Ste-Victoire de Sorel, Qué.  – Club de golf Continental in Ste-Victoire de Sorel is set to host the fifth CN Future Links Championship event of 2014 – the CN Future Links Québec Championship – which will be held July 7-10, with a practice round being staged on July 7^th.

The 54-hole stroke play championship will feature some of the country’s top junior golfers aged 11-18. Players will vie for titles in a Junior Boys and Junior Girls division, respectively.

“Golf Canada is excited to head to Québec for the second last CN Future Links stop of 2014,” said Tournament Director Justine Decock. “Québec is home to many talented junior golfers, so we can expect low scores and exciting competition.”

Located in Ste-Victoire de Sorel, Qué., Club de golf Continental was designed in 1992 by Richard Faucher. The club previously played host to Golf Québec’s Provincial Junior Championship in 2008.

“We are lucky to have the opportunity to see such a talented bunch of young golfers right before our eyes,” said CN Future Links Québec Tournament Chair Jacques Sévigny. “We remember 2008 when Brooke Henderson charmed the region with her performance… Who knows, a new champion may be among us.”

Notable Québec players in the Junior Boys division include Sun Kim, 16, of Île-Perrot and Étienne Brault, 18, of Mercier. Kim took home the CN Future Links Ontario Champion title at The Rock Golf Club in Minnett, Ont. earlier this season, while Brault notched a top-10 finish at the event.

Annie Lacombe of Laval, Qué. and Océane Jacques of St-Gabriel de Valcartier, Qué. are ones to watch in the Junior Girls division. Lacombe was last year’s CN Future Links Québec Champion and has already had a busy 2014 season competing in the Canadian Women’s Tour event in Niagara Falls, Ont. and CN Future Links Ontario. Jacques also competed in May’s CN Future Links Ontario event, and saw a third place finish in the 2013 CN Future Links Québec Championship. Ontario’s Alyssa Getty is also entered into the Junior Girls field. Getty finished tied for 5^th at the 2013 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each CN Future Links Championship will earn exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, which will be contested July 28 – August 1 at Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course in Niagara Falls, Ont.  The Junior Girls champion from each CN Future Links Championship will earn an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship which runs July 28 – August 1 at Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont. Additionally, the 2014 Junior Girls Champion will earn an exemption into a 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour event.

Starting times, post-round results and a full field list are available online.

The CN Future Links Junior Golf Championships are part of CN’s ongoing partnership with Golf Canada and their commitment to junior golf. Focused on supporting safe and fun activities that have a positive impact on children’s health and well being, CN’s investment into CN Future Links is helping to increase grassroots junior golf participation in communities across Canada.

The CN Future Links tournament schedule includes one more stop in the 2014 season, the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship taking place from July 13-16 at Humber Valley Resort in Little Rapids, Nfld.

For more information on the 2014 CN Future Links Quebec Championship, click here.

CAMBRIDGE— Team Ontario member and Ottawa resident Grace St-Germain became just the second player in the history of the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Junior Girls’ Match Play Championship to repeat as champion. St-Germain, 15-years-old from the Hylands Golf Club, took the win on July 4 with a 1up victory over Burlington’s Madison Easterbrook.

St-Germain got out to a good start taking the first hole. At the turn she was 2up, and at one point on the back nine she led by three. However, Easterbrook mounted a comeback and was just 1down heading to the 17^th hole. Easterbrook would take the hole squaring the match with one to play. Both players put their second shot passed the green on 18, but both manage to get their third to within makeable putting distance. After Easterbrook missed her putt, St-Germain had the chance to win the match with hers and did just that.

“It feels really good to win back-to-back,” said St-Germain. “I put a lot of effort into it and everything worked out.”

To reach the finals, St-Germain overcame fellow Team Ontario teammate, Richmond Hill’s Monet Chun (3&2) in the semi finals, Crystina Kertsos (1up) in the quarter finals, and Hailey McLaughlin (7&5) in the opening round.

“My hardest match would have been the finals against Maddi. Monet put up a really good fight in the semis too. It was a good match we both don’t talk much, but still spoke a bit during the match.”

As for Easterbrook, 18-years-old from Whistle Bear Golf Club, she defeated Guelph’s Katie McTaggart (3&1) in the semis, Grafton’s Danielle Sawyer (1up) in the quarters, and Kingsville’s Alyssa Getty (4&3) in the opening round.

Despite having a 3up lead, St-Germain gave full credit to Easterbrook for her comeback. “She played really well! She won a couple of quick holes and we were back to being even. I was really nervous when we were all square after 17. I knew 18 was a hard hole so I just tried to play it smart.”

