Brooke Henderson did not disappoint in her opening round at the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, presented by Nike Golf, firing a dazzling 7-under-par 65.

The 16-year-old’s first round included seven birdies and a hole-in-one on No. 17, en route to a new course record at the Thomas McBroom designed FireRock Golf Club in Komoka, Ont.

“My caddie told me it was over the back and I kind of panicked for a few minutes,” Henderson joked. “But when I went up there I checked and there it was-it was a great shot.”

Henderson leads by two strokes over Stephanie Connelly of Fleming Island, Fla. Sitting three shots back heading into Thursday’s final round is three-time champion Alena Sharp of Hamilton.

Earlier this summer Henderson, who is currently ranked No. 2 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, earned low amateur honours (T10) at the U.S. Women’s Open, finished tied for 26th at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, and tied for 45th at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic. The Team Canada member’s year has also included wins at the Canadian Women’s Tour event in Niagara Falls, the Porter Cup, the Ontario Women’s Amateur and the Scott Robertson.

“I’ve had a great summer and it’s definitely been a huge confidence booster,” Henderson said. “I’m looking forward to the future and want to use these experiences on the LPGA Tour when I finally get out there some day.”

The 2008 champion Hannah Jun, Team Canada member Anne-Catherine Tanguay, Brooke’s older sister Brittany Henderson of Smith Falls, Ont., and Australian Emma De Groot each fired opening rounds of 69.

In total, 12 players are at even par or better.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

The PGA Women’s Championship of Canada was first played in 1987 and past champions include Cathy Sherk, Gail Graham, Nancy Harvey, Lorie Kane and Jessica Shepley.

The PGA Women’s Championship of Canada counts as the third and final stop on the Canadian Women’s Tour with points awarded toward the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year at the conclusion of the championship.

Similar to past years, the champion of each Canadian Women’s Tour stop and the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada will receive an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to be held Aug. 18-24, 2014 at London Hunt & Country Club in London, Ont. As well, following the conclusion of play at the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, two (2) additional exemptions will be awarded to the top competitors, not otherwise exempt into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open from the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit.

In addition, the top five (previously the top 3) players on the Canadian Women’s Tour season-ending Order of Merit will be awarded direct entry into LPGA Stage-2 Qualifying.

Niagara Falls, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Play at the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Legends on the Niagara was temporarily suspended today due to dangerous playing conditions after strong storm cells rolled through the Niagara Falls, Ont. area Wednesday. Play was suspended for the first time at 11:12 AM EDT, and was suspended for the day at 4:15 PM EDT after an attempted resumption of play. 

The second round will resume tomorrow at 7:00 AM EDT. Afternoon pairings from the second round will begin at 8:00 AM EDT on both the 1st and 10th tees. The third round will commence approximately one hour after the completion of the second round.  At the time of suspension, 78 players had begun their round.

At the time of suspension, overnight leader Patrick Murphy, 17, of Crossfield, Alta. sits in a tie for the lead with Austin James, 18, of Bath, Ont. Team Alberta sits unofficially in first in the Inter-Provincial Championship at 8-under-140. 78 players have yet to begin the second round.

For a full field list, live scoring, and more information regarding Wednesday’s suspension of play click here.

London, Ont.  – Canadian Pacific (CP) and Golf Canada are pleased to announce that Rolex Rankings No. 1 Stacy Lewis, No. 3 Inbee Park, No. 5 Lexi Thompson as well as No. 12 Paula Creamer will join a growing list of LPGA Tour stars who have confirmed their intention to challenge for the US $2.25 million purse at the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, August 18-24 at London Hunt and Country Club.

Lewis will come into Canada’s National Women’s Open during an impressive season that has seen her capture three LPGA victories. Park, a 4-time major champion, won the 2014 Manulife Financial LPGA Classic for her 10^th LPGA Tour victory earlier this season. Thompson meanwhile was the year’s first major championship winner after claiming the Kraft Nabisco Championship, while Creamer added her 10^th LPGA title with a victory at the HSBC Women’s Championship.

Lewis, Park, Thompson and Creamer will also be joined by Rolex Rankings No. 27 English teen sensation Charley Hull along with recently turned professional, Stephanie Meadow, who finished third at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open.

