ORLANDO — The Golf Channel Amateur Tour is coming to Canada.

The new Tour, called Golf Channel Amateur Tour – Canada presented by Golf Town, will provide Canadian amateur golfers with a platform to compete in a variety of local and “Major” (two-day) tournaments, as well as a season-culminating three-day national championship.

Golf Channel Amateur Tour – Canada presented by Golf Town will be open to the public, and provide avid amateur golfers of all ages and skills levels with access to some of the most established and demanding golf courses throughout Canada.

With the agreement, Golf Channel will coordinate the Tour’s website, create and execute marketing and promotion initiatives – including banner ads on GolfChannel.com, and GolfNow.com – as well as develop dedicated social media campaigns. Hi5golf will manage all tournament operations including membership management, and the on-site planning and execution of local, major and national championship events. Hi5golf also will seek out sponsorship opportunities for the Tour overall, in addition to opportunities for specific events.

The 2015 Tour schedule will include more than 60 local events across several major cities and regions including: Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon,Winnipeg, Toronto, Southwestern Ontario, Montreal, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The schedule will also feature six (two-day) Majors, as well as a season-culminating Nationals competition held October 7-9, at Hamilton Golf and Country Club – five-time host of the RBC Canadian Open.

A Golf Canada Handicap Factor is required to compete in events. Registration into the Golf Channel National Amateur Tour includes a Golf Canada membership for anyone who is not already a member.

Major Venues

Northview Golf and Country Club (Vancouver)
Wolf Creek Golf Resort (Ponoka, Alta.)
Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course (Jasper, Alta.)
Osprey Valley Golf Course (Orangeville, Ont.)
Angus Glen Golf Club (Markham, Ont.)
Cabot Links Golf Course (Cape Breton, N.S.)

For the full 2015 schedule, and to sign up to compete in Golf Channel Amateur Tour – Canada presented by Golf Town, visit GCAmTourCanada.com.

DALY CITY, Calif. – Paula Creamer is calling for a women’s Masters at Augusta National.

Creamer would love for organizers to at least listen to the idea of women playing a Masters in consecutive weeks with the men’s tournament. She reiterated her thoughts Tuesday at Lake Merced Golf Club, where the Bay Area native is preparing for this week’s Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic.

On April 14, Creamer posted on Twitter:

I hope The Masters will consider a Women’s Masters soon. They do so much to grow the game. Fastest area of golf growth is women! #6Majors?

— Paula Creamer (@ThePCreamer) April 14, 2015

“I’ve been there, I’ve played there, stayed in Butler’s Cabin,” said Creamer, the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open champion. “I had an awesome time. I think the patrons and everybody would love to have two weeks there, two tournaments. Why wouldn’t you? Hopefully, we will see something change and happen.”

While she hasn’t heard from anyone official at Augusta, there has been plenty of positive feedback since she made the comments. She wants to be part of golf taking steps to recruit the next generation of young players.

“It’s 2015. I think Augusta and the Masters and everybody with that event, they want to grow the game so badly,” Creamer said. “That’s what it is, about growing the game and giving people opportunities. The Chip and Putt, all of that for the kids to be able to come out there. There’s no reason why we can’t do that in women’s golf. We’re just as much a part of growing the game.”

When reminded that Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Billy Payne has referenced scheduling issues when it comes to adding an event such as a women’s tournament, Creamer noted she believes it wouldn’t be that hard and “I think they could handle two weeks a year.”

“You could have two major tournaments back-to-back,” she said.

Payne has said he doesn’t envision a women’s Masters.

“We have a very short member season at Augusta National. It’s seven months only,” he said. “The time that we dedicate to the preparation and conduct of the tournament is already extensive. I don’t think that we would ever host another tournament.”

Creamer is open to participating in further discussion.

“There’s no reason why you can’t revisit things. I think somebody’s got to speak up and somebody’s got to say something,” Creamer said. “It’s an idea, I don’t think that people should be ashamed to talk about it. I’d like to know truthfully why we wouldn’t be able to have a tournament there. Definitely women’s golf deserves something like that.”

LOMPOC, Calif. – The 2015 PGA Tour Canada qualifying resumes this week with the second of three Qualifying Tournaments. Last week’s event at Orange County National Golf Club in Orlando saw 48 players earn status on PGA Tour Canada for 2015. The third Q-School event will take place in two weeks at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, B.C.

