receptive and they’re rolling perfect.”

Hubbard had the eagle, six birdies and a bogey. He played a three-hole stretch in 4 under with birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 and the eagle on 16, but bogeyed the 17th and closed with a par.

“I’ve kind of just taken a little bit of a chill pill recently, and I’m playing a lot better golf,” Hubbard said.

He got into the field as an alternate when Matt Every withdrew.

“It’s a nice opportunity to have,” Hubbard said.

Walker closed with a bogey on the par-5 ninth.

“It stings a little bit, bogeying nine, but just didn’t hit a very good tee ball,” Walker said. “I played real solid all day, made a lot of great putts. A lot of good par putts. It was a nice, solid day. Just kind of kept the ball out in front of me. I also felt like they had some pretty tough pins today, actually. It wasn’t like you were just throwing darts.”

Fowler had a double bogey after hitting into the water on the par-3 17th.

“It wasn’t playing very tough by any means,” Fowler said. “You just had to hit a 7-iron out right of the hole. You can’t hit it left. I hit it left. … I just made a bad swing. I didn’t hit my irons and wedges very well today.”

Defending champion Ben Martin shot a 70.

Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo, a playoff winner Sunday in the season-opening Frys.com Open in Napa, California, had a 74.

U.S. Walker Cup teammates Denny McCarthy and Hunter Stewart made their pro debuts. Stewart had a 72, and McCarthy was 3 over with one hole left. McCarthy played at Virginia, and Stewart at Vanderbilt.

Jocelyne’s contributions and commitment to golf have gone well beyond her outstanding athletic career to have been one of golf’s exemplary builders. Bourassa championed the development of women’s golf

Jocelyne is a role model and mentor to women golfers across Canada and has served as a senior consultant with Golf Quebec helping to champion Golf Canada’s Golf in Schools program. Golf Canada also created the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the the Year Award, in recognition of her tremendous contribution to the game of golf, that is given annually to the Canadian Women’s Tour player who is the top finisher on the Tour’s Order of Merit. Jocelyne became a Member of the Order of Canada in 1973.

If you’re reading this, you’re a golfer. If you’re a golfer, you have a story. More than just one, no doubt.

Sharing those stories with friends and family is one thing. But why not share your story with the world? Thanks to a new web site, www.GolfCanadaGolf.ca, you can do just that.

“Among golfers, there’s always a story—memorable shots, a round with family, playing your favourite course, a golf trip with friends, witnessing first-hand the incredible skills of PGA TOUR or LPGA Tour players, or using the game to overcome personal adversity,” says Golf Canada Golf spokesman Gavin Roth. “The Golf Canada Golf campaign invites Canadians to share their own experiences as well as read or watch other compelling stories to remind us what makes the game great.”

Many of your fellow golfers have taken advantage of the opportunity, including some well-known names like former National Hockey League star Wendel Clark. In his video on the site, Clark reminisces about how his grandfather in Kelvington, Sask., got him into the game. Despite the lack of left-handed clubs at the time (he started out with a two-way putter!), Clark fell in love with golf. After retiring from professional hockey, he devoted more time to the game, even headlining a major charity pro-am. Now, he has passed on his passion to his son.

Prior to her breakthrough LPGA victory, Brooke Henderson, the 17-year-old phenom from Smiths Falls, Ont., shared her story on GolfCanadaGolf.ca, as have fellow Canadian pros Alena Sharp and Andrew Jensen.

Roth, who is Golf Canada’s chief commercial officer, recounts a poignant personal moment. In “A Dream Pursued is a Dream Fulfilled,” Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons pays tribute to his best friend, the late Rick Sovereign.

But GolfCanadaGolf.ca is not just a celebrity showcase. Not by a long shot.

As a matter of fact, once you visit the site, you become engrossed in how deeply golf affects those who play it, on and off the course. The titles of the video and written vignettes draw you in. “Golf Really Did Save My Life,” for example. How about the youngster who talks about picking up his first club in Grade 3 or the viral video of a two-year-old’s impressive swing? “Granny’s Got a Game” recounts how a grandmother made good on her promise to take up golf and beat her grandchildren!

Bad shots. Holes in one. Hijinks. All part of the fabric of golf written by people who love the game. GolfCanadaGolf.ca is golf’s equivalent of a family heirloom patchwork quilt, preserving memories.

Some stories are humourous, some are inspirational. Some are essays, some are tidbits. All are heartfelt and well worth sharing.

Bobby Jones once said, “Golf is the closest game to the game we call life.”

The stories shared on GolfCanadaGolf.ca prove beyond the shadow of a doubt the truth of that statement.

Why not share your story now?

(GolfCanadaGolf.ca also features a social media hub that curates stories using the hashtag #golfcanadagolf as well as resources for golfers looking to find a course, connect with a PGA of Canada professional or learn more about junior golf programs in their community.)

