Benjamin Franklin once wrote that in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.

He obviously never saw a sunrise or witnessed Jim Rutledge play golf.

As certain as the sun rising in the east, the 59-year-old from Victoria began his campaign for a sixth PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada title with a bogey-free opening-round 6-under-par 65 at Carleton Golf and Yacht Club in Ottawa.

“With as little as I’ve been playing, I’m really happy with my score,” Rutledge modestly said about his effort in round one. “I hit some shots fairly close and made a couple putts, so that usually works out to a decent number.”

In pursuit of his sixth PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada, 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.

A bevy of accomplished players are chasing Rutledge, looking to dash his dreams of another PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada win. Two-time PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada winner and recent BC Golf Hall of Fame inductee Phil Jonas is one-back of his long-time friend Rutledge after a first-round 66. Perennial favourites Scott Allred of Alberta and Ontario’s Danny King lurk two-back of the lead after opening with 67 at Carleton Golf and Yacht Club. Past PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada winner Ken Tarling and Martin Plante of Quebec round out the top five at 3-under-par.

For the full leaderboard and second-round tee times, click here.

“Jim (Rutledge) is such a good player and he’s been playing well for a long time,” Jonas admitted Wednesday afternoon. “We’ve played together more than 100 times and I’ve never seen him play badly, he’s that good.”

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.

The host of both the 1998 and 2002 PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada, Carleton is considered a true shot-maker’s venue, requiring timely strategy and rewarding accuracy.

“This is the first time I’ve been here and I’m impressed at how good this golf course is,” King said. “It’s pretty tricky and you’ve got to navigate yourself around those quick, small greens.”

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.

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

HARTLAND, N.B. – Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club will welcome the nation’s premier junior golfers for the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship. The 81st playing of the tournament will take place between August 11-15 and will consist of 156 golfers from all 10 provinces across Canada.

The Canadian Junior Boys Championship has served as a significant milestone in numerous professional and amateur careers. Before playing on the PGA TOUR, Abbotsford, B.C., native Nick Taylor captured the 2006 Canadian Junior Boys Championship. Other past champions include Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members Doug Silverberg, George Knudson, Gary Cowman and Doug Roxburgh.

“Golf Canada is pleased to head to Hartland to hold our annual Canadian Junior Boys Championship,” said Akash Patel, Tournament Director and Rules and Competitions Coordinator with Golf Canada. “We have received a very warm welcome here and truly appreciate the support and commitment of the staff, volunteers and community. Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club will be a great platform to showcase the talents of Canada’s best junior golfers.”

In 2018, Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que., accomplished the rare feat of winning both the Junior and Juvenile divisions. The Team Canada National Junior Squad member became only the 10th golfer to win both titles at the same tournament, being powered to victory by a final round 6-under-par 65 – the lowest round of the tournament.

Vandette will return to defend his title in 2019. He will be joined by his Team Canada National Junior Squad teammates Laurent Desmarchais (Longueuil, Que.), Kai Iguchi (Banff, Alta.) and Jeevan Sihota (Victoria).

In addition to the title of 2019 Canadian Junior Boys champion, the winner will earn an exemption into the 2020 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

An inter-provincial team competition will take place over the first two rounds. The two best scores of the three golfers from each provincial team in rounds one and two count towards the team’s score. The lowest aggregate score over rounds one and two determines the champions.

Alberta will look to capture its fourth straight inter-provincial championship title. The trio of Chandler McDowell (Springbrook, Alta.), Ty Steinbring (Barrhead, Alta.) and Korbin Allan (Strathmore, Alta.) combined to shoot 2 over last year, a stroke ahead of Ontario.

More information about the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship can be found here.

NOTABLES

Christopher Vandette, Beaconsfield, Que.
One of the brightest prospects in Canadian golf, Vandette recently placed third at the 2019 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup. As a 16-year-old, he made the cut at the 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, and was in a tie for 7th following the opening round after posting a 68. Currently ranked first on the Future Links, driven by Acura Boys Order of Merit (despite playing half as many events as his counterparts), Vandette is looking to defend his title.

Laurent Desmarchais, Longueuil, Que.
Desmarchais won six tournaments in 2018, with his win at the Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship being the highlight. After missing the cut at both the Canadian Men’s Amateur and Junior Boys Championships, he finished in the top-two in each of his next three tournaments, including a win at the Quebec Junior Boys Provincial Championship. Desmarchais won the 2019 PNGA Amateur Championship in July.

