Golf—like most sports—is a game of numbers. For Team Canada’s youngest Amateur Squad member, Austin Connelly, it’s simply “going out there and playing the way you know you can.”

Holding the No. 9 World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) has its benefits—for one, being able to make that statement with the utmost confidence.

Speaking of which, Connelly has a lot of it. Following an earlier-than-anticipated exit at the U.S. Four-Ball last week, the reigning Jones Cup champion was quick to express disappointment and place blame upon himself.

“It just didn’t quite go our way,” he said of his semi-final match with partner Sam Burns. “We certainly would have liked to play better. I had a hard time swinging the club for the first nine holes and felt I didn’t give my partner enough help.”

Connelly has the benefits of youth on his side to fuel his confidence, without overstepping boundaries. He knows there is much still to learn—something he took to heart when playing with (and against) Team Canada teammate, Corey Conners.

“Last year, Corey actually beat me in a playoff to win the Jones Cup—he’s a very, very good player,” said Connelly. “We’ve become pretty good friends and I have a lot of respect for him.”

In November, Connelly and Conners teamed up in Argentina to lead Canada to its first Tailhade Cup victory by a staggering 19-stroke margin.

Three months later, Connelly (along with Conners) returned to the Ocean Forest Golf Club where he took home the title for a little friendly revenge—something he sees as source of motivation for both players.

“We don’t joke about it too much,” he stated. “There is certainly still a level of competitiveness—a way of pushing each other.”

As a matter of fact, Connelly’s journey with Team Canada was sparked at the Jones Cup in a chance encounter with Men’s Head Coach, Derek Ingram.

“My dad and I ran into Derek before the event even started,” said Connelly, who now speaks with Ingram on a daily basis. “He did not know much about me at the time, including that I was Canadian. After the match with Corey, we started talking a lot more at events. Personally, I could see that they’ve done a phenomenal job in improving their players, which was a big draw for me.”

Since joining Team Canada, Connelly has lowered his World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) from an already solid 48 to inside the top-10, where he currently sits as Canada’s best-ranked amateur golfer.

“I’m a very proud Canadian and couldn’t be happier to be a part of this program,” he said. “Having that support is a big deal for me and is very valuable in helping me get to the next level.”

Where did Connelly come from? What’s his story?

The 18-year-old high school senior is a dual-citizen, splitting his time mostly between Nova Scotia and Texas.

“I spent a lot of my childhood, mostly the summers, with my family in Nova Scotia and continue to visit every year—we love the north-east.”

The Canadian standout is considering attending qualifying school in the fall, taking his shot at earning status and turning professional. In the interim, Connelly has signed a letter of intent with the University of Arkansas, a prospect he is also certainly excited about.

In potentially his last year as an amateur, expect Connelly’s name to be atop key leaderboards at the summer’s most prestigious tournaments.

JACKSON, Miss. – The fiancee of professional golfer John Daly is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out a lawsuit that blames her for breaking up his previous marriage.

In February, the Mississippi Supreme Court gave the green light to Sherrie Allison Miller to pursue damages against Anna Cladakis, claiming alienation of affection.

Miller and Daly married in 2001 and separated in 2007. She is suing Cladakis, to whom Daly became engaged in December, for unspecified damages, arguing that Cladakis broke up their marriage.

Miller says her marriage with Daly ended because Cladakis and Daly developed a sexual relationship while the couple was separated. Daly’s divorce from Miller was granted in 2010.

The Mississippi Supreme Court said Miller may have grounds to collect damages if she can prove Daly and Cladakis conducted their relationship in Mississippi. Mississippi is one of only a handful of states that permit lawsuits for alienation of affections.

Cladakis has argued in court filings that she doesn’t live in Mississippi and neither does Daly so Mississippi courts have no interest in the case.

Miller alleges the sexual trysts occurred in DeSoto County, Mississippi, which borders Memphis, Tennessee.

Cladakis’ attorneys appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in April. Lawyers for Miller have until May 18 to file a response.

