TORONTO—The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada will return to action in 2021 with a set of eight tournaments available for players based in Canada. The PGA TOUR made the announcement June 10. 

A year after the global pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 season, and with restrictions still in place at the Canada-U.S. border, the Mackenzie Tour is giving competitive opportunities to players already in Canada through this eight-event schedule that begins in July and runs to October. 

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to make this announcement. We always knew we would have PGA TOUR-affiliated golf in Canada in 2021, so it’s nice to finally make it official with the announcement of these eight tournaments,” said Scott Pritchard, Mackenzie Tour Executive Director. “We are appreciative to all of our partners, the golf courses where we’re playing, the communities that will host us for the week and Mackenzie Investments, which has been such a significant partner for so many years.” 

The season begins in late-July, with the Mackenzie Investments Open at Club de Golf Le Blainvillier in the city of Blainville just outside of Montreal on July 26-August 1. Following a two- week break, the Tour begins a seven-tournament-in-seven-week stretch, beginning August 16- 22 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley for the Osprey Valley Open. Next is a two-week stay in Prince Edward Island for a pair of tournaments at two of the island’s finest golf courses. First up is the Prince Edward Island Open (August 23-29) at Dundarave Golf Club followed by the Brudenell River Classic (August 30-September 5) at Brudenell River Golf Course. 

Players will then travel west for a tournament to be announced at a later date and will be played the week of September 6-12, followed by Calgary’s ATB Financial Classic (September 13- 19) at Country Hills Golf Club, both long-time Tour partners. The season concludes with a pair of tournaments in British Columbia, the GolfBC Championship at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf and Country Club (September 20-26) followed by the DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist at Uplands Golf Club (September 27-October 3). 

The Mackenzie Tour and tournament organizers continue to monitor issues surrounding the global pandemic, and they have worked with local and provincial health authorities and will continue to do so leading up to the tournaments. Approvals to return to competition still need to happen across the country, but organizers remain encouraged that the tournaments will be able to take place based on the vaccine rollout. 

Even with the compacted schedule and the number of events played in consecutive weeks caused by continued pandemic issues, Pritchard sees this year’s set of tournaments and their place on the schedule as a good thing. 

“We believe there is a good pacing to our schedule, and the players will get in a lot of golf this summer in successive weeks. With the limited amount of competitive golf available over the last year, we know the players are anxious to get started and will embrace these events played at high-quality golf courses in the summer and into the fall,” Pritchard added. 

In 2020, the PGA TOUR conducted a four-tournament grouping of tournaments for players in Canada. What the Tour conducted last summer will serve as a model in 2021. 

“What I’m most excited about is that these players will have opportunities to compete at PGA TOUR-sanctioned events, the competitions taking place at quality golf courses and the Tour offering some compelling season-ending incentive for these players,” Pritchard added. 

The top player at the conclusion of the season will earn full status on the 2022 Mackenzie Tour, while players finishing No. 2 through 5 on the Points List will receive conditional 2022 Mackenzie Tour status, which will gain them entry into the first set of events before the reshuffle. Finishers six through 10 will each earn a sponsor exemption into a 2022 Mackenzie Tour event. 

Tour officials will continue to monitor the travel restrictions in place and adapt accordingly should policies change before or during the season. 

The first full week of June brings warm weather, excitement for summer, and in normal times, the RBC Canadian Open. This year is extra special, as the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame celebrates 50 years of existence.

Despite the RBC Canadian Open’s cancellation due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, it didn’t stop the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame from hosting its 50th anniversary with a virtual gala.

On Tuesday, June 8, co-hosts Bob Weeks and Gail Graham brought Canadian golf fans together with a one-hour ceremony, celebrating the sport’s rich history in this country.

“Although we aren’t allowed to commemorate this achievement in person, it doesn’t diminish the importance of this celebration,” said Golf Canada President Liz Hoffman.

The night began with Gail Graham interviewing Sandra Post, the 1988 Canadian Golf Hall of Fame inductee. The two reflected on Post’s career, where she became the first woman from Canada to compete on the LPGA Tour. Post won eight times on the LPGA Tour including the LPGA Championship in 1968.

 “I was very privileged to represent the LPGA and Canada around the world,” Post said.

VIEW THE CANADIAN GOLF HALL OF FAME’S TOP 10 MOMENTS IN CANADIAN GOLF

One of those memories was Adam Hadwin’s 59 at the 2017 CareerBuilder Challenge. The Abbotsford, B.C. native recorded 13 birdies on the card that day, which at the time was the ninth sub-60 round in PGA Tour history.

