If you love golf and you hear the PGA of Canada’s technical director describe it as “just another sport,” you may be, at the least, dismayed and, maybe, shocked.

But don’t worry. It’s all good, and for the betterment of the game.

Glenn Cundari has been integral in the development of the Long Term Player Development program (LTPD) for golf in Canada. And integral to the program itself is the new Community Golf Coach concept which was designed by the PGA of Canada in conjunction with the Coaching Association of Canada and Golf Canada.

“The previous Future Links Leader program was flawed and, as a result, largely unsuccessful,” says Cundari. “So we stepped back, had a fresh look, retooled the whole concept, and the result is pretty exciting.”

The LTPD’s Community Sport Stream is a phase of development where participants are being initiated into the game. The stream is aimed at supporting children from six to 12 years old. In most other sports, properly trained volunteers are core leaders in the early development of young participants. That’s what Cundari means when he says golf has to be addressed as “just another sport.” Now, in line with most of those other sports, golf has recognized that in order to be more accessible, volunteers must be at the heart of the model.

This grassroots level of leadership is open to individuals who are not members of the PGA of Canada. They must complete a two-day workshop with both classroom and outdoor components to enable them to deliver the CN Future Links Learn To Play program. As a result, they will play a vital role in supporting other volunteers and PGA of Canada members at club-level junior programs by assisting with the administration and/or delivery of the program.

“There are ideal candidates for this program right across the country,” says Cundari. “They are parents or other passionate people who likely are already helping out with junior programs at courses that may or may not have a PGA of Canada professional. The fact of the matter is that there just aren’t enough PGA of Canada professionals to successfully engage all the kids who want to play golf, so that’s where the Community Golf Coach comes in. Let’s give them proper training and let them facilitate that first step into a lifetime of golf.”

Becoming a Community Golf Coach incorporates the following:

• Reflect on Self as a Community Golf Coach
• CN Future Links Programming
• Growth and Development
• Teaching and Learning
• Safety and Risk Management
• Golf Equipment
• Technical
• Values
• Rules and Etiquette
• Ethical Coaching
• Activity Design
• Session Planning
• Activity and Session Implementation

Roll out of the new Community Golf Coach program has begun across Canada.

To find out how you can become part of this exciting new program, contact Matt Allen, the PGA of Canada’s education coordinator, at 1-800-782-5764 ext. 236 or email matt@pgaofcanada.com.

Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada are proud to jointly present the second generation of the Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) Guide.

The comprehensive resource, referenced as LTPD 2.0, outlines an eight-stage, systematic approach to golf and athlete development in Canada.

Available in various formats—a hardcopy print edition online and by downloadable app—LTPD 2.0 offers a full range of resources designed to help all coaches, teachers, players and parents understand the stages that each player goes through and also the training principles and activities at each stage.

“In developing LTPD 2.0, we have incorporated best practices and the latest scientific research from within our sport, both in Canada and worldwide,” said Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer Jeff Thompson. “We believe this guide will play a key influencing role in achieving international success for our players, while also assisting our goal of fostering a life-long engagement in the sport of golf by Canadian enthusiasts from coast to coast.”

In the period since the original version of the LTPD guide was launched in 2006, Canadian golf has seen tremendous results at the highest competitive levels, as well as a national adoption of national programs and development benchmarks from grassroots through to high performance.

“The benefits from LTPD have shown as our best Canadians are now competing at the top level of the world game. We need to continue to have the same success at the recreational level with the creation of sustainable golfers and strong learn-to-golf adult and junior programs,” said PGA of Canada Technical Director Glenn Cundari. “LTPD 2.0 is not just for the industry stakeholders to use as a road map, but a resource for every PGA member to reflect on their own programs to ensure they align with a world leading framework and system.“

In addition to providing a solid sport development framework, LTPD 2.0 outlines important roles and responsibilities of sport stakeholders including PGA of Canada coaches and instructors; golfers; parents of golfers; facility owners and golf administrators.

Endorsed by Sport Canada, LTPD 2.0 utilizes the knowledge and experience of a task force of golf and sport science experts with backgrounds ranging across sport development, coaching, sport psychology and scientific best practices.

