TROON, Scotland – Royal Troon Golf Club, the host of this year’s British Open, is set to end its male-only membership policy after more than three quarters of members in a survey backed allowing in women.

Troon said in a statement on Wednesday that its committee will propose at a July 1 meeting that its membership grants approval for female members to join.

“Recently we spoke about the need for our club to reflect the modern society in which we exist and I am pleased that a large majority of members who responded to our survey agree and support opening the club to women,” Troon’s club captain Martin Cheyne said.

“Looking ahead to the Open Championship, we want Scotland to be proud of Royal Troon Golf Club and the Ladies’ Golf Club, Troon as we jointly host this most prestigious competition in front of a worldwide audience.”

Royal Troon, formed in 1878, is sharing the responsibility of hosting next year’s British Open with The Ladies Golf Club in Troon that uses its facilities.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews decided in 2014 to open its membership to women after 260 years of male exclusivity.

But Muirfield was banned last month from hosting the Britsh Open after its membership didn’t approve female members joining.

The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, which owns Muirfield, announced its decision to retain the club’s male-only policy following a ballot of its members. A two-thirds majority was required for change. Out of 616 members who voted, 36 per cent were against allowing women.

Within minutes, the Royal and Ancient, which runs the British Open, said Muirfield was off the list of 10 courses that can host golf’s oldest major championship.

Golfers past and present backed the R&A’s stance.

Edmonton – The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada and Linx Marketing announced today the cancellation of the 2016 Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON due to effects on the Fort McMurray community following wildfires this spring.

“Having consulted with community leaders and sponsors, we felt it would be inappropriate to play the event this year as the Fort McMurray community embarks on recovering from this spring’s wildfires,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday. “We wish the very best to everyone in Fort McMurray as the community makes its recovery.”

“Though we were hopeful for the possibility of the conducting the event in Fort McMurray, we did not feel it would be the right thing to do to hold the golf tournament while the city is focusing on recovery efforts,” said Tim Garbutt, Executive Director of the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON and the ATB Financial Classic.

The ATB Financial Classic, which takes place at Calgary’s Country Hills Golf Club, will move up a week on the schedule to take place August 1-7, immediately following the inaugural Oil Country Championship July 25-31 at Glendale Golf and Country Club in Edmonton.

“Moving up the ATB Financial Classic a week to immediately follow our event in Edmonton allows us to provide the best possible schedule for our players,” said Monday. “Our gratitude goes out to Linx Marketing, ATB Financial and Country Hills Golf Club for accommodating the change in schedule.”

Earlier this spring, the Mackenzie Tour and Web.com Tour announced a joint donation of $20,000 towards Fort McMurray wildfire relief, along with per-birdie pledges from Mackenzie Tour and Web.com Tour players that fans can match at the PGA TOUR’s charity website, Together, Anything’s Possible. For more information on relief efforts or to make a donation, visit www.together.PGATOUR.com.

Eighteen years after winning an Olympic Games gold medal in golf for Canada George S. Lyon took part in the grand opening of Thornhill Golf and Country Club.

As one of the country’s most notable amateur golfers, Lyon had signed on as a member of the Board of Directors, shareholder and Vice-President of Thornhill G&CC when the club opened in 1922 and had worked alongside President F. L. Ratcliff and architect Stanley Thompson to build and establish a parkland gem with an 18-hole for men and a nine-hole ladies course that have stood the test of time for nearly a century.

It would be amazing to turn back the clock and have a conversation with Lyon about his thoughts on the course, but on the official Opening Day, June 15^th, 1922, newspaper reports tell us that he shared some glowing remarks with several hundred members who showed up to watch a nine-hole exhibition match played between Lyon and Frank Thompson alongside Club Secretary Bob Gray and Head Professional Norman Bell.

“Lyon was an Olympic gold medalist in golf, the greatest Canadian amateur golfer of his time and a sporting legend who played a key role in the initial development and success of Thornhill G&CC,” says Club President, Adrian Hartog. “Lost in time is how long Lyon remained at Thornhill, but having him as part of our original founders is noteworthy in Canadian golf history and a fact that members should know and appreciate.”

