It didn’t take very long into his major debut for Ashton McCulloch to get his name into a unique circle of Canadian golfers. Under the backdrop of Donald Ross’ architectural masterpiece that is Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, McCulloch – who earned his spot in the 2024 U.S. Open by edging out a handful of regulars on the PGA TOUR in a qualifier – discovered that his name was more recognizable than he initially thought as the top Canadians on TOUR were already familiar with the then 21-year old amateur.  

“The fact that they knew my name was so cool,” recalled McCulloch after his run-in with professionals including Nick Taylor, Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith throughout the tournament. “I’m just a kid from Kingston, Ontario, and I play golf and those are professional golfers and obviously some of the best in the world, so the fact that they knew me and that we could have a normal conversation not even surrounding golf was really cool and something I won’t forget.”    

McCulloch’s name started wedging itself into conversations of up-and-coming Canadian talents well before his appearance at a major tournament. His triumph at the 2023 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at The Pulpit Club in Caledon, Ont. vaulted McCulloch into an elite group of names to have found success at the third-oldest amateur championship, joining a list of familiar figures in which he had the luxury of meeting at last year’s U.S. Open, including Taylor’s victory in 2007 and Hughes back-to-back championships in 2011 and 2012.  

“It’s really cool to look at kind of what I’ve done in the game of golf and what other greats like Taylor, Hughes, Pendrith and all those guys and what they’ve done,” commented McCulloch. “I’m still far away from how good they are but just trying to continue to grow like they did,” he added.  

The win clinched McCulloch a spot in the 2024 field at the RBC Canadian Open, his first professional event and one he grew up watching. The euphoria of playing his National Open immediately kicked in after rolling his final putt to take the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship by five strokes, and so too was the desire to prove to a lot of people that he was capable of playing at the highest level.  

Though his debut experience at Hamilton Golf & Country Club last summer left him on the outside looking in come the weekend, McCulloch was pleased with his ball striking ability and ultimately adding an early steppingstone in his young and aspiring career. 

The 22-year-old with have another opportunity on the biggest stage in the nation from June 4 to June 8 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. Eager to build off his debut experience, McCulloch – the lowest raked Canadian in the World Amateur Golf rankings – adds to the strong list of Canadian talent competing next week as a result of his exemption. 

“To have that opportunity to not only play against the best players in the world; test my game, learn from them and learn more about myself, but also just the pride in the opportunity to play for our country and our Canadian Open is something I’m so grateful to receive,” said McCulloch.  

One of 18 male members part of the Team Canada program, McCulloch has steadily improved throughout his amateur career, competing in the Big Ten at Michigan State University (MSU) where he just finished his senior season. The top finisher on the team in his last six starts of the 2024 campaign, McCulloch was a major force at MSU and placed third in both the Big Ten Championship and the Canadian Collegiate Invitational as a junior. He also picked up a win at the Johnnie-O at Sea Island event last season and finished the year with the best scoring average in program history.  

Earlier this month, McCulloch was awarded a sponsor’s exemption into the 2025 Rocket Classic set to take place in Detroit, Mich. in June. By the time he arrives at Detroit Golf Club, he will already have two other PGA TOUR events under his belt and looks to use the experiences as a launching pad towards his pursuit of a professional golf career. 

“To use those events and not only the [ranking] points that you get from them but the experiences you get from them that are so much more valuable,” said McCulloch ahead of the 2025 RBC Canadian Open. “The journey is far from over and you just kind of keep on pushing and use those [events] as confidence boosters and not to get too complacent,” he added.  

The 2025 summer will see McCulloch’s name featured alongside the game’s best players and add another Canadian threat to a pair of fields on the PGA TOUR. Nearing the end of his collegiate tenure, the future looks promising for McCulloch, a rising star with a name already familiar with several current Canadian on TOUR.  

“I just want to keep progressing, keep the boots on the ground and keep going and try to chase the best golf that I can.” 

McCulloch will be amongst a field of 156 players will compete at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in the 114th playing of the RBC Canadian Open, June 4 -8. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit rbccanadianopen.com. 

Caledon, Ont. – Teammates William and Alex Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs) came away victorious in a playoff to win the inaugural RBC Canadian Open / NHLPA Faceoff on Thursday, at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. 

Each of the 10 teams began their round at different holes, gathering points through a net Stableford format before four squads culminated at the iconic no.14 Rink Hole to compete in a sudden-death, total gross score playoff.  

