Canadian golf legend Mike Weir has been officially inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame, joining an esteemed group of national icons recognized for their exceptional contributions to Canadian culture and achievement. The induction ceremony took place on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Weir, born in Sarnia and raised in Brights Grove, Ontario, is celebrated for his historic victory at the 2003 Masters Tournament, where he became the first Canadian and the first left-handed golfer to win the prestigious event. Over his professional career, Weir has secured eight PGA Tour victories and has been a prominent figure in international golf competitions, including multiple appearances in the Presidents Cup as a player, assistant captain, and most recently as the captain of the International Team in 2024.

Beyond his achievements on the course, Weir has been a dedicated advocate for youth mental health. Through the Mike Weir Foundation, he played a pivotal role in establishing a youth wellness hub in downtown Sarnia, contributing approximately $1 million towards the $3 million project, which opened its doors in 2023.

Weir’s induction into Canada’s Walk of Fame places him among a distinguished group of 2025 honourees, including rock band Our Lady Peace, actress Tonya Williams, classical guitarist Liona Boyd, cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Tirone David, humanitarian Dr. Samantha Nutt, filmmaker Shawn Levy, hotelier Isadore Sharp, and the Toronto International Film Festival.

The ceremony celebrated the diverse accomplishments of these Canadians, with Walk of Fame CEO Jeffrey Latimer highlighting the unique voices and contributions of each inductee. A televised version of the induction ceremony is scheduled to air on July 1 at 7 p.m. on CBC and CBC Gem.

Weir’s induction is a testament to his enduring impact on Canadian sports and his commitment to community service, solidifying his legacy as one of Canada’s most influential athletes.

WARMAN, Sask. – The Legends Golf Club in Warman, Sask. gears up to host its first-ever Golf Canada event for the playing of the 2025 NextGen Prairie Championship, June 12-15.

The NextGen Championship series returns to the province for the first time since 2023 and welcomes 120 of western Canada’s best Junior golfers – 90 Junior Boys and 30 Junior Girls – for 54 holes of competition. The field will be reduced to approximately the top 52 individuals in the Junior Boys division and top 17 players in the Junior Girls division after 36 holes, with the final round taking centre stage on Sunday, June 15.

Similarly to previous stops on the NextGen Championship circuit this season, exemptions into each of the Canadian Junior Championships will be awarded to the tournament’s top finishers. In the Junior Boys Division, the top six players, including the low medalist following the conclusion of the final round, will earn exemptions into the Canadian Junior Boys Championship set for August 11-15 at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B.

In the Junior Girls division, the top six finishers from the event, including ties, will help round out the field at this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship taking place August 12 – 16 at Club de golf Sainte-Marie in Sainte Marie, Que. The top two players in both divisions will also earn exemptions into the 2025 Canadian U15 Championship set for August 27-29 at Pitt Meadows Golf Club in Pitt Meadows, B.C.

Notably, the event will also serve as one of three qualifiers to make up Team Saskatchewan for the Canadian Summer Games set to take place August 18-22 at Bally Haly Country Club in St. John’s, N.L. A pair male and female players above the age of 19 will each qualify for the event.

Playing in his home province, Ryan Mosher of Saskatoon, Sask. will look to successfully defend his title after definitively taking the event by three strokes in 2024. The NextGen Prairie Championship will be Mosher’s second appearance of the Championship season, having played in the NextGen Western Championship at Trestle Creek Golf & Resort earlier this month.

Chase Lassman of Parkland County, Alta., Lucas Sturgeon of Saskatoon, Sask., and Ryan Badger of Edmonton, Alta. will also be in the NextGen Prairie Championship field just weeks after competing against one another in a playoff to decide the NextGen Western Championship.

Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon of Vancouver, B.C. will headline the Junior Girls’ division this week and will be vying for her second NextGen Championship victory this month after claiming her maiden title at Trestle Creek Golf & Resort.