After seeing Easterbrook miss her putt on the 18^th hole, St-Germain remembers how she felt starring down her final putt. “I was standing over the putt and I was just shaking. I thought to myself ‘you have made these before’ so I just stepped up and hit it.”

Looking back on the week, St-Germain recognized that her improved putting was a major reason why she was able to repeat. “I putted pretty well, which helped me today and yesterday. I have been working on putting a lot lately.”

For St-Germain, she will now turn her attention to the Investors Group Junior Girls Championship the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

(Saskatoon) – Arkansas’ Drew Stoltz cruised to a 9-under 63 at Dakota Dunes Golf Links on Thursday to take a two stroke lead after the first round of the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel.

The 29-year old Arkansas native carded nine birdies, an eagle and two bogeys for the round, playing the par-5s in 5-under. While the field scoring average rose to 74.20, Stoltz’s career-best round on PGA Tour Canada gave him the lead by two over Michigan’s Matt Harmon, who finished shortly after Stoltz with a 65, and by four over Calgary’s Ryan Yip, who finished tied for second here last year and posted a 5-under 67.

“If you would have told me I shot this score this morning, I probably wouldn’t have believed it,” said Stoltz.

Winds gusting north of 50 km/h firmed up the course and challenged players on the links-style layout, a stark change from last year’s birdie-filled opening round when the field averaged 69.858 – the best scoring average by the field to par in any round on PGA Tour Canada in 2013.

“When I got here today, the wind was blowing a lot harder than it did yesterday,” said Stoltz. “It played completely different. I really didn’t know what was going to be a good score, but I turned in 3-under and made a few more, and all of a sudden I was looking at a really good score.”

With two cuts made in three starts on the season, Stoltz currently sits 81^st on the Order of Merit and is hoping to cash in on a big week at Dakota Dunes. The former Texas Christian University Horned Frog said he knows he’ll need a handful of standout finishes to achieve the ultimate goal of finishing in the top five on the Order of Merit and advancing to the Web.com Tour.

“The way it’s structured out here, if you can get hot a couple of weeks and get a win or two, that’s kind of what it’s all about,” said Stoltz. “Your good weeks need to be great weeks and that’s kind of the key to getting through.”

Stoltz is making a return to PGA Tour Canada this year after a successful 2013, when he won the Metropolitan Open in Missouri and claimed another win on the All-American Gateway Tour. He earned conditional status at the 2014 California Qualifying Tournament.

One shot behind Yip was a quartet of players including Montreal’s Beon-Yeong Lee, who earned an RBC Canadian Open spot two weeks ago in regional qualifying, as well as Thornhill, Ont.’s Ben Silverman, Washington’s Brock Mackenzie, and Florida’s Jeff Corr.

Seventeen-year-old Jaclyn Lee of Calgary maintained her two day lead through the final round at Whitetail Crossing Golf Club to claim the 2014 Sun Life Financial Alberta Ladies Amateur crown.

The Calgary native and Team Canada Development Team member had a great day in Mundare, shooting a 73 on the final day to close out the 54-hole tournament at 4-under. Her seven stroke lead at the turn made her nearly untouchable through the back nine as her partners and fellow Calgarians Jennifer Ha and Grace Howie finished the tournament at -1 and +15 respectively.

The final round presented competitors with a challenging 25 kilometer wind, but gifted them with blue skies and warm temperatures.

Lee will join Ha and Becky Martin of Medicine Hat on Team Alberta at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in Woodstock, Ontario from July 22nd-25th at Craigowan Golf & Country Club.

In preparation for next week’s Alberta Junior Girls Championship at Bearspaw Country Club, Lee is happy with how her game is shaping up after three rounds in Mundare.

“My last three rounds definitely gave me confidence to know that I can play well next week,” said Lee. “I will take this confidence with me to Bearspaw and hopefully be able to play consistently throughout the week.”

Lee didn’t let the pressure of the final round get to her and was able to remained focused through the last 18.

“I thought of today as the start of the tournament and just wanted to play my best,” added Lee. “I wasn’t concerned with what Jen (Ha) was doing because I knew that things could change quickly if she got on a roll.”

Crediting the support of her team for her championship win, Lee was thankful to have such a great group behind her on and off the course.

“It’s the people like my caddy Landon Goselwitz, my coach Paul Horton, my Team Canada coach Ann Carroll and my mom that motivate me to continue playing the sport I love,” she said.