Competing with Sam Gagner and Ryan McLeod (Buffalo Sabres), Jamie Drysdale (Philadelphia Flyers) and Will Cuylle (New York Rangers), and NHL alumni Jeff O’Neill (Hartford Whalers / Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs) and Carlo Colaiacovo (Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers), the Nylander brothers successfully hit each of their tee shots closest to the pin to put themselves in position to win the playoff.  

Putting from within 15 feet of the hole and closer than any other player on the 14th green, William rolled in his sixth birdie of the day to secure his team the championship.  

“It feels great,” commented William just moments after landing his walk-off putt. “We had a blast out there, our group was pretty good, and we had a lot of fun.”  

The duo entered the playoff in a tie for second alongside O’Neill and Colaiacovo with 45 net Stableford points. Gagner and McLeod led the field after 18 holes with 47 net Stableford points while Drysdale and Cuylle pieced together 37 points.  

To view the full leaderboard from Thursday’s round, please click here.  

Starting his round on the fourth hole, Drysdale emphatically powered his side into the early lead on Thursday without leaving the tee box. The Flyers defenceman optioned for a pitching wedge on the 150-yard par-3 and tumbled his tee shot towards the flagstick before his ball fell into the cup for a hole-in-one. A major highlight of the round, Drysdale admitted it was the first ace of his life and was initially unaware his ball dropped in the hole after his shot.  

“I didn’t know it went in for thirty seconds and then I just found out it went in. I was kind of shell shocked, not much of a reaction out of the gate but definitely really cool,” said Drysdale following his round.  

“It was a fantastic day for the RBC Canadian Open / NHLPA Faceoff. It was great to see something that started as an idea really culminate into a fantastic event,” commented Tim McLaughlin, Chief Marketing Officer at Golf Canada.  

“We had great support from the NHLPA, all the players were really enthusiastic, and we saw some amazing golf being played. A great way to set up what shapes up to be one of the most exciting RBC Canadian Opens on record,” added McLaughlin. 

The 114th playing of the RBC Canadian Open will take place June 4-8 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ont. For more information on the RBC Canadian Open, including volunteer opportunities or to purchase tickets, please visit rbccanadianopen.com. 

Winning team will be awarded NGL title and earn exemption into  
The R&A 9 Hole Challenge at Royal Portrush  

After making its debut ahead of the 2024 RBC Canadian Open, the BDO National Golf League Championship returns on Saturday, May 31 to crown another winner at this year’s site of Canada’s National Men’s Open, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont.  

104 golfers split across 52 teams will walk the same fairways as some of the game’s biggest stars and battle for the National Golf League championship less than a week before the 2025 RBC Canadian Open gets underway.  

The 2025 BDO National Golf League Championship (NGL) will be contested over 18-holes at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. using a best ball net Stableford format as the official scoring format of the NGL. Following the conclusion of play, the top two teams (including ties) based on Stableford points will enter into a playoff to determine the national champions. The playoff will take place on the no. 18 and be a one-hole sudden death until the winners are crowned. 

The exciting format was born out of a weather-shortened 2024 NGL Championship, where finalists were only able to play nine holes at Hamilton Golf & Country Club. The playoff pitted the winners of the front nine against the winners of the back nine to determine the inaugural champions. Peter Morse and Tim Charles of Nova Scotia needed just one playoff hole to top Reed Middleton and Brian Thorne of New Brunswick to claim their title.  

In addition to being awarded the second national championship in the league’s modern history, the winning team will also receive an all-expenses paid trip to represent Canada at The R&A 9 Hole Challenge set to take place at Royal Portrush in County Antrim, Northern Ireland on the eve of the 153rd Open Championship in July.  

Reigning NGL Champions, Morse and Charles, placed second in The 2024 R&A 9 Hole Challenge at Royal Troon in Troon, Scotland last summer, stringing together 33 points (net Stableford format) to cap off a memorable debut for Canada. The R&A held its inaugural challenge in 2016 and has used the competition to promote the physical and mental health benefits of golf participation as well as to encourage the growth of the sport’s shorter format. For more information on the 2025 R&A 9 Hole Challenge, please visit randa.org/en/nine-hole-challenge. 

“We are looking forward to the second national finals of the BDO National Golf League as 52 pairings will compete for the national championship this Saturday at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley,” said Brian Doherty, Senior Manager, Golf Services, Golf Canada. “The BDO National Golf League has enjoyed two rewarding seasons with growth across the country. We are excited to crown the new champions and support them as they represent Canada at The R&A 9 Hole Challenge in July.”  

