SAN FRANSICO, Calif. – Walker Cup teammates Nathan Smith and Todd White won the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball on Wednesday, beating Sherrill Britt and Greg Earnhardt 7 and 5 in the championship match.

Smith and White won the first four holes at Olympic Club, Britt and Earnhardt took the fourth with a birdie, and Smith and White birdied the sixth to regain their 4-up lead. Smith and White won Nos. 11 and 12 with pars and ended the match with a birdie on the par-3 13th.

The 36-year-old Smith, a four-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, is an investment adviser in Pittsburgh. The 47-year-old White is a high school history teacher in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Earlier in the day, the American duo defeated Canadian Amateur Squad member Austin Connelly and partner Sam Burns, 2 and 1, before going on to win the title.

Connelly and Burns, ranked 9^th and 7^th, respectively in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), put forward a great effort in the semi-final round, fighting back from a 2-hole deficit to draw even on the 10^th. The 18-year-olds could not hold on, however, eventually giving way to the veterans.

“They stepped up on the back nine,” said Connelly, who captured the Jones Cup in February and will attend Arkansas.“They made three putts outside of 30 feet at really key times.”

Austin Connelly (USGA/ Darren Carroll)

The Four-Ball replaced the U.S. Amateur Public Links on the USGA calendar.

Click here for full scoring.

CAMBRIDGE, Ont. – The only thing larger than the throng of media on-hand at Whistle Bear Golf Club for Monday’s media day was the smile on the face of the Manulife LPGA Classic’s new tournament director, Milaina Wright.

Wright, less than a year into her tenure, took over for outgoing tournament director Richard Kuypers. Kuypers headed up the Manulife event for three years before moving on to join Molson Coors in 2014.

Both Wright and Kuypers have a shared past-employer: Golf Canada. And, Wright says her experience working at Golf House was invaluable.

“I was privileged to work under Bill Paul, Brent McLaughlin and Sean Van Kesteren, tournament directors who have been in the golf industry for a lot longer than I have,” Wright explains. “These are guys who taught me a lot about organizing a large-scale championship, and all the details that go into it.”

Wright worked as the manager of professional championships for Golf Canada for a little less than three years. She was also the governing body’s coordinator of professional championships for nearly four years.

The graduate of Brock University – with both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Masters of Arts in sport management – is no stranger to dealing with elite athletes. She was the assistant basketball coach at Brock for six months, and also played basketball at a high level herself.

These experiences, she says, helps her now while dealing with professional golfers. Although, on a slightly different scale.

“One thing I take most from my sports background is my composure under stressful situations,” she says. “There’s always something happening in a golf tournament you can’t control, so I’m always trying to find a solution, find the next step.”

Wright continues to say that the Manulife LPGA Classic will be offering laundry services, massage services and hair and makeup services to the 150 women playing in the tournament. As the third event in four weeks, Wright knows it’s tough to be on the road for that long a stretch.

“We want to make sure they enjoy our Canadian hospitality,” Wright explains.

With less than a month to go until the tournament, Wright’s to-do list is growing ever longer. But now, she says it’s all about the execution. Her team is excited for what’s to come, especially when it comes to what will be offered to the fans.

“It’s all about getting everything ready,” she says. “We’re still recruiting volunteers, but we’re getting more people every day. For right now, we’re just getting the pieces together and getting everything going.”

“We want to put on the best show and entertain the players. It’s all for the spectators,” Wright continues.

Wright happily confirmed Monday that world no.1 Lydia Ko would be in the field, along with some other big names on the LPGA Tour like Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park, Brittany Lincicome, Michelle Wie, and Brooke Henderson. Henderson was on-hand Monday to accept a sponsor’s invitation from Manulife.

“This tournament is known for great spectators and large galleries, and that’s getting well-known on Tour,” explains Wright. “The players want to come. A few players played Whistle Bear last year and loved it. We’re going to draw some major talent.”

Between the strong field, the exciting buzz being generated, and a fresh agreement with the new golf course for the next five years, it only makes sense that Milaina Wright has a reason to smile.

If you’re interested in volunteering for the Manulife LPGA Classic, you can click here to learn more.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Team Canada’s Amateur Squad member Austin Connelly, along with playing partner Sam Burns, have advanced to Wednesday’s semi-final at the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship.

