GARDEN CITY, Kansas – Dana Finkelstein (Chandler, Arizona) was using the wrong side of her pin sheet at the start of her round, but she was able to laugh about it after her stellar 7-under, 65 to match the Garden City Charity Classic course record, which was set earlier in the day by Jennifer Ha of Calgary.

Finkelstein and Ha each tallied eight birdies against just one bogey to lead at Buffalo Dunes on Thursday. Olympian Stephanie Meadow (Jordanstown, Northern Ireland) and former LSU golfer Lindsay Gahm (Louisville, Kentucky) share third at 4-under, 68. Last week’s winner, Nelly Korda (Bradenton, Florida), posted a 3-under, 69 and is in a tie for fifth with Michelle Piyapattra (Eastvale, California) and Tracy Stanford (Midland, Texas).

Ha has played the last two weeks on the LPGA Tour during the Canadian swing and used the momentum to post a 7-under, 65.

“In a tournament, this was my best round of the year,” said Ha, who breaks the record shared by Vicky Hurst and Laetitia Beck. “I started off really well with two pars and then three birdies in a row and that kick-started me to a good round today.”

Ha, 22, had to do some scrambling as she hit 9-of-14 fairways, but used a hot flatstick to make up for it. She attempted just 27 putts during her round.

“I hit some errant tee shots today, but I hit a lot of shots inside 20 feet and my putter was working,” said Ha. “When I left myself with 15-20 feet, I was able to make them.”

Ha has played in eight Symetra Tour events this season and has one top 10 finish, a tie for seventh at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship. She posted back-to-back rounds of 69 before the tourney was shortened to 36 holes due to weather.

The former Kent State star spent the last two weeks playing on the LPGA Tour at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and the Manulife LPGA Classic. She said she learned a lot and the experience is helping her this week.

“It definitely gave me more confidence going into these rounds thinking that I can play on the LPGA,” said Ha, who missed the cut in both events, but still posted a 71 and a 72. “I played with Maria McBride and she was awesome.

When we talked, she gave me so much confidence and that is what I needed going into this week.

Ha, who was the MAC Golfer of the Year as a junior and First-Team All-MAC as a senior at Kent State, said her first year on Tour has been an adjustment.

“There are so many good players that can shoot 7-under, 8-under every week,” said Ha. “It is definitely hard to keep up.”

Ha ranks 113th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list so her major goal is to play well heading into Stage II of LPGA Qualifying Tournament, which is Oct. 17-23.

She also likes Buffalo Dunes and feels like it suits her game.

“It’s a pretty tough course, the rough is long so if you go in the rough it is penalizing, but thankfully I didn’t,” said Ha. “The greens definitely hold here and I love being able to go at the pins.”

Mississauga, ONT. – Vivian Tsui said she only made one putt all week at the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada. But that one putt just happened to be for birdie on the first extra hole at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club.

The 22-year-old from Markham, Ont., poured in a 15-footer for birdie at Credit Valley’s tough 18th—the first playoff hole—to best Surrey, B.C.’s, Taylor Kim. With the playoff victory, Tsui joins the likes of Brooke Henderson, Lorie Kane, Alena Sharp and Gail Graham as winners of the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.

“It’s really special to win this prestigious championship,” Tsui said. “All the names who have won this championship before are all legends in Canadian golf and it’s pretty cool that my name is now on that trophy too.”

For the win—her second as a professional—the former N.C. State University star takes home $10,000 and a lot of gained confidence.

“This win, with it coming so close to home and having my dad on the bag this week, will do a lot for my confidence,” Tsui said. “I’ve been in a bit of a rut the last couple weeks but this win solidifies that I still have a nice game.”

The PGA Women’s Championship of Canada was first played in 1987.

Christina Foster, Anna Kim and Nicole Vandermade finished T3, while five-time PGA Women’s Championship of Canada winner Lorie Kane, Lisa Ferrero and Camry Tardy was T6. Maya Parsons finished alone in 9th, while Robyn Doig rounded out the top 10.

Glendale Golf and Country Club’s Kyle Barros claimed low PGA of Canada professional honours.

