MAMARONECK, N.Y. – Matthew Wolff might be too young to realize he’s supposed to hit fairways to have a chance to win the U.S. Open. Or maybe he’s so good it doesn’t matter.

Wolff hit only two fairways Saturday and still matched the lowest score ever at Winged Foot in a major, a 5-under 65 that gave the 21-year-old Californian a two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau going into the final round.

Whether it was the first cut or the nasty rough, Wolff kept giving those hips one last swivel before blasting away and giving himself birdie chances. He made enough of them to seize control, and then let so many others crumble.

Patrick Reed, tied for the lead at the turn, couldn’t find the fairway and paid dearly with a 43 on the back nine. Reed had a three-shot lead after two holes. He walked off the 18th green with a 77 and was eight shots behind.

Collin Morikawa won the PGA Championship last month in his first try at age 23. Wolff is playing his first U.S. Open at age 21. Is he next?

“I’m probably going to be a little antsy. It’s the U.S. Open, and I have a lead,” Wolff said. “I’m going to try to keep my nerves as calm as they can be. I put myself in a really good spot. I did everything that I could do up until this point, and tomorrow I’m going to go out there, I promise you I’m going to try my best.”

He was at 5-under 205. Not since Francis Ouimet in 1913 – also the last time the U.S. Open was played in September – has a player won the U.S. Open in his debut.

DeChambeau could easily have gone the same route as Reed, missing left and right, gouging his way out of the grass. But after opening with two bogeys, he kept scrambling away – 15 straight holes with nothing worse than par. He rallied with two late birdies until missing a short par putt on the 18th for a 70.

He will be in the final group for the first time in a major, another quiet affair with no spectators on the course.

The U.S. Open began with 21 players under par. There were six going into the weekend. Now it’s down to three, with Louis Oosthuizen efficiently putting together a 68 to finish at 1-under 209.

Both Canadians to make the weekend struggled Saturday. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., fired a 74 to fall to 9 over, while Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., sits 10 over following a 75.

Hideki Matsuyama (70), Xander Schauffele (70) and Harris English (72) were at even-par 210. Another shot back was Rory McIlroy, who posed his 68 some three hours before the leaders finished.

“It doesn’t take much around here … and all of a sudden you’re right in the thick of things,” McIlroy said. “No matter where I am at the end of the day, I feel like I’ve got a pretty good shot.”

It all depends on Wolff, an NCAA champion at Oklahoma State who won on the PGA Tour in his third event as a pro last summer in the 3M Open in Minnesota.

From the first cut of rough on the opening hole, he hit it to right level of the contoured green for a 15-foot birdie. From the right rough on No. 4, he wound up with another 15-foot birdie putt. And then he really poured it on.

He drove next to the green on the short par-4 sixth, getting up-and-down from a bunker for birdie. He holed a 12-foot birdie on the par-3 seventh. And when he finally hit his first fairway on No. 8, he missed a 6-foot birdie attempt.

His lone bogey came on the 16th when he was in such a bad lie in the rough he couldn’t reach the green. And he finished with a most fortuitous hop. His iron off the tee hopped into the thick rough and back out to the first cut. He ripped 7-iron to 10 feet for one last birdie.

“If I don’t hit fairways tomorrow, I know I can play well,” Wolff said with a smile. “Even when I was in the rough, I had a bunch of good numbers and a bunch of good lies.”

And he played a lot of good golf, so good that even at his age, he looked to be a daunting figure to catch.

“I don’t think there’s any `chasing’ out here,” Schauffele said, adding that if Wolff had another good round Sunday it would be “impossible to catch him.”

DeChambeau gave himself hope, among five players within five of the lead on a course where anything goes. Think back to the last U.S. Open at Winged Foot in 2006, when Geoff Ogilvy hit a superb pitch to 6 feet for par that he thought was only good for second place until Phil Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie closed with double bogeys.

“I feel like I’m ready to win out here and win a major,” Wolff said. “It is a major. It’s really important and yes, it is really early in my career. But I feel like I have the game to win. Collin won at 23. I’m 21. And I’m not saying that it’s going to happen. But I put myself in a really good spot, and obviously I’m feeling really good with my game.”

– Matthew Wolff might be too young to realize he’s supposed to hit fairways to have a chance to win the U.S. Open. Or maybe he’s so good it doesn’t matter.

Wolff hit only two fairways Saturday and still matched the lowest score ever at Winged Foot in a major, a 5-under 65 that gave the 21-year-old Californian a two-shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau going into the final round.

Whether it was the first cut or the nasty rough, Wolff kept giving those hips one last swivel before blasting away and giving himself birdie chances. He made enough of them to seize control, and then let so many others crumble.

