TOYOTA CITY, Japan – Carter Simon, of Sutton, Ont., posted a 4-under 67 during Thursday’s third round of the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup, boosting the Canadian contingent up two spots to sit in eighth place.

Collectively, the Canucks fired a 209 Thursday to jump to 6-under par for the tournament, 12 strokes back of leader and defending champion Venezuela.

In addition to Simon’s score, Canada posted respective rounds of 70 and 72 from Development Squad members Etienne Papineau of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. and Matt Williams (Calgary).

Papineau currently sits in 16^th place individually, while Williams is tied for 45^th.

Tony Gil’s score of 74 on Thursday was discounted as the team’s highest for the day. The Vaughan, Ont., native currently sits T38 overall.

The individual boys lead is held by Venezuela’s Jorge Garcia, who currently holds a steady eight-stroke lead over second place at 17-under par (64-68-64).

The final round of the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup tees off Friday at 8am, UTC.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

TOYOTA CITY, Japan – Carter Simon, of Sutton, Ont., posted a 4-under 67 during Thursday’s third round of the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup, boosting the Canadian contingent up two spots to sit in eighth place.

Collectively, the Canucks fired a 209 Thursday to jump to 6-under par for the tournament, 12 strokes back of leader and defending champion Venezuela.

In addition to Simon’s score, Canada posted respective rounds of 70 and 72 from Development Squad members Etienne Papineau of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. and Matt Williams (Calgary).

Papineau currently sits in 16^th place individually, while Williams is tied for 45^th.

Tony Gil’s score of 74 on Thursday was discounted as the team’s highest for the day. The Vaughan, Ont., native currently sits T38 overall.

The individual boys lead is held by Venezuela’s Jorge Garcia, who currently holds a steady eight-stroke lead over second place at 17-under par (64-68-64).

The final round of the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup tees off Friday at 8am, UTC.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

It was a strenuous day of golf Thursday at the Wyndance Golf Club in Uxbridge, Ont., but four players survived the demanding 36-hole affair and head into the final day of the PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf.

The championship’s No.1 seed Billy Walsh captured the Stan Leonard bracket, with the 60-seeded Christophe Belair winning the Al Balding bracket. No. 15 Chris Barber was the victor of the George Knudson bracket with No. 3 Dave Levesque winning the Moe Norman bracket.

As has been the case since the championship’s relaunch in 2011, this year’s championship is contested as a match play event with players from the four brackets—Stan Leonard, George Knudson, Al Balding and Moe Norman—looking to advance through the five rounds to the final championship match.

Friday’s semi-final matches—Walsh versus Belair and Barber versus Levesque—are slated to take place Friday morning. The two winners of the semi finals will square off later in the afternoon in the championship’s final match.

With 60 PGA of Canada Player Ranking points awarded to the winner of this year’s championship, Walsh and Levesque have an opportunity to jump to the top of the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC pile.

The player who sits atop the rankings at the conclusion of the PGA Championship of Canada earns an exemption into this year’s RBC Canadian Open at Royal Montreal Golf Club in L’Île-Bizard, Que.

It was a strenuous day of golf Thursday at the Wyndance Golf Club in Uxbridge, Ont., but four players survived the demanding 36-hole affair and head into the final day of the PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf.

The championship’s No.1 seed Billy Walsh captured the Stan Leonard bracket, with the 60-seeded Christophe Belair winning the Al Balding bracket. No. 15 Chris Barber was the victor of the George Knudson bracket with No. 3 Dave Levesque winning the Moe Norman bracket.

As has been the case since the championship’s relaunch in 2011, this year’s championship is contested as a match play event with players from the four brackets—Stan Leonard, George Knudson, Al Balding and Moe Norman—looking to advance through the five rounds to the final championship match.

Friday’s semi-final matches—Walsh versus Belair and Barber versus Levesque—are slated to take place Friday morning. The two winners of the semi finals will square off later in the afternoon in the championship’s final match.

With 60 PGA of Canada Player Ranking points awarded to the winner of this year’s championship, Walsh and Levesque have an opportunity to jump to the top of the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC pile.

The player who sits atop the rankings at the conclusion of the PGA Championship of Canada earns an exemption into this year’s RBC Canadian Open at Royal Montreal Golf Club in L’Île-Bizard, Que.

Niagara Falls, Ont. – Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson kept the momentum going after the U.S. Women’s Open by winning the Canadian Women’s Tour stop at Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course in Niagara Falls, Ont.

With six birdies in Wednesday’s round, Henderson fired a bogey-free 6-under 66 to claim her second Canadian Women’s Tour title – she won the Canadian Women’s Tour Quebec stop in 2012 at age 14.

