NORTHERN IRELAND, U.K. – Team Canada’s Women’s Amateur  Squad came out of the gate hot in Wednesday’s second and final stroke-play qualifying round of the Ladies British Open Amateur, shooting a collective 5-under par to each grab one the top-64 match play qualifying spots.

Twenty-two year-old veteran Brittany Marchand, who played in the tournament in 2012, had the low-round of the day for the Canadians with a 4-under 69. The Orangeville, Ont., native finished at 1-over par (78-69) to grab the 25^th seed heading into tomorrow’s first match-play round.

Teammate Maddie Szeryk, a dual-citizen of Canada and the U.S., also finished at 1-over par (75-72), drawing the 28^th seed.

Rounding out the scores for the Canadian quartet was Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont., and Jennifer Ha of Calgary, who both came in at 3-over par. They drew the 39^th and 41^st seed, respectively.

Tomorrow’s first match-play round begins Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m. local time back at the Portstewart Golf Club. The Canadian tee-times are as follows:

Jennifer Ha (CAN) v. Bethan Popel (ENG) – 8:10 a.m. BST
Brittany Marchand (CAN) v. Leonie Harm (GER) – 8:18 a.m. BST
Maddie Szeryk (CAN) v. Meghan MacLaren (ENG) – 8:42 a.m. BST
Elizabeth Tong (CAN) v. Agathe Sauzon (FRA) – 10:50 a.m. BST

Click here for full scoring.
Click here for the match-play draw.

RYE, N.Y. – So Yeon Ryu walked off the ninth green in the fading late afternoon sun light at the Westchester Country Club and, with a big smile on her face, thanked her pro-am partners at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

The smile said a lot. The game has stopped being a grind for the defending Canadian Pacific Women’s Open champion.

A meeting a month ago with former British Open champion Ian Baker Finch, which was arranged by her caddie to discuss her putting, evolved into an exploration of how Ryu was beating herself up on the golf course.

“I think my expectation level was so high, I just kept pushing myself into a corner,” said the 24-year-old, who has turned things around lately. She’s coming off two top five finishes including a tie for fourth last week at the Manulife LPGA Classic in Cambridge, Ont. “Now I’m enjoying reading the line, enjoying the putting and even when I miss it, I just get away from there and focus on the positive things.

“Last week in Canada my golf game looked really in great shape so I feel really comfortable and I’m enjoying playing so I’m really excited to be playing a major tournament.”

Ryu and Baker Finch met in West Palm Beach. Her results had been slipping this season, including a 47^th place finish at the Volunteers of America North Texas Shootout Presented by JTBC.

Baker Finch looked over her putting stroke and couldn’t find any serious faults.

“It’s not about the golf technique or what the stroke looks like, what it has to be. Not that type of thing,” said Ryu. “He just taught me maybe I just worried about so many things on the golf course. I started to worry about ‘what if I miss the putt?’

“That kind of behaviour wasn’t really helping to make a lot of good putts. He mentioned just enjoy reading the line, feel like you’re on your putting. Be kind to me. That’s the thing he taught me. After that I realized how harsh I was to myself.”

Accepting the result and moving on will be an important ability at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship this week. Westchester’s rolling terrain and perched greens are going to be a challenge and there will be bogeys.

“Sometimes you really have to accept bogey and just walk away,” said Ryu, exhibiting some of her new attitude.

The Women’s PGA, now being staged by the PGA of America, is playing on a big stage in a big market.

Westchester was a regular stop on the PGA Tour and has hosted the PGA Tour’s playoffs.

“It’s such an honour to play this golf course. I was here like a month ago with Inbee (Park). We talked about what a good golf course it is,” said Ryu. “The golf course is in great shape. They don’t have any similar holes. It’s a really historical place. I really love to play here. I think it’s really going to be tough to play, but I always enjoy the tough golf course.

“I think par is going to have a really good chance to finish in the top five.”

Ryu said she’s hoping to have a strong run up to her defence of her Canadian Pacific Women’s Open title at the Vancouver Golf Club Aug. 20-23.

