Corey Conners, one of golf’s most exciting talents and runner-up at the US Amateur Championship last month, has joined International Sports Management (ISM).

The 22-year-old helped his country to a second-place finish at the World Amateur Team Championship in Japan last week. He is the first Canadian to be represented by ISM.

“The way ISM have nurtured the careers of young golfers and moulded them into winners is very impressive,” said Conners, who is exempt for the 2015 US Open and likely to receive an invitation to the Masters following his performances at the Atlanta Athletic Club. “I am thrilled to be joining such a prolific stable.”

The Golf Canada National Team member and Kent State graduate received the 2014 Merle Wagoner Award as the university’s outstanding male athlete, in addition to winning the Jones Cup Invitational, Mid-American Conference Championship, General Hackler Championship and Gopher Invitational – four of the United States’ prominent amateur events.

“Corey’s amateur career has been very impressive so far and he has all the attributes required to be a top professional in the future,” said Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler, ISM’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are making great strides in North America and the arrival of Corey is further evidence of that.”

Conners reached the semi-finals of the US Amateur in 2013 before being defeated by eventual winner and new stable-mate, Matt Fitzpatrick. The Listowel, Ontario, native, who was also runner-up at the 2013 and 2014 North and South Amateur Championship, has teed up in the last two RBC Canadian Opens and will play a combination of top-level amateur and tour events before turning professional next year.

The “Home of Golf” is about to find out if its doors are open to women.

On the same day Scotland votes on whether to become independent, a historic sporting decision will be made inside arguably the most famous building in golf.

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club in St. Andrews, an all-male bastion since its founding 260 years ago, votes Thursday whether to admit women members. For the first time, the R&A is allowing its 2,500 worldwide members to vote by proxy.

“I think it’s the right thing,” R&A club secretary Peter Dawson said during its spring meeting in May, “and I hope that R&A members do what’s right for golf.”

While a “No” decision is the marginal favorite in the independence referendum, the R&A vote should be more clear-cut at its annual Business Meeting at St. Andrews.

“We wouldn’t be entering this if we didn’t feel there was strong member support for it,” Dawson has said.

The club said a favorable vote would take effect immediately.

“We would hope to have a meaningful number of women become members in a reasonable time scale,” the club said in a statement. “The first women members are likely to have made a significant contribution to the development of our sport.”

It has been just over two years since Augusta National – the club that hosts The Masters – announced it had invited women to join for the first time. That ramped up the pressure on the R&A club, which, unlike Augusta, had a policy barring women from being members. Three all-male clubs are on the British Open rotation – Royal St. George’s, Royal Troon and Muirfield.

Dawson has said the R&A vote will have no bearing on whether the Open is played on those courses. Royal Troon is the 2016 host.

The push for change has come from outside golf, from a society that perceives the R&A to be out of touch and having outdated views on equality. The issue of allowing female members has been on the R&A’s agenda for some time, Dawson says, but every year that goes by without the club having women members is damaging to its image.

The Royal & Ancient has been in charge of the Rules of Golf and the British Open for years. Ten years ago, the club devolved administrative duties to a corporate structure that is called “The R&A,” of which Dawson is the chief executive. That group is in charge of the Rules of Golf and organizes The Open and other R&A championships. It has female employees but its committee and board roles are populated by members of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, meaning there are currently no women in leadership roles.

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – FedEx Cup winner Billy Horschel’s wife Brittany gave birth to their first child Tuesday night, two days after his Tour Championship victory in Atlanta.

Daughter Skylar Lillian Horschel weighed in at 6 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 inches.

“The last few weeks have been a whirlwind with so many incredible moments, but being able to share this moment with Brittany was the biggest win of my life,” Horschel said. “I’m so happy I was here, surrounded by the people I care about, as we welcomed Skylar into the world. Now I can start getting her ready to win the 2032 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship for the Florida Gators!”

Horschel won the season-ending Tour Championship on Sunday at East Lake to take the FedEx Cup title and $10 million bonus. He won the BMW Championship the previous week in Colorado.

Skylar Lillian Horschel was born 8:48pm. 20 inches. 6 pounds 6 oz. @britt_horschel and Skylar are healthy! #happyPops pic.twitter.com/LKjN4Y4Anf

— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) September 17, 2014

Adam Scott is looking for a caddie now that he and Steve Williams have decided to end their partnership.

Scott said in a statement Wednesday that he and Williams are at different stages of their lives.