Henderson finished the tournament with a final score of 9-under-par 135, five strokes ahead of Stephanie Connelly after rounds of 69-66.

“Yesterday I was tied for the lead, so I knew I had to get a good round together.” Henderson said. “Coming in through nine I was 3-under and the girl ahead of me was 4-under for the day. I realized I needed to get in gear and was able to get four more birdies on the back nine.”

Henderson, 16, of Smiths Falls, Ont. is coming off of a successful month of play, finishing tied for 10th in the U.S. Women’s Open and claiming the Porter Cup title earlier in June.

Her win at this week’s event earns her an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, taking place at the London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont. in August.

“It’s definitely cool to get the exemption, I know I deserve it now instead of someone just giving me one, which I’m very grateful for too and I’ll take those anytime,” Henderson said. “I’m looking forward to going to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and seeing Lorie Kane as well as some other Canadian professionals out there.”

At the end of yesterday’s opening round, Henderson shared first place with Connelly of Fleming Island, Fla. Connelly finished at 4-under-par 140 to claim first place prize money. Simin Feng of Windermere, Fla. finished in solo third at 3-under 141, with Samantha Richdale of Kelowna B.C. at 2-under. Emily Childs finished in a tie for 5th at 1-under 143 with Australia’s Emma de Groot.

Niagara Falls, Ont. – Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson kept the momentum going after the U.S. Women’s Open by winning the Canadian Women’s Tour stop at Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course in Niagara Falls, Ont.

With six birdies in Wednesday’s round, Henderson fired a bogey-free 6-under 66 to claim her second Canadian Women’s Tour title – she won the Canadian Women’s Tour Quebec stop in 2012 at age 14.

Henderson finished the tournament with a final score of 9-under-par 135, five strokes ahead of Stephanie Connelly after rounds of 69-66.

“Yesterday I was tied for the lead, so I knew I had to get a good round together.” Henderson said. “Coming in through nine I was 3-under and the girl ahead of me was 4-under for the day. I realized I needed to get in gear and was able to get four more birdies on the back nine.”

Henderson, 16, of Smiths Falls, Ont. is coming off of a successful month of play, finishing tied for 10th in the U.S. Women’s Open and claiming the Porter Cup title earlier in June.

Her win at this week’s event earns her an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, taking place at the London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont. in August.

“It’s definitely cool to get the exemption, I know I deserve it now instead of someone just giving me one, which I’m very grateful for too and I’ll take those anytime,” Henderson said. “I’m looking forward to going to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and seeing Lorie Kane as well as some other Canadian professionals out there.”

At the end of yesterday’s opening round, Henderson shared first place with Connelly of Fleming Island, Fla. Connelly finished at 4-under-par 140 to claim first place prize money. Simin Feng of Windermere, Fla. finished in solo third at 3-under 141, with Samantha Richdale of Kelowna B.C. at 2-under. Emily Childs finished in a tie for 5th at 1-under 143 with Australia’s Emma de Groot.

UXBRIDGE, Ont. – A slew of the top seeds advanced Wednesday into to the round-of-16 at the PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas golf.

Top-seeded Billy Walsh, No. 3 Dave Levesque, 2012 champion and No. 6 Eric Laporte, and the seventh-seeded Brian McCann all won their second round matches Wednesday at Wyndance Golf Club in Uxbridge, Ont.

As has been the case since the championship was re-launched in 2011, this year’s championship is contested as a match play event with players from the four brackets-Stan Leonard, George Knudson, Al Balding and Moe Norman-looking to advance through the five rounds to the final championship match.

Also winning on the second day of action was No. 17 Pierre-Luc Godin; No. 25 Matt Peavoy; No. 56 Ed Maunder; No. 29 Walter Keating; No. 13 Dave Zibrik; No. 60 Christophe Belair; 2004 PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada winner and No. 21 Ian Doig; No. 34 Vincent Cacchione; No. 15 Chris Barber; No. 42 Jerome Blais; No. 19 Tyler LeBouthillier; and two-time PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada winner No. 11 Brian Hutton.

Thursday morning’s third-round matches include Walsh vs. Godin; Peavoy vs. Maunder; Keating vs. Zibrik; Belair vs. Doig; Cacchione vs. Barber; McCann vs. Blais; Levesque vs. LeBouthillier; and Laporte vs. Hutton.

To see the full match play bracket, CLICK HERE

Those winning matches on Thursday morning at Wyndance will advance to the quarter-finals on Thursday afternoon.

Of the remaining players, six are from the Ontario and Quebec zones, while the Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Ottawa Valley zones each have one player remaining.