Over 10,000 participants teed off in 2024 to cap off the inaugural season of the NGL. Launched by Golf Canada ahead of the 2023 season as a nationwide, season-long competition to enhance weekly recreational league experiences for men, women and junior golfers, the National Golf League embodies 107 leagues across Canada and occurs throughout a six-week period of a club’s league season.  

Within those six weeks, the best four scores from a 9-hole net Stableford format were used to determine the individuals that would advance to the penultimate stage of the competition – the Provincial Championships. 12 courses across all 10 provinces hosted respective regional competitions in the fall of 2024 to determine the field for May’s national championship.  

Deanna Baker and Lisa Fanning of Creston Golf Club, B.C. along with Dwayne Snell and Tim Fraser of Brudenell Golf Course, P.E.I. are two of the teams that will be competing at TPC Toronto, having topped the 2024 Provincial Championship circuit each with 47 Stableford points.  

“We are going to Toronto, and we are beyond amazed at this whole journey and are loving every minute of it,” said Fanning, who along with her partner, Baker, commuted seven hours from their home club to compete in the B.C East Provincial Championship last fall.  

Only one team will return to the 2025 field after competing in last season’s inaugural national championship. John Anderson and Dao Le were one of two teams from the Ranch Golf & Country Club in Acheson, Alta. to qualify last fall, finishing the Alberta Provincial Championship tied for second with 40 Stableford points. The pair finished last year’s national championship in a five-way tie for 13th place with 17 Stableford points. In addition, Chris Hilliard is also in the final field with a new playing partner, Joey Giammaria from the Carleton Golf and Yacht Club in Manotick, Ont., after competing in last year’s finals. 

“We had a blast playing last year even though due to lightning and fog delays, we only played nine holes,” commented Anderson ahead of his second NGL Championship. “Amazing experience and excited to be coming back.”  

To discover more results from the 2024 NGL Provincial Championships and see which teams qualified for the national championship, please click here.  

Those who participate in the NGL season play a lively role in growing the sport in their community as well, with 100 per cent of the league’s proceeds benefiting First Tee – Canada in their respective provinces around the country.  

First Tee – Canada is a youth development program striving to bring accessible and inclusive pathways to golf participants at schools, community centres, and golf courses across the country. Strong charitable incentive towards First Tee – Canada have been a pattern throughout each of the NGL’s first two seasons, with gifts and other forms philanthropic practices directly impacting youth in the province in which the money was raised. To learn more about First Tee – Canada programming and ways to support, please visit firstteecanada.ca.  

Vanessa Borovilos is not the kind of person who normally tries to manifest a goal, but after just missing out on qualifying for last year’s U.S. Women’s Open, she put a piece of paper above her bed in Toronto to keep her focused on reaching the major.

She didn’t bring the paper with her to Texas A&M, but the intention paid off — she’ll tee it up in her second LPGA Tour event and first major this week.

“It just helps me check a box at the end of the day, saying like, ‘Hey, did I do everything I could today to get to that goal on the wall?” said Borovilos. “It doesn’t just take one day of good practice, doesn’t just take one day of good sleep, it’s consistent effort over a long period of time, and I think that piece of paper just reminded me constantly.

“It helps me keep going.”

Borovilos has had a standout freshman season at Texas A&M, finishing no worse than 10th in any event so far in 2025.

She tied for 10th at the Moon Golf Invitational, tied for second at the Clover Cup, was solo second at The “Mo” Morial, and won the singles title at the Chevron Collegiate on Feb. 25.

Still, Borovilos feels that playing against LPGA Tour players at Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin will help sharpen her game.

“I think the more I can put myself in these situations and learn from the players early on, it’s definitely going to help me in college,” said Borovilos. “I mean, Erin Hills is no joke. I looked at the overview and it’s fairway, rough, and then hay.

“I think that will get me more comfortable playing collegiate courses. I’ll be able to play a major course and see where I need to improve my game. So it’ll definitely help me next year.”

There are five Canadians in the field, headlined by Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., who is currently 48^th in the Race to CME Globe standings. Vancouver’s Leah John, Celeste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-L’Ile-Perrot, Que., and Vancouver’s Anna Huang are also in the field.

Borovilos and John will be in a group together that tees off together Thursday morning.

John, who currently plays on the second-tier Epson Tour, will also be playing in her first major.

“I am so excited. I hope the feeling never goes away,” said John. “It’s always special, but I think doing things for your first time, there’s nothing like it.

