AUGUSTA, Ga. – Tiger Woods still held out a faint ray of hope as he peered into the future after his second round and reminded everyone that the old adage is true – the Masters really doesn’t start until the back nine on Sunday.

Unfortunately for Woods, his Masters chances ended on a Saturday when his putter went cold and he shot his worst score ever in a tournament he’s won five times. Woods will tee off in the final round with no shot of winning, though just making an appearance this week might have been his biggest win of all.

With Scottie Scheffler, the hottest player in golf, carrying a three-shot lead into the final round, the question now becomes this: Will the back nine even matter on Sunday?

History suggests it will, largely because the ghosts of Masters past tend to always show up at the wrong time. The tournament is littered with guys who have failed on the final nine, with collapses so great some never really recovered.

If Scheffler needed any reminder, he found it about the same time he found his Titleist buried deep under a tree on the 18th hole Saturday.

What was a comfortable four-shot lead became three, just like that. It could have been even worse – should have been even worse – but Scheffler somehow found a way to make a bogey for a 1-under 71 that still left him in command.

It’s a lead that could hold. It’s a lead that should hold.

At least until the back nine on Sunday, of course. Then all bets are off.

Just ask Cameron Smith, the young Australian he’ll be playing alongside who can’t wait to get the match going.

On the flip side, you can find plenty of trouble if you’re not. Rory McIlroy kicked away a Masters he was leading in 2011 when he yanked his tee shot on No. 10 into the cabins left of the trees and made triple bogey. He went on to four-putt the 12th hole and shoot an 80 that still seems to haunt him after all these years.

Jordan Spieth had a five-shot lead entering the back nine in 2016 and seemed on his way to a second straight green jacket before opening with consecutive bogeys and then hitting two balls into Rae’s creek on his way to a quadruple bogey on No. 12 that opened the way for little known Englishman Danny Willett to win.

Even Arnold Palmer wasn’t exempt from back nine misery, making double bogey on the 18th hole to lose the lead and the tournament to Gary Player in 1961.

And it doesn’t take a golf historian to remember Greg Norman’s epic meltdown in 1996 that was so bad he refused to talk about it for years.

“I am a winner at life, I’m not a loser,” Norman said afterward. “And I’ll wake up tomorrow. Still breathing I hope.”

The magnitude of the Masters sometimes overwhelms even the best. Thoughts wander to how winning the green jacket will feel, before the green jacket is won.

And while Scheffler seems unflappable, he’s never slept Saturday night with a Masters lead.

“Probably the most nervous nights I’ve had and the most nervous rounds I’ve had are on leads,” Justin Thomas said.

What looked like a runaway for the world’s No. 1 player most of the day Saturday became more of a two-man race when Smith shot the best round of the day, a 4-under 68, then waited to see how high of a mountain he still needed to climb. Scheffler responded with a good score of his own on a cold and windy day, but he won’t go into Sunday with the same five-shot lead he began the weekend with.

His plan for the evening at home before the biggest day of his 25-year-old life? Watching some old episodes of “The Office” with his wife, laughing a bit and having a good dinner.

Nothing complicated, but so far it’s worked. Scheffler won for the first time in Phoenix this year and has won twice since, giving him a three wins in just his last five starts.

“Being in contention is what’s fun, so being in the lead is fun,” he said. “When I’m in the lead, I’m trying to stay in the lead and not really overthink things; just go out there and play golf.”

That might be good enough to give Scheffler the green jacket and cap a remarkable streak that golf hasn’t seen in a long time. It might be enough to make things easier as he stands on the tenth tee with all the history that surrounds it.

Corey Conners leads the way for the Canadians in a tie for sixth at 1 under par, eight strokes back of Scheffler.

Tune in Sunday to find out on the back nine, where the Masters really begins.

Corey Conners has been in contention at the Masters for the past three years now.

Conners, from Listowel, Ont., was one of three Canadians competing at Augusta National Golf Club starting on Thursday. He tied for 10th at the event in 2020 and then tied for eighth last year.

In 2022, Conners closed in a tie for sixth at 3 under par overall. He finished seven strokes behind champion Scottie Scheffler, who has committed to play in this year’s RBC Canadian Open in June.

