DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. – The LPGA Tour will host the Final Stage of its Qualifying Tournament this week (November 30 – December 4), where nine Canadians will be among the 157 player-field competing for 20 full LPGA Tour cards and 25 partial cards.

The ladies will alternate over the first four rounds between the Jones and Hills courses at LPGA International. There will be a cut to the top 70 and ties after the fourth round. The final-round will be contested on the Hills course. Play will begin at 8 a.m. all five days.

Players that finish in the top 20 – no ties – will earn LPGA Tour status in category 12 on the 2017 priority list while those that finish 21 through 45 – including ties – will earn status in category 17. Players that finish a minimum of 72 holes, but don’t earn LPGA Tour status, will receive Symetra Tour status in category E on the Symetra Tour priority list.

Although the most significant prize is leaving with a 2017 Tour card, there is a $50,000 purse and the medalist will earn $5,000.

This coming week is the culmination of a three-stage Qualifying Tournament process that started in late August with Stage I in Rancho Mirage, California. A total of 92 players advanced out of Stage I to Stage II, which was held in October in Venice, Florida. A total of 84 players passed through Stage II to get to where we are now.

A total of 36 players have made it through to Final Stage from Stage I.

There are 10 players who will retain amateur status into Final Stage. If an amateur finishes in the top 20, she must declare a change in her status to professional following the final-round in order to obtain LPGA Tour status.

The field features 78 players representing the United States and 79 international players from 32 different countries. Canada has the most representatives with nine followed by England with seven and both Thailand and the Philippines have six players apiece.

Canadians in the field include:

• Jennifer Ha (Calgary)
• Augusta James (Bath, Ont.)
• Sara-Maude Juneau (Fossambault-sur-le-Lac, Que.)
• Lorie Kane  (Charlottetown)
• Jennifer Kirby (Paris, Ont.)
• Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.)
• Megan Osland (Kelowna, B.C.)
• Samantha Richdale (Kelowna, B.C.)
• Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec City)

MELBOURNE, Australia – Denmark fought off a three-pronged attack to win golf’s World Cup at Kingston Heath on Sunday.

Soren Kjeldsen and Thorbjorn Olesen held their nerve after a four-shot overnight lead was threatened by China, France and Sweden.

The pair combined superbly in the best-ball format for a closing 6-under 66 to finish on 20-under 268, four shots clear of France (63), China (65) and the United States (66) in a three-way tie for second.

Kjeldsen and Olesen took turns to nail critical birdie putts every time the lead was whittled back.

“Our mental strength is keeping calm and playing our own game. I wasn’t too worried, I thought the birdies would come on the back nine and they did,” Olesen said.

Chinese duo Ashun Wu and Haotong Li crept within one stroke early on the back nine before Kjeldsen holed a birdie putt to restore the buffer. Victor Dubuisson’s birdie at the par-three 15th propelled France to just one shot back. And this time Olesen answered with a 7-foot putt, playing three holes behind the French, to ward off the leaderboard danger.

While Kjeldsen and Olesen weren’t threatened by US pair Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker, Sweden’s Alex Noren and David Lingmerth did move to within a shot – after firing a brilliant 10-under 62 to eventually finish fifth at 15-under. But nobody could catch the Danes.

Olesen’s hot putter delivered birdies at Nos. 13, 14 and 15 to restore the leaderboard buffer. He also rolled in a curling 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th.

“The psychology (of a team) is really interesting to me. When you get a guy like this, on the back nine you feel you want to die for this guy,” Kjeldsen said of Olesen. “I’ve never felt that before and that team thing is amazing.”

In golf terms, the Danish pair formed an odd couple. Olesen loves to keep check of leaderboards around the course and Kjeldsen tries to avoid them.

“We play different games, we don’t talk much and just play our shots and that’s helpful,” Olesen said.

Sweden, who started the fourball final round nine shots back, could only ponder what might have been with a more polished foursomes effort than the tardy third round 73.

“We really played quite solid (on Saturday) and ended up bogeying a couple of the last four holes. So, 1-over yesterday could have been a couple under and we would have really been in the mix. But finishing on a good note today, we’re not going to dwell on the last few days. It has been a fun week,” Lingmerth said.

Italy’s Francesco Molinari and Matteo Manassero reeled off an 8-under 64, but they were just too far back to get a glimpse of the leaders.

