After first representing his country on the international stage at the turn of the century, Mike Weir is ready to captain the International squad on home soil.

After serving as an assistant the previous three Presidents Cups and representing the Internationals five times as a player, Weir has been tabbed to lead the perennial underdog team in 2024 at Royal Montreal Golf Club.

Few International golfers match the pedigree of Weir at the Presidents Cup, and even fewer are still actively involved in the bi-annual competition. And despite never being on the winning side of the team event, Weir always brought his consistent, steady play to the world stage.

The Sarnia, Ont. native never had a losing record in a single Presidents Cup appearance. Australian Steve Elkington is the only other International player with at least three team appearances that can make the same claim.

Further, Weir has the second-highest win percentage among International players with at least three appearances. His 58.33 per cent win percentage places him just above fellow major winner Louis Oosthuizen and behind Elkington.

Here is a look at how Weir journeyed from rookie to captain.

Steller Start

Weir’s first ever PGA Tour win at the 1999 Air Canada Championship helped vault him onto the team in 2000, one of three rookies to compete for the Internationals that year. Despite losing his opening match, like all his teammates, Weir was the bright spot for the Internationals the rest of the competition.

Weir was the only player from either team to win both his Friday matches, which meant he and Nick Price were the only Internationals to win a foursomes match all competition, besting Phil Mickelson and David Duval.

Weir would then hand Mickelson his second loss with a 4 & 3 win in Sunday singles. Weir ended the 2000 Presidents Cup with a 3-2-0 record and the highest point total for the Internationals.

Continued Success

In 2003, Weir picked up where he left off, recording another 3-2-0 record in his sophomore outing. Weir’s three points were instrumental in ensuring the Internationals tied with America, the only time Weir was not on the losing end of the team event.

Playing in four matches in 2005, Weir bookended the competition with a foursomes win with Trevor Immelman and a singles win over Scott Verplank. With the teams tied at 11 after Saturday, Weir was one of only four Internationals to record a win during Sunday singles play.

Homecoming

A captain’s selection when the Presidents Cup first came to Royal Montreal in 2007, Weir proved he could be more than just a lightning rod to get the crowd roaring.

Weir compiled a 3-1-1 record to lead the Internationals in points for the second time. And while the team outcome was a forgone conclusion come Sunday, Weir still put on a show for the crowd when going up against the number one player for the United States, Tiger Woods.

Weir fended off Woods in the early stages and built a 3-up lead after 10 holes. However, Woods stormed back to take a 1-up lead after 15. A birdie on 17 by Weir evened the match, sending the players to the 18th, a hole Woods had not played all week.

An errant drive hindered Woods, forcing him to attempt a greenside chip for par that fell short. Woods conceded the match to Weir, to the delight of the Montreal crowd.

“To have that kind of support being in your home country was fantastic,” Weir said at the time. “It was something I’ll never forget.”

Elder Statesman

Weir would finish his playing days at the Presidents Cup with a 2-2-1 record in 2009, winning both of his matches in fourball with Ernie Els.

After being away for a few years, Weir returned in 2017 as a captain’s assistant for Nick Price. He kept the same role in 2019 and 2022, mentoring Canadians like Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith.

In 2007, Weir was the lone Canadian on the team. Come 2024, he likely won’t be alone. 

ORLANDO, Fla. – Tiger Woods and 13-year-old son Charlie are returning to the PNC Championship with hopes of doing one better than last year.

The 20-team field is for winners of majors or The Players Championship and a child or parent. This will be the third time Woods plays. A year ago, he and Charlie finished one shot behind John Daly and his son.

The 36-hole event, televised by NBC, is Dec. 17-18 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club Orlando.

“We have been looking forward to this week all year,” Woods said. “This is such a special opportunity as a dad to get to compete with my son against so many golfing greats and their family members. It is going to be a very special week and I know that Charlie and I will have a blast.”

Woods has not competed since he missed the cut in the Open Championship at St. Andrews in July. He was schedule to play in his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, a 72-hole event against a 20-man field of the world’s top players, but withdrew due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

He also has a made-for-TV exhibition on Dec. 10 with Rory McIlroy as his partner against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.

Thomas and Spieth also will be at the PNC Championship with their fathers. Thomas and his father, longtime club professional Mike Thomas, won in 2020.

Annika Sorenstam is playing again, this time with her son, Will. The PNC field also includes Nelly Korda and her father, Petr, a former Australian Open tennis champion.

TORONTO – RBC is welcoming professional golfers Sam Burns, Sahith Theegala and Cameron Young as its newest Team RBC brand ambassadors.

Burns, Theegala and Young represent the strong field of talent on the PGA TOUR, with incredible 2021-2022 seasons. Burns, with 22 top-10 finishes to-date, had three PGA TOUR victories this past season, making him only the second player in PGA TOUR history to win three or more TOUR titles in one season.

