ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Mackenzie Hughes secured a second place finish after firing 19-under at the RSM Classic. The Hamilton, Ont. native won the tournament in 2016 and finished just three strokes back of Talor Gooch.

“It feels like a long time ago now, that first win here,” said Hughes of his previous victory. “I had a lot of those same feelings coming down the stretch that I did then today. So it was really fun to be in the mix, that’s what you practice for and play for – to have a chance on Sunday, and [I] gave my best shot.”

The strong performance will likely keep him inside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the end of the year.

“I came into this week 50th in the world, so top-50 year-end was a big goal of mine – get in the majors and some of those WGC events,” said Hughes. “Accomplished that goal. Came up a bit short of winning, but planning my schedule the rest of the year will be a lot easier just knowing I can bank on those big tournaments.”

Five other Canadians made the cut: Corey Conners (T22), Taylor Pendrith (T26), Michael Gligic (T29), Adam Hadwin (T51) and Roger Sloan (T61).

The next PGA Tour event is set to commence January 6, 2022 in Hawaii.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – In his third round at the RSM Classic, Mackenzie Hughes hit 8 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation, finishing at 11 under for the tournament.

Hughes finished his day tied for 5th at 11 under; Talor Gooch is in 1st at 16 under; Seamus Power and Sebastián Muñoz are tied for 2nd at 13 under; and Tom Hoge is in 4th at 12 under.

At the 415-yard par-4 second, Hughes got on in 2 and missed his par putt from 5 feet, finishing with a 3-putt bogey. This moved Hughes to 1 over for the round.

After hitting his tee shot into the native area, Hughes hit his next to the left side of the fairway. He hit his fifth shot to the green and had a one-putt for a bogey on the par-5 seventh. This moved Hughes to 1 over for the round.

On the 223-yard par-3 12th, Hughes hit the green off the tee but missed a birdie attempt from 7-feet taking a par. This left Hughes to 2 over for the round.

On the 565-yard par-5 15th hole, Hughes reached the green in 3 and sunk a 4-foot putt for birdie. This moved Hughes to 1 over for the round.

Corey Conners shot 2-over 72 to finish his day T20 while Taylor Pendrith and Michael Gligic both moved up the leaderboard to sit T26 heading into the final round.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – The second round at Sea Island Golf Course saw a strong dose of red and white as three Canadians finished the day inside the top 15.

Defending champ Mackenzie Hughes hit 9 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation to finish his day tied for 4th at 11 under with American Taylor Moore.

Corey Conners finished the round at 9 under to secure a three-way tie for ninth place. Conners fired three birdies in his second day to bring his total up to 11 for the tournament so far.

Adam Hadwin had a great day on the green leaving no misses on putts within 10 feet. At the 192-yard par-3 17th, Hadwin hit a tee shot 171 yards at the green, setting himself up for the 26-foot putt for birdie. He finished his day tied for 15th at 7 under.

Canadians Taylor Pendrith (T39), Michael Gligic (T39) and Roger Sloan (T52) also made the cut and will join Hughes, Conners, and Hadwin in round 3 tomorrow as they chase American Taylor Gooch who leads the field at 13 under.

The full leaderboard can be found here.

World’s best female golfers to compete for nearly $86 million in official prize money

Nine tournaments announce elevated purses, with the CME Group Tour Championship increasing to $7 million

NAPLES, Fla., – The 2022 LPGA Tour season is set to present yet another year of record-setting purses and playing opportunities. Thanks to the support of new and long-time partners, LPGA Tour Members will compete for $85.7 million in official purses in 2022, the largest total ever presented to the world’s best female golfers, across 34 official events.