You will find him included in a magnificent framed black and white photo that was taken on Opening Day that now hangs in its full glory in the Stanley Thompson Lounge and there’s a story from the Toronto Telegram that has also been framed and hangs in the family washroom near the fitness center that is a good read!

Lyon and Thompson were also involved in the development of the first public course in Toronto in 1920 – Humber Valley Golf Club – designed by Stanley Thompson – that closed in 1954 to make way for a sewage treatment plant. They would also go on to work together at St. George’s G&CC in similar roles.

“Although he should be considered one of Canada’s greatest sporting heroes, I think that until golf returned to the Olympic stage you could argue that the legacy of George S. Lyon was little known in this country. I think this has certainly changed leading up to the Summer Games in Rio as he is recognized as the defending champion. It’s getting a lot of press around the world,” says Scott Simmons, CEO of Golf Canada.

Lyon is once again in the headlines as golf is welcomed back to the Summer Olympic Games for the first time since 1904. That’s when Lyon, who was 46 years of age at the time, travelled to St. Louis, Missouri with two other members from Lambton G&CC and triumphed at the Glen Echo Club over the reigning U.S. Amateur champ, 20-year-old Chandler Egan.

Lyon was born in 1858 in the village of Richmond, near Ottawa. He relocated to Toronto, where he raised a family of five children with his wife Annette and sold insurance for Sun Insurance Office for 37 years before retiring in 1931. He also joined the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada in 1881, as a reservist, and served through the North-West Rebellion of 1885. He played football, hockey and tennis growing up and even held the Canadian pole vault record at the age of 18. He was also a well-known cricket player and curler, who has his name on the Canada Life Trophy and was an Ontario Tankard winner. He got his start in golf at Rosedale Golf Club, but left there to be a long-time member at Lambton Golf and Country Club, as well as The Toronto Golf Club for a few years. He’d win the Canadian Amateur title eight times, among other titles, before winning gold at the Olympics. He said he played the best golf of his life finishing runner-up in the 1906 U.S Amateur. Lyon died in May of 1938 after suffering a stroke.

The very first George S. Lyon Team Championship was played in 1931 and a team from Royal York Golf Club consisting of William J. Thompson, D.W. Palmer, Hugh S. Reid and Lyon himself finished in a tie with a team from Lambton G&CC with a score of 335. It was last won by a team from Thornhill back in 1954 including; R.E. Dale, T. Hogarth, E.A. Nerlich and J Wagstaff.

In his book, Golf in Canada – A History, Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member, James Barclay wrote, “His colourful excursions in such events (the Olympics) caused pages to be written in the Canadian sporting sheets, helping to bring golf to the attention of thousands who had never heard of the game. George Lyon caught the interest and imagination of all. He is remembered as a man who played golf for the sheer enjoyment of it, as one who lived to win with deep and untrammeled sincerity, but who knew how to win graciously, how to lose gracefully. Above all, he was a man who hewed to the written and unwritten rules of the game.”

So when you turn on the television in August to watch golf’s return to the Olympics don’t forget that George S. Lyon played both a large role in the Olympic movement, as well as the creation of what is now The Thornhill Club.

Vancouver – New York’s Dan McCarthy came up clutch with a birdie at the 72^nd hole to win the Freedom 55 Financial Open on Sunday, giving him his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada victory.

The 30-year old veteran in his fifth Mackenzie Tour season managed a tricky two-putt from more than 80 feet away at the par-5 18^th hole for birdie to finish at 15-under for the week at Point Grey Golf and Country Club, one stroke ahead of Florida’s Tyler McCumber.

“I’m extremely happy with the way I played this week,” said McCarthy. “I guess I can attribute this to knowing myself better and what happens to me under pressure. I’ve been in the hunt enough times to learn how to close it out, and things went my way today.”

