PINEHURST, N.C. – Canada’s Jaclyn Lee had two immediate feelings when a 10-foot birdie putt dropped on the 144th and final hole of the Q-Series LPGA qualifying tournament on Saturday.

“I feel great – relieved,” the 21-year-old amateur golfer from Calgary said after locking up her tour card for 2019 with an impressive showing at Pinehurst No. 7. “I’m just happy that this process is all over. It’s been a long three weeks.”

Lee and Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City both earned LPGA Tour status after easily finishing in the top 45 – the cutoff for a tour card – in the third and final stage of the Q-Series, which started way back on Oct. 24 at Pinehurst No. 6.

Lee shot 2-under 70 to finish the eight-round tournament in sixth place at 7 under at Pinehurst Course No. 6. The 27-year-old Tanguay wasn’t far off in a tie for eighth at 4 under.

Tanguay – who was on the LPGA Tour this year, but had to return to qualifying school after missing 10 of 17 cuts – shot 74 on Saturday.

Korean’s Jeongeun Lee6 won the event with a score of 18 under, one stroke ahead of American amateur Jennifer Kupcho.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., did not earn status, finishing in a tie for 51st.

Lee opened the qualifying tournament with a 68 on Oct. 24 to sit atop the leaderboard. The Canadian national amateur team member shot back-to-back 70s in the second and third rounds and again in the sixth.

“It’s definitely the longest tournament I’ve ever played in,” Lee said. “It’s just one round at a time. You can’t really get ahead of yourself, but it’s hard because so many people are cheering you on back home and at school (she attends Ohio State University) and wishing you good luck. For me, it’s just try to stay in present and not get too excited about what’s to come.”

Lee now has a decision to make. She can maintain her amateur status and finish off her NCAA career at Ohio State before joining the tour on July 1, or she can turn pro to open the 2019 LPGA campaign in January.

“I’m really torn between the two,” said Lee, who planned to fly back to Columbus, Ohio on Sunday after a celebration with friends and family in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday night. “There’s pros and cons to both. I have to make my list.

“I’ve been working towards this for a long time now and to know that I’ve got my card for next year, it’s really exciting to be able to live out my dream. With all the hard work and energy I’ve put into this sport, it’s really good to know I have this behind me now.”

Lee has had a strong year, reaching the semifinals of the British Amateur and the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur. She also made the cut at the Meijer LPGA Championship.

Lee made it through all three stages of the Q-Series, unlike many of her competitors who got to enter at a later stage.

“I’m proud of progress I’ve had in the past summer,” she said. “I definitely think it’s within my capabilities to compete on tour.”

TORONTO – Sporting Life Inc. and Golf Town Limited  have announced they will merge to become Sporting Life Group Limited (“SLG”).

Sporting Life is a premium sports and lifestyle retailer that provides an assortment of high-end sport and lifestyle brands coupled with a focus on premium customer service. It currently has 11 locations operating in Ontario, Alberta and Quebec, following the recent opening of a 27, 500 square foot store last week. In 2019, it will open another flagship store in the new “Amazing Brentwood” Mall in Vancouver.

Golf Town is the largest retailer for golf apparel and equipment in Canada, with a national footprint of 47 stores. Golf Town has been incredibly successful since its acquisition by Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (“Fairfax”) (TSX: FFH and FFH.U) and certain funds managed by Signature Global Asset Management, a division of CI Investments Inc., in 2016.

Fairfax, and founders David Russell and Patti Russell, were the owners of Sporting Life and both continue to be invested in Sporting Life Group.

The merger will see the two brands continue to maintain their brand identities and operate separately, but they will jointly invest in key people, technology and supply chain to enhance future profitable growth and synergies.

“Sporting Life experiences its strongest sales in the winter months, while Golf Town experiences its strongest sales in the summer months,” said David Russell, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Sporting Life. “We believe this to be a natural ‘hedge’ allowing both companies strong profitable performance throughout the year.”

“Enhancing our people, technology and supply chain while obtaining synergies will allow for a streamlined, profitable roll out of our expansion plans. We intend to add stores in B.C beyond Brentwood, more in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, and to enter Manitoba,” added Russell.

Golf Town continues to invest in its brand and network of stores with a next generation store concept launching in March 2019 in Richmond, B.C.

“Since the acquisition of Golf Town in 2016, we have invested in Canada on people, technology and our stores,” said Chad McKinnon, President of Golf Town. “This merger will accelerate that investment and open up new opportunities for our brand and our people, while maintaining the separate identity and teams of both brands.”