Kai Iguchi, Banff, Alta.
Iguchi is in his first year on the Team Canada National Junior Squad. His 2018 season featured a victory at the Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship and he finished in a tie for 11th at the 2018 Canadian Junior Boys Championship. This season, Iguchi earned a top-10 at The Glencoe Invitational in June.

Jeevan Sihota, Victoria
The youngest member of the Team Canada National Junior Squad at just 15, Sihota earned a third-place finish at the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship, a competition he won in 2017. While he didn’t win a tournament in 2018, Sihota strung together a series of strong performances that included numerous runner-up and third-place results.

Michael Crisologo, Richmond, B.C.
Crisologo played well at the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship this year, holding off the likes of Vandette and Desmarchais to win the event in a playoff. The brother of Team Canada National Amateur Squad member Chris Crisologo, Michael is looking for some family bragging rights – Chris never finished better than tenth at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

FAST FACTS

The first championship was held in 1938, which was won by James Hogan.

The junior champion earns an exemption into the 2020 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

Canadian Golf Hall of Famers who have won the championship include Doug Silverberg, George Knudson, Gary Cowan and Doug Roxburgh.

In 1970, the 16-and-under Juvenile Championship was added to the event. It runs concurrently with the competition and the winner receives the Jack Bailey Trophy.

In 2018, Christopher Vandette won the Juvenile and Junior titles, thanks to a final round 6-under-par 65.

Ten golfers have won both the Juvenile and Junior titles: Jim Rutledge, Jeff Makahon, Rob McMillan, Jesse Collinson, Dustin Risdon, Gord Scutt, Rafael Lee, Mitch Sutton, Charles-Éric Bélanger and Vandette.

There is a Junior Inter-Provincial Team championship that is held in conjunction with the first 36 holes of the tournament, which has been held since 1959. Alberta has won the last three Inter-Provincial Championships.

Current PGA TOUR player Nick Taylor captured the title in 2006.

The lowest single-round score in the tournament’s history is a 62, achieved in the third round in 2017 by Calvin Ross, a Fredericton, N.B. product. Ross went on to win the championship.

Mitchell Sutton was the last competitor to win back-to-back titles, doing so in 2009 and 2010.

More information on the event including tee times can be found here.

HAMMOND PLAINS, N.S. – William Buhl of Fairhope, Ala., extended his lead to five strokes on moving day at the 115^th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship held at Glen Arbour Golf Course in Hammond Plains, N.S.

Buhl, who was born in Oslo, Norway, carded a round of 3-under-par 67, moving to 8 under for the tournament. A member of the University of Arkansas golf team, Buhl made four back-nine birdies to open a convincing lead heading into Thursday’s final round. All three of the 22-year-old’s rounds have been in the 60s.

“I was telling myself ‘be patient’ the whole time,” said Buhl. “I’ve got the lead. There are two guys behind me, but at the same time, I wanted to play aggressive. I’m not going to change anything – that’s not the kind of person I am and that’s not the kind of player I am.”

Buhl is only the second player representing Norway to play the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in the tournament’s 115-year history, joining Kristoffer Ventura. Ventura finished in a tie for fifth in 2016 and is now playing on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“It’s good to represent Norway,” said Buhl. “It’s still part of my heritage, so being able to represent them and being able to be out in front is a great feeling. Glen Arbour is a very good golf course. It’s gettable, but also has its strong points as well.”

Sitting five strokes back of Buhl is Luke Kluver (Norfolk, Neb.) at 3 under par. Kluver entered the third round in a tie for fourth at even-par, but five front-nine birdies vaulted 19-year-old into second place.

Jacob Eklund (Carbondale, Ill.) and Julien Sale, a Gatineau, Que., resident representing France, are tied for third at 2 under. Both shot under par in round three, with Sale carding 3 under and Eklund firing a round of 2 under.

Johnny Travale (Stoney Creek, Ont.) rocketed up the leaderboard with a round of 4-under-par 66 – tied for the lowest score in the third round. Travale is a former member of the Team Canada National Junior Squad and is alone in fifth place at 1 under. The 18-year-old held a share of the lead after round one.