“I am thrilled to join Team RBC and their roster of elite golfers,” says Sam Burns. “This season has been full of career-highs and becoming an RBC brand ambassador is definitely one of them. I’m grateful for their support and can’t wait to build upon the momentum of 2022.”

Since joining the TOUR in 2020, Theegala has quickly established himself with seven top-10 finishes, including finishing T2 at the Travelers Championship and T3 at the WM Phoenix Open.

“As a rookie on the TOUR, I’m proud to be joining Team RBC, a long-time supporter of golf with a roster of high calibre athletes,” says Theegala. “Visiting Canada for the RBC Canadian Open was a highlight for me last season and I can’t wait to return in 2023.”

Young holds seven top-10 finishes, including the 2022 RBC Heritage, and was named 2022 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year as voted by the TOUR’s membership for the 2021-2022 season. 

“Joining a world-class group of golfers and working with a brand that shares my own values is a dream come true,” said Young. “RBC is doing great things for the sport, and I’m looking forward to joining them as an ambassador.” 

Team RBC was established in 2009 and is comprised of elite touring professionals on the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour. Along with wearing RBC branding on their apparel and golf bag, Burns, Theegala, and Young will support many of the bank’s marketing initiatives and client experiences.

RBC is the title sponsor of two PGA TOUR events, the RBC Canadian Open and the RBC Heritage, and is also a supporter of community golf events including the RBC PGA Scramble and RBC Community Junior Golf.

“We are thrilled to welcome professional golfers Sam Burns, Sahith Theegala, and Cameron Young to Team RBC. It was a pleasure to watch them play at the 2022 RBC Canadian Open and RBC Heritage and to see their incredible success this season,” says Mary DePaoli, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “We are impressed by their dedication and passion both on and off the course and look forward to what’s next for these talented golfers.”

Denzil Palmer, who spent more than 40 years in club management, passed away from cancer on November 20 surrounded by family.

He was 70.

Palmer served as the General Manager and Secretary of Royal Montreal for nearly three decades helping the over 1,500 members enjoy all of the iconic facilities’ offerings including 45 holes of golf. Under Palmer’s leadership, Royal Montreal hosted several successful professional and amateur tournaments including three RBC Canadian Open events as well as the 2007 Presidents Cup.

Royal Montreal, of which Palmer was an Honorary Life Member, is set to host the Presidents Cup once again in 2024.

Palmer began his career in golf as the General Manager of Greenhills Country and City Clubs in London, Ont. Prior to that he worked at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier and Holiday Inn Tower in London. Over a decade-and-a-half with Greenhills, Palmer successfully developed both of the member-first clubs which featured 27 holes of golf, 22 tennis courts, swimming, two clubhouses, and a robust calendar of social programmes.

Palmer ended his career as Vice-President, Clubs and Hospitality at Palmer & Associates, a boutique HR firm specializing in leadership coaching, career transition services, and executive search.  

Palmer, who is a Canadian Society of Club Managers Honorary Life Member, was presented by the CSCM with its President’s Award – recognizing him as one of CSCM’s longest standing general managers. He also proudly received the Club Manager of the Year Award in 1997 and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017, only the third recipient of this particular award in over 20 years.

Golf Canada sends its condolences to Palmer’s family as we mourn the passing of golf-industry veteran whose presence and leadership was felt for decades.

A celebration of Palmer’s life will be arranged in the new year. In lieu of flowers, a scholarship fund is being established in his name, one which will see his legacy of excellence carry forward to future generations. If you would like to make a donation in Denzil’s honour, please contact Alan Palmer at alanpalmergolf@gmail.com.

—

You can read more about the impact of Denzil Palmer on his fellow club managers via this story in Club Management Association of Canada’s latest issue.

The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) Virtual Summit presented by RBC on the State of the Industry took place November 21, 2022, as part of an ongoing GJAC series intended to help membership stay connected, as well as to generate discussion and opportunities around important issues in the game.

GJAC Virtual Summits presented by RBC are approximately one hour in length and are recorded for public viewing. You can watch this one below. The format consists of a moderated question and answer period, followed by a brief opportunity for questions from attendees. 

Panelists for this Summit include:

Panelists:

Garrett Ball, COO, Golf Canada
Scott Pritchard, President, PGA TOUR Canada
Kathryn Wood, COO, Canadian Golf Superintendents Association 
 
Moderated by GJAC President Rick Young 

Click below to watch…

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Adam Svensson handled the cold air and the heat of contention as if he had been there before, closing with a 6-under 64 to win the RSM Classic on Sunday at Sea Island for his first PGA TOUR victory.

Svensson, a 28-year-old from Surrey, B.C., was locked in a four-way tie for the lead on the closing stretch of the Seaside course when he poured in an 18-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole, and then hit a tee shot to 10 feet on the par-3 17th for a birdie that gave him a cushion.