Jessica Luciuk of  Barrhead, Alta. finished at 7-over thru 54 holes and claimed the Mid-Amateur title. This is Luciuk’s victory in the category. But, that wasn’t on her mind going into today’s round.

“I’m honestly not even thinking about the Mid Amateur category when I come out to this tournament,” Luciuk said. “I’m just happy to be playing with some talented young players who challenge me to compete.”

The 2014 Mid Master Championship trophy belongs to Kim Carrington of Calgary as her final round of 78 secured her the title with a +15 tally over three days.

Click here for full results.

Trail, B.C. – The CN Future Links Western Championship continued today at Birchbank Golf Course and the competition remained fierce during second round action.

Trevor Yu of Vancouver shot a 1-under-par 71 to sit 4-under for the championship, three-strokes ahead of yesterday’s leader Tyler McKay.

McKay, from Rossland, B.C., now sits in second at 1-under-par 143 after a round of 77. Jake Scarrow of Dewdney, B.C.  and Cole McKinnon of Surrey, B.C. share third at even-par 144.

In the girl’s competition, Annie Songeun Lee of Surrey, B.C. fired a 4-over-76 to break yesterday’s opening round tie with Ye Ji Lim. Lim, from Langley, B.C., shot a second round score of 10-over and now holds a share of third with Calgary’s Quinn Fitzgerald, who shot 5-over-77 Thursday. The pair finished the second round with scores totaling 12-over-156.   Vancouver’s Natalie Chu continues to hold on to second place, trailing Lee by one stroke with a total score of 7-over-par 151.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each of six regional CN Future Links Championships being held in 2014 will earn exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, to be contested July 28–August 1 at the Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course in Niagara Falls, Ont.

The Junior Girls champion from each 2014 CN Future Links Championship will earn an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship which runs July 28 – August 1 at Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont. Additionally, the Junior Girls Champion will earn an exemption into a 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour event.

The final round of CN Future Links Western takes place tomorrow, beginning at 7:30am PDT. For complete scoring and information, click here.

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – Mexico’s Jose de Jesus Rodriguez had a hole-in-one and another eagle Thursday in the Web.com Tour’s Nova Scotia Open en route to an 8-under 63 and a two-stroke lead.

Rodriguez holed a 9-iron from 166 yards on No. 5, and made a 30-yard chip for eagle on the par-5 17th.

“I hit it very good and I had a lot of opportunities,” Rodriguez said. “In the last tournament I hit it very good, but I didn’t make the putts. Today, I made the putts.”

David Skinns, James Sacheck and Aaron Goldberg shot 65, and Canadian Adam Hadwin, the Chile Classic winner in March, was another stroke back along with Henrik Norlander.

Hadwin had a bogey-free round.

“I didn’t struggle all day,” the Abbotsford, B.C native said. “I burned a few edges and had tap-ins for pars.”

Hadwin finished the day 5th, while Merrit, B.C.’s Roger Sloan finished the day tied for 7th after a 67.

The event is the first Web.com Tour event to be held in Canada.

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – Jonas Blixt’s memory of raising the trophy last year carried over to a strong start at the Greenbrier Classic.

The defending champion shot a 6-under 64 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead over former Stanford star Patrick Rodgers and seven others at Old White TPC.

Blixt tied for second in the Masters but missed the cut in three of his last four starts. Returning to The Greenbrier resort brought him back to a comfort zone.

Starting on the 10th hole in the morning with little wind, Blixt had six birdies on his front nine and made the turn at 5 under. Six of the Swede’s eight birdies came on putts of 10 feet or less. He also chipped in from the rough for birdie on No. 16.

“The golf course is in perfect shape, like last year,” Blixt said. “You come back with a bunch of confidence knowing that you won here before.

“If I can get my putter to work the way it did today, I felt like I hit the ball on line every time, and it could be a really good week.”

Rodgers is looking to make his third straight cut since turning pro. He holed a 118-yard wedge for eagle on the par-4 first hole – his 10th hole of the day.

After the round, he was back on the driving range.

“Being a new pro out here, you’re always trying to figure out and establish your routines,” Rodgers said, “and mine is just kind of cool down after the round and working on the things I felt like I can improve, and hopefully be ready for tomorrow.”

Also at 65 under were Chris Kirk, D.A. Points, James Hahn, Jason Bohn, Joe Durant, Jim Renner and Danny Lee.

Steve Stricker, who has wife Nicki carrying his bag this week, was among eight player at 66. Jimmy Johnson, his regular caddie, was already scheduled to carry Chris Kirk’s bag when Stricker became a late entry at The Greenbrier.