In addition to claiming the title of 2019 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, the winner will earn exemptions into the 2019 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C. and the 2020 RBC Canadian Open at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto from June 8-14.

The champion will also be eligible to receive an exemption into the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Mid-Amateur or the U.S. Senior Amateur, if applicable.

Click here for full scoring.

HAMMOND PLAINS, N.S. – William Buhl of Oslo, Norway, fired 4-under-par 68 to take a two-stroke lead into moving day at the 115th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship held at Glen Arbour Golf Course and co-hosted by The Links at Brunello.

Buhl’s 68 broke the previous course record at The Links at Brunello by three strokes. He went bogey-free on the back nine, sinking six birdies in round two to move himself to 5 under par for the tournament.

“Really just never lost a golf ball off the tee and only missed one or two fairways,” said Buhl. “I didn’t hit a wedge outside 12-feet today – that’s always a positive. I have to stay patient but stay aggressive at the same time and take advantage of the holes that are open to me. It should be a good test.”

The Norwegian, who is a member of the University of Arkansas golf team and now resides in Fairhope, Ala., carded a round of 1 under at Glen Arbour on Monday. This is his first appearance at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

Reid Davenport of Austin, Tex., sits in second at 3 under. Davenport’s day got off to a rough start, with a double-bogey on the par-4 No. 1 at Brunello. The 19-year-old, who finished fourth at the Porter Cup earlier this year, recovered by making four birdies and carding a round of 2 under.

“It’s plain and simple, I put my tee shot in the fairway,” said Davenport. “If you hit the fairway out here, you’re going to play well. Staying patient will be key, because I don’t know what the conditions are going to be. I have to keep doing me.”

The low Canadian of the second round was Sam Meek of Peterborough, Ont., who sits alone in third place. Playing at Glen Arbour, Meek carded a round of 5 under 65 – the lowest round of the tournament thus far.

This is Meek’s fourth appearance at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. The 2016 Canadian Junior Boys champion’s best result at the event came in 2017, when he finished in a tie for 13th.

Buhl, Davenport and Meek are the only golfers under par after the first 36 holes.

There is a four-way tie for fourth place at even-par; Samuel Anderson (Stoughton, Wis.), Matt Sharpstene (Cornelius, N.C.), Jacob Eklund (Carbondale, Ill.) and Luke Kluver (Norfolk, Neb.).

Team Ontario, consisting of consisting of Matthew Anderson (Mississauga, Ont.), Charles Fitzsimmons (London, Ont.) and Ty Celone (Long Sault, Ont.) won the 36-hole inter-provincial team competition by combining to shoot 16 over. Team Alberta finished runner-up, two shots behind Ontario at 18 over.

This is Ontario’s first Willingdon Cup since 2014 and their 32nd since the inter-provincial competition was established in 1927.

A total of 76 players who finished 10 over par or better have advanced to the final two rounds that will be contested at Glen Arbour.

In addition to claiming the title of 2019 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, the winner will earn exemptions into the 2019 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C. and the 2020 RBC Canadian Open at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto from June 8-14.

The champion will also be eligible to receive an exemption into the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Mid-Amateur or the U.S. Senior Amateur, if applicable.

Click here for full scoring.

Catching up with Bruce Mitchell to reflect about his experience as the first Canadian to be named captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) is a daunting task. That, no doubt, is because he’s still doing his own catching up after a whirlwind year in the post, one of the most prestigious in the world of golf.

A member of the R&A since 1988, Mitchell was nominated by past captains to become just the ninth internationally appointed captain of the revered organization. The captain’s duties include representing the R&A and aiding its effort in developing golf around the world as well as attending all R&A championships while embracing the role of ambassador for the club. It’s an exhausting but exhilarating experience.

“They send you a letter telling you that the past captains want to bestow this honour on you,” Mitchell told SCOREGolf’s Rick Young. “I have to tell you I was in absolute shock. I read the opening paragraph, read it again and was simply lost for words. My wife and I were in the kitchen. She looked at me read it and she said, ‘Who died?’”

Born in Victoria and raised in Edmonton, Mitchell is the founder, owner and president of Toronto-based Permian Industries, a management and holding company with sole or significant shareholdings in two food companies and two software providers. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Bank of Montreal and other public company, private corporation and not-for-profit Boards. He is on vice-chair of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, on the Board of St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation and a trustee of the Ridley College Foundation.