With 60 PGA of Canada Player Ranking points awarded to the winner of this year’s championship, Walsh, Levesque and Laporte all have an opportunity to jump to the top of the rankings pile.

The player who sits atop the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC at the conclusion of the PGA Championship of Canada earns an exemption into this year’s RBC Canadian Open at Royal Montreal Golf Club in L’Île-Bizard, Que.

Past champions of the PGA Championship of Canada include Moe Norman, George Knudson, Al Balding, Bob Panasik, Wilf Homenuik, Stan Leonard, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer.

The 2014 PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf takes place June 23-27 with the Mr. Lube Tournament for Life Pro-Am kicking things off on Monday, June 23.

The first PGA Championship of Canada was contested in 1912 at Mississaugua Golf & Country Club.

SANDWICH, KENT, England – Team Canada’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay and Augusta James have advanced to match play at the Ladies British Amateur, earning one of the top 64 spots.

Tanguay, 23, of Québec City, posted rounds of 73-75 to finish tied for 9th thru two rounds at Royal St. Georges Golf Club. The recent University of Oklahoma graduate will look to continue her momentum when play resumes tomorrow.

Just sneaking past the cutline was Bath, Ont., native Augusta James, who came in at 8-over par (80-76) to finish tied for 60^th.

Laetitia Beck of Israel, a former Monday qualifier at the Canadian Women’s Open, finished at 7-under par to take home medalist honours. The Duke University student posted rounds of 71-70 to win by a two-stroke margin.

Team Canada members Jennifer Ha (Calgary) and Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.) could not overcome the difficult conditions at St. Georges, missing the cut at 11 and 12 over par, respectively.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

TORONTO – Perfect for summer’s longer days, warmer weather and extra hours on the golf course, Nike Golf introduces two new footwear styles inspired by more than four decades of Nike’s deep roots in athletic shoe design.

Available July 1, Nike Golf’s new Lunar Waverly and Lunar Mont Royal join the Lunar Clayton.

Nike Golf designers drew inspiration from Nike’s footwear heritage to create innovative styles inspired by iconic running and court sport silhouettes designed for both on and off the golf course.

“The Lunar Waverly and Lunar Mont Royal were really inspired by classic Nike footwear styles, and we adapted those designs for athletes who want a golf shoe with versatile appeal,” says Carl Madore, Nike Golf Innovation Design Lead. “These are shoes with incredible performance technology that are great for playing 18 holes or wearing before or after the round, too. You can hit balls at the driving range on your lunch break without ever changing your shoes. These styles are modeled after some of Nike’s first shoes but modernized to perform specifically for our sport.”

The iconic Nike waffle sole featured on the Lunar Waverly and Lunar Mont Royal provides a more aggressive tread for superior grip and controlon course, while echoing Nike’s storied history in athletic footwear.

Lunar Waverly – Available July 1, 2014  – CDN: $150

Madore and team crafted the Lunar Waverly to be just as comfortable on the course as it is off.

Partnering with the Nike Sports Research Lab, Nike Golf designers used pressure-mapping analysis to zero in on how the foot moves during the swing and determine the size, height, hardness and overall configuration of the waffle lugs. The footwear team brought that pressure mapping to life through visible color patterns on a traditional Nike waffle outsole reminiscent of the company’s very first footwear styles, featuring superior grip and traction within an iconic tread pattern.

Nike Dynamic Flywire technology combines with a rubber cup-sole for lateral support, surrounded by a premium waterproof full-grain leather upper. For the first time ever, Nike Golf designers utilized cork for the sock liner — incredibly comfortable and extremely lightweight, the anti-microbial material helps prevent odor and provides a distinctive design detail, while full-length Nike Lunarlon foam delivers maximum responsive cushioning.

Lunar Mont Royal Available July 1, 2014 – CDN: $110

When the Nike Montreal was unveiled in 1975, it was the brand’s first signature shoe designed for running legend Steve Prefontaine. Nearly 40 years later, Nike Golf is bringing the Montreal’s iconic color blocking design and running-inspired silhouette to the golf course in the Lunar Mont Royal.

Featuring Lunarlon foam in the heel and modern no-sew technology in the midfoot, the Mont Royal also utilizes the traditional Nike waffle sole for incredible grip and control. Tapping into insights from performance testing, Nike Golf footwear designers constructed the outsole with waffle tread rolling up around the toe and inner side of the foot to maintain traction through the swing as the foot pushes off the ground.

Lunar Clayton – CDN: $250

Launched in early 2014, the Lunar Clayton celebrates the heritage and history of golf while providing athletes with superior comfort and a supportive fit in a premium, handcrafted shoe that is a versatile option for both on and off the course.