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 took home medalist honours last week with a 25-under total and will be fully exempt on PGA Tour Canada for the 2015 season.

Canadians in the Field (16):

Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.)
Dan Bowling (Corunna, Ont.)
Ryan Borg (Brampton, Ont.)
Andrew Ledger (Toronto, Ont.)
Jae Yong Kim (North York, Ont.)
Charles Côté (Thetford Mines, Que.)
Andrew Rasmussen (Delta, B.C.)
Dale Rain (Rocky Mountain House, Alta.)
Aaron Cockerill (Gunton, Man.)
Curtis Baldwin (Chilliwack, B.C.)
Craig Keck (Calgary, Alta.)
Brady Henderson (Neepawa, Man.)
Steven Lecuyer (Grimshaw, Alta.)
Sonny Michaud (Rouyn-Noranda, Que.)
Zack Kempa (Brantford, Ont.)

For all the talk in the past about a “golf community” in Canada, well, that’s pretty well all it was: Talk.

But the announcement last week of a joint campaign by an alliance of Canadian golf leaders to market the game in this country puts the lie to that previous statement.

“The campaign—Golf Canada Golf—is designed to inspire Canadian golfers through storytelling, inviting enthusiasts to share their stories and special connections to the game through a series of promotional activities across video, broadcast, print, online and social media,” according to a press release issued by Golf Canada.

So while the “community” aspect of having various Canadian golf organizations acting together for the betterment of the game is noteworthy, even more significant is the goal of the initiative itself: To create a true community, a cohesive network, of golfers from coast to coast.

“Among golfers, there’s always a story—memorable shots, a round with family, playing your favourite course, a golf trip with friends, witnessing first-hand the incredible skills of PGA TOUR or LPGA Tour players, or using the game to overcome personal adversity,” says Gavin Roth, Golf Canada’s Chief Commercial Officer and campaign spokesperson. “The Golf Canada Golf campaign invites Canadians to share their own experiences as well as read or watch other compelling stories to remind us what makes the game great and ultimately encourage enthusiasts to play more golf.”

The hub of the initiative is a new web site, www.golfcanadagolf.ca, where golfers can share their stories and videos. The site, which was officially launched last week, already is populated with several excellent long-form videos which Roth calls “mini-documentaries, in which golfers tell some heartfelt stories.

“The site will also feature a social media hub that curates stories using the hash tag #golfcanadagolf as well as resources for golfers looking to find a course, connect with a PGA of Canada professional or learn more about junior golf programs in their community,” the release says.

“We want to create a movement, provide the encouragement for Canadians to share their golf stories and to be inspired by other people’s stories and to be reminded, if they need reminding that is, just what a great game this is,” says Roth, who has already posted his own story on www.golfcanadagolf.ca.

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Canada’s Augusta James won the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial on Sunday for her first Symetra Tour title – and her first win as a professional.

The 22-year-old James, a former North Carolina State player making her fourth start on the tour, closed with a 5-under 67 for a four-stroke victory over Laura Kueny and Brianna Do.

James, a Bath, Ont., native finished at 10-under 278 at Cypress Lake Country Club. Named Augusta after being born on the first day of the 1993 Masters, James won the Canadian Women’s Amateur last year by an impressive six shots.

Kueny and Do each shot 72.

With the first place check of $22,500, James moves from 58 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list to the top spot.

“It’s a fantastic feeling,” said James, who made only three bogeys over 72 holes. “I’m really happy and really excited that my hard work is paying off.”

It’s great to move to the top spot because my goal is to get one of the top 10 spots so I can play on the LPGA Tour next year,” added James. “However, I’ve been told that as soon as you start thinking about money, your golf game suffers.”

James had an incredible week off the tee. She hit 51 of 56 fairways. The flatstick was also working all week as she needed only 26 putts on the final day.

Canadians have been the story in the early part of the Symetra Tour season. Sue Kim of Langley, British Columbia won the last event in Lake Wales, Florida. Four of the top 10 and five of the top 12 on the money list are Canadians.

Maude-Aimee LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Samantha Richdlae of Kelowna, B.C., tied for 4th at 5 under this week.

“Definitely a great Symetra Tour season for Canadians so far,” said James. “We’ve all been playing really well which is awesome and it was great to have Lorie Kane and Gail Graham from the Legends Tour here this week.”

