Aaron Stewart was always around golf even when he wasn’t heavily invested. Now he’s involved in ways he never imagined.

Stewart, the son of late three-time major champion Payne Stewart, has been appointed tournament director of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida. The season opener on the LPGA Tour is Jan. 16-19 and features two events in one – 72 holes of stroke play for LPGA winners the last two seasons and celebrities competing in a Stableford format.

“I’m really excited to be with the tournament side of things, back in the golf industry,” Stewart said. “And I’m still with the company I grew up with.”

He is approaching the 20-year anniversary – Oct. 25, 1999 – of his father travelling to Texas when the jet lost cabin pressure and flew uncontrolled across the country until crashing in South Dakota. Stewart was the reigning U.S. Open champion. His son was 10.

“I didn’t play as much then. I was more into other sports,” Stewart said. “I’d always go out to the golf course, and I was around my dad when he was practicing. I was more into the golf cart, driving that around.”

He started playing seriously a few years later and decided if he was going to be good, he would have to put in the time. He went to SMU, his father’s alma mater, with every intention of trying to make it to the next level.

“I ended up going a different route,” Stewart said. “I didn’t have the desire to play professionally. I was a little burned out, to be honest.”

He returned home to Orlando and worked for the Tavistock Group and then was hired by Diamond Resorts through an intensive training program. This job was more about marketing, taking him to Las Vegas and California. He married and took a year off to travel, returned to Diamond Resorts in March as part of the sports marketing team involved in the Tournament of Champions and was elevated last month to executive director.

It was a different path, much like the LPGA Tour event he now runs.

The tournament began as a one-day charity event for Brian Gay, geared toward raising money toward health causes. It became an unofficial event for the PGA Tour Champions, and now it offers a unique blend of LPGA winners and celebrities, along with giving the LPGA Tour a winners-only event it had been lacking.

Eun-Hee Ji won the inaugural event, with former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz winning the celebrity side.

Stewart always remained connected to tour golf in some capacity. The Payne Stewart Award has become one of the most significant honours on the PGA Tour, and Stewart goes to Atlanta every year for the televised ceremony during the Tour Championship.

He was in Las Vegas last week and got together with Jim Furyk, who played in the 1999 Ryder Cup with his father and won the Payne Stewart Award.

Now it’s about running a season opener for the LPGA Tour.

“It makes each week really exciting for us to see if we’ll have a new person on the roster,” Stewart said Monday, one day after Cheyenne Knight won her first LPGA Tour event to qualify for the season opener. “It’s a great transition into the season. We’re thrilled to be in that position.”

PRESIDENTS CUP

Four tournaments into the PGA Tour season are enough to raise questions about captain’s picks for the Presidents Cup – Joaquin Niemann of Chile winning big at the Greenbrier, and Kevin Na winning at Las Vegas for his second victory in five months.

Na said he was hopeful of a text from U.S. captain Tiger Woods about his Vegas win in a playoff.

“If not, I’m going to be texting him.” Na said.

He still is somewhat of a long shot. Na was No. 22 in the standings. Woods has four picks, and among those well ahead of Na were Match Play winner Kevin Kisner, U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland, Northern Trust winner Patrick Reed, along with Rickie Fowler and yes, Masters champion Woods.

Na says injuries limited him to only 19 starts – he has played at least 26 times each of the last five years – and he missed the second FedEx Cup playoff event to be home for the birth of his son.

“I was a little behind on the points, but I got two wins in this calendar year,” Na said. “So hopefully, he’s keeping an eye on me. I could make some putts. I’m a good match play player. I keep trying to sell myself. Hopefully, he considers me.”

Woods and International captain Ernie Els make their selections after the HSBC Champions ends on Nov. 3.

LPGA CARDS

The LPGA Tour takes a week off before heading to Asia for a month of limited field, no-cut events in which only players who earn spots in the fields – no sponsor exemptions – can earn points toward trying to be among the top 60 reaching the season-ending CME Globe Tour Championship.

The final full-field event in Texas proved plenty big. Cheyenne Knight won for the first time and moved to No. 65 on the money list, which will get her into Asia events. For others, it was a matter of keeping their cards. Stephanie Meadow made an 18-foot birdie on the last hole that was just enough to finish No. 99 on the money list.

The top 80 effectively have full cards and top 100 have status secured without having to go the Q-Series, consecutive 72-hole events at the end of October for players from Nos. 101-150, and for Nos. 11-35 on the Symetra Tour money list.

