AUSTIN, Texas – Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes has advanced to the knockout stage of the Dell Technologies Match Play.

The golfer from Dundas, Ont., won Group 9 with a record of 2-0-1 after tying American Talor Gooch today.

Gooch won the final two holes to even up the match, but the tie was enough to send Hughes into a match tomorrow against Spain’s Sergio Garcia.

The 16 winners of the four-player groups advance to the weekend elimination rounds.

Seeded 48th, Hughes has beaten Gooch, Webb Simpson and Paul Casey this week.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., the other Canadian in the event, has been eliminated from championship contention.

Canadians needing a social outlet and a sense of recreational normalcy during the uncertainty of the pandemic in 2020 turned to golf in a major way. Now Golf Canada, with the support of industry partners, will build on the excitement, increased interest, and elevated levels of play with a national golfer retention campaign to welcome new and returning players back to the golf course in 2021. 

The campaign – GOLF IS CALLING – is a Canada-wide marketing initiative to speak to new, younger golfers as well as the community of avid players, each uniquely drawn to the game whether it be for exercise, the social experience or the challenge of the sport. 

The golfer retention campaign is being led in partnership with Golf Canada’s Industry Advisory Council, a group of industry professionals that includes course owners, operators, general managers, PGA of Canada professionals, superintendents, and other stakeholders in the game. 

For Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum, golf’s emergence through the pandemic as a safe, social, and inclusive activity during an extremely challenging period was a silver lining for a sport enjoyed by nearly 6M Canadians annually.

“Golf is a sport of invitation, where we bring others along to experience and enjoy the game for a lifetime. GOLF IS CALLING is also a return invitation to the avid players and new enthusiasts who enjoyed the game in record numbers this past year. It is also an outreach and welcome to young and diverse audiences and a powerful confirmation that our sport offers the healthy attributes, safe environment, and industry capacity of nearly 2,300 facilities to support physical, social, and mental well-being in a meaningful way.” 

GOLF IS CALLING features a vibrant and new look for golf. The campaign messaging and creative was informed by deep market research as well as creative trends from across industries and broader sport to reflect an industry-wide effort to promote golf participation. This season long, national marketing campaign features a fresh and inviting energy as the calling for Canadians to play more golf.

“As marketers and sport leaders, we look for moments to connect with golfers, and this past year has offered an unparalleled signature moment for the golf community to influence and entrench behaviours that will benefit our sport for the long run,” said Golf Canada Chief Marketing Officer Vanessa Morbi. “With more than 700 customizable assets that golf facilities and industry partners can leverage in their marketing efforts, this is a special moment to rally the full weight and collective voice of our sport to inspire more play in 2021.”

The suite of tools is available to golf courses and industry stakeholders to share in national roll-out of the golfer retention campaign. The bilingual campaign will be presented as SORTEZ, GOLFEZ across all French language assets and Golf Canada will support the campaign with a paid media buy executed across social and digital channels.

In conjunction with the campaign, Golf Canada has also relaunched its website as a portal to enhance the golfer experience and support tee-time booking through a national course look-up tool. This feature can be found on www.golfcanada.ca and will connect golfers with facilities across the country. 

Despite a season suspended in most parts of Canada through early May, data from the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) of Canada reported a 18.9% increase in total rounds played across the country in 2020. Golf Canada members as well as public players who track an official handicap index experienced a significant lift in play, posting a record 7.8M scores to the Golf Canada Score Centre, a 7% lift over the prior year with monthly score posting records set from June through October. 

Canadian levels of engagement in the sport mirrored strong growth metrics across North America as new and avid players invested in tee times as well as memberships, equipment, league play, junior golf, and instruction.

As Canadian golf facilities continue to manage the impact of the pandemic on non-golf revenues, the game is thriving as a safe and healthy recreational option that drives significant economic, employment, tourism, environmental and charity benefits to communities across Canada. 

Supported by comprehensive healthy and safety protocols enacted by the golf community as well as adjustments made to the golf course experience, the sport is well positioned with momentum. 

“Creating a national campaign that speaks to golfers of varying abilities and connection to the game is no easy feat, and we continue to be extremely sensitive to the disastrous impact of the pandemic which has taken a significant emotional, economic and mental toll,” added Shawn Evans, President and CEO of GolfNorth Properties who is also Chair of the Golf Industry Advisory Council. “At the same time, we see the opportunity in golf’s emergence through the pandemic to present our sport in a fresh way to new audiences with a visceral consumer experience that will be noticed.”

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – When Matt Jones won his first PGA Tour title seven years ago, he needed a 45-foot birdie putt just to get into a playoff and then a 40-yard chip-in to take the victory.

This win was far less dramatic, yet just as meaningful.

It got him back to the Masters.