She said she’s looking forward to being the defender.

“Absolutely. No matter, even if I’m not the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open defending champion, I’ll always have fun to play in Canada because the Canadian crowds are so great, you know? They are so humble and they are always very supportive of the LPGA.

“I was always happy to play up there especially now that I’m defending champion. I’m more excited. I’m wishing I can have a lot of great wins before I got to play in the Canadian Women’s Open. I hope I can defend my title.”

FAR HILLS, N.J. – The United States Golf Association has announced the launch of its new “There’s a Lot to Love About Golf” campaign, which features multiple television spots and animated digital banners that highlight golf as a game for everyone.

The six television spots and digital banners, created by DDB New York, will principally air in conjunction with the USGA’s summer schedule of televised golf championships, starting with the U.S. Open Championship on June 15. In addition to 21st Century Fox’s wide national and international platforms including Fox, Fox Business, fox.com, foxsports.com, and the National Geographic Channel, the television spots will air on Golf Channel and TSN Canada.

“The game of golf is really the star here,” said Sarah Hirshland, USGA senior managing director of Business Affairs. “Intended to be welcoming and inspiring, the campaign collectively shows where the USGA is devoting its resources relative to the game and its long-term health.”

Each television spot, with its corresponding digital ad unit, is themed to present several key messages and principles tied to the USGA’s mission, including:

“Overview” – highlighting golf as a game for everyone, this :30 spot in the 2015 USGA TV campaign celebrates that “there’s a lot to love about golf”.

“Champions Among Us” – a 30-second spot that highlights the USGA’s commitment to amateur golf, and its capacity to inspire those who play and love the game.

“The Social Game” – a 30-second spot that promotes golf as welcoming and supportive of friendly competition, as enabled by the USGA Handicap System™.

“First Green Kids” – a 30-second spot featuring an educational program that teaches children about science, technology, engineering and math through the lens of the golf course habitat.

“Modernizing Rules Delivery” – a 30-second spot showcasing the digital applications – including the new interactive Rules of Golf Experience – developed by the USGA to help make the game easier to learn.

The Golf Canada Calgary Centre’s Bill Murchison and his colleagues have agreed to help Global Calgary News sports reporter Lisa MacGregor as well as Olympic bobsledder and former CFL all-star Jesse Lumsden in their quest to learn how to golf like pros.

As part of golf-ucation, the pair will learn everything from the mental aspect of the game to club fitting, while working on their short and long games.

Every detail will be addressed like a pro and there’s no better motivation for them to reach their goals, than knowing they’ll play a round of golf at Canyon Meadows with a Champions Tour professional this August, when the Shaw Charity Classic rolls into Calgary.

Each week, Lumsden and MacGregor will share golf tips they’ve learned and we’ll share the video(s) below. We hope you enjoy…

Video #1

Brooke Henderson’s solid results on the golf course recently not only has provided a solid indication of a bright future ahead for the 17-year-old from Smith Falls, Ont. but has also generated huge excitement, with many now taking notice of her game.

Her breakthrough performance came at the 2015 Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic in April when the youngest member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Program set a new 36-hole record; and held the outright lead heading into the final round.

The following weekend, at the Volunteers of America North Texas Shootout, Henderson once again found herself on top of the leader board after shooting a second round 6-under 65.

Henderson – who is currently in her first full season as a pro – has not only caught the attention of fans and those in the media, but also the attention of the game’s biggest star, Lydia Ko.

“She’s obviously playing great; really solid. I got to play with her recently at the Kingsmill Championship and she’s a really strong player mentally,” said the current world No. 1 at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic about Henderson.

“I’m sure she’s going to keep shooting low scores and it’ll be great to have her as a full-time member soon,” added the 18-year-old New Zealander, who is a seven-time winner on the LPGA Tour.

Despite coming up short in her efforts to win an LPGA tournament thus far, Henderson says her stellar results have done a lot for her confidence.

“It was awesome and definitely a huge confidence booster leading two weeks in a row on the weekend which was really exciting,” said the former world No. 1 amateur.