Finishing up the rain-delayed third round on Sunday morning, the 30-year old capped off round three with a birdie-eagle finish to share the 54-hole lead with McCumber.

McCarthy trailed McCumber by two through 10 holes, but drew even after McCumber, a two-time PGA TOUR Latinoamérica winner and the son of 10-time PGA TOUR winner Mark McCumber, bogeyed the par-4 16^th.

Both players split the fairway at the reachable 18^th, but while McCumber was unable to convert a greenside up-and-down for birdie, McCarthy left his approach below the hole and lagged an approach putt from the fringe to tap-in range.

“I couldn’t have left it in a better spot. I was caught between putting it and chipping it with a 7-iron, and I left it in a perfect spot there. I was very fortunate,” said McCarthy.

The win puts McCarthy in the No. 1 spot on the Order of Merit, in position to earn Web.com Tour status for 2017. The Le Moyne college graduate said the win gives him momentum in his quest to leverage a good season on the Mackenzie Tour into a promotion for next year.

“This is a huge confidence builder for me going forward,” said McCarthy. “I’d love to finish number one and be exempt out there, but the goal is to stay in the top five or even the top 10 and advance to the next level.”

McCumber, who has conditional status on the Web.com Tour after finishing 90^th on the Money List last year and was in the field through a category for Web.com Tour members, said the second-place finish represents a stepping stone as he looks to get back up to the next level again.

“It’s definitely not the result that I was looking for, but I did everything that I could and I’ll try to look back and see where I could have saved a few shots,” said McCumber.

Two shots behind the winning score in a tie for third were Atlanta’s Wade Binfield and Oklahoma’s Talor Gooch.

Surrey, B.C.’s Ryan Williams finished at 10-under and was 7th, while former Golf Canada National Amateur team member Austin Connelly finished T8 at 8-under in his debut as a Mackenzie Tour member.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Ariya Jutanugarn became the first player to win three straight LPGA Tour events in three years, closing with a 5-under 67 for a five-stroke victory Sunday in the Volvik Championship.

The 20-year-old Jutanugarn is the first player since Inbee Park in 2013 to win three consecutive tournaments and the first ever to make their first three career victories consecutive.

Jutanugarn finished at 15-under 273 at Travis Pointe after starting the day with a one-shot edge thanks to a closing eagle in the third-round.

Jutanugarn became the first Thai winner in tour history three weeks ago in Alabama and followed that up last week with a victory in Virginia. Jutanugarn doesn’t plan to play the next event in New Jersey, where she would have had a shot to become the first since Lorena Ochoa in 2008 to win four tournaments in a row.

Christina Kim was second after a 71.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot an impressive final round 68 to finish the tournament tied for third at 9 under.

“I missed some opportunities, but I also made up for a couple here on the back nine, so overall I’m happy,” said Henderson. “There’s definitely things I have to work on going into next week, some silly mistakes early in the week and even today a couple, but overall, I’m very happy with how things are going and hopefully, just be able to finish it off in the near future.”

FORT WORTH, Texas – Jordan Spieth birdied his final three holes, chipping in from behind the 17th green and closing with a 34-foot putt, and shot a 5-under 65 on Sunday to win at Colonial for his first home state victory.

It was the eighth career win for Spieth, the world’s No. 2-ranked player, and came in his third tournament since blowing a five-stroke lead on the back nine last month when trying to win the Masters for the second year in a row. He will try to defend his U.S. Open title in three weeks.

At 17-under 263, Spieth finished three strokes ahead of Harris English at the Dean & Deluca Invitational. Colonial member Ryan Palmer and Webb Simpson tied for third.

Spieth had a pair of curling 20-foot birdie putts on the back nine. He also had a 14-foot par save at No. 14 right after his only bogey.