Jones won the Honda Classic by five shots Sunday, a final round of 2-under 68 good enough to finish the week at 12-under 268 at PGA National. The margin matched the largest in tournament history, tying the mark set by Jack Nicklaus in 1977 and matched by Camilo Villegas in 2010.

“It’s been seven years. It’s been a tough seven years,” Jones said. “I’ve had ups and I’ve had downs, as all golfers have, but it gets me into a lot of big tournaments now.”

The 40-year-old Australian earned $1.26 million and, this time, he’ll have more than a day to prepare for the trip to Augusta National. His win at the Houston Open in 2014 – and his Masters invite – came just one day before he had to go to Augusta, making it a scramble to get family and friends together to share in the experience.

The Masters starts April 8, so he’s got much more time to plan this one.

“It’s going to be nice,” Jones said. “I can go prep for the Masters this time. Last time it was an absolute blur. I can’t remember a thing about it, so I’m going to do some prep this time before.”

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C. finished in a five-way tie for eighth place at 5-under par. Fellow Canadian Roger Sloan finished in a tie for 25th at 2-under par, while Mackenzie Hughes ended his tournament in a tie for 36th at 1-over par.

Jones started the week with a course-record-tying round of 9-under 61. He was three shots behind Aaron Wise after 36 holes after a second-round 70, and his round of 69 on Saturday was good enough to put him up by three entering Sunday.

Brandon Hagy (66) finished 7 under and alone in second on his 30th birthday, his chance at winning doomed by a third-round 76. Chase Seiffert (64), Brendan Steele (65), C.T. Pan (70), Denny McCarthy (67) and Russell Henley (68) tied for third at 6 under.

“There’s a lot of tough holes out there and there’s big stakes for sure, but I’ve been working on some good stuff and it’s nice to see some of that pan out,” Hagy said.

The only stretch where Jones’ grip on the lead seemed in peril was midway through the round; Wise, who once led by six shots during the third round, had four birdies in a six-hole stretch on the front and got within one of the lead.

Wise’s chances ended at the par-4 10th. He hit his second into a bunker, then four-putted from 25 feet for triple-bogey. Jones’ lead went to four, and he avoided trouble the rest of the way, while Wise finished with a 73 and tied for 13th at 4 under.

J.B. Holmes was in the final group with Jones, three shots back to start the day, and his chances were gone very quickly. He ended up with a costly final-round 79 for Holmes; second place, where he started the day, paid Hagy $763,000 while the tied-for-46th finish paid Holmes $19,070.

Holmes knocked his shot from a greenside bunker off the green and made bogey on the opening hole, then sent his tee shot way right on the par-4 second and needed about 10 minutes to find the ball – it was nestled among palm fronds – and decide how to proceed.

He went on to make double bogey there, and when Jones birdied the par-5 third Holmes’ deficit had gone from three to eight shots in about 45 minutes.

At that point, only a few had a realistic chance at catching Jones. Before long, the outcome was obvious.

“You can’t get a tougher golf course to win on than this one, in these conditions,” Jones said. “To be able to do that on this golf course is amazing and something I can build on for the future, hopefully.”

They are two of the biggest names in golf equipment helping golfers save strokes around the greens for decades – and they both happen to work for Titleist. 

Scotty Cameron and Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Bob Vokey have once again reimagined what it means to design and produce scoring clubs that are chalk full of modern technology and look darn good, too. 

As Canadian golf season continues in the western part of the country and inches ever-closer in parts of the east, it’s worth a reminder that nearly 65 percent of all golf shots are struck from 100 yards and in. 

The question remains, then – when was the last time you got fit for a putter? Or wedges? Or contacted your PGA of Canada pro to have a lesson that was just focused on your short game? 

These are just some questions that both Vokey and Cameron can help answer with their new line of gear for 2021. 

Whether you’re looking for a putter that is Tour-proven and trusted by the best players in the world or a set of wedges that are both aesthetically pleasing and built to help you get the ball closer to the hole, Titleist is there to help you around the greens. 

Here’s everything you need to know about Scotty Cameron and Vokey Wedges for 2021. 

Roll The Rock

Building on the momentum from the Scotty Cameron Phantom X line in 2020 comes four new models of Phantom X putters for 2021. The four Phantom X putters for this year are all mallet-style and boast a precision-milled 303 stainless steel face and a body that is fused with aircraft grade aluminum. That helps with the perimeter weighting – which helps give golfers more forgiveness and stability (and hopefully help make more putts). 

“Scotty, to a lot of people, is known for these beautiful blade putters that he’s refined and dialed-in – in a classic Newport 2 shape – to perfection. That’s what a lot of people think of Scotty Cameron putters, but the ‘X’ stands for ‘experimental,’ says Mike Bradley, the director of marketing for Scotty Cameron Putters. 

