PGA TOUR

Ryan Fox made a birdie putt on the fourth extra hole to defeat Sam Burns and win the RBC Canadian Open. It is his second win in five weeks on the PGA Tour. He defeated two others in a playoff to win the Myrtle Beach Classic last month. It was the 23rd time the tournament has been decided in a playoff, and it’s the seventh playoff on the PGA Tour this season. Burns sat on the lead for some two hours before Fox made a birdie from 18 feet out on the final hole to force extra holes. They played the 18th hole at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley two times – each time finishing with pars – before the PGA Tour moved the pin position from far left to front right for the third extra hole. On the fourth time down the fairway, Fox hit a 3-wood to within 7 feet of the pin while Burns pulled his 3-wood and left himself about 50 feet for eagle. He then missed his 11-foot birdie try by a foot, giving Fox two putts to clinch the title. The win also earned Fox a trip to this week’s U.S. Open after he climbed into the top 60 in the world ranking. For Burns, it’s his fifth career runner-up finish and his third top-10 result at the RBC Canadian Open in four starts. …For the third straight year, eight Canadians made the cut – the most in tournament history since 1983 …Nick Taylor, who won this event in 2023, earned the Rivermead Cup as the lowest scoring Canadian at the tournament. …Corey Conners finished first in driving accuracy, including hitting all 14 fairways in round two, and was top 10 in Shots Gained: Off the Tee this week  …Adam Hadwin posted his best result in an individual event since February. …Taylor Pendrith was third in Shots Gained: Around the Green and top-5 in Driving Distance, recording the sixth longest drive of the tournament (370 yds) …Mackenzie Hughes earned a spot in the final Signature Event of the season by finishing fourth in the Aon Swing 5 list. …Mike Weir established a record with his 32nd consecutive start at the RBC Canadian Open, which also ties him for most appearances at the tournament with George Cumming, the first Canadian to ever win the tournameht in 1905.

NEXT EVENT: U.S. Open (Jun 12)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, Taylor Pendrith, Nick Taylor

LPGA TOUR

Jennifer Kupcho birdied three of the last five holes, including an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to hold off Ilhee Lee and win the ShopRite LPGA Classic, one of only two 54-hole events on the tour. It is her fourth LPGA Tour title and first in three years. Lee, the leader going into the final round, fell behind early with bogeys on two of her first three holes. Three straight birdies at the turn and another three over her final five holes brought her back into contention for her best tour result since 2014. Sei Young Kim finished third for her second top-10 finish of the season while Ayaka Furue was fourth, her third top-5 result of the season. …Brooke Henderson notched her fourth top-20 result of the season and second in her last four starts.

NEXT EVENT: Meijer LPGA Classic (Jun 12)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Brooke Henderson, Savannah Grewal, Alena Sharp, Maude-Aimee Leblanc

KORN FERRY TOUR

Austin Smotherman birdied three of his last four holes for a three-shot victory in the BMW Charity Pro-Am. It is his second career win on the Korn Ferry Tour and first since 2021. The victory moves him up to No. 4 on the points list. Smotherman is only the third player this season in his 30s to win on tour. Sebastian Cappelen, Pierceson Coody and Carl Yuan all tied for second. Yuan began the final round with a one-stroke lead and opened with four birdies in his first seven holes. But a pair of double-bogeys and a bogey in a three-hole stretch at the turn stalled his chances of winning.

NEXT EVENT: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open (Jun 19)

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Darren Clarke and Thomas Bjorn teamed up to win the American Family Insurance Championship by four strokes. It was the first year the event switched to a team format. It’s the fifth win for Clarke on the Champions Tour while it’s the first for Bjorn. Steve Stricker and his brother-in-law Mario Tiziani finished tied for second with the teams of Alex Cejka-Soren Kjeldsen, Doug Barron-Dicky Pride and Steve Flesch-Paul Goydos. There were no Canadians entered in the event.

NEXT EVENT: Kaulig Companies Championship (Jun 19)

EUROPEAN TOUR

Connor Syme of Scotland held steady to win the KLM Open by two strokes for his first career European Tour victory. He is the 12th different first-time winner on the tour this season. Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren was within striking distance down the stretch but made bogeys on two of his final four holes to fall four back. He closed with an eagle on the final hole.