For the full PGA Women’s Championship of Canada leaderboard, click here.

The next PGA of Canada national championship takes place Sept. 13-15 at The Golf Club at Lora Bay in Thornbury, Ont., for the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf.

Mississauga, ONT. – Three young Canadians are tied for the lead after the first round of the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.

Christina Foster of Concord, Ont., and former Team Canada players Nicole Vandermade and Taylor Kim each posted 1-under-par 71’s Wednesday at Credit Valley Golf & Country Club.

Richmond Hill’s Anna Kim sits one shot off the lead at even-par, while Vivian Tsui and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame winner Lorie Kane lurk just two shots back at 1-over.

“This is a great golf course, Credit Valley,” Kane said after her round Wednesday. “I’m jealous because I’d love to play here everyday.”

Kane, who has won the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada a record five times, says she’s looking forward to playing in the second-to-last group and chasing down the three young leaders.

“I never press but I always like to chase,” the four-time LPGA Tour winner from Charlottetown said. “And I think that if I get to be out ahead of the leaders, that’s a good thing.”

Vandermade, who won the Symetra Tour in 2014, said she plans to keep things rolling for Thursday’s final round.

“I just want to keep doing the same things that I did today and not try and think about things too much,” she said. “I’ll just hit some golf shots, try to make some putts, add them up at the end and see what happens.”

For the full PGA Women’s Championship of Canada leaderboard, click here.

Hannah Hellyer of Windermere Golf & Country Club and Golf-Tonus PTMT’s Sylvie Schetagne are tied for the lead of the Club Professional division.

The PGA Women’s Championship of Canada was first played in 1987 and in addition to five-time winner Kane, past champions include Brooke Henderson, Cathy Sherk, Gail Graham, Nancy Harvey, Alena Sharp and Jessica Shepley.

The two-day, 36-hole championship is being played at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club. Admittance to the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada is free and spectators are encouraged to attend during championship play.

LIVE on #Periscope: PGA Women’s Championship of Canada https://t.co/sh4WoOUHiL

— PGA of Canada (@pgaofcanada) September 7, 2016

FAR HILLS, N.J. – The United States Golf Association will host the 2017 North American Golf Innovation Symposium on March 6-7 in Vancouver, gathering  leaders in sustainable facility management and sports research to share knowledge and advance the game.

Symposium attendees will discuss how research, science and data can help golf facilities around the world reduce their costs, operate more efficiently and provide a better experience for golfers. Over two days, the USGA and other contributing innovators will share details of their ongoing work in areas such as resource management, golf operations, revenue management, pace of play and equipment standards.

“Golf facilities have saved water and fuel, solved problems that cause bottlenecks on the golf course, and introduced programs to welcome more people into our game – simply by learning and sharing best practices discussed at these forums,” said Mike Davis, executive director/CEO of the USGA. “It’s a significant priority for the USGA to bring these leaders together, and foster this kind of innovative thinking each year.”

The 2017 event will be the fourth symposium hosted by the USGA, and the first conducted outside the United States. The first two events focused on pace of play and were held at USGA headquarters in Far Hills, N.J. In January 2016, the symposium in Pasadena, Calif., added programs on other aspects of facility management and golfer experience. Presentations from previous symposiums, delivered by the LPGA Tour, American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) and USGA, among others, can be found by clicking here.

The 2017 event, supported by Golf Canada and the Mexican Golf Federation, will center on three major themes: Golfer Experience, Facility Sustainability and Innovation in Governance. The USGA will introduce technologies and tools, in addition to presenting research results from the USGA’s strategic partnership with the University of Minnesota. One of the partnership’s first studies measures the impact of green speed on pace of play.

Other planned topics include facility benchmarking, insights from the USGA-ASGCA Site Evaluation Program, and ideas for improving the golfer experience, such as flexible course routing and Tee It Forward guidance. Presenters will represent academia, the private sector, non-endemic golf industries and golf associations.

“The challenges facing golf courses transcend borders,” said Scott Simmons, CEO of Golf Canada. “Like other organizations around the world, we are trying to help our golf community, and we are excited to bring the Golf Innovation Symposium to Canada so we can provide an opportunity for our facility managers to benefit from the knowledge that will be shared.”