Brian Harman (65) and Sahith Theegala (66) were in the group ahead of him and missed birdie chances from about 25 feet on the closing hole.

Callum Tarren of England (64) was the first to post at 17-under par and was hopeful of a playoff. Svensson capped off his bogey-free final round with a par for a two-shot win.

He finished at 19-under 263 and played the tougher Seaside course in 20 under the final three rounds. His tournament began with a 73 on the Plantation, which put him in a tie for 108th. His first job was to make the cut. He wound up winning the trophy.

Taylor Pendrith (69) of Richmond Hill, Ont., tied for 15th at 13 under.

Svensson is starting his third full year on the PGA Tour and gets a two-year exemption, along with a trip to the Masters and the PGA Championship. He has never played a major.

“To be honest, it’s not even real right now,” Svensson said when he finished. “I’m so happy. I put so much work in. To win on the PGA Tour means everything to be me. … I just kept believing in myself, and here I am.”

Theegala recovered from a double bogey on the par-5 seventh hole when he was in trouble left off the tee and then hit a chip that came back to him from behind the green. He made five birdies over the last 11 holes.

Harman got in the game late, hitting a fairway metal on the par-5 15th hole that was inches away from rolling in, setting up a short eagle. He birdied the 16th to share the lead, but had to settle for pars on the final two holes.

Patrick Rodgers and Ben Martin, who shared the 54-hole lead, couldn’t keep up. Rodgers didn’t make his first birdie until the 13th hole and closed with a 70 to tie for 10th, while Martin shot a 72.

Cole Hammer, who graduated from Texas in May was playing on a sponsor exemption, shot a 65 to tie for fifth, which gets him into the Sony Open.

The PGA Tour now takes a six-week break in the final wraparound season before resuming with the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua the first week of January.

By winning, Svensson was the last man to qualify for that field, the first elevated event that will have a $15 million purse.

Svensson won $1,458,000, more than he won in either of his two previous seasons on the PGA Tour. He is the second Canadian to win this season, joining Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., who won in Mississippi.

NAPLES, FLA. (Golf Canada) – ​The 2022 CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club has been named Tournament of the Year by the Tournament Partners of the LPGA.

Tournament organizers from Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific were presented with a prestigious Gold Driver Award during a ceremony held in conjunction with this week’s LPGA Tour season-ending CME Group Tour Championship at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort in Naples, Fla.

Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific also received Gold Driver Awards for Best Community and Charity Engagement, as well as Best Sponsor Activation.

The Tournament Partners of the LPGA (formally Tournament Owners Association) have a long-standing tradition of recognizing best-in-class tournaments with Gold Driver Awards as part of the season-ending event.

“This award is a true reflection of the hard work and collaboration from all groups and stakeholders involved with the CP Women’s Open,” said Tournament Director Ryan Paul. “Thanks to tremendous support from fans, players, volunteers, corporate partners and our host club, the 2022 CP Women’s Open was a resounding success and it is rewarding to be recognized with these significant awards.” 

The Best Community and Charity Engagement Award was earned for the CP Has Heart community investment program, which raised $2.5 million in support of the CHEO Foundation and $510,000 for Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital Foundation – the largest charitable campaign in the history of the CP Women’s Open.

Since CP assumed title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open in 2014, more than $16 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in Canada. This is the third time in the last four years the awards were handed out that the CP Women’s Open was awarded the Gold Driver for Best Community and Charity Engagement.

The CP Women’s Open earned Best Sponsor Activation for its Hilton on the Green experience – a first-of-its-kind opportunity for Canadian golf fans to stay in a unique, 1-bedroom pop-up hotel room on the 8^th hole at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.

Hilton on the Green included a personal concierge, golf cart, gourmet meals including breakfast in bed, exclusive view of the action, as well as world-class service and hospitality from Hilton.

At the 2022 CP Women’s Open in August, South African Paula Reto set the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club course record (62) en route to besting the LPGA Tour’s best players to capture her first career win on Tour. By doing so, she took home US$352,500 of the US$2.35 million purse.

The 2022 CP Women’s Open in Ottawa was the most attended tournament in event history.

The stars of the LPGA Tour are headed back to Vancouver as next year’s CP Women’s Open will be contested at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club August 21-27, 2023.

The championship will mark the sixth time the province of British Columbia has hosted Canada’s Women’s Open Championship, with the last time being 2015 at The Vancouver Golf Club, where Lydia Ko won her third CP Women’s Open title.

For more Information on the CP Women’s Open visit www.cpwomensopen.com.

TORONTO (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor RBC, are pleased to announce select tickets are now available for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open taking place June 5-11 at Oakdale Golf and Country – a Stanley Thompson classic in the heart of Toronto.