To read John Gordon’s story, The Man Who Started It All, click here.

New Taipei City, Taiwan – Eun-Hee Ji shot 6-under 66 on Thursday to take a one-shot lead over China’s Xi Yu Lin at the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship.

The 29-year from South Korea birdied four of her last five holes in windy conditions and holds the lead after
18 holes for the first time since the 2013 Mobile Bay LPGA Classic. Ji, a former U.S. Women’s Open champ, said she used the wind to her advantage.

“Actually, I didn’t fight with the wind,” said Ji. “I just using the wind a lot. My ball flight wasn’t too lower today. I just see my ball line and I just look at my shot, my image was really good.”

Ji has two career LPGA Tour victories and will try to break back into the winner’s circle for the first time since her major breakthrough in 2009. Her season-best finish and only top-10 of the year came at the Evian Championship where she tied for eighth. Ji had two chip ins and only 23 putts in her round today.

“It’s getting better from the beginning of the season to the last of the season,” said Ji. “I just working on my short game last week and the week before, because my chipping wasn’t feeling good. So I was working a lot this week and I just chipped in twice today and I think I worked on a lot of right things.”

A group of four players sit two shots back and in a tie for third including Morgan Pressel, Sandra Gal, Charley Hull and Sun Young Yoo. Rolex Rankings No. 2 Lydia Ko (T7) is three shots back and tied with seven others at 3-under par.

Five-time major champion Yani Tseng and TLPGA member Meng Chu Chen were the top Taiwanese performers on day one and sit six shots back after rounds of even-par 72.

Canada’s Alena Sharp shot a 4-over 76 and tied for 67th.

THACKERVILLE, Okla. – Tim Burke won the World Long Drive Championship for the second time in three years Wednesday night, beating Jeremy Easterly in the final with a 394-yard drive.

The 6-foot-6 Burke, a former University of Miami pitcher from Orlando, Florida, earned $150,000 in the event at WinStar World Casino.

Easterly, from Ponte Vedra, Florida, had a 386-yard drive in the final.

Burke beat Justin Young of Mount Airy, North Carolina, 401-386 in the quarterfinals, and topped Will Hogue of Collierville, Tennessee, 403-390 in the semifinals.

Easterly beat two-time champion Jamie Sadlowski of St. Paul, Alberta, in the semifinals with a 380-yard drive. Sadlowski failed to get a drive in the grid in the match after winning his quarterfinal at 402.

Vancouver – The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s season-opening event will return to Vancouver in 2016 and will continue through 2020 with a new name and under new management. The Freedom 55 Financial Open will take place at Point Grey Golf & Country Club from May 23 to 29, 2016.

The announcement sees Freedom 55 Financial – which is also the title sponsor of the season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship as well as Canadian Player of the Year and Canadian Player of the Week awards – expand its support of the Mackenzie Tour and Canadian golf with agreements through 2020.

Linx Marketing, which operates the ATB Financial Classic and Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON, will serve as the host organization for the event. David Lee-Fay, a partner at Linx Marketing, will serve as tournament director.

“We’re thrilled to be working on another venture with Freedom 55 Financial, which has been an outstanding partner since the launch of the Freedom 55 Financial Championship in 2013,” said Jeff Monday, Mackenzie Tour President.

“We’re excited to be kicking off the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada in Vancouver as we continue to support young Canadian athletes as they pursue their aspirations,” said Mike Cunneen, Senior Vice-President, Freedom 55 Financial. “It’s also a nice complement to our season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship in London, Ontario,” added Cunneen.

“We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada, and to helping create a summer of exciting golf with Linx Marketing.”

The Vancouver area is home to PGA TOUR players and Mackenzie Tour graduates Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin, along with current Mackenzie Tour players Adam Svensson, Kevin Spooner, Brad Clapp, Ryan Williams, Seann Harlingten, Thomas Hay, Adam Cornelson, James Allenby and Eugene Wong.

The 2016 Mackenzie Tour schedule will be announced at a later date.

HONG KONG – Andrea Pavan of Italy made four birdies on his last six holes to take a share of the lead after the first round of the Hong Kong Open with a 6-under 64.

Pavan was tied with Lu Wei-chih of Taiwan, a stroke ahead of a trio that included Justin Rose of England. Rose made four birdies on the back nine in a bogey-free round at the Fanling Course and was tied with Taiwanese player Pan Cheng-tseung and Jeev Milka Singh of India.

Graeme McDowell was in a group of six players another shot back at the joint European Tour and Asian Tour event.

MEXICO CITY – Tiger Woods has not started rehabilitation for a second back surgery he had a month ago, and he said Tuesday he would face another “tedious and long” process that suggests it might be awhile before he competes again.