The four putters in the Phantom X line for 2021 include the 5, the 5.5, the 11, and the 11.5. Based on the feedback from some of the best players in the world, the models have light grey and muted black alignment aids and have three options for shafts – either low-bend, mid-bend, or small-slant necks. The Phantom X mallets in 2021 give golfers a choice: either a blade-like feel or face-balanced (straight back, straight through) performance. 

Across the Scotty Cameron line any putter that has a ‘.5’ at the end of the number sequence means Cameron has introduced something in the shaft to encourage toe flip. 

“If players want a blade-like feel, an arching kind of feel then the lower bends/neck are the way to go for. What’s made them popular is PGA Tour guys coming in in recent years saying, ‘hey I like the benefits of a mallet’ but they maybe want to maintain a blade feel,” says Bradley. “So it’s really the best of both worlds.”

By now you are likely aware of Scotty Cameron putters (seeing as a certain 15-time major champion has trusted Scotty Cameron and his magical craftmanship for nearly his entire game-changing career) but what is it that really makes them so good? 

According to Bradley, it’s the details that Cameron himself has such a keen eye for. 

“All these little refinements that add up to performance and just the craftsmanship. He’s taken decades working with the best players in the world and not cutting any corners on the manufacturing of the products,” says Bradley. 

“Putters are extremely personal, and I think there’s a reason why Scotty’s putters stay in people’s bags for as long as they do. It’s not only the craftsmanship but also the attention he puts into those minute details.”

Wedge It Close

There’s a reason why Bob Vokey is one of the most well-respected club builders in the game – and a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. 

“We have an awesome team,” says Vokey Wedges Marketing Director Corey Gerrard, “but it starts with Bob.” 

Indeed, for golfers looking to knock it closer and improve their touch around the greens, Vokey has become a synonymous name with green-side success. 

New for 2020 and expanded for 2021 is the Vokey SM8. It’s been Tour-tested and trusted and is now available in another finish in 2021, Slate Blue (good for a player who is looking for something a little darker, finish-wise, but find the Jet Black finish too dark). 

There are six grinds in the SM8 line-up with grooves that are more durable and maximized for spin and shot control and a centre of gravity that has produced an improved club feel. 

“As you get closer to the green we have more options than ever,” says Gerrard. “(The team) is listening to what Tour players need – not just what they want, but what they need. 

With the increased variety in wedge offerings from Vokey, Gerrard says there is no substitute in getting absolutely dialed, just like you would with any other clubs in your set. 

Gerrard calls getting fit for wedges “a no-brainer” and not only that, he says, but you’ll have fun doing it. 

There’s just nothing that feels like a Vokey wedge around the green, and when you get a club that looks and feels great, it inspires confidence on those tricky scoring shots. “They perform. They perform for everyone,” says Gerrard about the main reason why golfers are trusting Vokey wedges. “There is trust around the brand, but when the product performs… that’s the main reason why players keep playing these wedges.” 

Note to readers: As COVID-19 continues its impact, some garden centres, lawn maintenance companies and equipment rental outlets are open in some regions while others are not. Therefore, some of the tips provided here may not be practical at this time. However, no matter what the circumstances, gardening remains a healthy form of self-isolation!

Introduction

You back out of the driveway, heading for the golf course, and as you pull away, you look at your lawn and ask yourself, “Why can’t that goat pasture look like the fairways at my course?”

The obvious answer is “time and resources,” according to Sean Gunn, superintendent at The Country Club in Woodbridge, Ont.  “We spend hundreds of hours a week maintaining our turf and the average homeowner spends, what, an hour or two? You just can’t expect the same results.”

It’s much like watching the pros at the RBC Canadian Open or the CP Women’s Canadian Open and wondering why you can’t play the game at their level. When the pros aren’t playing, they’re working on their games. When you’re not playing, you’re most likely just working.

But just like a few lessons with a PGA of Canada pro will elevate your game significantly, cadging some tips, hints and hacks from members of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association and other turf experts will help improve your lawn.

The Cutting Edge

First thing in the spring, sharpen your lawnmower blade. You can do it yourself with a file or grinder (always following the proper safety guidelines) or take it to a local small-engine repair shop. At The Country Club, Gunn sharpens the blades of any of his members who bring them to his shop. “If your blade isn’t sharp, you’re tearing the grass plant, not cutting it,” Gunn says.

Cut at 2.5 inches (about six centimetres) or higher to encourage deeper root growth. Taller grass can better handle drought conditions and shades the soil, helping prevent weeds from sprouting.

Under normal conditions, cut your lawn at least once a week and don’t cut off more than a third of the leaf blade. Cutting more than that stresses the grass.  Leave the clippings on the lawn as they provide a source of nutrition for the grass. Cut in a different direction each time.

The more you cut, the denser the lawn will become.

“Grass wants to grow, so if you keep cutting it, it will find other ways to get larger and grow new tillers [shoots],” says Gunn.  “This is how we get putting greens to be so dense.”