Among those who avoided a return to the Q-Series was Maria Fassi of Mexico, largely based on her pro debut.

She tied for 12th at the U.S. Women’s Open, which has the largest purse among the majors. Fassi made 80% of her money from one event with $103,065. She made $26,099 from three other tournaments and had a stretch of seven straight missed cuts.

Fassi, along with Jennifer Kupcho, went through the Q-Series last year, earned cards, deferred their memberships so they could finish college and didn’t start until June. Kupcho had two big weeks. While she missed five of her last six cuts, she tied for second in a major at the Evian Championship and tied for fifth at the Marathon Classic. She is eligible for the Asia swing but goes into them at No. 64 in the Race to CME Globe.

FITNESS FREAK

It would be simple enough for Bryson DeChambeau to say he’s going to spend time in the gym over the next month.

Only it’s never that simple with DeChambeau.

The objective is to get stronger, and he says that means he will probably look bigger. And he says he’s going to have fun doing it through muscle activation techniques.

“We make sure the neurological threshold is just as high as the mechanical threshold,” DeChambeau said. “In layman’s terms, pretty much whatever muscle potentially you have, how big and the muscle spindles you have, making you recruit every single one of them to their full potential throughout the whole range, and training the whole range of motion.”

DeChambeau calls it “revolutionary in the physical therapy world.”

“I’m looking forward to an incredible off-season of getting really strong and really stable,” he said.

DISTANCE CHASER

Pat Perez is the latest on the list of players who went chasing power only to find their games got weaker. He also is the latest to figure out that what he had was good enough to win on the PGA Tour and reach as high as No. 16 in the world.

Perez returned from shoulder surgery to win twice in 26 starts, finally reaping the rewards of being among the top players in the world ranking – the Masters, no U.S. Open qualifying for the first time and more than $7 million over two seasons.

And then he wanted to get better, which meant trying to get longer.

“I played for three years one way and I made a lot of money, won twice, do all these things,” Perez said. “And then I went away from it to try to get longer. It just hurt my game, so I went back to the drawing board.”

He finished third in Las Vegas, his best finish since he won in Malaysia two years ago. It moved his world ranking from No. 183 to No. 120.

DIVOTS

Dustin Johnson plans to defend his title in the Saudi International next January. The tournament also confirmed that world No. 1 Brooks Koepka will return. … Phil Mickelson now has gone 18 consecutive starts without a top-10 finish since winning at Pebble Beach in February. … The 2022 Ryder Cup in Italy will end on Oct. 2, the third time since 2010 the matches end in October. The others were Wales in 2010 and Hazeltine in 2016. … Ian Baker-Finch will captain the Australians in the Olympics for the second time. Three Aussies currently are in the top 25 in the world – Adam Scott, Marc Leishman and Jason Day, none of whom was in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

STAT OF THE WEEK

Jon Rahm has finished in the top five in 10 of his 14 regular European Tour events, including five victories.

FINAL WORD

“Putter got hot this week – tends to do that sometimes. And when it does, if I’m hitting it halfway decent, I feel like I can win.” – Kevin Na, after making 559 feet of putts over four rounds in his victory at Las Vegas.

Graham DeLaet is back to work. Now it’s time to get into a routine on the PGA Tour once again.

DeLaet, who returned to action after more than two years at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open last week, is playing again this week at the Houston Open as he tries to earn enough FedEx Cup points to regain his PGA Tour card.

The native of Weyburn, Sask. needs to earn 267 FedEx Cup points to get off his Major Medical Exemption, but after that he’ll need to earn enough points to be within the top 125 to keep his card for next season.

It’s a lot to think about for someone who is just getting his feet wet in competitive golf again after so long away.

The 37-year-old received a series of stem-cell treatments in 2017, which were deemed unsuccessful, and he opted to have a second microdiscectomy surgery (the first he had in 2011).

He was on the shelf for the full 2018-19 PGA Tour season, but as of last Thursday, DeLaet is back – albeit a little older and a little more prepared for what’s to come.

The actual swinging of a golf club doesn’t cause him soreness, DeLaet said, but the pain comes from being on his feet for so long and getting stiff. Although he missed the cut last week (75-72) he said there were some good signs.

“I hit some really, really good shots last week. I was pretty happy with how I played for the most part. I was pretty tight with the putter but I think it was extra pressure, feeling those nerves again. I had two bad holes but other than that I feel like I played pretty decent,” DeLaet said by phone in Houston.