“We are so proud and excited to welcome the NextGen Prairie Championship to the Legends Golf Club – partnering with Golf Canada is proving to be a wonderful opportunity,” said Davidson Matyczuk, head golf professional, Legends Golf Club. “The Legends has been a strong supporter of junior golf in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and with this Championship, we are now able to extend that support to the national stage. We are certainly looking forward to welcoming everyone to Warman and the Legends Golf Club this week.”

The Legends Golf Club offers a unique caveat of being a links-style course – the first layout of its kind on the 2025 Championship season. Operating since 2011, the course has become one of the premier golf experiences in Saskatchewan and has hosted provincial amateur championships at the junior, mid-amateur and professional level.

Though the course’s wide and undulating fairways offer a sense of comfort for players off the tee, thick patches of fescue strenuously defend the property and force players to rethink their club choices on every hole.

“Competitors should expect a fair but challenging test of their skills, course management and mental toughness to be successful,” continued Matyczuk. Bunkers at nearly every hole location and water lurking on 10 of the 18 holes makes approaching the green a challenge, pairing up formidably with a series of tight pin locations to challenge the short game of those who dare to be aggressive at The Legends Golf Club.

“Historically having success in a Next Gen Championship will open up new opportunities and provides validation that they can compete amongst the best in Canada. We are confident that our links-style layout will identify the top performers from the field of 30 Girls and 90 Boys as they compete for not only the individual titles, but for exemptions into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship and the Canadian Junior Boys Championship later this summer.”

To follow the live leaderboard of the NextGen Prairie Championship throughout the week, please click here.

About the NextGen Championships

The NextGen Championships are a high-performance junior golf series which totals six competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2025 national junior championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.

This is arguably the toughest stretch for Canada’s best male golfers, with two of their biggest events of year on back-to-back weeks.

Nick Taylor, Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes were all in the mix in the final round of the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday, the only PGA Tour event north of the border and a tournament that they consider “the fifth major” of their year. 

On Thursday they will tee it up at an official major, the third of the men’s season, when the U.S. Open starts at the infamously challenging Oakmont Country Club outside of Pittsburgh.

Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., said that the transition between the two tournaments can be difficult.

“Managing your rest, your energy levels, is huge,” said Taylor after finishing his final round of the Canadian Open at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. “The hard part going into next week, I’ve never been there. I’m going to see the golf course. I’m going to put some time in on the greens, around the greens, and just try to get as much rest as possible.

“I’ll have three days to manage that. It’s not like I’m going to be searching for anything golf game-wise because I feel like I’m in a good spot, so that’s definitely a nice thing.”

There are more media demands placed on Canada’s golfers ahead of the Canadian Open as they help promote the national men’s championship. Coupled with the desire to win the title — Taylor is the only Canadian to manage the feat in over 70 years — and the pressure of larger galleries, it can be an exhausting week.

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., said that he and the other 23 Canadians at the national championship look forward to the Canadian Open every year.

“It’s the one time of the year that we’ve got everybody cheering for us, and we want to put on a good show for the fans. They get it once a year,” he said. “They were awesome this week, really, tons of great crowds. 

“It’s a long week for us. We don’t get this every week, so it’s a little more mentally draining (…) There’s a lot of people around, saying hi to a lot of people, a lot of familiar faces, but it’s awesome.”

Conners, from Listowel, Ont., is the top-ranked Canadian on the PGA Tour so far this season, sitting ninth headed into the U.S. Open. Taylor is 14th on the FedEx Cup points list, Pendrith is 30th and Hughes is 47th.

Like Pendrith, Conners praised the fans at the Canadian Open, even going so far as to say it helped prepare him for the major at Oakmont.

“It’s cool to play in front of the home fans here, and a lot of people show up and support all the Canadian guys,” said Conners. “It’s a special feeling to be out there kind of living my dream.

