When you think of the great pressure players of all time, you think of Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky. Well, Joshua Hooper better be in those conversations from this day forward. 

That’s a hyperbolic statement; but nonetheless, an amateur player hitting the shots down the stretch Hooper did is clutch. 

While it was a nail-biting finish on the back nine of the 2021 RBC PGA Scramble National Championship, the team from Whitetail Golf Club in Eganville, Ontario separated themselves from the pack during the final two holes at Cabot Links, thanks to team member Hooper. 

Maybe it was something in the water, or maybe it was something in the Cabot Cape Breton air, we may never know, but we do know that Hooper has that clutch gene.  

From 40-feet away on the 17th hole and trailing the team from Black Mountain by a stroke, Hooper stepped up and curled in the left-to-right breaker, sending his team, consisting of Jonathan Schaler, Jouni Jutila, Manraj Grewal, and Jason McGrath, the Head Professional at Stittsville Golf Course, into a frenzy.  

On the very next hole, from a downhill lie, Hooper clutched up again, hitting a 7-iron to two feet, as one of his teammates yelled, “Hooper is so clutch it’s disgusting.” 

For the full leaderboard from the final round, click here.

After all was said and done, the team from Whitetail were victorious by a stoke over the team from Black Mountain Golf Club. 

“Everything was incredible, the courses were outstanding, the people were a blast, breakfast and dinner was awesome, everything was great, there was nothing that could have been better,” said Jonathan Schaler after the win. “Winning was pretty cool too, we started in the back of the pack and moved up in crazy weather on moving day on the Cliffs.” 

Schaler is correct about the weather – the 50 km/h gusts led to scores being 5.7 strokes higher than a day prior on Monday. 

“We were pumped we got to play in such high winds, then we got a day like this, there was nothing that could have been better,” continued Schaler. 

Located in Inverness, N.S., Cabot Cape Breton is Canada’s first and only authentic links golf resort. Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the picturesque town of Inverness, the Cabot Links course represents a dramatic departure from the typical golf excursion. With six holes playing directly alongside the water and every hole offers an ocean view, Cabot Links is where traditional links-land golf comes to life against the spectacular Nova Scotia landscape.

This year’s RBC PGA Scramble was bigger than ever, with a record-setting 154 local qualifiers across the country hosting nearly 13,000 participants. In short – it was once again the amateur golf event of the summer. 

“RBC was great, Cabot was great, our caddies were awesome,” said Schaler. “After we played the first round, nobody that we saw the whole night had anything but great things to say about the event. When can we sign up for next year?” 

Playing earlier in the day, the group from Oakfield Golf Club echoed the Whitetail group’s statements about the event. 

“Thank you very much to RBC, Cabot and the PGA of Canada  for this week and making it happen,” said Oakfield Golf Club Head Professional Ryan O’Connor. “We really appreciate all the hard work and long hours and everything that goes into an event like this, it was excellent, so well done to everyone.”  

Four others earn 2022 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada status;
those in positions 6-10 earn one tournament start each in 2022

VICTORIA, B.C. – Even though he got a late start on the 2021 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season, Callum Davison made up for lost time by playing consistent, sometimes dominant, golf in his five Tour starts. Including his ninth-place finish at the season finale, the Reliance Properties DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist, Davis finished with 1,244.19 points to outdistance No. 2 Blair Bursey by 193.19 points to capture the Points List title and Player of the Year honors. Bursey began the week outside the top five, at No. 6, and mathematically couldn’t catch Davison, but he left little doubt about his status with his one-shot victory Sunday.

Davison will be exempt for every tournament on the 2022 Mackenzie Tour. In addition, as the Player of the Year, he received an invitation to play in the 2022 RBC Canadian Open, an offer also extended to Forme Tour Player of the Year Trevor Werbylo.

After Davison and Bursey, the third-, fourth- and fifth-place Points List finishers were, respectively, amateur Noah Steele, Brendan Leonard and Michael Blair. All five players earned ceremonial hockey jerseys along with their 2022 Mackenzie Tour membership cards following the end of play Sunday at Uplands Golf Club. They will all be exempt on the 2021 Mackenzie Tour for part of the season and possess the ability to maintain status based on their early season performance.