Patrick Reed, tied for the lead at the turn, couldn’t find the fairway and paid dearly with a 43 on the back nine. Reed had a three-shot lead after two holes. He walked off the 18th green with a 77 and was eight shots behind.

Collin Morikawa won the PGA Championship last month in his first try at age 23. Wolff is playing his first U.S. Open at age 21. Is he next?

“I’m probably going to be a little antsy. It’s the U.S. Open, and I have a lead,” Wolff said. “I’m going to try to keep my nerves as calm as they can be. I put myself in a really good spot. I did everything that I could do up until this point, and tomorrow I’m going to go out there, I promise you I’m going to try my best.”

He was at 5-under 205. Not since Francis Ouimet in 1913 – also the last time the U.S. Open was played in September – has a player won the U.S. Open in his debut.

DeChambeau could easily have gone the same route as Reed, missing left and right, gouging his way out of the grass. But after opening with two bogeys, he kept scrambling away – 15 straight holes with nothing worse than par. He rallied with two late birdies until missing a short par putt on the 18th for a 70.

He will be in the final group for the first time in a major, another quiet affair with no spectators on the course.

The U.S. Open began with 21 players under par. There were six going into the weekend. Now it’s down to three, with Louis Oosthuizen efficiently putting together a 68 to finish at 1-under 209.

Hideki Matsuyama (70), Xander Schauffele (70) and Harris English (72) were at even-par 210. Another shot back was Rory McIlroy, who posed his 68 some three hours before the leaders finished.

“It doesn’t take much around here … and all of a sudden you’re right in the thick of things,” McIlroy said. “No matter where I am at the end of the day, I feel like I’ve got a pretty good shot.”

It all depends on Wolff, an NCAA champion at Oklahoma State who won on the PGA Tour in his third event as a pro last summer in the 3M Open in Minnesota.

From the first cut of rough on the opening hole, he hit it to right level of the contoured green for a 15-foot birdie. From the right rough on No. 4, he wound up with another 15-foot birdie putt. And then he really poured it on.

He drove next to the green on the short par-4 sixth, getting up-and-down from a bunker for birdie. He holed a 12-foot birdie on the par-3 seventh. And when he finally hit his first fairway on No. 8, he missed a 6-foot birdie attempt.

His lone bogey came on the 16th when he was in such a bad lie in the rough he couldn’t reach the green. And he finished with a most fortuitous hop. His iron off the tee hopped into the thick rough and back out to the first cut. He ripped 7-iron to 10 feet for one last birdie.

“If I don’t hit fairways tomorrow, I know I can play well,” Wolff said with a smile. “Even when I was in the rough, I had a bunch of good numbers and a bunch of good lies.”

And he played a lot of good golf, so good that even at his age, he looked to be a daunting figure to catch.

“I don’t think there’s any `chasing’ out here,” Schauffele said, adding that if Wolff had another good round Sunday it would be “impossible to catch him.”

DeChambeau gave himself hope, among five players within five of the lead on a course where anything goes. Think back to the last U.S. Open at Winged Foot in 2006, when Geoff Ogilvy hit a superb pitch to 6 feet for par that he thought was only good for second place until Phil Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie closed with double bogeys.

“I feel like I’m ready to win out here and win a major,” Wolff said. “It is a major. It’s really important and yes, it is really early in my career. But I feel like I have the game to win. Collin won at 23. I’m 21. And I’m not saying that it’s going to happen. But I put myself in a really good spot, and obviously I’m feeling really good with my game.”

MAMARONECK, N.Y. – This was the Winged Foot everyone has heard about. This is the U.S. Open everyone expected.

Patrick Reed answered the first big test Friday when the wind arrived out of the north, bringing a little chill and a lot of trouble. He never got flustered by bogeys and made enough birdie putts and key saves for an even-par 70.

It felt just as rewarding as the 66 he shot in the opening round, and it gave him a one-shot lead over muscleman Bryson DeChambeau, who powered and putted his way to a 68.

The opening round featured soft greens, a few accessible pins and 21 rounds under par. Friday was the epitome of a major long known as the toughest test in golf.

Three players broke par. Nine others shot even par. Everyone else was hanging on for dear life. As the final groups tried to beat darkness in this September U.S. Open, only six players remained in red numbers.

“It’s almost like they set it up to ease our way into it, and then showed us what it’s supposed to really be like,” Reed said.

Television showed his five birdies. What took him to the 36-hole lead at 4-under 136 was a collection of pars from bunkers and from thick grass just over the greens. He managed them all with grit, a common trait among U.S. Open champions.

DeChambeau showed plenty of resiliency, too, bouncing back with birdies after all five of his bogeys and finishing the best round of the day with a pitching wedge on the downwind, 557-yard, par-5 ninth to 6 feet for eagle.