NEXT EVENT:  Italian Open (Jun 26)

EPSON TOUR

Samantha Wagner erased a two-stroke deficit with eight birdies in the final round, including five over the last seven holes, to win the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship. It is her first career win. Sophia Schubert made birdies on three of her last four holes only to come up short for the second time this year. She currently sits second in the Race for the Card standings, despite not picking up a win this season. …Maddie Szeryk picked up her second top-25 result of the season.

NEXT EVENT: Great Lakes Championship (Jun 13)

CANADIANS ENTERED:  Leah John, Maddie Szeryk, Monet Chun, Yeji Kwon, Josee Doyon, Brooke Rivers, Brigitte Thibault, Mary Parson, Ashley Chow (Reserve #9)

CALEDON, ONT. – Despite recent evidence to the contrary, Ryan Fox doesn’t consider himself a playoff specialist.

The New Zealander beat American Sam Burns in a four-hole playoff to win the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday, the second win of his PGA Tour career. The first also came in a playoff on May 11 when he birdied the first extra hole to beat Harry Higgs of the United States and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., to win the Oneflight Myrtle Beach Classic.

“If you’d have seen any of the ones I had in Europe, you wouldn’t say that,” said Fox, sitting beside the Canadian Open trophy at a news conference. “I didn’t have a great record in Europe in playoffs. 

“I feel like you’ve got to take it on a little bit. It becomes match play. You kind of want to put the pressure on your opponent a little bit.”

Fox had an 0-2 playoff record on the European Tour, losing to Scotland’s Russell Knox at the 2018 Irish Open and to France’s Victor Perez at the 2022 Dutch Open.

He had to work to force the extra holes on Sunday.

Burns fired an 8-under 62 round, the best of the day, to lay claim to the top of the leaderboard. However, he had teed off an hour 45 minutes earlier than Fox and Italy’s Matteo Manaserro, the third round co-leaders.

As a result, Fox still had most of the course to play as Burns was signing his scorecard. Fox birdied Nos. 14 and 15 to get to within a shot of Burns and then sank a clutch birdie putt on No. 18 for a 4-under 66 day that forced the playoff.

No. 18 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley is a 576-yard, par-5 hole with the sloping green tucked behind a small pond with bunkers on the far side. 

“I think 18’s a different hole compared to what it has been all week, not being able to get there in two,” said Burns on the possibility of a playoff and how he would prepare for it. “So I’ll probably (be at the range) trying to figure out what distance we want to have in for our third shot and maybe hit that shot a few times.”

After Fox and Burns made par on their first two playoff holes. The grounds crew actually cut a new hole closer to the tee — and the water — for the third and fourth runs down the hole.

Fox’s bolder approach on the second and fourth playoff rounds, designed to put pressure on Burns, finally paid off when he attacked the new pin.

“I had the exact shot I wanted to hit,” said Fox, who qualified for next week’s U.S. Open with the victory. “I wasn’t sure in the air if it was going to be a little short or perfect. I didn’t actually see it land. It was getting a bit hazy out there. Obviously by the crowd reaction I knew it was pretty good.

“Probably the best shot I ever hit in my life given the circumstances.”

Members of the All Whites, New Zealand’s national men’s soccer team, drove up to TPC Toronto on Sunday to cheer on Fox. They beat Ivory Coast 1-0 the night before at BMO Field in the Canadian Shield tournament and will face Ukraine on Tuesday.

“That was really cool, to have the Kiwi support out there, it was great,” said Fox. “They were there all day. We seem to have a lot of weeks where random Kiwis pop up, and to have the All Whites say, ‘hey, is there any chance we can come out and watch on Sunday?’ was really cool. 

“To be able to meet them all there at the end and get a photo with them was pretty special.”

Grant Fox, Ryan’s father, was a fly half with the All Blacks, New Zealand’s men’s rugby team, appearing in 46 matches and scoring 645 points in his career. The elder Fox won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 and is still considered one of the finest goal-kickers of all time, getting inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2014.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., was the low Canadian, tying for 13th at 13 under. Taylor won the Canadian Open two years ago at Oakdale Golf and Country Club.

