ORLANDO, Fla. – Tulsa, Okla.’s Chris Worrell shot an 8-under 64 Tuesday at Orange County National Golf Club’s Panther Lake Course to take the first round lead at PGA Tour Canada’s Florida Qualifying Tournament.

The 24-year old carded eight birdies, an eagle and two bogeys to lead by one over Orlando, Florida’s Ross Beal after 18 holes.

“I rolled the rock pretty well today. I made a couple of putts outside 10 feet today, and I don’t usually do that,” said Worrell, a University of Tulsa grad.

Worrell got off to a hot start with three birdies and an eagle in his first five holes, and said his strong opening round would allow him to ease the pressure of the final three rounds slightly.

“It’s nice to get a start and understand that I’ve got a little bit of room to play with, knowing I can fire at some flags and not worry about it too much,” added Worrell.

A shot behind Worrell was Beal, who took advantage of the par-5s at Orange County National with four birdies and an eagle to sit at 7-under.

“I hit the ball really well tee-to-green. I’m probably one of the longer players here and I was able to get to all the par-5s in two. With five par-5s, I think that’s going to be the key to scoring well here this week,” said Beal.

Three players – Max Gilbert of Saint-Georges, Que., Zack Byrd of Greensboro, N.C. and Ty Dunlap of Westlake, Tex.– were two shots back at 6-under 66 after the first round.

The medalist this week will earn exempt status on PGA Tour Canada for 2015. Finishers 2-18 will be exempt through the first six events and subject to the re-shuffle, with the rest of the top 40 (plus ties) earning conditional status. The cutoff for the top 18 through the first round was at 4-under, with the cutoff for the top 40 at 2-under.

Molson Canadian 67 and Golf Canada officially announced today the renewal of their partnership for the 2015 and 2016 golf seasons that will see Molson Canadian 67 return as the official beer of both the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open.

Molson Canadian 67 will be made available at the host courses, including on-site sampling and beer gardens. Molson Canadian 67 has been the lead beer sponsor of Golf Canada’s National Men’s and Women’s Open Golf Championships since 2011, and is renewing the partnership for the next two years.

“We are pleased to partner with Golf Canada this season, for the fifth year in a row,” says Jeff Harrop, Senior Marketing Director, Molson Coors Canada. “There is a natural synergy between Molson Canadian 67 and golf as one of our favourite summer activities with a strong social element. Golf Canada is the perfect partner to help bring this connection to life.”

As part of the partnership package, Molson Canadian 67 will be supporting Golf Canada’s two marquee events this summer as official beer sponsor, including:

RBC Canadian Open
This world-class PGA TOUR event, which is part of the Triple Crown of national golf championships, will host many of the best golfers in the world at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. from July 20-26. www.RBCCanadianOpen.com

Canadian Pacific Women’s Open
The women of the LPGA Tour will compete for a prize purse of 2.25 million USD at The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C. from August 17-23. www.CPwomensopen.com.

“Molson Canadian has a rich history of supporting golf in Canada and continues to be a tremendous partner for Canada’s National Open Golf Championships,” says Gavin Roth, Chief Commercial Officer at Golf Canada. “Golf, summer and a cold Molson Canadian 67 go perfectly together, and with the golf season set to gear up, we’re excited to renew our partnership for 2015 and 2016.”

Molson Canadian 67 is a premium light beer with a clean, crisp, fresh taste that is specially brewed to 3% ABV and 67 calories per 341ml, and is the perfect complement to any round of golf, especially on the 19^th hole.

What is one of the most significant ingredients missing in junior golf development?—accessibility.

The programming exists, yet the primary challenge remains connecting Canadian youth to welcoming facilities. Having programs available for registration is only one small piece of the puzzle.

CN Future Links, Canada’s junior golf program, is at the core of youth initiatives looking to fill that gap. Most notably, engaging youth that has previously been introduced to the sport but are unaware of the camps and clinics available to them.

A good place to start is Golf in Schools participants—an avenue for students to discover local, welcoming facilities in their area. Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada proudly offer the following joint initiatives:

• CN Future Links Field Trip program—bus-load of students taken to a nearby CN Future Links facility for an introductory golf lesson by a PGA of Canada professional ($500 grants available from CN).
• Golf in Schools: Professional visit—opposite the CN Future Links Field Trip program, the Professional Visit brings the CN Future Links instructor to the school.
• Golf in Schools: Pass—providing the access directly to the junior, the pass will grant Golf in Schools participants with a free bucket of balls at participating National Junior Golf Development Centres with the hopes of getting the junior and their family out to the local golf facility.

“On the bus ride to the golf club and from what my students tell me, they are as happy as could be to be out here,” said Rory Klatt, Fourth Grade Teacher and Field Trip participant in Oakville, Ont. “I hope they keep up with the game so they can play me when they get older,” he added with a laugh.