PINEHURST, N.C. – Three Canadians are competing at the LPGA’s revamped Qualifying Tournament, which gets underway Oct. 24 at Pinehurst Resort and concludes Nov. 3, where 45 players earning LPGA Tour status for the 2019 season.

What Canadians are competing?

Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City and Team Canada National Amateur Squad member Jaclyn Lee of Calgary.

What is Q-Series?

One of the biggest changes coming to the LPGA in 2018 is the revamping of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament, the process whereby players from Canada and and all over the world compete to earn membership onto the LPGA.

Formerly, qualifying was a three-step process, where non-members generally start at Stage I in California. The top 80 and ties advanced from Stage II to Final Stage, where the top 20 earned what is considered “full” LPGA membership, while finishers 21 through 45 earn “partial” or “conditional” LPGA membership.

What’s Staying the Same?

Stage I and Stage II of LPGA Qualifying Tournament remain unchanged. Recent college graduates, those testing the waters early and the influx of players around the world hoping to reach the LPGA will still have to grind through the five-round gauntlet that is Stage I, which some consider the hardest because of the pressure and the 115–degree summer temps in the desert.

What’s Changing?

Instead of Stage II feeding into Final Stage, it feed into the Symetra Tour, for the most part. There will be some exceptions where top finishers at Stage II will qualify for the Q-Series.

Final Stage in Daytona Beach will be replaced by this new concept called the Q-Series, which begins this week. It consists of two weeks of golf, with eight days of tournament play on two separate golf courses at Pinehurst Resort, and scores will be cumulative over the eight rounds of competition.

Who Qualifies for the Q-Series?

The major goal of the Q-Series is to identify the most LPGA-ready talent. In the past, Final Stage was at one golf club, played over five rounds. Someone could have a bad week or catch the flu or experience the yips on the greens. It’s a roll of the dice. One tournament over five rounds doesn’t adequately provide the best glimpse at who should be on the LPGA.

That’s where Q-Series helps identify the top performers. Players that finish No. 101 to 150 on the LPGA money list during the current season will qualify, along with those that finish No. 11 through 30 on the Symetra Tour money list. Players in the top 75 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings will also qualify for Q-Series.

Additionally, the top five players according to Golfweek’s Collegiate Rankings will also skip Stages I and II and right into the Q-Series.

Finally, the top finishers from Stage II will round out the field.

The field will be 102 players and there will be approximately 45 spots up for grabs for the 2019 season. Click here for scoring.

VENICE, Fla. — With the Symetra Tour season in the books and the LPGA Tour on its Asian swing, the remainder of eyes in the women’s golf world shift to the Sunshine State for Stage II of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament from Oct. 15-18.

A field of 193 players is set to compete in southwest Florida on the Panther Course and Bobcat Course at Plantation Golf & Country Club.

“The journey continues for those hoping to secure a LPGA card through Q-School,” said Mike Nichols, the Chief Business Officer of the Symetra Tour. “After graduating the top-10 players in the Volvik Race for the Card, it is an exciting time to not only usher the next wave to the big stage, but see who will join them in the relentless pursuit of their dreams.”

Individuals will battle in a 72-hole stroke play format featuring no cut.

Furthermore, a minimum of the top-25 players and ties will advance to Q-Series, contested from Oct. 22 through Nov. 3 in Pinehurst, N.C. at Pinehurst Resort. Those at the next score, or scores, will also advance provided that the total number of players in Q-Series does not exceed 108, which currently has 62 exempt and entered competitors.

Action begins at 8 a.m. ET all four days with the rotation of Bobcat Course-Panther Course to be used for the first two rounds. Meanwhile, the entire field will be re-paired by score and divided in half for round three, with lower scores playing the Panther Course and higher scores playing the Bobcat Course. Ties will be broken by the lowest, most recent round to determine which course an individual will play for the third round.

In the fourth round, players will alternate the course played in round three and be re-paired by score. For example, if a player starts the third round on the Bobcat Course, she will be re-paired by score and play the Panther Course for the fourth round.

Eight Canadians are in the field, including Aram Choi of Surrey, B.C., Krista Fenniak of For McMurray, Alta., Hannah Hellyer of Stirling, Ont., Jaclyn Lee of Team Canada who hails from Calgary, Megan Osland and Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., Team Canada Maddie Szyeryk of London, Ont., as well as Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont.

Click here for scoring.

