Each week we write to Golf Canada members who record a hole-in-one, congratulating them and asking if they’d tell us how it happened. These are their stories (edited for length and clarity).
Have you recently accomplished the feat of a hole-in-one? Tell us about it! Share your story, picture / video and course information with us at holeinone@golfcanada.ca.
Mary Beth McKenna, Westmount, Hole #3
Our very own Golf Canada staff member, Mary Beth McKenna, achieved an ace at the Westmount Golf and Country Club. This is her second hole-in-one!
Brad Wightman, Two Eagles, Hole #9
Was a heck of timing to get my first hole-in-one.
It was the First Men’s night at Two Eagles in over 2 years! We had co-sponsored the night so playing with some friends and work mates.
Shotgun start and we started on hole 3 – on hole 6 I nearly lipped out a hole in one…!! My cousin Tyler, was in the group in front and said the ball JUST cut across the top of the hole and came to rest about 2 feet away. I was asked by one of my playing partners if I have every had a hole-in-one. ‘No” I said… that is about as close as I ever have! But funny enough I also said that before that shot, the closest I ever had to hole-in-one was hole 9 here at Two eagles a number of years ago.
Cut to hole 9…
I see the Cherry Hill coffee tent set up, but there is no signage to indicate anything special, I assume they just sponsored Men’s night…Cass from Cherry Hill is handing out coffee and I ask what the yardage looks like. He said it is about 155 yards…with the wind and slope of the green play a 140 yard club. So, I grab a 9 iron and step up. Hit it crisp with a bit of baby fade, it landed nice. There was a crest in front of the hole that I willed it to get over, because it would leak down towards the hole if it did. It did indeed and began running towards the hole…at this point we knew it was going to be decent, as we watched it roll towards the hole… and suddenly it just disappeared. IN!
Of course, we all went wild and about halfway thru the celebration Cass from Cherry Hill says to me…you know you just won a prize right??!! I had no idea! And the celebration started all over again! We were all super pumped.
Thankfully not all 120 guys stayed for dinner and drinks, so the bar tab wasn’t too bad!!
Great memory!
The superintendent sent the exact hole stats: 161 yards.
Thank you for the reach out! Still feels unreal.
Don Jaques, Beach Grove, Hole #10
Thanks so much for your note and the congratulations.
I was playing with my usual Saturday group and couldn’t have asked for better company to share the occasion with – thanks to Ryan Fathers, Jody Cloutier and Matthew McReynolds (who recently got his first at Cabot Cliffs!!!) for making it an amazing day. Big thanks to my wife and kids for putting up with my obsession.
It was hole 10, playing 170 with the pin back left. I hit a full 8 iron with a draw to hold off the wind coming off the lake from the left.
Finally, and maybe as importantly, the round was by far the best of my life. 67 (-5) gross beat my previous best on my home course (Beach Grove) by 10 strokes.
Grady Taylor, Nest Golf Club, Hole #8
What a great email to get, thank you very much.
It was my first ever, so quite the experience.
I was playing with two of my regular partners, Mark Kolchetski and Terry Needle. The yardage that day was 168 and a strong left to right wind. I used my 7 iron and hit into the wind and let it carry the ball back towards the green. The ball bounced once and then disappeared into the cup. We all saw it so clearly it was awesome.
Once it happened word spread quickly and before I knew our club GM, Peter Young, was driving out in the cart to congratulate me. So happy that I did it on my home course at the Nest, it’s in beautiful condition and the staff is top notch. It was great to share it with all of them. Thanks for the certificate.
Grant King, Royal Ashburn Golf Club, Hole #13
Thanks for the encouragement. As a senior it’s always fun when you do something special and get some recognition for it.
I was playing with two members of Royal Ashburn, Tom Morgan and Doug Acomb. The hole measured 140 yards to the flag, and I used a 9 iron. June 15, 2022 at Royal Ashburn Golf Club.
Thanks again,
Grant King
Greg Kothlow, Arbutus Ridge Golf Club, Hole #4
It was playing about 192 yards with a heavy wind coming at us, I used my 7 wood. I golfed with Rob Side, Ken Brimacombe, and Mark (not sure last name).
Greg Sobie, Elmhurst Golf and Country Club, Hole #14
My first ace – such a thrill!
I was playing a club match with three of my friends: Jeff Palson, Derrick Smyth, and Jim Scollan Jr. The 14th hole at Elmhurst was playing 159 and I hit 7 iron to a front right pin.
Thanks for the poster!
Best wishes,
Greg Sobie
James Wilkins, Nico Wynd, Hole #6
My daughter is a new golfer and as a Father’s Day surprise, she booked a round of golf at Nico Wynd in Surrey. On the 6th hole, 150 yard, par 3, I took out my Cobra 5 Hybrid and gave it an easy swing. Nice high, down the middle shot, which took one bounce and a small roll. As we walked up, we checked the hole and there it was. Hole-in-one!
Jamie Newton, Willow Park, Hole #2
Good morning!
154 yards, 8 iron. 2nd off and aced it just before 7am. Was playing with fellow member Dylan Brigley. Thanks to my friend and pin setter Larry Gems, who set an easy pin for me that day.
Lyle Langlois, Shadow Ridge Golf Club, Hole #18
Thanks for the graphic!
Fun way to finish off the round for sure. Best finish ever …birdie, eagle (on a temp green), par and hole-in-one. This was my fourth hole in one since 2015 (when I turned 55) so there is hope for all that stick with this wonderful game full we all love.
Played our annual Father’s Day golf day with two foursomes. Below is a picture of myself holding the ball (and clockwise) brother-in-law Steve Reagh, friends Harry Pettit and Mike Doiron.
The hole played 187yds. I hit a 5 iron into a slight breeze (not a Bandon dunes breeze). The Titleist prov1x ball hit an undulation in front of the green which redirected the ball in a straight line to the hole … the ball felt like butter coming off the club which resulted in the best iron shot of the day.