“I mean, I’m not on the LPGA yet, so playing with the girls on the big tour and coming in as an outsider from a qualifier, I’m pretty stoked.”

John, whose only LPGA Tour experience is at the CPKC Women’s Open, Canada’s national championship, said that she’s also looking forward to testing her mettle against the best players in women’s golf.

“This is one of the best fields I can be a part of,” she said. “I can’t wait to have a measuring stick like this. 

“You watch them on TV and you watch them live, but being inside the ropes with them and competing against them will be a new experience.”

PGA TOUR — Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., leads the Canadian contingent into the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Conners is eighth on the FedEx Cup standings heading into the signature event with a reduced field of only 72 players. He’ll be joined by Nick Taylor (25th) of Abbotsford, B.C., Taylor Pendrith (30th) of Richmond Hill, Ont., Mackenzie Hughes (44th) of Dundas, Ont., and Adam Hadwin (122nd), also from Abbotsford.

DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., is the only Canadian in the field at this week’s Austrian Alpine Open at Gut Altentann Golf Club in Salzburg. Cockerill sits 120th in the Race to Dubai standings, the points list for the European-based tour. He moved seven spots up the rankings after tying for 31st at last week’s Soudal Open in Belgium.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames is the only Canadian playing in the Principal Charity Classic this week. He’s 26th on the Schwab Cup points list heading into Friday’s first round at Wakonda Club in Des Moines, Iowa.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont., is 10th on the second-tier tour’s points list heading into this week’s UNC Health Championship. He’ll be joined at Raleigh Country Club in North Carolina by Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald (33rd), Matthew Anderson (47th), also from Mississauga, Myles Creighton (63rd) of Digby, N.S., Roger Sloan (118th) of Merritt, B.C., and Etienne Papineau (140th) of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.

PGA TOUR U — Calgary’s Hunter Thomson, a senior at the University of Michigan, finished as the No. 24 player in the PGA Tour University Class of 2025 to become the first Canadian to graduate from the program. As a result, Thomson has earned access to the North America swing on PGA Tour Americas and will be eligible to make his professional debut at the Explore NB Open in Fredericton, N.B., July 3-6.

Since 2024, PING Canada has significantly contributed to First Tee – Canada, helping introduce thousands of children to golf through programs delivered at golf courses, schools, and community organizations nationwide.

Launched in 2021 through a partnership between Golf Canada and First Tee, First Tee – Canada is a youth development program that provides life-enhancing experiences through golf for children from equity-deserving communities. Since its inception, the program has created inclusive and accessible pathways to the sport for more than 170,000 youth from coast to coast.

“PING Canada’s support is making a significant impact on Canadian golf,” said Adam Hunter, Executive Director, First Tee – Canada. “It has enabled us to expand programming into communities where it is needed most, introducing families—who may not have otherwise had the opportunity—to golf and its inherent values. Having an endemic golf brand invest in the future health of the sport in Canada is invaluable. We are immensely grateful.”

Thanks to PING Canada’s philanthropic support, First Tee – Canada has partnered with additional golf facilities, schools, and community organizations, providing the necessary equipment, training, and curriculum to offer the program to participants at no cost.

Participants, many of whom are new to golf, are gaining more than an introduction to the game. They are experiencing opportunities to build friendships and continue to learn life lessons like confidence, integrity and leadership, that extend far beyond the golf course.

“If and when possible, we believe every child should have the opportunity to play and grow through golf,” said Dave Wilson, General Manager, PING Canada. “It is exciting to be part of something that is helping shape the next generation—on and off the course.”

PING Canada has been a long-time supporter of junior golf and their continued support of First Tee – Canada is growing the game in meaningful ways.

For more information on First Tee – Canada’s efforts across the country, visit firstteecanada.ca.

The NextGen Championship season resumes on Friday, May 30 at Trestle Creek Golf Resort in Entwistle, Alta. for the playing of the NextGen Western Championship.

147 junior golfers – 116 Junior Boys and 31 Junior Girls – will tee off on Friday and look to punch their ticket to their respective junior championships later this summer. The 54-hole event will be preceded with a practice round on Thursday, May 29 before play wraps up on Sunday, June 1.

The field will be reduced to approximately the top 53 Junior Boys and top 17 Junior Girls, including ties, after 36 holes. Members of the Junior Boys division that conclude the final round placed within the top eight of the leaderboard will earn exemption into the 2025 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO, set for August 12-15, at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B.

In the Junior Girls division, the top eight finishers, including ties, will earn exemptions into the field for the playing of the 2025 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO, August 13-16, at Sainte-Marie Club de golf in Sainte-Marie, Que.