“The stage is set for 2022 to be one of the most exciting years in the history of the LPGA Tour, with the addition of new events, the largest total purse ever, over 500 hours of broadcast television and a collective commitment to being the leading women’s professional sports property in the world,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “We have never had such a robust team of partners from around the globe who see both the commercial value in investing in the LPGA and the opportunity to utilize the partnerships to have a positive impact on their communities and on the world. As the home to the best female golfers in the world, we will continue to focus on offering a dynamic schedule that allows players to reach their peak performance in golf and in life and that provides the platform to inspire young girls and women around the globe to dream big.”

So far, nine tournaments have announced purse increases for the 2022 season, including The Chevron Championship ($5 million, up $1.9 million from 2021) and the AIG Women’s Open ($6.8 million, up $1.3 million from 2021). As announced on Wednesday, the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship purse will grow to $7 million, up $2 million from 2021. The winner will receive $2 million, the largest first-place prize in professional women’s golf history, and all players who complete in the championship will receive at least $40,000.

Other tournaments to announce elevated purses are the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open ($2 million, up $500,000 from 2021), the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship ($1.8 million, up $300,000 from 2021), the Pelican Women’s Championship ($2 million, up $250,000 from 2021), the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational ($2.5 million, up $200,000 from 2021), the Meijer LPGA Classic ($2.5 million, up $200,000 from 2021) and the HSBC Women’s World Championship ($1.7 million, up $100,000 from 2021). Additional purse increases are expected to be announced throughout the season.

The 2022 season will open with three weeks in Florida, leading off with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, moving to a new host venue at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando. The Gainbridge LPGA will return to Boca Rio Golf Club in Boca Raton after a one-year stop at Lake Nona, and the Florida trio will culminate at the fourth playing of the LPGA Drive On Championship, with a date and venue to be announced in the coming weeks.

Following the usual early-season swing through Asia, with stops in Singapore and Thailand, the Tour will spend five weeks in the Western region of the United States. In early April, the golf world will celebrate Mission Hills Country Club and its 50-plus years of LPGA Tour history with The Chevron Championship, the first major of the golf season, with a new title sponsor. The LPGA announced in October that 2022 will mark the major’s final playing in Rancho Mirage, Calif., and the week promises to be an exciting celebration of Dinah Shore, Mission Hills and the famed jump into Poppie’s Pond.

After beginning with The Chevron Championship, the 2022 women’s major championship season will continue at the U.S. Women’s Open, which returns to Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in North Carolina, the venue for Cristie Kerr’s 2007 national championship title. The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will head to Congressional Country Club in Maryland, a five-time men’s major venue that is set to welcome its first major women’s event.

A four-event European Swing will feature two major championships, starting with the Amundi Evian Championship, the Tour’s annual visit to the French Alps. The first week in August will bring the much-awaited AIG Women’s Open visit to Muirfield, marking the first time in its illustrious history that the famed links will host a major women’s championship.

The season will include two tournaments making their LPGA Tour debuts on the calendar. The JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes will be held at Palos Verdes Golf Club in late April, joining the previous week’s JTBC LA Open at Wilshire Country Club for a two-week tour through suburban Los Angeles. In September, the Tour will visit Kenwood Country Club for the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G, marking a return to Cincinnati for the first time since 1989.

After a two-year absence due to the pandemic, the LPGA Tour will return to Canada in late August for the CP Women’s Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ontario. It will kick off a summer sprint across the United States, ending with the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship being held for the first time at The Saticoy Club, located outside Los Angeles. The Tour will then return to Asia for its Fall Swing, making appearances in the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei and Japan, before ending the season at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Fla.

Click here for the full schedule.

Tickets for the CP Women’s Open go on sale to the public December 1st. Click here to sign up for more information.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – After round 1 of the RSM Classic past champions Mackenzie Hughes sits one off the pace at T2, with Corey Conners following closely at two shots back at T6.

Sebastian Munoz saw the tough weather conditions on the way to the RSM Classic and figured all he could do was keep his head down and make birdies. He wound up with a 10-under 60 to shatter his career round by six shots.

Scoring was so low Thursday at Sea Island that all that got Munoz was a one-shot lead. The Colombian, who won his first PGA Tour event just over a year ago, birdied his final hole at Seaside.