“They kind of make me more relaxed. They give me some more energy. I’ve had a blast playing in front of them this week. Not feeling too worn out heading into what I know will be a demanding week (at the U.S. Open).”

Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., also took the back-to-back events in stride.

“I wouldn’t say it’s too difficult. We kind of do that sort of stuff all the time,” he said. “Week to week we make adjustments, and we get ready to go for the next one. 

“Obviously, (the Canadian Open) is more of a taxing week for us as Canadians, but I’ll get myself ready to go for Thursday and hopefully have a great week over there.”

Although there are some similarities between TPC Toronto and Oakmont — especially penal rough — there’s no doubt which one is harder to play.

“I’ve heard some scary thing the last few days,” said Taylor, who will be playing Oakmont for the first time this week. “It’s probably hack-out rough, as in just hit a wedge 50 yards down the fairway and play from there.

“So if you can, be up and around the greens as much as possible.”

Pendrith said that the although they both have deep rough, the fairways are relatively wide at TPC Toronto compared to Oakmont. 

“I went two weeks ago. It’s hard, yeah,” said Pendrith. “It was a day that was probably 10 degrees Celsius and blowing 20 and raining. It was very, very difficult. Hit driver on a par-3. 

“Probably never done that before or not in a long time. It’s tricky.”

LPGA TOUR — Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is the top ranked Canadian heading into this week’s Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. She’s 50th on the Road to CME Globe standings. Savannah Grewal (124th) of Mississauga, Ont., Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (135th) and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., (164th) are also in the field at Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, Mich.

EPSON TOUR — Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., leads the Canadian contingent into the Great Lakes Championship at the Highlands presented by Johnnie Walker. She’s 37th in the Race for the Card standings. Josee Doyon (53rd) of Saint-Georges, Que., Monet Chun (64th) of Richmond Hill, Ont., Yeji Kwon (112th) of Port Coquitlam, B.C., Brigitte Thibault (135th) of Rosemere, Que., Vancouver’s Leah John (137th) and Mary Parsons (148th) of Delta, B.C., are also in the field at The Highlands in Harbor Springs, Mich.

CALEDON, ONT. – Despite recent evidence to the contrary, Ryan Fox doesn’t consider himself a playoff specialist.

The New Zealander beat American Sam Burns in a four-hole playoff to win the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday, the second win of his PGA Tour career. The first also came in a playoff on May 11 when he birdied the first extra hole to beat Harry Higgs of the United States and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., to win the Oneflight Myrtle Beach Classic.

“If you’d have seen any of the ones I had in Europe, you wouldn’t say that,” said Fox, sitting beside the Canadian Open trophy at a news conference. “I didn’t have a great record in Europe in playoffs. 

“I feel like you’ve got to take it on a little bit. It becomes match play. You kind of want to put the pressure on your opponent a little bit.”

Fox had an 0-2 playoff record on the European Tour, losing to Scotland’s Russell Knox at the 2018 Irish Open and to France’s Victor Perez at the 2022 Dutch Open.

He had to work to force the extra holes on Sunday.

Burns fired an 8-under 62 round, the best of the day, to lay claim to the top of the leaderboard. However, he had teed off an hour 45 minutes earlier than Fox and Italy’s Matteo Manaserro, the third round co-leaders.

As a result, Fox still had most of the course to play as Burns was signing his scorecard. Fox birdied Nos. 14 and 15 to get to within a shot of Burns and then sank a clutch birdie putt on No. 18 for a 4-under 66 day that forced the playoff.

No. 18 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley is a 576-yard, par-5 hole with the sloping green tucked behind a small pond with bunkers on the far side. 

“I think 18’s a different hole compared to what it has been all week, not being able to get there in two,” said Burns on the possibility of a playoff and how he would prepare for it. “So I’ll probably (be at the range) trying to figure out what distance we want to have in for our third shot and maybe hit that shot a few times.”

After Fox and Burns made par on their first two playoff holes. The grounds crew actually cut a new hole closer to the tee — and the water — for the third and fourth runs down the hole.