Water, water everywhere

Course superintendent Ken Bruneski is sure his course is “the hottest property in Canada,” so if anyone is qualified to speak about watering guidelines for lawn, it’s him.

Located in a semi-arid desert near Oliver, B.C., NK’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course sees many days each season with temperatures reaching 40C.

With higher temperatures being witnessed across Canada due to climate change, Bruneski’s experience provides valuable advice for homeowners.

With the luxury of a sophisticated irrigation system, he waters his fairway deeply three times a week during the overnight period.

“It drives me nuts to drive down the street and see houses with sprinklers going non-stop during the heat of the day. That’s not helping your lawn at all. In fact, it’s harming it.”

Depending on the amount of rainfall, the average lawn needs a deep watering (two to three centimetres) a couple of times a week, ideally in the evening.

“One irrigation hack is if thunderstorms are coming and your lawn is pretty dry and you happen to be home, water your lawn to get the surface wet to break down the surface tension so the rain from the cloudburst can be accepted into the lawn,” advises Dr. Eric Lyons, Associate Professor of Turfgrass Science in the University of Guelph’s Department of Plant Agriculture.

“Proper water management is paramount in the success of the lawn,” says Gunn.  If you’re really into it, he recommends you purchase a rain gauge. For about $10, it’s an inexpensive and accurate method of monitoring your lawn’s water input.

 Those pesky pests

“A healthy lawn is just like a healthy human who doesn’t have to see the doctor that often,” says Gunn.

Alan Golick agrees. Now a sales representative for Lawn Life Natural Turf Products (www.lawnlifenaturalturfproducts.com), Golick has 20 years’ experience in the turf business, including stints as an assistant course superintendent.

With environmentally conscious bans on traditional herbicides and pesticides, companies like Lawn Life are continually developing alternatives to control weeds and pests.  Company founder Richard Reed was a trailblazer in this category and the company now services the turf industry, lawn-care companies and homeowners.

Golick recommends a proactive approach to weed control, suggesting a selective herbicide that targets dandelions, plantain, creeping charlie and other common weeds. More importantly, he says homeowners must ensure good fertility in their soil by introducing, among other elements, composted fertilizer and more exotic inputs such as kelp (seaweed), humic acid, and compost tea (simply a mix of compost and water).

“A great lawn starts and ends with healthy soil, a healthy eco-system,” he says.

Lyons, who is also the director of the Guelph Turfgrass Institute, says if you have a healthy lawn, hand weed in the spring and apply a chemical control in the fall.

“If you have significant weeds, then a spring application would be recommended. To get the most effective control with iron-based alternative weed-control products, apply them in enough volume according to the label. That requires two applications three weeks apart.”

He also advises to apply a broadleaf weed control product before the first frost in the fall. If using an iron-based product, the daytime temperature should be about 20C consistently for both the first application and the next one three weeks later.

Enrich your experience

“What I see the most is homeowners not fertilizing or fertilizing at the wrong time,” observes John Scott, superintendent at Summerlea Golf and Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.

Not that you want to spend your holiday long weekends working on your lawn but if you are serious about keeping that grass well fed,  Mark Schneider says you should get your spreader out four times a season: Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day and Thanksgiving.

In the spring, resist the urge to fertilize before May 24.

“The grass is still waking up from the winter and trying to build its roots. The key is to apply the right amount at the right time at the right rate and at the right place.”

Schneider, who was the superintendent at several Ontario courses, now is the technical sales representative for NuTrite (www.nutrite.com), a leading supplier of fertilizers to golf courses, lawn-care companies and homeowners.

Along with his easy-to-remember schedule, he has some other simple tips for fertilizing.

“Buy a premium product with a high slow-release factor. Follow the instructions on the bag. Don’t over-fertilize. Avoid the economy brands.

“The most important thing is to get a fertilizer where the first number is the highest.”

You no doubt have gone shopping for fertilizer and seen three numbers on the bag. 10-10-10. 12-0-4.  33-0-3. And so on.  Starter fertilizer, spring fertilizer, fall fertilizer…  It doesn’t have to be confusing.

Those numbers identify the proportions of three elements: Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Of those three, experts agree the first one—nitrogen—is the most important.

“Most lawns do not need much phosphorus,” says Lyons, adding that, in general, “the last number on the bag should be about half to equivalent of the first number.”

Generally, says Schneider, use the same fertilizer all year long.

Hole-y aeration!

Our experts are divided on whether you should aerate and/or dethatch your lawn annually. (Back in the day, some folks swore they were aerating their lawn by wearing their metal golf spikes while mowing.)

Aeration is the process of removing plugs of soil from your lawn to relieve the compaction and introduce air, water and nutrients to the roots. Dethatching removes the layer of dead and decaying plant material between your grass and the soil. While a certain amount of thatch is beneficial, too much insulates the roots from getting enough water, oxygen and fertilizer.

