EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – South Koreans In Gee Chun and Sung Hyun Park birdied eight holes each as they carded 8-under rounds of 63 for a share of the lead in the first round of the Evian Championship on Thursday.

In the fifth and final major of the season, New Zealander Lydia Ko’s bid to defend her title – and clinch a third career major by the age of 19 – got off to a rocky start as she finished seven shots behind the co-leaders.

“It was tricky for me because on the back nine I was not hitting fairways,” said Ko, who has 14 career wins on the U.S. LPGA Tour. “Hopefully I’ll be able to hit some fairways tomorrow.”

Chun, the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open champion, said she felt nervous after missing the cut here last year but hardly let it show.

“I could see the putting lines and I was good rolling the ball on those lines,” she said. “The greens are getting softer this year.”

While Ko’s play was patchy, with a bogey and only two birdies, her rival Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand had a day to forget with a 2-over 73 featuring a triple bogey.

Ko and Ariya have a good chance at Evian of taking the Annika Major Award, which rewards the major winner with the best combined record at all five majors of the season, and is named after 10-time major winner Annika Sorenstam.

A win here would clinch the award for either Ko or Ariya, but they face an uphill struggle.

Ko revealed herself to the golfing world at the Evian in 2013, when she finished second as a 16-year-old amateur.

This year, another young player emerged into contention on her tournament debut.

American Annie Park posted an eagle and five birdies in a 7-under round of 64 to move into a tie for third place with Olympic bronze medallist Shanshan Feng, who was third here last year. They are one stroke behind the leaders.

Annie Park’s performance caught the eye; and not least because her mum was caddying for her.

“That was fun. It was good to have my mum back on the bag. The last time she caddied was Hawaii in April,” she said. “She keeps things light and does some dances out there.”

Ranked 201, Annie Park joined the tour this year. She showed good composure in overcast and somewhat drizzly weather conditions on the picturesque course perched over Lake Geneva, enjoying a run of birdie-birdie-eagle on her front nine, then starting and finishing with birdies on the back nine.

American Angela Stanford posted a 6-under 65 to move into fifth, one shot ahead of South Koreans So Yeon Ryu and Eun-Hee Ji.

Starting in muggy afternoon conditions, Ko played in a group with South Korean Hyo Joo Kim, the 2014 champion, and Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, the 2013 winner.

When Ko sank her first birdie of the day, a 15-meter effort on the fifth hole, it drew a rueful smile from Pettersen, who had just missed with her birdie attempt from a similar distance.

Ko bogeyed the eighth hole and she was again in trouble on the 10th when her tee shot landed in the rough between two trees.

She saved par with a good escape shot close to the green.

“It’s a good thing my wood shots and chip shots were good enough,” said Ko, who last year became the youngest man or woman to be ranked No. 1.

Women’s PGA champion Brooke Henderson of Canada ended the day one shot ahead of Ko at 2-under.

Pettersen had a difficult day, joining Ariya and American Lexi Thompson, last year’s runner-up, at 2 over.

U.S. Open winner Brittany Lang had a nightmare with two double bogeys and three bogeys in a 5-over 76.

Thornbury, Ont. – Dustin Risdon put the hammer down Thursday at Lora Bay Golf Club, winning the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf in astonishing fashion.

The 35-year-old’s three-day total of 18-under-par (67-67-64) was 11-shots better than his nearest competitors, Mike Belbin, Thomas Keddy and Bryn Parry.

“All week I had the same goal of getting to 18-under-par,” Risdon said. “I had to make three birdies coming home to get to the number and I did, so that’s pretty awesome.”

Risdon’s final round 8-under-par 64 included nine birdies and a bogey—his first and only of the championship—at No. 11.

“I was grinding out there all day and was really nervous to be honest,” he admitted. “The bogey-free streak has been on my mind for the last couple days and I definitely didn’t want to slip up and let anyone back in the tournament.”
He most definitely didn’t let anyone in the field even get a scent of the top-spot, pouring in putt after putt on Lora Bay’s tricky greens.