Conners finished in a tie for 46th in 2019, his first time playing at the Masters as a professional, his rookie season on the PGA Tour.

He’s come a long way since then.

A 5-under 67 on Sunday helped Conners tie for 35th the Valero Texas Open and hold on to the 32nd spot on the world golf rankings for a second straight week, matching a career best.

It was the latest in a month of solid play on the PGA Tour, including a tie for 11th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on March 6, a tie for 26th at the Players’ Championship on March 13 and a third-place finish at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play on March 27.

His “worst” performance this season was a tie for 40th at the Shriners Children’s Open on Oct. 10, when he was 10-under par overall.

“So I’m going to keep working hard and see where it takes me but never get too far ahead of myself and try not to let my head swell up too big.”

Conners played a practice round with Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., at Augusta on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old Conners said that watching Weir’s win nearly two decades ago is one of his favourite memories as a fan of the sport.

“I was so nervous watching, (Weir) probably felt more comfortable than I did,” said Conners. “I always remember back to that moment, seeing him win, and watching every single year from then on.

“When the Masters is on it also kind of signalled that Canadian golf season was about to get started pretty soon.”

Some of the most anticipated videos that emerge from Augusta National Golf Club each year are those from the par-3 16th. While there have been plenty of hole-in-one efforts during the tournament itself, as many know, it’s the pre-tournament skips across the water that really make people smile. 

But did you know that skipping a ball across the pond on 16 was started by a Canadian? 

Gary Cowan, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion at the 1972 Masters Tournament, did it for the first time. It happened in front of Ben Crenshaw, who would go on to win two Green Jackets. 

“Ben couldn’t believe what I was doing,” Cowan told the Augusta Chronicle in a recent interview.

There has been a little bit of debate who started the skipping situation, with Ken Green and Mark Calcavecchia claiming to have started it in 1987. Lee Trevino and Seve Ballesteros said they did it before that, though, in the early 1980s. People thought that was the start until photos of Tom Kite doing it in 1979 emerged. 

But that was a good seven years after the Canadian. 

Cowan, who played eight Masters Tournaments in his career (his best result was a T25 in 1964), didn’t even give a thought about what potential repercussions would be for his fun shot. 

“You know, that never crossed my mind,” Cowan told the Chronicle about whether he thought he might get in trouble by the Green Jacketed members. 

Green, meanwhile, told GolfWeek in 2016 he was quickly scolded. He had a letter from then-Chairman Hord Hardin waiting for him in his locker when he got back inside. 

“I think the words were, ‘Here at Augusta, we refrain from that sort of behavior,’” Green told GolfWeek, although that didn’t stop he and Calcavecchia from doing it again the following year. 

And now skipping the ball across the water on 16 is as traditional as pimento cheese. 

Jace Walker, Mackenzie Hughes’ caddie (and fellow Canadian) was part of one of the most-shared videos of the week from the Masters in 2022. He, along with three other caddies, all skipped shots using their players’ clubs in sync earlier this week. 

Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood, meanwhile, came oh-so-close to dunking their skipped shots on back-to-back attempts. 

While making it across the pond, and coming ‘close’ is fun enough, there have been a few times when just getting it on the green wasn’t going to cut it. 

Vijay Singh, Martin Kaymer, and Jon Rahm have all skipped their ball across the water… and into the hole. 

Singh did it in 2010 with a punched 4-iron. The ball skipped three times and caught that familiar slope before rolling into the hole. Kaymer did it in 2012, while Rahm has been the most recent to do it. 

Just one day after he made an ace (the usual way!) in a Monday practice round in 2020 on the 4th hole, he skipped a ball three times (like Singh) and caught the same slope before dropping. A video of the shot, now on YouTube, has racked up nearly 3-million views. 

It’s more likely to take an average golfer 3-million tries to make it across, but every year when you see the best in the world skip a ball on the pond of the 16th hole at the most iconic golf course in the world, remember that it was a Canadian who started it all ?? ??

Tuesday at the Masters marks the day for an iconic tradition at a place that is all about traditions. 