Brooke Henderson occupied two top-10 moments; winning the CP Women’s Open in 2018 at Wascana Country Club in 2018 (#3) and becoming the winningest Canadian (man or woman) with nine titles following her victory at the 2019 Meijer LPGA Classic. Now, with 10 victories, Henderson reminisced on the importance of winning the CP Women’s Open in her career.

 “CP Women’s Open has always been a big part of my life. Finally winning the tournament in 2018 was honestly a dream come true,” Henderson said.

 Winning top honours was Mike Weir’s Masters victory in 2003. Weir converted a par putt on the 72nd hole to force a playoff, which he won on the 10th hole. As the Sarnia, Ontario native continues to succeed on the Champions Tour, he still marvels at his major achievement 18 years ago.

“It somewhat feels surreal that happened so many years ago,” Weir said during the ceremony.

Weir became the first Canadian man to win a major golf championship. At that time, many of the current Canadian golfers on the PGA Tour were teenagers at the time, including Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes. Weir understands how this win inspired so many Canadians to believe they can succeed on the PGA Tour.

“I can’t say enough what he showed Canadians what can be done in golf,” said David Hearn when discussing the impact of Weir’s Masters victory.

“I very much enjoy encouraging these young guys on,” Weir said. “Any bit of advice that may be helpful, I relish that.”

You can watch the entire gala below.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A fourth Canadian golfer has earned a berth in the U.S. Open.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., secured one of 16 berths for the June 17-20 major on Tuesday at a final qualifier.

With one hole left after a storm suspended play Monday at one of the 11 final qualifiers, Hadwin finished the 36-hole competition at 7 under – good for a tie for ninth.

Erik van Rooyen of South Africa and American Chez Reavie led the way at 12 under.

Hadwin joins Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., in the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego. Pendrith qualified Monday by winning an event in Maryland.

The Columbus qualifier, where Hadwin competed, traditionally has the strongest field and the most spots available for the U.S. Open. It takes place close to the site of the Memorial, the PGA Tour event that concluded on Sunday.

FINAL LEADERBOARD

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Stephen Ames won the Principal Charity Classic on Sunday for his second PGA Tour Champions title, taking advantage of Tim Herron’s final-round collapse.

Seven strokes behind Herron entering the round, Ames shot a 5-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over fellow Canadian Mike Weir.

A four-time winner on the PGA Tour, Ames won the 2017 Mitsubishi Electric Classic for his first senior title. The 57-year-old naturalized Canadian citizen from Trinidad finished at 12-under 204 at Wakonda Club.

Weir closed with a 69.

Herron bogeyed three of the final five holes in a 76 that left him tied for third at 10 under. He missed a chance for his first senior victory after winning four times on the PGA Tour.

Willie Wood (68) and Doug Barron (71) matched Herron at 10 under.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Tim Herron shot a 9-under 63 on Saturday to take a four-stroke lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ Principal Charity Classic.

Trying to win for the first time on the 50-and-over tour, Herron birdied the par-4 18th for a back-nine 30 and 14-under 130 total at Wakonda Club.

The 51-year-old from Minnesota, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, birdied three of the first five holes, then birdied Nos. 10-12, 15, 16 and 18 tp pull away.

“I got some really good breaks and I had some really good chances that I missed, but I made some great putts,” Herron said. “This is the most putts I’ve made in probably a decade. Hopefully, just going to keep it going and keep the putting stroke smooth.

He’s playing the event and Wakonda for the first time.

“It’s very hilly and it’s old school, it’s pretty crazy up-and-downs,” Herron said. “It’s what I grew up on. I’m from Minnesota, so it’s kind of the same grass around the greens. I get the feel on the reads.”

Shane Bertsch and Rod Pampling were second after 67s.

Doug Barron was 9 under after a 69.

First-round leader Thongchai Jaidee followed his opening 65 with a 71 to drop into a tie for fifth at 8 under with Mike Weir (66), Tom Gillis (69) and Dicky Pride (70).

Canada’s Stephen Ames sits T9 and 7 under, after shooting 69 during the second round.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Thongchai Jaidee closed with a birdie on the par-3 ninth for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke lead Friday in the PGA Tour Champions’ Principal Charity Classic.

Thongchai, the 51-year-old from Thailand making his fifth senior start, eagled the par-5 15th and had seven birdies and two bogeys at Wakonda Club.