You can rent a power aerator and/or a dethatcher or hire a lawn service to do the job. Small lawns can be dethatched with a specially designed rake while larger properties will require a power unit.

Lyons and Bruneski downplay the necessity of these practices for the average home lawn but Scott Bowman begs to differ.

According to the Speare Seeds web site (www.speareseeds.ca), Bowman is the company’s general manager and “turf genius,” so his opinion is well worth considering.

He suggests aerating your lawn in the late summer or early fall but never in the spring and early summer. “If you aerate in the early part of the season, those holes are a perfect spot for weed seeds to fall into and germinate. Now instead of a great lawn, you’ve created really healthy and deep-rooted weeds.”

Sprouting up

When it comes to anything turf-related, Bowman’s credentials are impeccable. That “turf genius” tag is no joke. Prior to his current role, he was a superintendent at some notable courses, including Glen Abbey Golf Club. He also is co-owner of South Port Golf Course in Southampton, Ont.

As soon as the snow melts, our pent-up desire to get a head start on our lawns is released. But Bowman and other experts say hold your horses, rein in that impulse.

“Everybody’s excited to get going, but if you don’t time it right [seeding], you’re just wasting your time and effort and money,” says Bowman. “You won’t get real germination and if the seed sits there long enough, it loses its viability.” That’s “turf genius speak” for “the seed is dead.”

Before you think about seeding or over-seeding your lawn, wait until the soil temperature is at least 12 to 16C. You can either use the familiar broadcast seeder or rent a slit-seeder which creates gaps into which it inserts seeds. In any case, the seed must have contact with the soil to germinate.

According to Bowman, your lawn should be over-seeded every year, preferably in mid-August when the days are warm, the nights are cool, the dew is heavy and the fall rains start to arrive. It’s a good time, he says, to incorporate this with your aeration and/or dethatching.

When it comes to the type of seed to use, Bowman says that is dictated by a couple of factors: the type of soil and how much effort you want to dedicate to your lawn.

“Every lawn is a reclamation project to one extent or another. It all depends on what your personal threshold is.”

Don’t even think about bentgrass, favoured by most courses for tees, greens and fairways.

Bowman says bluegrass, most commonly used for the rough on courses, has shallow but aggressive roots. “It’s a nice, high-end grass but requires more inputs [of water and nutrients].” The fine fescues are more drought resistant while perennial ryegrass “grows just about anywhere.” That’s why most seeds sold at retail are blends of these types.

Raking: More harm than good?

According to Lyons, the theory behind raking is that it removes old leaf and stem tissue, allowing the soil to warm up and the grass to grow more vigorously in the spring. However, much like aerating early in the season, raking opens up the soil and allows it to warm, causing increased germination of weeds.

“You don’t see them raking the rough at the golf course, do you?” says Lyons. “Generally, the effort put into aggressive raking would be better spent elsewhere on your lawn unless you have tree leaves to remove or you’re renovating a weedy lawn.”

Having said that, aggressive raking in the spring will remove dead crab grass and/or annual weeds from the previous year and allow over-seeding to take hold.  In an area with limited weed controls, he adds, raking does more harm than good and also is a lot of work.

Old Man Winter

The first step to prepare your lawn for the oncoming winter, says Gunn, is to stop cutting the grass to let it “harden off.” In Woodbridge, Ont., where his course is located, this is about the third week of October.

“Hardening off is letting the plant prepare itself by sealing the last cut you did to prevent any carbohydrate loss.  Carbs/sugar are the antifreeze that keeps the plant alive during the winter.  The more carbs/sugars, the heartier the plant.

“Letting the plant grow a little longer in the spring and fall is a good idea since the daylight is shorter and the strength of the sun is weaker.  The longer the blade, the more efficient the plant is at photosynthesis.

“I use the analogy of grass and solar panels.  The more solar panels you have, the more energy you can attract. “

The key to a good spring is strong preparation in the fall.  Schneider says about 80 per cent of your lawn-care efforts should be focused on the period from August to November.

Lyons emphasizes the importance of removing leaves as they fall and don’t allow them to get trapped under the snow.

Finally …

When it comes to your lawn, like your golf game, you likely will never be a pro. But if you practise the fundamentals, you can be a respectable amateur.

Having said that, Canada has a diverse ecosystem and while the preceding are general guidelines, you may have to adapt them to your specific area. Speak to a local turf expert—like the superintendent at your course.

Anne-Catherine Tanguay was watching golf on TV from her home in Florida, taking care of her newborn daughter, when she realized she wasn’t done playing the professional game.

As the Canadian saw her friend Sophia Popov win the Women’s British Open in August, she knew she had to get back to playing competitive golf.

“That really gave me the golf bug, I just missed it,” said Tanguay. “I knew throughout my pregnancy that I wanted to come back but timing wise I thought I would evaluate in January, when the baby would be six months old.