Social media has been abuzz since last year’s win to see what kind of fine Japanese fare Hideki Matsuyama would serve up in 2022, and with his menu now revealed, he certainly didn’t disappoint. Green Jacket winners will be treated to a meal of assorted sushi, miso black cod, Japanese strawberry shortcake, and a ribeye steak of A5 Wagyu – for those non-foodies, an argument could be made it’s the finest cut of beef on the planet. 

When Mike Weir won the Masters in 2003 he made sure his Champions Dinner the following year was Canadian all the way. 

A friend of his from Brights Grove, Ont. is a chef, and he helped with the curation and cooking of the meal at Augusta National. It consisted of Canadian game meats like elk, wild boar, and Artic char. Canadian beer was served (of course!) and some of Canada’s award-winning ice wine was included with dessert. Some of those bottles remain in Augusta National’s wine cellar as an ode to Weir. 

Next year marks the 20th anniversary of Weir’s Masters triumph, and how fitting would it be if the Champions Dinner in 2023 was served by a fellow Canadian? 

Corey Conners (who has finished inside the top 10 at the last two Masters) along with Mackenzie Hughes (who made his first cut at Augusta National last year and was in the final group on Sunday at the U.S. Open) join Weir this year at the first men’s major of the year. 

The trio enjoyed a nine-hole practice game Monday afternoon as poor weather is supposed to descend upon Augusta National Tuesday. 

“We don’t get to play together much, us Canadian guys, so it’s good when our worlds collide and we can get together here and play a practice round and have a good time,” said Weir, who is hoping to see one of his countrymen join him in the Champions Locker Room, and at the Champions Dinner, sooner rather than later. 

With all this talk about food, here are a foursome of favourites of past Champions Dinners. 

Be sure to sound off on social media: What would you serve if you won the Masters? 

Vijay Singh – 2001

Singh’s Champions Dinner has long been considered as one of the best ever. In a break from tradition, Singh was able to bring in chefs from outside of Augusta National to help cook up a terrific Thai feast. The husband-and-wife pair (they own a Thai restaurant in Atlanta) flew in every ingredient from Thailand and received a standing ovation from the attendees after the meal concluded, according to Golf.com.

The menu included a seafood coconut soup, chicken curry, baked sea scallops with garlic sauce, rack of lamb, baked Chilean sea bass with chili sauce, and a lychee sorbet for dessert. 

Jordan Spieth – 2016

In an ode to fellow Masters winner – and Texan – Ben Crenshaw, Spieth, who won the Green Jacket in 2015, served up a bounty of Texas BBQ. His menu included brisket, smoked chicken, and pork ribs plus a full set of authentic fixings like corn muffins, baked beans, potato salad, and sauteed green beans. A warmed chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream was served for dessert. 

Tiger Woods – 1998

All eyes were on Woods who, as a 21-year-old, re-wrote the record books at Augusta National in 1997 when he won the Masters by 12 shots. And then all eyes were on him again in 1998, because what does a 22-year-old serve at the Champions Dinner?

Turns out, it’s exactly what you expect it to be: Cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, and milkshakes. 

Woods went on to win four more Green Jackets after that initial triumph and his tastes have evolved, so to speak. In 2002 and 2003 he served the same menu (porterhouse steak and sushi as an appetizer). In 2006 he went Mexican (steak and chicken fajitas) and in 2020 he combined some of his favourites and served sushi as an appetizer with steak and chicken fajitas as the main. 

Sergio Garcia – 2018

While there have been plenty of home-grown menus served in the past (Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel, Danny Willet, and Angel Cabrera have all served up dishes from their home countries of Australia, South Africa, England, and Argentina, respectively), a special nod should go to Sergio Garcia after his breakthrough major win in 2017. 

Garcia, of Spain, started with an international salad as inspired by the countries of each Masters Champion. From there, the Champions dined on traditional Spanish lobster rice and finished with Tres Leches cake (it’s a sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk) made by his wife, Angela. 

The boxes weren’t flying off the shelves. They weren’t even making it onto the shelves. The Masters has gone gnome-mad.

Yes. Gnomes. The must-have item at the Masters this year isn’t any of the shirts or pullovers or caps with the tournament’s logo that can only be bought by those who are lucky enough to have secured a way onto the grounds of Augusta National.