His golf resume is as impressive as his business portfolio. A past-president of the Toronto Golf Club, Mitchell is a past club champion of Windermere Golf and Country Club where he was a trustee and co-chair. In 2001, he won both the Queen Victoria Jubilee Vase and the Royal Sydney Plate, which are matchplay knockout competitions played during the R&A’s autumn meeting.

Throughout his one-year tenure, Mitchell told Young, “Everywhere I have gone, I have been treated almost like royalty. It really doesn’t have anything to do with me as an individual, Bruce Mitchell, golfer or lack thereof. It really has everything to do with the respect and reverence in which the R&A is held throughout the world. There is a governing body heavily invested in golf while trying to do the best and everything it can to preserve a game we all love. I just happen to be the representative of it.”

Past captains of the R&A have included six members of the Royal Family including the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VIII. In 1922, during the ceremonial “driving in” for all new captains, he hit his shot off the toe of his club, scattering bystanders and striking a fence 50 metres away.

In contrast, Mitchell, despite feeling “huge excitement and a lot of nerves as I addressed the ball,” managed to sail his ceremonial tee shot down the hallowed first fairway of the Old Course at St Andrews.

It was an auspicious start to an incredible year.

For the purists and the shotmakers, the new Titleist 620 CB and MB irons carry on Titleist’s legacy of delivering tour-proven shot control and unmatched feel in precise cavity back and muscle back forgings.

Available for fittings beginning Aug. 8 (and in golf shops Aug. 30), 620 CB and MB have been refined based on tour player feedback with improved shaping and even smoother turf interaction.

The new 620 CB and MB designs feature progressive blade lengths, with compact short irons progressing into slightly larger blade lengths at the long end of the set. The profiles of 620 CB and MB have also been matched to make for seamless transitions for the growing number of players with mixed CB and MB sets.

“The ‘600’ designation is a nod back to our original 600 series of forged blades from the early- to mid-2000’s,” said Josh Talge, Vice President, Titleist Golf Club Marketing. “These designs are an important part of our company’s heritage, as they proved that Titleist knew how to make the best irons for the best ball strikers in the world.”

FREE TRIAL & FITTINGS

Beginning Aug. 8, golfers can experience the performance of new 620 irons by attending a Titleist Fitting and Trial event (including Titleist Thursdays), being held at hundreds of locations nationwide. To find an event, or book a free iron fitting with a Titleist Product Specialist, golfers can visit  https://www.titleist.ca/events/. 

CB PERFORMANCE & TECHNOLOGY

620 CB provides playability and precision – plus a boost in long iron performance – in a classic player’s shape and feel.

• Modern cavity back design delivers tour-proven trajectory and shotmaking with pure forged feel.
• Progressive blade lengths with thinner top lines offer player-preferred shaping from long to short irons.
• Reduced offset enhances workability and shot control.
• Co-forged high-density tungsten in the 3- and 4-irons maximizes ball speed and forgiveness for more consistent long iron performance.
• New matched profile creates seamless transition in mixed CB and MB sets.
• Tour preferred sole with added improves performance and feel through the turf.

“Our ability to use co-forged high-density tungsten in such a compact blade size like 620 CB is extremely powerful, especially at the long end of the set where players need the most help with launch and forgiveness,” said Marni Ines, Director, Titleist Irons Development. “We’ve seen many MB players gravitate toward mixed sets particularly because that combination of performance and workability in the CB 3- and 4- irons is so compelling. At the same time, with mixed sets becoming so common, we matched the profiles and blade lengths of 620 CB and MB so that players can start blending at any point in the set without making any sacrifices.”

MB PERFORMANCE & TECHNOLOGY

620 MB is a modern muscle back designed for precision shotmaking – with the look and feel demanded by the golfing purist.

• Advanced muscle-back design delivers tour-proven flight with maximum shot and trajectory control.
• Progressive blade lengths offer player-preferred shaping from long to short irons.
• Reduced offset enhances workability and shot control.
• New matched profile creates seamless transition in mixed CB and MB sets.
• Tour-preferred MB sole offers smoother and more efficient turf interaction.
• One-piece forging from 1025 carbon steel delivers the purest feel at impact.
• Clean, brushed chrome finish features only one graphic – the Titleist script.