Additional details will be made available in the coming months.

The 2017 Golf Innovation Symposium reflects the latest effort by the USGA to serve the game of golf as a knowledge center and information-exchange platform for golf facility operators and owners, and to spark and share innovative thinking for a healthy future for the game.

CARMEL, Ind. – Out of golf for more than a year, Tiger Woods said Wednesday he hopes to play the first event of the PGA Tour season next month and could play as much as twice more before the end of the year.

Woods said if his rehabilitation from back surgeries keeps going well, he would play the Safeway Open in Napa, California, on Oct. 13-16.

“My rehabilitation is to the point where I’m comfortable making plans, but I still have work to do,” Woods said in a surprise announcement on his website . “Whether I can play depends on my continued progress and recovery. My hope is to have my game ready to go.”

Woods last played on Aug. 23, 2015, at the Wyndham Championship. Two shots out of the lead going into the final round, he closed with a 70 and tied for 10th. A month later, he announced he had another operation on his back. Then, Woods had a third back surgery in October.

He missed all four majors for the first time in his career.

Jack Nicklaus tweeted to Woods.

.@TigerWoods, it’s great to see you back and in good health. You’ve done so much for the game and it’s better with you playing. Good luck!

— Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) September 7, 2016

The Safeway Open is the opening event of the wraparound PGA Tour season held at Silverado. Woods also said he intends to play in the Turkish Airlines Open the first weekend in November and his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas the first week of December, where he would be eligible for the 18-man field as the tournament host.

He also said he would take part in his Tiger Woods Invitational, a charity event for his foundation, Oct. 10-11 on the Monterey Peninsula.

“It was difficult missing tournaments that are important to me, but this time I was smart about my recovery and didn’t rush it,” Woods said.

The announcement was a swift departure from the few public appearances this year in which Woods has said he planned to return but did not have a timetable.

Now he does.

“He needs to get back out here,” U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson said. “The tour needs him, and I want to see him playing well again. He’s not going to come back unless he’s ready, so I feel like he’ll play well. Winning? I don’t see it right away. But he’s on a different level than anyone else. He’ll be prepared.”

Rory McIlroy said he knew Woods was close based on a conversation with Woods’ agent at the British Open this year. He said the PGA Tour sent out an alert to players on their mobile phones, which McIlroy checked at the end of his pro-am round at the BMW Championship.

“I’m sort of glad I’m not there that week. … It’s going to be a bit of a circus,” McIlroy said. “But it’s good to see him back and healthy, and it will be exciting to see him back on the course again.”

Woods won his 79th PGA Tour title in 2013 at the Bridgestone Invitational, leaving him three short of the record held by Sam Snead. The last of his 14 majors was in the 2008 U.S. Open, right before reconstructive surgery on his left knee. He hasn’t seriously contended in a major since 2013. Woods had his first back surgery right before the 2014 Masters.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him play again, seeing what the state of his game is,” world No. 1 Jason Day said. “I think he’s done it the right way by waiting and not coming back too soon. There’s been a couple of times where I feel like he may have come back too soon and kind of injured himself a little bit more and that’s what’s kept him out of the game so long.”

Woods first played in Turkey in 2013 when it was an exhibition and as part of the deal, he was required to play in Napa at least once over the next three years. Woods had been planning to play last year until back surgery, and then the tournament changed title sponsors.

Phil Mickelson also is playing the Safeway Open.

VICTORIA – World Golf Hall of Famers Vijay Singh and Colin Montgomerie, as well as four-time European Ryder Cup team member Miguel Angel Jimenez, have committed to play the 2016 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship.

The Champions Tour event will be contested at Bear Mountain Golf Resort’s Mountain Course in Victoria the week of September 19-25, 2016. The tournament will feature a US$2.5 million purse, with 81 players competing for a winner’s share of $375,000.

Singh, who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2005, won 34 times over a standout PGA TOUR career, including major championship wins at the 1998 and 2004 PGA Championship, as well as the 2000 Masters Tournament.

