Maddie Szeryk has long been considered one of Canada’s top young golf prospects. And so far in her first season as a professional, the former amateur standout is proving that she’s up for the challenge.

Szeryk had an impressive amateur and collegiate career with the Texas A&M Aggies – winning four collegiate tournaments in her four years playing with the team.

She decided to go back for a fifth year to complete her studies and just graduated earlier this year.

“It’s exciting to be able to finished that chapter and to be able to focus full-time now on golf,” said Szeryk at the Team Canada media day in June.

In May, the London, Ont., native had her best result as a pro when she scored a second place finish at the Zimmer Biomet Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez.

The Symetra Tour rookie was happy she was able to raise her level of play for the big tournament.

“It was awesome and it didn’t hurt that it was one of the biggest purses of the year so it was a great tournament to play well at,” said Szeryk of her second place finish.

“It was my first finals pairing on the Symetra Tour, so it’s great to get that experience also. I think its huge to know that I can play so well on such a big stage and to know that I can really turn it on when it counts,” she added.

Szeryk’s strong start to the 2019 Symetra season has her in contention for a spot in the top 10 on the Symetra Tour’s money list. And of course those who finish the season in the top 10 on the Symetra Tour earnings score their full LPGA Tour card for the 2020 season.

According the Tristan Mullally, head coach of the Canadian women’s national team, the second place finish at the Zimmer Biomet Championship provides just a glimpse of what Szeryk is capable of when she plays up to her potential.

“Maddie has been a top amateur in the world for the last couple of years. She was really close to getting her LPGA card last year and she wasn’t happy about not getting it – but she’s refocused and understands that this is her journey.” noted Mullally.

“Playing on the Symetra tour is great experience for Maddie because it gives her opportunity to get out there and play against other good players and cut her teeth a little bit. It allows young players to get used to life as a professional golfer. She’s showed at the Zimmer Bioment that when she plays her game she’s capable of great results,” he added.

Mullally speaks highly about Szeryk’s overall game.

“Inside 150 years she’s lethal. She’s very aggressive to tight pins has great distance control and is one of the best putters that I’ve seen when she’s on,” he pointed out.

“When you combine her great iron play with the fact that she makes her putts she scan go very low – and that’s the kind of thing you need to do be a winner on LPGA Tour.”

The 23-year-old is a fifth year member of the National Team Program – first four years on the amateur squad and now first season on young pro squad – says she’s grateful for the support she’s received over that time.

“Tristan has helped me so much with my game in terms of learning about myself and my game. And we also have physio and a mental coach and they’ve been great. We’ve been supported both on and off the golf course and that’s really helped my game a lot,” said the Texas A&M grad.

Szeryk says her top goal for 2019 is to secure her LPGA Tour card – and is up for the challenge whether that comes from finishing in the top 10 on the Symetra Tour money list or getting it through Q-school in December.

The former amateur standout will have a chance to test her game against the best on the LPGA Tour when she competes at the CP women’s Open.

“I didn’t play last year but I’ve have played the CP women’s open previously.  I just love playing in the event.  It’s always so much fun playing in Canada,” said Szeryk.

“The crowds are great. A lot of people say it’s like one of the majors; and for us Canadians getting that chance to play on home soil and getting all that support from fans is awesome.”

CALGARY, Alta. — For the first time in 2019, 72 holes wasn’t enough as Hayden Buckley needed extra holes to claim the ATB Financial Classic title for his first professional victory. Buckley made par on the first playoff hole to defeat Sam Fidone.

“Sam is a great dude to play with, and we battled all day,” said Buckley, who moves to the fifth spot on the Order of Merit with the victory. “I’ve been close so many times, and finally finishing it off was something I really liked.”

Beginning the day with a three-stroke lead over Fidone, Buckley made two birdies in his first three holes to create some separation. Fighting back, the tournament quickly became a two-man race as Fidone played hole Nos. 2-7 in 5-under par to get within one of Buckley heading into the back nine.

“It felt like I was due for a good ball-striking day,” said Buckley, who was named the University of Missouri Male Athlete of the Year after a four win 2017-18 senior campaign. “I haven’t really hit it well all week. I’ve hit it good enough to compete, but I haven’t hit it where I wanted to, and I did that today.”

