Of the many congratulatory messages Nick Taylor received after his fifth PGA Tour win, there was one from Canadian golf legend Mike Weir.

Weir was the Presidents Cup captain who omitted Taylor from the International Team last September, instead picking fellow Canadians Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith to play at Royal Montreal Golf Club.

“There’s certainly no ill will there,” Taylor said in a media conference on Tuesday after winning the Sony Open in dramatic fashion on the weekend. “I’m sure there are people saying things about it, but no. Mike’s always has been great, and it was very nice for him to reach out.”

The 36-year-old Taylor claimed victory on the second event of the season in Waialae, Hawaii on Sunday, winning on the second playoff hole with a birdie against Colombia’s Nico Echavarria.

Taylor drilled home a 60-foot pitch shot for a 72nd-hole eagle to get into a playoff.

A chip-in eagle to tie the lead!@NTaylorGolf59 comes up clutch at the last @SonyOpenHawaii. pic.twitter.com/tNeTa9xQKM

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 13, 2025

“Mike sent me a nice message of congratulations, and we talked a bit about the pitches,” Taylor said.

Taylor didn’t do himself any favours in his bid to make the International team. After he captured the Waste Management Phoenix Open last February, Taylor checked in with only one top-10 result, and that was a tie for 10th with fellow Canadian Adam Hadwin in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event.

But this was the third year in a row the Abbotsford, B.C.-raised golfer has won on the PGA Tour with a playoff. Taylor joins an elite group, as Bubba Watson (2010-12), Ernie Els (2002-04), Phil Mickelson (2000-02) and Tiger Woods (1999-01) are the only others to accomplish the feat.

In his latest three wins, Taylor has demonstrated a flair for the dramatic. Before his clutch chip-in eagle on Sunday, Taylor finished with three birdies in the final four holes and then birdied the first two holes of the playoff to defeat Charley Hoffman on Super Bowl Sunday in Phoenix last year.

The playoff run began with his 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth extra hole of the 2023 RBC Canadian Open to prevail over Tommy Fleetwood.

“For whatever reason, I see the shot I want to hit and trust it,” Taylor said. “It’s something I’m trying to figure out to be more consistent to get in those situations more often and pull off the shots I want to do.”

The Sony Open victory was the first with his parents in attendance and sets up Taylor nicely as he will play two more courses he’s had success on before the Players Championship in March and the Masters in April.

The Phoenix stop is three weeks away, preceded by the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Taylor won at Pebble Beach in 2020.

“There are a lot of golf courses in the next few months that are on top of my favourites’ list,” said Taylor, who will play in this week’s American Express in La Quinta, Calif.

“Hopefully, I keep playing great and the putts keep rolling in to set up the rest of the year. It’s always nice to get off to a good start in a new season, especially this year with the win.”

Taylor hopes to employ last week’s good vibrations as inspiration to play better in the four majors. He’s missed the cut in his past nine major starts, seven in a row dating back to the 2023 U.S. Open.

“I don’t know how to explain it,” he said. “Seven in a row missed isn’t that great.

“A lot has been missing the cut by a shot or two. Two shots can make a big difference in those big events. So yeah, I’m not going to go in thinking too much. I’m trying to get a little bit better and more comfortable in those situations.”

Golf Canada is deeply saddened by the loss of former colleague and recent Board member Teri Yamada of Collingwood, Ont. who passed away peacefully on January 8, 2025, at the age of 66 following a difficult battle with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD).

A personal obituary written by Teri Yamada along with visitation details is available here:

https://www.fawcettfuneralhomes.com/memorials/teri-yamada/5536387/index.php

Golf Canada’s Board of Directors along with staff both current and past extend its sincere condolences to Teri’s partner, Doug Moxon, along with her family and the extensive personal and professional network of friends and golf industry peers who knew and admired her genius, expertise, work ethic, friendship and incredible generosity to charitable causes that meant so much to her. 

One of Canadian golf’s leading voices in agronomy, turfgrass and environmental research, Yamada served the Canadian golf industry for nearly 40 years, including the past 16 years as owner of TY Environmental Strategic Ltd. supporting golf courses’ use of science to minimize their environmental impact. She was a leading voice in the agronomic and business analysis of golf course operations and specialized in government relations, industry communication and interpreting complex scientific information.

