CROMWELL, Conn. – Mackenzie Hughes had the best round of his professional career Thursday morning, but in his mind it’s still not the best he’s ever played.

The Canadian shot an opening round 10-under 60 at the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship, making 10 birdies and no bogeys to lead Rory McIlroy by three shots among the round’s early finishers.

“I’ve probably had more like meaningful rounds of say 65 or 66, but as far as going low and how I felt about the game, it’s definitely probably top five,” Hughes told reporters over a remote news conference.

Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., had a chance to shoot the 12th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history, but missed a 40-foot putt for birdie on hole No. 9, his 18th hole of the day.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., is the only Canadian to shoot under 60, carding a round of 59 at the 2017 CareerBuilder Challenge.

Hughes did beat his previous best round on the tour, however, a 61 in the first round of the RSM Classic in November 2016. He went on to win that tournament in a five-way playoff after shooting a fourth-round 69 at Sea Island Golf Club.

Come on. After this putt @MacHughesGolf needs 1 more birdie on his last hole to shoot 59 pic.twitter.com/XJzh6TgANI

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) June 25, 2020

Jim Furyk shot a 12-under 58 on the same par-70 TPC River Highlands course four years ago, the lowest score in a tour event.

“I kind of joked walking off there that 59 wasn’t even the record because of Jim’s 58,” Hughes said. “It’s probably not even that special around here. But as a personal milestone it would have been neat.”

Hughes alluded to his previous best at the RSM Classic, saying that he learned a lot from that experience and how to carry the momentum into later rounds.

“Really the mentality tomorrow is to go out there and make a bunch of birdies again,” said Hughes, who said he intended to have a brief afternoon round of practice before relaxing. “The golf course is kind of yielding some scores, and in order to be there on Sunday, I’ll have to keep making birdies.”

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Mac is on a MISSION! He put up 10 birdies on Thursday to shoot 60 and hold the lead at the @travelerschamp

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on Jun 25, 2020 at 10:30am PDT

Phil Mickelson, paired with McIlroy in his first competitive round since turning 50, was one of five players to shoot 64. Bryson DeChambeau’s 65 was the worst score in the marquee threesome.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., are also in the field.

Hughes’ bogey-free round included a 30-foot birdie putt on his second-to-last hole, the par-3 eighth. Patrick Cantlay also shot 60 at TPC River Highlands as an amateur in 2011.

McIlroy, who also started on the back nine, eagled the par-5 13th and followed that up with two straight birdies. He made four more birdies on the front nine for a 31.

“It’s just been nice to get back into some competitive golf again,” McIlroy said. “You know, it doesn’t feel the same because you’re not having thousands of people reacting to your birdies and getting that going. I felt the weekends have been a little flat for me just because that’s when you’re in contention and that’s where you sort of start to feel it. Thursdays and Fridays don’t feel that different to be honest, but into the weekends they do.”

Mickelson learned earlier Thursday that he was granted an exemption into this year’s U.S. Open for being in the top 70 in the world on March 15, when golf was shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Hughes wore a facemask when approaching the podium for his virtual news conference, sitting in a chair that had been repeatedly wiped down by PGA Tour staff. Off-site media were given the opportunity to speak with Hughes through a videochat since in-person access to the event was so limited. He said that the protocols have been “top notch” and that all the other precautions didn’t “feel that strange.”

But he did miss having spectators.

“The absence of fans really hurts,” said Hughes. “That would be a lot of fun to play a round like that with the gallery kind of getting into it, but the new normal is here, and we’re all just going to try to adapt and do our best.”

UXBRIDGE, Ont. – Golf Ontario and Golf Canada today announced the expansion of the Youth on Course initiative to Ontario, providing junior golfers aged 6 – 18 with greater access to play golf at lower rates.

Beginning in June, junior members of Golf Canada/Golf Ontario will receive access to a Youth on Course membership, granting $5 green fees at participating facilities across the province. There is no limit to how often members can play through Youth on Course.

Click here to sign up for a membership.

“Golf Canada and Golf Ontario are constantly striving to inspire and nurture a new generation of golfers and by providing access to affordable rounds they’re expanding that commitment to an even higher degree,” says Adam Heieck, CEO of Youth on Course. “With the highest per-capita golf participation in the world, the Youth on Course expansion to Ontario will benefit the sport’s sustainability in a big way.”