The Fiji native competed on the International Presidents Cup team eight times throughout his illustrious career, where 31 of his 34 wins came during the Tiger Woods era. The 34 victories rank 14th on the all-time PGA TOUR wins list, ahead of names such as Lee Trevino, Gary Player and Johnny Miller.

Montgomerie, who spent the vast majority of his career competing on the European Tour, has made a second home on the Champions Tour. The 53-year-old has notched three victories on Tour, including the 2014 and 2015 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, as well as the 2014 U.S. Senior Open – all of which are senior major championships.

The eight-time European Ryder Cup team member compiled one of the all-time best records in the biennial event, posting a 20-7-1 stat line without losing a singles match. During his tenure on the team, the Scotland native helped the Europeans to five victories, with each coming in his last six years of competition from 1995 through 2006.

Montgomerie won a record eight European Tour Order of Merit titles, including seven in a row from 1993 through 1999. His 31 career victories, which are the most of any British player in Tour history, gave way to a World Golf Hall of Fame induction in 2013.

Much like Montgomerie, Jimenez became a household name through his play overseas, including four stints on the European Ryder Cup team alongside 21 victories.

The 52-year-old earned fan favorite status through the years with his trademark ponytail and well-lit cigar during tournament rounds. On social media, Jimenez acquired an entirely new set of fans via his pre-round stretching routine, which combined the looks of yoga and dance to create an infinite number of posts on numerous outlets.

On the Champions Tour, the Spaniard has won an event each of the last three years, with a victory at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in April serving as the most recent. Jimenez has been the best player on Tour this year behind Bernhard Langer, notching a staggering seven top-5 finishes in eight starts, including the win and four runner-up finishes.

The trio of legends was joined by five other players of note in the event’s most recent commitment list, with World Golf Hall of Fame member Mark O’Meara leading the way.

The two-time major championship winner, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015, has two career wins on the Champions Tour, including the 2010 Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship – one of five senior major championships.

Also announced today were 1982 Masters Champion Craig Stadler, former U.S. Presidents Cup team Captain Jay Haas, 2005 PLAYERS Championship winner Fred Funk and 11-time PGA TOUR winner John Cook.

Tournament week in Victoria will begin with Official Pro-Ams on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by 54 holes of championship play from Friday through Sunday, with no cut. All three competitive rounds will be broadcast live by Golf Channel to more than 200 million homes in 84 countries and 11 languages around the world.

Tickets are also on-sale for this premier event and can be purchased at www.selectyourtickets.com. 

London, Ont. – Golf Canada in partnership with title sponsor Freedom 55 Financial and the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada confirmed today that the Thames Valley Children’s Centre (TVCC) will return as the official charitable beneficiary of the Freedom 55 Financial Championship, which will run September 12-18, 2016 at Highland Country Club in London, Ont.

Leading up to this year’s championship, a pair of community donations have been made in the name of the Freedom 55 Financial Championship to kick off the charity fundraising efforts for the season ending event on Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada.

London, Ont. native and NHL player Brandon Prust has donated $25,000 through the Brandon Prust Foundation to Thames Valley Children’s Centre in the name of the Freedom 55 Financial Championship. The Brandon Prust Foundation was created in 2014 with a mission to improve kids’ lives. The Foundation strives to help kids be happier and healthier through funding events, programs and activities, especially to aid children experiencing illness or pain.

An additional donation of $25,000 was made to the Thames Valley Children’s Centre by the Harbour Grace Foundation, a collection of companies owned and managed by Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ms. Kyle MacDonald. The company is headquartered in London, Ontario and is active in several industries, including real estate, publishing, entertainment, and manufacturing. The Harbour Grace Group is also active in multiple philanthropic endeavours, and Ms. MacDonald has a passionate interest in supporting scholarships for young Canadian students wishing to access world-class post-secondary educations.

The Mackenzie Tour also committed support to the Thames Valley Children’s Centre with a donation of $12,500 in the name of the Freedom 55 Financial Championship on behalf of Mackenzie Investments.

In 2015, more than $44,000 was raised in support of Thames Valley through various fundraising activities during the Freedom 55 Financial Championship.