Among the major contributors to LTPD 2.0 are renowned long-term player development experts Dr. Stephen Norris and Dr. Istvan Balyi.

“The Long-Term Player Development Guide for golf provides a framework for all those involved in player development to optimize available resources that will positively impact a young player’s experience and ability to play the game to the highest level of their ability,” said Norris, Executive Vice President and Chief Sport Officer with WinSport in Calgary and a driving force behind the Own the Podium high performance program. “Critical elements must be interwoven and considered for this process to be a success, including facility type, golf-specific training, athleticism and health, education and of course competition and performance tracking.”

The LTPD 2.0 framework is split into eight stages through which a player will move from simple to more complex skills and from general to golf related skills. Rooted in a combination of research from domestic and international coaches and sport science experts, LTPD 2.0 addresses the physical, mental, emotional and technical needs of the athlete as they pass through each stage of development.

To view LTPD 2.0, its web resources and download the mobile app, visit golfcanada.ca/LTPD.

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Morgan Pressel matched the course record with an 8-under 64 on Friday for a share of the second-round lead in the Kia Classic with Mirim Lee.

Pressel had eight birdies in her bogey-free morning round at Aviara to match Lee at 10-under 134. The American won the last of her two LPGA Tour titles in 2008.

“It was kind of stress-free golf out there today. It was nice,” Pressel said. “I had a lot of opportunities, and still, even with eight birdies, opportunities that I left out there, I missed or lipped out. But I just played really, really solidly. I’m happy with the result.”

Top-ranked Lydia Ko was tied for ninth at 7 under after a 70, her 26th straight LPGA Tour round under par – three short of Annika Sorenstam’s record set in 2004 – and 29th worldwide.

“I didn’t know that the record was 29 until I saw it on Twitter,” Ko said. “But to have a record that’s already set by a legendary player like Annika, it’s pretty awesome that I’m like only three rounds away. But like I said, I’m going to try and take one round at a time. This is a tough course.”

The 17-year-old New Zealander has two worldwide victories this year, winning the tour’s Women’s Australian Open and the Ladies European Tour’s New Zealand Women’s Open in consecutive weeks. She has 10 straight top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour.

Pressel matched the course record set last year by Dori Carter.

“I’ve been fighting the cut for a little while, so it’s nice to be in a different position heading into tomorrow,” Pressel said. “I feel comfortable with the way that I’m hitting it. I’ve got to keep working on the things that I’ve been doing. I was really good at staying patient, even though I was playing well, not getting too far ahead of myself.”

Lee, the first-round leader after a 65, had six birdies and three bogeys in a 69. The 24-year-old South Korean player won LPGA Tour events last year in Michigan and China.

Alison Lee and Cristie Kerr were 9 under. Alison Lee had a 66, and Kerr shot 68.

The 20-year-old Alison Lee is making her fourth LPGA Tour start as a professional. She won the Pac-12 title last year as a freshman at UCLA and was co-medalist at Q-school.

“I was striking the ball really well,” Alison Lee said. “I did miss a couple putts here and there, like on the last hole, I missed like a 4-footer, but overall I played really solid.”

The 37-year-old Kerr won the last of her 16 LPGA Tour titles in 2013.

“It’s just a matter of putting four solid rounds together,” Kerr said. “I’ve managed to do two of those so far. … Just have to be consistent with my rounds the next couple days, and I’ll have a shot.”

Fourth-ranked Hyo Joo Kim birdied her final hole for a 68 to join Brittany Lang (68), Maria Hernandez (66) and Yokomine Sakura (67) at 8 under. The 19-year-old Kim, from South Korea, won the Founders Cup on Sunday in Phoenix for her second LPGA Tour victory in 13 career starts.

Third-ranked Stacy Lewis was 7 under after a 69 in the final event before the first major of the season, the ANA Inspiration next week in Rancho Mirage. She was second last week in Phoenix.

“The ball-striking wasn’t exactly where I wanted it, so to shoot 3 under on this golf course is pretty good,” Lewis said. “It was nice getting out early, getting the better greens.”

Second-ranked Inbee Park was 6 under after a 70. She took last week off after winning in Singapore and finishing second in a Ladies European Tour event in China.