The Calgary native’s last national championship came in 1997 when he won the Canadian Junior Boys Championship as a 16-year-old, but he says his win this week in definitely more special.

Risdon is a three-time Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada winner and played fulltime on the Web.com Tour in 2009 and 2010, amassing four top-10 finishes and winning nearly $200,000 USD.

“To be truthful I probably didn’t see myself playing this well ever again,” Risdon said. “There’s a lot of ups and down on the golf course and I’ve learned a lot about myself, my personality and how to deal with things out there.”

The win this week at Lora Bay caps off an impressive year for Risdon, who captured seven PGA of Alberta events in 2016. Risdon was also part of Team Alberta—which included Belbin, Wes Heffernan and Kasey Timms—that won the InterZone competition, winning by a remarkable 15-shots over Team Ontario.

Brian McCann, Sonny Michaud and Kevin Stinson finished 6-under-par, T5; while John Shin and Heffernan were T8 at 5-under. Nick Kenney and Dave McDonald rounded out the top 10 at 3-under.

For the full leaderboard, click here. 

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. and Oakville, Ont. – PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada unveiled today the Aruba Cup, a team competition December 12-18 at Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf in Aruba.

A three-year agreement will see the team event take place through at least 2018, featuring 10 players from each Tour competing against each other in a President’s Cup-style match play event, with the three competition days featuring Fourball, Foursomes and Singles matches on December 15, 16 and 17 this year.

“One of PGA TOUR Latinoamérica’s core missions is to provide opportunities for players in the region to prepare their games for the highest levels of golf. The Aruba Cup is one more opportunity for our players to showcase their game on a grand scale, and we’re delighted we could bring this team-format to Aruba,” said Jack Warfield, President PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.

“Since launching the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada in 2013, we’ve been working towards having a team event with players from both Tours competing against each other,” said Jeff Monday, President, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada. “We’re thrilled to partner with Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf for this event and look forward to a great week of competition.”

The teams will be composed of the top 10 available players from each Tour’s season-ending Order of Merit, with at least five Canadians on Team Mackenzie Tour and five players from Latin American countries on Team Latinoamérica. Honorary captains consisting of players from each Tour’s region will be announced for each team at a later date.

Aruba Tourism, the Destination Marketing and Management Organization (DMMO) for Aruba responsible for uniting tourism interests amongst the on- and off-island stakeholders/partners, will be the event’s title sponsor.

“We’re thrilled to host the Aruba Cup on our One Happy Island, welcoming guests and competitors from around the world to showcase their skills while enjoying the ultimate Caribbean experience,” said Ronella Tjin Asjoe-Croes, CEO of Aruba Tourism Authority. “We are truly excited about the opportunity to partner with the PGA TOUR and hosting a world class event on our beautiful island. We are sure all of the competitors and fans will enjoy their time while in Aruba.”

“Our gratitude goes out to the Aruba Tourism Authority for their efforts and support to make this event a reality, and we eagerly await the opportunity to showcase Aruba as a premiere golf destination with the inaugural Aruba Cup,” said Monday.

The tournament will also feature a week-long schedule of ancillary events, including formal opening and closing ceremonies and a pro-am on Sunday, December 18 following the competition.

“For Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf, it is a privilege to partner with the PGA TOUR and the Aruba Tourism Authority to host an international golf event of this calibre. Tierra del Sol is a unique course that combines the best of golf in Scotland, Arizona and the Carribean in one round, and we cannot wait to welcome the players here in December,” said Cisco Quant, General Manager, Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf.

The 2016 Mackenzie Tour season will conclude on Sept. 18 at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship, while the 2016 PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season will conclude on Dec. 4 at the Latinoamérica Tour Championship.

Chloe Currie of Mississauga, Ont., has already had the kind of season that most junior golfers dream of, but later this month she’ll get to experience the proverbial ‘cherry on top’ of a fine year.

The 16-year-old was just recently chosen to represent Canada at the World Junior Girls Championship at Mississaugua Golf & Country Club – her home course.