“The performance of Titleist MB’s is so tried and true that when we ask players for feedback, many of them just want to talk about the aesthetics,” Talge said. “One request we started to hear over and over from both pros and amateurs was to make MB as clean as possible. Really the only way to do that was to remove any ‘MB’ graphic, leaving only the Titleist script on the back of the club head. MB players know what an MB is, so that’s what we did. It’s a simply stunning result.”

620 CB & MB STOCK SHAFTS

• CB: True Temper Project X LZ | Mid launch, low spin | 120g
• MB: True Temper Project X | Low launch, low spin | 120g

In addition, Titleist offers an industry-leading number of custom shaft choices, many at no upcharge.

620 AVAILABILITY: New Titleist 620 irons will be available in golf shops worldwide beginning Aug. 30, with fittings beginning Aug. 8.

• Steel: MAP $235 CAD per club ($1,880 CAD/set of 8)

Titleist, the longstanding #1 iron on the PGA Tour, delivers three strikingly new iron designs as part of the Titleist T-Series – available for fittings beginning this Thursday, Aug. 8 (and in golf shops Aug. 30).

Powered by breakthrough technology – including Max Impact for maximum speed and distance control across the face – the new T-Series T100, T200 and T300 models offer a combination of power, performance, playability and feel unlike anything Titleist has ever designed:

• A true players’ iron, T100 offers confidence-inspiring looks and Tour-quality performance with signature Titleist feel. A new fully-forged cavity construction is balanced by co-forged, dual-density tungsten for precise distance control with exceptional stability.
• T200 delivers powerfully playable distance with a tour-inspired look and feel. Max Impact technology spreads maximum speed and distance control evenly across T200’s thin, forged L-face ­– with high launch and stopping power – to convert near misses into nearly perfect.

• T300 offers the most forgiving player’s experience possible with a modern shape that rewards with faster ball speeds and preferred feel. Max Impact technology extends maximum speed across an extremely forgiving mid-size face, powering a fast cavity-back design that delivers the best combination of high launch, long distance and forgiveness.

“There are three key elements to hitting a great iron shot: distance, dispersion and angle of descent,” said Marni Ines, Director, Titleist Irons Development, Golf Club R&D. “T-Series technology helps players carry the ball longer and hit their number more consistently, even when they don’t make a perfect strike. Dispersion is tighter, so the ball stays on target. And trajectory is optimized, so the ball not only lands on the green, but stays there. Length means nothing if you don’t have control.”

INTRODUCING MAX IMPACT

T200 and T300 irons are powered by Max Impact Technology, a striking innovation that extends maximum speed across the entire face of mid and long irons while preserving superior sound and feel. A super thin face is backed by a unique polymer core – developed in partnership with Titleist Golf Ball R&D – to provide consistently better distance from every swing.

“Max Impact allows us to make thinner, faster faces that push the limits of iron ball speed,” Ines said. “With this system in place, we’re able to take our materials and make them thinner and faster to maximize speed across the face, and help give us the launch angle we need to deliver more consistent distances on every swing. In other words, you’ll end up with more shots that hit the green – and stop there.

FREE TRIAL & FITTINGS

Beginning Aug. 8, golfers can experience the performance of new T-Series irons by attending a Titleist Fitting and Trial event (including Titleist Thursdays), being held at hundreds of locations nationwide. To find an event, or book a free T-Series iron fitting with a Titleist Product Specialist, golfers can visit https://www.titleist.ca/events.

T100 PERFORMANCE & TECHNOLOGY

The player’s iron, T100 is masterfully designed to achieve new heights of tour-level precision with signature Titleist feel. A result of direct tour player feedback – including Jordan Spieth, who put a full set in play at the Open Championship – the T100 is for the player who wants to play a true Tour iron.

• New fully-forged dual cavity construction provides precise distance and control.
• Thinner, more responsive face increases ball speed across the face.
• Co-forged dual-density tungsten (with an average of 66 grams placed in the heel and toe of the mid and long irons) delivers exceptional stability.
• Tour-refined sole shape features a thin topline, minimal offset and enhanced camber for improved turf interaction.
• Progressive set design – with progressive blade lengths, sole widths and hosel lengths – delivers optimal CG positioning with preferred shaping through the set.
• Available irons: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, P, W50.