Scoring was so ideal that 33 players shot 66 or lower on the two courses, located just off the Atlantic Ocean, and all but 21 players in the field of 156 broke par. The cumulative score in relation to par at the Seaside Course was 288 under, 42 shots lower than the previous record set in 2018.

The scoring average of 66.308 at the Seaside was a tournament record, and the second-lowest for any round on the PGA Tour since 1983, when the Tour began tracking hole-by-hole data. The record is 66.28 at Indian Wells in the 2003 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

Munoz matched Tommy Gainey’s 2012 record for low round at Seaside; Hughes, Stallings and Reavie tied for low round at the Plantation set last year by winner Robert Streb and Bronson Burgoon.

A warm, sunny day that began with just enough light rain to often the already pure greens is expected to morph into more common November weather on the Georgia coast Friday with a drop of about 10 degrees in the temperature and wind forecast to gust as high as 30 mph.

Munoz, however, was staying in the present for his best round as a professional. He hit 11 fairways and 16 greens, made six birdies on the front nine and punctuated the day with a 12-foot eagle putt at No. 15 and a 10-foot birdie putt at No. 18.

Other Canadians in the field include Adam Hadwin (T34), Michael Gligic (T34), David Hearn (T55), Taylor Pendrith (T55), Rogers Sloan (T83), and Adam Svensson (T123).

The full leaderboard can be found here.

Together with the PGA of Canada, Golf Canada is excited to announce the continuation of the National Women in Coaching program and formally open applications for the 2022 cohort. 

The Women in Coaching program is an initiative started in 2021 with nine participants, that strives to reach a stronger gender balance among high-performance coaches. Each participant receives in-depth career development support that is focused on four main areas: individualized learning plans, virtual and in-person coaching education, hands-on training experiences with coaches and top players, and new for 2022, integration with the PGA of Canada mentorship program.  

“The Women in Coaching program has given me access to a wealth of knowledge that I did not have and has allowed me to meet our country’s leaders in coaching,” said Sarah-Andréa Landry, 2021 program participant and PGA of Canada professional. “The opportunity to share experiences and leadership tools developed during this program allows me to actively contribute to my club, the players I coach and the golf industry in general.”

The 2022 cohort will kick off with an in-person session at the national junior squad training camp in Phoenix, Ariz., where participants shadow national team coaches and engage in content including technical skill development and women in sport leadership.  

“The Women in Coaching program presents an opportunity for some of Canada’s most-accomplished female leaders to further their career developments together,” said Jennifer Greggain, coach of Team Canada’s Junior Squads. “The strong collection of coaches will drive the initiative forward through knowledge and experience sharing on the way to building a foundation for the future.” 

Now in its second year, the program is led by Greggain, Glenn Cundari (Technical Director, PGA of Canada) and Emily Phoenix (Manager, High Performance Sport, Golf Canada). The program receives financial support through Sport Canada’s Safe Sport and Gender Equity Fund, along with contributions from the R&A and the Golf Canada Foundation Women’s Fund. 

How to apply

PGA of Canada professionals interested in the Women in Coaching Program can click here to apply and are encouraged to reach out to Emily Phoenix (ephoenix@golfcanada.ca) with any questions. 

Applications close on Monday, Dec. 6 at 12 p.m. ET. 

 The 111th playing of Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship is set for June 6-12, 2022 in Toronto. 

TORONTO - (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor RBC, is pleased to announce that select tickets for the 2022 RBC Canadian Open are now available.     

The RBC Canadian Open will be held June 6-12 at St. George’s Golf & Country Club in Toronto with nearby Islington Golf Club hosting the tournament’s official practice facility. The stars of the PGA TOUR will return to Toronto as St. George’s prepares to host for the first time since 2010. With a new premier June date on the PGA TOUR schedule, the RBC Canadian Open is a summer festival marking the unofficial start of Canada’s golf season. The week-long celebration, which sold out certain days in 2019, offers more than just world class golf… it has something for everybody. The RBC Canadian Open delivers affordable and fun entertainment, with excitement both on the fairway and beyond.   

