Golf Canada and Matt & Steve’s have announced a multi-year integrated partnership that will see Matt & Steve’s become the Official Caesar Partner of Canada’s National Open Golf Championships—the CP Women’s Open and the RBC Canadian Open.

Through the partnership, Matt & Steve’s will offer a selection of their popular ready to drink Caesars, Extreme Beans, and pickled garnish products at Golf Canada’s two signature championships beginning in 2022. Spectators at the RBC Canadian Open will also enjoy Matt & Steve’s Canadian Caesar Deck as an exciting addition to the Recipe Unlimited Fare Way food and beverage experience.

“We are thrilled to partner with Matt & Steve’s to deliver their innovative portfolio of Caesar products to the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open,” said John Sibley, Chief Commercial Officer of Golf Canada. “We look forward to building out a summertime atmosphere and integrating Matt & Steve’s premium Canadian blend of flavorful products into the social and hospitality experience of our two flagship properties.”

Founded in 2000, Matt & Steve’s is a fast-growing and leading-edge food and beverage company based in Mississauga, Ont. First established with only two employees and one product, the Extreme Bean, Matt & Steve’s has grown to support thousands of clients and numerous products within the retail, foodservice and beverage alcohol sectors throughout North America.

“We are very proud to be partnering with Golf Canada in the support of Canadian golf, the RBC Canadian Open and the CP Women’s Open,” said Steve McVicker, Partner and Co-founder of Matt & Steve’s. “At Matt & Steve’s we believe in creating products that celebrate the social and fun parts of life, and we are extremely excited to share our brand experience with Canadian golfers both on and off the course.

The 2022 RBC Canadian Open will be held June 6-12 at St. George’s Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Ont., with the CP Women’s Open being contested August 22-28 at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club in Ottawa, Ont.

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) – The LPGA Tour has a new title sponsor for its developmental tour that will boost prize money, award $10,000 to each of the leading 10 players that graduate to the LPGA Tour and seek to eventually cut entry fees in half.

Epson America has a five-year deal with the LPGA Tour that runs through 2026.

The newly named Epson Tour, which is set to begin the first week of March in Florida, will announce its schedule in a few weeks.

“This ground-breaking partnership will provide expanded opportunities for the future stars of the game from around the globe to test their talent and take one step closer to realizing their dreams,” LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said.

The developmental tour enters its 42nd year of structured competition, and it has produced such future stars as Karrie Webb, Lorena Ochoa, Inbee Park and Nelly Korda. Nine players who started on the tour accounted for 12 victories last season on the LPGA Tour.

The LPGA’s deal with Symetra expired last year.

Japan-based Seiko Epson Corp., a global technology company, is the parent company of Epson America, based in California.

More than being the title sponsor of the main circuit that leads to the LPGA Tour, it will start the Epson Tour Ambassador Program, giving $10,000 to the 10 leading players to provide a financial boost as they start on the LPGA Tour.

The standard tournament prize money will be $200,000, another increase.

The commitment is believed to be roughly three times greater than the previous season.

The deal also includes Epson contributing money to lower entry fees by 10% each tournament for every player, which would amount to as much as a $1,000 savings for each player.

And through the Epson Tour DEI Partnership, the company and the LPGA are challenging at least four companies to join them by working to cut entry fees from $500 to $250. Participating companies would receive Pro-Am spots and advertising at every Epson Tour event.

“We don’t only want to put our name on the Epson Tour. We want to find ways to invest in players chasing their dream of the LPGA Tour and support them once that dream becomes a reality,” said Kendra Jones, Epson America’s vice president of legal affairs and general counsel.

ORLANDO, Fla. – A bogey-free final round saw Canada’s Brooke Henderson finish second at the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on Sunday.

Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished three strokes behind winner Danielle Kang of the U.S. – the best finish for the Canadian across her four Tournament of Champions appearances.

Despite her 60th bogey-free round since 2016 _ and second in as many days – Henderson managed just two birdies on a blustery, cool day at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club. She also missed a few putts where she was forced to settle for par.