“This golf course very tricky, you have to have a good tee shot and have a good iron and putting very well,” Thongchai said. “I love the golf course. Very challenging. Everything the condition is perfect. … First time on golf course this week. It good thing for me, a golf course you have to think.”

Dicky Pride and Doug Barron were tied for second.

“I had a couple early decent shots that missed the greens and got them up-and-down,” said Pride, the Mitsubishi Electric Classic winner this month “Then just stayed patient. It’s the kind of golf course you can kind of press your luck on, so I tried to stay patient to give myself looks. Just nice and solid.”

Fred Couples was another stroke back at 67 with Rod Pampling, Jerry Kelly, Shane Bertsch, Tom Gillis and Tim Herron. Bernhard Langer, Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry topped the group at 68.

Couples played the course for the first time Friday.

Alex Cejka, coming off his second straight major victory last week in the Senior PGA Championship, opened with a 70.

Canada’s Stephen Ames shot four back from the lead, ending the day with a 68 holding his T10 spot. Mike Weir, T19, wrapped up Friday shooting 2-under in Des Moines, IA.

Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz was disqualified for failing to sign his scorecard after a 73. Playing on a sponsor exemption, he was making his fourth start of the year and eighth overall on the tour

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – High school junior Megha Ganne shot a 4-under 67 on Thursday to become the first amateur in 15 years to have a share of the lead after any round at the U.S. Women’s Open.

The 17-year-old from New Jersey made back-to-back birdies on the back nine to take sole possession of the lead before making bogey on the 18th hole to end the day in a tie with Mel Reid on the Lake Course at the Olympic Club.

Ganne became the first amateur to lead after a round at the women’s Open since Jane Park did it after one round at Newport Country Club in 2006.

Ganne needed a playoff last month to qualify for her second career U.S. Open but felt much more comfortable once she got here than she did two years ago when she missed the cut.

“I think the first time is nerve-racking for anybody and meeting your idols and being on the stage for the first time,” she said. “But the second time around, even the practice rounds, I wasn’t as nervous. I felt like I could come here and just play my game instead of soaking that all in.”

She did just that up the road from Stanford where she plans to go to college after graduating high school next year. She birdied three of the first eight holes and made three more on the back nine to overcome a pair of bogeys.

She made one of her few mistakes on 18 when she hit her approach shot into a greenside bunker.

The notoriously tough Lake Course played a little easier than usual after the rough was trimmed a bit before the round. Fifteen players shot under par with Canada’s Brooke Henderson, and Americans Angel Yin and Megan Khang one shot back. Henderson three-putted from less than 20 feet on the 18th hole to fall out of a share of the lead.

Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto shot a 76 and Noemie Pare of Victoriaville, Que., shot an 80. Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C., withdrew.

Lexi Thompson, Yuka Saso and Shanshan Feng were two shots back.

Other notable players include defending champion A Lim Kim of South Korea, who struggled at 6 over, and 2014 champion Michelle Wie West, who shot 74.

This marked the first time the women came to the Lake Course overlooking the Pacific Ocean for a major. But this venue has a rich history for the men, hosting five U.S. Opens and three U.S. Amateurs among other events.

The course that played at 6,361 yards Thursday has traditionally played as one of the tougher ones despite having no water hazards and only one fairway bunker. Only four men broke par at the five U.S. Opens here, including none the past two times with Lee Janzen winning at even par in 1998 and Webb Simpson a 1 over in 2012.

Reid set the pace in the morning. The Englishwoman started at the ninth hole and hit her first two approach shots within 10 feet for birdies on the par 4s. She added birdies on Nos. 15 and 16, another on her second-to-last hole and had only one bogey all round.

“I didn’t think that score was out there honestly,” she said. “I had a pretty good game plan. It’s probably the best I’ve had for a tournament. We had a game plan and stuck to it. If you’re in trouble, just get it out, make bogey. I think the key here is to not take many risks the first two, three days, and I didn’t do that.”

Reid, who won her first LPGA Tour title last October to go with her six career wins on the European Tour, has had little career success at the U.S. Women’s Open. She missed the cut four of her previous five times at this tournament and finished tied for 50th in her other appearance in 2012.

Reid said she was helped by a couple of long conversations with two-time men’s U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka that she carried over into the round.