A Mississippi judge in 2012 dismissed a lawsuit by Miller because none of the parties involved were located in the state, but Miller’s attorney argued on appeal that Daly and Cladakis had sexual trysts in Mississippi. The Mississippi Court of Appeals agreed, determining the case should be heard in DeSoto County, Mississippi, and the state Supreme Court upheld that decision.

Daly won the PGA Championship in his first year on tour in 1991. He also won the British Open in 1995. He has won five PGA tournaments overall. Daly announced on Twitter last December that he popped the question to Cladakis, whom he has been with for seven years.

What would it be worth to play one of the best courses in the country with the chance to qualify to take on Glen Abbey Golf Club the Monday after the RBC Canadian Open, experiencing the same conditions as the PGA Tour pros?

Just imagine if, at the same time, you were supporting junior golf programs in Canada.

For a golfer, it just doesn’t get any better.

The new Golf Canada Foundation “Play Like The Pros Charity Challenge” gives you that “bucket list” opportunity.

As of May 10th, you can register your foursome at www.playliketheprosgolf.com to guarantee your spot in this incredible event. First come, first served!

Take your pick from this list of exclusive courses (as of May 9): The National Golf Club of Canada, Hamilton Golf and Country Club, Redtail Golf Course, Coppinwood Golf Club, Oviinbyrd Golf Club, Summit Golf and Country Club, Mississaugua Golf and Country Club, and London Hunt and Country Club.

To support this endeavour, each of these outstanding clubs has donated one hour of tee times—five foursomes. Each team will compete against the other four teams at their chosen venue using a Stableford format to qualify for an exclusive outing, complete with caddies, at Glen Abbey on July 27. Imagine watching the exciting final round of our Open on Sunday and then playing that same course, under the identical tournament setup conditions, the day after!

Even if you don’t win at the course you selected, you still have a chance to get to that special Glen Abbey outing.

Golf Canada CEO Martin Barnard explains. “The objective is to raise funds to support junior golf, so let’s say your team finishes second at the course you selected. You think, ‘Wow, that was so much fun, but wouldn’t it be awesome to play in the Glen Abbey event?’ Well, you can, if you are one of the five top fundraising teams.” Those five teams will join the winning teams from each of the qualifying venues on July 27 for the golf experience of a lifetime.

Thanks to sponsor TaylorMade adidas Golf, participants will receive a welcome gift when they register at their qualifying site. Those who go on to Glen Abbey will get more gifting, as will the top fundraising teams.

“I know it’s a cliché,” says Barnard, “but this is a ‘win-win’ for everyone who participates. The golfers get to play incredible courses, the courses and their members unselfishly support junior golf, and everyone is helping the future of the game in Canada.”

Don’t wait! Spaces are limited. Visit www.playlikethepros.com now to register your foursome.

To learn more about all of Golf Canada’s philanthropic initiatives, go to www.golfcanadafoundation.com.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Nothing was overrated about Rickie Fowler at The Players Championship.

Not the way he rallied from a five-shot deficit with the greatest finish in the 34-year history of the TPC Sawgrass. Not the two tee shots he smashed down the daunting 18th fairway Sunday when a miss to the left or right spelled trouble. And certainly not the three tee shots – yes, three – he stuffed on the island-green 17th hole for birdie each time.

The last one made him a winner, the best answer to that anonymous player survey that he was an underachiever.

At a tournament that dresses up like a major, Fowler sure looked the part in beating the strongest field in golf.

“I’d say this was a pretty big one,” Fowler said.

It certainly wasn’t easy. Fowler’s record-setting finish – birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie on the last four holes for a 5-under 67 – looked like a winner until Sergio Garcia and Kevin Kisner delivered big shots of their own.

In the first three-hole playoff at The Players, Kisner hit his tee shot on the par-3 17th to 10 feet and rolled in a breaking birdie putt to keep pace with Fowler, who had hit his tee shot to 6 feet and converted the birdie. Garcia, who in regulation made a 45-foot birdie to give him new life, failed to repeat the putt from about the same range in the playoff. All three players made par on the final hole, which eliminated Garcia.