Notable players from western Canada will compete in the event, including Christian Flick of Heritage Pointe, Alta. and Ryan Mosher of Saskatoon, Sask. Flick, a three-time participant, will look to secure his first victory at the NextGen Western Championship after finishing in the top ten three times, including a runner-up finish in 2022. His ambition will be rivaled by Mosher, a proven winner on the circuit and the reigning NextGen Prairie Champion.

Designed by golf architect and fellow Albertan Brad Dupuis, Trestle Creek Golf Resort offers 27 holes of championship-level golf split across a trio of distinctive nines. Opening in 2012, the course has undergone several renovations to expand its unique terrain, spanning across 600 acres of land to include creeks, lakes, forests and hills into its initial design.

“We are extremely excited to host this year’s NextGen Western Championship,” commented Art New – the Head Golf Professional at Trestle Creek Golf Resort. “We feel that the players are really going to enjoy the Brad Dupuis design which encompasses the natural beauty of the terrain. It will pose a challenge to these up-and-coming future stars, and we are quite certain they will enjoy it.”

Trestle Creek Golf Resort has become much greater than a picturesque, affordable and challenging golf hub since its inception and presently surrounds its fairways with resort lots, a sport and water park and a recreation centre to make the property bountiful of outdoor experiences. The course plays its best defense as players get closer to each of the holes, with undulating greens challenging the field’s best putting strokes and forcing players to dial in their short game for the occasion.

“The golf course is fairly generous off the tee,” added New, who believes the strong winds that the property exhibits can also make for a challenge come the final round. “This course is all about your misses approaching the greens. Miss on the correct side depending on pin placement and you can recover. Miss on the wrong side and getting up and down will be a tough challenge.”

To follow the live leaderboard of the NextGen Western 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.

While there may be some debate over which is the most important of the four men’s golf majors — one that pits the Open Championship’s history against the mystique of the Masters — there is no such discussion when it comes to the women’s game. The U.S. Women’s Open is the queen bee of the LPGA Tour schedule.

Established in 1947, the U.S. Women’s Open is the oldest professional tournament in women’s golf and carries the biggest purse at $12 million (US). Its list of multiple winners is a who’s who of women’s golf — Besty Rawls, Mikey Wright, Babe Zaharias, Hollis Stacy, JoAnne Carner, Betsy King, Patty Sheehan, Juli Inkster, Meg Mallon, Karrie Webb and Annika Sorenstam to name a few. Last year, Yuka Saso added her name to that list when she prevailed at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania.

This year’s 80th edition of the tournament is taking place in Wisconsin for the first time since 2012. Then, Na Yeon Choi took home the hardware at Blackwolf Run in Kohler. This week, Erin Hills is in the spotlight. It is a big, broad golf course that was the site of Brooks Koepka’s 2017 U.S. Open triumph, the first of his five major triumphs.

Here is everything you need to know about the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open.

The Course

Erin Hills caught the fancy of the United States Golf Association immediately after it opened in 2006. At a time when the governing body was shifting away from tree-lined private country clubs for its championships, the public Erin Hills, built on a massive parcel of largely treeless land in rural Wisconsin, offered something new.

Original owner Bob Lang hired Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry to design the course, which they did with input from longtime Golf Digest architecture critic Ron Whitten. Lang had grand visions of championship golf at Erin Hills and two years after the course opened the USGA conducted the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links there. The USGA then awarded the 2017 U.S. Open to Erin Hills and brought the 2011 U.S. Amateur to the course as a test run. Lang had to sell the course amid financial hardships and the layout underwent a number of revisions requested by the USGA after it was purchased by Andrew Ziegler.

At over 7,800 yards (at elevation) for the first round, the course played as the longest in U.S. Open history in 2017, but its wide fairways and calm conditions made it easy pickings and Koepka won with a record-tying 16-under-par total. This week’s U.S. Women’s Open will be the first major at Erin Hills since that time, though the course did welcome the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur. The course will measure just over 6,800 yards and play as a par 72.