Davison, of Duncan, British Columbia, began the season playing on the U.S.-based Forme Tour after he was the medalist at that Tour’s Qualifying Tournament in suburban Tacoma, Washington. Toward the end of that campaign, in what was a disappointing season, Davison
elected to return to Canada to play the Mackenzie Tour. He immediately put his stamp on the Tour, winning the Brudenell River Classic on Prince Edward Island in his debut. He added a second win, last week in Kelowna, British Columbia, capturing the GolfBC Championship. Davison didn’t miss a cut in his five starts, and his worst finish was a tie for 19th at the Elk Ridge Open.

“It’s huge. Coming off a pretty bad season, turning it around by going back to Canada and playing how I think I can play and what I’ve worked for has paid off a little,” said Davison, who hits full shots cross-handed. “I can’t wait for the next season.”

“We had a great year, and we saw our Points List battle come down to the final day. Callum was so impressive despite missing the first three tournaments,” said Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Executive Director Scott Pritchard. “The minute he arrived on the Tour, Callum proved his game with his victory in Prince Edward Island. The fact he backed up that win with another title, last week in Kelowna, proved that he had separated himself as the Tour’s best player this year. We congratulate Callum on what he’s been able to accomplish, and we very much look forward to watching his game progress on the Mackenzie Tour in 2022.”

The players who finished in the sixth-through-10th positions on the final Points List will each receive one playing opportunity via sponsor’s exemptions on the 2022 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada. The five Mackenzie Tour players receiving those benefits are Andrew Harrison (No. 6), Sebastian Szirmak (No. 7), Raoul Menard (No. 8), Yi Cao (No. 9) and Jared du Toit (No. 10).

Pritchard anticipates the 2022 Mackenzie Tour season will begin in late-May, early June, the full schedule of tournaments still to be announced.

The Mackenzie Tour began in 2013, with the Tour providing players a path to the Korn Ferry Tour. In 2020, the global pandemic forced the Tour to cancel its season, and issues at the Canada-U.S. border, again caused by COVID-19, turned this year’s Mackenzie Tour into a Tour for players already living in Canada.

Final 2021 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Points List Top 10

2022 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Members Via Top-Five Points List Finish

Callum Davison this Season
In his first Mackenzie Tour start, Davison shot rounds of 68-64-69 to win the 54-hole Brudenell River Classic. That 8-under 64 represented his low round of the season. He also shot a 64 Sunday at the season-ending Reliance Properties DCBank Open, a 6-under score. That ninth-place performance was his fourth top-10 of the season, to go with his tie for 10th at the ATB Financial Classic and his win at the Golf BC Championship, a tournament where Davison shot three 68s and a second-round 66 to hold on to win by two strokes.

Blair Bursey this Season
He seemingly finished in the top 10 every week and finally broke through with that elusive win at the final tournament of the season, the Reliance Properties DCBank Open in Victoria. In his seven tournament appearances, Bursey made every cut, finished in the top 10 in his first four events—three of those finishing in the top five—and broke through with the victory.

Noah Steele this Season
In six tournaments, Steele established himself as not merely the best amateur—which he clearly was—but also one of the best players. The Sam Houston State alum won the second tournament of the campaign, the Osprey Valley Open, with opening and closing 66s at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. He was the picture of consistency all season, with a runner-up showing at the Brudenell River Classic and top-15 showings at the ATB Financial Classic, the GolfBC Championship and the Reliance Properties DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist to go with his win.

Brendan Leonard this Season
He won the season-opening tournament, the Mackenzie Investments Open outside Montreal, and picked up two more top-10 finishes in a solid, consistent season that saw him miss only one cut. Leonard did enough in the final week to remain securely inside the top five, thanks to additional top-10s—at the Elk Ridge Open (tied for seventh) and the Golf BC Championship (third) and a tie for 13th at the Reliance Properties DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist.