While Reid used a fast start to get to the top of the leaderboard, Yin finished strong by making eagle on the par-5 17th and birdie on the par-4 18th to get within one shot of the lead. The American’s 60-foot putt on 17 helped overcome back-to-back bogeys on the front nine.

One of the featured groups in the morning featured sisters Jessica and Nelly Korda, the daughters of 1998 Australian Open men’s tennis champion Petr Korda. Their parents took advantage of the grouping and got to watch both daughters at once.

Jessica birdied three of her first five holes before finishing at 72, while Nelly shot 78.

DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) – Collin Morikawa had another favorable result at Muirfield Village on a golf course that looked and sounded a lot different from when he won last year.

Morikawa felt good vibes from an old putter and posted a 6-under 66 in rain-softened conditions Thursday morning at the Memorial. That gave him a one-shot lead over Adam Long among early starters, with Xander Schauffele in the group two shots behind.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a 4-under 68 to put him two shots back of the lead. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford both shot a 74. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., shot a 77.

The weather was bad enough that the first round was suspended twice, with only half the field finishing the round.

For Morikawa, the name of the tournament is different, too. He won a playoff at Muirfield Village last year in the Workday Charity Open, a one-time event to replace the pandemic-canceled John Deere Classic.

But there’s a comfort level at the course Jack Nicklaus built, no matter how much it has been renovated and reshaped. And it was noisy Thursday as the tournament has let at least 25% capacity of fans on the course.

Jon Rahm is the defending champion at the Memorial and faced a far stronger test. Nicklaus knew he was going to be redoing the fairways and greens, so he let them go for the Memorial and conditions were as tough as a U.S. Open.

Rahm did OK in the soft conditions with a 69, tied with British Open champion Shane Lowry, Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler, who needs a runner-up finish to move into the top 60 in the world ranking and avoid U.S. Open qualifying on Monday.

Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy didn’t make it past a couple of holes before the weather stopped everything. They were to return Friday morning to finish the first round, and then right back out for the second round.

The forecast was better for the rest of the week, and darkness doesn’t set in until about 9 p.m.

What made Schauffele’s round interesting is that he used the controversial arm-lock method to putt. It’s a putter he’s only had for about a week. He’s among the best statistically putting. And he things the putting style should be banned.

It’s the method used by DeChambeau, Matt Kuchar and Will Zalatoris, among others. Most players believe it is no different from anchoring the long putter against the sternum, a style the R&A and USGA outlawed.

But if the rules makers are allowing it, Schauffele figures he might as well do the same.

Kuchar, meanwhile, withdrew when he was 9 over after 14 holes for what the PGA Tour described as a left forearm injury.

1 June 2021, St Andrews, Scotland – The R&A has announced the countdown to The 150th Open which kicks off today with the launch of a special commemorative brand and the introduction of a ticket ballot to ensure the most equitable ticket sales process possible. 

First played in 1860, The Open has been graced by golf’s greatest champions including Tom Morris, the grandfather of golf, Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Seve Ballesteros, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods, and will mark its 150th playing with a true celebration of the sport at the Home of Golf from 10-17 July 2022. 

With the extremely high levels of demand to attend this historic championship, the introduction of a ballot for tickets is deemed the fairest and most equitable way of ensuring golf fans from around the world have the chance to secure their place at the world-renowned Old Course next July. Hospitality for the event has been on sale since last year, with 85% of packages already sold. 

The ticket ballot will run from Thursday, 1 July 2021 to Monday, 4 October 2021 giving as many fans as possible the opportunity to register for tickets. A balance of allocations will ensure every generation of fan, from all over the world, as well as throughout the UK and the local area, will be able to attend the celebrations in St Andrews next July. 

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “This is a momentous occasion for golf as well as The Open and one which sports fans everywhere are looking forward to enormously. The 150th Open will give fans the opportunity to be part of a unique and unparalleled celebration at the birthplace of the game in St Andrews. 

The new 150th commemorative brand will be displayed across a campaign of content and activations that will run throughout the next 14 months until the conclusion of next year’s Championship at St Andrews. The focus of the campaign will be the remarkable journey of The Open and its enduring impact on players, fans and the sport of golf itself since it was first staged back in 1860. 

The 150th logo is made up of individual threads that each represent the millions of journeys connected to the Championship. From the greats of the game, to the hundreds of millions of golfers who have played the game since 1860, to the vast array of championships that take place in the global golfing calendar, the journey of our sport is intimately linked to the pioneers who started The Open to identify the Champion Golfer of the Year more than a century-and-a-half ago. The threads will be prominently used in imagery throughout the build-up to The 150th Open, emphasising the campaign’s central message that ‘everything has led to this’ as we count down to what promises to be a truly unforgettable occasion. 