Midway through her senior season at North Carolina State, James decided to turn professional after completing three stages of LPGA Qualifying Tournament and earning strong Symetra Tour status. James was a three-time All-ACC performer for the Wolfpack.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Jim Furyk won his first PGA Tour event in five years, making birdies on both playoff holes to outlast Kevin Kisner at the RBC Heritage on Sunday.

Furyk was ahead by a stroke when Kisner birdied the 72nd hole to force the playoff, the fourth in the last six tournaments at Harbour Town Golf Links. On the first extra hole, Kisner rolled in a second straight birdie putt on the 18th. But Furyk, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, answered with a birdie to keep the playoff going.

After Kisner missed his birdie try on No. 17, Furyk sank a 12-foot putt for his 17th career PGA Tour win. He dropped his putter and punched the air in celebration.

Furyk shot a 63 and Kisner a 64, leaving them both at 18-under 266. Third-round leader Troy Merritt was at 16 under after a 69. Defending champion Matt Kuchar (68) was at 14 under, and Masters winner Jordan Spieth (70) was eight shots back.

It was an odd tournament for Team RBC golfer Furyk, who had come close to breaking his victory drought so many times – he was 0-9 holding 54-hole leads since his last victory – including the 2014 RBC Canadian Open at Royal Montreal Golf Club.

He looked as if he’d get left behind early, making 18 pars in the first round to fall five shots back. Furyk found his game Friday with eight birdies on the way to a 64. He had a 68 Saturday, yet knew he needed to fire himself as he did Friday to have a chance.

Boy, did he ever.

Furyk had six birdies on his first nine holes, including a 48-footer on the par-4 eighth that moved him in front. A bogey on the 11th dropped Furyk into a four-way tie for first, but he responded with birdies on three of the next four holes and looked as if he’d have an easy time.

Instead, Kisner matched Furyk’s on-target irons to chase him down on the back nine. He had birdies on the 14th and 15th to move within a stroke and stuck his approach on the signature lighthouse hole at No. 18 within 7 feet for a tying birdie.

Kisner kissed his wife, Brittany, and 10-month old daughter Kathleen on the way to the scoring trailer to prepare for more golf.

Furyk is used to such grinding at Harbour Town. When he won there in 2010, Brian Davis tied him on the final hole to force a playoff – won by Furyk when Davis struck a loose impediment on his swing and called a penalty on himself.

Merritt fell to third after a third 69 this week. His other score was a course-record tying 61 in the second round Friday. Merritt couldn’t keep up with Furyk’s charge and lost his chance after hitting out of bounds on No. 12 and taking double bogey. Merritt made up for it a few holes later with an eagle-2 on No. 16.

Spieth closed an amazing five-tournament stretch. He won the Valspar Championship a month ago and followed that with seconds at the Texas and Houston opens before matching Tigers Woods’ record of 18 under at Augusta National. For Spieth, 19 of his past 20 rounds have been under par.

Spieth had a whirlwind media tour in New York on Monday and Tuesday before arriving at Hilton Head. Now the 21-year-old Texan wants to get back to Dallas in time to attend the Academy of Country Music Awards. He’ll return to golf in two weeks at the World Golf Championship Match Play event.

Nick Taylor was the lone Canadian to make the cut. The Abbotsford, B.C., golfer finihsed 74th at 4 over.

Golfers went off in groups of three on the first and 10th tees starting at 7:30 a.m. to beat expected stormy weather later in the day.

DULUTH, Ga. – Relentless rain denied Olin Browne a chance to play the final round with Bernhard Langer. Then again, it gave Browne his first Champions Tour victory in four years.

Browne won the Greater Gwinnett Championship after rain washed out Sunday’s final round. He finished Saturday’s second round with a one-shot lead over Langer, the 2013 winner. Langer has one win and two second-place finishes in the tournament’s three years.

“I was going to really enjoy playing with him,” Browne said before pausing to gaze at the crystal trophy. “Having said that, I don’t mind having that big sugar jar sitting with my name on it.”

This is the first Champions Tour event to be shortened to 36 holes since the 2011 Insperity Championship in Houston. Browne finished fourth at that tournament, which was won by Brad Faxon.

“I was on the other side of (the cancellation) and I was hot about that,” Browne said. “So they say things even out. Maybe it evened out my way this time.”