The young duo started the tournament on a high note, capturing the No. 2 seed after carding an 8-under (66-66) through two stroke-play rounds at the Olympic Club.

They haven’t looked back since.

Connelly and Burns, both 18, opened match-play on Monday with a 3 and 2 victory in the round of 32. They followed with a 3 and 1 win on Tuesday morning and a 2 and 1 victory in the afternoon’s quarter-final.

“I think that’s one of the reasons we’re doing so well is because we understand each other’s games,” said Burns, an LSU signee. “Our games are very similar, and we know when an opportunity comes for birdie that the other guy needs to secure the par. So, I think from that mentality, that’s why we’re doing so well. We understand that it’s not about me. It’s about us.”

Connelly, a dual-citizen of Canada and the U.S., won the prestigious Jones Cup earlier in 2015 and now sits in the driver’s seat for another strong finish in his first year with Team Canada.

The teenaged duo are set to square off in Wednesday’s semi-final against Todd White, a 36-year-old investment advisor and Nathan Smith, a 47-year-old high school history teacher.

The match will begin Wednesday at 7:20 am PDT at the Lake Course, followed by the final in the afternoon.

Click here for live scoring.

COURTENAY, B.C. – Kansas City’s Michael Letzig carded a 6-under 66 Tuesday at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community to take the lead through the opening-round of PGA Tour Canada’s British Columbia Qualifying Tournament.

The veteran of 114 starts on the PGA Tour birdied his first four holes and made seven birdies to offset one bogey, giving the 34-year old a one stroke advantage over Waterloo, Illinois’ Collin Neeman, Galloway, Ohio’s Ethan Tracy and Taiwan’s C.T. Pan.

“I got off to a hot start birdieing the first four. I hit it close on the first three holes and made a 25-footer on four to keep the momentum going. It was nice to come through there in 5-under,” said Letzig.

After finishing 219^th in the FedExCup standings in 2013 and losing his PGA Tour status, Letzig said he has been practicing and playing in Arizona this winter in the hopes of kicking off a return path to the PGA Tour through PGA Tour Canada this season.

“I’ve been through this a little bit. I’ve been playing pretty good, just trying to stay warm down in Arizona,” said Letzig, who has made one start on the Web.com Tour this season, finishing T41 at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open.

Tracy, who finished tied for second at last week’s Lexus Panama Classic presented by World Jewelry Hub on PGA Tour Latinoamérica, fired a 5-under 67 to share second with Pan and Neeman, managed a bogey-free round despite arriving in Courtenay late Monday evening after a missed flight out of Panama.

“I didn’t really know the course because I didn’t have a practice round. I came in here late last night and tried to hit my shots into the right areas of the fairways,” said Tracy, who ranks eighth on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica Order of Merit. “It was pretty rough. I was scheduled to go out at 8:00 a.m. from Panama City. I left my hotel at 4:00 a.m. and I missed my flight. I just hit a lot of traffic and didn’t expect it to take that long.”

Todd Halpen and Ryan Ellis were the top Canadians after 18 holes. The pair held a share of 10th at 2-under, four-off the lead.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Tiger Woods says he hasn’t been sleeping well because of what he calls a tough three days – his split with Lindsey Vonn and the anniversary of his father’s death.

Woods and the Olympic ski champion announced on Sunday they decided to end their relationship because of their hectic travel schedules. That was nine years to day that Woods’ father, Earl, died.

Woods says this three-day window through Tuesday – the anniversary of his father’s memorial service – is “brutal” on him. And he said the split with Vonn only adds to it.

He says he was rusty and tired playing a nine-hole practice round at The Players Championship.

Woods won the last time he was at the TPC Sawgrass in 2013. He missed last year while recovering from back surgery.

COURTENAY, B.C. – PGA TOUR Canada qualifying resumes this week with the final of three Qualifying Tournaments taking place at the Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, B.C. for the second straight year.

Once again, PGA TOUR Canada players will aim to take the next step on the path to the PGA TOUR in 2015. The leading player on the Order of Merit at season’s end will earn exempt status on the Web.com Tour for 2015, while players 2-5 will earn conditional status, players 6-10 will earn an exemption into the final stage of Web.com Tour Q-School and players 11-20 will earn an exemption into the second stage.