Williams has been on the bag for 14 majors – 13 with Tiger Woods. He began working with Scott in the summer of 2012. He helped read the putt on the 10th hole at Augusta National last year when Scott became the first Australian to win the Masters.

Williams lives in New Zealand and has said he wants to cut back on his schedule. He says it became clear his plan was not going to fit with what Scott wanted. Williams said he would consider part-time work if the right job came along.

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BARRIE, Ont. – Rob Couture took control of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship after a 2-under 70 at Barrie Country Club on Tuesday.

Couture, the 2011 Mid-Amateur champion, overcame gusty conditions during the afternoon draw to finish one-stoke ahead of two-time defending champion, Kevin Carrigan, of Victoria, B.C. and Greg Jones of Berry Mills, N.B.

“[The golf course] is very good, it’s the kind of golf course that if there wasn’t any wind you could certainly make a lot of birdies and shoot a good score but especially in wind like this anything under par is a good round,” Couture said. “The greens get quick, you can certainly get in the wrong spot and there’s not much you can do to two putt in some areas.”

The Dallas, Texas native made five birdies during the opening round and closed with a clutch par save on the par-5 18th to finish atop the leaderboard heading into Wednesday’s second round.

“I putted well, I didn’t get off to a great start, I bogeyed No. 2 from 95 yards in the middle of the fairway but then I chipped in on No. 4 off the front of the green for birdie to get back to even,” Couture said of his turning point on course. “That’s kind of something that can change things a little bit so that was good and from there on I played pretty solid.”

Carrigan and Jones currently trail Couture by a stroke after opening with a pair of 1-under 71’s. Jones birdied the difficult par-4 17th on his closing nine to grab the lead in the Mid-Master race by two strokes over Toronto’s Dennis Kavelman, Calgary’s Kevin Temple and Paul Coulson of Biblehill, N.S.

Four players finished the day at even-par to share fourth spot in the Mid-Amateur division including Toronto’s Marc St-Germain, Andrew Tomchuk of London, Ont., Alex Palmer of Fredericton, N.B. and Michael Rutgers of Windsor, Ont.

In the Inter-Provincial team competition, the Team British Columbia contingent of Kevin Carrigan, Patrick Weeks and Sandy Harper leads by two strokes over Team Alberta after carding an even-par 144.

Complete scoring, results and pairings can be found online by clicking here.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Rory McIlroy is the Vardon Trophy winner and the PGA of America’s player of the year for the second time.

McIlroy won the points-based player of the year award on the strength of his two majors at the British Open and PGA Championship. Winning two majors comes with a 50-point bonus. McIlroy also won the Bridgestone Invitational.

McIlroy had an adjusted scoring average of 68.62 to win the Vardon Trophy over Sergio Garcia (68.95).

The 25-year-old from Northern Ireland also won the PGA’s player of the year and the Vardon Trophy in 2012.

The PGA Tour awards a separate award for player of the year based on a vote of the players. Voting for that ends Sept. 25.

Phil Mickelson Design (PMD) has been signed to create a championship golf course west of Calgary in the foothills of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Barry Ehlert, Managing Partner of Windmill Golf Group, is developing Mickelson National Golf Club of Canada as a centerpiece of Harmony, a 1,700-acre community built by partners Qualico Communities and Bordeaux Developments.

“I could not be more excited about the partnership we’ve formed for my first signature golf course in Canada,” said Mickelson. “The Calgary area has a huge number of golf fans and players and we plan to create an outstanding golf course – one that’s both fun for amateurs and challenging enough to host the world’s best players in a PGA Tour event.”

The gently rolling foothills will be transformed, with shaping reflective of the mountains, water features and sensational landscaping to accentuate the golf course design. It also will be true to the guiding principles of the community: purposeful, caring and stable. That is, complementing the fabric of family-oriented community, ensuring sustainability and honoring the legacy of the Copithorne family, which settled the land more than a century ago.

“Harmony presents a tremendous new opportunity for us,” said Mickelson. “Our setting is magnificent and I’m really looking forward to contributing to a quality, family-oriented community.”

Mickelson’s first design was Whisper Rock in Scottsdale, AZ. PMD recently completed successful projects in Kunming and Shanghai, China, and has ambitious plans for the renovation of Torrey Pines North, home of the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.

The design process is in progress with the groundbreaking planned for this fall and full construction taking place in 2015.

Wentworth Golf Club sold to Chinese investors

Luke Donald (David Cannon/ Getty Images)

VIRGINIA WATER, England – One of Britain’s most famous courses and the headquarters of the European Tour – Wentworth Golf Club – has been sold to Chinese firm Reignwood Investments for 135 million pounds ($220 million US).