While Buckley was striking it well, but failing to convert on the greens, the opposite could be said for Fidone, who made a 40-foot putt for par on No. 10 after driving his ball into the fescue.

Buckley called hole No. 15 a “turning point,” when, for the first time of the day, his name was no longer at the top of the leaderboard.

“I had 95 yards in, hit it over the green and made bogey as (Fidone) made birdie and jumped ahead of me,” said the 23-year old. “I got a little flustered because I wasn’t sure how that happened. I got a little momentum, and the ball started flying farther. It was a pretty emotional day.”

With Buckley comfortably on the green on the 17th, looking at a 12-foot birdie chance, Fidone flew the green from 75 yards and left himself a tricky pitch, short-sided with the green sloping away from him.

Buckley watched as Fidone hit his chip well past the pin, to 50 feet.

“I’ve always been taught, and a lot of guys will say that you always expect somebody to make it,” said the Tupelo, Miss., native, whose premonition came to life as Fidone buried the putt and delivered a massive fist pump. “It kind of hurt me right before I had to hit my putt next. It went in and I immediately thought, ‘Do it right back to him.’”

Buckley’s try narrowly missed, and after the two players made two-putt pars on No. 18, that set the stage for a sudden-death playoff.

“I haven’t been in the final group this year. I’ve been close but had a lot of experience in the past three or four weeks competing and falling short so many times,” said Buckley. “There were times on No. 18 and in the playoff I still felt some nerves.”

Buckley was unable to make his 10-foot birdie try on the first extra hole, leaving Fidone with a slippery five-footer to extend the playoff. He was unable to convert.

“It was one of those days that didn’t feel like I went out and got it but did enough to get it done,” said Buckley. “Winning with a par in the playoff, it didn’t feel like I won it, but it was good enough.”

While the finish was Buckley’s first win as a professional, he has knocked on the door many times this season, finishing in the top 10 in five of nine starts.

“A lot of confidence has been built up over the past year,” said Buckley. “My senior year in college I had a good stretch, winning four out of nine tournaments, and I came close a few more times, so it’s not like all of a sudden that I feel like I belong. I’ve felt like I’ve belonged for a long time.”

Due to a birdie on the final hole, Taylor Pendrith picked up his fourth consecutive Canada Life Canadian Player of the Week Award as the highest Canadian finisher. It is his fifth honor of the season. Pendrith finished the event tied for fifth, marking the fourth consecutive event the 28-year old has finished within the top five.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The harder he worked, the farther Patrick Reed felt he was falling behind. That’s when the people around him sought drastic measures by making him leave his golf clubs alone for 10 whole days.

Recharged from his pre-summer break, Reed finally found the result he was looking for Sunday in The Northern Trust, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

He delivered key shots on three straight holes on the back nine at Liberty National – two for birdie, one for par – to overtake Jon Rahm, hold off Abraham Ancer, close with a 2-under 69 and win the FedEx Cup opener.

It was his first victory in 16 months over 41 tournaments worldwide dating to the 2018 Masters.

“The longer that time period is in between wins, it just makes it tougher,” Reed said. “I was pushing too hard and was trying harder and all of a sudden, it was going the wrong direction. My team was smart enough to tell me to back off, shut it down and reset and get clear, because we can finish the year right. We can get a couple Ws, and no better place that starting the first week of the playoffs.”

Points are quadrupled in the PGA Tour post-season, so the victory vaulted Reed from No. 50 to No. 2. His place in the Tour Championship is secure. His odds of the $15 million prize are greatly increased.

It still wasn’t enough for him to get in the top eight qualifiers for the Presidents Cup, to be decided after next week. Reed went to No. 12 and he would have to win the BMW Championship next week to qualify.

Even so, it was the kind of victory to at least get the attention of U.S. captain Tiger Woods.

Reed finished at 16-under 268 and won for the seventh time in his career on the PGA Tour.

Ancer felt like a winner when it was over. He also played bogey-free over the final 12 holes, and his birdie on the 17th gave him hope. But his approach to the 18th came down below a ridge, and his long birdie putt to force a playoff went some 6 feet by the cup. He made that to finish alone in second, his best PGA Tour finish.