Instead, the gnome is all the rage. Just ask Tom Frettoloso, who left his house at 4 a.m. on Tuesday to get to Augusta National and was headed back to his vehicle by 8 a.m. – without having seen a single golfer take a single swing.

He had a bunch of souvenirs, including two gnomes. He wouldn’t say how he got two; signage in the store said the Masters was limiting them to one per person.

“I’m self-employed and need to get to work,” said Frettoloso, a house painter, who was weaving his way toward the gates while thousands of people were walking the other way onto the Augusta National grounds. “But I’ve gotten the gnomes just about every year. I got a ticket for the practice round and here I am and now I’m done.”

Gnomes made their Masters debut in 2016 and were a quick hit, though nobody seems to remember them being as much of a phenomenon as they are this week.

There’s a couple different versions of gnomes this year; the one that hundreds of people were lined up to get Tuesday morning was this year’s version of a caddy, standing about a foot high, dressed in a green-and-white striped Masters shirt, khakis, green-and-white shoes, a yellow cap and with a bag of clubs slung over his right shoulder.

Asking price at the Masters: $49.50 USD.

Asking price online: Most were going for somewhere between $150 and $500 on Tuesday, depending on where you looked. The smaller version -a mini-gnome in the traditional white Masters caddie attire – could be had for considerably less.

On Tuesday, a worker at the store tried to reload the shelf with more product. The mission was futile: Shoppers were grabbing them as soon as they went on the shelf, and sometimes right from the worker himself.

“People will buy anything,” someone mused in the checkout line.

That they will, whether it’s gnomes, shirts, belts, hats and anything else they can get with the Masters logo. There’s countless reasons why: not everyone can get to the Masters since the ticket is among the toughest in sports, and the Masters also doesn’t sell merchandise online – except for some images, the Masters Journal and the Masters Annual that recaps tournament week.

And for the record, many on-site shoppers got bad news once they got into the Masters store Tuesday.

The gnomes were gone.

Tiger Woods is wearing Nike apparel this week, as always.

Except the shoes.

Such is the power of Woods: Not only is his mere presence at Augusta National this week a huge story—whether he decides to play in the Masters—but he’s also created a huge side story by showing up for practice rounds Sunday and Monday wearing FootJoy shoes.

Woods hasn’t explained the change yet; he’s scheduled to address reporters Tuesday. It would make sense if the change was related to what are likely different physical needs now that he’s trying to play on a right leg that was badly damaged in a car crash last year.

A statement released by Nike seemed to indicate that was the case: “Like golf fans around the world, we are delighted to see Tiger back on the course. He is an incredible athlete, and it is phenomenal to see him returning to the game at this level. His story continues to transcend sport and inspire us all. As he continues his return, we will work with him to meet his new needs.”

Everything else about Woods’ on-course ensembles has been as expected: His cap still bears the distinctive “TW” logo that has been his personal Nike branding for years, his short-sleeve shirts had the iconic Nike swoosh on the left side of the chest. Technically, Nike was on his feet, too—when counting the socks.

Woods wore Nike shoes when the world most recently saw him play, back in December at the PNC Challenge, a 36-hole scramble on a flat Florida course where he and his son Charlie finished second to John Daly and his son. Woods was allowed to use a cart in that event. The demands of playing the Masters simply wouldn’t even compare, with the steep slopes and length of Augusta National serving as one of the tougher walks in golf.

Woods has been an endorser of Nike since 1996.

BUY TICKETS

TORONTO, April 4, 2022 — RBC is pleased to announce the return of the RBCxMusic Concert Series at the 2022 RBC Canadian Open, featuring headlining performances by three-time Grammy Award-winning pop rock band Maroon 5 and hip-hop icon Flo Rida.

RBC, along with its partners Live Nation Canada and Golf Canada, looks forward to the return of the RBCxMusic Concert Series. Building on the success of the inaugural event held in 2019, which saw sold out performances from headliners Florida Georgia Line and The Glorious Sons, this year’s tournament once again promises an unforgettable experience for golf and music fans alike. The concert series, which was first introduced to attract new, younger fans to the sport of golf, is a celebration of the return of live music in Canada.