Defending champion Anna Nordqvist had a 69 to reach 3 under.

Yani Tseng, a stroke back after an opening 66, had a 76 to drop into a tie for 46th at 2 under. She won the 2012 event at nearby La Costa for the last of her 15 LPGA Tour titles.

Michelle Wie was 1 under after a 74, as is Canada’s Alena Sharp who had a 74. The pair have a share of 59th.

SAN ANTONIO – Charley Hoffman took advantage of calmer afternoon conditions to take the first-round lead in the wind-swept Texas Open, shooting a 5-under 67 on Thursday.

After wind gusts threatening 40 mph pummeled the morning starters, Hoffman faced steady 15 mph wind in the afternoon at TPC San Antonio. He had the lone bogey-free round, birdieing Nos. 2, 3, 9, 11 and 17.

The winner last year in Mexico at the start of the wraparound season, Hoffman has eight top-10 finishes in nine appearances in San Antonio. He was second in 2011 and third in 2013.

“I don’t know the answer to (the success here),” Hoffman said. “Visually, the course sets up nice for me off the tee. It was just a pretty low-stress round for me.”

Aaron Baddeley was second after a 68. The Australian had a remarkable birdie on the par-4 17th when he snap-hooked his drive deep into thick woods, went back to the tee and holed out from 336 yards.

“That was crazy,” Baddeley said. “I hit it, started walking, and the crowd starts going nuts. So, I’m `Wait. I just made birdie.’ It rolls up and goes in.”

Max Homa had a 69, and Phil Mickelson and Ryan Palmer shot 70.

Mickelson, winless since the 2013 British Open, lost the clubhead off his 8-iron when it came flying off while he hit from a fairway bunker on the 12th hole.

“That was weird,” Mickelson said. “But I thought it was playable out there, for the conditions. It’s nice, selfishly, to be on the good end of the tee times in the afternoon. It really looked tough for the guys in the morning.”

With gusts reaching 38 mph early in the day, no one with a morning tee time managed to break par. Only Matt Kuchar and Cameron Percy matched it, and conditions might have been worse if not for maintenance crews slithering hoses onto some of the greens to water them down.

The stroke average for the morning wave was 78.61 and the overall average was 75.9.

From the 69 players in the morning, 23 failed to break 80. Jim Furyk and Dustin Johnson managed to keep it in the 70s, but they had their struggles with the wind.

Furyk opened his day with a 52-foot birdie putt, but he shot 76. Johnson had a 78, his worst since shooting a first-round 80 before withdrawing last year from the Houston Open.

U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer had a two triple bogeys in an 82.

Defending champion Steven Bowditch opened with an 80.

Sam Burns, an 18-year-old high school senior from Sherevport, Louisiana, who earned a spot in the field by winning the Junior PGA Championship last summer, carded an 89 with a quadruple bogey at No. 9.

Hoffman took the lead when he drove near the collar of the 17th green, chipped up and made a 6-footer for birdie.

“I got lucky that when it was blowing hard, my first four holes were downwind,” Hoffman said. “I was able to birdie a couple of them. The wind started to die down a little bit at No. 5, and I felt comfortable.”

Graeme McDowell was one of three players from the morning wave who withdrew while shooting high numbers, citing injuries. McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion, said his left ankle and foot were bothering him when he pulled out after a 5-over 41 on his first nine. Sang Moon Bae (back) was 6 over through seven, and Colt Knost (thumb) had it at 9 over through eight with a quadruple bogey at No. 3.

Canadians David Hearn, Graham DeLaet and Adam Hadwin opened with rounds of 81, 82 and 83, respectively.

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Mirim Lee birdied all four par-5 holes and finished with a bogey-free 7-under 65 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Kia Classic.

Lee took the outright lead with an 8-foot putt on the par-5 fifth – her 14th hole in her afternoon round at Aviara – and hit a wedge to 3 feet to set up her final birdie on the par-5 eighth. The 24-year-old South Korean player won LPGA Tour events last year in Michigan and China.

Yani Tseng, winless in 70 starts since her victory in the 2012 event at nearby La Costa, had a 66.

