KAPALUA, Hawaii — Ryan Palmer went through a range of emotions over the final 15 minutes Saturday that ended with him posting a 9-under 64 for the best round of the week and a share of the lead with Harris English in the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is tied for 21st going into the final round after a 4-under 69. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., is in 40th place after a 1-under 72 in his third round.

Palmer thought he might have been in trouble with a thin fairway metal approaching the green on the par-5 18th. It narrowly cleared native grass left of the green and rolled out to 12 feet, and he two-putted for birdie.

His score stood when rules officials determined there was no intent, and no penalty, when he tamped down a divot a few paces away from where his golf ball was rolling after a muffed chip on the ninth hole.

English wasn’t so fortunate with his second shot to the 18th. He was left and came up some 15 feet short of clearing the hazard. His only good break was that a marshal somehow spotted it. Instead of a third shot from 200-plus yards away, he hacked out to 80 feet away and took two tough putts for par and a 66.

They were tied at 21-under 198, one shot ahead of Collin Morikawa, who also flirted with trouble on the closing hole at the Plantation, finished with a birdie and shot 65.

Until the final hole, the third round at Kapalua was all about making birdies to keep from losing ground. Scoring has been exceptionally low, not just by one player but several of them, because of a soft course and little wind.

The top three began to pull away.

Daniel Berger, playing in the final group with English, had a long eagle putt hang on the lip at the 18th and had to settle for birdie and a 67 that left him three shots behind, still in the mix.

Defending champion Justin Thomas finally hit a shot he couldn’t find. Three times this week, he hit it into knee-high native grass and managed to locate the ball and twice saved par. He wasn’t so lucky on the sixth hole, sending it well right and into a deep gorge for a double bogey. Thomas recovered for a 68 and was four back, along with Sungjae Im (67).

Masters champion Dustin Johnson was doing his best to keep pace until his drive on the par-5 15th sailed too far right and into the hazard, leading to a bogey that felt even worse considering it’s a par 5 he can reach in two with an iron. He missed birdie chances coming in and shot 69, seven shots out of the lead.

Xander Schauffele two years ago shot a 62 on the final day to rally from five behind, and such a score is possible in these ideal conditions. But there’s a lot of players to climb, and Englishhasn’t shown any signs of backing off as he goes for his first victory in just over seven years.

Palmer has gone even longer — 11 years since his last individual title on the PGA Tour — and played his best on Saturday. His only big miscue was on the par-5 ninth when he put his second shot in rough left of the green and used the wrong club for a pitch that came up short and rolled down the slope back into the fairway.

He knew where it was headed and began walking, and stepped down a divot a few paces short of where the ball was rolling. That was the violation that led to disqualification for Camilo Villegas from this tournament 10 years ago on the 15th hole. Palmer met with the rules staff and was cleared because there was no intent to improve his lie.

Palmer said when he watched the video, he wasn’t sure what concerned officials. He later added the ball was 5 feet away and “not even close to where I was at.”

So his score was upheld and he now is part of a two-way tie for the lead, a final group between two players who are trying to end a drought a tournament they are fortunate to be playing.

The field for the Tournament of Champions was expanded this year for 2020 winners and anyone who reached the Tour Championship, all because of the COVID-19 pandemic that shut the tour down for three months. Both Palmer and English made it to East Lake. Both would like to make their next victory one that assures them a return to Maui.

Right behind them is the PGA champion, Morikawa, going for his third victory in his last 14 tournaments worldwide.

KAPALUA, Hawaii — A new year, and Harris English keeps right on rolling.

English finished with a 10-foot birdie to cap off an ideal Friday at the Sentry Tournament of Champions with a 6-under 67, giving him a two-shot lead over a quartet of players that includes defending champion Justin Thomas.

Even with a lead, it feels as though the first PGA Tour event of the year is wide open. With virtually no wind, rare for the Plantation Course at Kapalua, scores remained low and several players were stacked up behind him. That includes Masters champion Dustin Johnson, who hit it close enough all round to make a few putts in his round of 65.

“Felt like I got back in the tournament a little bit,” said Johnson, playing for the first time since his Nov. 15 victory at Augusta National.

English is among 16 players at the winners-only event who didn’t win last year. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic that wiped out three months on the tour schedule, anyone who reached the Tour Championship qualified this year. English did everything but win, going from No. 369 in the world to among the top 30.