The Favourites

Jeeno Thitikul leads the LPGA Tour’s points race entering the U.S. Women’s Open thanks to her recent victory at the Mizuho Americas Open and five additional top 10s. The 22-year-old Thai golfer is in search of her first major victory this week, having racked up seven top 10s in 23 career major starts. She does not have a top-three finish, however, with her best result being a solo-fourth at the 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She leads the LPGA Tour in strokes gained total this season.
Bet99 odds: +900

Nelly Korda remains atop the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, but the 15-time LPGA Tour winner is without a victory this season and sits 15th on the Race to CME Globe. After suffering a neck injury last fall that forced her out of two tournaments in Asia, Korda began 2025 with a runner-up finish in the Tournament of Championships but went without a top-five finish until two weeks ago at the Mizuho Americas Open. Nevertheless, she is second on tour in strokes gained total, first in scoring average and first in birdie percentage.
Bet99 odds: +1450

At 24, Haeran Ryu has taken over as the top women’s golfer from South Korea, sitting fifth in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. She captured the Black Desert Championship earlier this month by five shots, her third career LPGA Tour title. The five-time winner on the LPGA of Korea Tour has finished in the top 10 in four of the last six major championships. She leads the tour in strokes gained tee to green, a good stat for any U.S. Open.      
Bet99 odds: +1450

A three-time winner in 2024 and a two-time winner in 2023, Ruoning Yin hasn’t yet won this season, but she put together back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Chevron Championship, the season’s first major, and the Black Desert Championship. She was then T15 at the Mizuhos Americas Open. Those three results came after five finishes outside the top 20 to start the season, so clearly Yin has turned things around. Her lone major victory came at the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA.  
Bet99 odds: +1800

Former World No. 1 Jin Young Ko is winless since 2023, but she has four top 10s in eight starts this season, including two in her last two starts. She won two major championships in 2019, along with the CPKC Women’s Open, and tied for second in the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open. She tied for sixth at the Chevron Championship last month.
Bet99 odds: +2000

The Canadians

Five Canadians will tee it up at Erin Hills with two-time major winner Brooke Henderson joined by four qualifiers: Vanessa Borovilos, Celeste Dao, Anna Huang and Leah John.

Henderson is still trying to find her form this season as the 13-time LPGA Tour winner sits in unfamiliar positions on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings (42nd) and Race to CME Globe (48th). Her lone top 10 — a T9 — came in the T-Mobile Match Play where she lost in the Round of 16. The 27-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., had a solid T12 finish at the Black Desert Championship but then missed the cut in her last event, the Mizuho Americas Open. Henderson’s best U.S. Women’s Open finish is a T5 in 2015, one of 16 career top 10s in majors.

Borovilos hails from the Toronto borough of Etobicoke and earned one of two spots available at a 36-hole qualifier at Elgin Country Club in Illinois. This will be the first major championship start for the 19-year-old amateur coming off her freshman season at Texas A&M University. Borovilos was the medallist at Elgin Country Club with two rounds of 68 for an 8-under-par total.

Dao is no stranger to the U.S. Women’s Open as the Quebecer has now qualified for the championship four times. However, this will be Dao’s first major appearance as a professional. She took the lone qualifier spot at Salem Country Club in Massachusetts with rounds of 72-71. She’s a University of Georgia alum.

Huang is one of three 16-year-olds in the field this week at Erin Hills, having finished as the runner-up at the qualifier at New Albany Country Club in Ohio. The Vancouver native turned professional in December after earning status on the Ladies European Tour and has made five cuts in six starts on that circuit this year.

John was the co-medallist at her qualifier in Sacramento at Del Paso Country Club. Also from Vancouver, John is plying her trade on the Epson Tour, the LPGA Tour’s developmental circuit, where she’s made three cuts in seven starts this season. She had two top-10 finishes in 12 starts on that tour last year after turning pro in the spring of 2024. John attended the University of Nevada.  

Chip Shots

– There were 1,904 entrants for this year’s U.S. Women’s Open, the second most in tournament history.

– The semi-retired Lexi Thompson will make her 19th consecutive start in the U.S. Women’s Open. Now 30, Thompson has played in the tournament since she first qualified as a 12-year-old.

– Former World No. 1 Yani Tseng is making her first U.S. Women’s Open start since 2016 after successfully qualifying for the championship. The Taiwanese golfer won five major titles from 2008 to 2011 but her career nosedived in 2013 and she is now ranked 995th in the world. Since reappearing on the LPGA Tour in 2024, she has not made a cut in 14 starts. In fact, her last made cut came in 2018. She is a 15-time LPGA Tour winner.

– Emily Odwin will become the first golfer from Barbados — male or female — to play in a major championship when she tees it up Thursday. She qualified at the historic Olympic Club in San Francisco. Odwin learned the game at Royal Westmorland and now attends Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Current and recently retired NHL players will compete in an
18-hole competition prior to the RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto

OAKVILLE/TORONTO, ON – Golf Canada and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) are proud to announce the creation of the RBC Canadian Open/NHLPA Faceoff taking place at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ont. on Thursday, May 29.