The 2020 season will see its first phase centered in four regions:

• Niagara/Hamilton Regions
• Durham Region
• Simcoe/Dufferin Regions
• Ottawa Valley

Members in Ontario will receive access to the international Youth on Course network, featuring lower green fees for Youth on Course members at over 1,400 golf courses in Ontario, Alberta and 37 different states.

“We are in a great position to provide more children with access to our great game,” said Adam Hunter, senior manager of Grow the Game for Golf Canada. “Together with Golf Ontario and our participating partner courses, we are eager to offer communities more opportunities to access junior golf.”

“We have been working closely with facilities in the key targeted regions for 2020, and are thrilled with the support we have received from many facilities. These courses are committed to helping grow the game of golf, and will be helping to provide very affordable golf options for youth in Ontario”, said Kyle McFarlane, senior director at Golf Ontario.

If you are interested in more information on bringing Youth on Course to your region/facility, please contact Jessie Mercer (jmercer@gao.ca or 905-852-1101 ext. 225) or visit youthoncourse.org.

As each provincial golf association has planned its respective amateur championships, organizers have had to take a back-to-basics approach to keep players, officials, and volunteers safe from COVID-19.

“It’s all about the players, the golf course, and the tournament,” said John Deneer, events and tournament manager for Alberta Golf. “No excess, no nothing. Just the players, so I’m glad we can do that.”

Alberta began its championship season on Tuesday with its men’s mid-amateur championship at Coyote Creek Golf & RV Resort in Sundre.

That province has implemented strict rules for its championships including no caddies, no guardians accompanying juniors and no spectators at its championship tournaments. Volunteer commitments have been reduced as much as possible and scorecards won’t be signed by both players, all in an effort to “reduce multiple touch points.”

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Take a look at the COVID-19 PROTOCOLS competitors this week at the Alberta Mens Mid Am are playing under at Coyote Creek Golf and RV Resort in Sundre. June 24th, 2020.

A post shared by Alberta Golf (@alberta_golf) on Jun 24, 2020 at 12:12pm PDT

Deneer said that although he expected there would be slightly lower registration for the provincial championships, it was actually higher than usual.

“When we announced that we were going to run the championships we felt comfortable that we could run them in a safe manner,” said Deneer. “(The men’s mid-amateur) was full with a waitlist. … We’re getting full fields, a lot of participation.”

Golf Ontario opened registration for its championships on Wednesday morning, with executive director Mike Kelly confirming that its men’s amateur sold out in eight minutes. Ontario’s provincial association actually had to split up registration times for its amateur and junior championships – which open Thursday – in an effort to make sure its web servers didn’t crash.

Ontario is taking similar precautionary steps to safeguarding participants at its amateur championships, although its junior players will be permitted one guardian to walk the course with them.

Trophy ceremonies in Ontario will be limited to the winners and one official, although Golf Ontario plans to broadcast the championship celebrations online.

“The first championship trophy won’t be handed out until the very end of July so we have a bit of time to figure it out,” said Kelly, who noted that tournaments like the men’s and women’s senior championships would be held at the same venue so joint ceremonies can be held. “One of the things we’re looking at is using Zoom so we’re able to provide a link.”

Manitoba has also begun its championship schedule, with Bobbi Uhl (amateur women), Carl Lechman (senior men) and Austin Dobrescu (amateur men) being crowned provincial match play champions on Sunday.

These provincial championships will be the biggest golf tournaments of 2020 as Golf Canada had to cancel all of its national championships due to travel restrictions. The RBC Canadian Open, Canada’s men’s professional championship, was also cancelled, although the CP Women’s Open is still scheduled for early September in Vancouver.

Many provincial championships serve as qualifiers for national tournaments, so the cancelling of Canada-wide events have freed up dates later in the summer. British Columbia Golf CEO Kris Jonasson said his organization plans to make the most of those open weekends.

“We had very early in the competitive season determined that we would make a decision on each of our individual events four weeks in advance of the start of that particular championship,” said Jonasson, who noted that the first four events of B.C.’s season were cancelled but will now be rescheduled, likely into those slots left open by Golf Canada.

Jonasson also said that B.C.’s men’s amateur – slated for three weeks from now – may also be postponed, depending on when health authorities lift their ban on non-essential within the province.

“We’re now hopeful that in some type of a modified format we can get all of our championships in or at least enough championships that we can crown an individual winner in each of our respective categories.”

Chemical Engineering major and Canadian LPGA Tour golfer Brittany Marchand offers up a home schooling lesson where we learn about why and how a golf ball bounces.