And he’s playing like it. He was bogey-free and rarely faced any stress. It’s hard to feel that on the western edge of Maui, and English was entertained by a pair of humpback whales splashing their fins in the Pacific below the course.

He was at 14-under 132, two shots ahead of Thomas, PGA champion Collin Morikawa (65), Daniel Berger (65) and Ryan Palmer (67), another player who didn’t win in 2020 and was happy to be here.

Thomas lost some of his Aloha spirit on the back nine. He had a one-shot lead at the turn, missed a short birdie chance on the par-3 11th and then struggled to keep it in play. A drive to the left in the native grass kept him from a good birdie opportunity on the short 12th. He hit another one to the left into high grass on the 13th and made his first bogey.

Thomas also failed to convert chances on the next four holes, and the 18th was looking grim when he missed a long iron and came up 40 yards short, a perilous spot with a front pin and the grain running hard toward the back. He clipped a sand wedge and it was about to go too far when it hit the pin and dropped 3 feet away. He made that for his only birdie on the back nine and shot 69.

He was among 16 players separated by four shots going into the final two days.

Xander Schauffele holed an 80-foot eagle putt on the 18th for a 66 and was in the group at 11-under 135 that included Patrick Reed, who had a 68. Another shot behind was the group that included Johnson, Jon Rahm (66) and U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau (67).

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., (71) is the top Canadian going into the weekend with a total of 8-under 138. He shares 22nd place with four other golfers, including Sergio Garcia of Spain (71). Fellow Canadian Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.,) has a score of 144 after a round of 71 on Friday.

If you watch golf on TV, you’ve no doubt seen players on the range, hitting a shot and then looking down at what appears to be an iPad. No, they’re not checking their email or Facetiming their friends. They are checking their club path, spin rate, clubhead speed, launch angle, carry and total distance, smash factor and much more on what’s called a launch monitor.

And, more than likely, they have a full golf simulator at home.

Do you plan to use a #golf simulator in 2021?

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) December 18, 2020

What’s the difference?

“The best way I can describe it that the launch monitor is the engine and the simulator is the entire car,” says Aaron Hardy of Foresight Sports Canada. Hardy is the exclusive Canadian distributor of Foresight, a product used by more than 170 PGA TOUR pros. TrackMan and SkyTrak are other popular products used by golfers and instructors worldwide, among other reputable brands.

While a monitor is portable, a simulator is a permanent or semi-permanent installation that may include some or all of the following: a monitor, net or screen, hitting mat, laptop computer, projector and, of course, a suitable indoor space. You have the option of virtually playing some of the world’s most famous courses. Foresight even offers a “Canadian course mega-deal” software package that bundles Glen Abbey Golf Club, Essex Golf and Country Club and Cobble Beach Golf Links.

Do you need a launch monitor and/or a simulator?

Yes, if you’re a serious golfer, according to Harry Nodwell, Senior Director of Product Testing at My Golf Spy, an independent online reviewer and evaluator of all things golf. “It’s a must-have if you want to get feedback and dial in your game all year round.” That last bit is especially important for golfers trapped indoors during a Canadian winter. And even more so during these COVID-19 days.

Do you want one?

The best ones are not cheap. For example, Foresight’s basic GC2 monitor starts at US$6,500 while the top-of-the-line GCQuad (what Nodwell calls the “Holy Grail of launch monitors”) starts at US$11,000. As mentioned, if you want a full in-home simulator setup, that can double that number at least.

Chris Nickel is My Golf Spy’s Director of Business Development. He is a self-diagnosed “golf and equipment junkie.” That may explain why he has a fully decked-out Foresight simulator in his basement. (That, along with the fact he has seven daughters and lives in snowy Colorado.) He says your decision is basically a cost/benefit analysis based on your desired outcome.

“You have to decide what your priorities are based on your desires and your budget,” Nickel says. “What are the deal breakers? Do you just want something to have fun with your family and friends or do you seriously want to understand how to be a better golfer?”

For proof of that closer to home, you need look no further than Tristan Mullally, Head Coach of Golf Canada’s Women’s Amateur and Young Pro Squads. He recently had a Foresight simulator installed in his garage in Dundas, Ont. As an instructor, he has used the best launch monitors available for more than 15 years to provide feedback and help his students improve. He says it’s not only made his students better but it helped him be a better instructor. But his home simulator was more of a personal purchase so he could spend quality time with his two children.