Fox’s bolder approach on the second and fourth playoff rounds, designed to put pressure on Burns, finally paid off when he attacked the new pin.

“I had the exact shot I wanted to hit,” said Fox, who qualified for next week’s U.S. Open with the victory. “I wasn’t sure in the air if it was going to be a little short or perfect. I didn’t actually see it land. It was getting a bit hazy out there. Obviously by the crowd reaction I knew it was pretty good.

“Probably the best shot I ever hit in my life given the circumstances.”

Members of the All Whites, New Zealand’s national men’s soccer team, drove up to TPC Toronto on Sunday to cheer on Fox. They beat Ivory Coast 1-0 the night before at BMO Field in the Canadian Shield tournament and will face Ukraine on Tuesday.

“That was really cool, to have the Kiwi support out there, it was great,” said Fox. “They were there all day. We seem to have a lot of weeks where random Kiwis pop up, and to have the All Whites say, ‘hey, is there any chance we can come out and watch on Sunday?’ was really cool. 

“To be able to meet them all there at the end and get a photo with them was pretty special.”

Grant Fox, Ryan’s father, was a fly half with the All Blacks, New Zealand’s men’s rugby team, appearing in 46 matches and scoring 645 points in his career. The elder Fox won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 and is still considered one of the finest goal-kickers of all time, getting inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2014.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., was the low Canadian, tying for 13th at 13 under. Taylor won the Canadian Open two years ago at Oakdale Golf and Country Club.

“The energy was phenomenal the first couple days and being near the lead the last two days,” said Taylor, who will play in the U.S. Open next week at Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh. “I’m tired from it as well because it’s fun being up close to the lead and trying to get it done. 

“I’ll get some rest the next couple days and be prepared.”

TPC Toronto will host the Canadian Open again next year.

It was a tight leaderboard throughout the round, with eight players tied for first before Fox and Manaserro even teed off.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry, for example, began his day with an eagle and followed it up with three consecutive birdies to start his day 5 under through just four holes to take sole possession of the lead. He bogeyed Nos. 17 and 18 to fall back into a tie for 13th.

Ding recorded rounds of 71-66-71 to claim the
GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open

Whistler, B.C. – Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C. got the She Plays Golf Championship Series off to a thrilling start on Saturday, winning the GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open with a birdie on the final hole to edge out a duo of Team Canada amateur talents.

The trio of Team Canada athletes including Katie Cranston of Oakville, Ont., Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. and Ding all held the lead at different stages of the back nine during the final round at the Nicklaus North Course in Whistler, B.C.

Ding – who opened Saturday with a one-stroke lead over Lin after playing the final ten holes of her second round Friday at five-under par – lost ground early on Sunday after making bogey at holes three and five to drop to five-under par.

Lin took advantage of the rare slip-up from the 36-hole leader, sinking birdies at Nos. three, four and five to pull into a tie with Ding atop the leaderboard. Meanwhile, Cranston – who started her round earlier in the afternoon, made the turn at three-under par and positioned herself well in the hunt of the tournament’s top spot to amplify the pressure on the duo ahead.

The two Team Canada NextGen athletes continued to trade places leading up to the final hole as Cranston cemented her place as the clubhouse leader at seven-under par and carding the lowest round of the afternoon.

After dropping a shot at the par-four 15th, Lin bounced back with a birdie on 18 to tie Cranston at the top at seven-under par, though her birdie would be unsuccessful in forcing a playoff as Ding – also tied atop the leaderboard at seven-under par – rolled in a birdie putt of her own on the final hole to snatch back the lead she opened with and claim the title.

The thrilling victory punches Ding’s ticket into this year’s CPKC Women’s Open set to take place at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. from August 20-24. The runner up finishes from Lin and Cranston nabs the duo 2,100 points each in the season-long standings.