GENERAL ADMISSION – WEEKLY TICKETS & ANYDAY TICKETS   

Take advantage of miles of front row seating! General admission tickets provide access to the golf course—get an up-close look at your favourite PGA TOUR stars, enjoy fan activations throughout the golf course and experience the thrill of major professional golf.  A fully transferable general admission Weekly Ticket costs $180* and an Anyday Ticket (on sale for a limited time and valid any day of tournament week) costs $90*.  

1904 CLUB PRESENTED BY RBC ISHARES   

The 1904 Club presented by RBC iShares delivers an elevated fan experience in the heart of the golf course. Located between the 1^st and 10^th greens, this premium destination is the perfect home base to sit, relax and map out your experience following the stars of the PGA TOUR. Enjoy relief and shelter from the elements, take in the broadcast on TV and treat yourself to upgraded food, beverages and hospitality.   

A 1904 Club presented by RBC iShares Weekly Ticket (valid Thursday to Sunday) costs $315*.   

*plus applicable taxes and fees 

Click HERE  to purchase select 2022 RBC Canadian Open tickets 

______________________________ 

Join us to witness world-class PGA TOUR golf, activities for all ages including The Rink, local food and patio experiences and more. Get your tickets today and be a part of one of Canada’s premier sporting events.

* Youth 13-17 years of age receive a 15% discount, while juniors aged 12-and-under gain FREE grounds admission all week long. Some conditions apply.  

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the group of 46 junior and amateur athletes selected as part of the Team Canada player development program for 2022. Professional players who will be part of Team Canada in 2022 will be determined and announced in January.

The announcement marks a significant roster increase, adding 17 additional male and female athletes to the previous year’s Team Canada amateur and junior squads. The larger program size will increase the number of top developing players who receive nationally supervised coaching and support and will grow the pool of future high-potential Canadian professional golfers. 

The athlete roster expansion reflects a restructuring to accommodate the growing talent pool in Canadian golf and is financially supported by contributions from Golf Canada Foundation’s network of Trustees, Golf Canada corporate partners, and a slight reallocation of Golf Canada resources. Golf Canada will also expand its group of Team Canada coaches to effectively support the larger roster of athletes. 

“This is an exciting period for Canadian golf, and we are intensifying the National Team Player Development Program,” said Kevin Blue, chief sport officer with Golf Canada. “We are in the process of additional analysis and strategic planning, and we look forward to further system enhancements in 2022 with the goal of helping more Canadian players reach the LPGA and PGA TOUR.” 

Team Canada’s 2022 National Amateur Squad consists of 21 athletes, including eight women and 13 men. The Junior Squad totals 25 athletes including 12 female and 13 male U19 athletes ages 14-18. 

The athletes representing Team Canada have all achieved impressive results at regional, provincial, national, and international competitions, including NCAA tournament wins and victories at prestigious amateur and junior competitions. The athletes have also benefited in their development from support though their respective provincial golf associations, personal coaches, home golf clubs and families. 

“Supporting the Team Canada program and the next generation of Canadian golf talent is a major priority of the Foundation and our Trustee donors,” said Martin Barnard, Golf Canada Foundation CEO. “Together with program partners we are proud to provide a network of support for the continued growth of Canadian golf at the highest levels.”Athletes named to the Team Canada Amateur Squad who are expected to turn professional in 2022 will continue to receive support from Golf Canada during their transition. 

Click here to view the full roster.

National Junior Squad

The National Junior Squad features 25 athletes (12 women and 13 men).

In September, Golf Canada hosted a selection camp at TPC Toronto in Caledon, Ont., for additional training and performance opportunities for junior golfers in contention for the National Junior Squad. In partnership with the Provincial Golf Associations and personal coaches, all golfers participated in a series of testing modules followed by a 54-hole competition.