Rafa Cabrera-Bello of Spain and Harris English each had a 70 and were at 2-under 138.

They were joined by Justin Thomas, who opened with a 65 – the lowest ever at Winged Foot for a U.S. Open – and lost all those shots to par after 10 holes. Thomas then delivered a 5-wood from 228 yards into the wind on the par-3 third hole and made a slick, 15-foot, double-breaking birdie putt to steady himself. He scratched out a 73 and is right in it.

Jason Kokrak (71) was the only other player under par at 1-under 139.

Taylor Pendrith (74) of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Adam Hadwin (73) of Abbotsford, B.C., were tied for 33rd at 5 over par. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., missed the cut.

“This isn’t exactly a place where you go out and try to shoot 6 or 7 under to catch up,” Thomas said. “I’m not going to worry about what everyone else is doing because you could shoot 80 just as easily as you could shoot 68. I just need to stay focused, and most importantly, go home and get some rest. Because I’m pretty tired.”

There’s still 36 holes to go, and no indication that Winged Foot is going to get any easier.

“The rough is still really thick. I don’t think they’re planning on cutting it,” Matthew Wolff said after salvaging a 74 that left him four shots behind. “The greens are only going to get firmer, and the scores are only going to get higher.”

Tiger Woods is among those who won’t be around to experience it. He had a pair of double bogeys at the end of the back nine, and two birdies over his last three holes gave him a 77. He missed the cut by four shots, the eighth time in his last 15 majors he won’t be around for the weekend.

“It feels like the way the golf course is changing, is turning, that anybody who makes the cut has the opportunity to win this championship,” Woods said. “I didn’t get myself that opportunity.”

Neither did Phil Mickelson, who had his highest 36-hole score in 29 appearances in the one major he hasn’t won. Ditto for Jordan Spieth, whose 81 was his highest score in a major. PGA champion Collin Morikawa missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the final hole that cost him a chance to keep playing.

Reed turned in a workman-like performance, making birdies when he had the chance, saving par when needed. This is the kind of golf he loves. It’s a grind. And it’s about feel. He was most pleased with his birdie on No. 1 after he made the turn, going with a chip 8-iron from 147 yards into the wind and riding the slope at the back of the green to tap-in range.

“I love when it’s hard, when you have to be creative on all different golf shots,” he said.

There were plenty of great rounds on such a demanding course, many of which fell apart at the end. Louis Oosthuizen was 3 under in the morning when he finished bogey-bogey-double bogey for a 74. Xander Schauffele was 3 under until he bogeyed three of his last five holes.

“The wind can make a par-3 course difficult, so put that on a U.S. Open setup, it’s going to be even more so,” Schauffele said. “It’ll be a fun afternoon to watch on TV.”

Rory McIlroy’s problems started early. He was 5 over through seven holes, including a birdie at the start, and shot 76 to fall seven shots behind. Dustin Johnson was bogey-free through 16 holes until a pair of bad tee shots led to bogey. He had a 70 and was in the group at 3-over 143.

All of them still feel as though the U.S. Open is in sight.

“I’m confident now, after seeing what was out there this afternoon, over par will win this tournament,” Adam Scott said a 74 left him nine shots back. “The greens finally dried out. If there’s any breeze, over par is winning.”

It usually does at Winged Foot.

MAMARONECK, N.Y. – All that hype over how tough the U.S. Open can be at Winged Foot. All that history of so many scores over par.

Thursday brought a surprise: All those red numbers.

Justin Thomas led the way with six birdies and only one bogey from a bad lie in the bunker, finishing with a 25-foot birdie putt that he barely touched for a 5-under 65.

It was the lowest score in a U.S. Open at Winged Foot, which is hosting the Open for the sixth time dating to 1929. And it was worth only a one-shot lead over Patrick Reed, Thomas Pieters of Belgium and Matthew Wolff, the 21-year-old Californian making his U.S. Open debut.

Rory McIlroy, who has been struggling to get off to a decent start in the majors, opened with a 67 and tried to contain his disappointment it wasn’t lower. He had a pair of three-putts that held him back, one on the 329-yard sixth where he hit driver onto the middle of the green and had to settle for par.

McIlroy was among those two shots behind on a scoreboard filled with red numbers, an unusual site for Winged Foot. In the previous five U.S. Opens, a total of 17 players were under par after the first round. On Thursday, there were 21.

No one believes it will stay that way. Still, this was the day to take advantage.

“It’s helpful with three days left, but it’s not even remotely close to being over,” Thomas said of his best start in a U.S Open or any major. “As great of a round and fun as it was, it’s over with now, and I need to get over it.”

Thomas went into the week saying it was a “different kind of fun” to grind over pars, to hit middle irons to difficult pins instead of the low scoring at so many other tournaments.