Players who compete in the circuit accumulate points from their finishes that are put towards a season-long standings. The top finisher on the season-long point standings, who does not already have an exemption through winning a She Plays Golf Championship Series event, also receives an exemption to the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open.

For the final standings, leaderboards and purse distribution from the GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open, please click here.

With stops around the country, the She Plays Golf Championship Series provides an enhanced national qualifying path for players to punch their ticket into the CPKC Women’s Open. Anchored In three regions by a $60,000 CAD purse, each championship field features 60 professional and elite amateurs vying for an exemption into Canadia’s National Women’s Open.

The series successfully debuted as part of the Glencoe Invitational in 2023. Next stop for the She Plays Golf Championship Series will be the Peloton Glencoe Invitational in Calgary, Alta. at The Glencoe Golf and Country Club from June 12-14. The final tournament will be the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, taking place at Burlington Golf and Country Club in Burlington, Ont. from July 7-10.

For more information on the She Plays Golf Championship Series or to register for the tournaments, please click here.

Italy’s Matteo Manassero and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox both had rounds of 6-under 64 to share the third-round lead at the RBC Canadian Open on Saturday.

They’re at 14-under overall, a shot ahead of a Taiwan’s Kevin Yu as well as Americans Lee Hodges and Matt McCarty.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., fired a 6-under 64 to move 13 spots up the leaderboard into a tie with Americans Jake Knapp and Andrew Putnam for sixth at 12 under.

Second-round leader Cameron Champ of the U.S. struggled, shooting a 1-over 71 to drop back into a seven-way tie for ninth at 11 under.

Hughes was one of eight Canadians who made the cut at the national men’s golf championship.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Vancouver’s Richard T. Lee, the low Canadians after two rounds, also dropped down the leaderboard.

Alek Mauro of the Windsor Lancers and Julia Alexander-Carew of the UBC Okanagan Heat each claimed maiden individual championship titles. 

Kamloops, B.C. – The UBC Thunderbirds successfully defended their titles in both the men’s and women’s team championships on Friday but came up short on the top spot in the individual championships to cap off a memorable Canadian University / College Championship at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops, B.C.  

The Thunderbirds’ male contingent secured their ninth national championship after shooting a collective 21-under par (292-275-288-276) through four rounds, while the women’s program put the finishing touches on their eighth consecutive national championship on Friday with a collective score of 14-under par (216-215-214-205).  

Each of the Thunderbirds that took home the Canadian University / College Championship this week will compete at the Canadian Collegiate Invitational in the fall. The men’s competition will begin on September 13 at Öviinbyrd Golf Club in MacTier, Ont. while the female competition gets underway September 21 at Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.  

“I’m just so proud of them. What they did academically and then to compete so hard on the course and their sportsmanship is at another level too. It’s been a great run and this is a really nice way for them to end their careers as graduates of UBC,” commented UBC’s coach Chris Macdonald on his male winners.  

Mackenzie Bickell of Richmond, B.C., John Paul Kahlert of Maple Ridge, B.C., Hudson LaFayette of North Vancouver, B.C., Dylan MacDonald of Markham, Ont. and Aidan Schumer of Columbus, Ohio. will all be graduating at the end of the year.  

Both sides took the lead after Tuesday’s opening round and never looked back, with the women’s team impressively slotting each of their players in the top five of the individual standings and beating their provincial rival – the UBC Okanagan Heat – by 27 strokes.  

“It’s the first time we’ve been here to Kamloops to play golf,” commented Macdonald moments after claiming his 27th and 28th national championships on Friday. “Rivershore was amazing and the tournament was so well organized. We had a really fun week and made a lot of birdies and that’s what separated us this week,” he added.  

Though the Thunderbirds outlasted the Heat in the team championship throughout the week, it was the latter’s sophomore, Julia Alexander-Carew of Oakville, Ont. that failed to flinch at the flock of Thunderbirds on her heels to close out her maiden individual championship title.  