Woods last played at the Wyndham Champion on Aug. 23, where he tied for 10th for his best finish at a PGA Tour event in nearly two years.

In a surprise announcement Sept. 18, he said he had a second back surgery after doctors during a routine check discovered a fragmented disc pinching a nerve. Woods had his first surgery just before the 2014 Masters and missed nearly three months. He said later he came back too early.

“Rehab will be soon, and it will be tedious and long,” Woods said at the Bridgestone America’s Golf Cup, an exhibition he was supposed to play with Matt Kuchar until the second surgery. “The last one, it took me awhile to get back. Some players on tour have done the same procedure and to be back pain-free it took them over a year.”

Woods hasn’t won since the 2013 Bridgestone Invitational for his 79th career win on the PGA Tour, just three short of the record held by Sam Snead.

For most of his career, the record with which he was compared was Jack Nicklaus and his 18 professional majors. Woods won his 14th major at the 2008 U.S. Open, and had reconstructive surgery on his left knee a week later.

Woods turn 40 in December. Nicklaus won only three of his 18 majors after he turned 40.

Woods, who dropped to No. 334 in the world ranking this week, has not given up on catching Nicklaus. He just figures he will have to play like Vijay Singh, who won 22 times (but only one major) in his 40s.

“It’s important for me to have more than 18 majors when all is said and done,” Woods said. “It took Jack his whole career to achieve it and mine is not done yet. I believe that I have a very good record for 20 years on the tour. The main thing is to get fit and to reach my 40s with good health to be as successful as Vijay, who won most of his tournaments at that age.

“It’s something that I hope I will be able to do,” he said. “I want to play at an elite level with the new kids for a long, long time.”

What might help this time around is that Woods said he won’t be changing his swing. After returning too early in 2014 from back surgery, he took off the final three months to get stronger and left his swing coach, hiring Chris Como as a consultant.

Woods doesn’t think he’s that far off from 2013, when he won five times and was PGA Tour player of the year.

“But to achieve it, I need to be healthy again,” he said. “This year I tried to play after the back surgery and it wasn’t fun because all of the pain. Also after my last surgery, I was changing my swing and to be able to do that successfully you have to practice a lot, and I could not practice because I was doing the rehab.

“It was a very complicated situation because of that.”

There was no timetable on when he would start rehabilitation or when he would return. Woods typically doesn’t start a new year until the Farmers Insurance Open, which starts the last week of January. That appeared doubtful.

The Masters, which he missed in 2014 for the first time, is April 7-10.

“I need to return with my explosiveness, and to do that, I need to practice for longer periods of time,” he said. “It’s going to take several months of hard work”.

HONG KONG – With no time to spare, Ian Poulter was rushing from Florida to Hong Kong on Tuesday to keep his European Tour membership, and to save his chances of being eligible to play in the Ryder Cup next year.

And he owes it all former PGA champion Rich Beem, who gave up his spot in the Hong Kong Open.

Poulter was planning to play in the HSBC Champions in two weeks in Shanghai, part of a schedule that would allow him to reach the minimum 13 tournaments required to keep his European Tour membership.

But with Andy Sullivan winning the Portugal Masters and Emiliano Grillo winning the Frys.com Open, they moved into the top 50 and bumped out Poulter, who had to be in the top 50 this week to be eligible for the HSBC Champions. It was too late to enter the Hong Kong Open, and all the invitations had been taken.

That’s where Beem stepped in.

The European Tour said it approached Beem about the situation, and Beem agreed to let Poulter have his spot in the field.

Poulter thanked Beem on Twitter for giving up his invitation. “Where would you like to take you for dinner?” he tweeted.

This might have been more valuable than that. European Tour membership is required to play in the Ryder Cup, even the captain’s picks. Poulter has a 12-4-2 record in the Ryder Cup, and he was largely responsible for Europe’s record-tying comeback to win in Medinah in 2012.

Getting the spot in Hong Kong was only part of the drama. Poulter needed a visa, and that was only returned to him about two hours before he boarded a flight from Orlando to New York to make the connection to Hong Kong.

“A mad 24 hours,” Poulter said on Instagram. “Never dull in the Poulter saga.”

Poulter was due to arrive in Hong Kong on Wednesday afternoon, meaning he will not see the golf course until it begins on Thursday. He is a past champion of the event, and in this situation, simply starting the tournament is more important than his performance. He said he would hire a local caddie for the week.

Poulter monitors the world ranking as close as any player and did not see a scenario where he would drop five spots to No. 51.

“You could say poor play and poor planning,” he said on Instagram. “But thanks to Rich for giving me his spot.”

Beem, who also works as an analyst for Sky Sports, planned to join the European Tour Productions commentary team for the Hong Kong Open.