Caledon, Ont. – TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley announced on Wednesday the creation of The Face-off, a new one-day celebrity competition on June 30 between teams captained by TSN host James Duthie and Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, with $60,000 in donations to local charities on the line.

Managed by and in collaboration with One Eleven Management Group, The Face-off will see Team Duthie and Team Dubas compete against one another in an 18-hole match on TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley’s Hoot course, with each team member competing on behalf of selected charities.

The match will be covered live on social media and captured for a feature-length video to be shared shortly after the competition.

A total of $60,000 will be donated to charitable organizations of each player’s choosing, adding to the $350,000 in donations already announced by TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley and the Humeniuk Foundation towards COVID-19 relief efforts and community services this spring.

“This opportunity to raise support and awareness for important local causes and play a fantastic golf course with James is going to be a ton of fun,” said Dubas. “I’m happy to be a part of this event and look forward to some laughs, hopefully some good golf and a memorable day on the course.”

“I’m used to putting Kyle in the hot seat with questions about the Maple Leafs, but now I’m looking forward to putting the heat to him and his teammate on the course,” said Duthie. “To have a chance to do this on the Hoot course at TPC Toronto while raising some awareness and for some great organizations makes it even more special.”

An initial donation of $10,000 will be made to each of the four charities selected by event participants. Following the 18-hole match between teams, which will consist of six holes of net best-ball, six holes of alternate shot and six holes of scramble, the winning team will earn an additional $5,000 donation. Four on-course competitions worth $2,500 will also be on the line for each player.

Dubas will be competing on behalf of the You Can Play Project, which works to ensure the safety and inclusion of all LGBTQ+ people in sports, including athletes, coaches, staff and fans.

Duthie will be competing for The Frontline Fund, which represents Canadian hospital foundations dealing with COVID-19 all across the country and helps to meet the highest-priority needs of hospitals across Canada, including urgent measures to combat COVID-19, as well as to support the Northern communities and Indigenous health.

Teammates selected were TSN personality Jeff O’Neill and Canadian comedian and actor Gerry Dee. O’Neill will compete alongside Duthie, while Dee, the star of the hit series Mr. D and CBC’s Family Feud Canada, will team up with Dubas.

O’Neill will compete for the Down Syndrome Association of York Region, which promotes inclusiveness and awareness for children with Down Syndrome, while Dee will play for KidSport Ontario, a Canadian non-profit organization.

For more information on The Face-off, visit ospreyvalley.com/thefaceoff.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Nothing can top the first time Webb Simpson won on Father’s Day, a U.S. Open title eight years ago at Olympic Club and hearing his father’s laughter on the phone to share the joy.

Harbour Town was special in its own right.

Dressed in his Sunday yellow shirt – his late father’s favouritecolour – Simpson emerged from a crowd of contenders with five birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine for a 7-under 64 to win the RBC Heritage by one shot over Abraham Ancer and set the tournament scoring record.

“Crazy day,” Simpson said.

A three-hour storm delay nearly kept it from finishing. Nine players were still in the mix with an hour to go. Simpson was two shots behind and had only two birdies on his card when he dropped in a 10-footer at No. 12 and off he went.

“I think it’s a good thing that guys were making birdies because they kind of forced me to be a little more aggressive and know that pars weren’t going to cut it,” said Simpson, who finished at 22-under 264 to break by two shots the tournament record Brian Gay set in 2009.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., who started the day two strokes off the lead, finished eight strokes back and in a tie for 21st at 14 under. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., tied for 41st at 11 under and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., tied for 70th at 3 under.

Father’s Day has been the final round of the U.S. Open every year since 1976, but it was moved to September in this most unusual year because of the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down golf for three months. The RBC Heritage filled the spot on the schedule and Simpson, now a father of five, became a winner for the second time this year.

“I won The Players on Mother’s Day after my dad passed away, and that was really special. That was an emotional win,” Simpson said. “U.S. Open on Father’s Day, I’ll never forget calling my dad after on the way to the press conference, and when he picked up the phone, he just was laughing. That’s kind of what he did when he was happy, he would just laugh. So I’m going to miss that laugh today for sure.

“But I thought a lot about him,” he said. “This morning I thought about him, and when I was on the golf course, I thought about him. … He loved golf. He would have loved watching today.”

It was quite a show.