Fowler and Kisner, who closed with a 69 and is now 0 for 102 in his PGA Tour career, headed back to the 17th hole for the third time. The great shots kept coming. Kisner barely cleared the mound and the ball settled 12 feet away. Fowler answered by taking on the right side of the green and sticking it just inside 5 feet.

Kisner finally missed.

Fowler never seemed to miss over the final two hours, and he calmly clutched his fist to celebrate his first PGA Tour victory in three years.

Garcia, who had a two-shot lead heading to the back nine, closed with a 68. He had a 20-foot birdie putt to win in regulation that missed badly to the right. And he faced a crowd that was increasingly hostile to the Spaniard, perhaps remembering the tiff he had with Tiger Woods two years ago.

His caddie was asking for security when he made the turn. In the three-hole playoff, a small group of fans yelled, “USA!” as he took the putter back.

It marred what was other sheer brilliance, a most unforgettable final hour in a tournament that has a history of them.

For Fowler, the timing couldn’t have been better.

One of the questions in SI Golf’s annual player survey – players do not give their names – was to pick the most overrated player on the PGA Tour. Fowler and Ian Poulter shared first place at 24 percent. Fowler has never faced this level of criticism, a favorite among fans and most players for his considerate behavior.

He tried to play it down, though he said on more than one occasion this week that it would motivate him.

He was at 6 under, five shots behind Garcia, when he hit a 9-iron to 12 feet on the 13th hole and “hit the button.”

What he hit was warp speed.

Fowler made a 15-foot birdie on the 15th hole. He took on the water at the par-5 15th with a shot into a slight breeze to 30 inches for eagle. Not at all daunted by an island green, he went at the flag and made it for 6 feet to take the lead for the first time. And then he blasted a tee shot 331 yards and made a 15-foot birdie on the 18th hole to be the first player to reach 12-under 276. And then he had to wait.

The Stadium Course has rarely lacked for greater theater over the last three decades.

This topped them all.

Over the final hour, six players had hopes of winning the richest prize in golf. Four of them were tied for the lead.

Ben Martin raced into the picture with three straight birdies, the last one an 8-footer after taking on the corner of the island on the par-3 17th. But he pushed his tee shot into the woods on the 18th, pitched out and missed his par putt for a 70 that knocked him out of the playoff.

Bill Haas had a chance to tie for the lead twice – first with a 10-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th that just missed to the left, and then with a long birdie putt on the 17th that stopped one turn from falling in on the left side. Needing a birdie on the 18th to join the playoff, he had to play a runner to the green because he was blocked by trees. It came up short and he made par for a 70.

Fowler was the most sensational.

The finish by Garcia and Kisner would have been talked about for years. On this day, thanks to Fowler, it was nearly an afterthought.

Garcia two-putted from 70 feet from the fringe for a birdie at the 16th, and then rolled in his improbable birdie at the 17th. He missed from 20 feet on the 18th. Kisner, who twice made big putts in a losing effort to Jim Furyk at Hilton Head last month, got up-and-down for birdie on the 16th and holed a 10-footer for birdie on the 17th.

He had a 10-foot birdie putt for the win, and it touched the right side of the cup.

Tiger Woods had a 72 and tied for 69th, his worst position ever in The Players Championship. Rory McIlroy, who started the final round four shots behind, didn’t get going until it was too late. He closed with a 70 and tied for eighth, four shots behind.

BEL OMBRE, Mauritius – George Coetzee beat Thorbjorn Olesen on the second playoff hole to win the Mauritius Open on Sunday.

Overnight leader Coetzee had a trio of birdies at the par-5 18th hole – one at the end of the final round and two in the playoff – to clinch his third European Tour title.

“Being on the playoff was the most comfortable I felt today,” the South African said. “I just had to get the job done, it doesn’t matter how long it takes.”

Olesen also birdied the first playoff hole before being limited to par at his second attempt in the inaugural event on the Indian Ocean island.

Earlier, both players finished on 13-under 271 at Heritage Golf Club after Coetzee shot 2-under 69, one behind his Danish opponent.

Coetzee started with three birdies on his first five holes before stumbling with a bogey-six at No. 7. He needed a birdie at the last to force the playoff but could have won outright after he almost eagled the hole from 30 feet.