“That was kind of my timeline and then with COVID-19 and everything we weren’t in a hurry. It just kind of worked out for me to come back now.”

The 30-year-old from Quebec City is in the field this week at the Symetra Tour’s Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic in Mesa, Az. When she tees off on Thursday, it will be her first competitive round since September 2019.

“It’s a lot of familiar faces, a lot of friends, everyone’s really happy to see the baby.”

Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Markham, Ont., and Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., are the other Canadian entries in the field for the opening event of the Symetra Tour season.

Tanguay had a career season in 2019, tying for 11th at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in June. Another highlight was tying for 44th at the CP Women’s Open that August at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.

But lingering injuries, including back problems, were hampering the newly married Tanguay’s play so she decided to take a step back from her career to focus on “personal projects” in October 2019.

Her daughter Livia was born in July and Tanguay resumed her training in February. Golf Canada women’s coach Tristan Mullally worked with Tanguay remotely, reviewing videos of her swing as she worked back into form.

Tanguay never stopped doing yoga, but she mixed in some weight training to help her get back into playing shape. She said that she had to be patient with herself as she resumed training after her pregnancy.

“Even though I stayed in shape, there are so many changes your body goes through,” said Tanguay.

“One of them was my core. Before it wasn’t something I didn’t really have to think about it to activate it but now I have to be conscious on every swing to activate it.”

Tanguay’s time off has also brought some personal perspective. Early in the 2019 season, she had said that representing Canada in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was a goal. But a lot has happened in her personal life in the intervening two years and the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the Tokyo Games to this coming July.

“I mean my goal is to enjoy myself out there,” said Tanguay of her upcoming season. “I think that’s my No. 1 goal. Obviously, I didn’t want to set too high expectations just because I’m coming back and I don’t know how it’s going to go.”

The top 10 players on the Symetra Tour money list at season’s end earn LPGA cards.

Jaclyn Lee has been a member of Golf Canada’s National Team Program for the last eight years dating back to 2014 and is currently in her third season as part of the Young Pro Program.  The 23-year-old is happy that her wrist injury is a thing of the past and is now focused on doing what she loves most – competing on the golf course. 

Having first started out at the age of 10, Lee says she’s always really enjoyed the competition associated with the sport.

“My dad took my older sister, Carolyn, and I golfing in the summer time when I was 10 and that’s when I picked it up. Actually, I wasn’t a huge fan at first because I really didn’t know what I was practising for.  But we started competing in tournaments a year later, and that’s when I fell in love with the game,” she recalled.

The 23-year-old says her parents Stephen and Maria Lee were always very supportive of her and her older sister’s interest in the sport. Lee recalls their sibling rivalry would often be played out on the golf course.

“I remember in one of the first tournaments we played in together my sister beat me by a few strokes and I was shocked. I remember thinking ‘I should’ve beaten her,'” Lee recounted.

“I remember saying to my parents ‘How did Carolyn beat me? I’m better than her.’ And they were like ‘This is what happens when we give you mulligans all the time,'” she added with a laugh.

Fast forward a few years and Lee was not only beating her old sister on a regular basis, but also most of the top girls in her age group. In 2012, she won the Future Links Western Championship. In 2013, she won the Future Links Prairie Championship and the Alberta Junior Girls Championship.  Then in 2014, Lee captured the Future Links Prairie Championship, the Alberta Junior Girls Championship, and the Alberta Ladies Amateur. 

For young Jaclyn enjoying that level of success on the golf course required that she make certain sacrifices off the golf course.

“School was very important for me so I would always prioritized school and golf. You grow up pretty quick when you are trying to managed your time like that,” she pointed out.

Lee’s dedication would pay off as it earned her a spot on Golf Canada’s Junior Squad.

“I remember that I was playing at a tournament at Cherry Downs and Tristan (Mullally) came up to introduce himself, and told me that I was on track to make the national team,” she recalled about her first meeting the Canadian national women’s head coach.

“I also remember being shocked and being really excited because of the meeting. Then, I got the call later that year that I made the team and it was pure joy and pure excitement.”

Lee says she has developed a lot from her time on the National Team Program.

“My game has improved a lot and I’ve grown as a person.  Tristan knows so much about the game and I trust him.  He’s really good with everything in life and he’s taught me so much about putting, chipping and how to improve my short game,” she noted.  

Keeping on the topic of her game, the long time national team member was asked how she would best describe it.

“I would like to improve my short game; it was a lot worse before I met Tristan, but we’ve come a long way,” she added.

Besides access to the world class coaching and resources available through the National Team Program, Lee is also grateful to have gained a strong mentor along the way in Alena Sharp.

“Alena is someone I got to know in my later junior and amateur days and she’s really taken me under her wing and has been there for me. I have a lot of respect for her,” Lee said.

The talented young Canadian golfer adds that her time at Ohio State University has also played an important part in her development.