“I know the course wasn’t playing all that difficult but it’s still good to get some birdies under your belt. All in all I was pretty happy with how things went despite shooting 5-over on a pretty easy golf course.”

Another thing that’s changed is the time DeLaet will have to spend away from his twins, Roscoe and Lyla.

While DeLaet was busy rehabbing and preparing for a return to professional golf, he said the best part of the last two years was how much quality time he got to spend with his kids, who turn four in November.

Last week was the first time DeLaet was away from them for a lengthy amount of time but the whole family, including wife Ruby, will be joining him this week in Houston.

DeLaet says it’s been an adjustment for his kids to know their dad is back at work.

“If I say I’m going to the golf course, Roscoe is always like, ‘I want to go, I want to go’ but if I’m going out there to practice or play he times out pretty quickly. So I’ve started to say ‘I’m going to work’ and I don’t know if they quite understand how I make a living, but they are kind of starting to get the grasp I play a golf a lot,” said DeLaet with a laugh.

Besides watching his kids start to grow up, there have been plenty of reasons to smile at home.

DeLaet’s friends from Arizona Chez Reavie and Max Homa both won on the PGA Tour this summer, and Kevin Chappell – another longtime pal who just returned from the same back surgery as DeLaet – shot a 59 at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in his first tournament back on Tour in September.

“That was pretty cool,” said DeLaet. “I have a soft spot for stories like that because I’ve been through it twice and it’s hard when you come back, but he made it look pretty easy.”

DeLaet is quick to point out the success of his countrymen as well, including Adam Hadwin (who has notched two top-5 finishes in a row to start his 2019-20 PGA Tour campaign and moved well inside the top-50 in the world ranking), who DeLaet feels should be on Ernie Els’ Presidents Cup radar.

“I would be surprised if Ernie (Els) didn’t give him a shot to play down there in Melbourne. I think he deserves it,” said DeLaet. “He’s got some experience underneath him. There are some new faces on that team so I think some of that experience is going to be helpful. He’s playing great, which has been good to see.”

And while DeLaet has been preparing himself for a big return on the golf course, he’s kept fairly busy off the golf course with his ongoing charitable efforts.

DeLaet has just been named a National Ambassador for Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada, his ‘Graham Slam’ event had its sixth edition in September (it’s raised more than $1.5 million for various charities), and he’s been nominated for the Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame People’s Choice Award – recognizing those who are a champion of their sport and a champion for their community.

“The game of golf has given me so much and I have the platform where we can try to make a difference,” said DeLaet. “It’s kind of a no-brainer for myself and Ruby.”

But DeLaet, who at one time was inside the top-35 in the Official World Golf Ranking, knows that despite all the support from friends and family and the impact he’s had away from golf over the last few years, it’s time to get back down to business.

He admits it would have been nice to dip his toes into playing a Korn Ferry Tour event – he was scheduled to in the summertime but tweaked his back just enough early in the week that he did not tee it up Thursday – but he’s feeling happy and as healthy as possible right now.

DeLaet saw Canadian physiotherapist Dr. Craig Davies in Las Vegas last week – Davies works with a handful of PGA Tour players – and DeLaet said Davies was “pleasantly surprised” with where he was physically.

A good sign, DeLaet said, as he will likely tee it up twice more this fall.

“Just hearing that from a guy who knows my body really well, it gives you a little bit of extra confidence with what you’re doing,” said DeLaet. “I feel like I’m on a pretty good path.”

LAS VEGAS – Kevin Na finally won a sudden-death playoff on the PGA Tour when he least expected it.

Staked to a three-shot lead to start the back nine at the TPC Summerlin, Na never imagined it would come down to that.

But he made triple bogey without hitting into a hazard on No. 10. He went at the flag and found the water on the par-5 16th for a bogey to lose the lead for the first time all day.

Right when he looked to be out of chances, Na saved himself with a 25-foot par putt on the 17th, a 10-foot birdie to extend the playoff, and he won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open when Patrick Cantlay made the worst -mistake – the last one.

“Came down way too close,” Na said.

Cantlay, who gave up a one-shot lead by hitting 9-iron into the water on the par-3 17th, three-putted from 45 feet on No. 18 on the second extra hole for bogey. Na rolled in his 4-foot par putt to win in Las Vegas for the second time.