Trailing Una Chou of San Diego, Calif. after 36 holes, Alexander-Carew roared to life with an eagle on the par-5 fourth to pull even with the defending champion. The momentum carried the second year into a slew of birdies on the part of the property that ailed her the most leading up to Friday’s final round, sinking consecutive birdie putts on Nos. six, seven and eight to dart well into the lead after Chou played the same stretch at two-over par.  

“They were three pretty difficult putts so seeing them all drop gave me confidence for the back nine,” commented Alexander-Carew, adding a final birdie on the 18th hole to wrap up Friday with her best round of the tournament and a five-under 67. 

The pivotal swing set Alexander-Carew on course to steal the individual championship title despite Chou rallying off three consecutive birdies on Nos. 14, 15 and 17 to get back to red figures.  

“It was a really good year for me and closing it out with this type of win is huge,” said Alexander-Carew. Her runner-up finish at last year’s event gave her a clear idea of what was required of her game to move up on the podium and was reinforced by her coach walking alongside her all throughout the final round.  

UBC contested one another for the final two places of the podium on Friday, with Jessica Ng of Vancouver, B.C. going low for the second consecutive day with a field-best score of 66 to secure a runner up finish with Chou at three-under par.  

Just a day removed from shooting a third-round 66 to give himself a six-shot cushion in the individual men’s championship, Alek Mauro of Windsor, Ont. was able to overcome numerous wobbles and a late charge from Anthony Jomphe of Chicoutimi, Que. to hold steady and secure the individual men’s title.  

Starting his round on the 10th hole on Friday, Mauro bounced in and out of red figures as each of his two birdie attempts on the front nine were erased by bogey putts shortly after while Jomphe played the same stretch at four-under par to secure second place. Though despite the chaos, the fifth year was able to lean into his 36-hole lead and win by just a single stroke after a fourth round 73.  

The victory secures Mauro a spot in the 120th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship presented by BDO set to kick off at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club in Gatineau, Que. on July 26. Similarly, Friday’s individual championship winner in the women’s division, Alexander-Carew, will also reap the benefits of her victory later this summer and is exempt in the 111th Canadien Women’s Amateur Championship presented by BDO. The event will be held at The Riverside Country Club in Saint John, N.B. from July 22-25.  

“The competition is so high and just playing with people of so many different levels from so many different places, I think it’ll be a really good challenge,” praised Alexander-Carew. “They’re always great competitions, best in the country,” praised Mauro. “Really looking forward to competing this summer,” he added. Alexander-Carew and Mauro enter the event with previous experience, having competed in their Canadian Amateur Championships in 2024 and 2021 respectively.  

To view the full leaderboards from the final round of the Canadian University / College Championship, please click here.  

Men’s Team Championship – Top-3 

Women’s Team Championship – Top-3 

Men’s Individual Championship – Top-3 

Women’s Individual Championship – Top-3 

Masters champion Rory McIlroy tumbled out of the RBC Canadian Open on Friday with his worst round in nearly a year, with Cameron Champ taking a two-stroke lead into the weekend in the final event before the U.S. Open.

McIlroy shot an 8-under 78, making a mess of the fifth hole with a quadruple-bogey 8 in his highest score since also shooting 78 last year in the first round of the British Open. He had a double bogey on No. 11, four bogeys and two birdies.

“Of course it concerns me,” McIlroy said. “You don’t want to shoot high scores like the one I did today. Still, I felt like I came here obviously with a new driver thinking that that sort of was going to be good and solve some of the problems off the tee, but it didn’t.”

At 9 over, the two-time Canadian Open winner was 21 strokes behind Champ on the rain-softened North Course at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.

“Obviously, going to Oakmont next week, what you need to do more than anything else there is hit fairways,” McIlroy said. “Still sort of searching for the sort of missing piece off the tee.”

Champ had four birdies in a 68 in the morning a day after opening with a 62. He was at 12 under, playing the first 36 holes without a bogey.