This was fun, too.

Patrick Reed and Will Zalatoris made a hole-in-one on No. 7, and Zalatoris somehow missed another ace on No. 13. Spanish amateur Eduard Rousand holed out for eagle from the first fairway with his second shot in his U.S. Open debut. Louis Oosthuizen holed out for eagle on second fairway.

“Yeah, 65 is fun no matter where you play, especially at Winged Foot,” Thomas said. “I was in a really good frame of mind, and I was focused. I just was sticking to my routine and playing every shot, as opposed to getting ahead of myself. It’s one of those rounds where … next thing you know, you make the putt on 18, you’re done for the day.”

He played with Tiger Woods and PGA champion Collin Morikawa, who couldn’t get done fast enough.

Woods was in five bunkers through five holes and then appeared to steady himself with three straight birdies around the turn to get under par, but only briefly. He made three bogeys coming in, still had a chance to post a reasonable score and then let it get away.

From short of the steep shelf fronting the 18th green, he flubbed a flop shot, pitched the next one about 8 feet beyond the pin and missed the putt to take double bogey for a73.

“I did not finish off the round like I needed to,” Woods said, an expression he uttered five more times out of the six questions he faced after his round.

Neither did Morikawa, who shot 40 on the back nine for a 76.

Pieters and Wolff dropped only one shot along the way while playing in the afternoon, when the greens became a little more difficult because of all the foot traffic. Even so, low scores – at least by Winged Foot standards – kept coming.

“There’s a couple of guys that went a little lower than maybe expected,” McIlroy said. “But it’s not as if the rest of the field are finding it that easy.”

Raise your hand, Phil Mickelson.

Returning to the scene of a double bogey on the 72nd hole that cost him the 2006 U.S. Open, Mickelson opened with two birdies and still struggled to break 80. He went rough-to-rough on the 18th and shot 79. Dustin Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world, couldn’t make putts and shot 73.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., were tied for 33rd at 1 over. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., were tied for 57th at 2 over.

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— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) September 17, 2020

Low clouds added to the soft feel of Winged Foot. The greens were fast but not as firm. Jordan Spieth discovered that on the first hole. He was trying to figure out if his approach would take a hard hop and release or land soft and spin back. He guessed wrong, the ball rolled down the slope to the front of the the green and he three-putted for bogey. He also shot 73.

Thomas judged it correctly with a short iron left of the flag that spun back close to the hole for birdie. His only dropped shot came at the par-3 third because the ball settled on a downward slope of a bunker, leaving him no chance to get it close. There were few complaints the rest of the way.

He also made three birdies around the turn, narrowly missing a fourth in a row from just inside 10 feet at the par-5 12th. Thomas felt at ease, and Winged Foot allowed him to feel that way. At least Thursday.

The previous low score for a U.S. Open was a 66 by Fuzzy Zoeller in the second round in 1984.

“The greens are very soft,” Thomas said. “I thought they’d be a little firmer, but I also understood that they need to err on this side of they can get them how they want this weekend. … It’s still Winged Foot. You’ve still got to hit the shots.”

Golf is both thrilling and maddening, a way to have a singular escape or meet with friends, and a game for a lifetime that can be played by both the health-conscious and those who take it as an opportunity to raise a Steamwhistle and crush a hot dog.

But, when you’re looking for something even more for your next 18 holes, we’ve got you covered with an explainer of some fun games you could play with your group.

Games played on the course can be as simple as a match against a friend or family member all the way to a complicated tracker of accomplishments (or lack thereof) resulting in, perhaps, a couple of loonies passed between hands.

While the new Golf Canada app is perfect for posting scores using regular stroke play, we know that not everyone takes to the course to play nine or 18 holes counting all his or her shots. Playing games in a group is way to spice up your usual round. Even for the most experienced golf group, there may be something new below that you’ve never tried!

Read on to learn more about some of our favourites.

1. Alternate Shot

Otherwise known as ‘foursomes’ this is a completely different kind of golf that North Americans usually only see on TV during the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. Trying this out with your friends will a) make you understand why the best players in the world struggle with it and b) maybe make you try to find some new friends, depending on where your partner leaves you to hit from.

Alternate shot is, well, that. One player hits then the next player hits from where she or he ended up. It could also be modified to where each twosome hits a drive, you pick the best one, and you alternate shots from there to the hole.

Must play with four golfers.

2. Six-Six-Six

This is a simple match-play format that allows you to play with everyone else in your group and not just a single partner for the duration of the round.

The 18 holes are divided up into three six-hole matches and you can use any scoring format you choose. Even if you get defeated soundly in one of your matches, you have two others to try to redeem yourself.