“Everybody I know at the club is so thrilled,” says Currie. “They’ve been incredibly supportive of me and Team Canada and the whole event in general. Having everybody there is going to be incredible.”

Earlier this summer Currie defended her Investors Group Ontario Junior Girls’ Golf Championship, becoming just the fifth golfer in history to accomplish that feat. Names like Sandra Post, Alena Sharp, Marlene Stewart Streit, and Brooke Henderson are the others who have pulled that feat.

Currie also captured the 2016 Ontario Juvenile Girls Championship and collected runner-up results at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship and Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Currie began to play at Mississaugua nearly a decade ago and has been climbing the junior ranks since she was a youngster. She was on Team Ontario for two years before being selected to Golf Canada’s Developmental Squad this year.

Nick Starchuk, the Head Teaching Professional at Mississaugua and coach to Currie, says having her in the field has the potential to be ‘huge for the club’ and Currie knows despite the fact the event is being played at her club, she’s going to treat the event like any other.

“You go away to a tournament, and the members ask or they’ll look (the scores) up online and text or email me, but they’ve never seen it for real,” Currie explains. “It’ll be cool for them to enter my little world.”

Currie, who has verbally committed to the College of Charleston in South Carolina, first thought that her high school – which is only 15 minutes away from the course – was going to have some days off to watch her play. That’s not the case, as it’s still early in the school year, but Currie has been told a number of her friends will be coming to watch her anyway.

“I know there’s a big group that wants to. We’ve been joking about it but I don’t know if it’s actually going to happen,” she says with a laugh. “I know the guys that I’m friends with who are members at Mississaugua – the rest of the juniors – they want to take a day or two off to come and watch.”

And although Currie is focused on a good result, there’s part of her that knows just by participating in front of her home club, she has an opportunity to have an impact on the next generation of golfers.

“That’s what’s cool,” states Currie. “Brooke (Henderson) obviously has inspired so many girls, but she’s inspired me too. I remember when she was playing in (the World Junior Girls Championship) at Angus Glen (in 2014). I remember reading and hearing about that. Brooke was only here two years ago, and it’s kind of incredible that I’m here now.”

Currie says there are two girls at Mississaugua who are less than 10 years old who are ‘so good,’ and Currie knows they are looking up to her.

“That’s what I did when I was nine and 10. They’re adorable and they look up to me, I’ve seen it. It’s cool that now, hopefully, I’m inspiring them a little bit,” she explains. “It’s cool to be inspired yourself, and then you hope that you give it back a little bit too.”

And regardless of her finish, she knows it will be nice to have the club behind her.

“To be able to share this experience with everyone who has been incredibly kind as I was growing up – I mean, they saw me on the range when I was a little girl and now I’m 16, doing this,” Currie says. “It’s pretty cool.”

Nike appears set to add another No. 1 golfer to its stable, this time strictly for the apparel.

ESPN is reporting that Jason Day will sign a deal with Nike to wear its clothes, hat and shoes starting next year. Nike announced last month it is getting out of the equipment business. ESPN cited sources as saying that Day would continue using TaylorMade equipment, but not the Adidas apparel or shoes.

Golfweek magazine said another Day sponsor, Concur, is expanding its deal in which the Australian would have the logo on his bag instead of the crest of his shirt. As noted by reporter Bob Weeks, Nike generally does not allow any other logos on its apparel.

What logos will remain on J-Day’s clothing? Nike usually sole one. RBC negotiating a new deal and hopes to stay on collar.

— Bob Weeks (@BobWeeksTSN) September 13, 2016

Nike previously had Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods when they were No. 1, both full-line deals involving apparel and golf clubs.

CALGARY – Many golfers will be heading back to school with a scholarship this year, after Alberta Golf announced the 2016 scholarship recipients.

The successful applicants include past Team Alberta members, past Interprovincial Team members, Alberta Junior Champions, Alberta Amateur Champions, as well as students who simply enjoy the sport.