Yamada spent 18 years with the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada) across several senior leadership roles. She served as the association’s tournament agronomist for National Open and Amateur Championships, working with host clubs and their superintendents to set up and condition golf courses hosting all national championships.

She joined the organization in 1990 as National Director, Greens Section (1990-98), which at the time was Golf Canada’s turfgrass research and consulting division providing the Canadian golf industry with turfgrass information and best practices. In 1993, she authored the Environmental Guidelines for Canadian Golf Courses following an 18-month consultative process with regulators, environmental interest groups and the golf industry leaders.

Yamada then spent 10 years (1996-2006) as the association’s Managing Director, Golf Programs and Services supporting Golf Canada member club programs and services (handicapping, junior golf, amateur status, heritage, etc.) in addition to turfgrass and environmental research.

From 2005-2008, the role evolved into Managing Director, Communications and Government Relations, serving as a leading government liaison on issues affecting the Canadian golf industry. During this period, she also spent two years (2006-2008) as Executive Director of the RCGA Foundation (now Golf Canada Foundation) and has since supported the Foundation as a generous donor.

Yamada returned to Golf Canada as a volunteer in 2021, serving three years a member of the Governance Committee, two years as a member of the Governors Council (2022-2023) and two years on the HR Committee. In 2023, she joined Golf Canada’s Board of Directors becoming one of the few individuals to have served the association in both a staff and Board of Directors capacity. 

During her accomplished career, Yamada served the Canadian and global golf community in a variety of roles including an invitation to participate in the development of the Environmental Principles for Golf Courses in the United States and was referenced in An Environmental Strategy for Golf in Europe.

She spent 14 years (2009-2023) as Executive Director of the IPM Council of Canada (Integrated Pest Management) which administered the IPM Accreditation program for golf courses, public works (hydro and railway corridors) and specialty turf.

Yamada also served as President, Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System of Canada Inc. (1996-2007); Executive Secretary and past Board member with the Canadian Turfgrass Research Foundation (CTRF) (1992 – 2008); was a past Board Member of the Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation (2009-2012); member of the Halton-Hamilton Source Protection Committee (2007-2025); was a member of the Strategic Planning Committee and Environmental Programs committee member, Environmental Institute for Golf, Kansas (2003-2007); served as a USGA Turfgrass & Environmental Research Committee member (1996-2004); member and Past Chair of the Ontario Pesticide Advisory Committee (2009-2020); Chair, Scientific Program Committee for 9th International Turfgrass Research Conference (2000-2001); and was an Advisory Committee member with the Selkirk College Golf Management Program – Nelson, BC (1996-2001).

She graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Science (Agriculture and Environmental Horticulture).

A passionate golfer and proud member of Mad River Golf Club (as well as the York Downs Golf and Country Club prior), Yamada was a very active volunteer giving back to both clubs across a variety of roles including four years on the Member Board of Directors with Mad River (2019-2023) as well as the Grounds Committee, Finance and Audit Committee, and the Governance and Nominating Committee. She also served four years on the Board of York Downs as well as two years as the club’s Green Committee Chair. 

Yamada was also one of three Canadian women members of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St Andrews, Scotland.

A visitation will be held on January 23 from 2:00pm – 4:00pm with tributes taking place at 3:00pm at Fawcett Funeral Home at 82 Pine Street in Collingwood. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

HONOLULU — Nick Taylor never looked more clutch than when he birdied the 18th hole three times in the WM Phoenix Open, first to force a playoff and the last to win it. 

And then he went 23 starts over 11 months without a top 10.

Who can forget that 70-foot eagle putt to win the Canadian Open before a delirious home crowd? During the next seven months and 12 tournaments, he had only one top 10.

The trade-off for the 36-year-old Canadian are the trophies — one in each of the last three years and five overall.

The latest came Sunday when he least expected it. Taylor chipped in from 60 feet for eagle on the last hole, made a 10-foot birdie putt to stay in the game and won it with a perfectly clipped wedge to just inside 3 feet for birdie to beat Nico Echavarria in a playoff.

And no, he wouldn’t trade them.

