Major golf PVR alert… Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will appear as guests on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Monday, August 18th in New York City.

McIlroy is coming off three consecutive victories, including his fourth major title at the PGA Championship on Sunday. Woods, who missed the cut at the PGA Championship, played in just eight tournaments worldwide this year.

Earlier this week, Fallon featured roasted PGA Tour players in his  “Tonight Show Superlatives” bit which including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and others.

To see what these players are ‘most likely to,’ watch the video below.

Rickie Fowler surprises a fan…

Rickie Fowler surprised high school golfer Jake Reddington from Moore, Oklahoma with a round of golf at the 2014 Farmers Insurance Open. Reddington’s family was displaced from their home after it was ripped to shreds by a tornado.

Major golf PVR alert… Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will appear as guests on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Monday, August 18th in New York City.

McIlroy is coming off three consecutive victories, including his fourth major title at the PGA Championship on Sunday. Woods, who missed the cut at the PGA Championship, played in just eight tournaments worldwide this year.

Earlier this week, Fallon featured roasted PGA Tour players in his  “Tonight Show Superlatives” bit which including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and others.

To see what these players are ‘most likely to,’ watch the video below.

Rickie Fowler surprises a fan…

Rickie Fowler surprised high school golfer Jake Reddington from Moore, Oklahoma with a round of golf at the 2014 Farmers Insurance Open. Reddington’s family was displaced from their home after it was ripped to shreds by a tornado.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Three-time major champion Rory McIlroy has been named an ambassador for PGA Junior League Golf, which was recently added to Golf Canada’s junior programming under the name PGA Junior League Golf delivered by CN Future Links.

Launched in 2011 as a partnership between the PGA of America and League Golf, LLC, PGA Junior League Golf’s numbers soared in 2013, with nearly 9,000 boys and girls competing on more than 700 teams in 33 states. In Canada, the program was officially introduced this summer and numbers are continuing to climb.

“Team sports are such an important part of growing up and I’m excited that golf now allows young kids to experience this,” said McIlroy. “I attribute much of my passion for the game to how much fun I had playing in team competitions like the Junior Ryder Cup. Judging from the initial success, PGA Junior League Golf has the ability to grow the game and help develop the next generation of golfers.”

McIlroy credits his father, Gerry, and swing-coach Michael Bannon, for playing a critical role in his lifelong development as a golfer. Now, McIlroy will look to inspire youngsters to participate in PGA Junior League Golf and also encourage PGA of Canada professionals to host a team at their individual facilities.

“We couldn’t ask for a better partner in helping spread the word about PGA Junior League Golf than Rory McIlroy,” said PGA of America President Ted Bishop. “There is a real need to get kids into the game, and PGA Junior League Golf is proving to be a perfect way to accomplish that goal. Having a role model like Rory on board will only further drive interest among youth.”

PGA Junior League Golf is similar in structure to Little League Baseball and youth soccer programs, with participants receiving team uniforms with jersey numbers.

Teams are comprised of youngsters (boys and girls) ages 13 and under, with no prior playing experience required. They play 9-hole matches in a two-person scramble format, reinforcing the team concept and limiting the pressure on any one player; coaches can substitute players every three holes, so that all of the golfers on each team can participate.

For more information on PGA Junior League Golf, click here.

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Americans Taylor Moore and Lee McCoy were at 8-under 135 to lead stroke play Tuesday at the U.S. Amateur Championship.

Moore, a junior at the University of Arkansas, birdied four of his last five holes to shoot a 69 on the par-71 Highlands course. McCoy, a junior at Georgia, overcame a double-bogey with a stretch of five birdies in seven holes for a 68.

Cheng-Tsung Pan, Jimmy Beck, Sam Burns, Jonathan Garrick and Will Zalatoris were at 5-under 138.

The top 60 players have qualified for match play, which begins Wednesday leading up to the championship on Sunday.

Three Canadians have secured their spots in match play, including Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., who was top Canadian after finishing tied for eighth at 4-under 139.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. finished tied for 24th at 1-under 142 and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C. tied for 32nd at even par 143.

A playoff involving 17 players for the final four spots in the field took place Wednesday on the Riverside Course, with Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont. securing one of those spots.

Corey Conners (USGA)

Lorie Kane has more than 20 appearances in the Canadian Women’s Open under her belt, and her heart is still in it.

This year the veteran LPGA professional is trying to build support for the tournament before taking her swings at the London Hunt and Country Club. Kane is working as an ambassador for the Open’s title sponsor, Canadian Pacific, to try to sell tickets with proceeds going to the Children’s Health Foundation in support of pediatric heart health.