“The energy was phenomenal the first couple days and being near the lead the last two days,” said Taylor, who will play in the U.S. Open next week at Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh. “I’m tired from it as well because it’s fun being up close to the lead and trying to get it done. 

“I’ll get some rest the next couple days and be prepared.”

TPC Toronto will host the Canadian Open again next year.

It was a tight leaderboard throughout the round, with eight players tied for first before Fox and Manaserro even teed off.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry, for example, began his day with an eagle and followed it up with three consecutive birdies to start his day 5 under through just four holes to take sole possession of the lead. He bogeyed Nos. 17 and 18 to fall back into a tie for 13th.

Ding recorded rounds of 71-66-71 to claim the
GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open

Whistler, B.C. – Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. got the She Plays Golf Championship Series off to a thrilling start on Saturday, winning the GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open with a birdie on the final hole to edge out a duo of Team Canada amateur talents.

The trio of Team Canada athletes including Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont., Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. and Ding all held the lead at different stages of the back nine during the final round at the Nicklaus North Course in Whistler, B.C.

Ding – who opened Saturday with a one-stroke lead over Lin after playing the final ten holes of her second round Friday at five-under par – lost ground early on Sunday after making bogey at holes three and five to drop to five-under par.

Lin took advantage of the rare slip-up from the 36-hole leader, sinking birdies at Nos. three, four and five to pull into a tie with Ding atop the leaderboard. Meanwhile, Cranston – who started her round earlier in the afternoon, made the turn at three-under par and positioned herself well in the hunt of the tournament’s top spot to amplify the pressure on the duo ahead.

The two Team Canada NextGen athletes continued to trade places leading up to the final hole as Cranston cemented her place as the clubhouse leader at seven-under par and carding the lowest round of the afternoon.

After dropping a shot at the par-four 15th, Lin bounced back with a birdie on 18 to tie Cranston at the top at seven-under par, though her birdie would be unsuccessful in forcing a playoff as Ding – also tied atop the leaderboard at seven-under par – rolled in a birdie putt of her own on the final hole to snatch back the lead she opened with and claim the title.

The thrilling victory punches Ding’s ticket into this year’s CPKC Women’s Open set to take place at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. from August 20-24. The runner up finishes from Lin and Cranston nabs the duo 2,100 points each in the season-long standings.

Players who compete in the circuit accumulate points from their finishes that are put towards a season-long standings. The top finisher on the season-long point standings, who does not already have an exemption through winning a She Plays Golf Championship Series event, also receives an exemption to the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open.

For the final standings, leaderboards and purse distribution from the GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open, please click here.

With stops around the country, the She Plays Golf Championship Series provides an enhanced national qualifying path for players to punch their ticket into the CPKC Women’s Open. Anchored In three regions by a $60,000 CAD purse, each championship field features 60 professional and elite amateurs vying for an exemption into Canadia’s National Women’s Open.

The series successfully debuted as part of the Glencoe Invitational in 2023. Next stop for the She Plays Golf Championship Series will be the Peloton Glencoe Invitational in Calgary, Alta. at The Glencoe Golf and Country Club from June 12-14. The final tournament will be the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, taking place at Burlington Golf and Country Club in Burlington, Ont. from July 7-10.

For more information on the She Plays Golf Championship Series or to register for the tournaments, please click here.

Italy’s Matteo Manassero and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox both had rounds of 6-under 64 to share the third-round lead at the RBC Canadian Open on Saturday.

They’re at 14-under overall, a shot ahead of a Taiwan’s Kevin Yu as well as Americans Lee Hodges and Matt McCarty.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., fired a 6-under 64 to move 13 spots up the leaderboard into a tie with Americans Jake Knapp and Andrew Putnam for sixth at 12 under.

Second-round leader Cameron Champ of the U.S. struggled, shooting a 1-over 71 to drop back into a seven-way tie for ninth at 11 under.

Hughes was one of eight Canadians who made the cut at the national men’s golf championship.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Vancouver’s Richard T. Lee, the low Canadians after two rounds, also dropped down the leaderboard.