Toronto’s Albin Choi and Antibes, France’s Julien Brun took home medalist honours at each of the first two Qualifying Tournaments and will be exempt for the 2015 season.

Thirty-five Canadians will be in the field, including:

James Allenby (Langley, B.C.)
Stuart Anderson (Strathmore, Alta)
Wilson Bateman (Edmonton, Alta.)
Tyson Beaupre (Grande Prairie, Alta.)
Robert Bird (Whistler, B.C.)
Jerry Christiansen (Air Ronge, Sask.)
Brian Churchill-Smith (Oakville, Ont.)
Aaron Crawford (Calgary, Alta.)
Darren Day (Victoria, B.C.)
Ryan Gugin (Victoria, B.C.)
Todd Halpen (Calgary, Alta.)
Thomas Hay (Langley, B.C.)
Darren Hupfer (Edmonton, Alta.)
Andrew Jensen (Ottawa, Ont.)
Sean Ko (West Vancouver, B.C.)
Xin Liang (Markham, Ont.)
Dallas Mengel (Saskatoon, Sask.)
Daniel Pow (Calgary, Alta.)
Jonathan Rondeau (Woodbridge, Ont.)
Karsten Rostad (Camrose, Alta.)
James Seymour (Aurora, Ont.)
Ashok Soma (Burnaby, B.C.)
Corey Steger (North Vancouver, B.C.)
Brett Stewart (Abbotsford, B.C.)
Scott Stiles (Calgary, Alta.)
Mitch Sutton (London, Ont.)
Rhys Tosczak (Weyburn, Sask.)
Brett Webster (Abbotsford, B.C.)
Ryan Werre (Redcliff, Alta.)
Christopher Wilson (Timmins, Ont.)
Josh Wytinck (Glenboro, Man.)
Ryan Zylstra (Woodstock, Ont.)
Ryan Ellis (Cumberland, Ont.)
Dane Ellerton (Hemmingford, Que.)
Shawn Vanderwal (Kamloops, B.C.)

Check out the top-10 putts from THE PLAYERS Championship at the infamous par-3 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass with shots from Martin Kaymer, Bubba Watson, Tiger Woods and more.

Golf Canada’s 2015 competitive season will begin with the Pacific edition of the CN Future Links Championships. Hosted at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C., the competition featuring a field of the nation’s top junior-aged golfers will be held May 7-10.

The CN Future Links Pacific Championship is the first in a series of six junior competitions presented in partnership with CN. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will begin on Friday, May 8 following the previous day’s practice round. Set amongst expansive meadows, lush woodlands and the snowy peaks of Mount Arrowsmith, Pheasant Glen showcases the natural beauty and prestige of Vancouver Island.

“Golf Canada is pleased to open this year’s championship season at Pheasant Glen. The CN Future Links Championships are great platforms for Canada’s juniors to demonstrate their skills,” said Mary Beth McKenna, who will serve as the competition’s tournament director. “The Pacific Championship has always been an entertaining and exciting event and we look forward to seeing this strong field on display.

“With several past CN Future Links champions and Team Canada members in the field of competition, this year’s Pacific Championship will allow newcomers to measure their abilities against many of last year’s finest while established competitors will be able to gauge their progression and growth.”

Alex Francois of Burnaby, B.C., – the 2014 champion of this event – will be on-hand to defend his title. Team Canada’s Development Squad will be well-represented at the event with 10 of the 11 members in the field of play, split evenly between the junior girls and boys divisions.

Development squad members Michelle Kim (Surrey, B .C.), Naomi Ko (Victoria, B.C.), Alisha Lau (Richmond, B.C.), Jaclyn Lee (Calgary) and Grace St-Germain (Ottawa) will compete for the title of CN Future Links Pacific Junior Girls champion.

AJ Armstrong (St. Albert, Alta.), Tony Gil (Vaughan, Ont.), Patrick Murphy (Crossfield, Alta.), Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.) and Trevor Ranton (Waterloo, Ont.) will represent the Men’s Development squad at the tournament.