“The purpose of these programs are really to give children the opportunity to experience what a golf course is actually like and hopefully spark some enthusiasm to get them coming back and playing more,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “It’s a great opportunity for facilities to get youth out to their club, which in turn is the future of their membership.”

Linking juniors to facilities extends beyond the program level, as well. This initiative falls in line with the National Golf Course Owner’s Association (NGCOA) junior initiative, Take your Kid to the Course Week. Running from Jul. 6–12, juniors are welcome to golf free of charge at all participating sites nationwide.

***All above junior initiatives align with the recently released Long-Term Player Development Guide for golf in Canada.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – It was a fitting end to the storied amateur career of Corey Conners, as the Listowel, Ont., native took home top amateur honours at the Masters — a tournament he has dreamed to play in ever since first learning to swing a club.

On the heels of his remarkable performance at Augusta, the 23-year-old will debut as a professional this week at the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage by way of sponsor exemption.

Now in his fifth season with Team Canada, the Listowel, Ont., native will remain a member but will transition to the Young Pro Squad, joining Surrey, B.C. native Adam Svensson as new additions mid-way through the season.

Conners, a graduate of Kent State University, makes the leap to the professional ranks after winning numerous amateur events, including the Lake Macquarie Championship (2015), the Jones Cup (2014) and the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship (2010). He was holding the No. 21 spot on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) before making the jump.

The actuary mathematics major notched five individual collegiate victories with the Golden Flashes, along with being named to the Ben Hogan Award watch list twice (’13, ’14) and sharing Co-Mid-American Conference Player of the Year honours (2014) with good friend and fellow Team Canada member, Taylor Pendrith.

The calm, collected Conners also earned the Merle Wagoner Award, given to Kent State’s most outstanding athlete who demonstrates leadership, positive image, athletic ability and academic performance.

“The experience and relationships I have built with Team Canada has given me a leg-up on the competition and has allowed me to comfortably make this decision,” said Conners. “I’m very excited to transition to the Young Pro Squad in the next stage of my career.”

Team Canada Men’s Head Coach, Derek Ingram, was with Conners last week at the Masters and couldn’t be more supportive with the decision.“He’s clearly proven to be one of the best amateurs in the world over the last three years, with results very appropriate of turning professional,” said Ingram. “What a way to go out—finishing with a 3-under at Augusta National, the timing is perfect for him.”

Conners signed with International Sports Management (ISM) back in September of 2014.

SAN BUENAVENTURA, TLALPAN, Mexico – Four of the six Men’s Development Squad members are ramping up to compete in the zone qualifier for the 2015 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup, which as usual will be held in Japan in June.

The qualifying tournament consists of four teams of four athletes—all gunning for one of two available spots to earn a ticket to the World Cup in two months. Each team will count their three lowest scores for the day, counting towards their overall aggregate total. The two lowest scores after Thursday’s final round at the Golf Club of Mexico will advance onwards to Japan.

Canada will be represented by Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Qué.), Tony Gil (Vaughan, Ont.), Trevor Ranton (Waterloo, Ont.) and Patrick Murphy (Crossfield, Alta.).

The Canucks are set to square off against Dominican Republic, Mexico and Costa Rica.

Development Squad Lead Coach, Robert Ratcliffe, expressed his optimism heading into tomorrow’s opening round.

“The course here lends to the strengths of the boys—it sets up well for us,” he said. “We’ve put in a lot of great practice as a team in the past few months and we’re excited to get started tomorrow.”

Last month, Ratcliffe and the boys competed at the Southern Cross Invitational in Argentina, coming out with a fourth-place finish. The international team experience will be a great asset for the squad as they gear up for tomorrow’s competition.

Toyota Junior Golf World Cup is the world’s only junior golf championship in which 20 national teams, winners of regional qualifiers held across 6 continents and participated by more than 60 national teams, compete for the world champion trophy.

In 2014, the Men’s Development Squad placed seventh, 11 strokes back of champion Norway. The best Canadian finish came in 1994 when the team took home runner-up honours.

Click here for live scoring from the qualifier.

WINTER GARDEN, FLA –The 2015 PGA Tour Canada season begins this week just outside Orlando, Fla., with the first of three Qualifying Tournaments.

Two more opportunities to earn a PGA Tour Canada card for 2015 will take place in the following weeks, including April 21-24 at La Purisima Golf Club in Lompoc, California and May 5-8 at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Courtenay, B.C. This week’s event takes place at the longtime site of the final stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, Orange County National’s Panther Lake Course.

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.