In addition, Thailand’s Jutanugarn sisters Ariya and Moriya are set to join the list of international stars set to compete. Ariya Jutanugarn holds a special connection to Canadian golf having previously captured the 2012 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

Canadian teen sensation Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. – the No. 2. ranked amateur in the world – headlines the list of competing amateurs after earning an exemption from her Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario victory earlier this summer. Henderson recently finished T10 at the U.S. Women’s Open and will be joined by Team Canada teammate Augusta James of Bath, Ont. who won the 2014 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship victory last week to earn an exemption to compete at London Hunt and Country Club.

The players announced today will join a player field of previously confirmed LPGA stars and past champions including two-time defending champion and world No. 2 Lydia Ko as well as 2014 U.S. Women’s Open champion and 2010 Canadian Women’s Open winner Michelle Wie. In addition to Ko and Wie, past Canadian Women’s Open champions confirmed to compete include Karrie Webb (1999), Cristie Kerr (2006), Katherine Hull-Kirk (2008), Suzanne Pettersen (2009) and Brittany Lincicome (2011).

Canadian LPGA star and CP ambassador Lorie Kane will lead a Canadian contingent that also includes confirmed Canadian LPGA Tour players Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto, Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont. and Sue Kim of Langley, B.C.

Additional Canadian and international exemptions will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We are very pleased with how the field for the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open is coming together and expect it to once again be among the strongest on the LPGA Tour,” said Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin. “With less than a month to go, the golf course at London Hunt and Country Club is in spectacular shape and ready to challenge the world’s best golfers.”

A field of 156 competitors will vie for the US$2.25 million purse when the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open makes its return to London Hunt and Country Club for the first time since 2006.

Tickets for all tournament days of the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open are available here, with children aged 17 and under getting in free all week with a ticketed adult.

As an added incentive, title sponsor CP has stepped up to encourage spectators to buy advance tickets to the event for the benefit of the Children’s Health Foundation in London Ontario. Through the CP Ticket Rally for Heart campaign, for every eligible ticket purchased to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open until August 17^th, 2014, Canadian Pacific will donate at least $100 per ticket to the Children’s Health Foundation in support of paediatric heart health programs.

AKRON, Ohio – The Claret Jug is not out of sight. Rory McIlroy is just trying to get it out of his mind.

McIlroy had plenty of fun with golf’s oldest trophy after his wire-to-wire win in the British Open. He celebrated with friends in England, took the jug out for a night on the town in Belfast with his buddies, and brought it with him when he returned home to Florida. And yes, it’s with him at Firestone this week at the Bridgestone Invitational.

“I’ve sort of been taking pictures of it beside the TV and on top of the toilet and wherever it’s been,” he said. “It’s definitely nice to have it in my possession.”

And now it’s back to work.

McIlroy had two trigger words that helped him at Royal Liverpool – “process” and “spot.” They helped him focus on his long game and his putting.

He brought out a new word Tuesday at Firestone – forward.

“I think every time you have success, you need to reassess your goals because it’s only halfway, two-thirds through the season,” he said. “And a lot of the goals that I set myself for the start of the year I’ve achieved already. So that’s when you have to reassess and say, `OK, you’ve boxed that off. It’s great. Celebrate it for a couple of days.’ But then you’ve got to move on.”

“You’ve got to keep moving forward and keep thinking about what you want to achieve from now until the end of the year,” he said. “And then at the end of the year, you can really reflect on everything you’ve done and enjoy it.”

There are plenty of goals right in front of him.

McIlroy has never won a World Golf Championship, and the Bridgestone Invitational offers a great chance. Firestone is a big golf course, typically south, one that requires plenty of power, and McIlroy has that. It was at Firestone two years ago when McIlroy closed with a 68, which he cited as a key to winning the PGA Championship the following week at Kiawah Island.

And then there’s next week at Valhalla. As much as McIlroy is looking ahead to Augusta National next April and a chance to win the career Grand Slam, he wouldn’t mind getting his fourth major at the PGA Championship.

Also at stake is a chance for the 25-year-old from Northern Ireland to return to No. 1 in the world. He would have to win the Bridgestone Invitational, and Adam Scott would have to finish outside the top five.

McIlroy sounded as if he was all business.

He had a few media opportunities after winning The Open, and then headed to London for some fitness testing. After a corporate outing for one of his sponsors, he flew over to Florida and spent the rest of the time practicing for a big stretch ahead of him.

“Just decided I wanted to move on and move forward,” he said.