“The experience taught me a lot about myself, and my game and also about competing on the LPGA; and it’s something I can continue to use in each tournament,” added the 17-year-old Canadian.

Currently as a player without status on the LPGA Tour, Henderson’s entry into additional LPGA events requires her to either successfully go through a pre-tournament qualifier or be granted a sponsor exemption.

Just this week, it was announced that she has been offered a sponsor exemption into the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, which is the LPGA’s second major on the 2015 schedule.

However, one event that the talented young golfer from Smith Falls, Ont. has guaranteed herself entry into is the U.S. Women’s Open – which will be held in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in July.

“I’m excited about it; I didn’t have to go through the 36-hole qualifier which is always nice and it’s pretty close to home; so I’m hoping that a lot of family and friends will be able to make it out,” said Henderson, who finished runner-up at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship and earned entry into this year’s event U.S. Women’s Open as a result.

The week following the LPGA’s third major, she will be representing Canada at the Pan Am Games along with four-time LPGA Tour winner, Lori Kane.

“It’s an honour to play for my country,” said Henderson. “And it’ll be fun; Lori is a great player and I think we’ll have a lot of bonding timing which is always good with such a legendary player with such great experience.”

Another successful Canadian LPGA veteran that Henderson has bonded with and gained valuable insight from is Alena Sharp.

“I like it that she asks me for advice. I just tell her things that she needs to know and I’m happy that she’s not afraid to talk to me,” said the 34-year-old from Hamilton, Ont. when asked for her input on Henderson’s progress and maturity as a golfer.

“I think she’s got all the talent and she’s just a nice girl. She’s really humble and we’re becoming good friends, which is cool,” Sharp added.

With strong and highly capable mentors willing and eager to provide guidance on her journey towards success, the future appears to be very bright for the talented young golfer from Smith Falls, Ont.

And while the talented young golfer lists gaining her full LPGA Tour card and earning a spot on the 2016 Canadian Olympic team as her two top goals over the next year, Henderson also understands the future is now.

The mature 17-year-old says that the best way to reach her longer term goals is simply to continue taking care of business in the busy summer ahead.

“I try not to look too far ahead but just trying to take it week by week; I’ve had great weeks out there recently, and in my mind, I know my game is right there,” said Henderson.

“I just have to stay patient,” she added. “Because I know great finishes and a win will come soon.”

DUBLIN, Ohio – David Lingmerth didn’t crack over the final two hours Sunday at the Memorial, outlasting Justin Rose with a par on the third playoff hole at Muirfield Village to win for the first time on the PGA Tour.

Showing great resolve and little emotion, Lingmerth gave a soft fist pump when his putt just inside 5 feet on the 10th green dropped. He earned every bit of that handshake with tournament host Jack Nicklaus.

“I can’t believe it,” the 27-year-old Swede said. “I’m so happy right now I don’t know where to go.”

He’ll be going to the Masters next year for the first time – but not the U.S. Open in two weeks. Lingmerth moves to No. 71 in the world and still has to qualify Monday.

It was the longest playoff in 40 years of the Memorial, and it could have ended much earlier – or been avoided – if not for so many clutch moments.

Rose overcame a shank from a bunker on the 18th hole in regular and hit a 55-yard pitch out of deep rough to 3 feet to save par for an even-par 72 to force the playoff. On the 18th in the playoff, Rose holed a 20-foot par putt that went in from the right side of the cup. That looked as if it might be a winner until Lingmerth calmly sank a 10-foot putt to match his par.

On the 18th on the second extra hole, Lingmerth got up-and-down from a bunker.

It ended on the 10th hole when Rose when into deep rough, hit a fairway metal into the gallery, chipped 18 feet by the hole and missed his par putt. Lingmerth two-putted from 45 feet.

Lingmerth closed with a 69. So strong was his performance that he didn’t make worse than par over his final 11 holes.

Masters champion Jordan Spieth closed with a 65 and wound up two shots behind in a tie for third with Francesco Molinari of Italy, who was tied for the lead until hitting into the water on the 16th for a double bogey. He shot 71.