Michael Blair this Season
He got off to a bit of a slow start, tying for 20th and tying for 47th in his first two starts—at the Mackenzie Investments Open and the Osprey Valley Open, respectively. He broke through, winning the Prince Edward Island Open on the strength of a blistering start that saw him get to 9-under with 18 holes to play. Despite an even-par showing in his final two rounds, Blair finished regulation tied with Maxwell Sear then defeated Sear in a sudden-death playoff. In total, Blair made the cut in all six of his 2021 tournament appearances.

About the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada is a series of tournaments played across Canada each summer, where tomorrow’s stars begin the path to the PGA TOUR. In 2021, because of
restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border, the Mackenzie Tour is for players based in Canada. The Mackenzie Tour’s mission is to deliver a PGA TOUR experience for its members, fans, volunteers and partners in order to develop the future stars of professional golf and enrich the communities it visits

GALLOWAY, N.J. – Celine Boutier birdied two of her last three holes for an 8-under 63 and won the ShopRite LPGA Classic when South Korea’s best two players faltered down the stretch Sunday.

Starting the final round five shots behind, Boutier ran off six birdies on the front nine of the windy Bayside Course at Seaview to join a growing list of contenders.

The 27-year-old from France holed a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 16 and then birdied the par-5 18th from 5 feet to set the target at 14-under 199.

Jin Young Ko and Inbee Park, who shared the lead going into the final round, couldn’t catch her.

Ko and Park were one shot behind playing the par-5 18th. Ko hit a fairway metal to the right side of the green, leaving her some 70 feet away. She lagged that about 8 feet short. Park didn’t have the length to get home in two, and her wedge ran by about 10 feet.

Both missed their birdie putts, giving Boutier her second LPGA Tour victory, and her first on American soil. Her previous win was the 2019 Vic Open in Australia, two weeks before the LPGA Tour was shut down by the coronavirus pandemic.

Brooke Henderson of Canada birdied the 18th for a 64 and also wound up one shot behind. Park and Ko each closed with a 69.

Canadian Golf Hall of Fame Member Lorie Kane formally received the Order of Sport on Sunday, Oct. 3, along with induction into Canada’s Sport Hall of Fame.

As one of the country’s most decorated and celebrated golfers of all time, Kane joins just four other women in the athlete category for the sport of golf. A summary of her accomplishments is listed below:

Amateur
– Two-time Prince Edward Island Junior Girls Champion
– Nine-time Prince Edward Island Women’s Amateur Champion
– 1991 Mexican Amateur Champion
– 1991 Commonwealth Team member
– 1992 Canadian World Amateur Team member

Professional
– 2000 Michelob Light Classic Champion
– 2000 New Albany Golf Classic
– 2000 Mizuno Classic
– 2001 LPGA Takefuji Classic
– 2005, 2006, 2008 represented Canada in the World Cup
– 2011 Wendy’s Charity Challenge
– 2013 The Legends Championship
– 2015 Pan-Am Games
– 2016 Self-Regional Women’s Health Classic
– 2016 Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial
– Five-time PGA of Canada Women’s Champion

Accolades
– 1998 Heather Farr Award (LPGA)
– 2000 LPGA William and Mousie Powell Award (LPGA)
– Invested as a Member of the Order of Canada in 2006
– Inducted to PEI Sports Hall of Fame in 2014
– Inducted to PGA of Canada Hall of Fame in 2017

In addition to her success on the green, Lorie continues to be a shining ambassador for the sport while reflecting Golf Canada’s values of fun, excellence, inclusion, respect and accountability. Her commitment to promoting community health through sport, as well as growing the game from the grassroots level has rightly earned her role model status with youth and teammates across the country.

Lorie has also significantly contributed to numerous charitable efforts including her participation in KidSport, Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, and the Lorie Kane Charity Golf Classic which has raised over $850,000 in her home province of P.E.I. As an ambassador for Canadian Pacific Railway she was also instrumental in the development of the CP Has Heart program, raising over 20 million dollars to improve heart health in Canada.

“I took a look at the great athletes and builders that are in our Canada Sports Hall of Fame and at what the Hall of Fame does in helping build our communities. I’m tickled that I’m going to be able to have the opportunity to use a new platform to continue the growth of sport. It’s important to me.”
– Lorie Kane on her Induction into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame

The Order of Sport Award is the highest sporting honour given in the country and was created in recognition of both athletic excellence and a commitment to build Canada through the transformative power of sport. Please join Golf Canada in extending our congratulations on a record-breaking career with commendable community efforts across the country.