This unique event will take place one week prior to the 2025 RBC Canadian Open and will feature current National Hockey League (NHL) Players and Alumni competing in a one-day tournament. The format will see eight teams of two players competing in an 18-hole competition, culminating in a playoff on the iconic no. 14 Rink Hole at TPC Toronto.

“We are excited to partner with the NHLPA on this new initiative leading into the 114^th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship. Golf and hockey bring a natural intersect for players and we want to thank the NHLPA and its members for their shared enthusiasm in bringing this concept to reality,” said Tim McLaughlin, Chief Marketing Officer, Golf Canada. “We have seen the success and growth of golf content online and through social media, and this promises to be a fun and engaging experience for the players ahead of the 2025 RBC Canadian Open.”

The roster of current NHLPA members set to compete in the inaugural RBC Canadian Open/NHLPA Faceoff at TPC Toronto includes Will Cuylle and Calvin deHaan (New York Rangers), Jamie Drysdale (Philadelphia Flyers), Warren Foegele and Quinton Byfield (L.A. Kings), Robert Thomas (St. Louis Blues), Ryan Strome (Anaheim Ducks), Logan Stanley (Winnipeg Jets) with more players to be named later.

In addition, current TSN personalities and NHL Alumni, Jeff O’Neill (Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs), and Carlo Colaiacovo (Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabres), will also be competing on May 29.

“Golf and hockey have traditionally gone hand-in-hand here in Canada, so we’re thrilled to partner with Golf Canada to bring the RBC Canadian Open/NHLPA Faceoff to life,” said Devin Smith, NHLPA Senior Director, Sponsorship & Player Marketing. “The opportunity to bring NHL players and the RBC Canadian Open together here at this incredible venue at TPC Toronto in such a fun and unique format is something we at the NHLPA and the players are very excited about. We are looking forward to a great day of competition along with some fun and engaging content for fans, in partnership with Golf Canada and RBC.”   

Scoring will follow a stableford format, with set points awarded based off a golfer’s net score for the hole. Points will be awarded as follows: Albatross (5 points), Eagle (4 points), Birdie (3 points), Par (2 points), Bogey (1 point), Double Bogey or higher (0 points). The top teams with the highest total of accumulated points will advance to the playoff.

The competition will be closed to the public but will be covered on both Golf Canada and NHLPA social media channels and a full-length feature piece will be shared online shortly after the completion of the event. The 114th playing of the RBC Canadian Open will take place June 4-8 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ont. For more information on the RBC Canadian Open, including volunteer opportunities or to purchase tickets, please visit rbccanadianopen.com.

Click here for more information on the RBC Canadian Open/ NLPA Faceoff

Ludvig Åberg, Sungjae Im, Tom Kim and Alex Noren to compete in the
114th playing of Canada’s Men’s National Open Championship

Oakville, ON – RBC and Golf Canada are pleased to announce that international stars Ludvig Åberg, Sungjae Im, Tom Kim and Alex Noren have all confirmed their commitment to compete in the 2025 RBC Canadian Open.

Åberg (world no. 6) returns to the RBC Canadian Open, where he made his professional debut on the PGA TOUR in 2023. In that short time, Åberg has become a two-time winner with his most recent win coming at the Genesis Invitational this past February. Åberg was part of Europe’s Ryder Cup winning side in 2023 and represented his native, Sweden at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. In addition to his win, Åberg has earned three top 10’s and four top 25’s this season. He has also earned one international win in his career, the Omega European Masters in 2023.

Im (world no. 21) is a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR and has also earned three international wins during his career. This season, Im has earned three top 10’s and six top 25’s including a T5 finish at The Masters last month. Im has been part of the International Team at three Presidents Cups (2019, 2022, 2024) and represented the Republic of Korea at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Im will be making his second appearance at the RBC Canadian Open after finishing seventh in 2019.

Kim (world no. 45) is a three-time winner on the PGA TOUR and has earned seven career international wins. The 22-year-old will be making his second appearance at the RBC Canadian Open, after finishing T4 last year in Hamilton, Ont. Kim was part of the International Team at the past two Presidents Cups (2022, 2024) and represented the Republic of Korea at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. This season, Kim has earned one top 10 and one top 25 finish in 13 events on the PGA TOUR.