“I really love the trophies,” Taylor said. “But I would also love to be more consistent.”

Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., plays practice rounds often with another Canadian, Corey Conners, and their history oddly runs deep. Conners played with him in the weekday rounds when Taylor won in Canada and Hawaii, and Taylor played with Conners the opening two rounds when Conners won in Texas.

Conners has been a greater model of consistency, with only one win since 2020.

“I’ve played with Corey a lot in practice rounds and tournaments. He’s somebody I aspire to be with his consistency. He’s phenomenal,” Taylor said. “That being said, I really enjoy being in moments and being able to close the deal and to win tournaments is ultimately what we’re trying to do. Again, yeah, consistency. I would love to get there to his level.”

Last year was particularly discouraging because so much was at stake — battling for a spot in the Olympics, and the Presidents Cup being held at Royal Montreal with Canadian Mike Weir as the International captain.

Taylor looked like a shoo-in when he won the Phoenix Open, only to go into a funk — only one finish in the top 20 (tie for 12th at Bay Hill), missed cuts in all four majors and a disappointing phone call when Weir left him off the team.

He also failed to finish in the top 50 in the FedEx Cup, which would have assured Taylor played in all the $20 million signature events.

“Not making top 50 I knew would make the next year just not where I wanted to be. Not making the Presidents Cup definitely hurt,” Taylor said. “I had more myself to blame. I felt like I put Mike in a tough situation. On top of that, I had to play more in the fall than I had originally planned and be away from family a few times.”

Taylor put in some work in the short off-season — and was eager to start a West Coast that featured some of his favourite courses and three signature events at least staying (barely) in the top 60 in the FedEx Cup.

Now he can bank on a return to the Masters and a spot in all the signature events. 

“To have this good of a start is awesome,” he said.

So was the finish.

Taylor was two shots behind when he missed 4-foot birdie putts on the 15th and 16th holes and figured that was his last chance.

But then he chipped in for eagle, the leaders behind him — Stephan Jaeger and J.J. Spaun — each dropped a shot and failed to birdie the 18th. That left Taylor and Echavarria, a promising Chilean who has been on a tear recently.

Echavarria, who had some clutch moments of his own on the closing four holes, had the upper hand in the playoff until Taylor made a touch pitch up a steep slope and made a 10-foot birdie. Echavarria again had the advantage on the second playoff hole, 40 feet away on the fringe, while Taylor was back in the fairway 46 yards away.

The pitch was perfect by Taylor. The putt by Echavarria came off soft, stopped 7 feet away and he missed the birdie putt.

Taylor’s last three PGA Tour victories were all in a playoff — four extra holes in Canada, two in Phoenix, two in Hawaii.

“I think I enjoy being in those moments. For whatever reason my mind gets clear in those situations of the shot I’m just trying to hit,” he said. “I’ve worked on that the last couple years, why in those situation am I good and the other situations where I’m not consistent if I’m in 30th or something. We’ll work on that. But nice start to the year, obviously.”

PGA TOUR

Nick Taylor chipped in from 60 feet out for eagle on the final hole in regulation and then made a three-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole to defeat Nico Echavarria and win the Sony Open in Hawaii. It is his fifth career win with the last three all coming in a playoff including the memorable four-hole playoff to win the 2023 RBC Canadian Open when he made a 70-foot eagle putt. The five victories leaves him second all-time among Canadian men, behind only George Knudson (8) and Mike Weir (8). Taylor is the fifth player in the last six years to win the tournament coming from behind on the final day. Of greater importance, the win earns him an invitation to the Masters and extends his exemption on the PGA Tour through 2027. Taylor was two off the lead after missing back-to-back four-foot putts on Nos. 15 and 16 before his final hole heroics. His approach shot into the 18th green ended up against the grandstand and after getting relief, his 60-foot chip shot from just off the green found the centre of the hole. Taylor then made a 10-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole and Echavarria matched him to force a second playoff hole. Playing from the fairway bunker on his approach, Taylor came up 46 yards short of the cup but his pitch was nearly perfect finishing three feet from the hole. Echavarria Stephan Jaeger and J.J. Spaun finished tied for third. Both looked to be in contention of the win until Jaeger bogeyed No. 16 and Spaun bogeyed No. 17. …Adam Svensson equalled his finish from a year ago at the Sony Open. …Corey Conners missed the cut for the first time since June 2023 (U.S. Open), ending his streak of 32 starts without missing a cut.