“Wasn’t really the day I was looking for,” Henderson said. “At the same time, you grind it out pretty well, and was happy to make two birdies. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough. Still proud of how we played out there today in those tough conditions.

Henderson opened the tournament with a 69 on Thursday. She followed that up with back-to-back rounds of 68 on Friday and Saturday. The Canadian was two strokes back going into Sunday’s final round.

She finished at 13-under 275.

“For the most part, I think I did a lot of things really well,” she said. “It was nice to get up and down as many times as I did, and even a couple of times when I hit the green, I made long putts. It was nice to go bogey-free the last two days.

“I would’ve liked to make a few more birdies, make a little bit more of a charge, but at the end of the day, I can’t complain too much. If you had told me at the beginning of the week I would be in the Top 5, I would be very happy.”

Kang ran off five birdies in a seven-hole stretch in the middle of her round, posted the low score Sunday at 4-under 68 and sprinted away to a three-shot victory.

Kang, who was winless in 2021 after having won in each of her previous four LPGA seasons, finished at 16 under.

The 29-year-old American now has six LPGA titles.

“My mental game was really good,” said Kang. “I had a really good attitude all day today and yesterday. I know I left some putts out there, but I never let it get to me, and I kept having to give myself birdie chances as much as possible.”

Born January 21, 1940, Jack Nicklaus’ accomplishments on the golf course can only be rivaled by his achievements in golf course design.

On the PGA TOUR, Nicklaus led the money list eight times, twice while playing only 16 events. Between 1962 and 1979, he finished in the top 10 in 243 of the 357 official events he played in, a rate of 68 percent.

A strong supporter of the Canadian Open throughout his career, Nicklaus took on the challenge of designing Glen Abbey as a permanent site for the Canadian Open. His first solo design, Nicklaus brought years of on-course experience at tough golf courses and designed a layout that was tough on the professionals, yet enjoyable for the average golfer.

Nicklaus, was inducted to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in the builder category in 1995.

The success of the golf course he created and his support of the Canadian Open have assured the strength of golf in Canada for years to come.

Visit his Honoured Member profile here.

Top-ranked Canadian amateur Savannah Grewal has been invited to compete against the world’s best at the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur from March 30 – April 2.

“It means a ton to me,” said Grewal on being invited. “Being a female and being able to play at Augusta National is huge just because they didn’t let women play there for so long. And especially being able to play in a tournament against some of the top amateurs in the world is unreal.”

An international field is set to compete over 54 holes of stroke play with a cut following the first two rounds. The opening 36 holes will be contested over two days on the Island and Bluff nines at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. The entire field will then play Augusta National for an official practice round Friday, April 1, followed by the final round featuring the top 30 competitors who made the cut.

Grewal, 20, is currently ranked No. 154 on the WAGR and plays for Clemson University in South Carolina. 

While she was first introduced to golf through a camp when she was six, the Mississauga, Ont., product says it wasn’t until a few years later – after occasionally going to the course with her parents – that she decided she wanted to take up the sport competitively. 

By the time she was 16 years old, Grewal knew Clemson was where she wanted to go following high school. While on an unofficial visit that happened to be during the football team’s spring scrimmage, Grewal fell in love with the South Carolina school.

“I told my grandfather – because he was with me – and I told him right after we were done visiting that this is where I want to go to school,” Grewal said. “The coaches were amazing, the facilities were amazing, but for me the most important thing was they had that family atmosphere to it.”

Grewal has since become the first player in Clemson history to record a hole-in-one on March 27, 2021 during the second round of the Clemson Invitational which she would go on to finish third at and she’s the first ever Canadian to sign with the Clemson Tigers women’s golf team.  

The inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur, played at Augusta National Golf Club, was held in 2019 and was won by 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion Jennifer Kupcho. 

After being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the event returned the following year where 17-year-old Tsubasa Kajitani won the second installment of the event in a playoff over Emilia Migliaccio.

Brigitte Thibault of Rosemère, Que., is the only Canadian to have previously played in the event, playing in both previous installments. 