Kane joins 18 fellow Canadian golfers and builders who have also received honoured membership:

– Al Balding – Athlete (1969)
– Jocelyne Bourassa – Builder (2015)
– Gary Cowan – Athlete (1967)
– Pat Fletcher – Athlete (1975)
– Jules Huot – Athlete (1978)
– George Knudson – Athlete (1969)
– Stan Leonard – Athlete (1964)
– George Lyon – Athlete (1955)
– Ada Mackenzie – Athlete (1955)
– Albert Murray – Athlete (2015)
– Charles Murray – Athlete (2015)
– Murray ‘Moe’ Norman – Athlete (2006)
– Sandra Post – Athlete (1988)
– Charles ‘Sandy’ Somerville – Athlete (1955)
– Marlene Stewart Streit – Athlete (1962)
– Stanley Thompson – Builder (2015)
– Mike Weir – Athlete (2017)
– Nick Weslock – Athlete (1971)

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2020/21 Inductees

– John “Jackie” Barrett – Athlete, Powerlifting and Special Olympian
– Sonja Gaudet – Athlete, Wheelchair Curling
– Diane Jones Konihowski – Athlete, Athletics
– Lorie Kane – Athlete, Golf
– Eric Lamaze and Hickstead – Team, Equestrian – Show Jumping
– Steve Nash – Athlete, Basketball
– Duncan Campbell – Builder, Wheelchair Rugby
– Sheldon Kennedy – Builder, Ice Hockey
– Judy Kent – Builder, Sport Administration
– Willie O’Ree – Builder, Ice Hockey
– Ross Powless – Builder, Lacrosse

For full biographies of the Class of 2020/21, please visit www.sportshall.ca.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Coming into the first round, Sophia Schubert was No. 9 in the Race for the Card. She had already claimed eight top-10 finishes, five of which came in the last five events, but a win could help her do it all.  

Playing the last 18 holes with Fatima Fernandez Cano, who has already clinched her card, as well as Amanda Doherty, who entered the week at No. 10, competition was high all day long. Fernandez Cano and Schubert dialed throughout the day and both birdied No. 18 to finish at -18 and head to a playoff. Three playoff holes later, Schubert rolled in an eagle putt to win a trophy, a check, her first win and clinch her spot in the Race for the Card top 10. 

“I have so many emotions right now and I’m just so happy and so grateful to have been in this position this week. I’ve worked really hard leading up to this season and I had a lot of expectations for myself, I was able to accomplish all of my goals this year and so I’m just really happy,” said Schubert. “I wouldn’t have been able to do without my support team back home my family my friends my coaches trainer sponsors and I’m just so so grateful I think is the biggest thing I’ve worked really hard for this and just to finally be able to have it not only a win but also get my LPGA card just means so much.” 

The University of Texas alumna can now add professional winner to her resume along with 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion and 2018 Curtis Cup and Arnold Palmer champion. But even prior to nationwide amateur events, Schubert started her career as a little girl and participated in the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program. When she saw 2020 U.S. Kids World champion Adelyn Rosago and Autumn Solesbee with all eyes on her, Schubert’s career came full circle right in front of her eyes.  

“I can remember when I was their age out there watching and we would go to professional events and I’d always say I want to be out there one day it was always a dream of mine since I was 4 or 5 years old,” said Schubert. “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet that I’m actually there now but to be able to see them and talk to them just brought back so many memories.”  

Determined to tie a bow on the season with a win, Fernandez Cano was frustrated with today’s outcome. Despite the loss, she was happy to see a fellow competitor claim her spot and join her in this year’s graduating class from the Symetra Tour.  

“It is frustrating, but it was good. I honestly was playing really well. I gave myself I think the first 7 holes I had it maybe 4 or 5 inside 6 feet that I just couldn’t make so that was kind of frustrating, but I stayed with it,” said Fernandez Cano. “I was so close, but it just wasn’t for me out there. I am really happy for Sophia; I mean she is clearly a really good player and she had a great day out there today.”  