Alek Mauro of the Windsor Lancers and Julia Alexander-Carew of the UBC Okanagan Heat each claimed maiden individual championship titles. 

Kamloops, B.C. – The UBC Thunderbirds successfully defended their titles in both the men’s and women’s team championships on Friday but came up short on the top spot in the individual championships to cap off a memorable Canadian University / College Championship at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops, B.C.  

The Thunderbirds’ male contingent secured their ninth national championship after shooting a collective 21-under par (292-275-288-276) through four rounds, while the women’s program put the finishing touches on their eighth consecutive national championship on Friday with a collective score of 14-under par (216-215-214-205).  

Each of the Thunderbirds that took home the Canadian University / College Championship this week will compete at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational in the fall. The men’s competition will begin on September 13 at Öviinbyrd Golf Club in MacTier, Ont. while the female competition gets underway September 21 at Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.  

“I’m just so proud of them. What they did academically and then to compete so hard on the course and their sportsmanship is at another level too. It’s been a great run and this is a really nice way for them to end their careers as graduates of UBC,” commented UBC’s coach Chris Macdonald on his male winners.  

Mackenzie Bickell of Richmond, B.C., John Paul Kahlert of Maple Ridge, B.C., Hudson LaFayette of North Vancouver, B.C., Dylan MacDonald of Markham, Ont. and Aidan Schumer of Columbus, Ohio. will all be graduating at the end of the year.  

Both sides took the lead after Tuesday’s opening round and never looked back, with the women’s team impressively slotting each of their players in the top five of the individual standings and beating their provincial rival – the UBC Okanagan Heat – by 27 strokes.  

“It’s the first time we’ve been here to Kamloops to play golf,” commented Macdonald moments after claiming his 27th and 28th national championships on Friday. “Rivershore was amazing and the tournament was so well organized. We had a really fun week and made a lot of birdies and that’s what separated us this week,” he added.  

Though the Thunderbirds outlasted the Heat in the team championship throughout the week, it was the latter’s sophomore, Julia Alexander-Carew of Oakville, Ont. that failed to flinch at the flock of Thunderbirds on her heels to close out her maiden individual championship title.  

Trailing Una Chou of San Diego, Calif. after 36 holes, Alexander-Carew roared to life with an eagle on the par-5 fourth to pull even with the defending champion. The momentum carried the second year into a slew of birdies on the part of the property that ailed her the most leading up to Friday’s final round, sinking consecutive birdie putts on Nos. six, seven and eight to dart well into the lead after Chou played the same stretch at two-over par.  

“They were three pretty difficult putts so seeing them all drop gave me confidence for the back nine,” commented Alexander-Carew, adding a final birdie on the 18th hole to wrap up Friday with her best round of the tournament and a five-under 67. 

The pivotal swing set Alexander-Carew on course to steal the individual championship title despite Chou rallying off three consecutive birdies on Nos. 14, 15 and 17 to get back to red figures.  

“It was a really good year for me and closing it out with this type of win is huge,” said Alexander-Carew. Her runner-up finish at last year’s event gave her a clear idea of what was required of her game to move up on the podium and was reinforced by her coach walking alongside her all throughout the final round.  

UBC contested one another for the final two places of the podium on Friday, with Jessica Ng of Vancouver, B.C. going low for the second consecutive day with a field-best score of 66 to secure a runner up finish with Chou at three-under par.  

Just a day removed from shooting a third-round 66 to give himself a six-shot cushion in the individual men’s championship, Alek Mauro of Windsor, Ont. was able to overcome numerous wobbles and a late charge from Anthony Jomphe of Chicoutimi, Que. to hold steady and secure the individual men’s title.  

Starting his round on the 10th hole on Friday, Mauro bounced in and out of red figures as each of his two birdie attempts on the front nine were erased by bogey putts shortly after while Jomphe played the same stretch at four-under par to secure second place. Though despite the chaos, the fifth year was able to lean into his 36-hole lead and win by just a single stroke after a fourth round 73.  