Must play with four golfers. If you are riding in carts, the usual format is ‘carts’ (those in the same cart), ‘drivers’ (those who are driving), and ‘opposites’ (a driver and a passenger).  

3. Wolf 

A points-based game, this one takes a little planning and some concentration (perhaps try to find an accountant to play with?) but it’s a dramatic one that makes for some great stories by the time the day is done.

There is a ton of other ways to track points and add bonuses to your Wolf game, but here are the basics:

• The order of play is determined on the first tee. The ‘Wolf’ always tees off last. The order in which golfers tee off, regardless of score, rotates every four holes so each player becomes the Wolf on a continual basis.
• Once each player hits his or her tee shot, the Wolf decides to either take a partner (based on the locations of the tee shots) or go as the ‘Lone Wolf’ and try to beat the other three players on his or her own ball.
  • Variation: You could also be the ‘Blind Wolf’ and declare, before any of the tee shots are hit, that you are going to go at it alone
• Points are collected as follows
  • Wolf and partner win the hole: two points
  • Non-Wolf partners win the hole: three points
  • Lone Wolf wins: four points
  • Lone Wolf defeated by any player: The other three get one point

Must play with four golfers.

4. Bingo, Bango, Bongo

Another fun one that doesn’t need to involve four players, and it’s perfect for golfers who have a higher handicap but still want to get in on the action during a round. It’s another game of points but one that’s wrapped in being ‘first’ to do something.

The first player to hit his or her shot onto the green gets a point (Bingo!), the player whose ball is closest to the pin when all balls are on the green gets a point (Bango!), and the first person to hole out gets a point (Bongo!).

At the end of the round whomever has the most points wins.

Can be played with two, three, or four golfers. 

5. Vegas

Another team game, this one can get out of hand if you’re applying a monetary value to each point – but it’s a unique twist on a usual ‘scoring’ game.

Teams are decided on the first tee and scores are not added, but combined. If Player A makes a 4 and Player B makes a 5 then their score is 45. If Player C makes a 5 and Player D makes a 7, their score is 57 and Team AB wins the hole by 12 points.

The lower score always goes to the front of the combined score.

Must play with four golfers. 

6. Best Ball

A Best Ball match is just that, and can be combined to any number of other team matchups on the course. Teams of two play straight up, but as the name suggests, the ‘best’ score on the hole counts as the team score.

‘Best Ball’ is not to be confused with a ‘Scramble’ (very popular for family or corporate tournaments) where all four members of a team hit a tee shot and they continue on to hole out by choosing the ‘best ball’ out of the bunch every time.

Must play with four golfers.

7. Skins

Golfers apply points (or dollar amounts) to each hole and the lowest score wins the pot.

If any two golfers tie the hole then the point or dollar amount carries over to the following hole. Things can add up quick and make the holes later in the round even more exciting!

Can play with two, three, or four golfers.

8. Stableford

Another opportunity for the higher handicap golfers to earn points against their lower-handicap friends, the Stableford system of scoring is so popular even the PGA Tour uses it for one of their events.

Points are applied to scores and the higher the better, in this instance.

For example: Three points for an eagle, two points for a birdie, one point for a par, no points for a bogey, and minus-1 point for a double-bogey or worse is a good way to start.

Can play with two, three, or four golfers. 

9. Nassau

Playing a Nassau is the most popular of golf games and the one with the most variations, too.

At its simplest, a Nassau is broken out in to three games: low front-nine score, low back-nine score, and low 18-hole score. Dollar amounts or points are applied to each match. Say you were going to play a $5 Nassau, the most you can lose is $15. If you win all three, you win $45 ($15 from the other three players).

A popular move when playing Nassau’s is to ‘press’ (basically double-or-nothing on the original bet), which you could do if you were down a few strokes and wanted to try for a late-round charge.

Fun add-ons, called ‘junk’ can be added to the original Nassau game.

Hit it in the water but still made par? You could add a ‘Fishy’ to your Nassau. Knocked it off a tree but still made par? Congratulations, you made a ‘Barky.’ Chipped in? Well done, you earned a ‘Chippie.’

Golf is a fun enough game as it stands, but over 18 holes and with the same group round after round, there is no shortage of little games you can bring to the course the next time you tee it up.

In late July, Golf Canada and the Golf Canada Foundation joined together to launch the COVID-19 GOLF RELIEF FUND, an initiative aimed at supporting golf courses in helping employees and golfers stay safe while also thanking front-line workers through encouraging additional play and welcoming juniors to further experience the game.

As part of the RELIEF FUND, golfers and golf fans across the country were able to participate in a digital sweepstakes campaign featuring significant prizing across Canada and the U.S. in 2021.

Golf Canada and the Golf Canada Foundation would like to thank everyone who participated in the sweepstakes and supported the COVID-19 Golf Relief Fund thus far.

