There is no longer a penalty for hitting the flagstick that is in the hole when you’ve played your stroke from off the putting green or if you’ve played your stroke from on the green.

Visit golfcanada.ca/rules to learn more.

After nearly two years away from the sport, Graham DeLaet is set to make his return to professional golf on the Korn Ferry Tour.

The 2016 Olympian says he plans to play in a handful of Korn Ferry Tour events in July and August and is eyeing a September return to the PGA TOUR. DeLaet was set to tee off at the TPC Colorado Championship from July 11-14 at Heron Lakes in Berthoud, Col., but withdrew from the tournament before the opening round.

The Ellie Mae Classic at TPC Stonebrae in Hayward, Calif., from Aug. 1-4 has also been penciled on his schedule.

DeLaet last competed on the PGA TOUR in October 2017, before back injuries forced him to take an extended leave of absence.

The 37-year-old from Weyburn, Sask., has been considered one of Canada’s top golfers since turning professional in 2007. He won ten collegiate tournaments as a member of the Boise State University golf team, and was inducted into his alma mater’s athletics Hall of Fame in February 2019.

DaLaet has won four professional tournaments, but none on the PGA TOUR. He has come close, finishing runner-up on three occasions. The two-time Saskatchewan Amateur champion has played all four major championships, finishing in a tie for seventh at the 2017 PGA Championship, four strokes back of winner Justin Thomas.

Information about the TPC Colorado Championship can be found here.

The term penalty area has been introduced and will replace areas previously known as water hazards.

Visit golfcanada.ca/rules to learn more.

SANDWICH, Royaume-Uni – Il y aura trois golfeurs canadiens à l’Omnium britannique cet été.

Austin Connelly, de Lake Doucette, en Nouvelle-Écosse, a présenté un pointage de moins-8 (136) après deux rondes au club de golf Prince’s mardi pour obtenir le troisième et dernier laissez-passer octroyé à l’issue du tournoi de qualifications.

Le golfeur âgé de 22 ans, qui a grandi au Texas, a battu Curtis Knipes et Callum Shinkwin par un coup.

Connelly, qui bénéficie d’un statut conditionnel sur le circuit européen, a ainsi rejoint Corey Conners, de Listowel, en Ontario, et Adam Hadwin, d’Abbotsford, en Colombie-Britannique.

Connelly participera donc à l’Omnium britannique pour la deuxième fois en trois ans. Il avait fini à égalité en 14e place en 2017.

Le tournoi majeur se déroulera du 18 au 21 juillet au club de golf Royal Portrush, en Irlande du Nord.

Le Néo-Écossais représentera également le Canada aux Jeux panaméricains de Lima, au Pérou, plus tard cet été.

AURORA, Ont. – When she was just 10 years old, Brooke Henderson’s dad Dave took her to an LPGA event where she briefly met her idol Morgan Pressel. Pressel spoke to Henderson about her golf game, took a picture and autographed her shirt.

Weeks later, they met again at the CP Women’s– Open at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club. Pressel remembered Brooke Henderson’s name, a moment the young Canadian still treasures.

Now 21-years old, ranked No. 8 in the world, and with the most wins in Canadian pro golf history, Henderson sees it as her responsibility to create memories for her young fans like Pressel did for her.

“When I first met her, she spent that little bit of extra time with me, signed my shirt, took a picture with me, it was just a really incredible moment that I’ll remember forever,” said Henderson on Tuesday. “I think now I’m just trying to pay that forward to every little kid that I meet.”

Henderson will easily be the most popular player at the CP Women’s Open at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont., this August, and will have plenty of opportunities to interact with her fans, most of whom are children.

“It’s really special to see those young kids, when they want my autograph or they want a picture with me it’s sort of surreal but it’s really inspiring for me,” said a beaming Henderson. “I do think that the LPGA is very approachable. We love little kids and we love spending time with them.

“I think that’s kind of what separates our tour from a lot of other major sports.”

The CP Women’s Open has not been in the Greater Toronto Area since 2001, when Annika Sorenstam won at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont. Because of Henderson’s popularity among Canadian fans and its proximity to Canada’s largest city, it’s expected that it will be one of the best attended events on the LPGA Tour’s calendar this year.

Defending champ @BrookeHenderson leads a star-studded field of early commitments to the 2019 #CPWO ??⛳️#CloserToTheGame

➡️ https://t.co/w2G0RCHkrH pic.twitter.com/uMii5HFTVU

— CP Women's Open (@cpwomensopen) July 2, 2019

Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane, who will be playing in her 29th CP Women’s Open, thinks the timing couldn’t be better for the popularity of the sport in Canada.

“It’s time that we came back to the GTA. It’s time for women’s golf to be elevated one more level in this country,” said Kane, raising her hands for emphasis. “We all know in this room that (Henderson) is changing the way people see women’s golf in our country.