Stricker is playing only his eighth tour event this year. He’ll compete again next week at John Deere and is leaning against going to the British Open unless he has one or more high finishes before then.

“We’ll just keep plugging along and see what happens,” Stricker said.

Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson played alongside Keegan Bradley and Webb Simpson, getting a close-up view as he contemplates his three captain’s picks for the Sept. 26-28 event at Gleneagles in Scotland.

“The Ryder Cup’s a long way in the distance,” Watson said. “I’m watching other people as well. It’s fun to be out here to get to know the young players a little bit better.”

Watson took a similar approach in April, playing with Jordan Spieth at the RBC Heritage and Patrick Reed at Augusta National.

Watson has said he would use a wild-card pick on Tiger Woods if he’s healthy and playing well, leaving all sorts of possibilities with the other two picks.

Simpson, who shot 71 on Thursday, is 17th in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings and Bradley, who shot 67, is 18th. Others ahead of them in the Greenbrier Classic field are Kirk at No. 11, Brendon Todd at No. 13 and Kevin Na at No. 15.

The top nine get automatic berths on the U.S. squad. Reed, also in the Greenbrier field, is at No. 9, while Phil Mickelson, not playing this week, is 10th.

“You’d think that one round or two rounds wouldn’t determine us being on the team. That would be kind of silly,” Bradley said. “It doesn’t hurt to play well. Put it that way.”

Bubba Watson, the top-ranked player in the field at No. 3 in the world, had a 68. Only two rounds of 65 or better came during the afternoon when the wind picked up and the greens became more firm.

“I wish I could guess the wind differently, but otherwise it was a good day,” Watson said.

Canada’s David Hearn also carded an opening-round 68.

Stephen Ames was a shot back after a 69 and Brad Fritsch opened with a 70. Rounding out the Canadians was Mike Weir, who carded a 72.

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – In his French Open debut, Kevin Stadler shot a bogey-free 7-under 64 to lead by a stroke after the first round on Thursday.

The American golfer, who won the Phoenix Open in February and shared eighth place at the Masters in April, made seven birdies on a punishing golf course that will host the Ryder Cup in 2018.

“Not making bogey was something I didn’t think possible in my practice rounds,” Stadler said. “It’s one of my favorite courses. It’s spectacular.”

Marcel Siem of Germany was in second place, one stroke clear of Stephen Gallacher of Scotland. Jamie Donaldson of Wales and Felipe Aguilar of Chile were tied for fourth at 4 under.

Defending champion Graeme McDowell (70) and U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer (72) stayed in contention while Padraig Harrington (74), Thomas Bjorn (76) and Victor Dubuisson (76) will need a good performance in the second round on Friday to make the cut.

Siem, who won the French Open in 2012 but missed the cut last year, has had very little sleep since the birth of his daughter, Carlotta Sophie, 10 days ago. But he still found the energy in the morning to offset two bogeys with eight birdies for a 65 that only Stadler was able to eclipse.

“I cannot wait to go to bed to be honest,” Siem said. “On the third, I already said to my caddie: `I’ve got to go to bed, I need to get my batteries loaded up.’ I’m really pleased I stayed patient today.”

Gallacher took the lead from Siem by picking up a shot on No. 5, but he slipped down the leaderboard with two bogeys in his last three holes at Le Golf National.

“You never feel comfortable on this course,” Gallacher said. “Every shot’s got a risk in the water. So you’ve got to keep on your toes. You’ve got to concentrate all the time.”

Gallacher won the Dubai Desert Classic in February and was tied for second at the Nordea Masters in Sweden last month.

David Howell carded a 72 in his 500th appearance on the European Tour, becoming at 39 the second youngest golfer to reach that milestone.

“It all comes down to desire, and also your health,” Howell said. “I’ve had my injuries along the way and my niggles, and they are still there. But I’m feeling pretty good at the moment.”

Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley withdrew because of a shoulder injury and was replaced by Andrew McArthur (76).

Trail, B.C. – The fourth CN Future Links championship of the 2014 season, the CN Future Links Western, kicked off today at Birchbank Golf Course in Trail, B.C. If the opening round scores are any indication of what’s to come, this junior championship will prove eventful and exciting.