“It’s firmed up a little bit, but fairly similar to yesterday,” Champ said. “The fairways I feel like were firming up a little bit. The greens slightly, but pretty close to how they were yesterday.”

The three-time PGA Tour winner got one of the last spots in the field after being the eighth alternate Friday when the commitments closed.

“I definitely didn’t think I was getting in,” Champ said.

Andrew Putnam was second after a bogey-free 62 on the course hosting the event for the first time. He won the 2018 Barracuda Championship for his lone tour title.

“I hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of good iron shots, too, and my putter was on fire,” Putnam said. “Pretty much did everything right. Didn’t really make many mistakes.”

Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark, tied for the first-round lead with Cristobal Del Solar after a 61, had a 70 drop into a tie for third at 9 under with Canadians Richard Lee (64) and Nick Taylor (65) and France’s Victor Perez (65).

Taylor won the 2023 event at Oakdale.

“Hung in there,” Taylor said. “Making a birdie on the last was important to end the day nicely.”

Del Solar was 8 under after a 71. Shane Lowry (68) also was 8 under with Ryan Fox (66), Jake Knapp (69), Sam Burns (66) and Matteo Manassero (65).

CALEDON, Ont. – Richard T. Lee brought his A-game to the second round of the RBC Canadian Open in front of hometown fans and family.

The 34-year-old Canadian made his first cut on the PGA Tour by carding a six-under 66 for the round. He now sits at nine under heading into the weekend.

“I’ve played Web.com and made cuts there, but it’s my first cut made on the PGA Tour and it’s one of the best feelings I’ve had,” he said.

The five-foot-10 Canadian was quick to credit his iron play for his strong second round.

“I think the key to my success today was my iron shots. Inside 145 yards, I was spot on. I had great looks at birdie and some of them were pretty easy,” he said.

Lee was born in Richmond Hill, Ont., and moved to Vancouver when he was one year old.

“Prior to last year’s Canadian Open, I hadn’t been back to the Toronto area in a long time, but it’s a great feeling to be back,” said Lee, who now lives in Arizona.

Also soaking in the moment were his uncle Ken Hong and aunt Mary Hong, who were on-site to see their nephew’s performance.

“We’re from Toronto and it’s great to see him compete here,” said Ken Hong, who still remembers his nephew’s humble beginnings at age three.

“Last year, he missed the cut by one shot, and seeing what he did today shows he’s got determination to succeed,” he added.

Mary Hong admitted she got a little emotional watching Lee’s success.

“Richard played so amazing today. He seemed so calm and I’m just so proud of him. I cried a little bit after his round,” she said.

Lee currently competes on the Asian Tour but says his dream is to achieve success on the PGA Tour. After a strong second round, the talented Canadian is in contention near the top of the leaderboard.

Heading into the weekend, Lee is focused on keeping up his strong play.

“Just going to take it shot by shot and play the way I did today,” he said when asked about his mindset.

“It’s always been one of my dreams to succeed on the PGA Tour, and if I am able to get to Sunday and get a ‘W,’ then it will be a dream come true.”

Windsor Lancers’ Alek Mauro leads men’s individual championship by six strokes, UBC Thunderbirds’ Una Chou stays atop women’s individual championship. 

Kamloops, B.C. – Alek Mauro of Windsor, Ont. strengthened his grasp on the men’s individual championship on Thursday with a six-under 66, while the UBC Thunderbirds narrowed in on their team division championship ambitions during a busy third round in the Canadian University / College Championship at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops, B.C.  

The Thunderbirds enter Friday’s final round with a 12 and 17 stroke lead over the Victoria Vikes and the UBC Okanagan Heat in the respective men’s and women’s team championships. Both teams are looking to secure their eighth and 17th national championship and repeat as champions for the 26th time under the helm of coach Chris Macdonald.  

