New Zealand will host one of the world’s most prestigious amateur golf tournaments.

The Royal Wellington Golf Club has been awarded the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in October 2017 which will be broadcast live around the world.

The tournament is supported by three Founding Partners: the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation, the Masters Tournament and The R&A.  It is one of the largest tournaments of its type in the world, with the winner getting a place at the following year’s Masters and a spot in The Open Qualifying Series, the final stage to gain entry into The Open Championship.

The top 120 amateur players from the Asia-Pacific region will compete with 10 places available for New Zealanders as host.

Established in 2009, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship has quickly become one of the most celebrated amateur golf tournaments in the world with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama a two-time winner.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Jimmy Mullen and Paul Dunne both marked their professional debuts with an 8-under 64 to grab a share of the lead after the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Mullen and Dunne went pro after helping Britain and Ireland beat the United States in the Walker Cup last month but looked like seasoned veterans at Kingsbarns. Dunne started with a bogey on the 10th hole, but then had a hole-in-one on the par-3 15th to get his round going. He added another six birdies, including three straight from the second.

“I kind of needed it,” the Irishman said of his ace. “I got off to a bit of a ropey start.”

Mullen, a 21-year-old Englishman had a similar round which also contained eight birdies and an eagle to go with two bogeys at Kingsbarns. They were tied with Kristoffer Broberg of Sweden, who had eight birdies in a flawless round at St. Andrews. The tournament is split between three courses, with players alternating between St. Andrews, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie.

“I’ve been looking forward to getting started as a pro for a while,” Dunne said. “No better place to do it than on a links-style course like this.”

Kingsbarns saw 12 of the 15 lowest scores on the opening day, while Martin Kaymer had the joint-best round at Carnoustie with a 68.

Soeren Kjeldsen, Richard Bland and Anthony Wall were in a tie for fourth, a shot behind the leaders.

Defending champion Oliver Wilson had only managed a 74 at St. Andrews

NASHVILLE – Karen Garcia rallied to win the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur on Thursday at Hillwood Country Club, taking the final two holes for a 1-up victory over Pamela Kuong.

The 53-year-old Garcia, from Cool, California, rebounded after losing Nos. 14-16 to fall a hole down. She squared the match with a par on the par-17th and won with a par on the par-4 18th.

The 54-year-old Kuong is from Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts.

In the morning semifinals, Garcia topped Sue Cohn of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, 1 up with a par win on the 18th, and Kuong beat Tama Caldabaugh of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, with a par on the 21st hole.

The tournament is for players 50 and older.

FootJoy has introduced the new D.N.A. (DryJoys Next Advancement) golf shoe which now has full customization through their popular MyJoys® program.

Offering lightweight support, a secure fit and comfortable performance, the latest D.N.A. golf shoes feature a new TourLock Cleat System for enhanced performance and traction in all conditions. While maintaining its low profile appearance, the new cleat system significantly enhances retention. Inside D.N.A., an improved SnugFit Tongue conforms to the top of the foot and locks it in place.

“We were faced with the challenge of how to make our most feature-laden golf shoe even better and I believe we’ve accomplished that,” said VP of Product Design and Development, Doug Robinson, “With influence from our leading Tour players we have upgraded the overall performance of the shoe while giving golfers the ability to add their own personal touch through the myriad of custom options in MyJoys.”

MyJoys currently offers more than 14 million ways of customizing the #1 Shoe in Golf, including exotic print leathers, personalization, country flags and MLB and collegiate logos.

The D.N.A. MyJoys golf shoes will also feature three areas of customizable color with sizes ranging from 6 Narrow to 16 Wide and 7XW-12, 13XW. Additionally 12 new microfiber leathers will be added to the MyJoys Program for use on the new D.N.A.: White Silver Sphinx, Black Silver Sphinx, Silver Fluid, White Patent, Blue Metal, Black Metal, Off White, Royal Blue, Platinum, Black, Red.

Anthony Kim was tired of whispers on the PGA Tour about what was wrong with him and his game, so he found a patch of grass behind a row of trees down from the practice range at Quail Hollow and hit balls for two hours.

This was where he won his first PGA Tour event in 2008, when he was fearless, brash and backed it all up with an exciting brand of golf. He ended that year by demolishing Sergio Garcia in the leadoff singles match at the Ryder Cup, the last time the Americans won.

Kim referred to Quail Hollow as the start of his career. “Hopefully, I can start a new one here,” he said. Two days later, he shot 74 and walked straight to his car, dumped his clubs in the trunk and drove away.

That was 2012, and he hasn’t been back.

“Golf is a fond memory of mine,” Kim said Tuesday, his first interview in three years. “I’ve been watching more and more. I miss the competition a little bit. Watching these young guys like Jordan Spieth is bringing me back to watch.”