National Junior Squad players will be supported with coaching from the Golf Canada national coaching staff and by experts in the areas of mental performance, physiotherapy, biomechanics, and nutrition.

From March through early May, some Junior Squad members will practice out of Golf Canada’s National Training Centre at Bear Mountain—the fifth year that the program has provided spring training for athletes during the second semester of their school year.

Click here to view the full roster.

Team Canada Coaching Staff Announced 

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the 2022 Team Canada coaching staff that will support both the National Amateur and Junior Squads.

For the amateur squads, Derek Ingram of Winnipeg, Man., returns as men’s head coach with support from new assistant coaches Benoit Lemieux of Montréal, Qué., and  Louis Melanson from Moncton, N.B. On the women’s side, Tristan Mullally of Dundas, Ont., returns as head coach, supported by assistant coach Salimah Mussani of Vancouver as well as an additional women’s assistant coach to be named in the coming weeks.

On the junior side, Robert Ratcliffe of Comox, B.C., will lead the Junior Squads, supported by assistant coach Jennifer Greggain, of Langford, B.C.

Athletes will also access Team Canada’s sport science team, which includes physiotherapists Greg Redman and Andrea Kosa, psychologist Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood, and strength and conditioning coach Bryan Katz. Junior athletes will also receive supplemental support from the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific in the areas of mental performance and nutrition.

Ingram, Mullally, Ratcliffe, Greggain, Mussani, Lemieux and Melanson are all PGA of Canada members.

Winner of LPGA Tour’s season-ending event to earn $2 million, the largest single prize in women’s golf

Players who compete in the championship guaranteed at least $40,000

NAPLES, Fla. – In a ground-breaking moment for women’s golf, CME Group and the LPGA Tour announced today that the prize fund for the 2022 CME Group Tour Championship, the Tour’s season-ending event, will grow to $7 million, up from $5 million in 2021. The winner will receive $2 million, the largest single prize in the history of women’s golf, while all players who compete in the championship will receive at least $40,000.

“We could not be more grateful to CME Group, under the bold and visionary leadership of Group Chairman and CEO Terry Duffy, for helping provide the best female golfers in the world with the opportunity to live their dreams,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “The Race to the CME Globe and the CME Group Tour Championship have transformed the LPGA since their inception in 2014. Today’s announcement is another example of CME’s continued pioneering support of the LPGA and their commitment to leveling the playing field for female golfers, and female athletes in general, from around the globe.”

“CME Group is proud to support women in business and women in sports,” said CME Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Terry Duffy. “We are extremely pleased to announce significant enhancements to the CME Group Tour Championship that will further reward these world-class golfers while also creating more equity within the sport. We are impressed with the leadership Commissioner Marcoux Samaan has demonstrated and are thrilled to help elevate women’s golf.”

LPGA Tour players compete throughout the season in the Race to the CME Globe, working to earn one of the coveted 60 berths in the CME Group Tour Championship, conducted annually at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla. The championship’s list of winners is a who’s-who of the greatest names in the game, including World No. 1 players Jin Young Ko (2020), Ariya Jutanugarn (2017), Cristie Kerr (2015) and Lydia Ko (2014).

BELLEAIR, Fla. – Brooke Henderson finished the Pelican Women’s Championship at 14 under, earning her the fifth position on the leaderboard. The performance was her seventh top-ten finish of the year.

“It was a really nice week and it’s nice to finish off well today,” said Henderson. “I made a lot of birdies and it got really tough there on the back nine with strong gusts of wind so you know I’m happy to shoot 500 today and climb up the leaderboard. Hopefully it’s a good sign for next week.”

Henderson is set to compete next in the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Fla.

Fellow Canadian Alena Sharp fired a 69 to wind up 3-under 277 in a tie for 52nd.

American Kelly Korda came out on top after a four-way playoff.

View the full leaderboard here.