Alberta Golf’s scholarship program is open to all applicants pursuing their academic interests such that golfing ability is not a requirement. More than 20 of the recipients are past junior players who have competed in Alberta Golf’s provincial championships and several continue to play at a post-secondary level.

Scholarship applications are evaluated by a committee of volunteers based on the criteria of financial need, grade point average and volunteer experience. The funds for the scholarships are generated through a yearly casino, the generosity of patrons and from various donors and foundations.

The 2016 scholarship recipients are:
Lindsay Almberg, Barrett Belland, Katie Benoit, Quinn Ceplis, Andrew Chelack, Celine Copeland, Courtney Dickson, Claire Emery, Jolene Freerksen, Kevin Gfrerer, Heather Gisi, Patrick Gobran, Andrew Harrison, Bria Jansen, Conaire Kehoe, Peter Keith, Kat Kennedy, Alissa Kuhn, Julie Kuhn, Brendan Kuny, Carolyn Lee, Daria Leidenius, Shaye Leidenius, Erin Martens, Kate Martens, Scott McNichol, Melanie Murchison, Brandon Murphy, Hamzah Naeem, Nathan Nobert, Jack Pengelly, Allan Pruss, Michael Pruss, Dalton Ronan, Elliot Saive, Tyler Saunders, Luke Scanlon, Amanda Sha, Tyler Vandermeer, Mackenzie Walker, Sydney Weber, Rachel Wiebe and Jack Wood.

The application process for the 2017 academic year starts January 1, with a deadline of July 15, 2017. For more information on the application process, click here.

Individual and corporate donations are greatly appreciated. Each donation is eligible to receive a tax receipt. To donate online at any time, click here.

The Freedom 55 Financial Championship is the final of 12 events on the 2016 schedule, with three events in as many weeks to close out the race to finish in The Five and earn status on the Web.com Tour for 2016. The top 60 players on the Order of Merit through the Niagara Championship make the field and retain exempt status on the Mackenzie Tour for the 2017 season.

The event returns to the Stanley Thompson-designed Highland Country Club for the second year, where in 2015 Murfreesboro, Tennessee’s Jason Millard defeated defending champion Ryan Williams of Vancouver in a playoff to move from 30^th on the Order of Merit into fifth, earning status on the Web.com Tour for this season.

Final stop in the race for The Five

This week’s by Freedom 55 Financial Championship is the final chance for players to earn status on the Web.com Tour for next season. Below is a breakdown of the Web.com Tour status available by position on the 2015 Order of Merit.

McCarthy secures exempt Web.com Tour status

Thanks to an unprecedented season of four wins and $156,783 in earnings, Syracuse, New York’s Dan McCarthy has removed all suspense from the chase for the top spot on the Order of Merit. With a $77,508 lead over No. 2 Brock Mackenzie heading into this week, the 31-year old is mathematically guaranteed to finish No. 1 on the season-long money list, earning fully exempt status on the Web.com Tour for 2017.

About Dan McCarthy:

Full name: Daniel Thomas McCarthy
Height/Weight: 6’0”/200 lbs.
Hometown: Syracuse, New York
Residence: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Birthdate: July 30, 1985
Education: Le Moyne College (2007, Marketing)
Mackenzie Tour wins: 2016 Freedom 55 Financial Open, 2016 GolfBC Championship, 2016 Players Cup, 2016 Cape Breton Open
Records set in 2016: Most wins in a season (4), Highest single-season earnings ($156,783), Largest margin of victory (7 strokes, GolfBC Championship/Players Cup), Low 72-hole score (259, GolfBC Championship/Players Cup)
Mackenzie Tour leader in the following statistical categories: Eagles (11), Scoring Average (68.06), Top 10 finishes (7), Birdie Average (4.81), Par-4 Scoring Average (3.89).