Chanchai Ruayrungruang, founder of the Reignwood Group, says “Wentworth is a key strategic acquisition for our rapidly growing luxury lifestyle division, whose unique culture we are dedicated to preserving.”

The course that hosts the European Tour’s flagship PGA Championship and is located 25 miles west of London was previously owned by restaurant entrepreneur Richard Caring.

Caring – the 112th richest person in the United Kingdom – says in a statement released by the Wentworth club that it is “in great hands for the next chapter in its amazing story.”

UXBRIDGE, Ont. — The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) is proud to announce a new initiative called She Swings She Scores (SSSS). SSSS is a program that targets female athletes currently participating in the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA) and introduces them to golf at sanctioned hockey tournaments across Ontario.

The program, which will begin in October, aims to visit 20 tournaments across the province during the 2014/15 female hockey season and will expose more than 6300 girls to the game of golf.

The program represents a partnership between the GAO and the OWHA that is made possible by the Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund.  The partnership between the two complementary sports will provide opportunities for these girls and their teammates to participate in sport all year round.

“She Swings She Scores” targets girls currently participating in hockey and introduces them to golf by bringing golf directly to them.  It also provides opportunities for these girls and their teammates to learn the sport together,” said Steve Carroll, GAO Executive Director. “She Swings She Scores” is a great example of introducing the game of golf to girls and will help engage them with all of the benefits golf has to offer.”

SSSS has strategically aligned itself with Golf Canada’s CN Future Links Girls’ Club program to help introduce more girls to the sport of golf.  Girls’ Club has similar goals to SSSS in that it encourages girls to experience all of the benefits of sport in a fun and engaging “girls only” setting. In addition to learning golf skills, the program promotes building self-esteem through a sport they can enjoy for life.

“We are thrilled to partner with GAO on this outstanding initiative that showcases the exceptional opportunities for girls to excel as athletes and to grow as people through participation in two great sports”, said Fran Rider, President, Ontario Women’s Hockey Association.

The GAO is also pleased to announce that they have partnered with three-time Olympic Hockey Gold Medalist Gillian Apps as the ambassador of the program. “I’m really excited to be involved with She Swings She Scores. This great initiative provides a fun environment for girls to get outside and be active. As an Olympic hockey player, I truly believe it’s important for youth to play different sports. Golf is a great way to challenge yourself and acquire new skills that will help make you a better all around athlete,” said Apps.

Follow along with SSSS by liking them on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/sheswingsshescores and on Twitter at @GAO_SSSS.

NORCROSS, Ga. – Edmonton’s Tim Buckland capped off six months of “playing famously” by capturing the 2014 Mizuno JPX Invitational championship title. The tournament marked the culmination of the second year of Mizuno’s “Play Famously” campaign at Country Club of the South in Johns Creek, Ga. Highlighted by a back-nine run that featured back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14, Buckland netted an impressive 68 (gross 82) for an eight-shot victory.

Although it was his first “pro” tournament, Buckland displayed the poise and shot-making skills of a tested PGA Tour professional.  Playing the JPX-EZ irons, JPX Series Wedges, and JPX-EZ Woods, Buckland’s accuracy off the tee allowed him to attack the course’s plush greens with consistent iron play. Buckland’s strongest competition came from Joe Bracamonte, a middle-school principal and 16-handicapper from Fresno, Calif. and Opera singer and 17-handicapper Eric Berry of New Haven, Conn. Both finished the tournament at net 4-over 76.

“What an incredible end to an amazing experience with an amazing group of people. Being treated like a pro by Mizuno for the past six months has been something I’ll never forget,” said Buckland. “I definitely came determined to play well, but to get the win is something really special. It’s been an honor to be among so many people who love the game of golf like I do and have made it through so many incredible and unique challenges.”

This season, Mizuno took a slightly different turn with its popular “Play Famously” campaign, focusing on everyday amateur golfers who credited golf as a critical element to overcoming unique and significant life challenges. Twelve inspiring stories were selected from thousands of entries, including Buckland, a former low single-digit handicap who’s golf aspirations where side-tracked by a battle against cancer. Buckland, and his 11 teammates where outfitted like Tour pros, receiving custom-fit sets of Mizuno’s award-winning JPX-EZ game-improvement irons, JPX wedges, driver, fairway woods and hybrids, along with a full-supply of Mizuno Golf apparel and accessories. The group also received personalized Mizuno staff bags and one-on-one instruction from PGA Master Instructor and golf historian, Dr. Gary Wiren.