Ten Canadians will move on to the second stage of 2018 Web.com Tour qualifying school as play concluded Friday (Oct. 12.) at events taking place across the United States.

Kaleb Gorbahn of Smithers, B.C., finished runner up at 8-under, while Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., tied for 17th after finishing 2-under at the Dayton Valley, Nev., qualifying event, where the top 22 positions and tied advanced.

Click here for the leaderboard.

In Pine Mountain, Ga., Joey Savoie of La Prairie, Que., advanced after tying for 14th at 10-under. The top 21 and ties qualified to move on to the next stage.

Click here to view the leaderboard.

Toronto’s Richard Lee finished ninth at 7-under and Robbie Greenwell of Georgetown, Ont., tied for 13th at 3-under at the San Diego qualifier, where the top 22 and ties moved on.

Click here for the leaderboard.

Jared du Toit of Kimberley, B.C., Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Andrew Funk of Sidney, B.C., all finished in the top 21 and ties at the SunRiver Golf Club in St. George, Utah to advance.

du Toit finished 9th at 16-under. Another shot back was Pendrith, who tied for 10th. Funk tied for 20th at 9-under.

Click here to view the leaderboard.

Jamie Sadlowski of St. Paul, Alta., previously earned top spot at a qualifier in Maricopa, Ariz., with a score of 16-under. Vancouver’s Sean Harlingten finished 4th, one-shot back of top spot at -15. Ryan Williams, also of Vancouver, tied for 13th at -10. The top 21 and ties moved on.

Click here for the leaderboard.

Second stage of 2018 Web.com Tour qualifying gets underway Oct. 30. Click here for the full schedule.

Lara Tennant of Portland, Ore., won 1-up against Samuel to move on to Thursday’s final round against Sue Wooster of Australia.

Tennant defeated a Senior Women’s Amateur runner-up in the semifinals, edging Terrill Samuel, 57, of Canada, 1 up. The match went to the 18th hole all square after Samuel, who lost in the championship match in 2017, birdied No. 17 with a 7-foot putt. Both players had birdie putts on No. 18, with Samuel hitting her 50-footer 6 feet past the hole. Tennant, who was co-medalist in last year’s championship before bowing out in the Round of 64, rolled in her birdie try from 25 feet to seal victory and earn a spot in Thursday’s final.

The match had its share of dramatic moments. All square on No. 11, it looked like Tennant would regain the lead after hitting her approach shot on the par 4 to less than a foot from the hole, but Samuel chipped in from just off the green to halve the hole with birdies. Tennant would then trail for the only time in the match after hitting her tee shot on the par-3 12th in the water, but she squared the match again with a birdie on the par-5 13th.

While she fell short in her bid to get to a second straight final, Samuel did gain a bit of redemption on Wednesday morning, defeating countrywoman Judith Kyrinis, 54, in the quarterfinals, 1 up. Kyrinis, the reigning champion, had defeated Samuel in the championship match a year ago.

MISSISSAUGUA, Ont. – Higher Ground Sports Management Inc. announced today the signing of former No.1-ranked Canadian amateur golfer Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, who has turned professional.

Bernard is making his professional debut this week at the First Stage of Web.com Tour Q-School in Dayton, Nevada.

The 23-year-old has also signed an endorsement deal with Titleist.

“With my professional career getting started this week, I was thrilled to sign with an experienced management team,” said Bernard, the former Canadian Men’s Amateur Champion, who has been a member of Golf Canada’s National Team since 2016. Bernard was also a member of Canada’s National Development Squad in 2013.

“I’ve had a lot of great opportunities as an amateur and collegiate golfer and I’m very proud of my career so far. I can’t wait to get started on the next phase of my golf career and join the professional ranks.”

Higher Ground, led by President George Sourlis, manages the business affairs of PGA Tour winner Adam Hadwin, LPGA Tour player and Canadian Olympian Alena Sharp, and fellow Golf Canada National team alums Jared du Toit and Blair Hamilton. Higher Ground will assist Bernard in sourcing and securing endorsement arrangements, developing and marketing his professional brand, and day-to-day management of his career.

“Hugo has it all,” said Sourlis. “He is extremely talented on the golf course, and that talent has shone through for years throughout his amateur and collegiate career. But away from the golf course he’s also an exemplarily young man. I’m excited to be part of what should be a long and successful career.”

Bernard was a star freshman at Saint Leo University in Florida. He led the team to a NCAA Division II national team championship and secured one individual title, at the NCAA Argonaut Invitational. He was also the individual medalist at the 2016 NCAA Division II Championship.