He has a history of moving forward. Two years ago, McIlroy followed his PGA Championship win at Kiawah Island by winning back-to-back tournaments in the FedEx Cup playoffs to wrap up his first PGA Tour money title, and then he won in Dubai at the end of the year to capture the European Tour money title.

“I didn’t want to rest on that,” he said. “I’d already had a pretty good year, but I wanted to just keep going.”

Thornhill, Ont. – Grace St-Germain and Valérie Tanguay co-lead at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship after firing 2-under 70’s at Thornhill Golf and Country Club. 

St-Germain of Ottawa, Ont. opened with a 2-under 34 front-nine and rolled in a closing birdie putt on the par-4 18th hole to finish in a tie for the lead.

“I started the first couple of holes and I was getting into a really good rhythm,” said St-Germain who also leads the Juvenile division. “I was like okay maybe you can go low today and I just tried to stay focused and it worked out.”

Playing in the final pairing of the day alongside her Team Canada Development Squad teammates, Tanguay of St-Hyacinthe, Que., ignited her round with an eagle on the par-5 8th hole.

“I think my eagle helped me a lot, I missed a couple of birdies but in general everything was good,” said Tanguay. “I missed some shots but I was able to get up and down and do better on the next hole to make par, my mental game was really there and I was calm and patient.”

The duo currently leads by two strokes over Michelle Kim of Surrey, B.C. who birdied two of her closing four holes to finish in third place at even-par. A trio of players share fourth place at 1-over par including Madeline Marck-Sherk of Ridgeway, Ont. and Team Canada Development Squad members Jaclyn Lee of Calgary and Victoria’s Naomi Ko. 

In the Inter-Provincial Team competition that is conducted over the first 36 holes of the championship, Team Alberta’s contingent of Lee, Calgary’s Sabrine Garrison and Cochrane’s Bria Jansen sit one-stroke ahead of Team Quebec at 5-over 149. Team Ontario and Team British Columbia narrowly trail Alberta in a tie for third at 7-over 151.

In the Juvenile Division (16 and under), St-Germain holds a three stroke at 2-under par over Marck-Sherk and Ko.
 
Starting times, post-round results, full field list, and live scoring are available here.

Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru represents support for women’s health in Canada – recreationally, physically and even emotionally. Whether organizing, participating, or donating, involvement with Golf Fore the Cure is, in some capacity, benefiting the status of women’s health.

Conducted by Golf Canada, the program looks to engage more women in golf through an unstructured, friendly format. And that doesn’t just mean a round of nine or 18 holes – it means laughter, friends, and conversation. It means taking a break to enjoy some good company on a day outdoors. It means a new hobby that will last a lifetime.

All fundraising totals from across Canada are donated to the Canadian Cancer Society to go towards breast cancer research, making Golf Fore the Cure’s cause both meaningful and important.

For a greater scope of what the program is all about, watch the video below:

There are many ways you can help. Get involved at golfcanada.ca/golfforethecure.

Many outstanding golf clubhouses have been built over the past decade including the Hicks Partnership’s new masterpiece that opens to Whistle Bear Golf Club members July 31^st.

While a handful of newlywed couples have enjoyed a sneak preview of the jaw-dropping clubhouse interior for their wedding receptions over the last two-three weeks, Whistle Bear’s 600 golfing members will finally see what all the fuss is about at a special reception of their own highlighted by great food, speeches, tours of 40,000 square-foot work of art and fireworks on Thursday night.

“The vision for this project has been to create a stately clubhouse modeled after some of the great East Coast clubhouses of America such as Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, The Ocean Course in Kiawah and Maidstone in the East Hamptons, New York,” says renowned Canadian architect Bill Hicks. “It’s a remarkable multi-purpose facility that now ties majestically into the golf course landscape for members to enjoy, but it also will allow Landmark Group to capitalize on that enchanting setting to develop a picture-perfect atmosphere for its wedding and special event business.”

Hicks Partners have designed and/or renovated over 45 clubhouses in Canada including projects at Rosedale, St. George’s Golf & Country Club, Dundas Valley, Weston and Oakville Golf & Country Club, among many others. Current projects include the recent approval of a 10-year master plan for Credit Valley Golf & Country Club, as well as clubhouse renovations slated for The Badminton & Racquet Club in Toronto and The Toronto Lawn Tennis Club.