That was enough to send him from No. 67 to No. 8, with more perks that he could count.

Ancer is a lock to make it to the Tour Championship in two weeks, meaning he earns his first spot in the Masters. He wrapped up a spot on the International team for the Presidents Cup, making him the first Mexican in the event.

“When I finished, I was a little down because I didn’t get it done and I feel like I played good,” Ancer said. “But then getting all this news that I’m going to the Tour Championship, playing all the majors, going to Masters, all that, I was like, ‘Man, this is not too bad.’ I’m extremely happy, proud of the way I performance. I still obviously want that W, but really proud with all the boxes that I checked off today.”

Rahm wasn’t quite that happy.

He made a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 12 and reached the par-5 13th in two to set up another birdie, giving him a two-shot lead. And then it all fell apart for the Spaniard. He was on the wrong side of the green at the par-3 14th and three-putted for bogey from 50 feet. His tee shot narrowly found a bunker on the 15th, leaving him no shot at reaching the green, and he had to scramble for bogey from the thick grass behind the green.

Rahm never caught up, closed with a 69 and tied for third with Harold Varner III.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., was the top Canadian at 8 under after posting a final round of 2-under 69. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., also shot 69 Sunday and finished at 4 under. Roger Sloan of Merritt. B.C., struggled Sunday with a final round of 74 to finish at 1 under, one stroke ahead of Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. (73).

Reed began his move with a pitching wedge that caught the ridge at the back of the 14th green perfectly, sending it down to 8 feet for birdie. He was in thick rough right of the 15th green and looked certain to drop a shot when he holed a 10-foot putt for par. And then he pitched perfectly from 25 yards short of the 16th green to about 4 feet for birdie.

The top 70 in the FedEx Cup advance to the BMW Championship next week at Medinah, so there were other players who took home consolation prizes. One of the strongest bids belonged to Joaquin Niemann of Chile, who was in the middle of the pack and knew it would be close.

He slammed his iron into the turf on the 15th when he hit into a bunker, such was pressure on him. Niemann made a 6-foot par save there, drove the green on the 296-yard 16th hole for birdie, saved another par on the 17th and closed with a 66.

He tied for 30th, enough to move up four spots and get the 70th spot.

Varner might have had the biggest day in that regard. He started the PGA Tour post-season at No. 102, and while he came up two shot of his first PGA Tour victory, his tie for third moved him to No. 29. That not only gets him in the BMW Championship, he has a realistic shot at East Lake.

Reed will be there, a trip that most likely began with that 10-day break in the Hamptons. He had a rental house with a manicured yard 300 yards long and 50 yards wide, ideal for hitting balls, and he didn’t touch a club.

The vacation was two weeks, though. When the 10 days were up, he was at National Golf Links the next morning, drove the first green and made eagle.

LIMA, Peru – Sunday marked a historic moment in Canadian golf, with Team Canada taking home the bronze medal in the mixed team event—the first-ever medal for Canada at the Pan Am Games.

The mixed team event consists of the lowest female score and the lowest male score of each round combined. Canada closed at 16 under par, good for a collective score of 552 – eight strokes back of the winning American team. Paraguay captured the silver medal with a score of 549.

Mary Parsons of Delta, B.C., shot a final-round 70 (-1) at the Country Club Villa to finish fifth place individually at 2 over par (68-73-75-70). Teammate Brigitte Thibault of Rosemère, Que., closed with a 4-over-par 75 to finish in a tie for 9th, totalling 6 over par for the tournament (74-73-68-75). American Emilia Miglaccio was the gold medalist with a total score of 8 under.

“I think all four of us grinded out every shot to kind of get to where we are,” said Parsons, who was just one stroke back of silver heading into the 18th hole. “We knew coming down the stretch we had to keep pushing because it wasn’t going to be over until it’s over.”

Scenes from yesterday’s bronze medal winning performance by #TeamCanada at the #Lima2019 Pan Am Games ??

? https://t.co/pFpnNzbocf pic.twitter.com/2wH5kAQl6b

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) August 12, 2019

On the men’s side, Austin Connelly of Lake Doucette, N.S., paced the Canadians with 3-under effort in Sunday’s final round, finishing at 11 under overall with sole possession of sixth place. Joey Savoie of La Prairie, Que., carded a 2-over 73, bringing his total to 10 over par. Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti emerged from a playoff to capture the gold medal.