Tseng finished with a 4-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th after hitting a 150-yard shot from near a fairway bunker with the ball well above her feet. The Taiwanese player birdied Nos. 7-9, made a 20-foot eagle putt from the fringe on the par-5 10th, dropped a stroke on the par-4 14th when she missed a 3-foot par putt and rebounded with a 3-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko was two strokes back at 67 along with Karrie Webb, Cristie Kerr and China’s Lin Xiyu. The 17-year-old Ko has 10 straight top-10 finishes and has broken par in her last 25 LPGA Tour rounds and 28 worldwide.

Alena Sharp – the lone Canadian in the field – sits T17 after opening with a 3-under 69.

AGADIR, Morocco – Frenchman Adrien Saddier opened with an eagle and added five birdies in a 7-under round of 65 to lead Englishman Daniel Gaunt by one shot after the first round of the Trophee Hassan II on Thursday.

Gaunt could have gone back to the clubhouse level with Saddier, or better, but bogeyed the 18th after birdies on the three previous holes.

“I was very grateful to get an invite to play here. This place is just unbelievable,” said Saddier, who missed the cut at the South African Open in January. “It was a great start and I kept it going.”

Saddier hopes a strong showing at Hassan II can kickstart his career.

“If I could get a win it would change my schedule, as at the moment I’m playing on the Challenge Tour,” he said. “It’s almost my best round. I shot 64 in Qatar last year, which was 8 under.”

South African George Coetzee, Scotland’s David Drysdale, and Englishman Chris Wood were two strokes back after 67s.

Coetzee and former champion Marcel Siem of Germany need to win to claim a place in the Masters in two weeks.

“Augusta is on my mind obviously,” said Coetzee, who won the Tshwane Open on his home course in Pretoria two weeks ago. “I’m happy with my start. It looks better than it felt.”

Coetzee had seven birdies but was undone by a double bogey on the eighth.

Siem, one of nine players at 4 under, eagled the 15th and also bogeyed the last.

He wants to avoid a repeat of two years ago. Then, he led the Hassan II from start to finish, looked to have done enough to climb into the top 50 ranks and secure a first appearance in the Masters, only to miss out by .003 points.

“I won here two years ago and it still wasn’t enough, which was horrible,” said Siem, who had five birdies and two more bogeys. “I can make enough birdies so I just need to avoid the mistakes.”

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda — While the winds promise to be strong this week in Bermuda, the competition for the Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship will surely be stronger.

The 36-hole championship, which takes place March 28-29 at Turtle Hill Golf Club at the Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda, features former Ryder Cup members, European Tour winners, European Senior Tour winners, a PGA Tour Canada winner, former WEB.com players, a PGA Championship of Canada winner and a Golf Channel personality.

“In the short but storied history of the Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship, we’ve seen some great fields, but with the pedigree of the players who are teeing it up this year make it a truly remarkable championship field,” said tournament director Adam LeBrun

Last year, Mouland’s two-day total of 1-under par 107 (51-56) was one shot better than Michael Sims and Camiko Smith, both of Bermuda.

This time around, Mouland says he’ll stick with the same game plan that brought him success in 2014 and just hit one shot at a time. He also admits it feels good to return as past champion.

“It’s always a nice feeling when you are a defending champion,” said the 53-year old St. Athan, Wales native. “This golf course and championship bring back good memories and breeds confidence.”

The Turtle Hill Golf Club has been recognized by Golf Magazine as one of the “Top 5 Par 3 Courses in the World” and is a recipient of Golf Digest‘s “Best Places to Play Golf Award.”

“Turtle Hill features a good mixture of longer and shorter holes,” said Mouland. “Obviously the wind plays a big part, so a good key to be successful on this golf course is to not get greedy,” he said, adding, “par is always a good score when the conditions are tough.”

Past champions of the Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship include Bermudian Daniel Augustus, PGA Tour winner Nick Taylor, PGA of Canada member Ian Doig, American Jordan Mitchell and last year’s winner Mark Mouland of the European Senior Tour.

In addition to the professionals in the championship, the 111-player field is rounded out by an impressive list of amateur golfers—from Bermuda, the United States, Canada and Europe—vying for titles in the men’s, women’s and senior amateur divisions.