“We’ve been trending in the right direction but why do we keep saying that? We’re in a really awesome place.”

Golf Canada, the LPGA, and Canadian Pacific railways – the event’s title sponsor – announced on Tuesday that the field at the US$2.25 million tournament will include 15 of the top 20 golfers on the LPGA’s money list, and 90 of the top 100.

Henderson, the first Canadian to win the national title in 45 years, is one of seven past CP Women’s Open champions confirmed for 2019. Sung Hyun Park (2017), Ariya Jutanugarn (2016), So Yeon Ryu (2014), Katherine Kirk (2008), Cristie Kerr (2006) and three-time winner Lydia Ko (2015, 2013, 2012) are the other past winners in the field.

Henderson welcomes the stiff competition.

“I love it. Being able to beat the best in the world is one of the best things about this sport,” said Henderson. “To tee it up and know that you are playing the best and that you have to play really, really, well and hit shots that you’ve never hit before and shoot low scores, make a ton of birdies, that’s really exciting.”

SANDWICH, England – A third Canadian has earned a spot in the British Open.

Canadian-American dual citizen Austin Connelly of Lake Doucette, N.S., shot 8-under 136 over two rounds on Tuesday at Prince’s Golf Club to earn the third and final spot in the golf major at the qualifier.

The 22-year-old, who grew up in Texas, finished one stroke behind Curtis Knipes and Callum Shinkwin.

Connelly, who has conditional status on the European Tour, will join Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., July 18-21 at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland.

Connelly, who is scheduled to represent Canada at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru later this summer, is in the British Open for the second time in three years. He finished tied for 14th at the tournament in 2017 after falling out of contention on the final day.

AURORA, Ont.  —  Golf Canada in partnership with Canadian Pacific (CP), is proud to announce that the second annual CP Women’s Leadership Summit will take place Tuesday, August 20 at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North in Richmond Hill, Ont. as part of the weeklong excitement of the 2019 CP Women’s Open (CPWO).

The CP Women’s Leadership Summit will bring together like-minded businesswomen from across the country for a day of networking, empowerment and philanthropy. The Summit will also raise awareness for the CP Women’s Open, with attendees receiving access to the tournament during the week.

The business panel of the Summit will consist of three businesswomen at the top of their respective fields. Maeghan Albiston, Assistant Vice-President of Investor Relations & Pensions at CP, Anne Simard, Chief Mission & Research Officer of the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Jennifer Tory, Chief Administrative Officer of RBC will all be part of the panel.

“After seeing the success of the inaugural event, I was honoured to be asked to participate in this year’s CP Women’s Leadership Summit,” said Albiston. “As an organization whose values hinge on pride and diversity, we at CP see this event as a meaningful way to show our commitment to developing and empowering women in the workplace.”

A new addition to the leadership summit in 2019 is the athlete panel, which will feature four accomplished Canadian Olympians—speed skater Anastasia Bucsis, soccer goalkeeper Karina Leblanc, multi-sport star Georgia Simmerling and two-time ice hockey gold medalist Natalie Spooner. Rogers Sportsnet Central Co-Anchor Evanka Osmak will act as the emcee and panel moderator for the event.

In addition to the business and athlete panel, Roberta Bowman, Chief Brand & Communications Officer of the LPGA will join the CP Women’s Leadership Summit as the keynote speaker.

Bowman spent 25 years with Duke Energy before retiring in 2012 as Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer. She served on the LPGA Board of Directors from 2012-2017 and joined the organization full-time in 2018 as Chief Brand and Communications Officer. In her role as a member of the LPGA’s executive leadership team, Bowman led the development and implementation of the LPGA’s new marketing campaign – Drive On –  which celebrates the power and potential in each individual, sharing inspiring stories and creating emotional connections with players, fans and sponsors alike.

“I am thrilled for the opportunity to promote diversity in both business and sport by participating in the CP Women’s Leadership Summit,” said Bowman. “I look forward to bringing together a group of women who are leaders in what they do, and discuss what motivates, challenges, and inspires us to work hard and enhance our careers.”

For Golf Canada, hosting the CP Women’s Leadership Summit as part of Canada’s National Women’s Open Golf Championship aligns with the organization’s commitment to developing a more inclusive culture in Canadian golf.

“Continuing the CP Women’s Leadership Summit is an extension of our efforts to encourage more women and girls to engage with golf and use the CP Women’s Open as a platform to bring together like-minded businesswomen in the spirit of networking, idea-sharing and empowerment,” said Mary Beth McKenna, a member of Golf Canada’s championship management team. “All of our speakers are leaders in their industries, and will provide participants with an inspiring experience and wide array of perspectives.”