The victory secures Mauro a spot in the 120th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship presented by BDO set to kick off at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club in Gatineau, Que. on July 26. Similarly, Friday’s individual championship winner in the women’s division, Alexander-Carew, will also reap the benefits of her victory later this summer and is exempt in the 111th Canadien Women’s Amateur Championship presented by BDO. The event will be held at The Riverside Country Club in Saint John, N.B. from July 22-25.  

“The competition is so high and just playing with people of so many different levels from so many different places, I think it’ll be a really good challenge,” praised Alexander-Carew. “They’re always great competitions, best in the country,” praised Mauro. “Really looking forward to competing this summer,” he added. Alexander-Carew and Mauro enter the event with previous experience, having competed in their Canadian Amateur Championships in 2024 and 2021 respectively.  

To view the full leaderboards from the final round of the Canadian University / College Championship, please click here.  

Men’s Team Championship – Top-3 

Women’s Team Championship – Top-3 

Men’s Individual Championship – Top-3 

Women’s Individual Championship – Top-3 

Masters champion Rory McIlroy tumbled out of the RBC Canadian Open on Friday with his worst round in nearly a year, with Cameron Champ taking a two-stroke lead into the weekend in the final event before the U.S. Open.

McIlroy shot an 8-under 78, making a mess of the fifth hole with a quadruple-bogey 8 in his highest score since also shooting 78 last year in the first round of the British Open. He had a double bogey on No. 11, four bogeys and two birdies.

“Of course it concerns me,” McIlroy said. “You don’t want to shoot high scores like the one I did today. Still, I felt like I came here obviously with a new driver thinking that that sort of was going to be good and solve some of the problems off the tee, but it didn’t.”

At 9 over, the two-time Canadian Open winner was 21 strokes behind Champ on the rain-softened North Course at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.

“Obviously, going to Oakmont next week, what you need to do more than anything else there is hit fairways,” McIlroy said. “Still sort of searching for the sort of missing piece off the tee.”

Champ had four birdies in a 68 in the morning a day after opening with a 62. He was at 12 under, playing the first 36 holes without a bogey.

“It’s firmed up a little bit, but fairly similar to yesterday,” Champ said. “The fairways I feel like were firming up a little bit. The greens slightly, but pretty close to how they were yesterday.”

The three-time PGA Tour winner got one of the last spots in the field after being the eighth alternate Friday when the commitments closed.

“I definitely didn’t think I was getting in,” Champ said.

Andrew Putnam was second after a bogey-free 62 on the course hosting the event for the first time. He won the 2018 Barracuda Championship for his lone tour title.

“I hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of good iron shots, too, and my putter was on fire,” Putnam said. “Pretty much did everything right. Didn’t really make many mistakes.”

Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark, tied for the first-round lead with Cristobal Del Solar after a 61, had a 70 drop into a tie for third at 9 under with Canadians Richard Lee (64) and Nick Taylor (65) and France’s Victor Perez (65).

Taylor won the 2023 event at Oakdale.

“Hung in there,” Taylor said. “Making a birdie on the last was important to end the day nicely.”

Del Solar was 8 under after a 71. Shane Lowry (68) also was 8 under with Ryan Fox (66), Jake Knapp (69), Sam Burns (66) and Matteo Manassero (65).

CALEDON, Ont. – Richard T. Lee brought his A-game to the second round of the RBC Canadian Open in front of hometown fans and family.

The 34-year-old Canadian made his first cut on the PGA Tour by carding a six-under 66 for the round. He now sits at nine under heading into the weekend.

“I’ve played Web.com and made cuts there, but it’s my first cut made on the PGA Tour and it’s one of the best feelings I’ve had,” he said.

The five-foot-10 Canadian was quick to credit his iron play for his strong second round.

“I think the key to my success today was my iron shots. Inside 145 yards, I was spot on. I had great looks at birdie and some of them were pretty easy,” he said.

Lee was born in Richmond Hill, Ont., and moved to Vancouver when he was one year old.

“Prior to last year’s Canadian Open, I hadn’t been back to the Toronto area in a long time, but it’s a great feeling to be back,” said Lee, who now lives in Arizona.

Also soaking in the moment were his uncle Ken Hong and aunt Mary Hong, who were on-site to see their nephew’s performance.