On Nov. 17, 2021, both Grewal and Thibault, alongside six other women, were named to the Team Canada National Amateur Squad together. 

While it’ll be Grewal’s first time playing in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, it won’t be her first trip to the coveted golf course. Back in April 2017, at the annual Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals held at Augusta, Grewal won the Girls 14-15 age division. 

“To be able to go back and be back on the grounds of Augusta National is huge because it’s the biggest golf course basically – the most popular one in golf – so, it’s super exciting and it just means a ton to be invited,” said Grewal, who was able to do the putting portion of the event in 2017 on the 18th green at Augusta. 

Live broadcast of the final round from the third annual Augusta National Women’s Amateur will kick off at 12 p.m. ET on April 2.

Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada are excited to announce the names of eight talented coaches who will receive critical education to advance their careers as top golf coaches in the country. 

The eight successful applicants will receive in-depth career development focusing on four main areas: individualized learning plans, virtual and in-person coaching education, hands-on training experience with coaches and top players, and new for 2022, integration with the PGA of Canada mentorship program. 

Launched in 2021, the Women in Coaching program aims to strike a stronger gender balance with high-performance coaches to better reflect the Canadian golf community.

“Increasing the number of female mentors and role models is imperative to the future of golf in Canada and is a priority for the governing bodies of golf in the country,” said Emily Phoenix, Manager, High Performance Sport with Golf Canada. “After seeing the success of the program in 2021 and how impactful it was for the participants, we are excited to build on the momentum and continue mentoring this generation of coaches while building a foundation for the future.” 

“All of us at the PGA of Canada were thrilled to hear the positive feedback from participants last winter as we debuted the Women in Coaching program alongside our friends at Golf Canada,” said PGA of Canada Technical Director Glenn Cundari. “We are excited to give these eight coaches the opportunity to learn first-hand from industry leaders to help enhance their knowledge and skill-sets.” 

Application information was posted publicly on Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada’s websites, where applications were accepted from November 22 to December 6. 

25 applications were received, and eight PGA of Canada members were selected based on prior coaching experience and current coaching or volunteer coaching positions. Past competitive playing experience was also considered an asset. 

The eight chosen participants include: 

Alison Timlin – Ottawa, Ontario

Timlin, who held partial status on the Symetra Tour for three years after graduating from Fresno State University, is currently an Associate Professional at the Kevin Haime Golf School, as well as the Associate Head Coach of the Carleton University Men’s and Women’s Varsity golf teams. 

Alyssa Getty – Kingsville, Ontario 

A former member of the University of Nevada Las Vegas golf team as well as the University of Windsor Golf team where she claimed the OUA individual championship in 2019, Getty is currently a Development Coach at the Ontario Golf Academy at Whistle Bear Golf Club. 

Carrie Vaughan – Rothesay, New Brunswick 

Vaughan, who claimed the 2016 PGA of Ontario Women’s Championship, spent three years on the Symetra Tour and 10 years on the Canadian Tour prior to founding and becoming the Head Coach of girls only programming at Glen Abbey Academy. Vaughan is currently the Head Professional at the Riverside Country Club. 

Christine Wong – Vancouver, British Columbia 

Wong, who is currently the Head Teaching Professional at Christine Wong Golf and the Head Coach of both the Men’s and Women’s Golf Teams at Langara College, had a tremendous year on the course in 2021, winning both the DCM PGA Women’s Championship of Canada and the Glencoe Women’s Invitational. Wong was a member of Golf Canada’s National Team program from 2010-2013. 

Jennifer Ha – Calgary, Alberta 

The former Team Canada member for eight years between 2012-2019 was an LPGA Tour member in 2017 and a Symetra Tour member in 2016, 2018 and 2019. Prior to turning professional, Ha won five NCAA events as a member of Kent State University, where she was a three-time conference player of the year. Ha is currently an Assistant Professional at Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club. 