NEXT EVENT: The American Express (Jan 16)
CANADIANS ENTERED: Adam Hadwin, Mackenzie Hughes, Ben Silverman, Adam Svensson, Nick Taylor

HONOLULU — Nick Taylor delivered another theatrical finish Sunday, this time chipping in for eagle on the 18th hole to get into a playoff at the Sony Open and winning with a superb pitch that set up birdie to defeat Nico Echavarria.

Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., never looked like a winner at Waialae, especially after missing two short birdie chances down the stretch. That changed all so suddenly when his eagle chip from 60 feet rolled in on the par-5 closing hole for a 5-under 65.

Echavarria joined him with a great bunker shot for a tap-in birdie on the 18th and a 65. They finished at 16-under 264.

Taylor has five PGA Tour titles and won the last three in a playoff. He had to hole a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th to stay alive. Playing the 18th again, Taylor went from a fairway bunker to 46 yards short of the cup. His pitch was close to perfect, landing on the front of the green and rolling with the grain and wind to just inside 3 feet.

Echavarria was just on the collar at the back of the green, but his 40-foot eagle putt came up 7 feet short and he missed the birdie putt.

The victory sends Taylor to the Masters again, a big perk after a dismal end to last season. He had won the Phoenix Open with clutch putts in a playoff last year. His best playoff win was at home in the RBC Canadian Open in 2023 when he made a 70-foot eagle putt.

Stephan Jaeger and J.J. Spaun both left Waialae with plenty of regrets. From the time they made the turn, it looked like a duel between them to decide the winner, and they put on a great show until the final three holes.

Jaeger holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the 14th to catch Spaun, who then followed by making a par putt from just inside 30 feet to stay tied for the lead.

Jaeger didn’t hit a fairway on the back nine except for an iron off the 15th tee, and it finally caught up with him at the end. He hit driver to cut off the dogleg on the 16th but it went so far left that it was never found, presumed to be out-of-bounds.

“The one on 16 I would like to have back. Wrong hole to hit that shot,” Jaeger said.

Jaeger did well to made bogey off a provisional ball to stay only one behind — Spaun missed a 10-foot birdie putt that would have given him a cushion. And then Spaun made bogey from the bunker on the 17th.

All the while, Echavarria and Taylor rallied in improbable ways. Echavarria made a 15-foot par save on the 15th, a 12-foot birdie on the 16th, saved par from a bunker on the 17th and then hit a splendid bunker shot across the 18th birdie to get up-and-down for birdie.

Taylor looked like he had lost his chances by missing a pair of 4-foot birdie putts. He was two behind when he holed his 60-foot chip for eagle on the 18th hole.

Jaeger and Spaun needed birdie on the par-5 closing hole to join the playoff. Jaeger hit 3-wood off the tee and didn’t clear the bunker, and his second shot hit the lip and left him in the rough some 178 yards away. He went over the green and made par for a 67.

Spaun from the 18th fairway missed to the right, the worst place to be because the pin was cut to the right with the wind at his back. He did well to get it to 10 feet, and then missed the birdie putt and shot 68.

On a day when 15 players were separated by three shots at the start, those four were the only ones who seriously threatened at the end.

Hideki Matsuyama, who won with a PGA Tour record 35-under par last week at Kapalua, closed with a 66 and finished at 11 under and tied for 16th in his bid to become only the third player to sweep Hawaii.

Golf Canada’s Amaya Athill recognized among the group of
12 distinguished honourees

Golf Canada is pleased to congratulate the group of 12 distinguished recipients recognized with the PGA of Canada’s 2024 National Awards. 

Each year, a National Selection Committee for the PGA of Canada evaluates nominations from golf professionals across Canada.