“We’re from Toronto and it’s great to see him compete here,” said Ken Hong, who still remembers his nephew’s humble beginnings at age three.

“Last year, he missed the cut by one shot, and seeing what he did today shows he’s got determination to succeed,” he added.

Mary Hong admitted she got a little emotional watching Lee’s success.

“Richard played so amazing today. He seemed so calm and I’m just so proud of him. I cried a little bit after his round,” she said.

Lee currently competes on the Asian Tour but says his dream is to achieve success on the PGA Tour. After a strong second round, the talented Canadian is in contention near the top of the leaderboard.

Heading into the weekend, Lee is focused on keeping up his strong play.

“Just going to take it shot by shot and play the way I did today,” he said when asked about his mindset.

“It’s always been one of my dreams to succeed on the PGA Tour, and if I am able to get to Sunday and get a ‘W,’ then it will be a dream come true.”

Windsor Lancers’ Alek Mauro leads men’s individual championship by six strokes, UBC Thunderbirds’ Una Chou stays atop women’s individual championship. 

Kamloops, B.C. – Alek Mauro of Windsor, Ont. strengthened his grasp on the men’s individual championship on Thursday with a six-under 66, while the UBC Thunderbirds narrowed in on their team division championship ambitions during a busy third round in the Canadian University / College Championship at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops, B.C.  

The Thunderbirds enter Friday’s final round with a 12 and 17 stroke lead over the Victoria Vikes and the UBC Okanagan Heat in the respective men’s and women’s team championships. Both teams are looking to secure their eighth and 17th national championship and repeat as champions for the 26th time under the helm of coach Chris Macdonald.  

“Having won last year’s tournament puts us in a great position to defend,” commented UBC third-year Jessica Ng of Vancouver, B.C. “With the experience level of this team, we have all been in this situation before and will be able to stay calm, present, and focused for the final round.” 

On the men’s side, Mauro – who started his afternoon with a one-shot lead over UBC’s Aidan Schumer of Columbus, Ohio. on Thursday – overcame a slow start to begin to pull away from the field in the men’s individual championship.  

A bogey-free front nine including five birdies and an eagle at the par-5 fourth catapulted the fifth-year senior into a six-shot lead over his closest chaser Anthony Jomphe of Chicoutimi, Que. – who carved out a consecutive round of 69 to challenge for the podium.  

“I just hit the ball really straight today,” commented Mauro. “Just hit some good drives and put myself in good positions to have wedges into most of the greens,” he added. Mauro’s approach play was admittedly the key to his success on Thursday and allowed him to spin his shots close to the pin on numerous occasions for birdie looks. 

New contenders emerged in the men’s individual championship on Thursday after Dan Kirby of Woodstock, N.B.(Victoria Vikes) and reigning champion Dylan MacDonald of Markham, Ont. (UBC Thunderbirds) fell out of the hunt after struggling to put their game into gear.  

Jagre Knight of Parksville, B.C. (Victoria Vikes) decorated his scorecard with four birdies and seven-consecutive pars to end his third round 69 and sit in a tie with Schumer for third place on the leaderboard. Ryan Massicotte of Gardien, Que. (Bishop’s Gaiters) recovered from a triple-bogey at the 17th with five-straight birdies on holes three through seven to put himself in a tie for fifth alongside Daniel Abraha of Kingston, Ont. (Queen’s Gaels) and just a shot off the podium to start his final round.   

Though unable to make headway in the men’s individual championship, the Thunderbirds continued to roll in the women’s individual competition on Thursday with Ng leading the way with the lowest round of the day after carding a three-under 69. Ng squeezed an eagle at the par-5 fourth hole between a pair of birdies at holes three and five to begin her ascension into the top five of the leaderboard.  

“My putting and approach shots were crucial in today’s round,” commented Ng. She admitted to her struggles with the flatstick leading up to Thursday but was pleased with her ability to stay patient and allow the birdie putts to roll.  