“With T100 we wanted to build an iron that delivers incredible performance and perfectly suits the player’s eye,” Ines said. “This is a precision product. It’s not about hitting it the furthest, it’s about hitting it that exact distance each and every time, being able to work the ball when necessary and having that pure look and feel that the best players in the world demand.” 

T200 PERFORMANCE & TECHNOLOGY

T200 is the player’s distance iron, with Max Impact technology subtly integrated into a shape that satisfies the discerning eye. With T200, players gain the distance they want without sacrificing looks, feel, trajectory or stopping power.

• Max Impact technology delivers maximum speed and distance control across a forged SUP-10 L-Face Insert.
• High-density tungsten (with an average of 90 grams placed in the heel and toe of the mid and long irons) produces low CG for higher launch with stopping power.
• Progressive set design – with progressive blade lengths, sole widths and hosel lengths – delivers optimal CG positioning with preferred shaping through the set.
• Tour-inspired look and feel with thinner topline and enhanced camber for improved turf interaction.
• Available irons: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, P, W48.

“When you have a face technology like Max Impact, it becomes doubly important to balance the construction with high-density tungsten to achieve the high MOI you need to keep the club stable at impact,” Ines said. “Having such high MOI properties at our blade lengths allows the iron face to return more energy to the golf ball on off center shots and produce more consistent distances. If you don’t have a high MOI, you’re not going to get the full benefits out of your face design.”

T300 PERFORMANCE & TECHNOLOGY

The player’s improvement iron, T300 is powered by Max Impact technology to extend maximum speed evenly across an extremely forgiving mid-sized face. T300 is designed for the player who wants high launch, long distance and forgiveness they can trust.

• Mid-sized, fast cavity-back design is designed for maximum distance and forgiveness.
• Max Impact technology delivers maximum speed and distance control.
• High-density tungsten (with an average of 52 grams placed in the heel and toe of the mid and long irons) produces a low CG for a higher, easy launch.
• Progressive set design – with progressive blade lengths, sole widths and hosel lengths – delivers optimal CG positioning with preferred shaping through the set.
• Available irons: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, P, W48, W53.

HIGH PERFORMANCE STOCK SHAFT MATRIX

The T-Series’ high-performance stock shaft matrix includes premium steel (True Temper AMT) and graphite (Mitsubishi MCA Tensei) aftermarket options designed with tour-proven ascending mass technology.

which provides lighter long iron shafts for increased launch and speed and heavier short iron shafts for control in specific weight ranges matched to the target players for T100, T200 and T300.

T100:

• Steel: True Temper AMT Tour White | Low launch, low spin | 106-130g (3g per club)
• Graphite: Mitsubishi MCA Tensei White AM2 | Low launch, low spin | 94-108g (2g per club)

T200:

• Steel: True Temper AMT Black | Mid launch, mid spin | 95-116g (3g per club)
• Graphite: Mitsubishi MCA Tensei Blue AM2 | Mid launch, mid spin | 74-88g (2g per club)

T300:

• Steel: True Temper AMT Red| Low launch, low spin | 95-107g (3g per club)
• Graphite: Mitsubishi MCA Tensei Red AM2 | Low launch, low spin | 54-68g (2g per club)

In addition, Titleist offers an industry-leading number of custom shaft choices, many at no upcharge.

T-SERIES AVAILABILITY: New Titleist T-Series irons will be available in golf shops worldwide beginning Aug. 30, with fittings beginning Aug. 8.

T100 & T200:

• Steel: MAP $235 CAD per club ($1,645 CAD/set of 7)

T300:

• Steel: MAP $171 CAD per club ($1,197 CAD/set of 7)
• Graphite: MAP $204 CAD per club ($1,428/set of 7)

HAMMOND PLAINS, N.S. – Johnny Travale of Stoney Creek, Ont., David Snyder of McAllen, Tex., and Matt Sharpstene of Cornelius, N.C., each hold a share of the lead after the opening round of the 115th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship held at Glen Arbour Golf Course and co-hosted by The Links at Brunello.

Travale, Snyder and Sharpstene all carded rounds of 3-under-par 67 at Glen Arbour.

Travale, a former member of the Team Canada National Junior Squad, fired a bogey-free round that included back-to-back birdies on holes No. 5 and No. 6.

Snyder birdied three of his first five holes, playing even-par golf for the rest of his round. The 21-year-old won the 2019 NCAA Championship with Sandford University.