The 55-year-old Browne set the tournament record with a second-round 64 to take the lead at 12 under. He then watched as Langer matched the record to move into second place.

Rain forced Friday’s first round to be suspended and completed early Saturday. There was light rain, but no delays, in Saturday’s second round, followed by more downpours Saturday night and Sunday morning.

“We all knew this was coming and it’s really miraculous we got in 36 holes,” Browne said. “It’s springtime in the South. There’s a reason you have those beautiful flowers out here. It’s not springtime in the desert.”

Rocco Mediate, the leader until his double bogey on No. 11 on Saturday, was third at 9 under. Defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez tied for 10th at 5 under. First-round leader Tommy Armour III tied for eighth at 6 under.

The soft greens set up Saturday’s low scores.

“The rain made the fairways a nightmare, a quagmire, but they also softened the greens considerably, so the greens were a lot more receptive than they’ve been in the past,” Browne said.

Brian Claar, the tour’s vice president of competition, said the course was “absolutely saturated” after almost an inch of rain Saturday night.

“There was no way we could play today,” Claar said. “We lost the golf course. The greens we could squeegee but the fairways, there was no place to play. … There was nothing we could do, and more rain is right on the doorstep again.”

The Atlanta area was in a flash flood and tornado watch Sunday.

Browne’s only other career win on the tour came in the 2011 U.S. Senior Open. He has enjoyed a strong start to 2015, with four top-10 finishes in six events. With the win he moved from 11th to first in the points standings.

“I’ve made a commitment this year to try to play better more often. … I guess you get a little more perspective as your career begins to wind down,” he said.

A pair of Canadians finished within the top-10 as Stephen Ames tied for 4th at 7-under, while Rod Spittle tied for 8th at 6-under.

SHENZHEN, China – Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat captured the inaugural Shenzhen International on Sunday after rallying in regulation with an eagle on the 17th hole and beating Chinese teenager Li Haotong in a playoff.

Kiradech and Li shared the lead after the turn, but the 19-year-old Chinese player looked to be heading for the biggest title of his career when he birdied the 17th and Kiradech bogeyed the par-4 15th to open up a two-stroke lead.

Kiradech rebounded, however, with an eagle on the par-5 17th to pull even with Li again and force the playoff. He had a chance to win on the 18th, but his birdie putt skirted to the right of the hole.

On the playoff hole, Kiradech hit his approach shot to the middle of the 18th green and made a birdie, while Li two-putted for par.

The 19-year-old Li shot a 5-under 67 in the final round, while Kiradech, the overnight leader, had a 72. Both finished at 12-under 276.

Kiradech said he couldn’t have pulled through without the encouragement if his caddie.

“When we were two behind on the last two holes, he said you have not lost, we have not signed the scorecard yet and he was completely right and I just got the job done,” he said.

Tommy Fleetwood was third at 11-under 277.

Kiradech had only won one previous title on the European Tour at the 2013 Malaysian Open. He was coming off a joint-sixth place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month on the U.S. PGA Tour.

Li has been improving over the past year. He won the last two tournaments on the PGA Tour of China last year to earn a card on the U.S.-based Web.com Tour, where he has made five cuts this year. He’s also risen to No. 194 in the world rankings – surpassing established players Liang Wenchong and Wu Ashun to become the highest-ranked Chinese player.

Fleetwood played steady all week, carding 70, 69, 69 and 69 in his four rounds. The 24-year-old Englishman, who had been aiming for his second European Tour title, pulled within a stroke of Li with a birdie on the 17th, but could get no closer.

France’s Julien Quesne also had an eagle on the 17th and a birdie on the 18th to shoot a 65.

“My long game was very good. I’ve got some trouble with putting, but I made some putts at the end. So, it’s a good week for me,” he said. “I do my best to make the birdie at the end to be minus-10, to be maybe top 5 or top 10.”

Quesne finished in a tie for fourth with Marco Crespi, Huang Wenyi, David Howell, Tom Lewis, Y.E. Yang, and Peter Uihlein.

Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson finally seemed to acclimate to the conditions after three subpar rounds, making eight birdies to shoot a 7-under 65. It was the first time he’d broken 70 this week.