Tiger Woods showed improvement – it was hard not to after a career-worst 85 on Saturday. He shot 74 and finished last, 29 shots behind, with his worst 72-hole score (302) in his PGA Tour career.

Spieth was nine shots behind going into the final day and could not have imagined having to spend an extra three hours in Ohio. He chipped in twice – for birdie on the par-5 seventh and for eagle on the par-5 15th – and closed with a birdie. He posted at 13-under 275 and stuck around all afternoon to see if it would be enough.

Lingmerth made sure it wasn’t with a solid finish – a short birdie on the 15th to reach 15 under, and pars the rest of the way to reach 15-under 273.

Rose had the wild finish.

He was playing a tough bunker shot on the 14th when a fan yelled in his swing. Rose hit the shot to the fringe and made bogey, and then bounced back with an up-and-down from the bunker for a birdie on the 15th to make it a three-way tie.

That’s where his thrills began.

Rose hammered his first putt on the 16th some 10 feet past the hole and made bogey. He bounced back with a bending 12-foot birdie putt to rejoin Lingmerth in the lead, only to hit his tee shot on the 18th in a bunker. Needing par to force a playoff, he hit a shocker off to the right, into the gallery and off the head of a spectator.

The man was fine. The lie was not.

Buried in deep rough, Rose came out with perfect touch and watched it roll past the cup to 3 feet for a par and a playoff.

Spieth at least was headed to Chambers Bay – after a week at home in Dallas – feeling good about his game.

“Today I gained a lot of momentum going into the U.S. Open no matter what happens,” Spieth said.

In a strange way, so did Woods. It’s far better to have the last round before a U.S. Open be a 74 than an 85. Woods said he felt the swing he has been working on at the range was the one he used much of the final round. He still can’t avoid big numbers, though, such as pair of double bogeys over the last four holes that ruined an otherwise decent round. He still heads to Chambers Bay thinking about another major.

“I did not win, and I wasn’t even close,” Woods said. “So hopefully in two weeks’ time, things will be a lot better and I’ll be ready to try to win a U.S. Open.”

Patrick Rodgers earned special temporary membership with a tie for 40th, meaning he gets unlimited exemptions the rest of the way. But it wasn’t easy. He made bogey on the 15th and triple bogey on the 16th, only to finish birdie-birdie to lock it up.

Graham DeLaet tied for 26th and was the top Canadian. He finished at 5 under 283.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Mark Calcavecchia won the Principal Charity Classic on Sunday for his third career Champions Tour title, closing with a 3-under 69 for a one-stroke victory over Joe Durant and Brian Henninger.

Calcavecchia, who missed the cut in the Senior PGA Championship two weeks ago, never trailed during the final round at the Wakonda Club. The 13-time PGA Tour winner finished at 12-under 204.

Durant shot a 69, missing a long birdie putt on the 18th hole. Henninger had a 68.

Canada’s Rod Spittle was fourth at 10 under after a 68.

Davis Love III had a 68 to top the group at 9 under. He was making his fourth Champions Tour start since turning 50 in April 2014.

Victoria, B.C. – With a final round 4-under 66, Toronto’s Albin Choi captured his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada victory on Sunday at Uplands Golf Club, claiming the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist.

The 23-year old came out of the gate hot on Sunday, making birdie on four of his first five holes to separate himself from the field, then held on down the stretch to win by three over North Vancouver, British Columbia’s Eugene Wong, Surrey, British Columbia’s Adam Svensson and Murfreesboro, Tennessee’s Jason Millard.

The win moves Choi to the top of the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit, in position to earn full status on the Web.com Tour for 2016.

“I feel like I just won a battle,” said Choi, who became the first Canadian to win in Victoria since Craig Taylor in 2005. “It feels awesome and it feels even better to do it early on in the year. There are so many events coming up and it gives me so much confidence and momentum going forward.”