“Having won last year’s tournament puts us in a great position to defend,” commented UBC third-year Jessica Ng of Vancouver, B.C. “With the experience level of this team, we have all been in this situation before and will be able to stay calm, present, and focused for the final round.” 

On the men’s side, Mauro – who started his afternoon with a one-shot lead over UBC’s Aidan Schumer of Columbus, Ohio. on Thursday – overcame a slow start to begin to pull away from the field in the men’s individual championship.  

A bogey-free front nine including five birdies and an eagle at the par-5 fourth catapulted the fifth-year senior into a six-shot lead over his closest chaser Anthony Jomphe of Chicoutimi, Que. – who carved out a consecutive round of 69 to challenge for the podium.  

“I just hit the ball really straight today,” commented Mauro. “Just hit some good drives and put myself in good positions to have wedges into most of the greens,” he added. Mauro’s approach play was admittedly the key to his success on Thursday and allowed him to spin his shots close to the pin on numerous occasions for birdie looks. 

New contenders emerged in the men’s individual championship on Thursday after Dan Kirby of Woodstock, N.B.(Victoria Vikes) and reigning champion Dylan MacDonald of Markham, Ont. (UBC Thunderbirds) fell out of the hunt after struggling to put their game into gear.  

Jagre Knight of Parksville, B.C. (Victoria Vikes) decorated his scorecard with four birdies and seven-consecutive pars to end his third round 69 and sit in a tie with Schumer for third place on the leaderboard. Ryan Massicotte of Gardien, Que. (Bishop’s Gaiters) recovered from a triple-bogey at the 17th with five-straight birdies on holes three through seven to put himself in a tie for fifth alongside Daniel Abraha of Kingston, Ont. (Queen’s Gaels) and just a shot off the podium to start his final round.   

Though unable to make headway in the men’s individual championship, the Thunderbirds continued to roll in the women’s individual competition on Thursday with Ng leading the way with the lowest round of the day after carding a three-under 69. Ng squeezed an eagle at the par-5 fourth hole between a pair of birdies at holes three and five to begin her ascension into the top five of the leaderboard.  

“My putting and approach shots were crucial in today’s round,” commented Ng. She admitted to her struggles with the flatstick leading up to Thursday but was pleased with her ability to stay patient and allow the birdie putts to roll.  

Tightly contesting the UBC Okanagan Heat throughout the opening two rounds, Una Chou of San Diego, Calif. and the rest of the Thunderbirds found separation from their provincial rival before the turn on Thursday. Julia Alexander-Carew of Oakville, Ont. and Lauren Nedo of Coquitlam, B.C. found trouble at the par-5 eighth hole, each walking off the green with double bogey as Chou and her teammate Grace Bell of Calgary, Alta. both converted on birdie putts.  

The chaos left Chou with a four-shot lead heading into the back nine and Bell in a tie with Alexander-Carew for second at even-par. The Thunderbirds’ duo was unable to capitalize the rest of the way, however, each dropping a shot in the final three holes while Alexander-Carew found redemption with birdies at Nos. 15 and 17 to enter Friday’s final round in striking distance of the individual women’s championship title.  

“Our team is very competitive and supportive of each other, which helps us stay motivated and focused on building our lead,” added Ng who also believes the Thunderbirds are more than capable of defending their 17-shot lead over the Heat come Friday. 

Bo Brown of Mississauga, Ont. (UBC Thunderbirds), Nedo and Brynne Davies of Calgary, Alta. (Victoria Vikes) all sit in a tie for fifth on the individual leaderboard after rounds of 75, 76 and 72 respectively on Thursday.  

The top three daily scores count towards the women’s team total throughout the week, while the top four daily scores accrued by the male teams count towards their overall total.  

To view the full leaderboards from Thursday’s third-round action, please click here. For Friday’s final round pairings and tee times, please click here.  

Men’s Team Championship – Top-5 

Women’s Team Championship – Top-5 

Men’s Individual Championship – Top-5 

Women’s Individual Championship – Top-5