Simpson, Ancer, Joaquin Niemann and Tyrrell Hatton were tied at 20 under at one point late in the round. It was a matter of who blinked first.

Ancer, who hit every green in regulation, pushed Simpson to the end in his bid to win his first PGA Tour title. He holed a birdie putt from 10 feet on the 17th to get within one, but his approach to the 18th was 40 feet away and his putt to force a playoff came up short. Ancer closed with a 65.

“That’s just golf. You’ve just got to keep trying,” Ancer said. “I’m not going to change anything or work on anything. I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing, and I think that will eventually happen.”

Colonial winner Daniel Berger also stayed in the mix by chipping in for birdie on the 17th and closing with a 65. Hatton, whose last tournament was his victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational, was leading until a poor tee shot led to bogey on the 13th, and bogeys were hard to recover from on this day. He shot 66 and tied for third.

Simpson, who won the Phoenix Open in February, moved to No. 5 in the world. He also moved to the top of the FedEx Cup.

Dylan Frittelli had the low score of a tournament filled with them, a 62 that put him in the lead before the final groups even teed off. Justin Thomas had a 63 and tied him. Both knew it wasn’t going to hold up, especially after returning from a storm delay to still conditions and even softer conditions.

But it led to a revolving door of challengers, and even Brooks Koepka got in the mix.

Koepka hit driver on the 331-yard ninth hole that hit on the slope above the bunker and settled 3 feet for his eagle. He birdied the next two to get within one of the lead, but his hopes ended with a 5-foot birdie putt he missed on the par-5 15th. He closed with a 65 and finished seventh, his best result since the Tour Championship.

“Six months off – three with the lock down and then three on my knee – so yeah, it feels like it’s been a really long time since I’ve even felt some juices flowing,” Koepka said. “It just felt nice to be in contention.”

Rory McIlroy closed with a 70 and tied for 41st, his second straight result out of the top 30 after going seven consecutive events worldwide with no finish worse than fifth.

The PGA Tour now heads to the Connecticut for the Travelers Championship, and it’s still to be determined who will be playing until coronavirus tests are released for those on the charter flight.

The uncertainty stems from the first positive test – Nick Watney on Friday – along with 11 tests for those who had been in close contact with Watney. Until the first tournament back at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas, the area around Harbour Town was crowded with the start of summer vacation.

Those not on the charter will be tested upon arrival in Connecticut. Any positive test means a player must withdraw.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – The PGA Tour’s return to competition has brought together the strongest fields of the year on courses that have not been overly punishing, and the result is the same.

It’s another free-for-all at the RBC Heritage.

Webb Simpson practically had to apologize for a 3-under 68, in which he managed just one birdie on the back nine. He was part of a four-way tie for the lead, and that was good enough for him. He also knows good probably won’t cut it Sunday at Harbour Town,.

“It’s not like I’ve got a three- or four-shot lead and could shoot a couple under,” he said. “It’s going to take a good one.”

Tyrrell Hatton had one of six rounds at 63, giving the 28-year-old from England a share of the lead as he goes for his second straight victory, albeit three months apart because of the shutdown from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abraham Ancer, so solid with his irons, had a 65 and joined the lead along with Ryan Palmer, who had a 66.

They were at 15-under 198, a number that didn’t even start to explain the low scoring.

Canadian Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., posted a 2-under-par 69 to sit 13 under for the tournament, trailing the leaders by two strokes. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., sits T28 while fellow Canadian Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., is T38.

Even with Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele sputtering to 75s, the field was 223-under par, the lowest for any round since the RBC Heritage began in 1969. There were 35 players at 10 under or better, compared with only one player (Dustin Johnson) a year ago. The previous mark was seven players at double digits under par through 54 holes.

Most telling were the opportunities on Sunday.

There were 21 players separated by just three shots going into the final round. A week ago at Colonial, there were 14 players separated by three shots.

“I think the fields have been extremely strong,” Ancer said. “Everybody out here was just eager to come out and play. Thre greens are a little bit soft, especially this week, and the ball isn’t really rolling out as much as you’re used to on the greens and on the fairways. That’s yielding a little bit more birdies, for sure.”

Carlos Ortiz, who started this tournament with two double bogeys after playing only five holes, suddenly has a chance to grab his first PGA Tour victory after two eagles in a round of 63. He was one shot behind, along with Colonial winner Daniel Berger and Joel Dahmen, both with 63s.

And there was more testing than usual.