“I’ve been in this situation before where I lost the lead and I failed many times,” said Na, who closed with a 1-under 70. “I’ve lost three playoffs. This is my first playoff win. I kept telling myself, ‘This is the playoff I’m going to win.’ It felt great to win.”

It was a bitter finish for Cantlay, who won his first PGA Tour event in Las Vegas in 2017 in a playoff, but had to settle for a runner-up finish the second straight year.

“It leaves a sour taste in my mouth,” he said. “That’s two years in a row here. I played well. I’ll take that momentum the rest of the year.”

Cantlay took his first lead with a two-putt birdie on the 16th, only for his 9-iron to come up short and just far enough to the left that rolled down into the water. He still looked as though he would head to the final hole until Na made his 25-foot par putt.

“I’m a fighter,” Na said. “The putt on 17, I was doing everything I could to make that putt.”

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., finished in a tie for fourth place. Nick Taylor, also from Abbotsford, tied for 29th.

Na won for the third time in the last 15 months, and third in as many seasons on the PGA Tour. He joined Jim Furyk as the only multiple winners in Las Vegas.

Even after his bogey on the 17th, Cantlay was poised to win in regulation when he hit the longest drive of the final round – 345 yards – and had only 113 yards left. But he could get no closer than 25 feet, and his putt hung on the right edge of the putt.

Cantlay, trying to win for the third time when facing a deficit of at least three shots, closed with a 68.

They finished at 23-under 261.

On the first extra hole, Na hit wedge to just inside 10 feet. Cantlay was just outside 10 feet – on the same line as his 25-foot birdie chance in regulation – and made it. Na poured his in, walking toward the hole before the ball dropped.

Cantlay came up well short on his approach to the 18th on the second playoff hole – his third time playing it in less than an hour – and his birdie putt came up well short.

Na set a record by making 559 feet of putts over four rounds, the most since the PGA Tour developed its ShotLink system of measuring every shot of every player. And he won with a 4-foot par.

Pat Perez closed with a 68 to finish alone in third, his best finish since he won in Malaysia two years ago.

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau shot 63 and tied for fourth with Hadwin (63) and Brian Stuard (67).

THE COLONY, Texas – Cheyenne Knight struggled so much her rookie season that she made the cut in only half of her tournaments and figured she was headed back to the LPGA Tour qualifying series. One week changed everything.

In the only LPGA event in her home state of Texas, in what she thought would be her last tournament of the year, Knight played bogey-free Sunday and closed with a 5-under 66 for a two-shot victory in the Volunteers of America Classic.

Her first victory on the LPGA Tour comes with a two-year exemption and makes her eligible for the Asia swing. At No. 49 in the Race to CME Globe standings, she is virtually assured of getting to the Tour Championship next month.

“It’s so incredible. I can’t put it into words,” Knight said.

The 22-year-old was in tears even before players rushed onto the 18th green at Old American Golf Club and sprayed her with champagne and water. Knight had pointed to his tournament, which she played as an amateur, all season. She grew up about an hour away in Aledo. And she never plays without thinking of her brother, Brandon, who died in a car accident when Knight was 12.

She dropped her putter and pointed to the sky when her 2-foot par putt dropped to finish at 18-under 266, two shots ahead of Brittany Altomare (67) and Jaye Marie Green (69), both trying for their first LPGA title.

“I think I had a second caddie. I know he’s watching in heaven, and he’s so proud of me,” Knight said. “This is for Brandon.”

Altomare, who played in her first Solheim Cup last month, got up-and-down from just short of the 17th green for birdie to briefly tie for the lead. Knight, playing in the group behind, holed a 15-foot birdie putt to regain the lead.

Needing birdie to have any chance, Altomare gunned her putt about 6 feet and missed the next one, taking bogey to clear the way for Knight.

“I keep saying this, but I think the more I put myself in those situations, eventually, statistically, I feel like it has to happen,” Altomare said.

Green began the final round with the lead and still was one shot ahead through 10 holes until she bogeyed the 11th and 12th and never caught up. With a runner-up finish, Green moved to No. 48 in the Race to CME Globe and will be eligible for Asia event, which do not have cuts.

Georgia Hall (66) and Jane Park (68) tied for fourth.

Knight had not finished better than a tie for 29th in the 54-hole event in Arkansas going into the Texas event, the final full field of the year.

“I said when I got my card this was the event I was most looking forward to,” said Knight, who tied for 29th three years ago when she played as an amateur. “Who would have thought this would help me secure my card. I thought I was going back to Q-school. To win this means everything, knowing I can persevere.”