“I wanted to go a program that had good athletics but also had good academics. Ohio State had a really good balance. And, I really loved the new indoor facility they built at the campus.” 

Lee’s notable highlights at OSU includes a win at the 2018 Westbrook Invitational and the 2018 Big Ten Championship. The Canadian amateur standout also made it to the quarter-finals of the 2018 US Women’s Amateur and to the semi-finals of the 2018 Ladies British Amateur Open Championship.

“There were so many great memories on the golf course during my time at Ohio State. I learned a lot from all the coaches there, especially head coach, Therese Hession. It was amazing to work with coach Hession. She’s always so excited about the game and we had such a cool vibe working together.”

Off the golf course Lee enjoyed taking in the cool vibes at the Ohio State University football games.

“It was always such an electric crowd and atmosphere in those football games,” she said.

In November of 2018, Lee finished sixth at LPGA Q-School to secure her LPGA Tour card for the 2019 season and made the decision to forgo her last semester of eligibility with the Ohio State women’s golf team.

However, a serious wrist injury combined with the COVID-19 pandemic would force her to miss significant parts of the 2019 and the 2020 seasons. On her road to recovery, Lee spent much of her off season in Arizona working on her game.

With plenty of time to rest and recover, she is back at 100 per cent and eager to play a full season of competitive golf – regardless if that’s on the LPGA Tour or on the Symetra Tour or a combination of both.

Looking ahead at her long term goals, the talented young Canadian has big ambitions on the golf course.

“I would love to be able to win out on the LPGA Tour, maybe win a major. As well, I’d love to compete in the Olympics,” she said.  

And looking at the bigger picture, I would love to be able to inspire young kids to play the game and do my part to help grow the game.” 

Having missed large portions of the 2019 and 2020 seasons, she’s grateful to be healthy again and is focused on playing a full season in 2021.

“Between me getting injured and COVID, it’s been a while since I’ve had a chance to really compete regularly, so it’s a great feeling to get back out there again,” she said. 

“I just want to get back to competing regularly and playing the kind of golf that I know I can play.”

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. _ Justin Thomas found the right time for a near-perfect performance to put a rough start to the year behind him, rallying from three shots behind with bold play to close with a 4-under 68 and win The Players Championship on Sunday.

Thomas becomes only the fourth player to win a major, The Players Championship, the FedEx Cup and a World Golf Championship, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

He called it as good as he has ever played tee-to-green, and he needed it to outlast Lee Westwood, a hard-luck runner-up for the second straight week. Westwood birdied the final hole for a 72 to finish one shot behind.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., was among four golfers who shot a 6-under 66 in the final round, the lowest single-round score of the day. Conners finished the tournament in seventh place at 10-under 278.

Abbotsford, B.C. natives Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor both finished within the top-50. Hadwin finished in a tie for 29th place at 4-under par. Taylor finished in a tie for 48th place at 1-under par.

Thomas began the year with a barely audible anti-gay slur under his breath after missing a short putt. That led to one corporate sponsor dropping him and another giving him a public reprimand. The one time he had a chance to win, he learned his grandfather died before the final round of the Phoenix Open.

He was shaken until Sunday at the TPC Sawgrass, where he took on every shot and delivered a gem.

Thomas went birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie around the turn, and put away Westwood for good with a pair of lag putts from 50 feet _ one for birdie on the par-5 16th to take the lead, another on the island-green 17th for a par.

Thomas still had one more shot before he was in the clear. He took on the water framing the left side of the 18th fairway, the ball moving right-to-left and bouncing straight off the crown of the first cut, safely in the fairway.

His approach landed on the fringe _ the first green he missed all day _ leaving a simple two-putt for par and the 14th victory of his PGA Tour career. He returns to No. 2 in the world.

“I fought so hard today,” Thomas said. “It’s probably one of the best rounds of my life tee-to-green. I’ve seen some crazy stuff happen on TV in the past, and I’m glad to be on this side of it.”

All the crazy stuff came early.

Bryson DeChambeau, coming off a win last week at Bay Hill, topped an iron off the tee on the par-4 fourth hole that went only about 140 yards until it plunked into the water. From 237 yards on a forward tee to a green protected by water, he hit a slice with a 5-iron some 40 yards right of the green.

“Dude! I don’t know what happened!” he said to his caddie. “I’ve never done that before.”

DeChambeau made double bogey and was scratching the rest of the way to stay in the game. He still had a chance with an eagle on the 16th hole to get within two, but when Thomas made par on the 17th, his chances were about over. DeChambeau shot 71 and tied for third with Brian Harman, who had a 69 and played the final 12 holes without a bogey.

The 47-year-old Westwood hit his tee shot into the water on the fourth hole and had to make an 8-footer to save bogey. He hit his approach out of the pine straw that clipped two branches and found water on the par-5 second hole to make bogey.

He was never far away from the lead, and Westwood regained a share of the lead with an 8-foot birdie putt on the 14th.