TORONTO – When it comes to timing, Donalda Club appears to be perfectly in sync with Mother Nature’s clock.

On October 3, 2011, Donalda Club’s membership agreed it was time to breathe new life into its aging poa annua greens. They voted in favour of rebuilding the greens to modern USGA standards with a consistent new look and a weather-tolerant bentgrass turf. Looking back, and knowing what we know now, you might think they have a psychic on staff or a crystal ball hidden away in the clubhouse boardroom.

While numerous established clubs across the GTA are scrambling to reseed or resod greens or trying to come up with a plan to deal with devastating winterkill, Donalda’s new bentgrass greens are set to reopen as planned Saturday, June 28^th, with a weekend-long celebration highlighted by fireworks for its 800 family members.

“We were out there laying the last of the bentgrass sod on November 18th in the snow. The ground froze just as we were laying the final rolls on the last green, No. 7 and I was a little worried the new sod wouldn’t take,” says Scott White, Golf Course and Grounds Manager at Donalda Club. “Then the winter freeze hit and I got a little more nervous, but all the greens came through the winter in amazing shape. There wasn’t an inch of the new bentgrass that didn’t survive and we just let them mature throughout the spring.”

White’s crew aerified the greens four times this spring, removing 25 per cent of the original turf and filling it with sand to encourage new growth – one more aeration is planned for August. Root growth is now eight to 12 inches deep depending when the sod was laid.

Hole closures started last August at Donalda Club. The entire course shut down with no play whatsoever after Labour Day to allow for the greens rebuild. “I don’t think the golf course has ever been in better shape. A few members have been walking around watching the progress, but there hasn’t been a shot played out there in nearly 10 months,” White added, noting No. 11 was the first green sodded on September 11th.

Donalda Club opened in 1960 with 18 holes designed by golf professional Jimmie Johnstone ready for play in June 1962. The Club called upon noted golf course architect Tom McBroom to redesign the course in 1993-1994. He rebuilt 14 of the 20 putting surfaces including two practice greens, leaving six original greens in the mix. He also renovated the bunkers in 2005-2006.

“What you will find today is that we have created subtle internal contours through the use of soft crowns, muffins and subtle transition slopes within the green complexes, as well as adding some bold contours that will really capture your eye and make reading a putt more challenging,” McBroom says, noting bentgrass fall-a-ways were also added to Nos.4, 10, 11, 13 and 14. “Bottom line is that in my opinion, the new Donalda greens are amongst the best in the country for interest, detail and character.”

It took 15 months to grow four acres of Mackenzie/Declaration (50/50) bentgrass for the greens and four acres of Pencross was seeded for tees and fairways at a turf farm in Beeton, Ont. Overall, the green sizes have been enlarged 15 per cent to 124,455,000 square-feet.

“I think the timing was right to take a fresh look at the greens and do them all this time to modern day USGA standards,” White says, noting the original greens had a roly-poly feel to them, while the newer McBroom designs were more tiered and regionalized. “We needed to find a middle-ground between the two styles to give us some consistency throughout the entire layout. Our 1960’s greens had too much roll and slope and the 1990’s greens were too flat in spots.”

Now there’s more life and motion in every green as the severity is more subtle, but overall the greens should be more playable for members. There is less than a three per cent slope on all parts of all greens allowing for a significant increase in pin position options with many tucked more closely to the green side bunkers.

Aside from the new greens several other changes have been in the works including a larger practice area for chipping and putting near the first tee and an expanded putting green near the golf shop. Out on the course – there’s a new back tee deck on No. 6 that adds close to 70 yards to the par-5 to 560 yards; all of the smaller tee decks on No. 7 have been fused into one huge 7,000 square-foot deck and there’s significantly less fairway in front of the green; on No. 8 there’s a new fairway landing area and the green is nearly 40 yards further back on a new plateau, while on the par-3, 14^th hole all tee decks have been completely redone with three expanded levels to give everyone an amazing view of the green, as well as some improvement along the Don Valley River, which comes into play on 14 of the 18 holes. That said, the Golf Association of Ontario increased the slope rating from the back tee decks to 141 from 139.

Despite the course closure, membership sales and development are at an all-time high at Donalda with a very active and engaged membership. Donalda Club is a family-focused, multi-activity facility with varied dining options, Har-Tru indoor and outdoor tennis courts, squash courts, curling, an outdoor pool, a new Fitness Center that opened in September 2013, a new Men’s Locker Room and Indoor Golf Academy with four high-definition golf simulators that opened in 2013 and a renovation to the Ladies’ Locker Room scheduled for this fall.