“They are all on this team for a reason,” said coach Tristan Mullally. “They have all been a part of our national team program at some point — my job is to help them prepare for this course with logistics, photographs, advance questions with the greens staff. It’s an amazing golf course for the site – it’s a unique course with some real quality holes.”

2019 marks the second playing of golf at the Pan American Games, and is the largest sporting event ever held in Peru. Golf made its debut at the 2015 Games in Toronto after the sport was added to the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

The 2023 Pan American Games will be played from Oct. 22 – Nov. 5 in Santiago, Chile.

Click here for full scoring.

CALGARY — Conditions were tough and low scores were few and far between during the third round of the ATB Financial Open–unless your name is Hayden Buckley.

Firing a 64 that bettered the next-best score by two strokes, the University of Missouri alum made eight birdies to back up two weekday 66s to start the tournament at Country Hills Golf Club.

“The score was more than I could ask for. It was a day where every putt seemed to go in,” said the first-year pro. “The putter saved me. It wasn’t a great ball-striking day by any means.”

Following a bogey on the first hole after a wayward tee shot, Buckley made back-to-back, 12-foot birdie looks on the next two holes to quickly get himself back into red figures for the day.

“With it being cold and windy, it’s always tough, but I managed to find a few more (birdies) on the front,” said Buckley, who made two more, on Nos. 6 and 7, to grab the lead. “No. 8 was definitely my turning point.”

After pulling his drive into the fairway bunker for the second time of the week, Buckley topped his next shot and left it in the bunker.

“I’m sitting there about 115 yards out from the back pin and almost flew it in the hole,” said Buckley, who has four top-10s this season in eight starts. “[The ball] ended up 10 feet away, and I made it for par, so it was close to a double bogey that could have thrown me off; to make a par and go to the back nine was huge.”

Pushing his tee shot on No. 10, a mammoth par 4 playing into the wind, Buckley managed to hit a 4-iron from 245 yards, playing downhill, to 10 feet, which he again poured in.

“Those were a few strokes that really changed everything,” said Buckley. “It was a grind the rest of the day because the backside is so tough, and I didn’t hit it well enough to make birdie until the last three holes.”

Making three downhill birdie putts on his final three holes, Buckley separated himself from the field and heads into the final round of an event with the lead for the first time in his Mackenzie Tour career.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve had a win,” said Buckley, who was named the University of Missouri Male Athlete of the Year during his 2017-18 school year. “I had a few in college and none since, so it’s been a long time. At the end of the day, it’s about playing a round of golf, and if I win, I win, and if not, I’ll go to the next week and keep trying.”

Currently in the 10^th position on the Order of Merit, a win would likely move Buckley into the fifth position on the Order of Merit, a spot that would earn him Korn Ferry Tour status at year’s end.

“If you don’t finish in the top spots in a tournament you get lapped by a lot of guys,” said the 23-year old. “It’s pretty top heavy, but I know if I can win here then I can win a lot of places.”

Trailing Buckley is Sam Fidone, at 14-under, while Zach Zaback, at 13-under, will be the third player in the final group Sunday as players will tee off in threesomes in the morning to avoid a forecasted afternoon thundershower. The final group is slated to tee off at 9:20.

Seven Canadians head into the final round within the top 20 on the leaderboard. Taylor Pendrith battled back from two bogeys in his first three holes on Saturday to post an even-par 71 and is the low Canadian, in a tie for fifth.

Pendrith is in search of his fourth consecutive Canada Life Canadian Player of the Week award, while Stuart Macdonald, Wil Bateman, James Love, Wes Heffernan, James Allenby and Riley Wheeldon are all within the top 20.

Full scoring can be found here.

LIMA, Peru – Canadian Mary Parsons shot 2-over-par 73 during the second round of the Pan American Games individual competition at the Country Club Villa.

Parsons (Delta, B.C.) led by a stroke after the opening round, but now sits three back of American Emilia Migliaccio at 1 under, tied with two other competitors.