The championship field includes:

• Former Ryder Cup member, five-time European Tour winner and four-time European Senior Tour winner Barry Lane
• Two-time European Tour winner and 2014 Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship winner Mark Mouland
• Eight-time European Tour winner and two-time European Senior Tour winner Gordon Brand Jr.
• Eight-time European Tour winner Bill Longmuir
• Six-time European Tour winner and European Senior Tour winner Anders Forsbrand
• Former Ryder Cup member and three-time European Tour winner Philip Walton
• Five-time European Senior Tour winner Nicholas James Job
• Three-time European Tour winner Miguel Ángel Martin
• Two-time European Senior Tour winner and European Tour winner Mark Davis
• Two-time European Senior Tour winner and European Tour winner Philip Golding
• PGA Tour Canada winner Michael Gligic
• 2014 PGA Championship of Canada winner and the No.-2 ranked player from the PGA of Canada Player Rankings Dave Levesque
• Two-time PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada winner and former WEB.com player Brian McCann
• 2014 PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada winner Matt Peavoy
• Bermuda native and former WEB.com player Michael Sims
• Former WEB.com winner and Golf Channel television personality Charlie Rymer

When we last saw Tiger Woods he was fleeing from a golf tournament in mid-round, mumbling something about improper activation of his glutes.

He’s been missing in action for some time now, desperately searching for some of the magic he once took for granted. Woods blamed the glutes, but the truth is that his game is in such a deep, dark place that he’s embarrassed to even tee off in public places.

The Masters begins in two weeks, and it’s not a place someone who seems to be struggling with the yips while chipping wants to make a comeback. If Woods does play at Augusta National, bookies in Las Vegas who for nearly two decades have made him the odds-on favorite are giving 50-1 odds he won’t leave the place with a fifth green jacket.

He’s got another new swing coach and a vague plan to regain his mojo by returning to the ways of his youth. But he needs more – much more.

Tigerwoods.com has always been the place he voices his thoughts. Now maybe it’s the place he can find his game.

If only he would listen to his own fans.

“Tiger, stop trying to be perfect,” someone identified as Jati wrote on the site. “Perfection is a myth. Nobody can achieve perfection, why go after it and waste enormous amount of time and energy?”

“Your confidence coupled with your huge successes has impacted on your general well being,” writes Kevin Frankie. “But I say this…you can get it ALL back plus some. Just get your game on a more natural level not unlike your wonderful years of sheer sublime brilliance.”

” I can help you with your mental game,” LL writes. “If you want to talk, I promise you I won’t (waste) your time and do not want your money. I just want to see you back at the top of golf. This is not a scam I’ve been doing this successfully for over 20 yrs.”

Who knows, it might be as simple as a trip to the produce section of the local Piggly Wiggly.

“Tiger, hang in there,” says Dana Bergerstock. “I just had a total knee replacement, and I had to start over from square one. They tell me it will come around like a fine wine. I started eating grapes to start the progression. It’s working! Eat some grapes during your next round. It might be mental, but it’s working for me.”

Or try this, courtesy of Brett McHaney:

“Tiger, take the change out of your right pocket and put it in your left pocket. Tie your left shoe in a double knot. Turn your hat around and put this tee behind your left ear,” he writes. “I look like a fool. Yea. Now take this little white ball and hit it down the fairway. Tiger, go out have some fun and get out of your own way.”

Someone called Anonymous Pro says he can help Woods on the chipping that embarrassed him in his season debut in Phoenix, saying all he needs to do is keep his wrists hinged.

Or maybe it’s more basic than that.

“I think you have forgotten the child like quality to chipping,” writes Roc. “Did you think about anything when you were 21 when chipping? No technical thoughts. Not sure why you would change something that was so pure but I’m just a hacker talking. Walk up and hit it.”

Some think it’s not Tiger’s fault at all. Circumstances have been out of his control.

“In 2010, you entered a VERRY challenging astrological period indicating very serious challenges,” jrcsamad writes. “The beginning of this period corresponds to the start of your difficulties, which we needn’t discuss here. There can be periods of respite in this period which lasts until 2020. The good news is that there are technologies of consciousness that can help to decrease the obstacles coming from past actions (karma) indicated in this period.”