The CP Women’s Leadership Summit begins at 9 am on August 20 at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North and will feature networking opportunities, a question-and-answer session with panelists along with a three-course lunch. The day will conclude with an activity to support the charitable beneficiary of the CP Women’s Open, SickKids Foundation.

For more information about the CP Women’s Leadership Summit, including tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.cpwomensopen.com/wls.

Aurora, Ont. – Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor Canadian Pacific (CP), has announced that many of the world’s top players have committed to compete in the 2019 CP Women’s Open from August 19-25 at Magna Golf Club in Aurora, Ont.

Leading the charge is defending champion and world no. 6 Brooke Henderson of Smith’s Falls, Ont. who made history at Wascana Country Club in Regina last year becoming the first Canadian since Jocelyne Bourassa 45 years earlier to win Canada’s National Women’s Open. Henderson, currently 5^th on the 2019 LPGA Money List has won two LPGA Tour events in 2019 and her nine career LPGA Tour wins are the most for any Canadian professional golfer on the LPGA or PGA TOUR.

The early player commitments to challenge for the $2.25 million USD purse—one of the largest prizes on the LPGA Tour—will include golf’s brightest stars along with rising talents in Canadian golf. Among the early player commitments are 16 of the top 20 players from the 2019 LPGA Official Money list along with seven past CP Women’s Open champions.

“Brooke winning the 2018 CP Women’s Open in historic fashion was an incredible moment for Canadian golf and there is a tremendous momentum leading into Magna Golf Club as we bring Canada’s National Women’s Open back to the Greater Toronto Area for the first time in nearly 20 years,” said CP Women’s Open Tournament Director Ryan Paul. “Our early player commitments are trending towards welcoming one of the strongest fields on the LPGA Tour that will deliver a spectacular world-class event.”

Early Player Commitments:

Henderson is one of seven past CP Women’s Open champions confirmed for Magna including Sung Hyun Park (2017), Ariya Jutanugarn (2016), So Yeon Ryu (2014), Katherine Kirk (2008), Cristie Kerr (2006) and three-time winner Lydia Ko (2015, 2013, 2012) who will be chasing a record fourth CP Women’s Open title.

Henderson, currently ranked no. 5 on the LPGA Tour Money List, will be among 16 of the current top-20 players on the 2019 LPGA Money List confirmed for Magna including Jeongeun Lee6 (1), Jin Young Ko (2), Lexi Thompson (3), Sung Hyun Park (4) Minjee Lee (6), Nelly Korda (7), Hannah Green (8), Danielle Kang (9), So Yeon Ryu (10), Sei Young Kim (11), Eun Hee Ji (12), Nasa Hataoka (13), Angel Yin (15), Amy Yang (17) and Azahara Munoz (19).

Golf Canada has also extended a tournament exemption to former Canadian Women’s Amateur champion (2017) Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster, Colo., who earlier this year won the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur. The former Wake Forest University standout was the top-ranked amateur in the world prior to turning professional earlier this summer. An exemption into the CP Women’s Open (as well as the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship where applicable) will be extended annually to the winner of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.      

Canadians in the Mix:

Henderson also headlines the early list of Canadians set to compete at Magna Golf Club. She will be joined by Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured member and fellow CP ambassador Lorie Kane, a four-time winner on the LPGA Tour. Kane will be competing in Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship for a record 29^th consecutive time. Other Canadians include LPGA Tour members Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., Jaclyn Lee of Calgary and Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City. The six Canucks will be joined by several more Canadian professional and amateur golfers to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

The 156 golfers teeing-it-up at Magna Golf Club will represent one of the strongest fields on the LPGA Tour with more than 90 of the top 100 players on the LPGA Tour Official Money List expected to compete.

The 2019 CP Women’s Open will mark only the second time since 2001 (won by golf legend Annika Sorenstam at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham) that Canada’s National Women’s Open has been contested in the Greater Toronto Area.

CP Has Heart Charity Campaign to Benefit the SickKids Foundation:
Canadian Pacific  and Golf Canada are proud to support SickKids Foundation in Toronto as the primary charity partner for the 2019 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. Funds raised through the CP Women’s Open will go towards renovating a Cardiac Operating Suite at SickKids. In addition, CP is also proud to support the tournament host community in 2019 with a donation of $250,000 to Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ont. to support paediatric cardiac care. In the five years of CP’s title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open, $8.5 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in Canada.

CP Women’s Leadership Summit to Kick of Tournament Week:

Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific will host the second annual CP Women’s Leadership Summit on Tuesday, August 20 at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North in Richmond Hill, Ont. as part of the weeklong excitement of the 2019 CP Women’s Open. The CP Women’s Leadership Summit will bring together like-minded businesswomen from across the country for a day of networking, empowerment and philanthropy. The Summit will also raise awareness for the CP Women’s Open, with attendees receiving access to the tournament during the week.