Each $30 ticket sold before August 18, 2014 carries a $100 donation from Canadian Pacific, and with some of the best players in the world on display, Kane figures it’s an easy sell for golf fans and those who want to get into the sport.

“The London community and that part of Ontario is golf-crazy,” Kane said in a phone interview Tuesday morning. “The average fan can feel a part of something and know that by purchasing a ticket their money has gone to help not only run the tournament but also help with the funding of equipment and research and all kinds of things for kids with cardiac health.”

As of Tuesday, Kane said $470,000 had already been raised. She was optimistic that number was just the start with a few more days left in the “CP Ticket Rally for Heart.”

Beyond the fundraising, Kane knows what kind of effect this tournament can have on spectators, especially young ones with a future in golf. World No. 1 Stacy Lewis, defending champion Lydia Ko and 16-year-old Canadian amateur phenom Brooke Henderson are in the field, which also includes Canadians Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Alena Sharp, Jennifer Kirby and Sue Kim, among others.

“Let’s say a young family comes out to the golf course and mom and dad are keen to get their little girl into golf,” Kane said. “That might not be the thing that pushes them over the edge. The thing that will push them over the edge is that they make a connection to someone at this tournament, be it Paula Creamer, Brooke Henderson, Jen Kirby, myself, Lydia Ko – any of the young girls that are out there playing – that’s what drives you to the game, and that’s what will keep them in the game.”

Kane, a 49-year-old native of Charlottetown, has won four LPGA and four Legends Tour tournaments. She has never won the Canadian Women’s Open –  for years known as the du Maurier Classic – but neither has any Canadian since Jocelyne Bourassa in the inaugural event in 1973.

In spite of that, Kane said this tournament makes a positive impact wherever it goes around the country. Part of the goal is that to entice more young women to play golf by having a high quality of competition on the course.

“Nothing is more important to me than growing the game within our country and keeping it strong,” Kane said. “It’s our national championship and we as Canadians, all of us that are in the field, look at it as that.

“For the spectators to come out and see an Inbee Park, Stacy Lewis, Paula Creamer, Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson, Jen Kirby – you get to cheer for your Canadians and see how they stack up against the rest of the world.”

The tournament is back in London for the first time since 2006 and the third time overall, after hosting it in 1993. Kane expects the crowd support to be even better than it was eight years ago.

“The product the LPGA Tour and the young women that are playing and the veteran ladies that will be there come with a passion for golf and a passion for growing the sport,” Kane said. “The LPGA is very strong and the show that we will put on in London in a week’s time will be one that nobody will want to miss.”

The 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open takes place August 18-24 at London Hunt & Country Club. Tickets are available here.

CALGARY — Junior golfers in southern Alberta will compete to win a chance to play inside the ropes with a Champions Tour professional, or local celebrity, at the inaugural nine-hole Junior Celebrity Pro-Am that will kick off the 2014 Shaw Charity Classic.

Junior golfers 18 years of age or younger are invited to visit the Golf Canada Calgary Centre, August 16, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, to participate in the Junior Shootout – a FREE par-3 closest-to-the-pin contest.

The top players in each age category will win a unique golf experience while playing the tournament course at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club with a number of Champions Tour professionals and Calgary celebrities, August 25.

The shootout will include five age categories including:

Ages 7-9 (closest-three players to pin win)
Ages 10-12 (closest four players – two girls, two boys – wins)
Ages 13-14 (closest four players – two girls, two boys – wins)
Ages 15-16 (closest four players – two girls, two boys – wins)
Ages 17-18 (top-three players)                       

For more information, please click here.

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

Junior golf talent is discovered in mysterious ways. Sometimes by nature, other times by chance, even sometimes by luck. But occasionally, golfing talent is discovered systematically – the way PGA of Canada professionals and industry experts planned all along.

Enter 17-year-old Jaclyn Lee, a member of Team Canada’s Development Squad under the direction of coach Ann Carroll.

Lee, a Calgary native, grew up playing the game with her sister, mother and father – making a natural foursome. Her interest in the game led her to Two Eagles golf course in Kelowna, B.C. where she became a junior member at the age of twelve, playing every day of the summer with her family.

As the practicing and playing continued, Lee’s talent was noticed by many locals around the golf club.

“It’s funny, actually, I was encouraged by one of the course marshals who saw me play. He advised me to pursue the game further and that kind of gave me the confidence to take my game to the next level.”

Not long after, Lee was participating in club championships and junior tour events.