Malcolm Adams, Earl Grey Golf Course, Hole #7
Hole 7 at Earl Grey Golf Club. 152 yards to a front right pin. I hit a 9 iron. Landed 4 feet in front of pin and bounced once and rolled in.
I was playing with fellow Earl Grey members:
Ying Yuen
Chris Zee
Derek Gaume
Was actually playing a match against Chris and won that hole and the match 3&2. 😊
This is my 6th hole-in-one and my third since August 10th 2021.
Best,
Malcolm Adams
Marc Laverdiere, Muskoka Bay Club, Hole #17
Dear Golf Canada,
Many thanks for your message on my hole-in-one at Muskoka Bay. I am in love with my new home course Muskoka Bay as I moved from family to Bracebridge from Oakville and quickly joined Muskoka Bay last October.
Luckily, this was my second ever hole-in-one, first one in 2003 at Royal Woodbine.
This one was special as was on the fantastic 17th. From blue tees, it was 177 yards, back right pin…playing about 173 adjusted and big slope in the middle of the green. It was extremely windy that day so this hole was playing downwind. I was 3rd to hit. First player hit it little heavy didn’t make the green. Second player, Norm, hit his best iron shot of the day to within 5 feet. Said to myself let’s beat that and finish strong and flushed an 8 iron. One hop and in! The guys I played with were more excited that I was at first….I played in a five some as the Friday groups were mixed up and when I showed up, players had tee off earlier! Thanks to Norm, Jeff, Jean, and David W.
What was interesting was my first hole-in-one (I have the ball, a plaque and the scorecard), I shot the same score and both times the clubhouse was closed. First for a wedding and Friday at Muskoka Bay the power was out so celebrating delayed (mind you we had a toast in the parking lot). Lastly, I played yesterday Father’s Day and on 17th plying it for the first time since the ace! I hit it to 5 feet and made the birdie! Thanks to the staff and members from Muskoka Bay for reaching out as was the first hole-in-one this season!
Matthew Fleury, Conestoga, Hole #6
Thank you very much.
This was my second hole-in-one. My first was on #16 at Rebel Creek and I was just as shocked this time around.
I was playing our men’s league round. White tees, so it was only playing about 105 yards, into the wind about 118. I used my Cleveland 54° wedge. Wind was straight into us, so I just aimed at the flag and went for it.
I was golfing with my brother Tim Fleury (who also has two hole-in-one’s) and Bob Curylo (who has a hole-in-one, on the same hole).
I vaguely recall Tim calling out “that’s in” when the ball landed a foot behind the pin and spun back just enough to drop.
I was just happy to get one hole-in-one. Having two now is something else.
Thanks again,
Matt
Matthew Walters, Conestoga, Hole #4
Thank you for reaching out I appreciate it. I was playing with two ladies I met that day, Sue Howard and Elaine (I’ve forgotten her last name). The yardage to the pin was 132 yards and I hit a pitching wedge.
Michael Hubbard, Gleneagles Golf Course, Hole #14
I was playing with what I term my “soccer buddies”. We have played soccer with or against each other over many years, now playing Over 55’s even though we are all in our 60’s. I have been playing 9 holes at Gleneagles with these guys with generally two foursomes on Tuesday late afternoon or evenings for the past probably 2 years. I was playing with Peter and Don as we were just a threesome on this day.
The hole was only playing 104 yards this day, no wind to speak of, I was hitting 1st and I was hitting my usual 51-degree gap wedge.
A nice smooth swing and that solid, sweet feel off the club. It was on a good line in the air, and we were all watching it closely. It landed about 4 feet past the hole with me saying “come on get in the hole” and the backspin did just that, drew it back into the hole. Just how you envision it. 😊. We let out a big cheer and were high fives all around. Very exciting that is for sure.
I have been playing golf probably since I was 7, but never very many rounds until recent years even though I thoroughly enjoy getting out to play and this is my very 1st hole in one ever and that even includes pitch and putt.
Thanks.
Michael Hubbard
Michael Jug, Maple Ridge Golf Club, Hole #13
Thank you for the great email, I appreciate it.
I was golfing in Men’s League May 28th, and had John, Ed, Bill, and myself in a foursome. It was hole 13, the yardage was 204, and l used a 7 iron. I knew l had struck the ball well, and was going to be sitting good, but l had no idea it went in the hole. As we came down the hill towards the green l didn’t see a ball on the green, and so proceeded to grab a wedge and putter. After walking around a bit l decided to look in the hole, and there it was sitting at the bottom of the cup. It was my first hole-in-one, so as you can imagine l was rather ecstatic. Pretty sure half the golf course heard my cheer. Ha-ha.
Thank you,
Michael
Peter Khouri, Cedar Brae Golf Club, Hole #2
Thank you so much for the graphic and congratulations!
It was by far the most special golf moment I’ve had.
I was playing in Men’s Day with my girlfriend’s dad (hopefully future father-in-law Michael Burns). We stepped up to the second tee at Cedar Brae and noticed it was the closest to the pin hole for the week. Someone had already put one close, but I felt lucky.
The hole was playing 147 so I decided to hit a smooth 8 iron (Mizuno JPX 850 Forged). It was a high baby-draw that looked good the whole way (I was yelling be right). The ball pitched 1.5-2 feet before the pin, hopped, spun hard … then it disappeared. I looked at Michael and yelled “I think that went in the hole”. We weren’t 100% sure until we walked up to the green and saw the ball in the cup. We both celebrated together and it was a really special moment between us. Neither of us had ever seen a hole in one before.
All the best,
Peter Khouri
Richard Watson, Kananaskis Country, Hole #15
Thank you for the kind words!
I was playing in a foursome with Rick Barnay, his daughter Stephanie and James Early. The pin was 157 yards out and I hit a clean 8 iron, landed short of the pin and rolled right in! Thank you!