The business panel of the summit will consist of three businesswomen at the top of their respective fields. Maeghan Albiston, Assistant Vice-President of Investor Relations & Pensions at CP, Anne Simard, Chief Mission & Research Officer of the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Jennifer Tory, Chief Administrative Officer of RBC will all be part of the panel. A new addition to the leadership summit in 2019 is the athlete panel which will feature four accomplished Canadian Olympians—speed skater Anastasia Bucsis, soccer goalkeeper Karina Leblanc, multi-sport star Georgia Simmerling and two-time ice hockey gold medalist Natalie Spooner. Roberta Bowman, Chief Brand & Communications Officer of the LPGA, will join the CP Women’s Leadership Summit as the keynote speaker while Rogers Sportsnet Central Co-Anchor Evanka Osmak will act as the emcee and moderator for the event.

For more information about the CP Women’s Leadership Summit, including tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.cpwomensopen.com/wls.

KIDS 12-AND-UNDER GET IN FREE…
Golf Canada and CP are committed to offering a fan friendly, family event with the CP Women’s Open. To introduce more juniors to the sport, children aged 12-and-under get FREE admission to the CP Women’s Open for the entire week.

Click here to purchase tickets for the 2019 CP Women’s Open.

For the second-straight year, the Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto is set to host some of the best in Canadian women’s golf for the DCM PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.

A field highlighted by four-time LPGA Tour winner and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Lorie Kane, as well as a number of noted up-and-coming players, will tee it up July 2-4 at Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto.

“It’s shaping up to be a very competitive week at the tremendous Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto,” said PGA of Canada president Mark Patterson. “In addition to Canadian and PGA of Canada Hall of Fame member, Lorie Kane playing, we’ve got a solid mix of up-and-coming Canadian talent and a number of PGA of Canada members who will vie for the championship.”

The field also features players from Sweden, India, Venezuela, Mexico, New Zealand and the United States.

FOR THE FULL-FIELD AND FIRST ROUND TEE TIMES, CLICK HERE

“Once again DCM is delighted to sponsor the 2019 DCM PGA Women’s Championship of Canada,” said DCM president Greg Cochrane. “Our involvement and support of women’s golf in Canada directly ties into our belief of giving back to our local communities across Canada and internationally,” he said, adding, “providing women with the chance to compete at the highest level is inspiring for all of us at DCM.”

The Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto hosted the inaugural DCM PGA Women’s Championship in 1987, which was won by PGA of Canada Hall of Fame member Cathy Sherk. The club also hosted the event in 1999 (won by Lorie Kane), in 2007 (won by Salimah Mussani) and of course last year when American Jessica Porvasnik captured the title.

As North America’s only golf club created by women for women, we are thrilled to host the DCM PGA Women’s Championship,” said Ladies’ Golf Club of Toronto PGA head professional Padraig Kelly. “We are so proud of our club and are excited to showcase it for this great championship. The golf course will be a great test and the membership is looking forward to watching the professionals take on their home course.”

The winner of this year’s championship will earn an exemption into the CP Canadian Women’s Open at the Magna Golf Club, Aug. 19-25.

Additionally, with the inaugural Women’s PGA Cup taking place later this year; the race for spots on Team PGA of Canada is about to heat up.

Taking place Oct. 22-26 at the Omni Barton Creek Resort  & Spa in Austin, Texas, PGA members from across the world come together in a team competition for this landmark event.

The five members representing the PGA of Canada at the event are determined by their performance at the DCM PGA Women’s Championship in 2018 and 2019. Furthermore, the low club professional at the championship in ’18 and ’19 receives an automatic spot on the team.
Currently, the top five is:

• Emma De Groot, Hamilton Golf and Country Club;
• Meghan Allum, Magna Golf Club;
• Casey Ward, Credit Valley Golf and Country Club;
• Rebecca Lee-Bentham, RLB Golf;
• Meghan McDougall, Weston Golf and Country Club.

“We’ve got some nice players currently in our top five to represent our association at the inaugural Women’s PGA Cup later this year in Texas,” says the PGA of Canada’s managing director of championships and foundation Adam LeBrun. “Other than De Groot, the other four spots are completely up for grabs and will add another exciting element to this year’s DCM PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.”

Admittance to the DCM PGA Women’s Championship of Canada is free and spectators are encouraged to attend the 36-hole championship play.

The DCM PGA Women’s Championship of Canada was first played in 1987 and past champions include five-time winner Lorie Kane, Brooke Henderson, Alena Sharp, Cathy Sherk, Gail Graham, Nancy Harvey, and Jessica Shepley.

To follow the DCM PGA Women’s Championship of Canada online throughout tournament week, visit pgaofcanada.com, twitter.com/pgaofcanada, instagram.com/thepgaofcanada and facebook.com/pgaofcanada