“We gave ourselves a lot of birdie chances and it could have been a really low one. It was a low one with a good finish, so we’re happy about that,” Manassero said.

“Obviously, Francesco gave me the opportunity to play and we had a lot of fun. I think this is a great format and, obviously, you’re representing your country.”

Host nation Australia at least gave their home galleries a sub-par salute in a polished round built on several pinpoint approach shots from Marc Leishman before Adam Scott rifled one to almost tap-in range at the par-three 15th. They eventually deliver a 7-under 65 to finish on 11 under and tied ninth with Ireland.

“It was nice to finally see a few putts drop and some red numbers on the leaderboard. It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t start that on Thursday,” Leishman said.

Wales pair Bradley Dredge and Stuart Manley, in the first group onto the course, redeemed themselves after Saturday’s horror 80 with a flawless 9-under 63.

England’s Chris Wood and Andy Sullivan, who tumbled down the leaderboard after a leaky back nine on Saturday, also bounced back with a 7-under 65.

Canada’s David Hearn and Adam Hadwin finished tied for 11th with New Zealand’s Danny Lee and Ryan Fox at 10-under.

Germany’s Alex Cejka and Stephan Jaeger, equal last in the 28-team competition at the halfway mark, hit back with a closing 64 to finish on 9 under and tied 13th.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first and, hopefully, annual World Leaders Golf Tournament Presented by Those Who Hope to Live to See Tomorrow.

The first tee is a sight to behold.

The contents of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s bag are reminiscent of that of Rodney Dangerfield’s in the movie Caddyshack, although his caddie certainly is of a different ethnic background than Dangerfield’s was in the movie.

Despite Trump’s best efforts, hundreds of spectators have managed to manoeuvre around the wall he had constructed around the golf course. Among them was Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto who just managed to make his tee time.

In the parking lot, tournament officials had to alert Justin Trudeau and Vladimir Putin about the dress code when they arrived. Neither was enthusiastic about wearing a shirt at all, let alone one with a collar. Trudeau elected to go with a “sunny days” motif tank-top while Putin chose to have a shirt-like tattoo engraved on his torso with a golf tee and a Sharpie. Red, of course.

British PM Theresa May appeared briefly at the starter’s tent but left when she sighted participants from the European Union. British fans appeared about evenly divided on her exit, but she left nonetheless.

North Korea’s Kim Jung-Un had been sighted firing suspicious, non-approved test balls on the range but, when approached by tournament officials, headed for the nearest bunker.

By luck of the draw (not popular vote), Trump hit the first tee shot which sailed, appropriately, far right and out of bounds. “This game is rigged!” he exclaimed immediately.

Despite the initial furor, all the players headed down the first fairway. When the final putts were holed on 18, hands were shaken and everyone headed to the 19^th hole to enjoy a beverage or two and work everything out.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, back to reality.

In the famous words of P.G. Wodehouse: “To find man’s true character, play golf with him.”

Imagine a world where everyone, state leaders chief among them, led their lives according to a code of conduct with which all real golfers are familiar. A code in which equity and fairness are paramount. Where “out of bounds” is clearly defined and where fair play is applauded.

Just imagine.

On my bookshelf is Stephen Potter’s The Complete Upmanship. Subtitled “The Art of Winning Games Without Actually Cheating,” I would suggest that politicians, full of mendacity, prevarication and obfuscation, are summa cum laude graduates of Potter’s school and instead would do well to study the Rules of Golf as they apply to life.

Section 1 of the Rules of Golf deals with etiquette, the spirit of the game, consideration of other players, preventing unnecessary damage and, significantly, penalties for breach. It shouldn’t be difficult to extrapolate those principles to daily life.

This is not to say that golf is without its own share of warts; misogyny, racism, and ageism among them. Not everyone plays by the Rules. But I submit that once those first tee shots are struck, the focus shifts from that which makes us different to that which binds us together—the love of the game.

Trump may not like this reference but thanks to the handicap system and its wide accessibility, golf is the most “democratic” of sports. It also, as Wodehouse posits, reveals much about not only others but oneself.

Sometimes, it takes a lifetime to figure that last part out. But that’s just another reason why it’s called “the game for a lifetime.”

As Carl Spackler (Bill Murray’s character in Caddyshack) said about his blessing from the Dalai Lama: “’When you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.’ So I got that goin’ for me, which is nice.”