“With the COVID lockdown, every golfer wants a place to practise and we are looking for different ways to do things with our family,” Mullally says. “Why hit blindly into a net when you can actually play golf on a simulator?”

Don’t despair if you’re an avid golfer on a restricted budget. Nodwell points out that product testing at My Golf Spy has shown there are more affordable options — if you are prepared to sacrifice some accuracy and data.

Let’s say you want the whole enchilada right now, a complete home simulator setup. You will need sufficient space for all the components and to have a full swing. Hardy says his basic setup requires an area seven feet wide by seven feet high by 10 feet deep while the traditional simulator needs a space at least 12 feet wide by nine feet high by 15 feet deep. Having said that, the 6-foot-1 Nickel can’t swing his driver in his basement with its nine-foot-high ceiling. “I really needed another foot of clearance,” he says.

Hardy’s company offers Sim-In-A-Box, a “full-size, true-to-life golf simulation in a compact, easy-to-assemble format delivered right to your door.” Hardy says the kits can be put together with an Allen key, a couple of wrenches and a second set of hands. Alternatively, depending on mandated pandemic restrictions in your area, you can have a custom simulator professionally assembled in your home or garage.

For example, Andy McWilliams, a former Scottish golf professional now based near Ottawa, launched Golf Sim Gurus after seeing a demand for simulator sales, service and installation. “Things have really taken off since people haven’t been able to get out like they could before COVID,” he says. “Plus, it’s a long winter, especially if you can’t get away down south this year.” In addition to permanent installations, McWilliams sees potential in renting and installing simulators on a seasonal basis to golf courses, retail outlets and even homeowners.

Business also increased for Hardy as a result of the pandemic but it was a two-edged sword. “Demand went up but, because of the restrictions, we couldn’t go into residences to do custom installations. We were like the pool guys: People were stranded at home and need something to do to stay active, something to keep themselves and their families entertained.” He equates the price of a home simulator to that of a couple of family vacations and it is a lot more permanent than memories and souvenirs.

“I get a call just about every day from someone who bought one of our simulators,” says Hardy. “They say it’s almost like therapy. One person told me, ‘I never would have gotten through this (COVID) without my golf simulator.’”

Click here for more on Foresight Sports Canada.

KAPALUA, Hawaii — Justin Thomas kept bogeys off his card, thanks in part of Dustin Johnson’s caddie, and birdied three of his last five holes Thursday for an 8-under 65 to share the lead with Harris English in the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Thomas couldn’t have asked for a better start in his bid to become the first back-to-back winner at Kapalua since 2010. On a gorgeous afternoon on the western edge of Maui, he birdied three straight holes to finish the front nine and took advantage of the scoring holes on the back nine.

But it was the 13th hole where Thomas got his biggest break.

He sent his drive well to the right into the deep native grasses, expecting it never to be found. He hit a provisional, and the group made a cursory search when Austin Johnson found it by stepping on it.

The ball was replaced to its original spot — only about a half-turn — and Thomas hacked out sideways, put it on the green and rolled in a par putt from just inside 40 feet.

A two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th tied him with English, whose 65 was highlighted by pitching in for eagle on No. 9.

Unlike the wind that was ripping across the Plantation Course earlier in the week as the players arrived, it was relatively calm by Kapalua standards and it showed in the scoring. Only two players in the 42-man field were over par.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is in the hunt. Taylor opened with a 6-under 67 in Hawaii to sit two strokes behind first-round leaders Harry English and Justin Thomas. Fellow Canadian Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.,) fired a 73.

Sergio Garcia, playing at Kapalua for the first time in 15 years, and Patrick Reed were also among those at 6-under 67, with Adam Scott in the group at 68.

Johnson, making his first start since winning the Masters in November, showed some rust on the greens. He had good birdie looks on the final six holes and didn’t make any of them, settling for a 2-under 71.

The tournament features more than just PGA Tour winners for the first time. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down golf for three months, the field includes anyone who made it to the Tour Championship.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Canadian golfer Emily Zhu has captured the girls division of the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl Invitational.