Fellow Canadian Brigitte Thibault (Rosemère, Que.) also shot 2 over in the second round and is now at 5 over for the tournament in 16th place.

In the men’s competition, Austin Connelly of Lake Doucette, N.S., carded a round of even-par, staying at 2 under and in a tie for 12th. Teammate Joey Savoie of La Prairie, Que., is 4 over, with a share of 24th.

Canada is in 12th place in the mixed team event (low male and low female scores combined).

The field for the 2019 Pan Am Golf Competition includes 32 women and 32 men competing in women’s individual, men’s individual and mixed team competitions.

Lima 2019 runs from July 26 to August 11, bringing together approximately 6,700 athletes from 41 nations of the Americas and feature 62 disciplines in 39 sports. It is the largest sporting event ever held in Peru.

Full scoring can be found here.

NORTH BERWICK, Scotland – Mi Jung Hur surged into a two-shot lead Friday in the rain-delayed second round of the Ladies Scottish Open, getting the best of the draw and finishing in the early evening with a 9-under 62.

Alena Sharp (Hamilton, Ont.) is in a tie for 14th at 5 under par, having completed her second round before the delay.

Players with morning tee times dealt with heavy wind and rain at The Renaissance Club, and play was suspended in the early afternoon, delaying the start times for half of the field and giving them a huge advantage as the sun came out and the wind died. The second round could not be completed Friday because of darkness.

Hur, who started on No. 10, made only one par over her first 12 holes. The South Korean began with two birdies and then holed a 25-yard pitch-and-run from the rough for eagle on the par-5 12th. She made six more birdies, along with two bogeys, over her next nine, and added one more birdie to post a two-day total of 14-under 128.

“I got a really lucky draw for this week. I had the morning yesterday and afternoon today,” Hur said. “I know it was really tough this morning, but sometimes I need luck for those things.”

None of the players who started in the morning was inside the top 20.

Moriya Jutanugarn was 12 under after a 66. Sharing third at 10 under were U.S. Women’s Open champion Jeongeun Lee6 (65) and Anne van Dam, who followed her opening-round 63 with a 69.

“I think if we get decent weather, low scores are out there,” van Dam said. “If it will get rainy and more windy, maybe two rounds around par will be fine. So I have no clue.”

Muni He was 9 under with three holes to play, the best score among those who did not finish.

Former U.S. Women’s Open champion Na Yeon Choi, who has struggled with back injuries for the past four years, was 6 under after a 64. She tied for third in her previous tournament, the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, her best finish since 2016.

Laura Davies matched the best round of the morning wave with a 68. The 55-year-old Hall of Famer aced the 152-yard fifth hole, her 12th career hole-in-one.

“Lovely wedge, never left the pin,” Davies said. “It seemed to roll for ages and just dropped in.”

Only two of the 78 players with morning tee times broke 70.

“It’s probably the second-best round I’ve probably ever shot because obviously needed to have a good round to make the cut,” said Davies, who opened with a 72 and was 2 under. “I had a 6-under 66 in Canada years ago in similar conditions, but that’s as close as I can get to it. It was horrific out there. … I hit two 1-irons into the fourth, 1-iron off the tee and 1-iron into the green. I’ve never done that before.”

It was Davies’ first made cut in 11 LPGA Tour starts this year. She has been working part-time as a TV commentator and joined the Sky Sports broadcast booth after her round on Friday.

“People say, ‘Oh, should you give up and commentate, you’re a rubbish golfer now,’ but I still know I can hit shots and play like that,” Davies said. “I’ve just got to do it and prove it, and that’s the only thing. But you can only prove to yourself if you hit the good shots.”

Full scoring can be found here.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Dustin Johnson has missed nine birdie chances from 10 feet or closer at Liberty National, which ordinarily might annoy him.

He’s hitting it so well that he still leads The Northern Trust Open.

Johnson birdied three of his last six holes Friday, finishing with an approach to 8 feet on the 489-yard closing hole, for a 4-under 67 that gave him a one-shot lead over Jordan Spieth (64) going into the weekend.

Johnson has won this FedEx Cup playoffs opener twice at other courses. He was at 12-under 130.