Hopefully, it doesn’t take all of us until our deathbeds to become conscious, to get an inkling at least, of how a civil round of golf, with its code of conduct, can be a metaphor for life.

Could Trump, with his connection to the game, eventually understand that? Could his peers around the world?

In the spirit of the game, and for the sake of the world, let’s hope so.

Craig Hocknull pulled away from the pack Thursday at Port Royal Golf Club in Bermuda, winning the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada presented by Titleist & FootJoy.

Hocknull’s three-day total of 4-under, 209 (74-69-66) was five shots better than Brian Hadley, who held a slim one-stroke lead heading into Thursday’s finale. The PGA of Canada’s No. 1-ranked player Dave Levesque finished alone in third at 3-over for the championship.

“This is just an awesome win,” Hocknull said. “Last year I came close to winning this championship and I wanted to make sure that this year in Bermuda I walked away as the winner.”

The 41-year-old’s final round at Port Royal featured an impressive seven birdies and just two bogeys. His 5-under-par round was the lowest by any competitor all week.

“It really all started to click for me on No. 7 when I made a nice two-putt birdie, then I birdied the ninth and really just kept it rolling from there,” Hocknull said.

Lindsay Bernakevitch and Gordon Burns rounded out the top five, finishing T4.

In addition to the 54-holes of championship golf, PGA of Canada members were treated to a number of off-course events as well, such as a players’ reception Sunday event at the Fairmont and a skins game shootout on the world renowned par-3 golf club at Turtle Hill on Monday after the practice round.

Hocknull said he thoroughly enjoyed his first Bermuda experience this week.

“It’s just been a fantastic week here in Bermuda,” he said. “Everything and everyone has just been first class and I’ve really enjoyed my experience here.”

The Inter-Zone Team Championship, which is comprised of four players per zone (and three scores per team counting), was handed out on Wednesday. Team Ontario (Hadley, Burns, Danny King and James Skrypec) captured the title, besting the squad from British Columbia by 18 shots.

Designed by world-renowned architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1970, Port Royal underwent a significant renovation in 2009, which included a complete redesign. Port Royal is one of the world’s premier daily-fee golf courses with immaculate course conditions and sweeping ocean views from nearly every hole. The most memorable feature of Port Royal is the signature par-three 16th hole, a classic Trent Jones work of art, marrying the natural features of the land with the designer’s boundless imagination. Widely regarded as one of the greatest par threes in golf, the 16th is a 235-yard crescent-shaped masterpiece, showcasing breathtaking views of the clear blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Port Royal hosted the PGA Grand Slam of Golf from 2009-2014, seeing such winners as Adam Scott, Ernie Els, Martin Kaymer, Padraig Harrington, Keegan Bradley and Lucas Glover.

Former champions of the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada include Danny King, Adam Chamberlain, Roger Beale, Norm Jarvis, Gar Hamilton, Bob Panasik, Yvan Beauchemin, Graham Gunn, Ken Tarling and Brian Hutton.

Click here for full scores.

Click below to listen to the media teleconference.

(Oakville, Ont.) – Golf Canada announced today that after 10 years at the helm, CEO Scott Simmons has made the decision to depart the organization in early February 2017.

Originally hired to lead Canada’s National Sport Federation for golf in the summer of 2007, Simmons will continue to lead the organization during the transition period and assist Golf Canada’s Board of Directors in the search for a successor as CEO.

“This was a very personal decision, and a difficult one,” said Simmons, who had previously worked as the association’s Director of Sales, Marketing and Communications from 1992 to 2000. “It has been an honour to represent and lead Golf Canada for the past 10 years but I felt the time was right to seek out new challenges.”

“Together with our staff, volunteers and many partners, I am proud of what we’ve accomplished to advance game of golf in this country and am excited for what comes next—both for me personally and for this storied organization,” added Simmons.

In making the announcement, Roland Deveau, President of the Golf Canada Board of Directors, noted that Simmons has led the organization through significant changes since returning in 2007.

“Scott has moved Golf Canada to a new level of professionalism, and for that we thank him sincerely. While we will miss his contributions, the Board respects and understands his decision to leave,” said Mr. Deveau.

During his tenure as CEO, Simmons successfully transitioned the organization from a golf association and governing body to the National Sport Federation (NSF) for golf in Canada. That transition included a corporate rebrand in 2010 from the Royal Canadian Golf Association to Golf Canada. He also worked with the association’s executive committee on a revised governance structure that streamlined volunteer leadership from 35 individuals to an 11-member Board of Directors.