The 16 year old from Richmond Hill, Ont., finished 7 under for the 72-hole tournament on Wednesday, three strokes ahead of Antonia Matte of Chile.

“It’s amazing,” said Zhu, “I hadn’t won a tournament in a while, so it’s really nice. It’s a great way to start 2021.”

Zhu, a member of Golf Canada’s national team, was the Canadian junior girls champion in 2019. She also tied for eighth at the Orange Bowl that year.

Zhu took a three-shot advantage into the final day, but saw Matte use four birdies in a seven-hole stretch to close within one with six holes remaining. Two bogeys down the stretch, though, kept Matte from getting any closer.

“I think I understood what I had to shoot,” Zhu said, “and I was just trying to shoot that as best as possible.”

In the Orange Bowl boys event, Jean-Philippe Parr of St-Celestin, Que., was third, seven shots behind winner Sebastian Moss of the U.S.

Moss and Zhu are the newest names set for engraving onto a Junior Orange Bowl International trophy already featuring Tiger Woods (1991), Hall of Famer Inbee Park (2002) and LPGA major winners Cristie Kerr (1994), Lexi Thompson (2009), Ariya Jutanugarn (2010) and Brooke Henderson (2013).

Zhu goes into the books as Canada’s third champion, following Henderson and Maude-Aimee LeBlanc (2006). With this championship, she ends a winless drought that had reached 17 months and prompted a swing change over the summer.

“It was frustrating that I couldn’t play like I’m capable of playing,” said Zhu, whose most recent win had been the 2019 Canadian Junior Championship. “I couldn’t show it in my scores. That was the most frustrating part. But I’m glad that I’ve settled it and pretty much got my golf in check.”

The Golf Championship is one of 15 athletic, artistic and cultural events that make up the Junior Orange Bowl International Youth Festival, which celebrates its 72nd anniversary in 2020-21. The festival draws more than 7,500 youth participants to South Florida’s community each year.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Jan. 6, 2021 – After completing his 11th year as LPGA Commissioner, Mike Whan has notified the LPGA Board of Directors that he has made the difficult decision to transition out of the LPGA in 2021. While no firm date has been set for his departure, this announcement begins the start of a thorough and thoughtful Commissioner succession process.

Whan shared his decision today with LPGA staff, Members and sponsors in the attached letter, including the following messages:

“When I first joined the LPGA, I told the Board it would be a four-year term, giving me time to help the organization achieve its immediate goals. Now, as the longest-serving LPGA Commissioner, I look back on these 11 years with enormous pride and satisfaction at what we’ve accomplished together to provide opportunities for women to achieve their dreams in golf.

“You may be wondering why I’ve made the decision to step down – and why now? In many ways, this past year – with all the pandemic challenges – was also the LPGA’s most triumphant. We are entering 2021 on a wave of momentum – a strong schedule with record purses, new events/sponsors, double-digit viewership growth, and a talented team that demonstrated exceptional skill, resilience and capability to lead through challenging times.

“I simply wouldn’t leave the LPGA if I thought the future was uncertain or not trending straight up. In fact, even after the challenges we faced in 2020, the LPGA has NEVER been more financially secure, deeper in leadership talent, or more anchored by passionate, diverse sponsors from all around the world. The LPGA is poised for even greater heights; and as such, I’m excited to hand the baton to the next leader and become their biggest supporter.

“One of the hardest jobs of a leader is to know when their work is done. If the COVID-19 pandemic taught me anything, it was that the LPGA executive staff has full control of our business and is capable of incredible things. We have leaders who are visionary, compassionate, collaborative and humble. You may not agree with every decision they make, but they have led our Tours to new heights virtually every year.”

Laurence Applebaum and LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan at 2019 CP Women’s Open press conference (Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)

LPGA Board Chair Diane Gulyas said, “Mike Whan has been a transformational leader of the LPGA and we’ve been fortunate to retain him for 11 years. When he told of me of his intention to step down this year, I had two reactions: First, can we persuade him to stay? And, when that wasn’t possible, to fully respect his decision and begin a seamless transition.

“Mike’s leadership legacy will be felt for years: in the LPGA’s financial strength and value proposition; in its global reach; in the breadth of programs and services it now offers for women and girls in golf; and in the diversity and quality of companies wanting to partner with the LPGA. He has effectively guided the LPGA through a range of economic cycles and challenges, including the COVID 19 pandemic. And, he has been the voice of our Association and its commitment to opportunities for women in golf.”