“I wish I would have putted better the first three rounds,” he said. “I putted good the last round, but all in all, it was a good test. It shows what I need to work on. It shows me that I can play outside the U.S., especially today.”

Watson finished in a tie for 29th place at 5-under 283.

KAPOLEI, Hawaii – Sei Young Kim holed out from 154 yards for eagle to win the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship on the first hole of a playoff Saturday with Inbee Park.

After driving into the water in regulation on the par-4 18th, Kim forced the playoff with an 18-foot chip-in for par. She then won on the hole with her 8-iron shot that barely cleared the water.

The 22-year-old South Korean player became the first two-time winner on the LPGA Tour this year. She won in the Bahamas in February in her second start as a tour member.

Kim rebounded from a disappointing final round two weeks ago in the ANA Inspiration when she squandered the lead and ended up tying for fourth.

She closed with a 1-over 73 in wind gusting to 30 mph at Ko Olina to match Park at 11-under 277. Park finished with a 71.

I.K. Kim bogeyed the final two holes for a 74 that left her two strokes back.

Hyo Joo Kim (69) and Chella Choi (72) tied for fourth at 7 under as South Korean players swept the first five places. German Sandra Gal (69) finished sixth at 6 under.

Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., tied for 55th at 8 over; while Alena Sharp of Hamilton and Rebeca Lee-Bentham of Toronto shared 63rd spot at 11 over.

DULUTH, Ga. – Olin Browne shot a tournament-record 8-under 64 to take the Greater Gwinnett Championship lead Saturday, to hold a slight lead over Bernhard Langer.

Langer matched the 64 to finish the second round only one shot behind Browne in the Champions Tour event.

Langer made a 30-foot eagle putt on No. 18 for his 64 – just as Browne predicted as he watched from the side.

“He is a public peril,” Browne said, referring to Langer’s sometimes dominant play.

Langer is especially strong at TPC Sugarloaf. He won the tournament in 2013 and finished second last year, making shots like his eagle putt.

“That’s what you expect out of him,” Browne said. “It’s no accident. He didn’t win two Masters by accident. … He’s our marquee guy out here and he shows up every single week and there’s one thing that he cares about doing and that’s winning the tournament.”

The 57-year-old Langer is seeking his 24th career win on the 50-and-over tour, which would move him into a tie for fourth with Miller Barber, behind Gil Morgan (25), Lee Trevino (29) and Hale Irwin (45).

The 55-year-old Browne was at 12 under. Browne’s big advantage could be the weather. Sunday’s final round is threatened by a forecast for rain and possible thunderstorms. Rain already pushed back the completion of Friday’s first round to early Saturday.

“You would rather be one in front than one behind sitting on a chair hoping to get to play,” Browne said.

“I played today like we weren’t going to get to play tomorrow. … Hopefully, we do get to play tomorrow. I mean, it’s going to mean a lot more tomorrow if I go out there and hold the lead.”

Browne’s white shoes were streaked with red mud by the end of his day at soggy TPC Sugarloaf.

Rocco Mediate, who lost the lead with a double bogey on No. 11, was third at 9 under after a 67.

Mediate led before an errant tee shot on the par-3 No. 11 led to a double bogey. While preparing for the tee shot, Mediate made a late change to a 4 iron and then mishit his shot into a lake, not even close to the green.

“I probably quit on it a little bit obviously thinking it might be too much,” Mediate said of his club selection.

Mediate said his strategy throughout the day was affected by the possibility there may be no final round.

“Oh yeah, I was thinking that all day,” Mediate said. “I think all of us were. Getting off to that start I was right where I wanted to be.”

Browne took the lead with Mediate’s double bogey. Minutes later, Browne stretched the lead to two strokes with a birdie on No. 13.

First-round leader Tommy Armour III was 6 under after a 71.

Browne’s only win on the tour was the 2011 U.S. Senior Open. He already has three top-10 finishes this year and closed Saturday’s round with birdies on 17 and 18.

“It’s a good start for my year regardless of what happens (Sunday), so I’m looking forward to the rest of the season for sure,” he said.

Jesper Parnevik shot 69 and was tied for fourth at 7 under with Mark O’Meara (69), Stephen Ames (67) and Tom Pernice Jr. (68).

Another Canadian sat withing the top-10, as Rod Spittle had a share of 8th at 6-under.

Mark Calcavecchia withdrew due to an illness following his first-round 77.