Tightly contesting the UBC Okanagan Heat throughout the opening two rounds, Una Chou of San Diego, Calif. and the rest of the Thunderbirds found separation from their provincial rival before the turn on Thursday. Julia Alexander-Carew of Oakville, Ont. and Lauren Nedo of Coquitlam, B.C. found trouble at the par-5 eighth hole, each walking off the green with double bogey as Chou and her teammate Grace Bell of Calgary, Alta. both converted on birdie putts.  

The chaos left Chou with a four-shot lead heading into the back nine and Bell in a tie with Alexander-Carew for second at even-par. The Thunderbirds’ duo was unable to capitalize the rest of the way, however, each dropping a shot in the final three holes while Alexander-Carew found redemption with birdies at Nos. 15 and 17 to enter Friday’s final round in striking distance of the individual women’s championship title.  

“Our team is very competitive and supportive of each other, which helps us stay motivated and focused on building our lead,” added Ng who also believes the Thunderbirds are more than capable of defending their 17-shot lead over the Heat come Friday. 

Bo Brown of Mississauga, Ont. (UBC Thunderbirds), Nedo and Brynne Davies of Calgary, Alta. (Victoria Vikes) all sit in a tie for fifth on the individual leaderboard after rounds of 75, 76 and 72 respectively on Thursday.  

The top three daily scores count towards the women’s team total throughout the week, while the top four daily scores accrued by the male teams count towards their overall total.  

To view the full leaderboards from Thursday’s third-round action, please click here. For Friday’s final round pairings and tee times, please click here.  

Men’s Team Championship – Top-5 

Women’s Team Championship – Top-5 

Men’s Individual Championship – Top-5 

Women’s Individual Championship – Top-5 

Three of Canada’s best golfers are in one of the marquee groups at the RBC Canadian Open and they’re living up to that top billing.

Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., were in the morning wave together in Thursday’s opening round. They were just ahead of a group that featured world No. 2 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, Sweden’s Ludwig Aberg and Luke Clanton of the United States.

Pendrith was tied with Americans Alex Smalley and Paul Peterson at 5-under 65 to hold the clubhouse lead. They dropped down into a nine-way tie for eighth once the afternoon wave was finished. Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen and Chile’s Cristobal Del Solar both flirted with the course record at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, firing 9-under 61 rounds to finish the first round atop the leaderboard.

“It was great out there. I felt like the crowd really filled in on the back nine,” said Pendrith, standing within sight of the 18th green. “Nick was making some birdies, and I was making some birdies. Mac holed a 6-iron on 5. 

“So it was a lot of fun. The crowd was into it. Nice to see a lot of people out here on a rainy day. We had a blast out there, and we all played pretty well.”

Taylor, the 2023 winner of the men’s national golf championship, was a shot back of Pendrith tied with a group for 16th. Hughes shot a 2-under 68 to sit in a tie with Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., among others.

“It was fun to feed off each other. It’s better than going the other way, obviously,” said Taylor. “Everyone played well. 

“Mac probably could have made a couple more putts where he normally does, but for all of us to be under par, it was a good start.”

It was a far cry from their first appearances at the Canadian Open, when they were all amateurs getting to play in the national championship thanks to sponsor exemptions.

“It’s cool to look back on. I think 2008 might have been my first Canadian Open, and I teed off at 7:30 at night because we had a long rain delay, and that was kind of my unique first start,” said Taylor. “Fast forward 17 years, being the featured group, it’s cool. It’s what we dreamt about.”

Pendrith agreed with Taylor, adding that his first Canadian Open appearance at Royal Montreal Golf Club in 2014 was formative for him.

“Those experiences, I think, help me,” said Pendrith. “It’s one of the biggest events for us, and it’s one that we look forward to all year. 

“It’s my fifth or sixth Canadian Open now, and it’s nice to play in a group with those guys and have all the fans supporting us. It’s the week that we look forward to every year.”

It’s a tradition on the PGA Tour that all the Canadians in the field practice together on the Tuesday of tournament week. That camaraderie bled over into Thursday’s round.

“To play a practice round with a couple buddies — excuse me, tournament round, it felt like a practice round is what I’m trying to say — It was a lot of fun,” said Taylor. “We kept it loose. It was nice to see a few birdies go in.”

A thunderstorm Wednesday night and continued rain into the morning made the greens soft and accuracy important. It affected spectators too, as they had to seek cover in the morning.