“Mike has absolutely been the right leader at the right time,” said Vicki Goetze-Ackerman, the LPGA Tour’s Player President. “He rebuilt the Tour – and then reimagined its future – by bringing new events, new sponsors and a new value proposition around diversity and inclusion to the LPGA. He has that rare ability to get people of all ages and backgrounds excited and on board with his vision. We’re grateful for his leadership over these 11 years and know he’ll remain an advocate for the LPGA long after he departs.”

Marvol Barnard, President of the LPGA’s 1,800 teaching Professionals, said, “When Mike joined the LPGA in 2010, we were essentially a Tour and a Teaching division. Today, we are a bigger, broader, integrated organization dedicated to women in golf of all ages and abilities. Mike will always be an incredibly important person in the history of the LPGA Professionals, and we will always be grateful for his leadership, vision and guidance.”

Gulyas said the Board will establish a Commissioner Selection and Transition Committee and consider candidates from the LPGA’s talented executive staff as well from outside the organization. “It’s clear the LPGA today is a very different Association than the one Mike joined in 2010,” said Gulyas. “Our commitment to the LPGA – and all of our stakeholders – is to find the right leader to guide the Association through this next chapter in its storied history.

“We are so grateful for Mike’s passion and leadership of the LPGA over more than a decade of service as our Commissioner. He will leave the LPGA well positioned for continued success, with an outstanding team of leaders and a strong and sustained culture – Act Like A Founder – that will endure for years to come.”

TORONTO – In a year unlike any other, which included the PGA TOUR’s longest hiatus since World War II due to Covid-19, a record number (7) Canadians held PGA TOUR status while the country as a whole impressed across both the amateur and professional ranks.

The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) is proud to announce Brooke Henderson, Mackenzie Hughes, Laurent Desmarchais and Brigitte Thibault as the 2020 Players of the Year as voted by GJAC members across the country. Along with the player awards, the surge in popularity in golf across Canada was voted as the story of the year.

“Each year, GJAC is proud to recognize and applaud the incredible performances by Canadian professional and amateur players,” said Rick Young, GJAC President. “While 2020 was a difficult year, players across Canada continue to record performances that make covering their achievements and telling the stories behind them a joy for our members.”

After claiming two wins in 2019 to become the winningest Canadian golfer of all time, Henderson continued to make headlines in 2020, making all but one cut on the LPGA Tour, including five top-10 finishes and a runner-up showing at the ANA Inspirational. The 23-year old finished the season with the second-lowest scoring average on Tour (69.7) and is currently the sixth-ranked female professional player in the world.

Mackenzie Hughes was named Male Professional of the Year after recording his best season to date, earning six top-10 PGA TOUR finishes in 22 starts. The 30-year old’s season was highlighted by a runner-up finish at the Honda Classic, where he posted 66 in both the third and final round, and the Tour Championship, where he finished in 14^th place in the FedEx Cup standings, the best of any Canadian since 2013 (Grahem DeLaet, 8^th).

For the second-consecutive year, Rosemére, Quebec’s Brigitte Thibault earned honours as Female Amateur of the Year after another standout season that included wins at the Women’s Western Amateur and the Women’s Dixie Amateur. In addition, Thibault earned two top-3 collegiate finishes with the Fresno State Bulldogs.

Finally, Longueuil, Quebec’s Laurent Desmarchais was named Male Amateur of the Year after claiming a victory over both amateurs and professionals in the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s Canada Life Series Championship at TPC Toronto. In addition, Desmarchais was named to the Golf Canada’s National Amateur team due to his standout play.

Just how busy were golf courses across Canada in 2020?

Early one morning at the beginning of the season, Stephen Jardeleza positioned himself in front of his computer at GreyHawk Golf Club. On his screen was a blank tee sheet for the Ottawa club where he is the Director of Operations.

In a few minutes, the computerized tee-times reservation system would open for members to begin booking tee times for the upcoming Saturday. Up for grabs were 130 tee times across the club’s 36 holes, which, if fully booked, would work out to 520 golfers.

At 7 a.m., the tee sheet came alive. “In 40 seconds, our tee sheet was fully booked,” Jardeleza said. “And this happened every day.”