Richard Watson
Ronald Rampersaud, Deer Creek Golf Club, Hole #14
I am very pleased to have received your email.
I played with Barry Wong, also a Deer Creek member.
The distance was 121 yards to the pin, a front flag, it was a windy day, with about a 10 to 15 kmh wind in my back on this hole, and I used a pitching wedge, that landed softly about 3 yards short of the pin and rolled up. I said to my playing partner that will be very close, and asked…did it disappear?, meaning in the hole. He said he saw it approaching the pin, but couldn’t tell, as it was a light green ball, similar to the green. What he thought was the ball a few feet behind the pin, was just a green leaf, and as I was about 75 yards walking up, I realized, that was a leaf, and quite naturally thought to myself “after 25 years of playing I finally got one”. This was soon confirmed, as I got to the pin.
With sincere thanks,
Ronald Rampersaud
Serge Boisvert, Greyhawk Golf Club, Hole #12
Thank you so much for your kind words.
I was playing with my wife, Véronique Fortin, and my two good friends, Sylvie and Guy Scott. The 12th hole on Talon was playing at 150 yards that day and the pin placement was in front (red flag). I used a 9 iron, the ball hit the green about 10 feet and rolled in the hole… It was very cool to see it fall in the hole. It was my second hole-in-one, my first one was 30 years ago.
Terri Tinella, St. George’s, Hole #13
Good morning and thanks again for sharing in the excitement of my hole-in-one! I love the Golf Canada image below as a memento.
Inspired by a fantastic week of amazing golf at the Canadian Open at our beautiful club, St. George’s, both my husband Bruce Barber and I were eager to play again as member play resumed on Tuesday June 14th. The rough was still very rough (!) and the hazards included trucks being loaded up in the middle of the 17th fairway and stands in the process of being dismantled. The clubhouse and most other services were still closed and some of the staff were worried that it was too soon to open for members. None of this mattered to us as it was a gorgeous day, and we were just so happy to be golfing on the heels of the golf greats.
Bruce played earlier with the boys, and I played with Lynn Benson (Kelly Dalton left our threesome after 10). I have to say I was having a very good golf day. Approach shots inspired by Rory, the putts were hitting their mark like Tony on 18, and while I did find sand and rough, my drives were mostly hitting the fairways. I finally broke 90 at St. George’s – for me a personal best.
When we reached Hole #13, I mentioned to Lynn that I had bought new clubs last year and was still trying to find the right club for this hole. I thought I would try my 6 hybrid (Callaway Mavrik Max W) and it was perfect for the ~134 yardage. It was a good strike, and we watched the ball fly over the water and land on the green about 10 yards in front and left of the flag. It was surreal to watch it roll up the hill towards the flag and into the hole with the Canadian Open signage still standing proudly as a backdrop. I’m sure everyone on the course heard us as Lynn’s excitement confirmed that indeed it was a hole-in-one. Does it get any better for a golfer??!!
Lynn captured the moment with a few pictures and was happy to recount the story over dinner and a celebratory drink with Bruce and her husband James Cook (the clubhouse was closed so we found a nearby patio for the four of us).
Vince Loewen, Ardmore Golf Course, Hole #5
Thank you for the acknowledgment. It was sure a great feeling! I was golfing with my regular partner, Jeff Wonnenberg, and our two friends, Russ Benwell and Don Galbraith. It was a 110 yard, pitching wedge for me.
Thanks again,
Vince
Zack MacMillan, Bayview, Hole #6
Hey Golf Canada,
That image you guys made is so cool. I was playing with my really good friend Tyler Bunker and a kid from Bayview named Micheal Cohen. The hole was 170 and I hit a 3 wood. Then it dropped into the back right pin. I shot from the white tee. Neon Callaway super soft ball.
Team Canada golden in Japan at Toyota Junior Golf World Cup
Left to right: Eric Zhao, Cooper Humphreys, Ethan Wilson and Félix Bouchard hoist the 2022 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup at Hakusan Village Golf Club in Tsu, Japan on June 24, 2022.
Golf Canada
TSU, Japan – Canada Day is still a week away but there was reason to celebrate early for Team Canada’s National Junior Squad in Japan on Friday.
The Canadian Junior Boys team – made up of Félix Bouchard (Otterburn Park, Que.), Ethan Wilson (St. Albert, Alta.), Cooper Humphreys (Vernon, B.C.) and Eric Zhao (North York, Ont.) – captured the 2022 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup with a two-stroke victory over Japan in the seven-team competition.
Canada’s team victory at the World Cup is its first in the 28-year history of the event. Rob McMillan (1994) and Corey Conners (2009) have previously been crowned individual champions of the tournament representing the Maple Leaf.
Consistency was the key to success for the Boys team, who each recorded top-10 results or better in the individual competition. Bouchard and Humphreys spearheaded the Canadians, the pair finishing at eight-under par for T5, while Wilson closed the tournament at seven-under par for T8 and Zhao wrapped up his World Cup in T10 at six-under par.
None of the members of four-man squad carded a score higher than 73 over the course of the three-day event at the Hakusan Village Golf Club in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Bouchard earned the low score of the week amongst the Canucks, firing a six-under par 66 in the second round of the international competition.
Team Canada’s Junior Girls – made up of Nicole Gal (Oakville, Ont.), Michelle Liu (Vancouver, B.C.), and Yeji Kwon (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) – secured a well-deserved top-3 finish of their own. Gal’s T4 result in the individual competition charged the Canadians to a podium finish, totalling an eight-under par score as a team, just one stroke shy of the Japanese in second place.
Kwon’s opening round three-under par 69 was matched by her teammate Gal the following day, and stood as the low scores of the week for the Canadian girls.
Canada’s third place finish matches their best result (T3 in 2018) since the Girls division was added to the global golf tournament in 2014.
Spain ran away with the Junior Girls division, winning by seven strokes over Japan. The Spaniards were lead by Andrea Revuelta, Cayetana Goicoechea and Fernández Garcia-Poggio, who finished tied atop the individual female leaderboard at seven-under par.