We are excited to announce and congratulate our sweepstakes prize winners below:

—

We are not done yet… You can still help by getting behind the COVID-19 Golf Relief Fund!

Donations to the RELIEF FUND will be accepted throughout the season.

Click here to learn more about the COVID-19 Golf Relief Fund

Despite the challenges of the pandemic in the communities where we live, work and play, golf has seen a strong increase in rounds played across the country. Interest in the game and the golf experience among avid players, new enthusiasts, and juniors has been encouraging with golf’s re-emergence through COVID-19. Golf is well positioned for continued success moving forward and as the season begins to wind down, take a moment to be proud of the industry’s collective efforts to keep golfers and course staff safe in 2020.

After careful consideration, the PGA of Canada has made the difficult decision to cancel its final two national events of the season: the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf and PGA Head Professional Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf and supported by G&G Golf.

The decision was made in consultation with playing members and partners and comes as a result of ongoing domestic and international restrictions on travel, as well as safety concerns caused by the pandemic.

The PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf is typically held within Canada in the fall, while the PGA Head Professional Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf and supported by G&G Golf is historically held south of the border toward the end of November.

“We surveyed our playing members to gauge their interest on a combined national championship within Canada later this season,” said Teejay Alderdice, the association’s president. “Some players expressed their willingness to travel but a significant portion shared their unease in light of the current climate. We feel it is in the best interest of everyone involved to come back bigger and stronger in 2021.”

“We value our relationship with the PGA of Canada and our connection with golf professionals from coast-to-coast,” said Callaway Golf Canada’s General Manager Bruce Carroll. “We will miss the camaraderie and competition this year, but the well-being of players is of utmost importance. Our team looks forward to staging two fantastic championships with the PGA of Canada in 2021.”

In addition to supporting two national championships, Callaway Golf Canada is the founding partner of the PGA of Canada’s #PatronizeYourPGAPro social media campaign, aimed at encouraging golfers to support their local pro shop. The online activation, which ran Aug. 7 to Sept. 15, provides golf professionals with the chance to win a VIP digital experience with PGA Tour player and Callaway ambassador Adam Hadwin.

The cancellations will have no impact on the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC, which were frozen earlier this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

With the health and safety risks around COVID-19, and the inability to deliver a “phenomenal” event, the Niagara 2021 Canada Summer Games have been postponed until 2022.

The Canada Games Council (CGC) and Niagara Host Society announced the decision Wednesday after consultations with the Niagara Region in southern Ontario, and the provincial and federal governments.

“Like everyone else in sports events and the world generally we’ve all been watching how the pandemic unfolds, and following all the updates, trying to do our contingency planning and assess what impact it would have for us,” said Dan Wilcock, the CGC’s president and CEO.

“The Canada Games is a very large event . . . A lot of preparation goes into it. And we’ve been staying in close contact with all our all our various stakeholders trying to assess what a Games looks like in the context of the pandemic.”

Originally scheduled for August of 2021 in the Niagara Region, the Games have been rescheduled to the summer of 2022.

Held every two years, alternating between summer and winter, the Canada Games are the country’s marquee multi-sports event for up-and-coming athletes, with more than 5,000 competitors and 4,000 volunteers expected to participate in the Niagara version.

The Canada Games have eligibility rules such as age limits that are different for each sport. No decisions have been made on whether those eligibility rules will change to reflect the postponement.

Some sports have managed to return in Canada. The NHL reconvened in “bubbles” in Edmonton and Toronto, with the conference finals and Stanley Cup final being held in the Alberta capital. Canada’s three MLS teams are playing in their home cities, with the majority of matches in front of no fans.

The Canadian Elite Basketball League condensed its season into a two-week tournament in St. Catharines, Ont., with no fans. And the Canadian Premier League is playing out its soccer season in Charlottetown.

But none of those events drew the number of athletes the Canada Games does.

Wilcock said the numerous options including bubbles were analyzed, but the health and safety risks were too high.

“The Games brings together athletes and spectators from hundreds of communities across the country,” he said. “So, we’re not just focused on the health of participants and spectators in Niagara at the time of the Games, but also the hundreds of communities that people will return to across the country.”

Athletes are under different COVID-19 restrictions depending on municipal and provincial governments, so an athlete in one province or territory might not have the same access to training facilities as someone in another. Wilcock said being able to provide a fair Games for all competitors was important.

Also, Wilcock said hosting next summer wouldn’t ensure an “extraordinary Games experience.”

“And that’s certainly what the host society has promised to the Niagara region and the country,” he said. “The pandemic would significantly hinder our ability to stage the Games in the way they were envisaged, things like opening ceremonies, mass gatherings, etc. . . . looking questionable.