Stephanie Meadow of Northern Ireland, who was No. 112 on the money list, made an 18-foot birdie putt on the final hole to keep her card by moving into the top 100 and avoid returning to the LPGA Q-Series at the end of the year.

Meadow closed with a 67 and tied for sixth with Katherine Perry, who also needed a birdie on the final hole to keep her card. Perry missed from 15 feet and will finish outside the top 100 on the money list.

Alena Sharp (72) of Hamilton was 7 under to finish it a tie for 14th place. Brooke Henderson (69) of Smits Falls, Ont., was 5 under in a tie for 16th.

THE COLONY, Texas – Canada’s Alena Sharp shot a 6-under 65 on Friday for a share of the second-round lead with Brittany Altomare and Cheyenne Knight in the LPGA Tour’s Volunteers of America Classic.

Sharp closed with a bogey on the par-4 18th to drop into the tie for the lead at 9-under 133 at Old American Golf Club. Altomare had a 66, and Knight shot 67. The three leaders are winless on the LPGA Tour.

Knight was a two-time state high school champion at Aledo, just west of Fort Worth.

First-round leader Stephanie Meadow was 8 under, following her opening 63 with a 71.

Jaye Marie Green and Katherine Perry each shot 68 to reach 7 under.

Ariya Jutanugarn was 6 under after her second straight 68. The 10-time tour winner missed the cut last week in Indianapolis, ending her streak of 56 starts on the tour without missing a cut.

Georgia Hall (68) also was 6 under with Caroline Hedwall (67), Jane Park (67) and Wei-Ling Hsu (68).

LAS VEGAS – Canada’s Nick Taylor had to scramble for par on his opening two holes Thursday, and then he couldn’t miss in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

Taylor, of Abbotsford, B.C., ran off a six-hole stretch at 6-under par, including a drive on the 314-yard 14th hole at the TPC Summerlin that stopped 5 feet away for eagle. He birdied all the par 5s, kept bogeys off his card and opened with an 8-under 63 for a two-shot lead among early starters.

Phil Mickelson, who missed the cut last week at the Safeway Open in his season debut, had a 65 for his lowest round since late February.

Taylor faced ideal conditions and the easier side at Summerlin to start his round, and he found himself having to get up-and-down to save par with 5-foot putts.

“The first two holes, I actually hit pretty good drives. Had a little bit of mud on it, so the ball just kind of took off oddly,” Taylor said. “Was able to make two good par saves, and from there was able to hit a bunch of greens, make some putts.”

The 15th hole was a bonus. On the three par 5s, he was either on in two shots or just off the green.

“That always makes the round pretty easy,” Taylor said.

Mickelson, Brian Day and Sam Ryder were at 65. Adam Scott, who spent a year at UNLV as a teenager, was among those at 66.

Mickelson is playing Las Vegas for the first time since 2005, and he didn’t start his season well when he chopped up the par 5s at Silverado – making a 9 on one of the easier holes – to miss the cut.

Lefty wasn’t worried. Take out his play on the par 5s, and he felt his game was fine. He showed that Thursday, and finished his round with a 60-foot eagle attempt that had a chance to go in before leaving a short putt for his final birdie.

The 65 was his best score since a second-round 65 in the Mexico Championship.
With the fairways running tight and fast, Mickelson said he relied on a low cut to keep it in play and give himself chances.

“They’re not going very far, but they’re in play,” he said. “My iron play right now is really good, so I just want to give myself chances with my irons.”

He said he needed only a “subtle fix” from how he played the par 5s at the Safeway Open and it was easy.
Brooks Koepka, who had stem cell treatment on his left knee on Aug. 25 after the FedEx Cup ended, began his season by needing two birdies over the last four holes just to break par. He opened with a 70.

Tony Finau was at 68 after spending the last two weeks on the European Tour and flying eight time zones away to Las Vegas.

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Cantlay, who won the previous year, were among those playing the afternoon. Both are among the top 10 in the world ranking, giving Las Vegas its strongest field in more than 15 years.

Koepka is the first No. 1 player in Las Vegas since Greg Norman in 1988.

Canadian Graham DeLaet made his first PGA appearance in nearly two years because of a back injury.