Canadian Brittany Marchand finished T3 alongside Emilia Migliaccio, each sitting at -17.

With only one tournament left for the season and four spots left to claim in the top 10 of the Race for the Card, take a look at the current standings:  

1. Lilia Vu (Fountain Valley, California) - $156,615    

2. Fatima Fernandez Cano (Santiago, Spain) – $118,140   

3. Sophia Schubert (Oak Ridge, Tennessee) – $97,959 

4. Ruixin Liu (Guangdong, People’s Republic of China) - $95,281   

5. Maude-Aimee Leblanc (Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada) - $91,634  

6. Casey Danielson (Osceola, Wisconsin) - $91,117  

7. Allison Emrey (Charlotte, North Carolina) – $78,123 

8. Amanda Doherty (Atlanta, Georgia) – $75,780 

9. Rachel Rohanna (Marianna, Pennsylvania) - $74,067 

10. Morgane Metraux (Lausanne, Switerzland) – $72,567 

ABOUT THE SYMETRA TOUR 

The Symetra Tour is the official qualifying tour of the LPGA Tour and enters its 41st competitive season in 2021. With the support of entitlement partner Symetra, the Tour’s mission is to prepare the world’s best young women professional golfers for a successful career on the LPGA Tour. Since Symetra’s inaugural sponsorship year in 2012, the Symetra Tour has grown from 16 tournaments and $1.7 million in prize money to $4.0 million in prize money awarded in 2019 and 2021. With more than 600 alumnae moving on to the LPGA, former Symetra Tour players have won a total of 445 LPGA titles. Follow the Symetra Tour on the web at www.SymetraTour.com, as well as Facebook.com/Road2LPGA, Twitter.com/Road2LPGA and Instagram @road2lpga. 

GALLOWAY, N.J. – Inbee Park birdied three of her last five holes to match Jin Young Ko with a 6-under 65 and the leave two top South Koreans in the world tied for the lead Saturday in the ShopRite LPGA.

Ko, the No. 2 player in the world, played in the morning on the windy Bay Course at Seaview and ran off five birdies in a six-hole stretch on the front nine. She had to settle for only one bogey on the back nine and was the first to post at 11-under 131.

Park is the No. 3 player in the world and putted well all day, her hallmark. She holed a 30-foot birdie on No. 6 and had a 6-foot par save on the next hole.

They were two shots ahead of ANA Inspiration winner Patty Tavatanakit, who birdied the final hole to cap off a bogey-free 65.

Brittany Lincicome (67) and Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark (68) were three shots behind going into the final round.

Brooke Henderson (70) of Smiths Falls, Ont., was the top Canadian. She dropped into a tie for 10th at 6 under. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (72) failed to make the cut.

Ko has a recent history of playing her best golf at the end of the year. She sat out most of the LPGA Tour season last year, staying home during the pandemic, and returned to capture the CME Group Tour Championship.

Now she sets her sights on a third victory in her last five starts on the LPGA Tour. That doesn’t include the Olympics, where Ko tied for ninth.

“I like it better than earlier in the year,” said Ko, who changed swing coaches late last year and feels all parts of her game are starting to come together.

Park won her first start of the year at the Kia Classic, but has been struggling of late by going six consecutive events outside the top 10.

“I remember putting good in Kia and then earlier in the season,” Park said. “And then middle of the season to the end of the season, not as good. I feel like this week is almost back to like where I was putting really good earlier in the season.”

Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in women’s golf, has not played since the U.S. loss in the Solheim Cup a month ago. That leaves Ko and Park, both multiple major champions and former No. 1 players, to battle it out.

“Jin Young is really, really good player, too, so I think it’ll be really fun out there tomorrow playing with her,” Park said. “Obviously, you need some birdies out here to win tomorrow. Knowing that No. 2 player in the world is hunting for the same thing I am hunting for, definitely need to put some good performance. Good motivation to play for.”

Not to be overlooked is Tavatanakit, the first major champion of the year, who is well within range.