Fans who tried to come in the early afternoon struggled to find parking as one of two public lots at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley had to be closed because the heavy rainfall made the ground too soft to be driven on. The other parking lot quickly filled up, so Golf Canada encouraged spectators to use ride share or public drop-off if possible.

Olesen said that the rainy conditions actually helped him take the lead.

“Obviously, they’re a little bit softer than what they were yesterday,” he said. “I didn’t actually see the front nine until today. That worked out well maybe not to know any of the holes really.

“Sometimes you just have a feel of the greens and you just look at it, and you can sort of see the lines easy, and that was one of those days for me.”

UBC Thunderbirds’ Una Chou leads by two strokes in women’s individual championship; Alek Mauro of the Windsor Lancers leads men’s division by one in crowded leaderboard 

Kamloops, B.C – The UBC Thunderbirds Men’s team roared to life on Wednesday while the women’s team failed to take their foot off the gas throughout the second round to maintain the program’s lead at the 2025 Canadian University / College Championship at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops, B.C. 

The Thunderbirds take an 11 and nine stroke lead in the men’s and women’s divisions respectively into Thursday’s third round and by virtue of their veterans that led the program to a sweep of the tournament last year.  

Fifth-year duo Aidan Schumer of Columbus, Ohio and Dylan MacDonald of Markham, Ont., carved out rounds of 68 and 67 respectively to each soar up the leaderboard of the men’s individual championship and add to UBC’s team lead.  

Starting his second round on the back nine, MacDonald – who won in a playoff to claim last year’s men’s individual championship – collected four-consecutive birdies between holes 14 and 17 to get to two-under par and wipe away an uncharacteristic opening-round 74. He added birdies at the fourth and fifth holes to get to three-under par and more crucially stay well in the hunt to defend his title. 

“We’ve all been pretty calm this week,” commented Schumer on MacDonald and the rest of the Thunderbirds following his four-under round of 68. “All five of us are graduating after this year so we’re just trying to enjoy the moment, and I think that gives us a lot of peace out here,” he added.  

Schumer sits just one back of Alek Mauro of Windsor, Ont. (Windsor Lancers) who holds the outright lead in the individual championship after 36 holes at five-under par. Kicking off Wednesday in a tie for fourth at one-under par, Mauro started his round with a trio of birdies and an eagle at the par-five eighth hole to help steal the top spot from first-round leader Daniel Abraha of Kingston, Ont (Queen’s Gaels). 

Abraha shot a one-under 71 on Wednesday with 15 pars to stay in contention. He sits alongside Schumer at four-under par and in a tie for second. MacDonald and Dan Kirby of Woodstock, N.B. (Victoria Vikes) trail the pair by one stroke after 36 holes.  

On the women’s side, Una Chou of San Diego, Calif. continued her battle with provincial rival Julia Alexander-Carew of Oakville, Ont. The two – representing the Thunderbirds and the UBC Okanagan Heat respectively – took turns leading the individual championship on Wednesday, with Chou outlasting her closest competitor by sinking a birdie putt in her final two holes to get to four-under par and take a two-shot lead into Thursday.  

Grace Bell of Calgary, Alta. (UBC Thunderbirds) rounded out the podium of the women’s individual championship at one-over par, while Lauren Nedo of Coquitlam, B.C. (UBC Okanagan Heat) and Bo Brown of Mississauga, Ont. (UBC Thunderbirds) trail the third spot by one and two shots respectively after 36 holes.  

The top three daily scores count towards the women’s team total throughout the week, while the top four daily scores accrued by the male teams count towards their overall total.  

The field will be reduced to the top nine male teams and top six women’s teams – including any squad within 10 shots of the lead – following the conclusion of the third round on Thursday. As for the individual competition, players within 10 shots of the leader will make the cut, or any player within the top 10 of the leaderboard.  

To view the full leaderboards from Wednesday’s second-round action, please click here. For Thursday’s pairings and tee times, please click here.  

Men’s Team Championship – Top-5 

Women’s Team Championship – Top-5 

Men’s Individual Championship – Top-5 

Women’s Individual Championship – Top-5