Coetzee was the highest-ranked player at the tri-sanctioned European, Asian and South African tour event.

Mardan Mamat of Singapore shot 67 to finish third on 12-under 272.

Canada’s Richard T. Lee tied for 13th after a final round 66.

GREENWOOD, S.C. – Mexico’s Alejandra Llaneza birdied the final hole Sunday for a one-stroke victory in the Symetra Tour’s Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic.

The 26-year-old Llaneza is the third Mexican winner in Symetra Tour history, following Lorena Ochoa and Violeta Retamoza. Ochoa won three times in 2002, and Retamoza had a victory in 2007.

“It feels amazing, I am just really, really excited,” Llaneza said. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. There have been a lot of ups and downs, but I am just really excited to have this opportunity today and come out on top.”

Llaneza closed with a 1-under 71 for a 10-under 278 total at the Links at Stoney Point. She earned $30,000 to jump from 26th to first on the money list with $35,969. The top 10 at the end of the season will earn 2016 LPGA Tour cards.

“Deep inside I wanted to prove to myself that I could win out here,” Llaneza said. “Of course I want to win on the LPGA Tour, but it was very important to see that I could do it at a big tournament like this. This is a great confidence-booster.”

Alejandra Llaneza (Symetra Tour)

Casey Grice was second after a 70.

On the par-5 18th, Llaneza hit inside a foot from a greenside bunker to set up her winning birdie.

“I’ve been working a lot on those,” said Llaneza, who will play the Kingsmill Championship on the LPGA Tour next week. “I took my 60 degree out and honestly I was thinking about making the shot.”

South Korea’s Jimin Kang had a 72 to finish third at 7 under.

The top Canadian was Anne-Catherine Tanguay. The Quebec City native and Team Canada member tied for 10th at 1 under.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Chris Kirk kept his cool during a rocky patch Saturday and made three straight birdies for a 4-under 68 that gave him a one-shot lead at The Players Championship going into the final round that is very much up for grabs.

That much was clear over the final hour on a TPC Sawgrass course that gave as much as it took.

Kirk went from out of the top 10 to a share of the lead in three holes. He had the lead to himself when Kevin Na three-putted for double bogey on the 18th hole.

What made Saturday so unpredictable was neither the Stadium Course nor the variety of shots, rather a leaderboard crammed with so many players that it was hard to keep track who was coming and who was going.

Ben Martin fell out of the lead with a bogey on the 18th for a 68, leaving him one shot behind along with Kevin Kisner (67) and Bill Haas (68). Justin Thomas was tied for the lead, but that was before the leaders teed off. The 22-year-old rookie set a Stadium Course record with 10 birdies in his round of 65 and was two behind, along with Sergio Garcia (67), Scott Brown (69), Canada’s David Heard (70), Jerry Kelly (72) and Na, who had to settle for a 72.

At the end of the day, 24 players were separated by four shots.

That included Rory McIlroy, the world’s No. 1 player, who had a 70 to stay in the mix.

“It seems like half the tour has a chance to win this thing,” McIlroy said.

Tiger Woods was part of the other half. He made the wrong kind of history Saturday by making two double bogeys on par 5s for the first time in his career, leading to a 75 that matched his worst score at the TPC Sawgrass. Woods was 13 shots behind and chose not to share his thoughts on the day.

He at least was in good company.

Woods was part of an All-Star cast at the bottom of the leaderboard. The last 10 players have combined for 153 wins on the PGA Tour and 27 majors. The top 10 going into Sunday have combined for 23 tour wins and no majors.

Adding to the dynamic is that three players within two shots of the lead are at The Players for the first time.

“We had a little survey of the first-timers – `Who do you pick besides yourself to win?’ – and I picked Ben Martin,” Kisner said. “No, man, everybody talks about pressure and nerves and all that, but we’ve been through it all. If we’ve gotten here, we’ve done tour school, we’ve won tournaments. Just because it’s a bigger stage doesn’t mean we’re going to (stink) all of a sudden. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

It starts with Kirk because he’s the 54-hole leader at 10-under 206.