Bernard has had a long list of accomplishment in Canada, the U.S., and his native Quebec.

Bernard’s immediate goal will be to secure Web.com Tour status for 2019, otherwise he will play on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada next year.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – The PGA TOUR announced today that Brooks Koepka has been named the 2018 PGA TOUR Player of the Year as voted by the TOUR’s membership for the 2017-18 season.

PGA TOUR members who played in at least 15 FedExCup events during the 2017-18 season were eligible to vote. The balloting process ended on October 1.

Koepka, a 28-year-old native of West Palm Beach, Florida, finished a career-best ninth in the FedExCup following a season that included victories at both the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. He earned four additional top-10 finishes, including runners-up at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions and Charles Schwab Challenge.

“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, our congratulations to Brooks Koepka on being voted PGA TOUR Player of the Year by his peers,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Brooks has brought a new brand of athleticism to the PGA TOUR, and we saw the results this year with his historic season at the major championships and a top-10 finish in the FedExCup. These feats were accomplished despite missing significant time due to injury, a testament to his work ethic and perseverance throughout the season.”

Following the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January, Koepka did not compete on TOUR while recovering from a left wrist injury, making his return in late April at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He collected his first top-10 post-injury at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club, a second-place finish to Justin Rose.

With his victory at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, Koepka became the first player since Curtis Strange (1988-89) to win back-to-back U.S. Open titles. Five starts later, Koepka won his third major title in his 100^th PGA TOUR start, capturing the PGA Championship by two strokes over Tiger Woods with a tournament record 16-under 264. At age 28, Koepka became the fifth American since 1945 with three or more major wins before the age of 29 and the fifth player to win the U.S. Open and PGA Championship in the same season.

Koepka posted season-low rounds of 63 on four occasions in 17 PGA TOUR starts, including the lowest final round ever at THE PLAYERS Championship. He closed the season with 13 of 16 rounds in the 60s over the four FedExCup Playoffs events.

Kopeka competed in his first ever RBC Canadian Open in 2008, where he failed to make the 36-hole cut.

Koepka, who will receive the Jack Nicklaus Trophy for winning PGA TOUR Player of the Year, was selected for the honor over Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Francesco Molinari, Justin Rose and Justin Thomas.

PORTO FELIZ, Brazil—Canadian Drew Nesbitt made history Saturday morning at the Brazil Open when he completed his second round at the weather-delayed event and shot the first 59 in PGA TOUR Latinoamérica history.

In 16 previous PGA TOUR Latinoamérica rounds, Nesbitt’s low 18-hole score was a 66 he shot in the second round of the Molina Canuela Championship in Argentina in April. His 59 came courtesy of—count ‘em—four eagles, including a hole-in-one, five birdies, a bogey (yes, a bogey!) and eight pars.

“Obviously, 59 is a magical number out here. But just to make the cut after what I shot [Thursday] is a great accomplishment. To do it with a 59 is even more special,” said Nesbitt, alluding to his opening, 8-over 79. His 20-stroke improvement is easily the best turnaround by any PGA TOUR Latinoamérica player in 2018.

Nesbitt played seven holes of his second round Friday afternoon at Fazenda Boa Vista prior to officials blowing the horn due to darkness. After a disappointing round that included a triple bogey, two double bogeys and four bogeys that led to the 79, Nesbitt was just hoping to put something together that would give him a chance to play on the weekend.

“I knew I eventually had to shoot a low round if I was going to make the cut,” Nesbitt said.

He did just a bit better than that.

Nesbitt began Friday’s second round with a pair of eagles, playing Fazenda Boa Vista’s back nine first.

“On the first hole of the day,” Nesbitt said, “I happened to knock it in from 100 yards and get my day started pretty quickly. I followed it up with another eagle. I hit a good 6-iron (second shot) from about 210, 215 (yards). I happened to make that putt.”

Suddenly by taking only five strokes, the native of Toronto, had knocked four shots off par and was 4-over for the tournament.

Things stalled for Nesbitt on his third hole of the round when he bogeyed the par-3 12th to drop back to 5-over for the tournament. Four pars followed, with seemingly nothing special in the making when his day ended as darkness fell on the course that is hosting Brazil’s national open for the first time.

Saturday morning, Nesbitt returned to the course, and his third eagle of the round, on No. 18, moved him to 3-over.
Still, Nesbitt’s thoughts were just on making the cut, something he had done three times in five previous 2018 PGA TOUR Latinoamérica starts. “I just made the turn thinking I might have a chance.”