Thames Valley Children’s Centre (TVCC) works to support children and their families to achieve the highest possible quality of life. TVCC serves more than 8000 children, youth and their families every year through a wide range of services provided out of the main London Centre and 15 regional office locations across Southwestern Ontario. Clients range in age from birth to 19 with services supporting a range of special needs including physical disabilities, communication disorders, developmental delays and autism spectrum disorders.

The 12^th and final event on the Mackenzie Tour schedule will see the culmination of the race for Web.com Tour status at Highland Country Club. Only the top 60 players on the Order of Merit will be eligible, setting up an exciting race to the season’s final event.

The top five players on the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit earn Web.com Tour status for the following season, with players finishing in spots 6^th through 10^th earning an exemption into the final stage and players finishing 11^th through 20^th into the second stage of Web.com Tour Qualifying School.

Tennessee native Jason Millard won the 2015 Freedom 55 Financial Championship over 2014 champion and Team Freedom golfer Ryan Williams of Vancouver while fellow Team Freedom player Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont. won the Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year Award. Both Girard and Pendrith were among the season ending Top-5 last year to advance to the 2016 Web.com Tour.

The 2016 Freedom 55 Financial Championship is also pleased to invite attendees to a FREE live concert following play on Friday September 15. Local rockers Soul Trippers will play an outdoor concert at Highland Country Club and admission to the concert is FREE with your ticket to the Freedom 55 Financial Championship. Daily prize draws will include Two Weekly Passes to the 2017 RBC Canadian Open (Thursday & Friday); Two Weekly Passes to the 2017 Players Championship (Saturday); and Two Weekly Passes for the 2017 President’s Cup (Sunday).

As well, children aged 17 and under get in free all week without restriction at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship – download your free junior tickets here.

Volunteer and ticket information is available at www.freedom55financialchampionship.com.

Mississauga, Ont. — Lorie Kane headlines the field for this week’s PGA Women’s Championship of Canada at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club.

Kane, who was recently inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, looks to win her record sixth PGA Women’s Championship of Canada but will face fierce competition from a contingent of players including Nicole Vandermade, Lisa Ferrero and Kylie Barros.

“It’s going to be a fantastic championship this week at Credit Valley,” said PGA of Canada president Steve Wood. “Our field is headlined by Canadian golf legend Lorie Kane who has a chance to win an amazing sixth PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.”

The two-day, 36-hole championship will be played Sept. 7-8 at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club. Admittance to the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada is free and spectators are encouraged to attend during championship play.

Credit Valley last hosted the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada in 2008, which was won by American Hannah Jun. The club has also hosted the 1993 PGA Championship of Canada and last year’s PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada.

“Credit Valley Golf and Country Club has a long standing history of hosting national golf championships and once again we are very excited to showcase our exceptional golf course to the best female golfers in the world,” said Credit Valley’s Chief Operating Officer Ian Webb.

Originally the hunting and fishing grounds of the Ojibway people, Credit Valley traces its golfing beginning back to 1930. Ontario’s then Lieutenant Governor, W.D. Ross, commissioned that six holes be built on the original property which was located where the driving range and parking lot now stand.

Last year at Burlington Golf & Country Club, golf superstar Brooke Henderson won her second-straight PGA Women’s Championship of Canada title. Henderson, who is currently ranked No. 3 in the world, finished two shots better than Jun and Canadian Elizabeth Tong.

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

NORTON, Mass. – Rory McIlroy rallied from six shots behind Monday and closed with a 6-under 65 to win the Deutsche Bank Championship for his first PGA Tour victory of the year.

One week after working with a new putting coach and changing putters, results came quickly for McIlroy. He closed out the front nine with three straight birdies to take the lead and got up-and-down from a bunker for birdie on the final hole as a finishing touch.

Paul Casey, who started the final round at TPC Boston with a three-shot lead, needed to hole a 60-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff. Casey was trying to win on the PGA Tour for the first time since 2009.

McIlroy won for the 20th time in his career worldwide.

Brantford, Ont., native David Hearn closed with a 1 under for a share of eighth place. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., finished in a tie for 46th.