The 2024 PGA of Canada Award Winners Include:

Murray Tucker Club Professional of the Year – Dennis Firth, The Royal Montreal Golf Club

Dick Munn Executive Professional of the Year – Ted Stonehouse, Cabot Cape Breton

George Knudson Teacher of the Year – Gord Burns, Gord Burns Golf School

Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the Year – Matt Seifert, GolfFuture

Ben Kern Coach of the Year – Jean-Francois Richard, Louis Melanson Golf Academy

Pat Fletcher Retailer of the Year – Andrew Szewczuk, Banff Springs Golf Club

Moe Norman Apprentice Professional of the Year – Ethan Hunt, Whistle Bear Golf Club

Stan Leonard Class ‘A’ Assistant Professional of the Year – Anne Balser, Oakfield Golf & Country Club

Warren Crosbie Community Leader of the Year – Amaya Athill, Golf Canada

Tex Noble Professional Development Award – Sean Murray, St. Charles Country Club

Brooke Henderson Female Player of the Year – Casey MacNeil, Timberwolf Golf Academy

Mike Weir Male Player of the Year – Wes Heffernan, Dynamic Motion Golf Performance Centre

For the full list of award descriptions and winners, please click here.

The winners will be celebrated later this month during Canada Night at the PGA Show in Orlando on January 22, 2025.

It’s not often Corey Conners is excited with a PGA Tour result where he finished 11 shots back of the eventual winner. 

But at The Sentry, the Tour’s season-opening event, no one was going to beat Hideki Matsuyama — who set an all-time, 72-hole PGA Tour scoring record at 35-under 257 — and Conners’ tie for fifth still marked his best result since his win at the Valero Texas Open in 2023.

Conners, from Listowel, Ontario, ranked first in putting in Maui, a big improvement in an area he’s worked hard to improve.

Despite the scoreline, Conners couldn’t have been more thrilled with his 2025 opener

“It was nowhere near winning with how Hideki ended up playing — and I saw that up close on Saturday — but I’m still happy with the week. I got off to a solid start, I got myself within striking distance. Hideki ultimately was unreachable but definitely some positives,” Conners said by phone from Honolulu, the site of this week’s event, the Sony Open in Hawaii. 

If there has been one part of Conners’ methodical approach that’s come under scrutiny over the last half-decade, it’s been his effort on the greens.

He ranked 128th on the PGA Tour in putting strokes gained in each of the last two seasons. He moved into the top 50 in the second half of 2024. Last week? He was the best putter on the course.

Conners was happy to watch putts fall early and often. And even the putts he missed had good chances to drop. 

“It’s something I’ve been focusing on in my game the last number of years, really, but definitely the last six months. It’s an area that’s very important for scoring,” Conners said. “I started the week with a lot of freedom and picked up a few thoughts, nothing too technical, over the off-season on the green. A few keys that I leaned on and it paid off.”

Conners entered 2025 as Canada’s top-ranked male golfer and jumped seven spots in the Official World Golf Ranking with his top-five finish at Sunday. He’s now No. 33 in the world. 

As one of the world’s top-ranked golfers, Conners earned spots on both the Canadian Olympic team and the 2024 Presidents Cup team, which was played at Royal Montreal Golf Club with fellow Canadian Mike Weir as captain of the International side. 

With both events now in the rear-view mirror, Conners says it’s time to focus on finding even more success at the biggest tournaments on the PGA Tour.

In 2025, eight Signature Events boast purses of US$20 million or more, in addition to the four major championships. Conners was the only Canadian to achieve a top-10 finish at a major championship in 2024 and believes his next goal is to consistently contend at these top-tier events.”

“Against the top players in the world you see a lot of the same names up there at the top of the leaderboard and I want to throw my name into the mix as much as I can,” Conners said. 

Conners missed out on the Tour Championship season finale last year for the first time in three seasons and is eager to return to the elite 30-person field in August. 

“I had a bit of a slow start last year. Played well in the summer but wanted to get off to a good start and carry that momentum through,” Conners said. “I’ve had a bunch of successful years but there’s room for improvement. There’s another level I can get to and that’s definitely the goal.” 

Conners looks to continue his fine start to the year this week at the Sony Open, where there are six other Canadians in the field. 

Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, of Abbotsford, B.C., and Taylor Pendrith, of Richmond Hill, Ont., make the Hawaiian island hop from Maui to Honolulu while Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., Adam Svensson of Surrey. B.C., and Ben Silverman, of Thornhill, Ont. make their 2025 PGA Tour debuts.