There’s plenty of support for Woods among the 1,739 comments, though some seem to be growing impatient with their hero, who hasn’t won a major in seven years.

“Tiger ya baby get out there and play,” says someone with the screen name Love Tiger Woods. “You have turned into a spoiled rich kid.”

Mostly, though, they simply want the Tiger of old back.

“Where are you Mr. Woods?” asks Jared. “Where are the Sundays when you walked onto the course and commanded respect and inflicted fear in the souls of everyone who dare tee it up with you? Where are your laser focused eyes that never deviate from the task at hand? Where is that unwavering confidence that can never be shaken or broken? Where is that killer instinct that none of these kids are going to take my destiny from me?”

So far at least, it’s nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, the Masters is just two weeks away.

Rio de Janeiro’s mayor unveiled the city’s controversial Olympic golf course on Wednesday and laid out an ardent defence of a project that has been criticized by environmental activists and is at the centre of legal wranglings.

The course, part of which has been carved out of a nature reserve, had been kept somewhat under wraps during a construction phase that is nearly complete after more than a year’s work.

Gently rolling hills covered with lush grass that looked like it would be at home in Scotland surrounded small islands of native plants. Sprinklers were hard at work under a harsh midday sun during the visit by news media.

The bucolic setting has been embroiled in a controversy stretching back years and is threatening to diminish what will be golf’s triumphant return to the Olympics after a 112-year absence.

Prosecutors have repeatedly requested for work on the course to be halted over alleged irregularities in environmental impact studies, though a judge rejected the latest demand late Tuesday night. In a separate case, another prosecutor is weighing whether to bring charges against Mayor Eduardo Paes for allegedly granting concessions to developers. Still other questions persist about the ownership of the land.

Paes dismissed the allegations, insisting in an agitated, two-hour-long presentation that the course has been built in strict accordance with the law.

“It’s hogwash, it’s a lie … it’s a fallacy,” Paes said, as he delivered a barrage of facts, figures, photos and images of documents about the golf course. “Lies cannot prevail.”

He pledged total transparency, with Brazil in the midst of an investigation into a massive corruption scheme at the state-run oil giant, Petrobras, which has rocked the country with near-daily revelations.

“Rio City Hall and I personally are very conscious that we are going to have to explain and re-explain (things) and prove ourselves more than we would have to if we were staging the London Olympics, for example,” he said.

Paes also insisted that while some land from the nature reserve was bulldozed to make way for the course’s grassy knolls, because the lion’s share of the terrain used to be a sand quarry, the course has actually increased the amount of native plant life in the area.

“Does this look like an environmental crime?” he exclaimed, arms akimbo, as he led reporters over the course’s spongy grass. Earlier, Paes projected aerial photos from the 1980s apparently showing what’s now the golf course dotted with concrete structures.

Environmentalists contend that hardy subtropical vegetation had since retaken the area and that before the bulldozers descended it had become home to several endangered species, including species of butterflies and frogs.

“He (Paes) thinks that all green’s the same,” said Jean Carlos Novaes, a member of the Golfe Para Quem (Golf For Whom) group that has been protesting outside the site for months. “But non-native grass is just not the same thing as the native ecosystem.”

Novaes, who was among a small group of protesters on Wednesday, insisted it was unnecessary to build a new course in the first place, since Rio already has two other golf courses – despite golf’s status in Brazil as an unpopular sport played almost exclusively by the moneyed elite. The owner of one of the courses has said he wrote to authorities to offer it up for the Olympics but never heard back.

Novaes said that donations made to Paes’ political campaign by a wealthy and powerful developer who’s building luxury residential towers on the margins of the golf course were the real motor behind the construction of the course. The exclusive marble-and-glass units are being pre-sold even before construction is completed for several million dollars a piece.

Asked whether he had received a campaign donation from the developer, Pasquale Mauro, Paes said he didn’t know and that in any case “it wouldn’t have been illegal.”

He added that one of the existing courses was deemed too small, while modifications to the other would have cost nearly as much as building the new course.