“I was thinking since I’m two back, I would say 4 or 5 under tomorrow would put myself in a really good position because I know how good they are,” Tavatanakit said. “No pressure, no expectations. I’m just going to go out there and play golf, and hopefully I get up to where I think I should be.”

JACKSON, Miss. – In his first weekend contention on the PGA Tour, California rookie Sahith Theegala is handling the pressure and his golf just fine in the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Theegala began the back nine Saturday at Country Club of Jackson with three straight birdies, had an eagle chip spin 360 degrees around the cup and finished with a 5-under 67 to take a one-shot lead into the final round.

Cameron Tringale had a pair of eagles from long range with his putter and his wedge and matched his career best on the PGA Tour with a 62. He was one shot behind, along with Sam Burns and Denny McCarthy, who each shot 65.

Theegala was at 18-under 198.

“Definitely a little nerves in there for sure,” Theegala said. “But I think people have said before pressure is a privilege, and I’m trying to use those nerves to my advantage.”

Will Zalatoris, the rookie of the year last season while playing on unlimited sponsor exemptions, was tied for the lead with Theegala and Nick Watney. Zalatoris didn’t make a birdie over the final 12 holes. He shot 72 and fell five shots behind in a tie for 16th.

Watney took a late double bogey on the 16th hole and shot 71, leaving him four back.

Canadian Roger Sloan hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation during his third round at the Sanderson Farms Championship, and finished the round bogey free. Sloan finished his day tied for 8th at 15 under.

Corey Conners hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation during his third round at the finishing at 14 under for the tournament. Conners finished his day tied for 10th at 14 under.

Additional Canadians in the field include Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Hadwin, and Taylor Pendrith.

The list of challengers includes Burns, who already won this year at the Valspar Championship and was in the final conversation to be a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup.

Tringale is still looking for his first win in his 311st start on the PGA Tour. The 62 matched his low from the RSM Classic at Sea Island last November.

He wasn’t about to read too much into this one. He kept the ball in position and the greens are pure. Plus, Tringale holed a 55-foot eagle putt on the par-5 fifth hole, and then holed a bunker shot from 100 feet away on the par-5 14th.

He had four birdie putts from the 12- to 15-foot range.

“This was a combination of hitting a lot of good shots and having good breaks just on the same day,” Tringale said. “I did give myself a lot of chances. I was never out of position. I was putting uphill most of the time. And a (55-footer) and a hole-out, you know, if I three-putt that one and don’t get up-and-down, that’s four shots difference right there.”

But he has a chance in what figures to be a shootout.

Fifteen players were separated by four shots, and nine of those players have yet to win on the PGA Tour.

JACKSON, Miss. – Will Zalatoris set the course record with an 11-under 61 to share the lead with Nick Watney and Sahith Theegala in the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Zalatoris, voted the PGA Tour rookie of the year despite not having full status last year, made it look so simple at the Country Club of Jackson that his longest putt for par was 3 feet.

One of the poorer shots he hit was on the par-5 third hole after making the turn. He hit a weak fade into a bunker some 30 yards away and blasted out to 3 feet, turning a difficult shot into yet another birdie.

“The days where I make 20-footers, those are the days that I end up putting a great round together, because I’m always going to be the guy that’s going to hit 14 plus greens to give myself chances,” Zalatoris said.

Watney, coming off his worst season in a decade, backed up a solid start with another good round. He opened with four birdies in six holes and dropped only one shot on his way to a 66.

Theegala also held his own after opening with a 64, which is new territory for the California rookie in just his second start as a PGA Tour member.

He chipped in for eagle on the par-5 third hole to right back in the mix. Theegala finished with a 30-foot birdie putt for a 67. They were at 13-under 131 in what figures to be a week of low scoring.

Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., was two strokes off the lead at 11-under after shooting a 67 on Friday, and finished the round sitting 6^th on the leaderboard.

“I had a great command of my ball, put it in great position off the tee,” said Roger. “Out here there’s a premium for hitting the fairway, I was in great position all day long and rolled in a couple putts, I think that’s really the key around here is a lot of patience, we just happened to happened to kind of can a couple putts today which was nice”

The cut was at 5-under 139. Among those who missed was Sergio Garcia, the defending champion playing a week after a draining Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits. Canadians Adam Svensson, Nick Taylor, and Michael Gligic would miss the cut as well.

Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland took two shots from behind the ninth green on his final hole and made bogey for a 73 to miss the cut by one.

Zalatoris had a remarkable rookie season without having full status, boosted by a tie for sixth in the U.S. Open last September and tying to second in the Masters.

Playing on sponsor exemptions last year, he still finished No. 22 in the Ryder Cup standings.

Watney hit only two fairways, though not by much and he was rarely out of position.

“It didn’t seem that stressful. That sounds really stressful, but it wasn’t that stressful,” he said. “For the most part I kept it in the right spot on the greens and I made a few kind of bonus putts that you might not expect to make. So those are always fun.”

Cameron Young and Hayden Buckley each shot 65 and were one shot out of the lead.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., shot a 69 and was 8-under after two rounds. Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., was 7-under after posting a 66.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, Ont., and MacKenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., shot 71 and 66 respectively Friday to make the cut at 6-under.

For full scores click here.

GALLOWAY, N.J. (AP) – So Yeon Ryu finally quit thinking about her swing and thought only about scoring just in time to birdie the last three holes for a 6-under 65 and a share of the lead with Jodi Ewart Shadoff in the ShopRite LPGA on Friday.

Scoring was so low on the Bay Course of Seaview that 20 players shot 67 or better.

Ewart Shadoff, who has missed the cut in her last eight LPGA Tour events, birdied the par-5 18th to join Ryu in the lead.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., Jin Young Ko, the world’s No. 2 player, Inbee Park and Solheim Cup star Matilda Castren of Finland were among those one shot behind at 66.

U.S. Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso birdied four of her last seven holes to join the chase. She was among those at 67.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp opened with a 1-under 71.

The Bay Course at Seaview hasn’t been a comfortable course for Henderson, even though the 10-time LPGA winner made the cut in six previous appearances and tied for sixth in 2020.

The Canadian looked comfortable on Friday, however, with a 5-under 66.

“It goes against a lot of my natural instincts to hit 1/8fairway 3/8 woods off tees and to lay up in certain spots,” Henderson explained.

Henderson recorded six birdies in the first round, but it was a par save on No. 12 that the 24-year-old felt was the turning point in her round.

“I was 2-under and things were kind of at a tipping point, could go either way,” said Henderson. “I got a really bad lie, had to wait for a rules’ official and things were just getting a little bit more out of control than I would have liked.

“I was able to get up and down, which was great and made a birdie on the next hole.”

Getting off to a quick start is important at the ShopRite LPGA because it’s a 54-hole event.

Ryu, a two-time major champion and former No. 1 player in women’s golf, didn’t get off to the fastest start. She began on No. 10 and was only 1 under through 12 holes when she made eagle on the par-5 third hole.

The South Korean player said she has been working on her downswing to keep it from coming too far inside. It seemed that’s all she could think about at times.

“Sometimes I’m too addicted to golf swing,” Ryu said. “I really try hard to just think about how I’m going to play instead of just how I’m swinging. So I think that’s the thing I really struggle on the golf course and that’s the focus on the golf course.

“I just only realize it just five holes to go,” she said. “So I just told myself, `So Yeon, let’s just focus on how I’m playing instead of swing.’ I think that one really help me out.”

Playing for Britain in the Olympics against a 60-player field, Ewart Shadoff tied for 40th.

“This year hasn’t been the greatest for me, and I’ve been working on a lot breathing just to settle me down,” she said. “Just staying in my routine today was really important.”

She’s put in extra time on the green, and saw that pay off. Ewart Shadoff decided to switch from cross-handed to what she described as a “Tommy Fleetwood claw pencil grip.” It seemed to work, at least for the opening round.

Lexi Thompson, who hasn’t won since the ShopRite LPGA two years ago, opened with a 68.

The trip of a lifetime is back.

80 amateurs from across the country who managed to claw their way through local and regional qualifiers are joined by 20 PGA of Canada Professionals, who comprise the 20 teams looking to claim the title of RBC PGA Scramble National Champions.