Conners, Adam Hadwin, Adam Svensson and Nick Taylor are other names to have previously represented the red and white at the marquee international event. Master’s champions Scottie Scheffler (USA) and Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), along with John Rahm (Spain) and Cam Smith (Australia), have also sported their countries colours at the World Cup since it began 1992.
2022 marked the 28th playing of the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup and the first since 2019. The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aurora Amos named charity ambassador for 2022 CP Women’s Open
Golf Canada
Jackie Roberts-Amos remembers sharply the details of the day she learned about her daughter Aurora’s broken heart. She had been sent to CHEO for a fetal ultrasound 24 weeks into her pregnancy. Ultrasounds were nothing new to Jackie; she already had two young boys at home, a three-and-a-half-year-old and a two-year-old. But this one would be different.
She and her husband, Rob, were seated in a stark room, waiting and wondering. And waiting.
“Dr. Jane Lougheed came into the room, along with a nurse and a social worker,” Jackie recalls. “Nobody brings in a team to give you good news. I just remember looking around for something to brace myself physically. There weren’t any arms on the chair, so I remember grabbing the bottom of my chair to steady myself.”
What followed was a blur. The cardiologist had two diagrams and began with, “This is a normal heart… and this, is your daughter’s heart.”
“Until that moment, I didn’t know that something could be so fundamentally wrong with someone’s heart and that they could survive! We felt helpless. I did everything right during my pregnancy and could not protect my baby from this.”
Aurora was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect called truncus arteriosus type 1. The baby has one large artery, instead of the usual two arteries, for blood flowing in and out of the heart. These babies also have a single truncal valve instead of two valves to control this blood flow. For Aurora, the wall separating the two ventricles never completely closed, leaving a large hole between the two chambers.
The only option: open heart surgery.
“But Aurora has always been feisty,” Jackie says with a smile, recalling when Aurora was in her belly. “After months of hearing the rumbling noises of Aurora moving around, her brothers Liam and Connor were disappointed to learn they were going to have a human sister, and not the baby dragon they had been hoping for,” she says with a laugh.
So, the CHEO team got to work. “It was incredible,” Jackie recalls. “Dr. Lougheed laid out the path.” Aurora would be born at the Ottawa Hospital General Campus and be transported to CHEO, where Dr. Gyandeeo Maharajh would fix her tiny heart.
“Having a plan gave me something to hold on to, to feel a little less lost in the overwhelm,” Jackie says. “Having CHEO meant we didn’t have to move to Toronto, and I could still protect my boys and spend time with them.”
At two weeks of age, Aurora had her first surgery. She would spend most of her first five months at CHEO, except for a short ten days at home, before being readmitted to CHEO for a life-threatening blood infection that required specialized IV antibiotics.
Aurora bounced back and grew into an active kid who loves sports. Limitations weren’t in her playbook. Aurora has had a lot of cardiac catheterizations, a procedure in which a thin, flexible tube is guided through a blood vessel to the heart to diagnose or treat the heart. These tweaks allow more time for her between surgeries. The very nature of her heart condition is not something that is ever truly fixed. She outgrows her previous repairs and new ones need to happen.
She would need another open-heart surgery in 2017. Jackie saw it coming as she noticed Aurora slowing down on the ice while playing hockey, becoming winded and short of breath. They would once again entrust their daughter to Dr. Maharajh, who is beloved by the family.
“We love how he is a man of precision and science, but a spiritual person as well,” Jackie says. “We know there is someone protective in there. It is like he has his own special superpowers. You can tell he is not your average person, but he is so humble and unassuming. He cares and you can feel it.”
Jackie remembers sitting in the cardiology family room while Aurora underwent an 11-hour surgery. “The thing about that room is,” Jackie begins, “The walls are covered with photos of families who have been through it. Those pictures are so reassuring when you’re waiting for that update, waiting for it to be over; they give you hope that it’s going to be OK for you, too.”
Aurora will need at least one more surgery. Jackie and Rob will sit in that room again.
But for now, at age 12 Aurora is thriving. She is a self-described ‘sporty’ kid. Raven haired, with clear blue eyes, she knows what she wants. She stretches herself between school, sports, drawing and being whisked away through the magic of her Harry Potter books. She is a natural athlete and is excited to be the ambassador for the CP Has Heart campaign. She figures it is the perfect segue into learning how to play golf from the absolute best! “I’ve only ever played mini golf,” she says, laughing. “But I want to learn!”
“She’s got this quiet strength and determination,” her mother says. “She focuses on what she needs to do and just goes for it!” All of this happens under the watchful eyes of big brothers Liam and Konnor, now 16 and 14. “Most of the time they treat her like one of the guys,” Jackie laughs. “But then suddenly they become protective of her. They are being cautious with masks and things like that to keep her safe from COVID-19.”
That protection extends to the CHEO family, too. “Dr. Lougheed, the technicians, nurses, the people who book the appointments. Everyone,” Jackie says. “Aurora was never ‘just a patient’ or ‘some procedure’ that you do and move on. We are eternally grateful for that.”
What does CHEO mean to Aurora? “For me, my team takes such good care of me, and I appreciate them all so much. But for our community, CHEO means help for kids. No matter what, we get the specialized care we need, in a place that’s meant just for us.”
Canada’s Myles Creighton hopes to end Latinoamerica season on top
Myles Creighton tees off in the opening round of the 2022 RBC Canadian Open on June 6 at St. Georges Golf & Country Club. (Bernard Brault/Golf Canada)
John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press
Myles Creighton has always wanted to wear the Maple Leaf on his golf gear. Now that he can as a member of Golf Canada’s young pro squad, he’s having a career season.
The product of Digby, N.S., was named to the national sports organization’s roster in mid-March and has proudly represented Canada on the PGA Tour _ Latinoamerica since. He’s the highest ranked Canadian heading into the third-tier tour’s championship tour this week and the highest ranked golfer from the Maritimes on any tour.