The 2020 golf season—and the year—will go down in infamy as one of the strangest that most of us will ever experience.

Faced with a mysterious and deadly nemesis, golf provided a beacon of badly needed joy amid fear and frustration. We were smitten. We couldn’t get enough golf.

“It didn’t matter that there was a worldwide pandemic,” said Simon Bevan, General Manager of Riverbend Golf Club in London. “Golf was like a drug. We all wanted to hit the little white ball.”

Now that the season has ended, the golf club industry in Canada is celebrating a record year in which rounds skyrocketed to historic proportions. Thousands of people took up golf—some for the first time, and some came back to the game—and veteran golfers played more than they ever have.

But right out of the be-careful-what-you-wish-for playbook, the industry faced the challenge of how to mollify established golfers frustrated that they could no longer get to the first tee when they wanted.

Back in April, with cities around the world looking like ghost towns, and major league sports and the PGA TOUR shut down, golfers held on to a slender thread of hope that a golf season might be possible.

By early May, golfers in Ontario and Quebec had endured two months of a gruelling lockdown, made worse by a tantalizingly warm spring that screamed golf. Golfers ached for their game. A friend said, “Golfers can distance. I play golf with people. I don’t dance with them.”

After weeks of consultation with the golf industry on safety measures, the Ontario government said courses could open May 16. Quebec set May 20 as its opening day.

Golf clubs had only a few days to finish their preparations in order to keep golfers safe. Staff removed ball washers, water coolers, benches and outfitted flagsticks with doo-hickeys that allowed you to extricate your ball without having to touch the stick.

Held back from their usual start to the season, golfers were ravenous. On May 15—the first day that tee times could be booked—thousands of ClubLink Members went online to reserve their tee times at 7 a.m., causing the system to crash.

Many technology platforms serving the golf industry were overwhelmed. When Golf Ontario opened its online tournament registration on June 24, 17,000 people visited its site in a matter of minutes, causing it to crash for the first time in its history, according to executive director Mike Kelly.

On those first wonderful days of the 2020 golf season, golfers were over the moon to play and golf club personnel were cautiously nervous.

“We were hoping that members wouldn’t contract the virus just from touching things,” said Paul Carrothers, Director of Golf at Royal Ottawa Golf Club.

Thousands of golfers wanted to play the game—not just because they are an extremely obsessive bunch—but also to escape the same four walls at home. Without having to travel for work or commute, working from home also afforded many golfers the freedom to play when they wanted. More or less.

With offices and schools closed, and nearly every other option for having fun shut down, golf became the ‘it’ activity. Spouses, friends and kids who had not tried golf, and those who had given up the game, were playing.

“Almost all of the guys that I played slow-pitch with every Tuesday for 20 years were now playing golf,” said Kevin Thistle, CEO of the PGA of Canada. “The way we play golf, work, watch sports—it’s all changing, and forcing us to adapt.”

From the once-a-year golfer to the 100-rounds-plus player, everyone played more—and wanted more.

“Players who would normally play 30 to 40 rounds played 70 to 80 rounds,” said Adam Tobin, Director of Golf at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge.

Even with most corporate events cancelled at most clubs, tee times became a precious commodity.

By the end of June, Canadians had played more than 1.5 million rounds during the month, an increase of 17 per cent over June 2019. And that’s a monumental feat folks when you consider June is THE busiest and best month to play. For an industry that faced media reports a few years earlier that it was declining, business was booming.

But for avid golfers who routinely play three or more rounds a week and were used to convenient tee times, it was not all sunshine and rainbows.

“There was a lot of frustration,” said Jason Wyatt, Head Professional at Sunningdale Golf & Country Club in London, where demand shot up 52 percent over 2019 with the same number of members. “There were people who wanted an 8 a.m. time but had to settle for hours later.”

Even playing ‘executive’ or nine-hole courses was a challenge. “There were times that we had six groups lined up to play our nine-hole course,” said Dennis Firth, Head Professional at Royal Montreal which experienced a 30 percent increase in rounds over 2019. “It was unprecedented.”

As a golfer, and the fellow in charge of tracking golfers across the country for Golf Canada, Adam Helmer said he could no longer just head out to play. He had to become organized in scheduling his golf.

“A downside of golf being so popular was that not everyone was able to get the tee time they wanted,” said Helmer, senior director of Golf Services for Golf Canada.