“So I think by postponing to the summer 2022, we can address both those things, we can better protect the health and safety of participants, but also deliver a phenomenal Games experience for all.”

If there’s a silver lining, Wilcock said, it’s that a later start date means additional time to for full testing of new facilities at Canada Games Park and the Henley Rowing Centre. Canada Games Park, at Brock University in St. Catharines, will include a sport and ability centre, arenas, gyms and an outdoor facility with a track, athletic field and beach volleyball courts.

No dates have been set for the 2022 Games in Niagara.

The Canada Games were first held in 1967 in Quebec City, and since then have seen more than 75,000 athletes compete, including Sidney Crosby, Steve Nash, Hayley Wickenheiser, Catriona Le May Doan, Martin Brodeur, and Lennox Lewis.

Red Deer, Alta., hosted the last Canada Winter Games in 2019, while Winnipeg was the site of the 2017 Canada Summer Games.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – The PGA TOUR announced today that Dustin Johnson has been named the 2020 PGA TOUR Player of the Year as voted by the TOUR’s membership for the 2019-20 season. Scottie Scheffler was voted 2020 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year.

PGA TOUR members who played at least 10 official FedExCup events during the 2019-20 season were eligible to vote.

Johnson, 36, of Jupiter, Florida, won the FedExCup for the first time in his career, winning twice in the FedExCup Playoffs and three times on the season. The three victories, which came at the Travelers Championship, THE NORTHERN TRUST and the TOUR Championship, tied Johnson with Justin Thomas for the most on TOUR and marked his fourth season with at least three wins. Johnson moved to 27^th on the all-time wins list with 23 career PGA TOUR victories and extended his streak of consecutive seasons with a win to start his career to 13, becoming the fourth player to reach that mark (others: Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods).

“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, my congratulations to Dustin Johnson on being voted the 2020 PGA TOUR Player of the Year by his peers, the ultimate compliment a player can receive,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Dustin made it known throughout the season that the FedExCup was a priority and his performances in the FedExCup Playoffs were nothing short of spectacular with two wins and a playoff runner-up at the BMW Championship. His demeanor and athleticism on the course make it look very easy, but behind the scenes, he’s worked incredibly hard coming back from injury and his 2019-20 season speaks for itself in further bolstering his World Golf Hall of Fame resume.”

Johnson, who did not make a start in the fall due to injury, returned to competition in December 2019, representing the United States at the Presidents Cup for the fourth time. He opened the season with a T7 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and recorded a T10 at The Genesis Invitational, before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the season resumed in June, Johnson remained outside the top 100 in the FedExCup until his win at the Travelers Championship in his third start, which moved him to No. 22 in the standings.

 

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Three wins, seven top 10 finishes, 2 runner-ups. What a season ⛳️

A post shared by RBC Canadian Open (@rbccanadianopen) on Sep 15, 2020 at 10:27am PDT

Three starts later, Johnson began a streak of 12 rounds in the 60s, starting with the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational (T12). In the first major championship held since the TOUR resumed, Johnson took the lead into the final round of the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park before finishing runner-up for the second consecutive year, becoming the first player to finish second in the event in consecutive years since Jack Nicklaus (1964, 1965).

Johnson won THE NORTHERN TRUST with a 72-hole total of 30-under 254 and by 11 strokes, the largest margin of victory on TOUR since 2006 (13/Phil Mickelson/BellSouth Classic). The victory, his fifth in the FedExCup Playoffs, moved him to No. 1 in the FedExCup and back to World No. 1 for the first time since May 2019. At the BMW Championship, Johnson fell to Jon Rahm in a playoff, after making a 43-foot, 3-inch birdie putt on the 72^nd hole to force extra holes, but maintained the top spot in the FedExCup standings to begin the TOUR Championship on top of the FedExCup Starting Strokes.

Johnson entered the final round at the TOUR Championship leading by five strokes, becoming the first player since Tiger Woods in 1999 to hold the 54-hole lead/co-lead in four consecutive starts (PGA Championship, THE NORTHERN TRUST, BMW Championship, TOUR Championship). After five top-five finishes in the FedExCup in 11 previous seasons, Johnson claimed the FedExCup for the first time and won the TOUR Championship for his sixth career Playoffs title, the most of any player.

In all, Johnson recorded seven top-10s, with three wins and two runner-up finishes (PGA Championship, BMW Championship), and made 11 cuts in 14 starts, ending the season No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Johnson, who will receive the Jack Nicklaus Award for winning PGA TOUR Player of the Year, was selected for the honor over (alphabetically) Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm, Webb Simpson and Justin Thomas. This marks the second time he has been named PGA TOUR Player of the Year (2016, 2020) and the third time in the last four seasons the FedExCup champion has been named Player of the Year.