Liu starts and ends strong to win by six

Team Canada NextGen member Shauna Liu has started the new year with a win, firing a four-day total of 8-under to win the 61st Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship at The Biltmore in Coral Gables, Fla.

Liu of Maple, Ont. fired rounds of 64-74-72-66-276 to win by six strokes over Alexa Takai of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Fellow Team Canada NextGen member, Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. finished T14 at 11-over. On the Boys side, Canadians Emile Lebrun (Montreal, Que.) finished T7, Eric Zhao (Toronto, Ont.) finished T11 and Spencer Shropshire (Ramara, Ont.) finished T27.

For the final leaderboard, click here.

Ding goes the distance to win by five

Team Canada NextGen member Clara Ding also opened 2025 in the winners’ circle, firing a three-day total of 3-under to win the Women’s Orlando International Amateur 2025 at Mission Resort and Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

Ding of White Rock, B.C. fired rounds of 70-68-74-212 to win by five shots over Sofia Cerif Essakali of Morocco. Fellow Team Canada NextGen members, Nobelle Park (Oakville, Ont.) finished T3, Aphrodite Deng (Calgary, Alta.) finished sixth, Vanessa Zhang (Vancouver, B.C.) finished T17 and Swetha Sathish (Oakville, Ont.) finished T38.

Other Canadians to make the cut were, Bridget Wilkie (Toronto, Ont.) who finished T20, Angela Cai (Oakville, Ont.) finished T23 and Luna Lu (Burnaby, B.C.) finished T55.

For the final leaderboard, click here.

As 2024 draws to a close, Golf Canada reflects on the stories that captivated our readers throughout the year. Here are the top 10 most-read articles that highlighted significant moments and achievements in Canadian golf:

1. Final Field released for the 2024 RBC Canadian Open

2. Pendrith, Conners, Hughes named to International Team for upcoming Presidents Cup

3. Golf Canada announces professional athletes named to 2024 Team Canada

4. Golf Canada releases 2024 championship schedule

5. Golf Canada announces amateur athletes named to 2025 Team Canada

6. LaunchPad Golf expands across Canada with six new locations

7. Built For This: TPC Toronto to host RBC Canadian Open in 2025

8. Canada’s Nick Taylor wins Phoenix Open on second playoff hole

9. Two women golfers announced to Canadian Olympic Team for Paris 2024

10. Mississaugua Golf and Country Club to host 2025 CPKC Women’s Open

As the year comes to a close, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to our readers and the incredible Golf Canada community. Thank you for your passion, engagement, and unwavering support throughout the year. Your love for the game inspires everything we do, and we’re honoured to share these stories with you.

Here’s to another year of unforgettable moments on the course and beyond. Thank you for being an essential part of the Golf Canada family—see you in 2025!

Last year, Canadian golf fans were treated to a truly momentous year in Canadian golf.

Highlighted by Nick Taylor cementing his place in Canadian sports history with his unforgettable 72-foot winning putt to become the first Canadian to win the RBC Canadian Open in 69 years. The silhouette of Taylor’s iconic putter toss now finds it’s permanent place as the tournament’s official logo.

While there is much to celebrate from this year’s on-course performances, milestones off the course deserve as much attention.

Year end is often time for pause and reflection on moments and experiences that helped to shape our past season. 2024 is no different, with much to reflect upon and celebrate that was simply, good for the game.

Golf, It’s Good For You – Ahead of World Health Day, Golf Canada launched a season-long campaign that highlights the many health benefits that the sport can provide. The campaign – Golf, It’s Good for You – focused on golf’s positive physical, mental and social benefits to significantly improve one’s quality of life.

All of the World Health Organization’s key criteria for health enhancing physical activity can be achieved through golf. It is an activity that incorporates strength, balance, endurance and cognitive challenges, and has also been shown to improve cardiovascular fitness, enhance mental agility and foster social connections. In recent studies, it’s even been found to combat over 40+ chronic diseases.

Along with the launch of the campaign a golf and health website along with enhancements to Golf Canada’s Mobile App were introduced. For more information on the many health benefits the game can provide, please click here.