On the front nine, Nesbitt rolled in a birdie putt on the par-4 first. He then faced a 159-yard tee shot on the par-3 second, with the pin in the front of the green. “It was about three yards uphill, with a very large backstop behind the flag. I knew I could just put a good swing on a 9-iron, and anything that landed behind the hole with any amount of spin would come back toward the flag. I happened to land it in a perfect spot, with the perfect amount of spin, and it found its way into the hole. Just a nice, stock 9-iron, and that did the trick.

Nesbitt was now 8-under for the day and, amazingly, even-par overall. Knowing the projected cut was either 1-under or 2-under, Nesbitt knew he still had some work to do.

A birdie on the par-5 third hole got him to 1-under, but to be safe he decided he needed one more birdie—and no bogeys—coming in.

“From there, I figured, well, I just need to make one more birdie (to make the cut), which I did,” he noted, even though his momentum slowed a little with pars at his 13th, 14th and 15th holes. He had three chances left, all par-4s.

“Then I happened to birdie the last three, to shoot 59,” Nesbitt said, smiling, an oh-by-the-way result he had actually considered but wasn’t really thinking about. Again, making the cut and earning a paycheck were foremost on Nesbitt’s mind

Birdies at Nos. 7 and 8 left him sitting at 11-under. A driver and an approach to No. 9 would give Nesbitt a chance.

He faced an eight-foot birdie putt on his final hole of the round for the elusive 59.

After lining up his putt, Nesbitt paused and re-marked his ball, starting over his routine. The lefthander then placed his ball and put his coin back in his pocket. After a couple of practice swings, he calmly drained the putt and pumped his left fist.

He not only had made the cut, but he also put his name in the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica record books.

“Today, I obviously had a lot of fortunate breaks. To hole out two shots is incredible. To make an eagle in a round of golf—let alone four I made today—is absolutely outstanding,” Nesbitt said. “I can’t really describe how it happened or why it happened to me, but today it did. It was my day to shoot that number, and I kind of capitalized on it by making some great putts down the stretch.”

Amazingly, even with a 59, Nesbitt hit the 36-hole mark tied for 30th, 10 strokes behind leader Alex Rocha.
In five PGA TOUR Latinoamérica events this season, Nesbitt’s best finish is a tie for 22nd at the season-opening Guatemala Stella Artois Open. He tied for 28th last week at the São Paulo Golf Club Championship. His lowest 18-hole score this season prior to his second-round heroics was a 66. His other lowest PGA TOUR-affiliated Tour rounds, a pair of 69s, came at the 2017 Mackenzie Investments Open on the Mackenzie Tour and at the 2017 RBC Canadian Open on the PGA TOUR.

.@DrewNezbitt ?? made history this morning, shooting the first 59 in #PGATOURLA history ???. Great round with a hole-in-one and a bogey. 4 total eagles. Incredible!#AbertodoBrasil #BupaChallenge pic.twitter.com/ngxXG1uQ5x

— PGATOURLA (@PGATOURLA) September 22, 2018

OTTAWA – Brooke Henderson earned yet another accolade, taking the female summer athlete of the year honour at the Canadian Sports Awards, while short-track speedskating star Kim Boutin earned the winter distinction.

Henderson became the first Canadian woman in 45 years to win an LPGA title on home soil with her victory at the CP Women’s Open in Regina last month.

The 21-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., has seven LPGA victories, one shy of the Canadian record held by Sandra Post.

Very proud to receive the #CDNSportAward for Summer Female Athlete of the Year!! ?????

— Brooke Henderson (@BrookeHenderson) September 21, 2018

Boutin was a breakout start at the Pyeongchang Games in February, taking home three medals – two bronze and a silver – in short track.

The 23-year-old from Sherbrooke, Que., served as Canada’s flag-bearer at the closing ceremony.

On the men’s side, decathlete Damian Warner was named the male summer athlete of the year and para-nordic skier Brian McKeever was the winter athlete.

The men’s Commonwealth Games basketball team was named summer team of the year while Jennifer Jones’ curling rink took the winter team of the year.

Ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won the winter sports partners of the year award for their gold-medal winning performance at the Pyeongchang Games. The pair also helped Canada win gold in the team figure skating event.

This was the 41st edition of the Canadian Sports Awards, but first since 2012. The awards honour the top Canadian athletic performances over the past 12 months.