The PGA of Canada is proud to announce Titleist & FootJoy as the inaugural presenting sponsor of the PGA Training Academy.

The PGA Training Academy presented by Titleist & FootJoy—which officially launches later this afternoon with full details becoming available over the coming weeks—is the association’s dynamic new world-class education system designed to increase the value, integrity and employability of the PGA of Canada professional.

“We are so thrilled and excited to have Titleist and FootJoy as the inaugural presenting sponsor of our PGA Training Academy,” said PGA of Canada CEO Kevin Thistle. “For nearly 50-years Titleist & FootJoy have played an integral role in the support of PGA of Canada and its members and we couldn’t be more pleased to have them committed to this longstanding partnership for years to come.”

As part of the partnership, Titleist & FootJoy will be recognized as an education sponsor for PGA of Canada Zone education seminars and will supply keynote speakers and content.

“The launch of the PGA Training Academy represents an exciting time for the PGA of Canada and it’s more than 3,500 members across the country. We are looking forward to this new chapter in our partnership with the Association and to playing an integral role in supporting the advancement of its members. We want to thank all PGA members for your leadership in golf and for your continued support of the Titleist and FootJoy brands,”  said Ted Manning, President, Acushnet Canada Inc.

PGA of Canada members will also be privy to Titleist University online training modules that will count towards re-specialization credits within the PGA Training Academy. PGA of Canada equipment fitting workshops will also be held at Titleist fitting centres around the country.

Titleist & FootJoy are also the founding partner of the PGA of Canada Retirement Advantage Program.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Canada’s Ben Silverman was tied for second after the morning wave during the first round of the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic.

The native of Thornhill, Ont., shot a 4-under 66 to put him two shots back of two-time RBC Canadian Open champion Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela.

The 31-year-old Silverman, who got into the tournament early this week as an alternate, was tied with Americans Zach Johnson and Lucas Glover and Ernie Els of South Africa.

“Me and my caddie have a great strategy for this week for kind of moving forward,” Silverman told reporters.

“We’ve picked a style of swing that is comfortable for me, and we just move my targets for wind, and I think that helped hit more fairways, and when I missed greens, I was missing because we had a better club in hand and I had a slightly easier up-and-down where I could bump it into a low spot. I was never short-sided.”

Silverman, who started on hole No. 10, bogeyed his first hole before reeling off four birdies on his front nine. He had two birdies and a bogey on his final nine holes.

A Florida Atlantic University product, Silverman has been living in the state for 13 years.

“It’s really comfortable. It’s like a second home. I’ve been here since ’06, and I’m 31, so it’s almost half my life I’ve been down here really, so I’m used to the weather, I’m used to the Bermuda (grass), the style of course, and I’ve played this course a ton of times – mini-tour events plus Q-school.”

Silverman, who secured his PGA Tour card for the second year in a row at the final event of the Web.com Tour season last year, has made the cut in five of eight events on the top circuit this year. But his best finish is just a tie for 39th.

“I’m slowly getting more comfortable out here,” he said. “I know the courses now, so I’m working more on my game in the practice area and less on practice rounds, and I think it’s going to pay off moving forward.”

Monday qualifier Drew Nesbitt of Shanty Bay, Ont., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., each shot 1-over 71, Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., had 72 and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., carded a 76.

Vegas made six birdies and no bogeys to tkae the early lead.

“Hit my irons the best I’ve hit them all year and I’ve always liked this golf course,” Vegas said. “It’s kind of one of those courses that I think suits me. You have to hit the ball well and you have to get around really well. And then I made a few putts.”

Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia were in a large group at 67, and defending champion Justin Thomas shot 68 after an eventful day that saw him play the last eight holes without a 9-iron after it bent when he hit it against a tree.

“To feel like I gave quite a few back today and shoot 2-under par on this golf course, it’s great,” Thomas said.

Also at 68 was Sam Saunders, the grandson of golf legend Arnold Palmer. Saunders birdied all three holes in the famed “Bear Trap” stretch at PGA National, the run of holes 15 through 17 where a par 4 is sandwiched by a pair of par 3s that can be treacherous even without much wind.

Vegas made 12 bogeys last year at the Honda, along with three doubles and a triple, wound up beating only one of the 74 finishers and wrapped up the week with a final-round 78. He sprayed irons everywhere, missed half of the fairways, more than half of the greens.

But Thursday, he was dialed in – missing only three of 14 fairways and three of the 18 greens, needing only 29 putts to get through the day.

“I felt like I was in control pretty much all day long,” Vegas said.

The 34-year-old Venezuelan has three PGA Tour victories, winning the 2011 Bob Hope Classic and the RBC Canadian Open in 2016 and 2017.

Vegas took advantage on a day to make noise at PGA National, where the wind was down. And that’s not typical.

Forecasters correctly said breezes would be relatively light all day and should stay that way until perhaps the weekend, though Johnson – whose weather apps said breezes were going to be no more than 3 or 4 mph – was among those who felt the wind was still a factor and fluctuated more than expected.