David Hearn was the top-finishing Canadian. The Brantford, Ont., native carded a final-round 68 to tie for 17th at 5-under. Abbotsford, B.C. natives Adam Hadwin (-4) and Nick Taylor (+1) tied for 22nd and 47th respectively.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – Rocco Mediate holed out from a greenside bunker for birdie on the par-3 17th to wrap up a record-setting, wire-to-wire victory Sunday in the Senior PGA Championship.

Smoking cigars during the round, the 53-year-old Mediate closed with a 5-under 66 – holing a 15-footer for par on the last at Jack Nicklaus-designed Harbor Shores, for a three-stroke victory over two-time defending champion Colin Montgomerie.

Mediate finished at 19-under 265 to break the tournament record of 268 set by Sam Snead in 1973 at PGA National. The six-time PGA Tour winner became the first wire-to-wire winner in the event since Nicklaus in 1991 at PGA National.

Mediate matched the course and tournament records with an opening 62 and added rounds of 66 and 71 to take a two-stroke lead over Montgomerie into the final round.

Mediate broke through with the PGA Tour Champions major victory nearly eight years after losing the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines to Tiger Woods on the first extra hole after an 18-hole playoff.

Mediate won for the third time on the 50-and-over tour, with the first two coming in 2013.

Montgomerie shot a 67 – and matched Snead for the second-best total in tournament history. The 52-year-old Scot won in 2014 at Harbor Shores and last year at French Lick in Indiana. He also won the 2014 U.S. Senior Open.

Bernhard Langer tied for third at 13 under in a failed bid to become the first player to win all five PGA Tour Champions majors. The 58-year-old German won the Regions Tradition last week in Alabama for his sixth senior major title and 100th worldwide victory. In Alabama, Langer joined Nicklaus as the only players to win four different senior majors.

Langer finished with a 67. Brandt Jobe also was 13 under after a 68.

John DalCorobbo tied for seventh at 11 under to top the club professionals, shooting a 71. The 51-year-old DalCorobbo is a PGA assistant professional at Brickyard Crossing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He won the Senior PGA Professional in October to top the club pro qualifiers.

Rod Spittle of St. Catharines tied for 12th at 10-under while compatriot Stephen Ames took 44th place at 1-under.

VANCOUVER – California’s Ben Geyer opened with a 7-under 65 at Point Grey Golf and Country Club on Thursday to take the first round lead at the Freedom 55 Financial Open, the first event of the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The 24-year old made seven birdies and was bogey-free on the day to lead by one over Florida’s Tyler McCumber and New Hamburg, Ont.’s Cam Burke.

“I drove it really well today and kept it in play. I didn’t have many stressful holes, and I was really happy with how I scored,” said Geyer, who earned exempt status on the Mackenzie Tour by the narrowest of margins last year.

After struggling on the Web.com Tour for the first half of 2015, the St. Mary’s College graduate earned the final spot in the field at last year’s season-ending Freedom 55 Financial Championship by placing 60th on the Order of Merit through the Cape Breton Open by a mere $373, thereby retaining status for this year.

“I struggled unfortunately on the Web.com Tour last year, and it was nice to be able to come up to Canada and get things figured out a bit. I have a good feel for this Tour now and I’m looking forward to competing up here this season,” said Geyer.

Burke, a two-time Canadian Amateur champion and former Team Canada member, was also bogey-free in his debut as a Mackenzie Tour member to share second place with McCumber after day one.

“I putted really well. I didn’t drive it that well, but I kept it in between the trees for the most part. I had an approach shot to all 18 holes, and I putted outstanding and my short game was really good today,” said Burke.

One shot further behind at 5-under were Mike Ballo, Jr., Vancouver-area native Devin Carrey and 19-year old Austin Connelly, also a first year Mackenzie Tour member.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Bryce Molder a réussi des oiselets sur six de ses neuf derniers trous pour une première ronde de 64 (moins-6), jeudi, et il détient un coup d’avance en tête de l’Invitation Dean & Deluca au Colonial.