Players and caddies on the charter flight to Connecticut for next week’s event had to take a saliva test Saturday for the coronavirus before they can get on the plane. Eleven others had testing Friday night because they were deemed to have been in close contact with Nick Watney, whose positive test on Friday was the first in golf’s return.

Among them was Sergio Garcia, who flew with Watney from Austin, Texas. The initial test was negative. Garcia was nervous as he waited for the result, though not so nervous he couldn’t put down a 65 to join the chase. He was two shots behind, along with Ian Poulter and Joaquin Niemann.

Bryson DeChambeau, starting the day one shot behind, hit his approach into the par-5 second in the trees and it never came down. He has added 40 pounds of mass, still not enough to uproot the tree and shake it loose. That led to a bogey, and more damaging was no birdies on the back nine for a 70.

Even so, he remained three shots behind in a group that included Johnson, who birdied three of his last four holes to go from around the middle of the pack to 12-under 201, three shots behind and very much in the picture. That’s all it took Saturday, and it likely won’t be any different in the final round.

Brooks Koepka quietly posted a 68 and was in the group three shots behind.

Chalk it up to June, a new date for the RBC Heritage because of the pandemic. The tournament usually is the week after the Masters in April, when the temperature is slightly cooler, the greens are firmer and the rye grass hasn’t been taken over by Bermuda. It’s soft. And these are the best players in the world, all of them eager to get going again.

“Because we’re not at a major championship-style golf course last week or this week, where you’re going to have separation because of bad scores, I think that’s probably why,” Simpson said when asked to explain the bunched score.

Perhaps that explains why Justin Thomas called it “the worst 66 I’ve ever shot in my life.”

Hatton has won back-to-back before in his career, under entirely different circumstances. In 2017, he won in Scotland and Italy in consecutive weeks. Now he goes after two in a row three months apart, having won at Bay Hill in March before the pandemic shut down sports.

It apparently wasn’t long enough for anyone to accumulate much rush.

“I think we’ve all had enough notice to try and get ready to play tournaments again,” said Hatton, who rented a house in Orlando, Florida, during the stay-at-home mandate. “So it’s not massively surprising to see guys playing as well as they are, and hopefully the guys at home are enjoying it, watching on TV.”

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Webb Simpson and Bryson DeChambeau were trading birdies with vastly different games. Canadian Corey Conners charged into contention with a bogey-free round. And the biggest move of the day at the RBC Heritage belonged to a player who made it to the course, but not the tee.

Nick Watney became a footnote in golf history Friday as the first player to test positive for the coronavirus.

“I was a little shocked, to be honest,” said Vaughn Taylor, who played with Watney in the opening round and went for testing immediately after his 69. “Heart started racing, got a little nervous. Just hope Nick’s doing well and we get through this.”

Watney tested negative when he arrived Tuesday, experienced symptoms Friday and took another test that came back positive. He now faces self-isolation for at least 10 days as the tournament goes on.

The weekend buzz at Harbour Town figures to be about more than just birdies and bogeys.

Simpson got the last word with a 6-foot birdie on his final hole at No. 9 for another 6-under 65, giving him a one-shot lead after another day of watching DeChambeau and his additional 40 pounds of mass swing out of his shoes for a 64. DeChambeau made six birdies on his back nine, missing a 5-footer on the last that would have tied for the lead. Conners, from Listowel, Ont., also was one back after a bogey-free 63.

“It’s very satisfying knowing I’m not near as long as some of these guys and I’m able to kind of use my skills of distance control and shot shape to pick me back up when I’m 40 yards or 30 yards behind these guys,” Simpson said. “I would like to hit it further. I set out on a journey three years ago to get stronger, hit it further, but do it a lot slower than Bryson. But he’s made it look easy and seamless.”

Conners hit 88.89 per cent of greens in regulation.

“Obviously, pretty awesome round,” Conners said. “Stress free, hit a lot of really good shots. I felt great about my game. Rolled in a bunch of birdie putts to pay off with good shots. Really happy with the round.”

Conners was in contention for much of last week’s kickoff of the revamped PGA Tour schedule before fading into a tie for 19th at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

“I took a lot of positives away from last week,” Conners said. “There wasn’t much rust there. I was feeling pretty good and ready to go back into competition. Yeah, just tried to keep my confidence going and play aggressively here.

“I haven’t had a lot of success at this course before. It will be my first time playing the weekend. I think my experience over the last few years helped me. I’m definitely comfortable out here, and I like the golf course a lot.”