Expansion of She Plays Golf Festivals and introduction of new Championship Series – She Plays Golf was first piloted in Calgary in 2023 and expanded to the Greater Vancouver Area and Greater Toronto Area in 2024 providing more programming and opportunities for women to try golf. She Plays Golf festivals feature inclusive programming for women and girls, addressing gaps in the participation pathway and introducing new women and girls to the game in a safe, fun and judgement-free environment.

Three week-long festivals featured 23 events at 18 golf facilities with over 800 women and girls engaged in She Plays Golf programming. Over 580 festival participants who were new to golf experienced activities led by close to 90 women coaches and volunteers.

In addition to the festivals, a new championship series was introduced featuring three enhanced 54-hole tournaments. The Peloton Glencoe Invitational, GOLFBC Group BC Women’s Open and the ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada were part of the She Plays Golf Championship Series in 2024. In addition to prize money, the top two finishers at each event earned direct exemptions into the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open. Team Canada members Lauren Kim and Anna Huang (Peloton Glencoe Invitational), Ellie Szeryk and Brooke Rivers (GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open) and Michelle Xing and Katie Cranston (ORORO PGA Women’s Championship) earned exemptions.

Plans for She Plays Golf in 2025 will be announced in the new year, for more information, please click here.

First Tee – Canada fully operational coast-to-coast – 2024 officially marked First Tee – Canada programming being available in every province across the country. In addition to this significant advancement, First Tee – Canada achieved another milestone by surpassing 100,000 participants since its inception in 2021. This year alone, First Tee – Canada provided programming to over 84,500 participants at 386 facilities (golf facilities, schools and community centres) led by 239 coaches across Canada. Seventy per cent of programming was offered at no cost to participants and 74 per cent of partnered schools and community centres serve equity-deserving communities with 45 per cent of participants identifying as BIPOC and 41 per cent identifying as female.

The continued growth of First Tee – Canada reflects the sustained impact of corporate and champion donors driving the philanthropic excellence of the Golf Canada Foundation which experienced another banner year with more than $11.2 million in funds raised in support of the game of which $5.487 million was for First Tee – Canada.

Youth On Course will be fully national in 2025 – In 2024, over 32,900 rounds of golf at $5 or less were played with 5,382 unique participants marking significant increases for both. Youth On Course programming was available across nine provinces and 105 golf courses participated in the program that saw expansion to Manitoba and Saskatchewan. 2025 will see planned expansion into Quebec, making the program fully national.

Inaugural BDO National Golf League champions crowned – The BDO National Golf League was launched ahead of the 2023 season as a nationwide, season-long competition to enhance weekly recreational league experiences for men, women and junior golfers. The inaugural season saw 10,000 participants from 107 leagues from coast-to-coast. Scoring followed a 9-hole net stableford format that took place during a six-week period of a club’s league season. Within those six weeks, the best four scores were used to determine the individuals that would advance to the provincial championships for a chance to be one of 52 pairings that would compete for the league championship at Hamilton Golf and Country Club the weekend before the RBC Canadian Open.

Storyline twists occurred during the championship round thanks to inclement weather that halted play on two occasions, resulting in a re-formatting of play. To complete the championship, pairings played their respective nine holes, with the top teams from the back and front nine then meeting in a playoff for the championship.

Tim Charles and Peter Morse were crowned the inaugural champions of the BDO National Golf League following a playoff win over Reid Middleton and Brian Thorne. Morse drained a lengthy putt to claim the championship for the Nova Scotia duo.

Along with becoming the inaugural champions, Charles and Morse travelled to Royal Troon in Troon, Scotland to represent Canada in The R&A 9 Hole Challenge one-week prior to the 152nd Open Championship as part of winning the national championship. For more information on the league and how to get involved, click here.

Golf – the number one participation sport in Canada – This past year saw an increase in public playing members with a Golf Canada membership. This year also marks back-to-back years of 10 million+ scores being posted by Golf Canada members. Last year marked the first time that the 10 million milestone had been reached and Golf Canada members surpassed that number in 2024 with 10.6 million scores posted to the Golf Canada Score Centre! For more information on a Golf Canada membership, click here. For more information or to download Golf Canada’s Mobile App, click here.