“I take huge pride in representing that part of the country and Canada in general,” said the 26-year-old Creighton. “I’ve always wanted to be on Team Canada’s growing up and I was just shy in junior golf and just left off the team in amateur golf.
“That’s something that’s been really cool for me this year just to have the Golf Canada logo on all my shirts and all my golf bag and stuff.”
MYLES CREIGHTON
Creighton is 32nd in the TotalPlay Cup rankings, dropping two spots after taking two weeks off Latinoamerica for the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto and a week of vacation. That ranking makes him the only Canadian in the field this week at the Bupa Tour Championship at PGA Riviera Maya in Tulum, Mexico.
“I love this golf course. I’ve been looking forward to playing it all year,” said Creighton, who noted that the fairway. “I’m just going to try and play my best but I feel like this is a great course for me.”
He’s had two top-10 finishes on tour this season, tying for ninth at the JHSF Aberto do Brasil on May 24 and then tying for third at the Jalisco Open on May 29. He also tied for 19th twice this season.
“I know that I can win on this tour,” said Creighton, who is targeting a card on the Korn Ferry Tour. “I would love to win this event it would do a lot for me because it’s an increased amount of points and 600 points. It could get me in the top 10.”
Creighton’s season won’t end at the Bupa Tour Championship, as he intends to return to the Maritimes and compete in the Prince Edward Island Open on the PGA Tour Canada. That event begins on June 30 at Dundarave Golf Club in Cardigan, P.E.I.
“I was really looking forward to it because my family is going to come up and I was going to get the chance to see them,” said Creighton. “I was able to see them at the Canadian Open, which was great, but they’re still going to come out so it’ll be a great week.’
Reaching new heights: Canadians at the U.S. Open
Brookline, MA - June 16: Adam Hadwin walks down the fairway of the 17th hole. The first round of the US Open begins at The Country Club in Brookline, MA on June 16, 2022. (Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Adam Stanley/ Golf Canada
Whether it was Adam Hadwin earning his best-career major championship result or Roger Sloan and Ben Silverman playing in their first-ever majors, the 2022 U.S. Open was quite the week for the Canadian crew on the PGA Tour.
And it was extra special in 2022, as it followed the return of the RBC Canadian Open.
Hadwin led the way – his tie for 7th came after he held the first-round lead, and he ended up just five back of Matt Fitzpatrick’s 6-under 274 winning effort – but the six-pack of Canadians at The Country Club all took plenty away from the major stage.
Six Canadians in the field at the U.S. Open was the second-most of all time. Seven teed it up at Torrey Pines in 2008, while five were in the field at Merion in 2013. Hadwin and Mackenzie Hughes found the weekend, with Hughes hanging tough and finishing tied for 24th.
While Conners, Silverman, Sloan, and Nick Taylor had early exits, there was still much to take away from the week.
“There is a lot going on around here,” said Silverman with a big smile on Thursday. “This is a massive venue. I’ve never seen crowds like I did on Tuesday and Wednesday… you’re getting applause for shots on those days. It’s just a ton of people, all the top players in the world are here.”
Silverman, who is working his way back to the PGA Tour via the Korn Ferry Tour this season, earned a spot into the U.S. Open via a qualifier (in fact, all the Canadians got through the same Dallas qualifier save Conners, who had already locked up a spot). But just because he isn’t teeing it up alongside the best in the world every week that doesn’t mean he felt out of place.
“This is where I feel like I belong,” said Silverman. “Aside from just a couple of nerves I feel like I can compete out here and should be on a regular basis. I was more nervous qualifying to get here because I knew I could do it and playing around here I know I can play this golf course and I know I can compete.”
BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 17: Ben Silverman of canada plays his shot from the tenth tee during the second round of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club on June 17, 2022 in Brookline, Massachusetts. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Sloan, who missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open and ended up arriving in Boston a few days early (his family decided to follow him around the U.S. Open versus the Canadian Open and they did plenty of fun Boston things, like going to Fenway Park and seeing the Boston Red Sox from seats atop the ‘Green Monster’) and then got down to business on Wednesday.
“Playing your first U.S. Open and seeing the magnitude of this… it’s been real neat,” said Sloan. “It’s been so much fun. I have family here and we’ve just been soaking it in.”
Sloan rallied after a tough opening 6-over 76 to shoot an even-par 70 on Friday. He said he’s drawn inspiration from Conners, Hughes, and Hadwin and the success his countrymen have had recently on some big platforms in the game.
“That’s what we’re working towards. I’ve been five years on the PGA Tour and that next step is following Mac and Adam and Corey and the guys who are playing 3-4 majors in a year and The Players Championship… that’s the next step for us,” said Sloan. “We’ll just kind of build on our game and get there.”
Conners was a pre-tournament favourite as he made the semi-finals of the U.S. Amateur when it was contested in 2013 at The Country Club (he joked during a practice round that he didn’t remember much of 17, and certainly 18, because he never saw those holes during his matches). He missed the cut by a shot but still moved up to 29th in the world – his highest-ever ranking.
“I feel like my game was much better than a 3-over-par round,” he said Friday. “You can do a lot of things well, but the course can still beat you up a little bit.”
Three Canadians inside the top 100 in the world after the U.S. Open: Corey Conners – 29 (up from 30) Mac Hughes – 66 (up from 73) Adam Hadwin – 81 (up from 105)
His top-10 was his fifth of the season. His previous best result at a major was a tie for 24th, which came at the Masters in 2018. Hadwin played with Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked male golfer, on Sunday in the third-to-last group.
He rose to the moment and knocked in back-to-back birdies on No’s 16 and 17 late Sunday. He was disappointed to close with a bogey and finish at 1 under for the week, but on a tough course and on a big stage, he’ll happily take that.