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., also is in contention. He is 8 under for the tournament after shooting a 3-under 68 on Friday. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., is 5 under.

Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., missed the cut.

Simpson was at 12-under 130, and scoring remained bunched. Thunderstorms that rolled through the island and halted play for two hours only gave players more time to talk about Watney and the ramifications. Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, who is on the PGA Tour policy board, said a positive test was bound to happen as the tour returns from a three-month shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The whole plan put in place was not if, but when somebody tests positive, what’s the protocol, and what are the next steps,” Spieth said. “So I feel confident, just in being on those phone calls, in what the PGA TOUR’s going to do going forward here, and hopefully contact tracing doesn’t lead to anybody else testing positive within the bubble.”

McIlroy, who shot 66 to make the cut with one shot to spare, said he saw Watney on the putting green before the test result was returned. Brooks Koepka, who was three shots behind after a 66, said he saw Watney in the parking lot.

“It’s unfortunate Nick got it, but at the same time, hopefully, it stays with just him and doesn’t spread,” Koepka said. “Because I think we’ll have a big issue on our hands if it keeps going as the weeks continue.”

For so much of Friday, Simpson had the lead and DeChambeau had the spotlight, with his incredible bulk making him stand out like the lighthouse behind the 18th green.

He decided at the end of last season to get stronger and bigger so he could swing faster and hit it longer, and the transformation has everyone’s attention. Even while adding 40 pounds of mass, he hasn’t lost his love for science. That was evident on his final hole.

DeChambeau had the honours and let Simpson go first so he could figure out what to do. Simpson poked his hybrid 221 yards down the fairway on the 334-yard ninth hole. DeChambeau opted for a 3-wood, mainly because he feared his driver would go well over the green.

He took two violent practice swings, and huffed out breath like an Olympic weightlifter preparing for the clean and jerk. He sent it soaring only to say, “Ah! Too much spin, dang it.”

It found a bunker in front of the green, 309 yards away, and he was far more bothered missing the short birdie putt, even though his 64 left him right in the mix again. He hasn’t finished worse than a tie for fifth since February – only four tournaments because the pandemic shut down golf for three months.

“He’s been able to take this body that he’s never played with before and still play just as good, if not better,” Simpson said. “So that’s really impressive.”

The time off didn’t appear to hurt, and DeChambeau said time in the gym – and in the buffet line – allowed him to go from a ball speed of about 188 mph to the lower 190s. That doesn’t always work at Harbour Town, a tight course that winds through the oaks, and DeChambeau laments that he hasn’t been able to “launch the Kraken.”

At least he’s not holding back at dinner. DeChambeau says his fitness plan is a 2-to-1 ration of carbs and protein and “I literally just have it. I eat whatever, whenever.” The majority of bulk is muscle, all for more speed. He believes he can get it up to 197 mph on a course that allows for more drivers.

The biggest benefit is where it leaves him.

“The distance gain has helped me hit 9-irons and pitching wedges into holes compared to hitting 7-irons and 6-iron,” he said. “That’s a huge change for me that’s allowed me to go and attack flags a lot more, be more aggressive, not really have to try and fit it into this little spot down on the fairway out here and really attack those flags.”

Simpson has more to worry about than DeChambeau. Twenty players were within four shots of the lead, a group that includes Koepka and Dustin Johnson.

– With files from The Canadian Press.

Three golf clubs celebrating 125 years highlight a list of 55 Golf Canada member clubs that have reached significant milestones in 2020.

All clubs that are celebrating an anniversary will receive a plaque from Golf Canada. Clubs celebrating their 100th anniversary receive a commemorative scroll.

125 years

Norfolk Golf & Country Club (Simcoe, ON)

100 years

Knowlton Golf Club (Knowlton, QC)

 75 years

Wheat City Golf Course (Brandon, MB)

50 years

March Meadows Golf Club (Honeymoon Bay, BC)

25 years

Grande Meadows Golf Club (Freshman’s Cove, NL)

It was another frustrating day on the golf course, where a round that had shown considerable early promise was derailed once again by sloppy play. But my numbers were not all bad. Despite my less than stellar score, there were some positives about that recent round at Peace Portal Golf Course in Surrey.

When I checked the step-counter on my phone, it told me that I had taken more than 13,000 steps during the round and walked about nine kilometres. (Clearly, I did not hit every shot straight down the middle).