The problem was simple. Demand for tee times appeared limitless, but every course has a finite number of holes and daylight. And to keep golfers from getting too close to one another, most clubs spaced out tee times, which meant fewer golfers on the course.

John Finlayson, Chief Operating Officer of ClubLink, says that—as a general rule of thumb—a private golf club with 18 holes carries about 400 full dues-paying members to sustain its business.

But even in June when the days are longest, there’s only enough room to accommodate about 225 golfers. “If 300 people want to play that course that day, you have a problem,” said Finlayson, whose ClubLink courses saw a 29 percent increase in rounds in 2020 compared with 2019.

Many private clubs responded by restricting the number of guests that members could bring, and restricted access for certain classes of memberships.

“To make room for our full members, we had to restrict our legacy and out-of-town members,” said Ian Leggatt, General Manager of Summit Golf Club in Richmond Hill. “We had to communicate to them that these are unusual times,” said Leggatt, who has since moved to the same position at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto.

Initially, Leggatt and other senior club managers wondered if golfers would “drift from the game” because they couldn’t socialize in the clubhouse restaurant afterwards,

and the on-course experience was altered.

But with fewer golfers on the course, no need to rake bunkers, and single riders on carts, the speed of play improved dramatically.

“The measures were taken for safety, but it provided a better experience,” Finlayson said. “Most golfers expect to play 18 holes in 4 to 4.5 hours, but this year a 4-hour round was considered a bit slow.”

Nonetheless, many golfers were frustrated about access, and many golf clubs stepped up their communication efforts to help their members adapt.

“You couldn’t over-communicate,” Leggatt said. “This whole thing was shifting, and there was no template on how to make it work better.”

It affected everyone, including ClubLink Member and CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association of Canada, Jeff Calderwood.

“I’d jump on the computer five days in advance at 7 a.m. this fall, and there were often no times at Eagle Creek (his Home Club in Ottawa),” he said. “It illustrated the dilemma we had.”

Industry leaders such as Calderwood are thankful golf provided a silver lining during a pandemic, but they are also mindful that the industry is challenged by how it satisfies core golfers while retaining new players.

“I don’t claim to have all the answers. You could restructure and find that, perhaps with a vaccine, demand doesn’t stay so high, and then you’re not sustainable if you got it wrong.”

Mike Kelly of Golf Ontario was among the industry leaders who consulted with the Ontario government to allow clubs to open this season, and he’s grateful golfers turned a possible disaster into a banner year for golf.

As a golf administrator who represents the sport in Ontario, as well as players who want to play and have fun, Kelly says he can’t lose focus on what’s truly important.

“Our job is to provide a safe environment. That’s our No. 1 priority during this pandemic. We can’t screw this up. The game has grown and the industry will evolve, but the priority must be safety.”

Tim O’Connor is a golf and performance coach, writer and author of four books, co-host of the Swing Thoughts podcast, and webinar presenter. He is the 2020 winner of the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award given by Golf Ontario. tim@oconnorgolf.ca

NAPLES, Fla. — Jin Young Ko missed most of the LPGA Tour season and still won the yearlong money title. That’s what a $1.1-million check does.

Ko, the No. 1 player in the world, put an emphatic capper on her truncated year Sunday by shooting a final-round 6-under 66 and winning the CME Group Tour Championship by five strokes over Hannah Green and Sei Young Kim.

With a birdie on the final hole, the LPGA’s final putt of the season, Ko finished at 18 under for her seventh career LPGA win.

Green’s final-round 67 — on her 24th birthday — helped push the Australian into the second-place tie.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was 1-under for the day, and 10-under for the tournament, to finish eight strokes back of Ko in a tie for seventh.

Henderson finishes the season ranked No. 6 in the world.

“Nice to end the 2020 LPGA season on a high note and a top-7 finish,” the Canadian said in a Twitter post.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot a blistering 8-under 64 on Sunday — the lowest round of the tournament — to finish 1-over for the tournament.

Kim, who took a one-shot lead into the final round, shot 72 and that was good enough for her to clinch Rolex Player of the Year honours.

Ko started the final round one shot back of Kim and opened with a birdie.

The key stretch was Ko’s run of three straight birdies on the 12th through the 14th — her longest such run of the week.