“Just based on the way I was playing I just wasn’t ready to go attack and start moving up the leaderboard so I just stayed patient and do the best I could. It was nice to get a couple there on 16 and 17,” said Hadwin. “Eighteen stings a little bit, but I’m under par at a U.S. Open for four days and that’s not too bad.”
The 2022 U.S. Open was a Major week after a major week for the Canadians, but between Hadwin’s fabulous finish and the confidence-building debuts of Silverman and Sloan there was plenty of positives to take away from The Country Club.
PUMA Golf celebrates Canada with red-and-white themed Maple Leaf Collection
Golf Canada
TORONTO, Canada (June 20, 2022) – As the calendar nears the first of July — Canada Day — PUMA Golf is excited to unveil a special collection designed specifically for Canadian golfers. The Maple Leaf Collection features 12 new styles across categories – polos, t-shirts, sweaters, caps and shoes – giving inline PUMA product a unique true north vibe.
With a pop of customary national colours, the Maple Leaf Collection delivers ultra-soft comfort across all tops through PUMA’s patented CLOUDSPUN technology. A series of stylish P Caps complement the looks allowing players to rep the red and white as loud or as subtle as they like. Each piece is fabricated to perform on the course yet deliver the comfort and style for everyday life.
PUMA Golf is the Official Apparel and Headwear Partner of Golf Canada’s National Team Program. Athletes and coaches named to Team Canada for the 2024 Olympic Golf Competition in Paris will wear apparel and headwear from PUMA as part of the field-of-play uniform kit.
The collection will be available beginning today at select retailers and online. Visit pumagolf.cobragolf.ca/maple-leaf for more information.
Below is a list of how Canadian golfers fared across the major professional tours the week prior.
PGA TOUR
Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick outdueled Will Zalatoris and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler to win the U.S. Open Championship by one stroke. It was the eighth win worldwide for Fitzpatrick but his first win in America. Fitzpatrick is only the second man to win a U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open on the same course, joining Nicklaus, who did it at Pebble Beach. Zalatoris and Fitzpatrick were tied with four holes to go but took a two-shot lead when he birdied No. 15 while Zalatoris made bogey. Zalatoris had a 14-foot birdie putt on the final hole to force a playoff, but missed by inches. It marked the second straight runner-up finish at a major for Zalatoris, who lost in a playoff last month at the PGA Championship. Scheffler, the Masters champion, never recovered from back-to-back bogeys to start the back nine and he missed a 25-foot birdie on No. 18 to finish one back. …Adam Hadwin, who was paired with Scheffler in the final round, posted his best career finish in a major. His opening round 66 not only gave him the first round lead but was his lowest career score in 63 rounds played in major championships. Hadwin was one of only nine players to finish the tournament under par. …Mackenzie Hughes made his fifth career U.S. Open start, making the cut for the second straight time
POS
SCORES
TOTAL
T7
Adam Hadwin
66-72-70-71
-1
T24
Mackenzie Hughes
72-69-73-70
+4
MC
Corey Conners
71-73
MC
Nick Taylor
73-72
MC
Ben Silverman
72-73
MC
Roger Sloan
76-70
NEXT EVENT: Travelers Championship (Jun 23)
CANADIANS ENTERED: Michael Gligic, Mackenzie Hughes, Roger Sloan, Adam Svensson
LPGA TOUR
Jennifer Kupcho outlasted both Nelly Korda and Leona Maguire to win the LPGA Meijer Classic in a playoff. Kupcho missed a chance to win the title on the first playoff hole but slid her two-foot eagle try to the left of the hole. She made birdie alongwith Maguire while Korda, the defending champion, was eliminated after making a three-putt par. Kupcho managed to birdie the next hole while Maguire missed a short putt to extend the playoff. Kupcho, the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion in 2019, won for the second time on the LPGA Tour following her major victory in April. …Brooke Henderson posted her sixth top-10 result of the season. …Maude-Aimee Leblanc shot even par or better in all four rounds for the first time since March. …Alena Sharp was making just her second Tour start of the year
POS
SCORES
TOTAL
T9
Brooke Henderson
68-66-67-72
-15
T40
Maude-Aimee Leblanc
70-72-68-70
-8
T46
Alena Sharp
72-70-69-71
-6
NEXT EVENT: KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (Jun 23)
Norman Xiong parlayed a Monday qualifier into a victory at the Wichita Open, tying for the second-lowest 72-hole score in Tour history. Xiong, who began the week without Tour status, finished five strokes clear of Kevin Roy and earned full membership for the remainder of the year. He becomes the 25th open qualifier to win on the tour and first since 2016. He’s also the third qualifier to win the tournament, dating back to 2000.
POS
SCORES
TOTAL
MC
Stuart Macdonald
71-73
NEXT EVENT: Live and Work in Maine Open (Jun 23)
CANADIANS ENTERED: Albin Choi, David Hearn, Ben Silverman (alternate)
PGA TOUR CANADA
Wil Bateman eagled the second playoff hole to capture the PGA Tour Canada ATB Classic in his hometown of Edmonton. Bateman carded a final round 65 to join the playoff with Joe Highsmith and Jorge Villar, who both carded final rounds of 66. It was his first career Tour win and first since he won the Latinoamerica Tour in 2015. He also became the first Canadian player to win on Tour since 2019. With the win, Bateman moved to the top of the Fortinet Cup standings, 31 points up on his nearest challenger. …Chris Crisologo notched his second straight top-10 result to move up to seventh in the points race.