Ticket prices for The 150th Open will be £95 for an adult on Championship days and will range from £20 to £50 on practice days. The R&A is fully committed to encouraging more children and young people to attend The Open and free tickets will be available to children through the successful and long-running “Kids go Free” programme, while half-price youth tickets are available for 16-24 year-olds. In order to give as many people as possible the chance to attend the Championship, weekly tickets are being discontinued. 

The ticket ballot will be available exclusively to members of The One Club, the free-to-join membership programme. Fans can sign up to The One Club any time at www.TheOpen.com and will be among the first to be notified when the ballot is open. 

Origins Hospitality, a range of fully inclusive experiences, is available to purchase now and is the only way fans can guarantee their place at the Championship. Visit www.TheOpen.com/hospitality2022 for further information. 

Due to interprovincial travel restrictions and other complexities related to COVID-19, Golf Canada has announced additional changes to its championship schedule for the 2021 season. 

Provincial restrictions had previously forced the cancellation of U.S. Open Local and Final Qualifiers, in addition to the NextGen Pacific, NextGen Western, and NextGen Ontario Championships. With continued pandemic-related uncertainty, the remaining NextGen Championships – NextGen Prairie (Quarry Oaks, June 10-13), NextGen Quebec (Club de Golf Hemmingford, June 27-30), and NextGen Atlantic (Dundarave Golf Course, July 12-15) – will also be cancelled and the 2021 NextGen National Junior Orders of Merit will not be awarded. In some cases, these NextGen events would have conflicted with provincial junior championships around Canada that are being delayed and rescheduled.

The two NextGen Fall Series Championships in September will proceed as scheduled. Each field will feature 99 junior boys and girls and exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Championships will be awarded.

• NextGen Fall Series East | September 16-19 | Hollinger Golf Club, Timmins, Ont.
• NextGen Fall Series West | September 23-26 | Myrtle Point Golf Club, Powell River, BC

Golf Canada National Amateur Championships are still scheduled to proceed but will only move forward after approval from regional and provincial health authorities. Operational plans for amateur competitions have been adjusted to incorporate rigorous health and safety protocols. Final decisions about the feasibility of conducting national championships will be made approximately four to six weeks prior to the start of each championship. The safety of championship competitors, tournament staff, volunteers, and host site members will remain the top priority guiding these decisions.

At this time, Golf Canada is able to announce the following changes to its National Amateur Championship schedule:

• Interprovincial team competitions that are usually played concurrently with national championships will not be contested in 2021. The increased complexity associated with team competitions – including group travel and the involvement of non-playing team captains – will not allow for them to proceed this year.
• The Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship will move one week later in July and is now scheduled to be hosted by Edmonton Petroleum Golf & Country Club in Edmonton, Alta. from July 26-30. The Canadian Women’s Amateur was last held in Edmonton in 1993. The previously scheduled host, The Royal Montreal Golf Club, has agreed to welcome this national championship in 2025 or 2026, after hosting the Presidents Cup in 2024. 
• The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will remain in its current date and is now scheduled to be hosted at the Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ont. from August 1-5.  The championship—which was previously contested at two courses with a 264-player field—will be reduced to a 156-player field and be contested at one course.  The previously scheduled hosts, Le Club Laval-sur-le-Lac and Club de Golf Saint-Raphaël, will explore the possibility of hosting the championship in a future year. 
• The Canadian Junior Girls Championship will move one week earlier and is now scheduled to be played at Leduc Golf Club in Leduc, Alta. from July 19-23. The previously scheduled host, Club de Golf Sainte-Marie will play host to this championship in 2025 or 2026. 
• The Canadian Men’s Senior Championship is now scheduled to be contested at Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie, Qué. from September 20-24. The previously scheduled host, Ken-Wo Golf Club in New Minas, N.S. will host in 2025. 
• The Canadian University/College Championship has been postponed to October. A host course and date will be confirmed in the near future. 
• The Canadian Junior Boys Championship will remain at Club de Golf La Vallée du Richelieu in Sainte-Julie, Qué. from August 8-12.  The Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur & Senior Championship will also remain as scheduled. Fort McMurray Golf Club will host the men from August 23-27 and Golf Château-Bromont will host the women from August 30-September 2.