“The best part of my game today was my driving, I just kept it in good position all day,” said Snyder. “I didn’t have any tree trouble, which is possible out here, so it kept the round nice and smooth throughout all 18 holes. Tomorrow I’d like to get a little better with my wedges from 100 to about 130 yards. I feel like I had some opportunities today that I didn’t capitalize on.”

Sharpstene birdied all three par-5’s at Glen Arbour during his first career round in Canada, but a pair of bogeys brought him back to 3 under.

“I hit my tee ball really well,” said Sharpstene. “I didn’t put myself in any bad spots today. I made a couple of putts. The driver was key, so hopefully I can keep it going.”

Julien Sale, a Gatineau, Que., product representing France, is in fourth place at 2 under.

The players will switch courses for round two – any competitor who played round one at Glen Arbour will play at The Links at Brunello and vice versa.

Team Ontario consisting of Matthew Anderson (Mississauga, Ont.), Charles Fitzsimmons (London, Ont.) and Ty Celone (Long Sault, Ont.) jumped out to an early lead in the 36-hole inter-provincial competition for the Willingdon Cup. The trio combined for a score of 7 over par and a one-stroke lead.

Team Québec is in second place at 8 under par. The Willingdon Cup champion will be crowned on Tuesday at Glen Arbour.

In addition to claiming the title of 2019 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, the winner will earn exemptions into the 2019 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C. and the 2020 RBC Canadian Open at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto from June 8-14.

The champion will also be eligible to receive an exemption into the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Mid-Amateur or the U.S. Senior Amateur, if applicable.

Players from a record 15 countries are competing at the 2019 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. This is the second Golf Canada championship conducted at Glen Arbour Golf Course, as the club hosted the 2005 CP Women’s Open, won by Meena Lee. Recent Golf Canada championships held in Nova Scotia have yielded some notable winners; Adam Svensson won the 2012 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, Garrett Rank won the 2015 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur and Hye-jin Choi was crowned the 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion.

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EDMONTON, ALTA — For the first time since 2016, a Canadian picked up a win on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada.

Entering the 1932byBateman open with a heap of momentum following a runner-up finish at the Osprey Valley Open and a T3 at the HFX Pro-Am, Taylor Pendrith set the Edmonton Country Club course record with a closing 62, the best round on Sunday by three strokes, to win on the Mackenzie Tour for the first time of his career.

“I don’t know if it’s sunk in yet, but it feels really good and I’ve been so close many times,” said Pendrith, who lost in three separate playoffs during his 2015 Mackenzie Tour campaign. “To know that I’m a winner on this Tour brings me a lot of confidence. It’s hard to win on any Tour, so it feels awesome to be the champion here.”

41 events have transpired on the Mackenzie Tour since Adam Cornelson won the 2016 Bayview Place DCBankOpen, the last time a red and white flag was at the top of a leaderboard at week’s end.

“I’m having a lot of fun this year, travelling around and trying to have more fun than I have in the past,” said the Golf Canada Young Pro Squad team member. “It’s so cool seeing the fans out cheering on the Canadians, I’m not sure if there’s ever been more Canadians on the PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour and here, so it’s pretty awesome.”

Pendrith entered Sunday trailing leader Will Gordon by four strokes, but birdies on three of his final four holes on the front nine quickly shrunk the gap and put the Canadian within two of the lead.

“Honestly, I didn’t look at the leaderboard all day today,” said Pendrith, who has played his last 16 Mackenzie Tour rounds in the 60s. “I’ve been playing really well the past few events and I knew a low one would potentially jump me up. I had a feeling on the first tee I was going to go post a low one.”

Three more birdies in his next six holes matched Pendrith with Gordon and Ryan Ruffels, who was also having himself a day with five birdies in his first 10 holes.

Eyeing down the 17^th hole, where he had made eagle in two of his previous three rounds, Pendrith launched a mammoth drive 390-yards down the fairway and had a gap wedge into the 560-yard hole.

“I figured I was getting close to the lead, but I didn’t really know,” said the 28-year old. “I thought about hitting 3-wood, but I decided that I had been hitting driver great all week, so I stuck with it and hit a really good drive, the best of the week there for sure.”