“I’ve got a lot of control with the golf ball and hitting a lot of really nice shots and rolled in a couple putts today which is nice, but still feel like I left quite a few out there,” Johnson said. “I’m in a good position heading into the weekend, and if I can keep swinging the way I am, I think it’s going to be a good weekend.”

The weekend does not include Masters champion Tiger Woods, and neither did Friday.

Woods, who opened with a 75, withdrew a few hours before his second round was to begin because of what he described as a mild strain to the oblique that Woods says was causing pain and stiffness. It’s the first time he withdrew in the middle of a tournament since February 2017, two months before fusion surgery on his lower back. He said he was hopeful to play next week at Medinah.

Spieth might be finding some form at just the right time. Winless in more than two years, he started the PGA Tour’s post-season at No. 69 in the FedEx Cup with no assurance of staying among the top 70 who advance to next week at Medinah.

He might be one round away from thinking more about winning. Spieth was on the same score (131) that he was going into the weekend last week at the Wyndham Championship, where he followed with a 77 and missed the 54-hole cut. His shots have been tighter, his misses not that severe and he even got some good fortune on his final hole that led to a birdie and a spot in the last group with a familiar face.

Johnson and Spieth have played together at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am each of the last five years.

The opening playoff event had a strong cast of contenders, with Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed two shots behind, and Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy among those another shot back. McIlroy was just happy he wasn’t farther behind.

He walked off the par-3 14th with a double bogey because of a two-shot penalty from the bunker. McIlroy went to remove a small stone next to his ball, but realized when he touched it and it disintegrated that it was a clump of wet sand from a brief storm delay.

The original ruling was a penalty. The PGA Tour reviewed it as McIlroy played the last four holes, spoke to him after the round and determined that was no intent to improve his lie. His 70 became a 68.

“The reason I called someone over is I don’t want anything on my conscience, either,” McIlroy said. “I feel like I play the game with integrity and I’m comfortable saying that I didn’t improve anything. I thought it was a rock. It wasn’t. I moved my hand away, and then I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’ve done anything wrong here.’

“It came down to me and they said, ‘OK, are you comfortable telling us you didn’t improve your lie?’ And for me, I am comfortable saying that.”

Missing the cut meant the end of the season for at least two dozen players who would not be among the top 70, which includes Bubba Watson. Sergio Garcia would appear to be a casualty having started at No. 65 and not making it to the weekend.

The first step for Spieth was to make sure he stayed in the top 70. Now it’s about contending.

“The important thing for me is not to get ahead of myself,” Spieth said. “Historically, I’m a very consistent player. I’ve lost a bit of that. I still have the firepower but that consistency is what I’m trying to get back, and there’s certainly going to be times where I’m out of position over the weekend. It’s about limiting mistakes. One bogey over 36 holes is somewhat unrealistic week to week. But if I can hold it close to that for the next 36, again, that firepower is still there. And it would certainly shoot my confidence up.”

Johnson’s year has been quiet since winning a World Golf Championship in Mexico City for his 20th career victory. Another year passed without winning a major. He was runner-up in the first two majors, but he hasn’t finish better than 20th since the PGA Championship.

He feels the consistency in his swing is returning. And while he’s not making everything, he’s making enough and likes the way he’s rolling it.

“I feel like I’m stroking it well right now,” he said. “I worked on the stroke a lot the last couple weeks and feel good and I have confidence in it.”

Full scoring can be found here.

It wasn’t the stroll to the finish line Jim Rutledge had hoped for, but in the end, the 59-year-old from Victoria captured the PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada.

When the final round began, Rutledge held a three-shot lead over Ken Tarling and a four-shot cushion over Danny King, however, as the day wore on Rutledge’s lead dwindled away.

“I’m sure glad we ran out of holes out there this afternoon,” Rutledge joked after his final round 1-under-par 70. “Going into the back-nine I hit some wayward shots, some miscues off the tee and the next thing you know I only end up winning by a shot.”

Ontario’s King—a past winner of both the PGA Head Professional Championship and PGA Championship—came charging at Rutledge on the back nine at Carleton with four birdies over the last six holes. Unfortunately for King, his three-day total of 11-under-par was one short of Rutledge at -12.

“I knew a good charge was in me, but I just ran of out holes,” King admitted after his final round 67. “It was a lot of fun though out there today and I definitely learned a lot from being in that position.”