McCarthy leads the way in the current top five heading into this week:

Wise looking to hold on to ‘bubble’ position

2016 NCAA Champion Aaron Wise comes into the Freedom 55 Financial Championship on the verge of finishing in The Five and earning Web.com Tour status, currently holding the coveted fifth spot. The Lake Elsinore, California native became the youngest winner of the PGA TOUR era on the Mackenzie Tour earlier this year when he captured the Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON at 20 years, 1 month and 10 days old, and in six starts has yet to finish outside the top-15.

Any player currently 32^nd or better on the Order of Merit has the mathematical possibility of moving inside The Five with a win this week. Below are the top 32 and their minimum required finish to surpass Wise in fifth place.

Cornelson comes back strong in 2016
Following a season where he finished 94^th on the Order of Merit, Langley, B.C.’s Adam Cornelson has produced a career season in 2016, with a win at the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist and five top-25 finishes. The 28-year old holds the fourth spot on the Order of Merit, in position to earn the Dan Halldorson Trophy as Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year along with a $25,000 prize.

Currently, five Canadian players are in contention for the award. Below are the 11 players and their minimum required finish to surpass current top Canadian Adam Cornelson.

Canadians in the Field: 12

Adam Cornelson – Langley, B.C.
Austin Connelly – Church Point, N.S.
Michael Gligic – Burlington, Ont.
Ryan Williams – Vancouver, B.C.
Max Gilbert – St. Georges, Qc.
Seann Harlingten – West Vancouver, B.C.
Brad Clapp – Chilliwack, B.C.
Wil Bateman – Edmonton, Alta.
James Love – Calgary, Alta.
Cory Renfrew – Victoria, B.C.
Sebastian Szirmak – Toronto, Ont.
Aaron Cockerill – Stonewall, Man.

(Listowel, Ont.’s Corey Conners qualified at No. 19 on the Order of Merit, but is opting to play the remainder of the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season)
Notes on the field

• Countries represented: United States (39), Canada (12), England (2), France (1), French Polynesia (1), Zimbabwe (1), Germany (1).
• 30 players who earned status at Qualifying Schools this Spring (8 USA East No. 1/Reunion, 9 USA East No. 2/PGA Village, 5 California, 8 British Columbia).
• 23 players who had never held status on the Mackenzie Tour prior to 2016.
• Nine players who turned professional after completing their NCAA seasons this past spring: Taylor Moore/Arkansas, Aaron Wise/Oregon, Max Rottluff/Arizona State, Carter Jenkins/North Carolina, Will Starke/South Carolina, Paul Barjon/Texas Christian, Jonathan Garrick/UCLA, Hank Lebioda/Florida State, Sean Kelly/South Carolina.

Thornbury, ONT. – Ontario’s Blue Mountain region will host this week’s PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf.

The 54-hole national championship takes place Sept. 13-15 at The Golf Club at Lora Bay and features a field loaded with talent.

“The PGA of Canada is very excited about visiting the Blue Mountains region of Ontario and the magnificent Golf Club at Lora Bay this week,” said PGA of Canada president Steve Wood. “The PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf annually features some of the best players in our association and this year might be our best field ever.”

For first and second round tee times, click here.

Nestled in the Blue Mountains, the Golf Club at Lora Bay offers a playable round of golf that pays tribute to historic rural Ontario.  The dramatic course design was dictated by the dynamic forested shoreline of the brilliant Georgian Bay.

“We are thrilled to host the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf,” said Lora Bay’s head golf professional Nate Clingersmith. “There’s nothing quite like the Blue Mountains and Lora Bay in the fall.”

Co-designed by the former No. 1-ranked golfer in the world Tom Lehman and famed architect Thomas McBroom, the golf course has received numerous accolades over the years.

Celebrating its’ 10th anniversary, Lora Bay has hosted a number of impressive events over the years, including the 2007 World Skins Game and the Web.Com’s Wayne Gretzky Classic from 2008-2010.

There will also be a 36-hole Inter-Zone competition compiled of four players on each team representing their respective PGA Zone and is contested over the first two rounds.

Admittance to the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada is free and spectators are encouraged to attend during championship play.