Simmons helped to secure and renew title sponsorships of the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open through 2023 and 2018 respectively. The organization’s commitment to sport development in partnership with the PGA of Canada and the provincial golf associations included increased investment in Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program, as well as the introduction of the Golf in Schools program in 2009.

Golf Canada’s commitment to Long-Term Player Development and high performance has also included an increased investment in the national amateur golf team program as well as support for a young pro program under the Team Canada umbrella. Simmons also helped to reposition fundraising activities through the Golf Canada Foundation, which brings together corporate and philanthropic champions in support of Canadian golf.

“Rebranding to Golf Canada, strengthening our relationship with member clubs and connecting with a greater share of Canadian golf enthusiasts have been core to our strategic plan under Scott’s direction,” added Deveau. “Golf Canada has grown our junior and sport development programs into world-class models now emulated by other countries and Scott has been instrumental in the association working collaboratively with provincial, national and international partners.”

A search for Simmons’ successor as Golf Canada CEO will begin immediately.

After 10 years working to support the game of golf in Canada I shared the news today that I will be stepping down as CEO of Golf Canada..1/2

— Scott Simmons (@golfcanadaguy) November 23, 2016

It has been an honour and privilege to lead Golf Canada! Many thanks to all the staff and volunteers I’ve had the pleasure to work with!

— Scott Simmons (@golfcanadaguy) November 23, 2016

Thank you to @golfcanadaguy for 10 years of loyal service to @TheGolfCanada Good luck with the next phase of your career!! #golfcanadagolf

— Roland Deveau (@rolliecangolf) November 23, 2016

With his first PGA Tour victory barely in the books, Mackenzie Hughes is already thinking about his first major.

The Tour rookie from Dundas, Ont., captured his first title at the RSM Classic on Monday by draining a 15-foot par putt on the third playoff hole. Along with the US$1.08 million cheque and a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour, Hughes also received an invite to the 2017 Masters, where he’ll be in the field with childhood idol and fellow Canadian Mike Weir.

“I was just beside myself thinking about driving down Magnolia Lane and all the things that go along with the Masters,” Hughes said Tuesday. “I’ve watched that tournament basically every year since I started playing golf and it’s like a religious thing to watch every shot there, and now I’m going to be one of those guys.

“It’s just the coolest feeling in the world.”

Weir, who won the Masters in 2003, sent Hughes some “good luck” texts Sunday night and is eager to play a practice round with him at Augusta National next year.

“(Hughes) texted me saying he was looking forward to ‘that tournament in April,”’ said Weir from his home in Salt Lake City. “To have a few Canadians in the field, it’s fun. Hopefully I can show him a few tricks of that golf course. There are a lot of little subtleties that are key to knowing.”

“That first (win) is really special,” Weir added. “All the hard work and everything you’ve put into it have been worth it. I’m sure he feels great that the steps he’s taken along the way have paid off.”

Hughes, who turns 26 Wednesday, opened The RSM Classic in Sea Island, Ga. with a course-record 61. He never let up after that, becoming the first PGA Tour rookie since Tim Herron in 1996 to win wire-to-wire.

“It was my tournament from the start and I didn’t want to let it go,” said Hughes. “Anything less than a win in that playoff was going to be disappointing.”

The victory came exactly a month after Hughes and longtime girlfriend, Jenna Shaw got married at a picturesque plantation in Charlotte, N.C.

Shaw was on hand for the win, as was Hughes’ mother Sandra, who was emotional as Hughes cemented his victory.

“She was pretty much in tears the entire Monday morning,” Hughes said.

Hughes’ longtime Kent State and Golf Canada teammate Taylor Pendrith drove more than three hours from his home outside Charleston, S.C. to see Hughes pull off the victory.

“I figured there wasn’t going to be a whole lot of people out there, and cold. Definitely advantage Mackenzie,” Pendrith said. “They say us Canadians play better in the cold, and he’s used to it. He grew up in it. It was the perfect setting for him to win.”

Fellow Canadian professional golfers Corey Conners and Albin Choi, along with Pendrith, were Hughes’ groomsmen in October. The trio made a pact that if any of them won on a professional tour this year the group would go to Las Vegas to celebrate.