For these 20 teams, qualifying was quite the journey as a record-setting number of over 12,500 golfers competed in the RBC PGA Scramble this year. The journey finally comes to a peak October 3-5 as players set foot on Cabot Cape Breton in Inverness, Nova Scotia for the 54-hole championship at the Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links courses.

“We are so thrilled, here at Cabot Cape Breton, to once again host the RBC PGA Scramble,” said Cabot Cape Breton General Manager Andrew Alkenbrack. “We have been looking forward to this day for some time now and are excited to welcome everyone back from across the country. There is nothing quite like seeing players reactions when they arrive on site for the first time. This is going to be a very exciting week for everyone involved.”

In 2020, Cabot Cliffs was ranked the No. 1 course in Canada by ScoreGolf while Cabot Links was ranked No. 5.

Located in Inverness, N.S., Cabot Links is Canada’s first and only authentic links golf resort. Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the picturesque town of Inverness, the Cabot Links course represents a dramatic departure from the typical golf excursion. With six holes playing directly alongside the water and every hole offering an ocean view, Cabot Links is where traditional links-land golf comes to life against the spectacular Nova Scotia landscape.

The Cabot Cliffs course, designed by the decorated team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, is exquisitely carved out of the breathtaking Cape Breton landscape. With postcard-worthy panoramas vying for your attention and every hole calling out to the sea, it is links-land golf at its best.

“To play those Cabot courses, it’s a dream come true. They’re about as good as it gets for golf in Canada,” said Ryan Secord, who qualified for the National Championship alongside his father, Kelly, as well as another father/son duo in Kyle and Don Scott. “None of us have been out to Cabot before, I’ve never been east of Quebec City, so we keep pulling up pictures and videos from their website, we’re really pumped about it.”

The Secord’s and Scott’s, who are joined by PGA of Canada member Matt Lorenz at the Championship, originally qualified for the Regional Finals from the Bridges Golf Course in Starbuck, Manitoba.

While the qualifiers were relatively smooth sailing for the Bridges players, who qualified from the Elmhurst Country Club Regional Final, the same can’t quite be said for the team from Langara Golf Course. A fender-bender prior to the B.C. West Regional Final almost squashed their Cabot hopes before they could begin.

“Two teammates and I ended up getting rear ended on the Sea to Sky Highway, so it was a pretty crazy day and we arrived just in time and didn’t get a warmup,” said Kevin Sandher. “Luckily my car was drivable, and we gave ourselves lots of time in the morning, but we realized we had to get there quick after we ensured everybody was okay.”

Sandher’s team, consisting of a group of friends who, like many across the country, picked up the game during the pandemic as it was the only way they were able to see each other, didn’t let the crazy morning affect their play as they won by two strokes.

Other anecdotes from teams ahead of the National Finals includes one team who needed birdie on the final hole of the Regional Qualifier to qualify, and hit their approach shot to 2-feet just as the drums dropped in In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins from the team’s speaker – you know what I’m talking about.

One other team noted that they had scheduled multiple meet ups prior to the event at an indoor simulator to practice on the Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs courses – we’re willing to bet their experience on the East Coast is going to one-up the time spent in the simulator.

The RBC PGA Scramble promises to be a golf trip of a lifetime and includes numerous receptions, an authentic east coast kitchen party, a night golf experience under stadium lighting on Cabot’s newly opened par-3 course called “The Nest”, prizing, meals, activations and much more.

Players and tournament staff are following all government mandates regarding COVID-19 to ensure the safety of everybody on site, including requiring full vaccinations from all participants.

Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member and golf media personality Bob Weeks will be on-site during championship week as an honorary starter, as well as Canadian professional golfers Stuart MacDonald and Jared du Toit.

MacDonald had quite the 2020-2021 season on the Korn Ferry Tour. Heading into the season with conditional status, four top-10 finishes led to MacDonald finishing 60th on the money list, granting him full status in 2022 as he chases a PGA TOUR card.

Meanwhile, Du Toit is fresh off what may be the biggest win of his career, winning the ATB Financial Classic on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada in his hometown of Calgary, Alberta, just a matter of weeks ago.