POS
SCORES
TOTAL
1
Wil Bateman
65-67-68-65
-19
T7
Chris Crislogo
70-66-66-68
-14
T15
James Allenby
68-67-69-68
-12
T15
Jared du Toit
65-67-69-71
-12
T27
Chris R. Wilson
68-68-70-68
-10
T39
Jimmy Jones
70-68-71-68
-7
T39
Max Sear
69-68-71-69
-7
T39
Joey Savoie
70-68-68-71
-7
T39
Cougar Collins
67-69-71-70
-7
T50
Jamie Sadlowski
69-67-72-71
-5
T52
Riley Wheeldon
67-71-73-69
-4
T57
Michael Blair
69-67-74-71
-3
62
Tony Gil
67-71-74-74
+2
NEXT EVENT: Elk Ridge Open (Jun 23
NOTABLECANADIANS ENTERED: James Allenby, Wil Bateman, Blair Bursey, Chris Crisologo, Jared du Toit, Henry Lee, Drew Nesbitt, Étienne Papineau, Lawren Rowe, Jamie Sadlowski, Joey Savoie, Noah Steele
EPSON TOUR
Kiira Riihijarvi carded four birdies and played bogey-free on the back nine for a final round 69 to win the inaugural Ann Arbor’s Road to the LPGA by two strokes over Pavarisa Yoktuan. It was the first career win for the Finn, who has made five of nine cuts this season. Amateur Ashley Lau finished third in her first professional tournament.
Hadwin notches best Major result with T7 at U.S. Open
Adam Hadwin plays his shot from the eighth tee during the U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club on June 18, 2022 in Brookline, Massachusetts. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Doug Ferguson/ Associated Press
BROOKLINE, MA. – Adam Hadwin achieved his best Major result on Sunday, coming in at T7 – just five shots back of champion Matt Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick of England is a champion again at The Country Club – A U.S. Amateur champion in 2013. The U.S. Open champion Sunday.
In a three-way battle at Brookline that came down to the wire, Fitzpatrick seized control with a great break and an even better shot on the 15th hole for a two-shot swing. He was just as clutch from a fairway bunker on the 18th that set up par for a 2-under 68.
Victory was not secure until Will Zalatoris, who showed amazing fight back from every mistake, dropped to his knees when his 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th just slid by the left side of the cup. Zalatoris, who closed with a 69, was a runner-up in the second straight major.
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler never recovered from back-to-back bogeys to start the back nine that cost him the lead. He had a 25-foot birdie chance on the 18th that just missed and left him one behind with a 67.
Along with the $3.15 million in prize money, Fitzpatrick had that gold Jack Nicklaus medal draped around his neck, which was only fitting.
Fitzpatrick is the second man to win a U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open on the same course, joining Nicklaus, who turned the trick at Pebble Beach. Juli Inkster won the U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S. Women’s Open at Prairie Dunes.
Leaderboard watch 👀
T1. Scottie Scheffler T1. Matt Fitzpatrick T3. Denny McCarthy T3. Joel Dahmen T3. Jon Rahm T3. Will Zalatoris T7. Collin Morikawa T7. Rory McIlroy T7. Adam Hadwin pic.twitter.com/1U1MFHfhz0
Fitzpatrick, who briefly played at Northwestern before turning pro, won for the eighth time worldwide, and this was his first in America – at least a tournament everyone knows about. He won the member-member at The Bear’s Club in Florida at the start of the year, the course Nicklaus built.
Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris were tied going to the 15th when the Englishman hit his tee shot so far right that it went into the gallery and found a decent lie on grass that was dead and trampled. Zalatoris missed by only a few yards and was buried in deep grass.
He hit 5-iron from 220 yards to 18 feet below the hole. Zalatoris went into the front bunker, blasted out to 25 feet and made bogey. Fitzpatrick took a two-shot lead when his birdie putt went into the cup with such perfect pace it didn’t even touch the pin he leaves in the cup.
Zalatoris again bounced back, taking on a tough pin at the par-3 16th to 7 feet for birdie to cut the lead to one shot. Both missed 12-foot birdie chances on the 17th, and then Fitzpatrick missed a fairway at the wrong time, pulling it left into a bunker with a steep patch of rough right in front of him.
It looked like a playoff was eminent – the previous three U.S. Opens at Brookline were all decided by a playoff _ and then Fitzpatrick fearless hit a fade with a 9-iron that carried the gaping bunker in front of the green and settled 18 feet away.
He narrowly missed and could only watch as Zalatoris missed his last chance.
Fitzpatrick finished at 6-under 134.
The 27-year-old Fitzpatrick, the first Englishman since Justin Rose in 2013 to win the U.S. Open, felt his time was coming. He is meticulous in charting his shots and keeps a record of all of them to identify what needs work. And he emphasized speed in his swing over the last two years, giving him the length and the belief to compete with anyone.
That didn’t make Sunday any easier, a three-man race from the start when Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy fell back and never rejoined the mix.
Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris, who shared the 54-hole lead, each had a two-shot lead at one point.
Zalatoris, who lost in a playoff to Justin Thomas in the PGA Championship last month, recovered from two early bogeys. They were tied when Zalatoris made an 18-foot birdie putt on the short par-3 11th, and Fitzpatrick three-putted for bogey from the same range.
The 25-year-old from Dallas suddenly had a two-shot lead. He also couldn’t keep the ball in the fairway, and it cost him with a dropped shot on No. 12. And then came another big turning point, with Fitzpatrick holing a 50-foot birdie putt across the 13th green. Zalatoris did well to make his 15-footer for par and they headed for the tense conclusion.
Scheffler was still hanging around in his bid for a second major this year, but everyone else became a distant memory. Hideki Matsuyama had the low round of the week at 65, but he finished at 3-under 277, and that was never going to be good enough.
In the end, it was Fitzpatrick sharing hugs with his family on the green, including younger brother Alex, who caddied for him in the U.S. Amateur and recently turned pro.
And there was his caddie, Billy Foster, one of the most popular, long-serving loopers in Europe who had never been on the bag for a major until Sunday.
Mackenzie Hughes of Hamilton, Ont., finished tied for 24th at 4-over.
Brooke Henderson lines up a putt on the first hole during the final round of the Meijer LPGA Classic (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
Golf Canada
Belmont, MI. – The LPGA Tour returned to Blythefield Country Club this week for the eighth playing of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give.