“Giving amateur golfers across the country a platform to tell their story is something Mizuno has been proud and honored to do,” said Iver Maple, Division Brand Marketing Manager, Golf, Mizuno USA. “The power of golf has been on display in the lives of the 2014 members of Team JPX, and we’ve been fortunate to associate our brand with such a wonderful group of people.”

“Congratulations Tim Buckland and the 11 other 2014 members of Team JPX. What an incredible display of talent and commitment to the game of golf in North America. You are all an inspiration!”, said John Stacey, President of Mizuno Canada Ltd.

Top-10 putts of the 2013-14 PGA Tour season

WINDEMERE, Fla. – Tiger Woods is too busy in the gym to find a new swing coach, or even swing a golf club.

Woods said Monday his strength has returned from “busting my butt in the gym pretty hard” and he is on schedule to resume competition in December. But he still hasn’t hit a golf ball since he missed the cut at the PGA Championship on Aug. 8, and still doesn’t know when he will.

“We’re pretty much past the strength phase now, and I’ve got my strength where I want to have it,” Woods said at Isleworth Golf & Country Club, where he lived for the first 15 years of his pro career. “Now I just need to get my fast twitch going and get my speed back, and that’s going to take a little bit of time. That’s part of our second phase of training. And that’s coming up now.”

Woods had his fifth surgery in 20 years – this time on his back – and failed to win a PGA Tour event for the third time in the last five years.

Rory McIlroy referred to Woods and Phil Mickelson has being on “the last few holes” of their careers when he was asked about the two best players of their generation not being eligible for the Tour Championship for the first time since 1992.

McIlroy simply was noting their ages (Woods turns 39 in December, Mickelson is 44) and their injuries. And when “the last few holes” became an Internet sensation and McIlroy was asked if he needed to explain his remarks to Woods, he replied with a laugh, “I’ve said worse to his face.”

Woods response?

“I thought it was funny,” he said. “Phil has less holes to play than I do, though. It’s a reality, you know? We’re all older. I’m nearing my 20th season on tour here coming up pretty soon. … It’s just part of the aging process.”

The Tiger Woods Foundation announced that India-based Hero Motocorp would be the new title sponsor of Woods’ year-end charity event, which is moving to Isleworth from Sherwood Country Club in California. The tournament will played Dec. 4-7.

Woods played an exhibition in India in February when he met Pawan Munjal, the vice chairman and CEO of Hero.

“That’s my last good round I played all year,” Woods said. “I shot 63 that day.”

Even though he smiled, there was some truth to that. A nagging back injury became progressively worse until Woods chose to have back surgery March 31, forcing him to miss the Masters for the first time and the U.S. Open during a three-month recovery.

When he returned, Woods missed the cut twice, had his worst 72-hole finish in a major and withdrew from a World Golf Championship when he jarred his back hopping off a steep slope into the bunker in the final round at Firestone. He didn’t qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs for the second time, both injury related. And he took himself out of consideration as a Ryder Cup pick.

Woods didn’t regret coming back too soon. He said he didn’t realize how much stamina he lacked.

“I felt good enough to do it, and the only unfortunate part is I couldn’t maintain the conditioning,” Woods said. “I wasn’t as conditioned as I needed to be. So as the tournament would wear on, I would get more and more fatigued and tired, and I wasn’t as explosive. I wasn’t as strong. … I could lift the weights that I’m accustomed to lifting, as well as playing and practicing.

“Eventually, the game started to deteriorate a little bit because … I wasn’t in good enough shape to maintain it.”

He said his conditioning program is similar to when he returned from reconstructive knee surgery after winning the 2008 U.S. Open, his last major title.

Woods fired Sean Foley two weeks after the PGA Championship. He already has had three swing coaches – and four different swings – during his pro career.

“Am I looking for a new coach? As of right now, no, I’m not,” Woods said. “Right now I’m just trying to get physically better, stronger, faster, more explosive. … I’m in no hurry to look for one right now. As I said, I’m just focused on what I’m doing.”

Among the early commitments to the Hero World Challenge are U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer, Masters champion Bubba Watson and either other players in the Ryder Cup next week, along with two Americans who won’t be in the Ryder Cup – FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel and Chris Kirk.

“It’s going to be a deep field,” Woods said. “And hopefully, I can play a little bit better than I have been playing.”

Woods lost in a playoff last year to Zach Johnson. That was his last top-10 finish.