CLICK HERE to secure your tickets before they sell out.

Oakdale will challenge the stars of the PGA TOUR as a 7,460-yard composite championship routing that integrates elements from each of the course’s three nines (Thompson, Homenuik, Knudson).

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the RBC Canadian Open features miles of front row seating for golf fans to experience the thrill of live professional golf.

Three ticketing options include:

• Any Day Ticket: Access to the RBC Canadian Open on any one day, Monday through Sunday (on-sale for a limited time, while supplies last).
• Weekly Grounds Ticket: Access to the full week of the tournament, Monday through Sunday.
• 1904 Club presented by RBC iShares Weekly Ticket: Access for all four days of Championship play from Thursday through Sunday.

Volunteer, sponsorship and corporate hospitality opportunities are also available. For more information on the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, visit us online at www.rbccanadianopen.com.

NAPLES, Fla. – Canada’s Brooke Henderson is planning to tough it out for the final event of the LPGA Tour season.

Henderson offered no explanation when she withdrew from the Pelican Women’s Championship on Saturday.

But the native of Smiths Falls, Ont., said on Tuesday that it was an upper-back injury.

She issued a statement explaining the withdrawal and saying she planned to rest as much as possible but still compete in the CME Group Tour Championship.

The CME Group Tour Championship starts Thursday at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla.

Henderson is fourth among money earners on the LPGA Tour and sixth on the world rankings.

The 25-year-old Henderson won twice this season, winning at the ShopRite LPGA Classic on June 12 and then her second career major victory at the Evian Championship on July 24.

Her 12 professional victories are the most by any Canadian golfer.

Twenty-five years ago, on November 13, 1997, then-PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem was joined in New York City’s Central Park by representatives from the leading golf organizations – the LPGA, the Masters Tournament, the PGA of America, the PGA TOUR, and the USGA – public officials, including President George H. W. Bush, and golf dignitaries to announce the launch of First Tee. 

Since that time, First Tee has grown into a preeminent youth development organization boasting a network of nearly 150 chapters with programs delivered at 1,400 golf courses, 10,000 schools and 1,700 youth centers in all 50 states and in Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Morocco. In 2021, First Tee impacted more than 2.2 million kids and teens. Additionally, more than 10,000 adults are involved each year in support of First Tee’s mission, many of whom have participated in First Tee’s signature positive youth development training. 

LEARN ABOUT FIRST TEE – CANADA

Under the leadership of Finchem, First Tee was launched as an industrywide initiative to make golf affordable and accessible for all kids. As the first programs were being developed, First Tee began an intentional effort to seamlessly integrate the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, creating a program that empowers youth to build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that they can carry to everything they do. 

Congrats to our partners at @TheFirstTee on 25 amazing years. We’re proud to be working #BuildingGameChangers across ??. pic.twitter.com/FpLFj5LhGl

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) November 15, 2022

First Tee has been undergoing a modernization effort to stay relevant and connected to kids and teens now and in the future. It refreshed its brand for the first time in 2020 and recently released a robust age-based curriculum update to better position the organization to reach teens and keep kids engaged in the program longer. Technology efforts are also underway to centralize and better support program registration, adult training and onboarding, and tools for coaches. In 

2023, the first participant-facing app will launch, providing supplemental digital experiences and gamification for young people in the program. In recent years, the organization also reinvested in its College Scholarship Program, and it touches hundreds of kids each year through national participant events, spanning from the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach to a five-day DEI-focused academy in Philadelphia. 

“Since day one, First Tee has been intentional about reaching young people from diverse backgrounds, and that commitment continues today,” said Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “Most years, between 40 and 50 percent of participants at chapters are non-Caucasian, and approximately 38% are female. Our network of chapter leaders, coaches, volunteers, board members and donors remain committed to breaking down barriers. And they continue to inspire me as we prepare for the future.” 

Throughout this anniversary year, First Tee has highlighted its alumni who’ve gone on to careers in the golf industry and beyond. First Tee’s final alumni feature showcases Ariana Saenz, a former participant at First Tee – Greater Houston, who went on to play collegiate golf at the University of Houston and Texas A&M. Saenz is set to graduate with a master’s degree in human resources later this year and hopes to pursue a career in the golf industry. 

“From age seven to 18, I was exposed to a set of morals and life skills at First Tee that poured the foundation for the woman I am today,” said Saenz. “Along the way, I earned a college golf scholarship and went from being a participant to a volunteer who learned the value of giving back to the community and serving others.” 

Nov. 16-18, representatives from First Tee’s network of 150 chapters will convene in Dallas for its Network Summit – the first in five years – to celebrate the anniversary and continue building momentum for the future with robust workshops, training and peer-to-peer networking. The Summit is presented by Century Golf Partners and made possible by other corporate partners who stand behind First Tee’s mission.