The 2014 Pacific Championship at Bear Mountain Golf Resort in Victoria, B.C., concluded in thrilling fashion in both the girls and boys divisions. Former Development Squad member Valérie Tanguay of St-Hyacinthe, Que. prevailed in a playoff when West Vancouver’s Alix Kong narrowly missed a par putt on the first extra hole. Alex Francois ended the tournament with a steady round and managed to hold on for the Junior Boys title, despite a valiant charge from runner-up Jordan Lu, who carded a 2-under 69 to match the low round of the day.

The CN Future Links Championships, conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with  CN, demonstrate the National Sport Federation’s dedication to the growth and development of the sport at the grassroots and junior levels.

Five additional CN Future Links Championships will cross the country this summer:

• May 21-24 – CN Future Links Ontario – Pine Knot G & CC, Dorchester, Ont.
• June 11-14 – CN Future Links Prairie – Cooke Municipal Golf Course, Prince Albert, Sask.
• July 2-5 – CN Future Links Quebec – Domaine Château-Bromont, Bromont, Que.
• July 6-9 – CN Future Links Western – Goose Hummock Golf Course, Gibbons, Alta.
• July 13-16 – CN Future Links Atlantic – Gowan Brae G& CC, Bathurst, N.B.

The top six Junior Boys from each of the six CN Future Links Championships will gain exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship. These 36 athletes will have the opportunity to join a full field of the nation’s best junior-aged players at Summerlea Golf and Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. from August 2-6. The six players to top the Junior Girls divisions of each of the CN Future Links Championships will earn entry into this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship. Should they be available to play, these 36 athletes will be able to move on to Deer Park Municipal Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask., from August 3-7 to play for the title of Junior Girls champion.

Additional information regarding the 2015 CN Future Links Pacific Championship, including participants, starting-times and up-to-date results is available here.

SAN FRANCISCO – Rory McIlroy didn’t need another comeback to win the Match Play Championship.

Three times in the last three days, McIlroy had to rally from a late deficit to reach the championship match Sunday at TPC Harding Park. He removed any suspense by winning four straight holes against an errant Gary Woodland and never looked back.

Woodland conceded the 16th hole, and McIlroy captured his second World Golf Championship with a 4-and-2 victory.

Three weeks after Jordan Spieth won the Masters and emerged as the most likely rival, McIlroy reminded the world of his No. 1 ranking.

“I’m really proud of myself with how I showed a lot of character early on with coming back from deficits,” McIlroy said. “I played really solid golf. My second WGC and first win in the States this year. I couldn’t be happier.”

It was the first time since Tiger Woods in 2008 that the No. 1 seed won golf’s most unpredictable tournament. Woods did it two other times, and it was never easy.

That was the case for McIlroy until the final, and even then, he had a few nervous moments on the back nine.

McIlroy was 4 up after matching birdies with Woodland on the 10th hole when he began making mistakes – a poor bunker shot on No. 11, a wild tee shot on No. 12, an different chip from the left side of the 13th green.

Woodland had a 4-foot par putt on the 13th to cut the lead to 1 up with plenty of golf course left. He never looked comfortable and ran it over the right edge, and momentum shifted squarely back to McIlroy.

He won the 14th with a par when Woodland left a long birdie attempted woefully short. And he closed out the match when Woodland blasted out of a bunker and over the 16th green, missing the next shot and removing his cap.

“My putt drops on 13 and it’s a different ball game,” Woodland said. “But I missed that one. And he was like a shark. Smelled blood, and it was gave over quickly.”

McIlroy was 2 down with two holes to play and risked being eliminated Friday when he rallied against Billy Horschel to win in 20 holes. In a quarterfinal match that spilled into Sunday morning, he was 1 down to Paul Casey on the 17th hole and wound up beating him in 22 holes.

His strongest play was in the semifinals against Jim Furyk, who put enormous pressure on McIlroy over the closing holes by hitting four straight approach shots close. McIlroy delivered a birdie-birdie-eagle finish to win.

The first birdie was to halve the hole on the 16th and avoid going 2 down with 2 to play. He hit 7-iron to 4 feet for birdie on the 17th to square the match. And with Furyk facing a 20-foot birdie putt, McIlroy ended the match by rolling in a 45-foot eagle putt across the green for a 1-up victory.