Then again, it might not.

Rickie Fowler, who survived a double bogey and three bogeys for a 71, was in the group three shots behind. He will have played six or seven holes on Sunday before the last group hits their first tee shot. Thomas hit 7-iron from 192 yards into 3 feet for his 10th birdie of the day on the 18th hole to tie Na and Kelly before they started.

“It was one of the best rounds I’ve probably ever played in competition,” Thomas said. “To do it at a stage like this and a field like this and a golf course like this, to get back in the tournament was big.”

Woods, who said he was one round away from narrowing the gap on the lead, widened it. He hit a smother-hook off the tee at the par-5 second hole that bounced off a tree and settled in the rough 105 yards from the tee. His other double bogey was on No. 9, where he took three hacks out of the rough-covered mounds to advance the ball some 60 feet. He made only two birdies.

Playing with Woods was Canada’s Graham DeLaet. The Saskatchewan native moved 15 spots up the leaderboard Saturday in large part to to a miraculous eagle on the par-5 9th.

McIlroy was in reasonable position, and coming off a victory in the Match Play Championship last week, was one player expected to make a move. He had one birdie and two bogeys over his opening eight holes, which was moving in the wrong direction.

But he steadied himself on the back nine and was only four shots behind.

It was easy to press. The leaderboard looked like a California freeway at rush hour. Kirk was going in the wrong direction when he missed a short birdie putt on the 12th, and made bogeys on the next two holes.

“I had a chance to sort of lose it a little bit today,” Kirk said. “But I didn’t let it bother me, and thankfully was able to birdie the next three to pull out a great round.”

And now he gets to do it one more time, with a $10 million purse and five-year tour exemption riding on the outcome.

BEL OMBRE, Mauritius – George Coetzee holed out from the fairway for an eagle Saturday on the way to a 6-under 65 and a one-shot lead after the third round of the Mauritius Open.

Living up to his status as the highest-ranked player at the tournament, the South African added four birdies to that eagle on No. 7 to move to 11-under 202 overall. He moved clear of compatriot Thomas Aiken (68) and overnight leader Thorbjorn Olesen (70).

Denmark’s Olesen dropped off the top of the leaderboard for the first time at the tri-sanctioned European, Asian and South African tour event after making three bogeys along with his four birdies. Aiken collected six birdies but also dropped three shots.

It left Coetzee in position to clinch his third European Tour title and second this season after winning the Tshwane Open at his home course in Pretoria in March.

Coetzee started the round four shots behind Olesen but was ahead by the time he made the turn after going 5 under through his first nine holes. He sank a long birdie putt on No. 2, got up and down for another gain at No. 5, and sent a gentle wedge straight at the hole for his eagle. The ball bounced a couple of times and rolled in. He made another birdie at No. 9.

Coetzee kept it together on the back nine despite often struggling off the tee at Heritage Golf Club.

“As I walked off the course I told my manager I don’t know how I’m shooting under par the way I’m playing,” he said. “But obviously the course must suit my eye pretty well.”

Aiken made just his second bogey of the weekend at his first hole on Saturday, and despite two more drops on his back nine, he remained in contention.

Singaporean Mardan Mamat was fourth on 8 under ahead of a four-way tie for fifth at the inaugural event on the Indian Ocean island.

The Golf Lab and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured member Lorne Rubenstein are giving away used Miura Irons to two (2) junior golfers.

“Lorne Rubenstein generously donated two sets of his gently used Miura Irons to us,” said The Golf Lab’s Bradley Lawrence. “We, in turn, would like to put these in the hands of two lucky junior golfers.”

In order to enter, contest entrants must be between the ages of 12 and 18.

Entrants should write a 500-word essay describing what golf means to them. Along with the essay, entrants must submit a current report card and golf resume which outlines any accomplishments.

Applications must be dropped off at The Golf Lab’s Satellite Location located at ClubLink’s DiamondBack Golf Club on Saturday, May 23rd or Sunday, May 24th between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Winners will be notified Monday, June 1st, and will also receive a free fitting from one of the Golf Lab Professionals.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Much like his entire career, Jerry Kelly was just another player on the golf course Friday at The Players Championship.