Canadians competing with the world’s best – Canadians continued to find themselves on the world’s biggest stage as Nick Taylor, Corey Conners, Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp wore the Maple Leaf at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Henderson and Sharp were competing in their third consecutive Olympic Games since golf was re-introduced at Rio 2016. In three games, Henderson has earned finishes of 7, T29 and T13. Conners earned the best men’s finish since golf returned with a T9 finish in Paris.

Canadian Golf Hall of Famer, Mike Weir was named Captain of the International Team for the 2024 Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Que. Joining Weir were Conners, Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith who were Captain’s picks for the International Team. After a difficult opening day, the International Team responded by winning all five foursome matches on Friday to sit tied heading into the weekend. In the end, Team U.S.A. retained the title, winning 18.5 – 11.5 over Team International. Conners and Pendrith both earned two full points for their team during the biennial event. The 2026 Presidents Cup will take place at Medinah Country Club in Chicago, Ill.

Canadian golf fans set new records in Hamilton and Calgary – Canadian golf fans took in both National Open Championships in record numbers this past year. Over 209,000 fans combined attended the RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open setting new attendance records for both tournaments.

The success of Canada’s National Open Championships was recognized by both the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour in their season-ending tournament recognition awards. The RBC Canadian Open took home the PGA TOUR’s Best Marketing Initiative award for the logo and branding of the tournament changing to Nick Taylor’s iconic putter toss silhouette. Originally designed to be a one-year tribute, the change will now be permanent.

The CPKC Women’s Open was awarded the Gold Driver Award for Best Volunteer Appreciation. Volunteerism was a critical part of the success of the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary, Alta. The tournament was conducted for the first time at Earl Grey and saw 1,300 dedicated volunteers, whose positions were filled ahead of schedule, help to deliver an exceptional experience in Calgary. To recognize the work of its volunteers, the tournament hosted a Volunteer Appreciation Day which included a complimentary breakfast, happy hour and gifts that were given to all volunteers to celebrate the 50th playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open.

Offering more tournaments and pathways for Canadian amateur golfers – This season saw the introduction of a new championship added to the amateur championship calendar with the debut of the Canadian U15 Championship. The tournament provided young players the opportunity to compete for a national championship while receiving information about the high-performance journey through an educational summit following play.

Golf Canada also introduced the inaugural Canadian Collegiate Invitational, bringing some of the best NCAA Division I Men’s teams north of the border. The event will expand to include a women’s competition in 2025.

In total, 12 national amateur championships, 16 qualifiers, six NextGen tournaments and two Team Canada NextGen selection camps provided Canadians with opportunities to compete coast-to-coast from the junior level all the way to the senior ranks. The season concluded with the World Junior Girls Golf Championship which showcased some of the brightest upcoming golfers from around the world.

Lisa Meldrum becomes the 86th inductee into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame – In keeping with the importance of celebrating Canadian golf excellence, Lisa Meldrum of Montreal, Que. was named the 86th member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in February.

Meldrum enjoyed an accomplished junior and amateur career, having won 12 championships between 1997 and 2003.

Her successful competitive run was highlighted by winning the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship three consecutive years in a row from 2001 to 2003. During that time SCOREGolf recognized her as the Best Female Amateur Golfer in Canada all three years. Prior to the Canadian Women’s Amateur three-peat, Meldrum won the 1998 Canadian Juvenile Girls Championship and the 2000 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, later earning SCOREGolf’s Best Female Junior Golfer recognition in 2000.

For more on Meldrum’s incredible career, please click here.

A new home for Canadian Golf – Phase one of construction on a new home for Canadian golf is well underway at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. Originally announced in July 2022, the 26,000 sq. ft. facility will be the national headquarters of Golf Canada along with the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum. Elements of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame can already be found in the main clubhouse and locker rooms at TPC Toronto. Lockers and memorabilia highlighting Canadian golf legends and significant moments in both the RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open history are now part of the fabric at TPC Toronto. The new facility will also be the national headquarters for First Tee – Canada and will include an 18-hole publicly accessible community putting green. To follow the progress and for more information on the new home for Canadian golf, please click here.

From the season’s opening drive to the final putt and the many volunteers, partners and stakeholders who support Canadian golf, there is much to celebrate and reflect upon that was simply, good for the game in 2024.