FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas golfers Taylor Moore and Nicolas Echavarria have been suspended indefinitely from competition following their arrests for allegedly taking sexually explicit photos of an intoxicated woman.

Moore and Echavarria were arrested by Fayetteville police Wednesday and charged with felony video voyeurism.

According to a preliminary police report, the woman said she went to Moore’s house on April 11 to sleep following a night of drinking. She recalled seeing flashes of light and suspected Moore had taken pictures of her.

Police seized Moore’s and Echavarria’s phones, discovering a sexually explicit photo Moore allegedly took on Echavarria’s phone. Moore, 21, is a junior from Edmond, Oklahoma, while Echavarria, 20, is a junior from Medellin, Colombia.

The Razorbacks finished sixth in the Southeastern Conference tournament and are set to complete in the NCAA men’s golf regionals next week in New Haven, Connecticut. Moore leads the team with an average of 71.8 strokes per round this season, finishing second at the SunTrust Gator Invitational.

The university said Thursday it was aware of the arrests and that Moore and Echavarria have been suspended indefinitely.

Both posted $2,500 bond and had were given court dates of June 1.

The incident first came to the attention of police when the victim contacted them on April 18. She told police she met Moore and Echavarria, who she knew previously, while out on the city’s popular Dickson Street on April 11, and after determining she was unable to drive that she planned to sleep at Moore’s house and be taken home the next morning.

While slipping in and out of consciousness, the women said she recalled seeing the flash of light – prompting her to later contact police.

Moore and Echavarria initially denied that any photos of the victim had been taken before later recanting, police said in the report. The report also says the two admitted taking three pictures, two of which had been deleted, and that the victim was unaware the pictures had been taken.

COURTENAY, B.C. – Galloway, Ohio’s Ethan Tracy carded his second consecutive 5-under 67 Wednesday at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community to take the 36-hole lead at PGA Tour Canada’s British Columbia Qualifying Tournament.

The 25-year old, who finished tied for second at PGA Tour Latinoamérica’s Lexus Panama Classic presented by World Jewelry Hub last week, carded three birdies and an eagle on the day to lead by three over Kansas City, Missouri’s Michael Letzig, Moscow, Pennsylvania’s Nicholas Reach and London, England’s Charlie Bull

“It was a very similar round I just didn’t put myself in trouble. It was very simple golf, making my crucial par-savers and my putts inside 10-feet,” said Tracy, who sits eighth on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica Order of Merit. The University of Arkansas graduate’s 67 was tied for the best round of the day on Wednesday.

Following his runner-up performance in Panama last week, Tracy had a troublesome travel day and did not arrive in Courtenay until late Monday night, and said he’s doing his best to conserve energy this week.

“After the round I did nothing. I just watched a couple of movies on Netflix, relaxed and went to dinner later with my dad,” said Tracy of his opening-round 67 on Tuesday. Despite the hectic schedule, Tracy said he’s comfortable in his position and sees more solid play in his near future. “I’ve always played my best golf when I’m playing a lot, so I’m just trying to keep on playing. If I need a break, I’ll take one, but I’m playing well enough that I need to keep on playing right now.”

Letzig, who led after round one with a 6-under 66, offset four bogeys with five birdies to share second with Reach and Bull, with Taiwan’s C.T. Pan and Bear, Delaware’s Eric Onesi one further behind at 6-under.

Wil Bateman is the low Canadian thru two rounds. He’s tied for 9th at 3-under after a 68.

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.