The concerts will take place near the iconic St. George’s Golf and Country Club on the athletic field of Toronto’s Richview Collegiate Institute and will feature performances on both the Friday and Saturday evenings of tournament week.

Canadians will have the opportunity to see Flo Rida live in concert at the RBC Canadian Open on Friday, June 10, 2022.

“I can’t wait to return to Toronto this year,” said Flo Rida. “I love performing for my Canadian fans and I’m excited to kick off the summer with them.”

In addition, Maroon 5 will close the Concert Series with a headlining performance on Saturday, June 11, 2022.

“We are excited to announce the return of the RBCxMusic Concert Series, and we look forward to welcoming world-renowned artists Maroon 5 and Flo Rida to Canada,” said Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “We introduced the concert series in 2019, with the idea to create an unforgettable fan experience for golf and music fans alike. The result was our most successful RBC Canadian Open to date and we are eager to build on that early momentum with the return of the tournament this year.”

“We are thrilled to be bringing even more live music back to Canadians in 2022,” said Wayne Zronik, President Live Nation Canada. “RBC has been a committed partner to us, and it’s great to work together again on the Concert Series while supporting the growth of music in Canada through its program First Up with RBCxMusic, dedicated to helping emerging artists with performance, mentorship and networking opportunities.”

“Golf Canada is thrilled that RBC will continue to integrate the RBCxMusic platform within the RBC Canadian Open, offering fans the unique opportunity to see both world class golf and world class music at Canada’s National Championship,” said Golf Canada Chief Commercial Officer John Sibley. “The Concert Series was an overwhelming success in 2019 and will once again attract new fans to experience the energy and excitement of the RBC Canadian Open.”

In addition to must-see music performances, fans can expect exciting spectator experiences, including a dedicated food and beverage area—the Recipe Unlimited Fare Way, and the return of The Rink on the 16^th hole, awarded 2018 best-in-class element by the PGA TOUR.

Exclusively for RBC clients and new for 2022, an allotment of RBCxMusic Tickets are now available for purchase on Ticketmaster. With the purchase of every RBCxMusic Ticket, RBC clients will receive a $10 Concert Cash^® code, redeemable towards a future concert ticket purchase.

RBCxMusic Tickets are only available for Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11 of the RBC Canadian Open. Tickets are available to the general public for purchase on RBCCanadianOpen.com. Tickets for Friday and Saturday are $90 (plus tax and service charges). The event is General Admission / All Ages. Tickets are all-inclusive: your tournament day pass is your concert ticket.                                                                       

San Antonio, TX – With The Masters just one week away, the PGA TOUR headed to TPC San Antonio for the Valero Texas Open. On day four of the tournament, Adam Hadwin would shoot 5-under 67 and would birdie five of his last seven holes to earn him a T4 finish.

“Obviously today was an incredible finish,” said Hadwin. “It’s a tricky golf course and when the wind blows, the landing areas on the greens are so small, you’ve got to be extremely precise. I hit some good shots on the front. I think my short game kind of let me down. I would have liked to get a couple more up and down today on the first 10, but I hit a lot of really good shots those last seven holes, gave myself a lot of chances and was able to capitalize on five of them obviously. Getting the last two, 17 and 18, were huge and just another good solid week overall.”

Hadwin would finish just three shots back of leader J.J. Spaun with the performance earning the B.C. resident his third straight top 10 finish for the first time in his PGA TOUR career.

Corey Conners shot 67 in the closing round to finish the weekend T35 at five-under. Roger Sloan recorded 72 at two-under.

First played in 1922, the Valero Texas Open is the third oldest PGA TOUR tournament following the Western Open (1899), and the RBC Canadian Open (1904).

Full leaderboard here.

Once again, Corey Conners is rounding into midseason form in March.

Conners shot up nine spots to No. 32 on the world golf rankings, matching his personal best, after beating former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson on Sunday to take third at the World Golf Championship-Dell Technologies Match Play event. His ascension up the world rankings comes as he returns to the Valero Texas Open, which he won in 2019 for his only victory on the PGA Tour.