Noren (world no. 71) has won 10 times on the DP World Tour in his career and will be making his third appearance at the RBC Canadian Open. Noren was most recently in the final pairing of the 2025 PGA Championship this past Sunday, in only his second tournament since returning from an injury that sidelined him for multiple months. Noren was part of Europe’s Ryder Cup win in 2018 and has represented Sweden at the past two Olympic Games (2020 in Tokyo and 2024 in Paris). Noren is a three-time runner-up on the PGA TOUR.

Also joining the international stars are up-and-coming collegiate standouts Luke Clanton of Hialeah, Fla., and Gordon Sargent of Birmingham, Ala.

Clanton is currently the no. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and on Monday was named the recipient of the 2025 Ben Hogan Award, recognizing the outstanding male amateur and collegiate golfer of the year. Clanton earned his PGA TOUR Card through the PGA TOUR University Accelerated and has competed in 13 PGA TOUR events over the past two years. He has earned two runner-up finishes along with an additional top five and a top ten finish. He also made the cut at the 2024 U.S. Open finishing T41, his first tournament on the TOUR. Clanton is a junior at Florida State University and earned the McCormack Medal in 2024 as the world’s top amateur golfer.

Sargent is currently ranked no. 20 on the WAGR and is a senior at Vanderbilt University. Sargent won the 2022 NCAA Men’s Individual National Championship as well as the 2023 McCormack Medal. He became the first player to earn their PGA TOUR Card through PGA TOUR University Accelerated in October 2023. In addition, he finished as the low amateur at the 2023 U.S. Open, finishing T39. He has competed in six events on the PGA TOUR over the past two years.

“RBC and Golf Canada are excited to announce these four great players in Åberg, Im, Kim and Noren to the emerging field set to compete in the 114th playing of the RBC Canadian Open,” said RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director Ryan Paul. “We also look forward to welcoming two of the top amateurs in the world and rising stars  Luke Clanton and Gordon Sargent to compete at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.”

Tickets for the 2025 RBC Canadian Open are available here. Children aged 12-and-under get free admission with a ticketed adult.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that the She Plays Golf festival schedule is now set for 2025.

The She Plays Golf Festivals will return to Calgary, Vancouver and Greater Toronto areas again year and is proud to announce expansion into Atlantic Canada. She Plays Golf was originally successfully piloted across Calgary as part of the Peloton Glencoe Invitational in 2023.

She Plays Golf is a citywide celebration of women’s golf that features inclusive programming for women and girls who are recreational golfers or exploring the sport for the first time. She Plays Golf Festivals help to address gaps in the participation pathway and introduce women and girls to the game in a safe, fun, and judgment-free environment.

Festival activities take place at golf courses across the host region during the same week as the She Plays Golf Championship Series event with activities including introductory “Try Golf” events for women and girls new to golf, , networking socials for women in business and leadership, and more.

“We are excited to announce the full schedule of She Plays Golf Festival events for the 2025 season, as well as expansion into Atlantic Canada this fall,” said Heather Fattore, Manager of Inclusion Programs, Golf Canada. “The participation festivals are a celebration of women’s golf, and we encourage more women and girls to join us this year and try golf. We are also very appreciative of our partners at The R&A, RBC and adidas Golf for their continued support and commitment to She Plays Golf.”

The festival schedule for She Plays Golf will kick-off with the B.C. She Plays Golf Festival in the Greater Vancouver area from June 3 – 7. The Alberta festival will run from June 9 – 14 in Calgary before moving to the Greater Toronto Area for the Ontario Festival from July 2 – 6. New for 2025 is the addition of a She Plays Golf Festival in Atlantic Canada, taking place in Moncton, N.B. from September 9 – 13.

For more information, full schedule and to register, please click the links below:

B.C. She Plays Golf Festival (Greater Vancouver Area)

Alberta She Plays Golf Festival (Calgary)

Ontario She Plays Golf Festival (Greater Toronto Area)

Atlantic She Plays Golf Festival (Moncton, N.B.)

As previously announced, the She Plays Golf Championship Series features three enhanced championships thatmark the continued support of a professional women’s golf tour in Canada. Championships will be contested over 54-holes with a field of 60 professionals and elite amateurs with a $60,000 CAD purse.The top finisher in each event from the She Plays Golf Championship Series will earn a direct exemption into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open, set for Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. from August 20-24.

She Plays Golf is proudly supported by The R&A, RBC and adidas Golf. For more information on She Plays Golf including Festivals and Championship Series, please visit golfcanada.ca/sheplaysgolf/.