“Now that I’ve won on the PGA Tour it’s a must that it happens,” Hughes said. “I told the boys that, and that’s something I want to follow through on. It’s just something I need to do with them and cap off the year. I’ve been through a lot with them. It’s been a crazy and amazing year.”

It was Conners’ schedule that was originally holding back the group from going on the trip, but what he lacks in logistical planning, he’ll make up for in advice at Augusta National. He played the Masters in 2015 after finishing runner-up at the 2014 U.S. Amateur.

“I know he’s going to have an incredible week,” Conners said. “It’s the best golf tournament in the world at the best venue in the world.

“I couldn’t be more excited for Mackenzie. He asked a lot about it, and he’s dreamt a lot about it. I’m excited for him to realize that dream like I did.”

Mackenzie Hughes (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

OAKVILE, Ont. – Golf Canada’s Great Canadian East-West Contest came to an end October 31, 2016 with more than 7 million member-posted scores from 2016 counting towards entry for a “golf trip of a life-time.”

A random winner was drawn by Golf Canada’s membership team at Golf House on November 15^th, with Bob Thompson from Sundre, Alta., being the lucky contestant.

Thompson, a long-time supporter of the game, was given the choice of a golf trip to Banff Springs (also in Alberta) or Cabot Links in Nova Scotia as his prize. Bob decided to head east to Cabot Links, where he will be joined by his wife Lynn in 2017.

Bob, a member from Sundre Golf Club, was so excited and surprised to find out he had won that he went to talk to the Pro at his golf shop to ensure what his win was in fact real. Of course, it was.

The Great Canadian East-West Contest was presented through the 2016 golf season to all Golf Canada and provincial golf association members. Members automatically entered the contest by having a membership with Golf Canada and earned an additional entry for each score posted into their Scoring record in the Golf Canada Score Centre from April 1 – October 31, 2016. The winner, selected at random, was drawn and able to select between a trip in 2017 to Banff Springs Golf Course in Alberta and Cabot Links Golf Course in Nova Scotia.

The Great Canadian East-West contest will return again in 2017 for another chance of a trip of a lifetime in 2018 for one lucky golf Canada member.

From all of us at Golf Canada, congrats Bob. Enjoy your trip and thanks for supporting golf in Canada.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Mackenzie Hughes holed an 18-foot par putt from off the green Monday morning to win the RSM Classic and become the first rookie in 20 years to go wire-to-wire for his first PGA Tour victory.

The Team Canada Young Pro Squad member calmed his nerves and came up clutch in chilly conditions at Sea Island. He was the only player of the four remaining in the playoff who was never on the green at the par-3 17th hole until his ball was in the cup.

“I made the putt of my life right there,” Hughes said.

All four players who had to return for the third extra playoff hole missed the green. Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., was in the toughest spot with a pitch up the slope to a green that ran quickly away from him. It stopped a few feet short of the green and he figured he had to make it to stay in the playoff.

He poured it in for par, slamming his fist, more out of relief than celebration.

Then, he watched Blayne Barber, Henrik Norlander and Camilo Villegas each miss par putts from 10 feet or closer.

“As each guy went down, it was that much more real,” Hughes said.

Hughes was standing off the green when Villegas missed. He dropped the putter from his hand, knocked the cap off his head and rubbed his hand over his head in disbelief. The 25-year-old Canadian is headed to Hawaii a week earlier next year, and more important, he’s in the Masters.

Mackenzie Hughes (Justin Heiman/ Getty Images)

Billy Horschel was eliminated from the five-man playoff on the first extra hole Sunday night when he narrowly missed a birdie putt, then shockingly missed a 2-foot putt. On the second playoff hole at the 18th, Hughes had a 10-foot putt for the win in the dark and didn’t see that it turned away slightly to the left.

He earned some redemption Monday morning, though it sure didn’t look that way when he didn’t reach the green with his pitch.

The last rookie to go wire-to-wire for his first win was Tim Herron at the 1996 Honda Classic when he opened with a 62 at TPC Eagle Trace. Hughes started this week with a 61, and he led after every round until he was posing with tournament host Davis Love III with the trophy.

Hughes, who closed with a 69 and finished at 17-under 265, capped a memorable fall season.