“I feel like my game has been trending upwards for a while. I had a little inconsistency maybe to begin this year but I’ve had some solid finishes and I feel like I’m striking it well,” said Conners before play began at TPC San Antonio. “Last week, my ball striking was great and I was able to get the putter going a little bit as well, made some important putts when I needed to.”

The Texas Open was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so Conners was the reigning champion last year and therefore the focus of all the on-site advertising, including being featured on the key cards of the players’ hotel. American Jordan Spieth won it in 2021, taking some of the spotlight off Conners heading into this edition of the Texas Open.

“This is definitely a special place to come to even though I’m not on the room keys of the hotel this year,” said Conners with a laugh. “Jordan took over that as the defending champion, but it’s it’s a cool place, a special place to me.”

The native of Listowel, Ont., has had two top-10 finishes this season, starting with a tie for fifth at the QBE Shootout (not an official PGA Tour event) on Dec. 12 and then his third-place finish at the WGC. He also has two 11th-place finishes, first at the Sony Open in Hawaii on Jan. 16 and then at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on March 6.

He said hard work has been critical to his recent success.

“I’ve been trying to mess around with a few technical changes in my short game and putting, but definitely been working really hard,” said Conners. “That’s been a big focus in my practice, particularly when I’m home, just trying to use my feel and creativity and have a lot more trust that I can get the shots”

Conners is one of six Canadians in the field at TPC San Antonio this week. He’s joined by Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, both from Abbotsford, B.C., Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., at TPC San Antonio.

The winner of the Texas Open will earn one of the final spots at next week’s Masters. Indeed, the first of Conners’ three appearances at the Masters as a pro was thanks to his win at the Texas Open in 2019. He tied for 46th at Augusta that year but finished in the top 10 in 2020 and 2021, 10th and eighth respectively.

“I feel like I can definitely be one of the top players in the world but I feel like I’ve got room for improvement in my game,” said Conners. “I certainly like where everything is at right now and where things are trending.”

Full leaderboard for the Valero Texas Open, here.

Brooke Henderson has lost count of all the tweaks and adjustments that have been made to her driver heading into The Chevron Championship.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., estimates that she’s tried over a dozen different shafts ahead of Thursday’s first round at The Chevron, the first major of the LPGA Tour season. The switch was necessary as the women’s professional golf circuit changed its rules so that a 46-inch shaft was the maximum length allowed, while the 24-year-old Henderson has used a 48-inch shaft since she was 15.

Henderson said she has been practising with the new, shorter club leading up to The Chevron Championship, where the rule will come into effect. She said she has been holding the driver closer to the end of the grip, which has also had a weight added to it.

Henderson has been on a tear to start 2022, starting with a second-place finish at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on Jan. 20. She followed that up with a tie for sixth at the Gainsbridge LPGA at Boca Rio on Jan. 27, a tie for 11th at the LPGA Drive on Championship at Crown Colony on Feb. 3, a tie for sixth at the HSBC Women’s World Championship on March 3, and finally a tie for fourth at the Honda LPGA Thailand on March 10 before taking a week off.

Starting 2022 with strong, consistent play was a priority for Henderson after last year which she said wasn’t her best. She said that she worked with her team in the off-season on adjusting several aspects of her play, beyond testing new drivers.

“Short game I think is where I felt like I could really make the biggest difference in my game,” said Henderson. “So spending a lot of time around the greens and just mentally, my mindset, was a big change as well.”

The Chevron Championship is also known as the Dinah Shore, the singer and actress, who founded the tournament in 1972. It has also gone by several sponsored titles including the Nabisco Championship, Kraft Nabisco Championship, and ANA Inspiration.

Regardless of its name, this year’s edition of The Chevron Championship will be its last at Mission Hills. It will move to a new location for 2023, likely near Houston.

Henderson said she hopes she can jump into Poppie’s Pond on Sunday, a tradition dating back to 1988 where the tournament’s winner splashes into the water surrounding the 18th green.

“It’s a little bit sad to leave behind the tradition and history that this course and Poppie’s Pond have,” said Henderson. “It would definitely be an amazing chance to have that last spot in history of making that leap into the pond. That would be very cool.”