Keri Moffat – Vancouver, British Columbia 

A two-time PGA of BC Coach of the Year Award Recipient (2011 & 2019), Moffat spent time as the BC Golf Provincial Coach and as a teaching professional at The Bluffs Golf Club and Westwood Plateau Golf Academy. Moffat currently serves as the Director of Instruction at Mayfair Lakes Golf & Country Club and is also the Women’s Assistant Coach for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. 

Lindsay Manion – Surrey, British Columbia

A former member of the UBC Thunderbirds, Manion now operates Lindsay Manion Performance Coaching at Northview Golf & Country Club and provides performance training consulting for the Simon Fraser University golf teams, a service she also provided for the University of British Columbia varsity golf teams in the past. In addition, Manion has also served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Tour Performance LAB, the Robert Bateman Golf Academy, the Sardis Golf Academy and the Delta Golf Academy. 

Marie-Pierre Bernier – Levis, Quebec 

A former member of the Rollins University Women’s Golf Team where she picked up one individual NCAA win as well as the 2006 Quebec Amateur champion, Bernier is currently the Assistant Professional at Golf La Tempête and the founder of MP Golf. 

Titleist introduces the third generation of its  AVX golf ball, improving upon short game spin and control, increasing driver distance, and providing even softer feel. The original AVX was engineered by Titleist in 2018 as a performance alternative to its flagship Pro V1 and Pro V1x by offering the lowest flight, lowest spin and softest feel of the three premium offerings. The new AVX reflects further advancements in the brand’s industry-leading multi-component technology with additional breakthrough results for golfers who prioritize distance and extremely soft feel in a urethane covered golf ball. 

“Flight, Spin, and Feel are three key performance attributes we evaluate during our green-to-tee fittings and golf ball selection,” said Frederick Waddell, Director of Golf Ball Product Management, Titleist. “AVX provides a low flight, low spin, exceptionally soft feel alternative to Pro V1 and Pro V1x. With these three golf balls, plus Pro V1x Left Dash, every golfer that prioritizes performance can find a precise fit for their game.” 

“With new AVX, we focused on what AVX golfers are asking for: improving upon the already incredible distance and feel that golfers love, while enhancing greenside spin,” added Waddell. “We achieved this by softening the urethane cover to achieve greater short game performance, while adding a new core formulation for speed, and new aerodynamics for flight stability and more distance.” 

AVX is a premium, technologically advanced golf ball, and the golfers who play it choose AVX because it gives their specific game a performance advantage.

“All components of a golf ball are connected when it comes to performance,” said Mike Madson, Director of Aerodynamics and Research Engineering, Titleist. “When we set out to increase distance and enhance greenside spin, we looked at every layer of the golf ball for improvements. New AVX includes improvements to the core formulation, cover and aerodynamics. The dimple pattern is an area of constant innovation.  We continuously design and test new dimple configurations so we can match an aerodynamic pattern specific to the golf ball construction. With AVX, the 348 catenary dimple pattern is optimized specifically for the low flight window of AVX to produce maximum distance.”

The AVX is offered in both white and optic yellow, available in golf shops worldwide starting on Feb. 4, 2022.

With a new year comes a new group of players on the LPGA Tour, and 2022 will be no different. 

While 10-time LPGA Tour winner Brooke Henderson will no doubt continue to push the envelope for Canadian golf, there’s some new and familiar faces ready to join the Smiths Falls, Ont., native on the 2022 schedule, which includes the return of the CP Women’s Open at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club from Aug. 22-28. 

Veteran Alena Sharp will carry Symetra Tour status. She’ll have the opportunity to play LPGA events through sponsor exemptions and Monday qualifiers.

The first Canadian to be promoted from the Symetra Tour (the LPGA’s feeder tour) last year was Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que. Leblanc first played on the LPGA Tour a decade ago, after earning her card through the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament in 2011. But by late 2019, the then 30-year-old announced her retirement from professional golf. 

But just under a year after playing in her last professional golf tournament on the Symetra Tour, Leblanc returned in September 2020 with the IOA Golf Classic, and followed it up with four other events that calendar year. 