The 37-year-old native of Weyburn, Sask., shot a 4-over 75. DeLaet had a triple bogey on No. 3 and was 7 over though 11 before rallying with three consecutive birdies from Nos. 13-15.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., carded a one-under 70.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., had afternoon tee times.

Whether you’re a club member, an avid public player or a new enthusiast to the game, spending on the sport of golf drives massive benefit to communities across Canada.

The impact of golf on the Canadian economy is enormous—an economic impact in excess of $14B is only part of the story. Golf courses and the industry at large account for hundreds of thousands of jobs. Canadians and international visitors plan golf vacations to communities that market themselves as golf destinations and resorts offer golf packages that result in millions of tourism dollars. Tens of thousands of charitable causes use golf as the platform to general $500M annually for worthwhile causes. The golf industry—including more than 5M golfers, nearly 2,300 facilities and local retailers plus countless superintendents, PGA of Canada professionals and industry stakeholders—play a vital role in the continued growth and health of the sport.

Understanding the full scope of Canadian golf including the economic, employment, environmental, tourism and charitable impact of the game in communities from coast to coast is critical. Evaluating that impact is why We Are Golf, a coalition of Canadian golf associations, are inviting Canadians to participate in the latest iteration of the Canadian Golf Economic Impact Study.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY

The survey, which takes approximately 12-15 minutes to complete, will generate incredible insights, spending trends and meaningful data towards understanding the current impact of golf in Canada.

As part of the survey, We Are Golf wants to know how much you have or expect to spend on golf and golf related activities or purchases. From green fees and equipment to trips or other golf related spending, the confidential information and insights you share will help estimate the economic impact of golf in your community.

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COURTENAY, B.C. —Luna Lu of Burnaby, BC, went wire-to-wire at Crown Isle Golf Resort on picturesque Vancouver Island, signing a final scorecard of 70 to win the last of eight Golf Canada junior championships for the 2019 golf season, taking home the title of the BC Future Links, driven by Acura Fall Series Junior Girls champion with an overall score of plus +2 for the tournament. In the Junior Boys division, Kingston, Ontario’s Ashton McCulloch topped a strong field of 71 competitors to claim the title.

Leading the pack at the conclusion of day one, Lu managed to fend off strong competition from Victoria’s Olivia Wu – who had closed the gap to a one-shot deficit the previous day with a Round 2 low score of 72 – and 12 year-old CP Women’s Open entrant, Vancouver’s Michelle Liu. Wu and Liu put up a valiant fight but their final round scores of 74 were not enough to catch the champion. They finished the event at T2 with a total score of plus +7, which is enough for both to earn exemptions to join Lu at the 2020 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, which will take place July 28-31 at Club de golf de Lorette in Loretteville, Québec.

“It was a very strong field,” affirms Lu. “I’m really happy that I got this win, especially since it is my first Golf Canada (sanctioned event) win and that really means a lot to me.”

In the Junior Boys division, the suspense lasted until the very end as James Swan of Esquimalt, BC, and Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont. took turns atop the leaderboard, after entering the final round neck-to-neck in a tie for first place. Still tied for the lead entering the final stretch at the par-4 17^th hole, a costly bogey for Swan while McCulloch saved par allowed the Kingston native to reclaim a one-shot lead and paved the way for a dramatic finishing hole. McCulloch and Swan both managed to save par on the par-4 18^th, confirming McCulloch as the victor. The runner-up finish for Swan earns him a berth in the 2020 Canadian Junior Boys Championship. He’ll join McCulloch and third-place finisher Daniel Bennett of Victoria as all three will be exempted to the next year’s national junior championship held August 10-13 at Rivershore Estate and Golf Links in Kamloops, BC.

“I was a little bit shaky at times and it was a bit of a grind,” said McCulloch. “Great up and down on 18 to secure the win. It was great to come out on top with such a strong field.”

Designed by Canadian Golf Hall of Fame Honoured Member Graham Cooke, Crown Isle opened in 1992. The course is known for being superbly maintained and having a fun, yet challenging layout. With 12 lakes, views of the Beaufort Range & Comox Glacier, as well as verdant fairways, Crown Isle offers a stunningly picturesque golf experience.

The Future Links, driven by Acura Fall Series’ BC event wrapped up a fantastic 2019 tournament season for Golf Canada. The 2020 Championship season will kick off May 8 with the presentation of the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship in British Columbia.

Results for previous 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Championship can be found here: Pacific, Ontario, Western, Quebec, Prairie, Atlantic, Fall Series (Quebec).