The Richmond Hill, Ontario native stuck his shot 10-feet from the cup and watched anxiously as his eagle try caught the edge of the hole and dropped to give himself a two-stroke lead.

“It was a really difficult putt, but it caught the high side,” said the fourth-ranked player on the Order of Merit. “I thought it was going to lip out on the high side, and then it dropped and that really capped off the round.”

Pendrith made a stress-free two-putt on the par-3 finishing hole and then went to the driving range to prepare for what could have been the first playoff of the season.

“It’s nice to finally break through and get that win,” said Pendrith. “I’ve been so close before, especially this season. With four events left I really want to keep that momentum going and maybe even jump another spot up the Order of Merit.”

Along with the victory, Pendrith picked up his fourth Canada Life Canadian Player of the Week Award of the season and is in good position to secure the second Dan Halldorson trophy of his career, awarded to the Canada Life Canadian Player of the Year.

Making birdie on his final two holes of the tournament, Lorens Chan finished as the runner-up to Pendrith.

Full results can be found here.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – J.T. Poston kept racking up birdies and pars – but no bogeys – at the Wyndham Championship. They added up to his first PGA Tour victory – and a first-time-in-decades achievement.

Poston shot an 8-under 62 on Sunday for a one-stroke victory at the tour’s regular-season finale.

Canadians Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) and Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.) finished in a tie for 22nd at 13 under.

Poston tied Henrik Stenson’s 2-year-old tournament record at 22-under 258, and became the first player since Lee Trevino in 1974 to win a 72-hole stroke-play event on tour without any bogeys or worse.

“I probably haven’t had that many bogey-free rounds this year,” Poston said. “To be able to do four in a row is pretty special, and finish it off with a 62 on Sunday is pretty awesome.”

The native North Carolinian began his round three strokes back, took the lead for good with – what else? – a birdie on the par-5 15th hole, then finished with three straight pars to earn $1,116,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points.

Webb Simpson was at 21 under after a 65. Byeong Hun An, who held or shared the lead after each of the first three rounds, three-putted the 18th for a bogey and a 67 to finish two shots back. Trying to force a playoff with a birdie, he nearly holed a 60-footer but had it run well past.

“Nothing was really working at the end,” An said. “I just ran out of juice.”

Poston, a former Western Carolina golfer playing a 100-mile drive from his hometown of Hickory, became the third player in 11 years with strong local ties to win at Sedgefield Country Club. He joined 2008 winner Carl Petterson – a Swede who grew up in Greensboro – and Simpson, the 2011 champion who’s from Raleigh and played college golf at Wake Forest.

“To be able to do it here in North Carolina, with a lot of friends and family, I don’t think I could have drawn it up any better,” Poston said.

Poston closed the gap with An with three birdies and an eagle on the front nine.

Then came the key hole: No. 15. Poston took sole possession of the lead with a birdie on that hole after placing a bunker chip 6 feet from the flagstick.

An, playing two groups behind Poston, sent his tee shot on that hole into the weeds. He took a penalty stroke, then landed his third shot left of the green, left his chip 35 feet short and dropped to 20 under after two-putting for his first bogey of the tournament.

“The bogey was definitely the killer, I think, because I knew I needed to make a birdie there,” An said.

After a birdie on the next hole and a par on 17, An needed to finish with a birdie to force a playoff. He sent his tee shot into the trees and recovered by landing his second shot 60 feet from the pin.

Simpson – who finished second for the second straight week – earned his seventh top-10 finish at this tournament since 2010 and climbed to No. 9 on the playoff points list, earning $550,000 in bonus money as part of the inaugural Wyndham Rewards Top 10 program.

“Honestly, it wasn’t even on the radar going into Memphis (last week),” Simpson said. “I was too far back, I thought, unless I did something crazy. So yeah, it was on my mind this week.”

Nine players started this tournament with a shot at some of that cash, but only Simpson and Paul Casey came away with some. Casey finished eighth on the points list and earned $600,000.

The other annual subplot at Sedgefield focused on the players on the playoff bubble. Two players who began the tournament outside the top 125 – No. 129 Patton Kizzire and No. 134 Andrew Landry – played their way into the field for The Northern Trust next week in New Jersey. An average of 2.7 players played their way into the top 125 in this tournament’s previous dozen years as the tour’s final pre-playoff event.

“I definitely knew what I was playing for,” Kizzire said.

Full results can be found here.