I also climbed the equivalent of 23 floors, which is testament to Peace Portal’s hilly terrain. It is numbers like these, rather than the ones I mark on my scorecard, that have convinced me that golf is good for me.

The medical experts agree.

“Both physically and mentally, it is a wonderful sport for men and women and it definitely promotes health,” says Dr. Larry Goldenberg, a Vancouver urologist who is co-founder of the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation. “From a pure health point of view it’s an exercise and exercise equals longevity, it equals better mental health at all ages.

“I like to put it this way when it comes to exercise. If I said I had a pill that you had to take every day and it would decrease your risk of colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, heart attacks, stroke, would you take that pill? Well, that pill is called exercise. There is enough literature out there, there are enough studies out there to prove that without any doubt regular exercise can promote every form of health, including decreasing the risk of dementia and slowing the progress of many neurological diseases.”

Regular golfers don’t have to be convinced about how good the game has been for them. It can certainly be frustrating on those days when the ball just won’t go where it’s supposed to, but they know that even on the bad days the game gives them back so much.

Doug Stone, a 75-year-old White Rock resident, doesn’t have many bad days on the golf course. His handicap is in the low single digits and he often shoots his age at his home course, Peace Portal, where he frustrates his fellow members who regularly must dig into their wallets following a round with Stone.

Stone is in great physical shape and he credits golf with helping him stay that way. “Golf has been an important factor in my physical and mental health,” Stone says. “I currently play three times a week at Peace Portal. Each round is in a competitive environment. I push my cart and never ride. Peace Portal has a number of short, steep hills that are perfect for increasing my cardio-vascular capacity.

“Mentally, golf demands constant focus and decision-making that can only be helpful for one’s mental health. It also provides for socialization with fellow competitors. This has proven to be a godsend during the current pandemic crisis. . .without my ridiculous obsession with golf, this 75-year-old body would not be as healthy as it is today.”

Kris Jonasson, chief executive officer of British Columbia Golf, knows from personal experience that golf has significant health benefits. “It’s not a secret I have multiple sclerosis,” Jonasson says. “I walk today because I wanted to play golf, so it has had a huge benefit to me. I also read the research on golfandhealth.org and am amazed at all the positive benefits we have the data to prove. Parkinson’s, dementia and hundreds of other health issues can be helped with a little exposure to golf. It’s not how good you are at golf, it’s how well golf improves your life.”

Jonasson says most golfers recognize the health benefits they get from playing the game. But he knows the industry still has work to do in promoting those mental and physical health benefits to others. “I think we are just starting to discuss the health benefits of golf,” he says. “Golf and Health Week was launched in 2019 and Brooke Henderson is one of the ambassadors. Ironically, Golf and Health week in 2020 was postponed because of the pandemic.”

Goldenberg, through his work with prostate cancer patients, also knows golf can play a role in recovering from a major illness. “There are a lot of men who have had prostate cancer who golf regularly,” he says. “That is the demographic I work in, the 50- to 80-year-old male and a lot of them play golf. And I think golf helps in the healing process, it helps get them outside, it helps them adapt to the new cancer world they are now in. So I think it helps people fight off depression, anxiety and stress.”

Don Griffiths can attest to that. Griffiths, a former president of the Royal Canadian Golf Association (now Golf Canada), has had a life-long love affair with the game. He played on the University of B.C. golf team back in late 1950s and early 1960s and now, at age 82, still plays three or four times a week at his home course, Point Grey Golf & Country Club in Vancouver. He walks every step of the way and carries his own clubs.

Griffiths thinks golf has helped him live a long life. It also aided in his recovery from a major health issue, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer 13 years ago. “There was a bit of a delay after surgery until I was able get back to playing, but once I did I felt it was doing me good to get out there and play,” Griffiths says.

“I think golf was one of the things that kept me going. To me, golf is a wonderful game, not only the physical aspect of it, but the mental aspect of it. Getting out there and communicating with my golfing friends is something I really enjoy.”

Dr. Saul Isserow, director of the Centre for Cardiovascular Health at Vancouver General Hospital, says simple common sense suggests that golf, as an exercise, has profound benefits for one’s cardiovascular health. But Isserow, himself an avid player, knows the game also has immense social benefits, “One would think the benefit of social interaction are as much of a benefit as the exercise,” Isserow says.

So the fact is, golf is far from a good walk spoiled. No matter your score or skill level, just remember the game is good for you.