For more information and final results from the Future Links, driven by Acura Fall Series event at Crown Isle Golf Resort, click here.

NAPA, Calif. – Cameron Champ made a 3-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a one-stroke victory over Adam Hadwin on Sunday in the Safeway Open, finishing off an emotional week with his grandfather battling cancer.

Three strokes ahead entering the round, Champ had five birdies and overcame a bogey on No. 17 to hold off Hadwin for his second PGA Tour victory. Champ closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 17-under 271 at Silverado Resort.

Champ raised both arms then shared a long embrace with his caddie before breaking into tears as he hugged his father on the green. Champ’s grandfather, Mack, is fighting stomach cancer and is in hospice in Sacramento. Mack introduced Champ to golf at a young age.

Hadwin birdied the final three holes for a 67 to tie Champ at 16 under, then watched from nearby as Champ nearly chipped in for eagle on the par-5 18th before making the short birdie putt.

Fellow Canadian Nick Taylor (Abbotsford, B.C.), who was paired with Hadwin, finished at 11 under par in a tie for 10th. Countrymen Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) and Roger Sloan (Merritt, B.C.) closed at 10 under par.

Marc Leishman (65) was third at 14 under. Justin Thomas (69), Charles Howell III (68) and Zac Blair (68) were 13 under.

Champ missed every fairway on the front nine but made several big second shots to stay in front. None was more impressive than after he drove into the far left rough on the par-5 fifth, pitched up and over a tall tree and onto the green 17 feet away and two-putted for birdie.

Champ bogeyed No. 8, but rebounded with a birdie on No. 9. He had a short chip-in for par on No. 11 after chunking his approach shot.

Champ’s only other tour victory came last October in Mississippi at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He hadn’t finished higher than sixth since, missing the cut 12 times.

NAPA, Calif. – Even as he bolted to the top of the leaderboard at the Safeway Open, Cameron Champ’s mind was elsewhere.

Champ’s grandfather, Mack, is in hospice battling stomach cancer and the family has been commuting back and forth between the tournament and his hometown of Sacramento, about 65 miles northeast of Silverado Resort.

“It’s been a pretty emotional week,” Champ said Saturday after shooting a bogey-free 5-under 67 in windy conditions to take a three-shot lead into the final round. “He just made me realize there’s a lot more to life than golf. His thing is he likes to say ‘focus’ a lot. Me and my dad always laugh about it. like, ‘OK Pops.”’

Champ has certainly looked focused this week. He opened with a 67 on Thursday, had two bogeys and a six birdies for a 68 on Friday, then moved into the lead with steady iron play and strong putting. Champ narrowly missed a sixth birdie on No. 17 after nearly driving the green. He had a 14-under 202 total despite playing the four par 5s without a birdie.

“I’m certainly happy with the position I’m in,” Champ said. “I know if I can get in the fairways on those (par 5s) and kind of do what I did today, it will be a good day.”

Champ didn’t make the trip to visit his grandfather following Friday night’s round and was uncertain of his plans after taking the lead.

Closing out Sunday with his second PGA Tour victory would provide Champ and his family a much-needed lift.

“It would be mind-blowing, honestly,” Champ said. “I’m going to continue doing what I’m ding. Whether I shoot 80 tomorrow or whether I shoot 65, I really don’t care. I’m just going to focus on putting my best round together, and whatever that’s going to be tomorrow, it’s going to be.”

Canadians Adam Hadwin (67) and Nick Taylor (70) were 11 under, and Chez Reavie (69), Collin Morikawa (70), Justin Thomas (71) and Nick Watney (72) followed at 10 under.

Hadwin and Taylor are paired in the second-last grouping on Sunday, teeing off at 1:50 p.m. ET

Munoz, the Sanderson Farms Championship winner last week in Mississippi, got back into the mix with six birdies. That followed an uneven second round when the 26-year-old Colombian had a double bogey and an eagle.

“I’m just playing a little more fun, a little more loose and having fun,” Munoz said.

Second-round leader Bryson DeChambeau was 8 under after a 76. DeChambeau bogeyed Nos. 3 and 10, double-bogeyed No. 13 then ran into big trouble after hitting his second shot on No. 18 over the grandstands around the green and into a patch of reeds.

Following a lengthy discussion with course officials and a delay of at least 20 minutes, DeChambeau took a drop and flopped a shot back over the grandstands onto the green 10 feet from the pin. He two-putted for par.