At Whistle Bear they tore down two-thirds of an existing clubhouse in the fall of 2013 and then rebuilt it from the ground up. As members and guests drive through the gates off Dickie Settlement Road in Cambridge, Ont. they are now greeted by a relaxed two-storey shingled styled clubhouse tailored after the Arts and Craft movement that started in England in the 1860s and was popular in North America from 1900 into the 1930s. In front of the building there’s a wonderful circular grass walkway with finely cut grass filling the interior and a pole with the Canadian flag waving brilliantly in the middle.

Entering through the wooden double-doors, one can only marvel at the stone fireplace in the center of the Grand Lobby, while a split staircase is a stunning backdrop that leads to the second floor. To the right is a reception area and down the hallway are two sales offices and a newly decorated golf shop with counter area at the center. Other main floor highlights include; a fitness center with a yoga/Pilates studio, an intimate boardroom and the members dining lounge with heated floors and a removable wall of windows that opens up to an outdoor terrace and the 18^th hole. There’s also the first of three banquet rooms with interior designs by Lori Morris Design. The Grandview Room and Garden accommodates a guest list of up to 220 with a 30-foot mirrored vaulted ceiling, with intricate wood-carved details and a beautiful crystal chandelier, while windows on two sides bring natural light into the room.

On the second floor, there’s the Rose Room that seats up to 170 guests and the 4,000-square-foot Forestview Room with 20-foot wood-framed ceilings that can accommodate 400-plus guests. All three areas feature individual private bridal suites, outdoor terraces overlooking different areas of the golf course and high-tech sound and visual systems.

To feed everyone, Hicks Partners designed two 3,500 square foot banquet kitchens, one on top of the other on the first and second floors, as well as a third kitchen area with its own line that opens up to the member dining lounge. “We have taken all of the best aspects of our kitchens in the Landmark Group and incorporated them into these state-of-the-art facilities,” says executive chef Bryan Gibson. Landmark Group owns Cambridge Mill, Ancaster Mill, Elora Mill Inn & Spa, Earth to Table Bread Bar, Earth to Table Farm and 50 per cent of Whistle Bear. They will be able to host upwards of six to eight weddings per weekend and feed upwards of 3,000 people including golf members.

Exterior highlights incorporated into the Hicks Partners design include fire pits, two waterfalls for wedding photos, a magnificent clock tower and a new starters’ hut. The lower level of the clubhouse is home to two small business offices for people who need a private area to get some work done, and well as men’s and ladies’ locker room facilities.

“I think our members are really going to enjoy their facilities, especially the new fitness center and the dining lounge is certainly going to be a focal point,” says General Manager, Brad Duench. “When it comes to weddings, banquets and special events we’re now second to none in Waterloo Region and beyond.”

Hicks Partners is also working with the Landmark Group to restore the Elora Mill and is in the process of developing a long range plan for a spa, meetings areas and a luxury hotel on the site.

Whistle Bear will play host to the LPGA Manulife Classic in 2015 and 2016, where they will certainly be able to wine and dine the local golf community and world’s top female golfers at a club with a clubhouse and course that gets better and better with each passing day.

Julia Henderson (Abercrombie) and Ruth Maxwell (Oakfield) both left with smiles on their faces at the Antigonish Golf and Country Club Tuesday. That’s because the pair combined to win the 2014 NSGA Women’s Two Ball event besting the field of 111 teams.

“It’s really special, there were a lot of good teams here and winning this is as good a feeling as winning the amateur, especially to do it with a partner like Ruth it was a memorable day,” said Henderson on the feeling of winning the NSGA Women’s Two Ball Championship.

“It was a thrill to play with Julia, she’s a great up-and-coming young player and her ability is something I enjoy watching. Today we really tried to feed off each other. If I had a bad shot, Julia would come back with a good shot, and vice versa,” added Maxwell.

For full results, please click here, click here.

The country’s best female professional and amateur golfer highlight the field of this year’s PGA Women’s Championship of Canada presented by Nike Golf.

Alena Sharp of Hamilton, the top ranked professional female golfer in the country, looks to capture her fourth PGA Women’s Championship of Canada later this week at FireRock Golf Club just outside London, Ont. However the No. 2-ranked female amateur golfer in the world, Brooke Henderson hopes to continue her summer of impressive play and add another championship to her resume.