Molder faisait partie du premier groupe à prendre le départ sur le 10e tertre et il était sur le 16e vert quand le jeu a été interrompu pendant 75 minutes en raison d’un orage. Il a réussi la septième de ses neuf normales consécutives quand le jeu a repris, puis il a accumulé les oiselets sur le premier neuf.

Patrick Reed, Anirban Lahiri et Webb Simpson suivent à 65.

Ryan Palmer, qui est membre au Colonial, faisait partie du groupe

à égalité au cinquième rang à 66. Jordan Spieth, classé deuxième au monde, a joué 67 après avoir raté les six premières allées.

David Hearn, de Brantford, en Ontario, a joué 67 pour faire partie du groupe à égalité en neuvième position. Adam Hadwin et Nick Taylor, tous deux d’Abbotsford, en Colombie-Britannique, ont remis des cartes respectives de 68 et 69.

FORT WORTH, Texas – Bryce Molder was joking around with playing partner Scott Langley as the sky darkened over Colonial.

“It was almost like they were about to blow the horn for darkness,” Molder said.

Except it was early in the morning after Molder – the leader after a 6-under 64- and Langley began play in the first group off the 10th tee Thursday in the Dean & Deluca Invitational at Colonial.

“It wasn’t dark to where you can’t see the ball flight, but you’re kind of reading putts looking a little funny at it,” Molder said. “It was dark. It was weird. It was almost like late, late, late in the day.”

They were on the 16th green next to the clubhouse when play was stopped because of rain and lightning in the area. After the 75-minute delay, when clouds thinned considerably, Molder had six birdies in his last nine holes and the 64 held up for a one-stroke lead over Patrick Reed, Anirban Lahiri and Webb Simpson.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot 67 for a share of ninth place. Abbotsford, B.C., products Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor shot 68 and 69, respectively.

Ryan Palmer, the Colonial member whose caddie James Edmondson is the four-time club champion, joined Jason Dufner, Martin Piller and Kyle Reifers in a tie for fifth at 66.

“It’s a golf course I can step on to each tee and don’t even need my yardage book,” Palmer said. “To shoot 4-under out here on a Thursday, you’re not hurting.”

Jordan Spieth, the world’s No. 2-ranked player, was among nine players at 67 after his breezy afternoon round when he missed the first six fairways. But he hit eight of the first nine greens and 14 overall while carding only one bogey – at the 244-yard, par-3 fourth hole.

“It was so tough to gauge the wind correctly and get the ball close to the hole,” Spieth said. “On a day like this, you’re just really looking to hit greens in regulation, be as stress-free as possible, and it felt like we were out there.”

Seventh-ranked Adam Scott, who in 2014 won at Colonial to cap his first week at No. 1, had an opening 72 with four birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey.

Jason Kokrak was at 6 under and tied with Molder for the lead when he hit a drive in the centre of the 18th fairway. But his approach went into the water to the right of the green, as did the next shot after his drop. His quintuple bogey 9 ended a round of 69.

Kevin Chappell (68) had the shot of the day with an eagle on the 387-yard 10th hole when his 8-iron approach from 158 yards went into the hole on the fly.

Moulder, with one win in 251 career PGA Tour starts, had his first 18-hole lead since the 2002 Byron Nelson. He finished Thursday with four consecutive birdies – all from at more than 10 feet, including a 20-footer at No. 7 after his drive into a fairway bunker on the 438-yard hole.

His only non-birdies on the front nine were at Nos. 3-5, known as the Horrible Horseshoe because of the layout and difficulty of that trio. He had pars of each of those holes, the 452-yard dogleg left 3rd hole, the long par 3, and the 465-yard 5th hole parallel to the Trinity River.

“I hit a lot of greens early, 20, 30 feet, and just kind of rolled it up close,” Molder said. “And then all of a sudden hit a couple close when I made the turn, Nos. 1 and 2, got some close birdies. … Maybe (the delay) just kind of helped me wake up. Actually, I went back out on the range and just kind of one little tinker here or there and found a little groove for the rest of the 12 holes.”

Langley had a 70.