His chances began to slip away with his second shot into the par-5 16th. It hit a big oak and dropped into the sand, and his third shot found a bunker in front of the green. Instead of matching birdies with Thomas, who was in the group ahead, Westwood had to scramble for par to stay one behind.

And on the 17th, his long birdie attempt rolled 7 feet by the hole. He faced another crucial par putt, and he finally missed.

Thomas was outside the cut line after nine holes on Friday. He followed that with a 64 on Saturday to get in the mix, and he finished off in style to pick up $2.7 million with a win against the strongest and deepest field in golf.

It wrapped up a year in which the PGA Tour shut down after one round of The Players a year ago. Thomas was among those serving on the Player Advisory Council that was a part in getting golf back from the COVID-19 pandemic.

He looked at the gold trophy with Commissioner Jay Monahan to soak in how far golf had come in a year. For Thomas, he came a long way in three months.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. _ Lee Westwood isn’t interested in comparing himself with the player who rose to No. 1 in the world a decade ago. All he knows is he’s playing some of his best golf, and he gets another chance to see if it can hold up against the best field.

Westwood had all the shots Friday in a bogey-free round at The Players Championship, with two birdies at the start and a nifty pitch to a troublesome pin on the par-5 ninth to close with a another birdie and a 6-under 66.

That gave him a one-shot lead over Matt Fitzpatrick (68) going into the weekend on the Stadium Course at the TPC Sawgrass, with U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau not too far behind.

Westwood, who turns 48 next month, played well enough to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational last week at Bay Hill except that DeChambeau was one shot better in a fascinating duel of generations on a course that favours power.

Sawgrass favours no particular style, and it produced an eclectic mix of contenders at the halfway point.

“I think to compete in any of these tournaments against the best players in the world, you can’t have any weaknesses in your game,” Westwood said. “I wouldn’t be able to say I’m doing this better or that better. There’s not a shot out there I’m afraid of. There’s not a shot out there I’ll walk up to and think, `I haven’t got this one.’

“I’m comfortable out there with everything.”

He was at 9-under 135 and will be part of the All-England final pairing Saturday.

Sergio Garcia was another shot back after a 72 that looked like it was a lot worse with so many putts the Spaniard missed, including a 23-inch par putt on the 15th hole that followed a 5-foot par putt he missed on the 14th.

Still, the 2008 champion showed plenty of game _ and enough par putts that went in _ to stay in the hunt. He drilled his approach to inches away on the par-5 11th for his third eagle of the week, which a already ties the tournament record.

And he finished in style with an approach that danced around the flag and settled 5 feet away for birdie on the 18th.

“It was a beautiful roller coaster,” Garcia said. “There were a lot of good things. Unfortunately, a lot of bad things. But more than anything there was a lot of fighting, and that’s one of the things that I’m most proud of because when things are not really happening and you miss a couple putts here and there, it’s easy to kind of let the round get away from you.”

When the second round was suspended by darkness, 16 players were within five shots of the lead.

DeChambeau was in the group three shots behind after a 69 that began with a double bogey from the trees and a muffed chip out of the rough from behind the green. He was bogey-free the rest of the way on a course that doesn’t let him swing for the fences because of water and cross bunkers and other brands of trouble.

“I’m happy with the fact that I’ve still been able to keep myself in it and score well,” DeChambeau said. “I’ve been pretty lucky, for the most part. I don’t think that’ll happen this weekend. I’ve got to make sure that my game is good off the tee, so I don’t have those issues occurring and I don’t have to rely on luck for the most part. I have to get it in the fairway.”

Kirk holed out from the first fairway for eagle and closed with back-to-back birdies for a 65. Starting with a chip-in for birdie on the 15th, he played six straight holes in 6 under.

Sungjae Im tied the tournament record with six straight birdies, a streak that ended when he missed the green to the left on the par-3 third, and even then he nearly chipped in. He had to settle for a 66 and was three shots behind.

Dustin Johnson wasted a good start and shot 70, leaving him eight shots behind. Jordan Spieth made his first double bogey in 411 holes _ the longest streak of his career _ and shot 74 to make the cut on the number.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., is the top Canadian, firing a 72 to stay at 4 under after opening with a 68.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., (69) is 1 under, fellow Abbotsford native Nick Taylor (74) is even, while Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., (72) is 3 over and expected to miss the weekend cut.

The weekend is as much about who’s missing.

Rory McIlroy, who opened with a 79, wasn’t much better Friday. He made another double bogey on the 10th hole and shot 75. His 36-hole total of 154 was his highest ever in his 11 appearance at The Players Championship. He is the first defending champion to miss the cut since Rickie Fowler in 2016.

Four players from the top 10 in the world missed the cut _ Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Tyrrell Hatton and Webb Simpson, whose hopes ended with one of 13 balls in the water at the island-green 17th.

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