Is it enough to bring him back to play?

Not yet. Maybe not ever.

“Here’s what I’m telling you today,” he said. “I’m going to step away from the game for a little while and get my body pieced together. Instead of going from an Achilles injury to try to go 180 mph and not fixing the problem … I’ve got so much ground to make up from injuries – rotator cuff, labrum, spinal fusion, hand injury. I’ve had six or seven surgeries in the last three-and-a-half years.”

Asked if it was possible that he played his last round on the PGA Tour at age 26, Kim paused, chuckled and said, “Anything is possible. Isn’t that what the slogan says?”

Paul Azinger, the Ryder Cup captain at Valhalla where Kim emerged as a star, was among those who could not believe that someone with so much talent could be done at such a young age.

“His energy and enthusiasm, his killer instinct, it all converged into him becoming our team leader,” Azinger said.

Kim’s immediate future is a business venture with Dallas-based Quality Metrics Partners that was started with longtime friend and caddie Brodie Flanders and two others, including Mike Knall, a former punter for the Oklahoma Sooners. It provides ancillary service management in the health care industry. Kim said he made a substantial investment, which he made back within months.

His joy comes from a stronger relationship with his mother. Kim spent three weeks with her in South Korea, sees her at least once a month and was headed to his native Los Angeles to sign the papers on a house he just bought for her in Beverly Hills.

He said he has not played a full round of golf in nearly 18 months. Physical therapy occupies most of his time.

Kim didn’t entirely disappear, though sightings have been rare and have led to rumors, including one that he was sleeping on the streets of Las Vegas because he was out of money.

He earned just over $12 million in five full seasons on the PGA Tour and says he saved up more money than people realize. The stories and photos on social media over the years painted a wild side to Kim. He doesn’t deny he lived different than most golfers, nor will he apologize.

“If you don’t like the way I live, change the channel. You’re the one who tuned in here,” Kim said. “A lot of the golf public may not appreciate the way I live, which is by my own rules. But I give everyone respect. I’m not rude to anyone. And I treat everyone the same.”

He said he is getting monthly payments from an insurance policy he took out five years ago in case he was injured. But he denied speculation in a magazine story last fall that the policy was a factor that is keeping him from returning to the PGA Tour.

“I paid well into the mid-six figures for the policy,” he said. “They wouldn’t have paid me every month had I not been to the doctors, showing them all my X-rays, doing all the treatment, the acupuncture, twice a day for physical therapy.”

He also explained his departure from Quail Hollow that day. Kim said he ignored his summons for drug testing when he walked to the parking lot, though he eventually was tested.

“I was mad about how I played. I injured myself again. I ended up coming back and taking the test,” he said. “I’ve never tested positive for anything since I’ve been on the PGA Tour whenever the drug testing started. Never. And they tested me more than anyone.

“These rumors tainted my reputation,” he said, “and I didn’t have a great one to begin with.”

Kim had no idea he would be gone this long. He played golf with Phil Mickelson at the Madison Club in the California desert. He rented a house in San Diego to prepare for the 2013 season. He said he was up at 5 a.m. every day to train when his Achilles tendon popped. Once he recovered from the leg, he had a herniated disc. And the injuries piled up.

Golf moved on without him. He still has a major medical exemption he can use if he ever returns. Kim would have to earn $613,500 in 16 events to keep his card.

But even Kim can’t say that he will return.

He described his health as a “6” on a scale of 1 to 10 and said he was coping with thoracic outlet syndrome. He also said he was in the process of moving, hiring a trainer and getting back to full health with hopes of giving golf one last chance.

“What Spieth and (Jason) Day did this year was ridiculous,” he said. “I’m not going to compete with those boys unless I’m healthy. I’m not playing with 11 clubs. My goal right now for the next year is to get healthy. At this point, I’m happy where I’m at where I’m headed.”

Kim was given a chance to provide his own answer to a question that has been raised plenty over the last two years.

Whatever happened to Anthony Kim?

“Ask me in two years,” he said.

Jason Day’s journey to the top of the golf world is unlike anyone else’s. From humble beginnings in Australia, Jason overcame adversity to find his path through hard work and dedication. Through exclusive, behind-the-scenes access Jason’s story is shared with the world for the first time here.

PHOENIX – Canadian golf sensation Brooke Henderson has extended her agreement to continue playing PING equipment, PING Chairman & CEO John A. Solheim announced. Henderson, who recently turned 18, first signed with PING in January.

In August, at age 17, she became the third-youngest player ever to win an LPGA event when she ran away with the Cambia Portland Classic by eight shots, setting a tournament scoring record at 21 under par. Two days later she was granted her LPGA Tour card for the remainder of 2015 and all of 2016.