Tyler McKay, 18, of Rossland, B.C grabbed the opening round lead in the Junior Boys division, firing seven birdies and a bogey for a first round 6-under-par 66, and a three-stroke lead. Fourteen-year-old Khan Lee of Surrey, B.C.; Trevor Yu, 17, of Vancouver; Jake Scarrow, 17, of Dewdney, B.C.; and A.J. Armstrong, 17, of St. Albert, Alta. All carded 3-under-par 69s and hold a share of second.

Leading the Junior Girls division is 18-year-old Surrey, B.C. native Annie Songeun Lee and Ye Ji Lim, 16, of Langley, B.C. The pair share first place after an opening 2-over-par 74. Kenna Hughes, 16, of Calgary and Natalie Chu, 15, of Vancouver are tied for third at 6-over 78.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each of six regional CN Future Links Championships being held in 2014 earn exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship to be contested July 28 – August 1 at the Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course in Niagara Falls, Ont.

The Junior Girls champion from each 2014 CN Future Links Championship earns an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, which runs July 28 – August 1 at Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont. Additionally, the Junior Girls Champion will earn an exemption into a 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour event.

The excitement continues tomorrow for the second round of the 2014 CN Future Links Western Championship, beginning at 7:30 am PDT. For complete scoring and additional information, click here.

SAN FRANCISCO – The southwest corridor of San Francisco is going to get all the golf it can handle over the next decade.

TPC Harding Park will host the Match Play Championship in 2015, the PGA Championship in 2020 and the Presidents Cup in 2025. The announcement was made Wednesday by PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, PGA of America President Ted Bishop and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee at a swanky City Hall news conference.

Speaking on the second-floor balcony outside the mayor’s office to a crowd that included about 100 leaders and golf officials, Finchem said the coordination between the PGA Tour and PGA of America to stage all three events at the same venue is unprecedented. He said he hopes similar collaboration can be done in the future to benefit both organizations and their fans.

“Today is an announcement of a lot of firsts,” Finchem said.

The trio of tournaments adds to an aggressive schedule in the area.

The Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic, which was held on the last weekend of April this year, is set to return to Lake Merced just down the road in Daly City in 2015. And the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship is scheduled from April 30 to May 6 at The Olympic Club, where the U.S. Open was last held in 2012.

Organizers are counting on the sports-saturated Bay Area market – loaded with corporate dollars from San Francisco to Silicon Valley – to provide support behind the ropes and on sponsorship banners.

The PGA Tour’s commitment to hold the Match Play at Harding Park is only for one year. The tournament had typically been held in February the past eight years at Dove Mountain outside Tucson, Arizona. But the PGA Tour’s contract with title sponsor Accenture ended after this year’s event, leaving the event’s future uncertain.

The tournament is set for April 29 to May 3 – the week before The Players Championship – next year to improve the chances of dry conditions at Harding. The title sponsor for the 2015 tournament remains unclear.

The Match Play’s debut at Harding also will feature a new format. The tournament will have a similar structure to the World Cup, with group play leading into single-elimination matches.

The reconfiguration will ensure that all 64 players – determined by the Official World Golf Ranking, as in the past – are around for at least three days. Previously, single-elimination from the outset often led to quick exits for top players and fan favorites.

“It’s a lot more golf,” Finchem said. “It’s a ton of golf. We know the fans here will relish the opportunity to have that much more golf.”

Finchem, Bishop and Lee all credited Frank “Sandy” Tatum for bringing the events to Harding. Tatum, a longtime San Francisco attorney and former president of the U.S. Golf Association who turns 94 on Monday, spearheaded a renovation of the course and clubhouse, which now bears his name.

Finchem also quoted players such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as being excited about the announcements. He said Johnny Miller told him he honed his famed putting skills on Harding’s practice greens.

Bishop said there was never any discussion of holding the PGA Championship at another club in San Francisco, which has never hosted the event. He also said the season’s final major in 2020 might also be reworked on the schedule because of the Olympics that year.

After going more than 40 years without being played on a public course, the PGA Championship is now headed to two in a row.

The 2019 event will be played at Bethpage Black on New York’s Long Island. The last PGA Championship on a municipal course was in 1974 at Tanglewood Golf Course in North Carolina.

The PGA Championship has not been played on the West Coast since 1998 at Sahalee Country Club outside Seattle. The 2020 event at Harding Park also gives California majors in three consecutive years, with the U.S. Open going to Pebble Beach in 2019 and Torrey Pines in 2021.

Harding Park has never hosted a major, but it was the site of the 2009 Presidents Cup won by the U.S. The Presidents Cup features 24 of the world’s top golfers – 12 from the U.S. and 12 from around the world, excluding Europe – in a team match-play competition.