He began his rookie season by playing the final two rounds with Phil Mickelson, which helped him deal with the distractions of a large gallery. In his only week off, he and his longtime girlfriend from Kent State, Jenna, were married. They plan a honeymoon in the off-season, and now he gets to plan a schedule that includes Kapalua, Augusta National and the PGA Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he lives.

Hughes earned US$1.08 million and a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour. He was the second rookie to win during the fall start to the season. Cody Gribble won in Mississippi, though that was against a World Golf Championship event in China.

Villegas and Norlander do not have full PGA Tour cards, and a victory would have changed that. Villegas got into the field as a past champion, while Norlander has no PGA Tour status and received a sponsor’s exemption.

Villegas had made every big putt, from his birdies on the 16th and 17th in regulation to his 6-foot par putt on the 72nd hole to join the playoff, and another tough 4-foot putt in the dark Sunday night to stay alive. He missed from 7 feet Monday.

“I just pushed it a tiny bit,” Villegas. “But once again, I’m proud of myself. We want to win a golf tournament, so you go with a little bittersweet, but you’ve got to look at the positive and keep moving forward.”

https://t.co/9uCX3jioA8

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) November 21, 2016

The LPGA season wrapped today and Canada’s Brooke Henderson ended 2016 with two wins, 15 top-10 finishes & $1,724,409 earned, which left her 3rd on the LPGA official money list.

Henderson discussed her 2016 in this interview with the LPGA’s Matt Haas.

NAPLES, Fla. – Ariya Jutanugarn was unable to accept the CME Globe trophy when it was first being presented to her, needing both hands to hold a big plastic cube stuffed with $1 million in cash.

That’s a great way to end a season.

Jutanugarn’s breakout year ended with a haul of prizes Sunday at the CME Group Tour Championship- the LPGA Tour’s player of the year award, the money title and the season-long Race to CME Globe points competition that comes with a $1 million bonus.

A winner of five tournaments in a year that started slowly with a major meltdown in the California desert and turned around with her winning three consecutive starts in May, Jutanugarn held off Lydia Ko for all three of those trophies.

“I never expected like that much,” Jutanugarn said. “I just really wanted to win my first tournament this year.”

In Gee Chun made a 10-footer for birdie on the final hole to win the scoring title by the slimmest of margins, making her the first player since Nancy Lopez in 1978 to win both the Vare Trophy and rookie of the year in the same season. If Chun’s final putt had not fallen, Ko would have won the Vare for the first time.

“It’s still been a very cool season for me,” said Ko, the world’s No. 1 player, who wrapped Jutanugarn in a big hug when their rounds were complete before heading off to sign dozens of autographs.

Combined, Ko and Chun took more than 11,500 swings over 166 rounds – and the scoring title came down to one putt.

“It was big pressure for me,” Chun said. “I just tried to enjoy my last putt. … It was a big honour for me, to have my name next to legends.”

Add her to the list of young stars on the LPGA Tour. She’s 22, Jutanugarn turns 21 later this week and Ko doesn’t even turn 20 until early next year.

Add Charley Hull to that list as well. She’s a tournament winner now.

Another 20-year-old – youth is most definitely served in this era of women’s golf – Hull looked like a savvy veteran as she stalked what would become her first win. Hull finished two shots ahead of So Yeon Ryu, that margin coming after they had a two-shot swing at the 17th. Ryu’s approach came to rest along a 3-foot face of a bunker, forcing her to play off to the side and wind up settling for bogey.

Hull made birdie there, then coolly two-putted on the 18th to prevail. She shot 66-66 in a bogey-free weekend, with 12 birdies and 24 pars in her final 36 holes of the season.

“I was pretty calm,” Hull said. “I went on the golf course and tried not to think about golf.”

There were tournaments within the tournament, with many things decided in the season’s final minutes. Player of the year was settled first, when it became evident that Ko – who needed a win and nothing less to take that title – was not going to catch Hull. The Race to CME Globe came next, with this being the first time in that award’s three-year history that it wouldn’t go to Ko.

The scoring title then came down to Ko’s and Chun’s final putts, and about a half-hour later, Hull finished off the week and the season by making her first win the tour championship.

“It’s a pretty cool feeling,” Hull said. “Hasn’t quite sunk in yet.”

Hull finished at 19-under 269. So Yeon Ryu (67) was second, Jennifer Song (68) followed at 15 under, and Jutanugarn (69) was 14 under with Mo Martin (68) and Beatriz Recari (68). Chun (70) was seventh at 13 under.