Coming off her victory last week at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, Brooke Henderson fired a 72 to finish at 15-under.
In addition to her win in NJ, Henderson now has five additional top-10s this season, including a solo second at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions and a tie for fourth at the Honda LPGA Thailand. Though she struggled with her game after the Asian swing, a change in her putting grip seems to have made a major difference, which will be critical as she looks to add a third Meijer LPGA Classic to her resume.
“I started off the year really hot and I had a lot of great finishes, and kind of cooled off and I wasn’t feeling so well and things kind of went a little bit cold there for a little while,” said Henderson. “Definitely having the putting back in my corner and feeling a little bit more comfortable all the time is really key. I feel like left-hand low has made a big difference and so I’m excited moving forward.”
Henderson is the only player to win the Meijer LPGA Classic multiple times; she was victorious in 2017 and 2019, on Father’s Day both years.
After missing a two-foot eagle putt on the first hole of a playoff, Jennifer Kupcho won the LPGA Meijer Classic when Leona Maguire’s three-foot birdie try lipped out on the second extra hole.
Fellow Canadian Maude-Aimee LeBlanc finished the weekend 8-under (T40), with Alena Sharp coming in at minus 6 (T56).
Hadwin leads US Open as McIlroy makes statement with clubs
BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 16: Adam Hadwin of Canada reacts on the ninth green during round one of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club on June 16, 2022 in Brookline, Massachusetts. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
Associated Press
BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP) – Adam Hadwin wasn’t officially in the U.S. Open until eight days ago. He walked off The Country Club on Thursday with his best score ever in a major for a one-shot lead.
With the focus finally shifting away from Saudi-backed rival league, who’s going and who’s staying on the PGA Tour, the Canadian opened with a 4-under 66 on a breezy but not overly punishing day at Brookline.
The lingering thoughts of the rival league came from Rory McIlroy, not from anything he said but with the golf he played.
It was another bold statement as McIlroy didn’t make a bogey until his final hole – his brief fit of anger revealed as much desire as frustration – for a 67. That left him in the large chasing pack with four players who had to go through 36-hole qualifying.
Callum Tarren of England, David Lingmerth of Sweden, MJ Daffue of South Africa and Joel Dahmen also were at 67.
At the opposite end was Phil Mickelson, who celebrated his 52nd birthday – on the golf course, anyway – with a four-putt double bogey on his way to a 78.
Hadwin, from Abbotsford, B.C., ran off three straight birdies to finish the front nine in 31, and he only dropped one shot on the back nine for his 66. His previous low score in a major was 68 on three occasions, most recently the first round of the 2020 PGA Championship at Harding Park.
BROOKLINE, MA – JUNE 16: Adam Hadwin of Canada smiles during a press conference following the first round of the U.S. Open at The Country Club on June 16, 2022 in Brookline, Massachusetts. (Photo by Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
McIlroy has become a leading voice on the PGA Tour over the last few years, particularly with his rebuke of the Saudi-funded series that is disrupting golf. Thursday was a reminder he’s pretty good at his day job, too.
McIlroy made two straight birdies late in his round to become the first player to reach 4 under, only to miss the ninth green and make his only bogey.
At the moment, McIlroy isn’t concerned with his strong stance against LIV Golf.
It’s been eight years since I won a major,” he said. And I just want to get my hands on one again.”
Even with a good start, and coming off a victory last week in the Canadian Open, it doesn’t figure to be easy for McIlroy or anyone else. The Country Club might be as accommodating as it gets all week, with moderate wind and cloud cover keeping the sun from making greens crispy and firm.
And the best anyone could do was a 66.
The group at 68 included two-time major winner Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick, who won the U.S. Amateur at Brookline in 2013.
For McIlroy, it was his second straight major – and third time in his last four U.S. Opens – he opened with a score under par. There is confidence in his game for winning last week in Toronto, and there is passion rare for a Thursday unless the game is going badly.
He tried to drive the reachable par-4 fifth hole and caught an awkward lie in the thick collar above a bunker, forcing him to stand in the sand. He hit that into another bunker, and then twice slammed the club into the sand out of frustration. But he managed to save par.
You’re going to encounter things at a U.S. Open, whether they be lies or stuff like that, that you just don’t really encounter any other week,” he said.
It’s hard not to get frustrated because I’m walking up there going, `Just come back into the bunker.’ The thickest rough on the course is around the edges of the bunker. So I was sort of cursing the USGA whenever I was going up to the ball.”
And then from the ninth fairway, his approach sailed to the right and he flung his club. He couldn’t save par on that one and had to accept a 67 – not a bad start, and no apologies for his few outbursts of emotion.
“Almost to remind yourself sometimes how much it means to you,” he said.
There’s a lot on the table outside of golf, too, with 13 players at the U.S. Open who took part in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf last week, leading the PGA Tour to suspend those members.
McIlroy, the first to shut down talk of rival leagues in 2020, spoke passionately this week about building on the legacy handed down by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. For those taking the guaranteed money for 54-hole events, he said it felt like “the easy way out.”
But now it’s time for golf, and there a vibe of relief that focus could turn to a U.S. Open that first came to Brookline more than a century ago. Thursday was more about birdies and bogeys – mostly the latter in a U.S. Open – and a place in history.
No other major is more open – roughly half the 156-man field has to qualify – and it showed. Seven of the top 13 came through qualifiers, including Hadwin. He was first alternate out of the Dallas section and got in when Paul Casey withdrew because of an ailing back.
Dahmen debated whether to go a 36-hole qualifier 10 days ago in Ohio. The U.S. Open is hard and he had been beat up from travel and pedestrian results. Plus, it was supposed to rain. But he went anyway, and he qualified with one shot to spare.
Lingmerth was in the same qualifier and had to play 36 holes and then some because of a 5-for-1 playoff for the final spot. That went to Hayden Buckley – he was among those at 68 on Thursday – and Lingmerth was first alternate. He got in when Martin Kaymer withdrew.