Earlier this summer the 16-year-old from Smith Falls, Ont., earned low amateur (T10) at the U.S. Women’s Open, finished T26 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship and T45 at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic. The Team Canada member’s year has also included wins at the Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario stop, the Porter Cup, the Ontario Women’s Amateur, the Scott Robertson Memorial, the SALLY Tournament and the Junior Orange Bowl International.

Two years ago, Henderson became the youngest player ever (14-years-old) to win a professional event.

Sharp, who has previously won the PGA Women’s Championship in 2004, 2011 and 2012, has made seven cuts on the LPGA Tour this year, including a T18 at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, a T14 at the North Texas LPGA Shootout and a T31 at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. She currently sits No. 81 on the Race to CME Globe standings. This past February, Sharp won the Symetra Tour’s season-opening event, the Visit Mesa Gateway Classic.

The PGA Women’s Championship of Canada was first played in 1987 and past champions include Cathy Sherk, Gail Graham, Nancy Harvey, Lorie Kane and Jessica Shepley.

The PGA Women’s Championship of Canada will count as the third and final stop on the Canadian Women’s Tour with points awarded toward the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year at the conclusion of the championship.

Similar to past years, the champion of each Canadian Women’s Tour stop and the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada will receive an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to be held Aug. 18-24, 2014 at London Hunt & Country Club in London, Ont. As well, following the conclusion of play at the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, two (2) additional exemptions will be awarded to the top competitors, not otherwise exempt into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open from the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit

In addition, the top five (previously the top 3) players on the Canadian Women’s Tour season-ending Order of Merit will be awarded direct entry into LPGA Stage-2 Qualifying.

Other notable players in the field include past Canadian Women’s Tour winners Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., as well as Americans Michelle Piyapattra and Emily Childs.

LPGA Tour player Kris Tamulis, who is coming off T7 finish at the Marathon Classic, looks to win her first PGA Women’s Championship of Canada title.
Symetra Tour players Danilelle Mills of Montreal; Hamilton’s Ashley Sholer; Emma de Groot; Tessa Teachman; Hannah Jun and Michele Chun join Big Break competitors Lindsay Aho and Lindsey Bergeon.

In addition to Henderson, Team Canada members teeing it up at FireRock include Jennifer Ha, Anne-Catherine Tanguay and Taylor Kim.

Click here for first round tee times.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.-– Zack Sucher won the Midwest Classic on Sunday for his first Web.com Tour title, closing with a 1-over 72 in windy conditions for a three-stroke victory.

Sucher, the 27-year-old former Alabama-Birmingham player, finished at 19-under 265 at the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate and earned $108,000 to jump from 20th to fourth on the money list with $247,318. The top 25 after the final four regular-season events will earn 2014-15 PGA Tour cards.

“I played really well last week and didn’t get it done the last two days,” said Sucher, coming off a tie for fourth last week in the Boise Open after sharing the 36-hole lead. “I’m headed to the PGA Tour and now I can finally stop worrying about it.”

Jarrod Lyle tied for 11th at 11 under after a 69 in his first U.S. event since his second bout with leukemia The 32-year-old Australian opened with rounds of 67, 69 and 68.

“Everything’s good,” Lyle said. “The body’s held up well. I’ve done a lot of good things. I think the biggest positive is the fitness side of it, that in the heat I got around four days and got around comfortably.

“The golf game’s been in good shape for a while, but we had to wait and see if it fared well in tournament golf. … I’m ecstatic with the way the week has gone. Better than expected.”

Traveling with wife Briony and 2-year-old daughter Lusi, he’s also set to play Web.com Tour events Aug. 7-10 in Springfield, Missouri, and Aug. 14-17 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

When Lyle returns to the PGA Tour for the start of the season in October, he will have 20 events to earn $283,825 and reach the equivalent of No. 125 on the money list in 2012, the year he suffered a recurrence. He returned to play in November in the Australian Masters and played in the Victorian Open in February.

Sucher opened with rounds of 66, 63 and 64.

“I saw the forecast last night and the wind was going to be in the opposite direction than it had been all week,” Sucher said. “We saw that wind on Wednesday and it makes almost every hole play harder. I knew that it was going to be hard for somebody to shoot a really good score. It was going to be tough.”

Former Kansas State player Aaron Watkins was second. He also finished with a 72.

Bill Lunde was third at 15 under after a 69.

Canada’s Roger Sloan finished at 6-under and tied for 41,  and Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Mackenzie Hughes carded 75 in the final round to tie for 64th.