CARMEL, Ind. – Dustin Johnson knows as well as anyone that no matter how good he is and how well he plays, something can always go wrong in golf.

Just not this week at the BMW Championship.

Not this year, really.

An awesome talent, Johnson is starting to pile up the victories to prove it. He ran off four birdies in a five-hole stretch to regain control Sunday, left Paul Casey feeling helpless by matching his eagle putt late in the round and sailed home to a 5-under 67 for a three-shot victory at Crooked Stick.

“Ran into a buzz saw,” Casey said after a 67 to finish runner-up in a FedEx Cup playoff event for the second straight week. “That was something special the last two days, and I did everything I could. So I’m holding my head up very high.”

Johnson, though, it at another level right now.

Known for so many years as the guy who couldn’t catch a break in the biggest events, he won for the third time in eight starts dating to his first major at the U.S. Open. And this might have been his most complete performance. Powerful off the tee, relentless with the putter, dialed with his wedges, there was no stopping him.

“I’ve got a lot of confidence in every part of my game,” Johnson said.

He just doesn’t have much to say about it, mainly because he doesn’t need to.

Casey’s last hope came on the par-5 15th when he rolled in a 25-foot eagle putt to get within one shot. That lasted as long as it took Johnson to line up his 18-foot eagle putt and pour it in to restore his three-shot margin.

He finished at 23-under 265 and went over $9 million in earnings for the year, along with taking the No. 1 seed in the FedEx Cup to the finale in two weeks at East Lake for the Tour Championship.

The consolation for Casey, along with $1,836,000 for his two runner-up finishes, was the No. 5 seed at the Tour Championship in two weeks. That means he only has to win at East Lake to capture the $10 million bonus.

Rickie Fowler won’t have any chance at all.

Fowler, who started the week at No. 22 in the FedEx Cup , closed with a 71 and finished 59th at Crooked Stick. He was bumped out of the top 10 by the smallest margin in the 10-year history of the FedEx Cup – 0.57 points behind Charl Schwartzel, who closed with a 64.

The timing is particularly bad for Fowler because Davis Love III makes three of his captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup on Monday, with another one right after the Tour Championship. Fowler won’t have another chance to audition, though he might get picked on Monday, anyway.

Asked if he had done enough to be picked, Fowler said, “I would like to think so.”

“I’ve done basically everything I can do as far as schedule and playing,” said Fowler, who left the Olympics to play the following week on the PGA Tour. “It would have been nice to play better to make the pick a lot easier on him. But whether he has his mind made up or is still thinking, that’s up to him.”

Fowler’s hopes came down to J.B. Holmes in a finish that had nothing to do with the trophy. Fowler would have made it to the Tour Championship if Holmes made either a birdie or a bogey. Holmes would have been eliminated with a bogey.

He drilled it down the middle of the fairway, hit the green, lagged a 40-foot putt to 4 feet and made it for par for a 74.

“I envisioned it being a little bit better than that going into the day, but that’s how it is,” Holmes said. “You don’t always have your best game, and I was able to finish it off and get in the Tour Championship.”

Holmes tied for fourth, key for him because the big hitter from Kentucky also needs a captain’s pick to play in the Ryder Cup. Holmes finished at No. 10 in the Ryder Cup standings, one spot ahead of Fowler. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot a 71 to finish the event tied for 32nd at 5-under 283.

“I feel like I played well enough to get that shot,” Holmes said. “We’ll see.”

Roberto Castro holed out for eagle from the seventh fairway on his way to a 67 to finish alone in third, sending the Georgia Tech grad and Atlanta resident home to play in the Tour Championship for the second time.

All this activity was far more compelling than the actual tournament, for Johnson never looked as though he was going to lose – no matter how well Casey played. Casey is playing some of his best golf in seven years, and he now has a clear shot at the $10 million bonus at East Lake.

Maybe.

“If I don’t run into Dustin in two weeks,” he said, “I got a great chance to maybe win the FedEx Cup.”