The following season in 2021 proved to be one of her best seasons to date with nine top-10 finishes, including three as the runner up. Leblanc, now 32, finished sixth on the Symetra Tour money list, granting her an LPGA Tour card for this upcoming season. 

She’s not the only Canadian making the step up to the LPGA Tour this year. 

Long-standing Team Canada member Maddie Szeryk will be playing on the LPGA Tour this season after finishing tied for 35th at the 2021 LPGA Q-Series in December of 2021.

Szeryk, 25, spent the past three years on the Symetra Tour after playing for Texas A&M University where she set multiple records including the NCAA career record of 91 rounds of par or better, and the SEC record with 32 career top-10 finishes. The NCAA standout also set multiple school records including stroke average, birdies, and eagles. 

Although Szeryk is making her appearance on golf’s mainstage for the first time, she’s no new face to Canadian golf, having been a part of the National Women’s Amateur Squad for four consecutive years up until 2018 and then the Young Pro Squad in 2019.

Before her successful amateur career Szeryk made her mark on the junior circuit. In 2013, as a 17-year-old, Szeryk was crowned the Canadian Junior Girls Champion, winning by an impressive 14 strokes over the defending champion—now world No. 10 ranked golfer, Henderson. 

Other Canadian names to expect on the LPGA Tour in the coming years include Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee who played in 11 events on the LPGA Tour’s schedule in 2021 and 13 in 2019. The 24-year-old has been playing professionally since 2019 and split last season between the LPGA and Symetra tours. Lee was a member of the National Junior, Amateur, and Young Pro Squads throughout the past decade. 

While there are plenty of Canadians who are climbing up the ladder of professional golf for the first time, Leblanc isn’t the only Canadian golfer who’s been making a second go-around of the professional tours.  

Toronto native Rebecca Lee-Bentham recently made her own return to professional golf after briefly retiring in 2016. Last year marked her first full season back to professional golf and she went on to finish at No. 88 on the Symetra Tour’s money list. 

A common denominator throughout all the players to watch this season, Lee-Bentham too shared an impressive junior and amateur career in Canada prior to turning professional. She most notably won the 2011 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in a playoff.

Also of note is 23-year-old Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., who narrowly missed out on securing LPGA Tour Cards at the final round of the Q-Series, but received Symetra Tour status as a result.

The 2022 LPGA Tour schedule is set to begin Jan. 20 at the Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Fla., with the Tournament of Champions. 

After the final day of the Sony Open in Honolulu, Canada’s Adam Svensson and Corey Conners finished T7 and 11th respectively.

For Svensson, who shot a three under 67, this would mark his best finish since he placed T15 at the 3M Open in 2019.

Connors, who celebrated his 30th birthday last week, finished the tournament at minus 16.

The tournament ended in a playoff round with Hideki Matsuyama besting Russell Henley for the top spot on the leaderboard.

Born January 16, 1933 in Red Deer, Alberta, Douglas Howard Silverberg is known for being a dominant force on the Alberta golf scene beginning in the late 1940s. A fierce competitor, Silverberg has won every major provincial championship in his home province, including the Juvenile, Junior, Amateur, Open and match play.

 In addition to his stellar provincial record, Silverberg won the Canadian Junior in 1950 and the Senior Championship of Canada in 1994, and also represented Canada several times at the Commonwealth Tournaments, Americas Cup and World Amateur Team Championship.

When asked about the toughest competitor he ever faced as a player, fellow Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Robert Wylie pointed to Silverberg.

“He wanted to win more than any other player I competed against,” explained Wylie. “He was intimidating because of his intensity; you could see him grinding the entire round. You could never feel like you had him beat because he never gave up. You could be on the green in two with a ten-footer for birdie and he could be in the middle of a bush but you would have been foolish to think you were going to win the hole. He would make pars and birdies from places you wouldn’t imagine. It was remarkable. He just put his head down and tried to beat you. No one was tougher than Doug Silverberg.”

Silverberg was inducted to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1985, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 1989, and the Alberta Golf Hall of Fame in 2005.

Click here for his Honoured Member page.