“We had a stretch there on the front nine where it was a lot more than that,” Johnson said. “The ball curving with the wind, depending on the direction, easily 10 to 15 to 20 yards. And then we made the turn and it started to be more consistent, not as gusty. … It was not Honda wind. I don’t think we’re going to get Honda wind until Sunday.”

Els had no complaints.

Els has won more than 70 tournaments worldwide, 19 of them on the PGA Tour – the last of those coming in 2012 at the British Open. Getting a 20th on tour, he said, has been a goal for some time.

“Secretly on tour among the players, you know when you win No. 20 you get some benefits,” Els said. “It’s late in my career, but I’ll take any win now.”

Thomas sizzled at the start with three birdies in his first four holes, and made the turn at 4-under.

That’s when his day got eventful.

His drive ended up behind a tree on the 10th, and he figured that his 9-iron would snap on the follow-through of his approach shot. It merely bent instead, and the jolt of the impact meant Thomas was going to be spending some time Thursday night with an icepack on his wrist. He doesn’t believe it’ll impact him Friday.

“Just more of a shock than anything,” Thomas said.

Thomas then found his way into and out of trouble on the Bear Trap – making double-bogey, then having a par putt slide past the hole on 16, and making birdie on 17. He then birdied the last as well.

Garcia also finished strong, with three birdies in his last four holes.

“It’s a great round, at the end of the day,” Garcia said.

DIVOTS: Fowler went into the water twice and wound up making a triple-bogey on the par-4 sixth, his nemesis hole at PGA National. In his last four rounds at the Honda, he’s 7 over on that hole. … Alex Cejka was disqualified for using an improper greens-reading device, officials said. He withdrew from last year’s tournament and missed the cut in 2017. … Cody Gribble had an interesting day – making quadruple bogey on No. 6, triple bogey on the par-4 11th, and then eagle on the par-5 18th. He shot a 77.

Most golfers on the Web.com Tour don’t get to play Augusta National on their weeks off.

Mike Weir is the exception, however.

The 2003 Masters champion is planning on playing a full schedule on the PGA Tour’s feeder circuit thanks to a special exemption category for golfers aged 48-49 – which should mark the first time he’s played more than 20 events since 2014.

The 48-year-old native of Brights Grove, Ont. played three weeks in a row on the Web.com Tour in February – with his best result a tie for 35th at the LECOM Suncoast Classic, after being tied for the lead early in the week in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.

Before returning home to Utah for a rest, though, Weir took a trip to Augusta to check out the new par-4 fifth hole (it has been lengthened for 2019) and enjoy two days of golf with friends. He’ll tee it up again at the Masters in April.

“It’s always great to get back there,” said Weir, the lone Canadian to win a green jacket.

The last five years have seen Weir fall from being a PGA Tour regular to cobbling together an inconsistent schedule.

He’s battled a myriad of injuries but told The Canadian Press he feels “great” for the first time in recent memory. He says he’s more motivated than ever to get back to the top tour.

Weir said it was hard to get into a rhythm the last few years not knowing where he was going to play next, but now that he’s got a confirmed schedule, he’s eager to keep the competitive juice flowing.

“That’s the benefit of playing week to week. You get to figure things out on the golf course, not the driving range at home,” he said. “You figure those things out when you’re playing, so that’s been nice.”

Weir said he’s focused on trying to finish inside the top 25 in the Web.com Tour standings to earn a PGA Tour card for next year.

“I want to get back out there,” said Weir, who is two years away from playing PGA Tour Champions (for golfers aged 50-plus).

Weir said he’d play the whole season on the Web.com Tour while leaving for the Masters – he has a lifetime exemption thanks to his 2003 triumph – and the RBC Canadian Open. He said he might play a few more PGA Tour events if possible.

He was exempt into last week’s Puerto Rico Open on the PGA Tour, but decided to head home after playing three weeks in a row.

Weir has got a good look at the future of Canadian golf on the Web.com Tour. He played a practice round with Michael Gligic the week before the fellow Canadian won the Panama Championship.

“There are lots of guys playing well and hopefully there will be more and more,” said Weir.

Mike Weir of Canada hits his third shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the LECOM Suncoast Classic at Lakewood National Golf Club on February 15, 2019 in Lakewood Ranch, Florida

One of the golfers Weir mentioned is David Hearn, who tied for 25th at the Puerto Rico Open. Hearn was paired with Weir at the Desert Classic earlier this year on the PGA Tour and said he was impressed at how much better Weir was playing.

Returning to play a full schedule on the Web.com Tour, Hearn said, really characterizes who Weir is.

“For some people it might be a surprising but if you know Mike and you know how committed and how hard he’s worked at the game in his lifetime, it’s no surprise to a lot of guys out here,” Hearn said.

Off the course, Weir was recently involved with a legal matter with the owner of his former winery. The Canadian Press reported the corporation Mike Weir Wine Inc. owes the golfer about $2.2 million.

Weir believes all will be resolved soon.

“It’ll be behind me, which is all I have to say about that,” said Weir.

As for golf, Weir said it’s been “refreshing” playing on the Web.com Tour, despite the small crowds and trips to places like Panama and Colombia.

He said he’s felt inspired playing with and competing against the next generation of PGA Tour stars.