Woodland faced an early deficit to Danny Willett of England in the semifinals until he turned it around for a 3-and-2 victory. Going into the championship match, Woodland had trailed on only 11 of the 101 holes he had played all week.

Against McIlroy, he never led.

They halved holes with bogeys until Woodland kept making them. His powerful driving, such a strength over four days, deserted him in the championship match and McIlroy made him pay for it.

In the consolation match, Willett defeated Furyk on the 16th hole and picked up $646,000, which will go a long way toward PGA Tour membership if he wants it.

McIlroy won for the second time this year and the 16th time worldwide. It was his 10th PGA Tour victory, joining Woods (24) and Jack Nicklaus (12) as the only players with at least 10 victories at age 25 or younger.

McIlroy turns 26 on Monday.

The Match Play Championship featured a new format this year to keep more top players in the field for at least three days. McIlroy was 3-0 in the round-robin format, and wound up winning all seven matches to pick up the $1.57 million prize.

Woodland earned $930,000 for finishing second.

SAN FRANCISCO – Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn are no longer a power couple in American sports.

Golf’s biggest star and the Olympic ski champion said Sunday they were breaking up after more than two years. But in ending their relationship, both were in complete harmony in their separate announcements on social media, citing busy lives and times they will always “cherish.”

“After nearly three years together, Tiger and I have mutually decided to end our relationship,” Vonn said Sunday on her Facebook page. “I will always cherish the memories that we’ve created together. Unfortunately, we both lead incredibly hectic lives that force us to spend a majority of our time apart. He and his beautiful family will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Vonn, an Olympic ski champion, this year set the record for most World Cup titles.

“Lindsey and I have mutually decided to stop dating,” Woods said on his website. “I have great admiration, respect and love for Lindsey and I’ll always cherish our time together. She has been amazing with Sam and Charlie and my entire family. Unfortunately, we lead very hectic lives and are both competing in demanding sports. It’s difficult to spend time together.”

Both are divorced.

They were last seen in public at the Masters, where Vonn accompanied Woods’ children – 7-year-old daughter Sam, 6-year-old son Charlie – when they caddied for him in the Par 3 Tournament.

Woods was in Italy in January when Vonn broke the World Cup record, and he was photographed with a skeleton-pattern mask that when dropped revealed he was missing a tooth. Woods later said a videographer bumped into him and jarred it loose.

He also was in Colorado where she competed before a home crowd in February, right after Woods announced he was taking time away from golf because his game wasn’t up to his standards. He shot an 82 in the Phoenix Open to miss the cut by 12 shots. He withdrew after 11 holes at Torrey Pines the following week with tightness in his back.

Vonn had become a regular at the majors when Woods played. She also was at the Hero World Challenge that he hosts in December in Orlando, Florida.

Rumors they were involved began during her knee injury in 2013 amid reports he had sent his plane for her. Given his demand for privacy, it was rare when Woods went public in March 2013 to announce they were dating.

It was accompanied by portraits of both on Facebook and his website. Woods said at Bay Hill that year he wanted to limit what he called the “stalkarazzi” and the “sleazy websites” that were following them.

Both have been recovering from injuries, and Vonn said recently on “Late Night with Seth Myers” that they’ve helped each other.

“He’s been through a lot of injuries, and so have I,” Vonn said. “It’s nice to be in the gym with someone that knew what you were going through. And we kind of just pushed each other back to health.”

That appearance led to an amusing exchange when Meyers asked if she had always been interested in golf. Vonn playfully squirmed in her seat before saying, “I love golf.” It was pointed out that for Woods to attend a downhill event, the race would be much shorter than a round of golf.

“It’s like five hours,” Vonn said. “It’s a long time.”

Golf went from two sporting couples to none in the last 11 months. Just under a year ago, Rory McIlroy broke off his engagement to tennis star Caroline Wozniacki. McIlroy went on to win the BMW PGA Championship that week, which is the flagship tournament in Europe.

Woods plays next week in the PGA Tour’s top event – The Players Championship. However, he has not won since August 2013 and will be out of the top 120 in the next world ranking when he tees it up at TPC Sawgrass.