Sixteen Canadians will be in the field this week, including:

Brett Cairns – Courtland, Ont.
Rokhun Cho – Toronto, Ont.
Albin Choi – Toronto, Ont.
Jessey Church – Prince George, B.C.
Jean-Philip Cornellier – Granby, Que.
Max Gilbert – St-Georges, Que.
Robbie Greenwell – Georgetown, Ont.
Mark Hoffman – Thornhill, Ont.
Matthew McMahon – Brockville, Ont.
Lucas Kim – Toronto, Ont.
Luke Ovenden – Georgetown, Ont.
Mathieu Perron – Saint-Hubert, Que.
J.J. Regan – Burlington, Ont.
Ryan Terdik – Mt. Pleasant, Ont.
Christian Westhorpe – Oakville, Ont.
Andrew Zanatta – London, Ont.

Click here for scoring.

CALGARY – The Shaw Charity Classic is giving one lucky fan – and three friends – the chance to feel like a professional golfer for a day.

The Champions Tour event in Calgary has launched a unique, three-stage contest for any Canadian resident that scores a hole-in-one at a Golf Canada Member Club across the country between March 1 and July 20, 2015.

Individuals who record a hole-in-one on a hole 85 yards or longer during a 9 or 18-hole round of golf will be invited to a qualification event at Calgary’s Golf Canada Centre, July 24, 2015. Each member of the hole-in-one club will have one attempt in a closest-to-the-pin contest. The 10 closest shots will then be invited to Media Day at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club, the host course of the Shaw Charity Classic, on July 29, 2015 where they will compete head-to-head in another closest-to-the-pin contest for the Grand Prize of one full Pro-Am Team. Balls finishing off the green will be ignored even if they are closest to the hole. Entrants will be responsible for all their costs for attending and playing golf on the day of the qualifiers.

“Anyone who ever plays golf realizes getting a hole-in-one earns you a spot in a very exclusive club, and we want to celebrate these accomplishments by giving Canadians who achieve the feat the opportunity to win the ultimate golf experience and play with the greatest names in the game,” said Sean Van Kesteren, tournament director, Shaw Charity Classic. “It is our goal to recognize, and celebrate, each hole-in-one this summer and bring this exclusive club together in Calgary for a final showdown to win the chance to feel like a Champions Tour professional for a day at the Shaw Charity Classic in August.”

The winner of the top-10 shootout on Media Day will receive one RBC Championship Pro-Am team on Wednesday, August 5 – a prize value of $20,000. Second place will receive two weekly tickets to the Champions Club for all tournament rounds, along with one TaylorMade putter and one dozen TaylorMade golf balls. The third-place finisher will win two weekly tickets to the Champions Club.

Individuals who record a hole-in-one during the 2015 contest period must register through the tournament web site at www.shawcharityclassic.com. The hole-in-one must be attested by the golf facility’s general manager, chief operating officer, club president, head professional or director of golf. Participants between the ages of 13 and 18 must also have parental consent. The Shaw Charity Classic will aim to profile each hole-in-one on its social media platforms.

Tickets and corporate packages for the Shaw Charity Classic are available online at www.shawcharityclassic.com. Youth 17 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Michael Greller thought his Masters’ experience peaked in 2012 when he won Augusta National’s ticket lottery and he leaned over the ropes to get his picture snapped with Phil Mickelson and his caddie.

It’s time the former sixth-grade math teacher resets his expectations.

Greller now is the caddie for record-setting Masters champion Jordan Spieth, the first wire-to-wire winner since Raymond Floyd in 1976.

“I thought three years ago was the pinnacle just being out there walking around …,” Greller said Sunday. “Being here two years later, that was pretty surreal, and I think that was the best thing that probably happened to us not winning it, and certainly all that experience came into play all week, and especially today.”

Greller started tending Spieth’s bag in 2011, when the Texan played in the U.S. Junior Amateur and needed a caddie. Spieth won his second USGA title with Greller, who worked for the 21-year-old at the U.S. Open in 2012. Spieth called Greller when he turned pro that year, and he gave up his teaching job in Seattle.

That teaching experience still pays off as Greller works with someone who doesn’t turn 22 until late July.

“If he needs to let things go, I’m the person who’s going to bounce it off of him,” Greller said. “Just being able to adapt to situations I think that’s certainly something from teaching school for so long you have to do out here. You have to be able to adapt week to week, day to day, today hole by hole with the wind doing what it’s doing.”

Spieth thanked Greller during the green jacket ceremony.

He later credited his caddie for keeping him focused on the front nine, when he had a couple bogeys.

Both men had a big learning experience here a year ago. Playing with eventual champion Bubba Watson in the final group, Spieth grabbed a two-shot lead after the seventh hole before losing. Greller said he was happy to see Watson and his caddie win last year with Spieth also having a great week despite the loss.

“He was 20 years old,” Greller said of Spieth. “It was all positive.”