Eventually, her talents were on display nationally at the 2013 CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge. That year, Lee was one of the top four scorers for girls aged 15-18 to be invited to the national event at the Canadian Women’s Open, held at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club in Edmonton.

As you may have guessed, Lee captured the CN Future Links National Skills Challenge title that year. With the win, she gained a new sense of confidence and was labelled a top golfing prospect.

“It was definitely a huge confidence booster for me,” said Lee. “The CN Future Links Jr. Skills Challenge was a great experience – the testing of all aspects of my game really put some pressure on my abilities and identified what I needed to work on.”

Then came the accolades.

In 2013, Lee went on to win the Alberta Jr. Girls and the CN Future Links Prairie Championship. In 2014, as a member of Team Canada, she successfully defended both of those titles while adding the Alberta Amateur title. She dominated the field at the CN Future Links Prairie Championship, winning by 13 strokes and breaking the course record (67) in the process.

Most recently, Lee placed second at the American Junior Golf Association’s JoS. A Bank/David Leadbetter Junior Championship in Ellicott City, Md.

As far as the future goes, Lee intends to continue following the competitive pathway. Her sights are set on moving up to the National Amateur Squad and potentially the Young Pro squad down the road.

“I would love to be able to make the National Team and work with Tristan (Mullally),” said the future Ohio State University student. “I really want to see how far I can take my talents and even having the Young Pro squad as a possibility down the road gives me something to work towards.”

Although the future is never fully clear, it certainly looks like a bright one for Canada’s Jaclyn Lee.

Lydia Ko says it feels like she’s going home.

The New Zealander became the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour when she captured the Canadian Women’s Open at the age of 15 two summers ago.

Ko won again last year, and will headline the field for the 2014 tournament – now known as the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open – when it gets going later this month at London Hunt & Country Club.

“I love playing in Canada and the support I’ve been getting is huge,” the 17-year-old said on a conference call Monday. “To me, Canada feels quite close to what it’s like in New Zealand. It feels really welcoming whenever I go there.

“Having my first LPGA win in Canada, that’s huge and that’s always going to be with me. They always say the first is one of the most memorable and it’s definitely been the case.”

Tournament director Brent McLaughlin said the Canadian golf community has a strong connection to Ko because of the success she’s had the last two years.

“Any time you see young talents just excel you’re proud of them,” he said. “It’s even brought further to the forefront when you feel like you’ve had a part in helping them along.

“People need heroes. They need to rally around heroes and they need a reason to watch.”

Ko was an amateur and didn’t collect any winnings when she won her back-to-back Canadian Women’s Open championships at Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C., and at Edmonton’s Royal Mayfair Golf Club.

She turned pro in October 2013 and has already won two tournaments this season, including the Marathon Classic last month.

“This year has been very exciting, first year on the tour as an LPGA rookie. It’s been a fun year. I’ve learned a lot of things along the way,” said Ko. “I really look forward to going back and playing the Canadian Women’s Open. The last two years, the Canadian Open was a very exciting tournament for me.”

While she’s happy with her decision to play on tour full time, Ko said dealing with the weekly grind has been an adjustment.

“I’ve been trying to balance life outside the course and not over doing it and taking some time off,” she said. “Outside the golf course I do the normal teenage things – watch TV, talk to my friends on Facebook.

“I think that kind of helps me to bring back my life outside of golf and outside of what I do most of the time, and actually be like a normal teenager and talk about school and gossip about things.”

Ko – who was named one of Time Magazine’s top 100 most influential people in April – is still adjusting to her fame, including being viewed as a role model.

“That’s pretty cool because I’m only 17 myself,” she said. “When I hear these little girls or boys say ‘You’re my role model and I look up to you’ it is kind of cool and it makes me feel like I need to become a better person, a better player so that I live up to what they expect of me.”

Ko is one of a number of big names set play at this year’s Canadian Open in London, Ont., from Aug. 18 to 24, but one player who won’t be taking part due to injury is Michelle Wie.

“She’s such an awesome player and it would have been great to have Michelle there because we all know that she brings a lot of the crowds out,” said Ko. “Hopefully the crowds will still come out. It’s really unfortunate that it happened during this time.”

Meanwhile, the Canadian contingent will be led by 16-year-old Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who finished second at last week’s U.S. Women’s Amateur tournament in Glen Cove, N.Y.

Ko said there is a buzz on tour about playing in Canada, not only for the $US2.25-million purse, but because of how the tournament is received.

“When players talk to each other … they want to go and play and they’re super excited to play. They don’t want to miss out on it,” she said. “It’s been a great experience for me.”

The 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open takes place August 18-24 at London Hunt & Country Club. Tickets are available here.