Ken Tarling of Ontario finished alone in third with a score of 7-under-par. He also took home Super Senior (60-years and older) honours. Quebec’s Martin Plante was fourth at -6, while Phil Jonas of B.C. rounded out the top-five at 5-under-par.

For the full leaderboard, CLICK HERE.

With his win this week in Ottawa, Rutledge now has six PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada wins. Only the iconic Moe Norman has more, with eight. Asked if he’s thought about the possibility of catching Norman, Rutledge just smiles and gives his honest take.

“I’ve obviously thought about it and as long as I’m healthy and able, I’ll keep trying to win more,” he says. “I think if Moe were still around he’d tell me to go out there and keep winning.”

The PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada was first played in 1938 as a division of the Canadian PGA Championship. In 1973, the championship became an independent event and has stayed that way since.

Among the Canadian golf legends to win the PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada are Stan Leonard, Norman—who won a record seven straight years from 1979-1985—Bob Panasik, Al Balding—who wowed the golf world by winning at age 76 in 2000—Jim Rutledge, Ray Stewart, Dave Barr, Bob Panasik, Murray Tucker, Bill Kozak, Gar Hamilton and Remi Bouchard.

The next PGA of Canada national championship takes place Sept. 16-19 at TPC Toronto Osprey Valley for the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf Canada.

Jim Rutledge knows a thing or two about what it takes to close out big time golf events.

“The game plan for the final round is to fire at all pins and try and go really low,” Rutledge said after his second round at Carleton Golf and Yacht Club in Ottawa. “I’m really just going to try and take it to the guys chasing me and see if any of them can catch me.”

Thru two rounds of the PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada, Rutledge sits atop the leaderboard at -11; three shots clear of his nearest competitor Ken Tarling of Ontario. The 59-year-old from Victoria is in search of his sixth PGA Seniors’ Championship title.

“The key to scoring well around here is keep hitting greens,” Rutledge said about Carleton Golf and Yacht Club. “The greens are so tiny around here that when you hit a green you’re going to have a good chance for birdie.”

Rutledge’s second-round 5-under-par 66 included six birdies and a bogey (which came at the last).

Rutledge’s past PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada wins came in 2017 at Burlington Golf and Country Club; 2015 at Credit Valley Golf & Country Club; 2013 at Lookout Point Country Club; 2012 at Emerald Hills Golf Club; and 2010 at Rattlesnake Point Golf Club. The 59-year-old is also a former winner on the Korn Ferry Tour; has six Mackenzie-PGA TOUR Canada titles and is a former PGA Championship of Canada winner.

The PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada was first played in 1938 as a division of the Canadian PGA Championship and features the historic Albert H. Murray Trophy. In 1973, the championship became an independent event and has stayed that way since.

Among the Canadian golf legends to win the PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada are Stan Leonard, Moe Norman—who won a record seven straight years from 1979-1985—Bob Panasik, Al Balding, Rutledge, Ray Stewart, Dave Barr, Bob Panasik, Murray Tucker, Bill Kozak, Gar Hamilton and Remi Bouchard.

Tarling is a past PGA Seniors’ Championship winner as well; and after rounds of 68-66 he finds himself alone in second place, within striking distance of Rutledge. Don’t expect the 61-year-old from Sanford, Ont., to be too consumed with what his playing competitor is doing on the course Friday, however.

“I’m not really going to worry about what Jim does out there tomorrow,” Tarling says. “I’m just going to do my own thing and at the end of the day you add it up and see how it unfolds.”

Danny King—a three time PGA Head Professional Championship and 2015 PGA Championship of Canada winner—lurks four shots off the pace in third place. Recent BC Golf Hall of Fame inductee Philip Jonas is in fourth at -6, while Ben Boudreau rounds out the top five at -4. Scott Allred, Marc Hurtbuise, Martin Plante and Bradley Rollinson are T6 at -3. The group at -2, T10 includes Marc Girouard, Graham Gunn and Dennis Hendershott.

For the full leaderboard and final round tee times can be found here.

Admittance to the PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada is free and spectators are encouraged to attend the 54-hole championship.