This time around, Greller made sure to talk all week with Carl Jackson, who caddied for two-time Masters champ Ben Crenshaw for so many years here. He also talked with another caddie, Derek Reed, and had dinner with Jim Mackay last night, the man better known as Bones – Mickelson’s caddie.

Greller said the key is knowing when to stay out of Spieth’s way.

“The first week I caddied for him, he told me he relied too much on his caddies …,” Greller said. “I’m sure there’s tons of guys that are better caddies. I still consider myself a rookie. But I have a rapport with Jordan.”

Now Spieth has his first major title and third overall. So could Greller and Spieth be the next Phil and Bones?

“No. No,” Greller said. “They have 50 more wins and a lot more majors. … But it’s certainly somebody to emulate.”

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Phil Mickelson knew he needed a truly special round to catch Jordan Spieth.

Instead, Lefty settled for a familiar spot.

Runner-up.

Mickelson closed with a 3-under 69 that left him tied with Justin Rose, four shots behind the wire-to-wire winner.

“It was just a good, solid round of golf,” Mickelson said. “I needed something exceptional.”

The 21-year-old Spieth won with an 18-under 270, tying the Masters record for lowest overall score.

Mickelson and Rose finished at 274, a score that would have been good enough to win the last three years. In fact, it was lower that Mickelson’s score in two of his three Masters victories.

“The fact is, I would have taken 14 under at the start of the week,” he said. “I played really well to shoot 14 under and I simply got outplayed by a young player who just played some incredible golf.”

On a resume highlighted by five major titles, it was Mickelson’s 10th second-place finish in golf’s biggest events.

It also completed a Grand Slam of sorts, one he would prefer not to have.

Mickelson has now finished second in every major championship.

This won’t hurt nearly as bad as some of the others, especially all those close calls in the only major Mickelson has never won, the U.S. Open.

At 44, Mickelson hasn’t played all that well in recent years on the PGA Tour. But he knows how to get up for the biggest events, having won the British Open in 2013 with a stirring final-round comeback, and finishing second in the last two majors going back to the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla, where he was one stroke behind Rory McIlroy.

“I don’t have a great explanation other than I really focus on those events,” Mickelson said. “It’s not my motivation to go out and try to grind out wins week after week. I want to zero in on our four or five biggest events, and I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve been able to get some of my best golf out of those events.”

Spieth dominated this Masters from start to finish. Mickelson started the final round five shots back and never got within four shots of the lead, even after holing out an eagle from the bunker at the par-5 15th hole.

He was doomed by three bogeys spread throughout the round, keeping the popular player from really getting the Augusta patrons on his side. They cheered him all the way, of course, but never unleashed one of those really big roars that would have signaled Lefty, playing just ahead of Spieth in the next-to-last group, was making a serious move.

“Every time I got a birdie here or there, I stalled with a bogey,” Mickelson said. “It was a really fun tournament. I thought I played some good golf. I just got outplayed. Jordan was phenomenal.”

Rose also played extremely well, and he was the only one who got as close as three strokes to Spieth in the final round.

Carrying on the momentum he had Saturday, when he closed with five birdies on his last six holes to get into the final group of a major for the first time, Rose birdied the first two holes Sunday in what looked for a while like essentially a match-play scenario with Spieth.

But Rose stalled, playing the next 10 holes at 2 over. He gave himself a glimmer of hope with three straight birdies starting at No. 13, and a last gasp came at the par-3 16th, when he stuck his tee shot to 15 feet for another birdie try, while Spieth faced a dicey 8-footer to save par.

Rose missed his putt. Spieth made his.

Game over.

“It was probably one of the best putts he hit all day,” Rose marveled. “I was looking for that two-shot swing to keep it interesting.”

Rose, the 2013 U.S. Open champion, posted his highest finish ever at Augusta National, where he’s made the cut in all 10 of his appearances and finished in the top 15 four other times.

Asked what it’s going to take to finally break through, he smiled.

“Keep shooting 14 under,” Rose said.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Tiger Woods stirred up quite a frenzy on social media when talking about an injury to his right hand during the final round of the Masters.

After an errant drive at the ninth hole, Woods struck a hidden tree root while hitting his second shot off the pine straw.

Woods screamed in pain and let the club fly out of his hand. He shook his hand walking toward the green but managed to salvage par on the way to a closing 1-over 73.

Afterward, when asked about the injury on CBS, Woods said “the bone popped out.”

That amateur diagnosis led to plenty of derisive responses on Twitter.

The apparently gruesome injury notwithstanding, Woods said he was proud of the way he played at Augusta National, finishing with a 5-under 283 in his first tournament since he walked off the course at Torrey Pines in early February, his body hurting and his game a mess.

Woods said he’ll take some time off before playing in his next PGA Tour event, with an eye toward getting ready for the U.S. Open in June.