Scheffler, 24, of Dallas, finished No. 5 in the FedExCup as one of eight PGA TOUR rookies to qualify for the FedExCup Playoffs and one of two to advance to the TOUR Championship. With his fifth-place finish, Scheffler became the second rookie in the FedExCup era to finish the season in the top five of the standings (Xander Schauffele/2016-17). In 23 starts, Scheffler recorded seven top-10s, six of which were top-fives, highlighted by a third-place finish at The American Express. Scheffler recorded his first top-five in a major (T4/PGA Championship) in his fourth major championship start, and he became the 11^th different player (12 times) to record a sub-60 score on the PGA TOUR, with a second-round 59 at THE NORTHERN TRUST en route to a second consecutive T4. In all, Scheffler made 18 cuts in 23 starts.

“Our congratulations to Scottie Scheffler on a standout rookie season that saw him excel when it mattered most, in the FedExCup Playoffs,” said Monahan. “To follow up Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year with being voted PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year by the PGA TOUR membership is an extraordinary achievement and speaks to Scottie’s dedication and work ethic. I’m certain Mr. Palmer would be thrilled with all of the young talent we have on TOUR and how they are conducting themselves, with Scottie leading the way in 2020.”

After two wins on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2019, Scheffler claimed 2019 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year honors. He becomes the second consecutive player, and third overall, to be named the Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year and PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year in successive seasons (1996-97/Stewart Cink, 2018-19/Sungjae Im).

Scheffler, who will receive the Arnold Palmer Award for winning PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, was selected for the honor over (alphabetically) Harry Higgs, Viktor Hovland and Maverick McNealy.

MAMARONECK, N.Y. – An all-Canadian threesome will play the first two rounds of the U.S. Open together.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., will tee off at the major at 8:49 a.m. ET on Thursday.

Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., the only other Canadian in the field, starts at 12:10 p.m. on Thursday with American Richy Werenski and Italy’s Renato Paratore.

The four Canadians were scheduled to play a practice round together on Tuesday at Winged Foot Golf Club.

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All-Canadian grouping at the #USOpen ? Taylor Pendrith, the only other Canadian in the field, tees off on Thursday at 12:10pm and Friday at 6:50 a.m.

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Hughes (56th in the world golf rankings), Hadwin (64th) and Conners (69th) are the top Canadians in the rankings.

Pendrith is fifth among Canadians at 157th. He qualified for the U.S. Open by virtue of his top-five ranking on the Korn Ferry Tour, the feeder circuit for the PGA Tour.

Mike Weir’s 2003 Masters win is the only victory at a major for a Canadian male golfer.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Canada’s Brooke Henderson withdrew from the LPGA Tour’s Cambia Portland Classic on Monday due to poor air quality.

Henderson told The Canadian Press that she was withdrawing shortly after the LPGA shut down the course and practice facilities. A dense smoke advisory was in effect until 6 p.m. local time in the city of Portland, Ore., due to wildfires raging through California, Oregon, and Washington.

“I felt it was unsafe to go and play in Portland this week with the air quality and the close proximity of the fires,” said Henderson.

Henderson tied for second at the ANA Inspiration on Sunday after an exciting playoff against Nelly Korda and eventual winner Mirim Lee in Rancho Mirage, Calif. It was her third tournament after the LPGA’s restart and the second major of the tour’s condensed season.

The product of Smiths Falls, Ont., was looking forward to playing at Columbia Edgewater Country Club this week as she has won two of her nine LPGA titles at the Portland Classic.

“I feel like my game’s in a really good spot coming off the weekend and Portland’s always been a special place to me,” said Henderson, who won in 2015 and 2016. “I’m usually in contention at some point during the week, even in the years I don’t win.

“It was definitely a tough decision but I feel like it was the right one, given the circumstances.”

Henderson, whose nine LPGA titles are the most professional golf wins for a Canadian of any gender, intends to fly back to her home in Florida before playing in the ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway, N.J., Oct. 1-4.

The 23-year-old skipped the Australian leg of the season early in 2020 and then the LPGA Tour cancelled its swing through Asia as the COVID-19 pandemic spread from Wuhan, China.

Play on tour resumed with the inaugural Drive On Championship in Toledo, Ohio, on July 31 but Henderson decided to sit out until the Women’s British Open on Aug. 20 at Royal Troon Old Course in Scotland, where she missed the cut.

She then tied for 49th at the NW Arkansas Championship on Aug. 30 before her strong finish at the ANA Inspiration.

“In terms of COVID, I feel like the LPGA’s done a great job and we feel safe,” said Henderson. “It’s just unfortunate because the entire west coast is burning up. Air quality is not good and it’s very scary for all the residents here.”