Tiger Woods kept the biggest gallery wondering how much longer they would see him when he flirted with missing the cut until he delivered a moment rarely seen of late. He made a putt that mattered, a 10-foot birdie that allowed him to stick around for two more days.

In the afternoon, Rory McIlroy made it easy on himself – by his standard at the TPC Sawgrass – with a dull round of 71 that kept him in contention. Dull can be good on the Stadium Course that meted out its share of punishment.

And the island-green 17th was wild as ever.

What most everyone missed was the 48-year-old Kelly carving up the front nine with five birdies that carried him to a 7-under 65, giving him the low round this week and share of the lead with Kevin Na.

“I enjoy adrenaline,” Kelly said. “I am 48. I know it almost ravages the body as much as it helps it as you start getting older, but I would like to hang out for another couple of days and have some fun with it.”

Kelly and Na, who settled down after a wild start for a 69, where at 8-under 136. Both have some history on this golf course.

Na was the 54-hole lead at The Players three years ago until he faded under intense scrutiny of serious swing issues.

Kelly had a two-shot lead over Woods in 2001 going into a final round that took two days to complete because of storms. Woods went on to win, and two weeks later he completed his grand sweep of the majors at Augusta National.

Fourteen years later, Kelly and Woods are in different roles.

“I figured I would have another chance at this golf course,” Kelly said. “I didn’t think it would be that long, but it’s just strange. This whole career has gone by in the blink of an eye.”

Kelly and Na were two shots clear of Rickie Fowler (69), Chris Kirk (68), Canada’s David Hearn (71) and Branden Grace (67).

Not much is left from all that star power on both ends of the draw at the start of the week.

McIlroy was in a featured grouping of the new generation, but the other two – Masters champion Jordan Spieth and Jason Day – now are old news. Spieth spent too much time trying to save par and finished with a meaningless bogey for a 72 to miss by three shots. Day started the second round tied with McIlroy and had two 7s on his card within four holes. He closed with a double bogey for an 81.

Phil Mickelson, who played in the group ahead of Woods, had two 6s and a 7 on his way to a 76 to miss the cut for the third straight year.

“I was thinking to myself as I was walking around, `I can’t believe I’ve actually won here,’ you know?” Mickelson said.

Woods, in his first start since he showed a remarkable short-game recovery at the Masters, hovered around the cut line most of the day until he got to the par-5 ninth for his last hole. He choked up for a soft pitching wedge to 10 feet, made the birdie and showed the kind of emotion he once reserved for big shots and big moments.

That gave him a 71 for even-par 144, making the cut on the number.

Given the nature of the Stadium Course, and the quality of the field, making the cut on the number means he was only eight shots out of the lead.

“I feel like I’m playing well enough to get myself up there,” Woods said. “I just need one good round and narrow up that gap between myself and the lead, and I feel like I can do that.”

Woods will be paired with Canada’s Graham DeLaet Saturday.

Na was a different player in 2012. He was vilified for his slow play, which he attributed to having the yips with his swing. He simply couldn’t take the club back, and there times that when he did, he would purposely swing over the ball so he could start over. It was difficult to watch. It was even harder on Na.

But he has battled through it and came into The Players at No. 22 in the world ranking.

“I think I’m mentally tougher because I had gone through that, and I’m a lot more happier,” Na said.

Fowler was poised to close in on the lead until his approach on the par-5 16th drifted too far right and went into the water for a bogey. Fowler bounced back with a birdie on the island green at the par-3 17th, and he had a 3-foot birdie attempt that fooled him on the 18th.

Even so, he was two shots behind and brings a little extra motivation with him. In a magazine survey of players, in which they didn’t have to give their names, Fowler and Ian Poulter tied with 24 percent of the vote for the most overrated on tour. Fowler has won twice worldwide and is No. 13 in the world, mainly on the strength of his four top-5 finishes in the majors last year.

“If there’s a time where I need something to kind of give me a kick in the butt, then I can think of that and it will put me in the right frame of mind to go out there and take care of business,” Fowler said.