She left a chance for a fourth in a row just left of the cup on 15, then all but wrapped up the win with another birdie on the 16th.

The win wrapped up a wire-to-wire year in the No. 1 spot for Ko, who has held the ranking since July 29, 2019.

She moved to $5,600,824 in career earnings, making her the 71st player in LPGA history to cross the $5 million mark.

Ko played only four LPGA events in 2020 — she competed six times on the Korean LPGA while riding out the coronavirus pandemic at home — but Sunday’s win and a check for $487,286 for finishing second in last week’s U.S. Women’s Open helped push her season earnings to $1,667,925.

That would have been good for fifth-best on tour last season, when each of the 21 leading money-winners all appeared in at least 20 events.

Kim’s realistic hopes of winning ended when she left a 25-foot par putt short on the par-4 15th to fall four off Ko’s lead.

But the player-of-the-year award was still in her control at that point, and she finished that off.

Mina Harigae (68) finished at 12 under, the fourth-place finish matching the best of her LPGA career.

Lexi Thompson shot a 2-under 70 on Sunday and finished at 11 under, seven shots off the pace and tied with Lydia Ko for fifth.

Thompson, the leader after Thursday’s first round, saw her streak of consecutive seasons with at least one victory end at seven.

“Definitely a good ending to the year and to the week,” said Thompson, the native South Floridian who had about 15 fans following her Sunday even though the tournament was technically closed to ticketholders.

She said she’s looking forward to some normalcy in 2021.

“It was nice to have a few people out there supporting us,” Thompson said. “I think the fans make the game, so hopefully we’ll get back to that in 2021.”

Sunday marked the end to the 18-event LPGA season that was cut almost in half by the pandemic and was shut down for five and half months from mid-February through the end of July.

There are 34 events scheduled for next season, starting with the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, from Jan. 21-24.

NAPLES, Fla. — Sei Young Kim is in position to defend her title in the CME Group Tour Championship, take player of the year honours, win the money title and possibly even move to No. 1 in the world.

Kim took a one-stroke lead over top-ranked Jin Young Ko into the final round of the LPGA Tour season, shooting a 5-under 67 on Saturday in warmer conditions at Tiburon Golf Club to reach 13-under 203. Ko had a 69.

“Really good chance to chase everything,” Kim said. “If I play well tomorrow, good chance.”

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 66 in the third round Saturday. She currently sits in a five-way tie for fourth place at 9-under par with Lexi Thompson (71), Charley Hull (66), Minjee Lee (66) and Austin Ernst (69).

Henderson’s rise to the top 10 on Saturday was helped along by an impressive seven birdies in the third round.

“Every hole I feel like there is opportunity for birdie,” said Henderson. “So that makes it really exciting when you step up to every tee.”

Hamilton native Alena Sharp sits in 69th at 9-over par.

For Kim to take the No. 1 spot in the world from Ko, she would have to win Sunday and have Ko finish solo 10th or worse. Ko has held the top spot for 73 weeks in a row.

Georgia Hall was third at 10 under after a 68.

Kim is tied for the tour victory lead with Danielle Kang with two, winning the major KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and Pelican Women’s Championship in consecutive starts in October and November. The South Korean star played a 12-hole stretch from the second to the 13th in 6 under, then dropped a stroke on the par-4 18th.

“My vibe was really good because warmer weather, and then I play pairing with Jin Young and Lexi (Thompson). Those are my favourite player, so yeah, it was fun. We wasn’t talking much but it was very comfortable and chill out there.”

Ko had three birdies in a bogey-free round.

“I said yesterday my goal is like just bogey-free round on the weekend, so I made it today,” Ko said. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Kim and Ko are longtime friends.

“Always fun playing with her,” Ko said. “We play together last year and we played — we practiced together at the U.S. Open last week. So we knows each other. But this is competition, so we are close but we have to separate on the course.”

Coming off a second-place tie last week in Houston in the U.S. Women’s Open, Ko has a chance to win the money title in only four events. The $1.1 million winner’s prize, down from $1.5 million last year, is the richest in women’s golf. Ko is 13th with $567,925. Inbee Park is the leader with $1,365,138, and Kim second with $1,207,438.

Race to CME Globe leader Park was tied for 28th at 3 under after her third straight 71. Second-place Kang was tied for 42nd at even par after a 70.