After an even par 70 saw his five shot lead disappear on Saturday, Choi entered the day tied for the lead with Svensson and Edmond, Oklahoma’s William Kropp at 11-under. He quickly established himself as the man to beat, however, with four birdies in his first five holes and five over his first seven. After taking a three shot advantage into the back nine, Choi made bogeys at 12 and 15, but bounced back with birdies on the following hole each time to keep the field and bay.

His birdie at 16 was enough to let him cruise with two-putt pars on the last two holes, and after Svensson was unable to hole his second shot from the 72^nd fairway to force a playoff, the title belonged to Choi, along with the $31,500 first place prize. As the top Canadian on the leaderboard, Choi also earned a $2,500 prize as Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week.

“Just looking at the leaderboard, there were so many guys that could win this tournament today, so my job was to try and forget everything that happened yesterday and try and come in here with a clear mind. There are so many good players. Adam was breathing down my neck pretty much the entire day,” said Choi.

A member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Squad, Choi made his professional debut at Uplands in 2013 and went on to earn status on the Web.com Tour for 2014. After finishing outside the top-100 on the Money List, Choi failed to retain status and returned to Mackenzie Tour Q-School this spring, where he was the medalist at the Florida Qualifying Tournament.

“Having full status last year and losing my card and coming back out this year, I looked at it as a positive, another year to work on my game and build myself not only as a player but as a person,” said Choi, who credited an adjustment in his mental approach to his stout play this spring. “I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself the last little while, and I’ve noticed that’s just not the way to play. I’ve been playing a lot more free and enjoyable, and it’s a funny thing, good things are happening.”

Svensson finished in a tie for second for the second consecutive week after losing in a playoff at last week’s PC Financial Open, while Millard posted a career-best finish on the Mackenzie Tour. Wong, who owns two Mackenzie Tour wins, posted his best finish since a tie for second at last year’s PC Financial Open.

CAMBRIDGE, Ontario – Suzann Pettersen birdied two of the last three holes to win the Manulife LPGA Classic on Sunday for her 15th LPGA Tour victory and first since October 2013.

Pettersen closed with a 3-under 69 in windy conditions for a one-stroke victory over Brittany Lang at Whistle Bear Golf Club, the first-year venue after three seasons at Grey Silo in Waterloo.

Pettersen blasted out of a greenside bunker to 2 feet on the par-5 16th to set up a birdie that tied Lang for the lead, then hit a 5-iron to 8 feet for another birdie on the 191-yard, par-3 17th. The 34-year-old Norwegian parred the par-4 18th, hitting her long first putt to a foot.

Pettersen finished at 22-under 266. She ended a 35-event victory drought and is projected to jump from 10th to fifth in the world ranking.

Lang, the winner of the inaugural tournament in 2012 at Grey Silo, finished with a 65. She birdied Nos. 15-17 and closed with a par.

After playing bogey-free the first three rounds, Petersen dropped strokes Sunday on Nos. 2 and 5. She rallied with birdies on Nos. 8-9, eagled the par-5 12th, and gave a shot back with a bogey on the par-4 13th.

Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe was third at 18 under after a 72.

Cristie Kerr bogeyed the final four holes for a 73 to drop into a tie for fourth at 16 under.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko tied for 27th at 10 under after a 71.

Canada’s Alena Sharp also tied for 27th with Ko. The Hamilton, Ont., native was the top Canuck.

Team Canada’s Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., tied for 54th at 5 under.

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – Madeleine Sheils won the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship by two strokes Sunday for her first Symetra Tour title.

Sheils birdied two of the last four holes for a 4-under 68 and a 10-under 206 total at Battle Creek Country Club. The 25-year-old former Nebraska player from Boise, Idaho, earned $15,000 to jump from 24th to 10th on the money list with $26,356. The final top 10 will earn 2016 LPGA Tour cards.

Lindy Duncan and Katelyn Sepmoree tied for second. Duncan finished with a 68, and Sepmoree had a 71.

South Korea’s Jacey Chun was third at 7 under after a 71. She had a double bogey, three bogeys and a birdie on the final seven holes.

Samantha Richdale was the top Canadian. The Kelowna, B.C., native tied for 28th at 1 over 217.