This season she also posted T5’s at both the U.S. Women’s Open and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Henderson has been a budding star since 2012 when, at age 14, she became the youngest person ever to win a professional tour event when she won on the Canadian Women’s Tour.

“From a very young age, Brooke has demonstrated that rare combination of being talented and mature beyond her years, and she puts in the hard work that it takes to succeed,” Solheim said. “She won many prestigious amateur titles, at 17 was the world’s #1-ranked amateur, and her breakthrough win on the LPGA shows she belongs at the highest level in women’s golf. We couldn’t be more excited to be affiliated with her and support her every step of the way.”

Among the PING technology in her bag, Henderson relies on a G30 driver, fairway wood and hybrid, and Glide wedges. As part of a multi-year agreement, she will display PING logos on her hat, carry a PING staff bag and play 14 PING clubs. Financial terms and the length of the agreement with the Team Canada Young Pro Squad member were not disclosed.

Callaway Golf has officially announced their new Apex Irons, new Apex Pro Irons and Apex Hybrids. The new Apex clubs will be available to golfers by the end of the month (September, 2015).

The new Apex Irons utilize Callaway’s precision engineered face cup technology to promote increased distance. This set also features a multi-piece construction with more offset in the longer irons, a more compact shape with less offset in shorter irons and advanced forging for incredibly soft feel.

The new Apex Pro Irons are a forged performance set built specifically for skilled players. They incorporate Tour influenced shaping and design with a classic look, progressive flow weighting that optimizes Center of Gravity (CG) for playability and control, as well as a soft feel that better players prefer.

The Apex Hybrid has a longer, more iron-like blade length with a Neutral CG bias, controlled ball flight, and workability from precision shaping. The new hybrid also delivers high ball speeds from a forged face cup, and an Internal Standing Wave that helps move the CG for versatility on various shots.

The Nova Scotia Golf Association (NSGA) announced their 2015 NSGA Player of the Year Awards Monday.

The NSGA Player of the Year (POY) is a ranking system that assigns points to players from their finishes in various tournaments throughout the golf season. It is designed to promote the development of golfers in Nova Scotia through a points system based on their competitive accomplishments.

After a long summer battle, Glenn Robinson from Ashburn Golf Club defeated Truro’s Paul Coulson to win the 2015 Men’s NSGA Player of the Year. Robinson ended the season with a T12 finish at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, second place finishes at the Apple Blossom and the Ashburn Club Championship and a third place finish at the NSGA Mid-Am.

Abercrombie’s Julia Henderson returned to competitive golf in Nova Scotia and was impressive as she dominated the 2015 Women’s Player of the Year after finishing first in all 5 tournaments she entered. Henderson took the top spot in the Northumberland, Oakfield and Amherst Field Days along with first place finish at the June Bug. The highlight was capturing her third NSGA Women’s Amateur Championship at Northumberland.

2015 MJT Junior Player of the Year

Ashburn’s Shaun Margeson and Ken-Wo’s Heather McLean claimed Player of the Year – powered by MJT title honours.

In addition to the Player of the Year, the NSGA presents awards to the junior player of the year in each of 9 Regional zones. The following golfers have been chosen as 2015 Zone Player of the Year:

Greatest Reduction in Handicap

Each year the NSGA recognizes the Greatest Reduction in Handicap Factor for the golf season for players throughout the province. Congratulations to the following individuals who achieved the Greatest Reduction in handicaps for male and female players in each of the Junior, Amateur and Senior divisions.

St Andrews, Scotland – Martin Slumbers will begin his tenure as Chief Executive of The R&A and Secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews today.

Slumbers joined The R&A as Chief Executive Designate in March 2015, and succeeds Peter Dawson who retired  Friday 25 September after leading the organization for the past 16 years.

“I am delighted to take on the challenge of leading The R&A and serving such a historic Club,” said Slumbers.  “The organisation has been left in excellent health by my predecessor, Peter Dawson, and I look forward to building upon Peter’s success and working together with our committees and staff to ensure The R&A continues to play a leading role in golf’s global development.”

Born in Brighton and educated at Lancing College, Mr. Slumbers, 55, gained a BSc in Production Engineering and Economics from the University of Birmingham. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse in London before embarking on a career in investment banking. He spent 12 years working for Salomon Brothers International in London and Hong Kong, becoming Chief Financial Officer in Asia and then Europe.

In 1998, he joined Deutsche Bank and served in a number of senior executive roles. He was appointed Global Head of Deutsche Bank’s Investment Banking Operations in 2006 and the following year as Global Head of Global Business Services.

He is a keen golfer and a member of Worplesdon Golf Club in Surrey where he plays to a handicap of two. He is married with two sons.