“I’m competing and wanting to win and wanting to beat them, but I want them to play well and do well on the tour and get out there on the PGA Tour, because that’s their dream,” he said. “I was there a long time ago and it’s really been fun for me to be back out there.”

DORVAL, Que. – Golf Canada’s 2019 Annual Meeting is set for this week (February 28 to March 2) at the Marriott Montréal Airport In-Terminal Hotel in Dorval, Que., just outside of Montreal.

The event brings together Golf Canada’s Board of Directors, staff and volunteers as well as representatives from Canada’s provincial golf associations, national and international partners and other stakeholders. The group will assemble for select meetings, innovative presentations and discussion in preparation for the upcoming golf season.

CEO Laurence Applebaum will also present Golf Canada’s Strategic Plan (2019-2022) to increase Canadian participation and excellence in golf.

Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting will culminate with the appointment of Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Qué., to serve as the National Sport Federation’s 115^th President, taking over from 2018 President Leslie Dunning of Calgary.

 

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The formal appointment of Beaulieu along with the release of the association’s 2018 Financial Statements will take place during Golf Canada’s official Annual General Meeting on Saturday, March 2 at 5 p.m. ET.

Golf Canada will also celebrate outstanding contributions to the game of golf in Canada with the presentation of its 2018 Volunteer of the Year Award to Raymonde Michaud as well as Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award(s) to industry collaborator Raymond Gaudet, long-time volunteer Jean-Claude Gagné and golf journalist Daniel Caza.

Golf Quebec has also scheduled its Annual General Meeting to take place in conjunction with assembly in Dorval, Que.

A full schedule of activities and presentations taking place during Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting is available here.

Recorded sessions from the Annual Meeting can be viewed on YouTube here.

Dorval, Qué. (Golf Canada) – A trio of lifetime contributors the sport of golf – course owner and industry collaborator Raymond Gaudet, long-time volunteer and rules official Jean-Claude Gagné and acclaimed golf journalist Daniel Caza – will be acknowledged for their tremendous contributions to the sport as the 2019 recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award.

The presentation of the 2019 Distinguished Service Awards to Gaudet, Gagné and Caza will take place on Saturday, March 2 as part of Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting (February 28 to March 2) at the Marriott Montréal Airport In-Terminal Hotel in Dorval, Qué.

Gaudet is the founder of Club de Golf Montcalm, a 36-hole family owned and operated golf facility in Saint-Liguori, Qué. He is a founding member of Québec Golf Course Owners Association and was the driving force behind the formation of the Golf Association of Québec, an association comprised of club owners and managers, delegates of Golf Québec, club professionals, superintendents and other industry stakeholders.

Gagné has spent more than 30 years volunteering with Golf Canada and Golf Quebec. He is a long-time Rules official and French language translator who has supported the translation of materials for the Rules of Golf as well as Handicap and Course Rating.

Caza is a respected sports journalist who has chronicled the sport of golf in Quebec and nationally for more than 20 years. He is a lead golf contributor and the Editor and Chief with Ovation médias golf properties including Mongolf.ca, Revue Golf International, Golf Les Affaires and Guide Québec Golf as well as the golf television program “Au 19e” broadcast on RDS.

“Golf Canada is extremely proud to recognize Raymond Gaudet, Jean-Claude Gagné and Daniel Caza as the recipients of our 2019 Distinguished Service Award,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “Each of their respective contributions across various touchpoints in the game has left a meaningful impression on the Canadian and Quebec golf landscape. It is with great respect and admiration that we honour these individuals for their passion and commitment to our sport.”

Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award has been presented annually since 1993 to recognize individuals who have had an outstanding impact on Canadian golf either nationally or within their community.

Recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award are often selected from within the province or region of the organization’s incoming President. On Saturday, March 2, Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Qué. will be sworn in as Golf Canada’s 115^th president. As president-elect, Beaulieu will succeed Leslie Dunning of Calgary who served as President in 2018.

In addition to the presentation of the Distinguished Service Awards, Golf Canada will also recognize Raymonde Michaud of Rivière-du-Loup, QC as the 2018 Volunteer of the Year.

Michaud, Gaudet, Gagné and Caza will be honoured on Saturday, March 2 during the closing dinner of Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting.

Click here to see a full schedule of events for Golf Canada’s 2019 Annual Meeting.

Golf Canada 2019 Distinguished Service Award Honourees

Jean-Claude Gagné (Volunteer)

Jean-Claude Gagné of Sherbrooke, Qué. has been a strong contributor to the game of golf both in Québec and at the national level for more than 30 years.

A long-time golfer and member of the Milby Golf Club, he has served as a volunteer and Rules of Golf official with Golf Canada and Golf Québec. Gagné has officiated at numerous amateur and professional golf championships over the course of his career in addition to serving as Tournament Chair or Rules Chair for various regional, provincial and national competitions, including the 2013 Canada Games held at his home club in Sherbrooke.

Gagné served on numerous Golf Canada committees during his volunteer tenure including Rules of Golf and Handicap (which he chaired from 2002 to 2005) and on the (former) Executive Committee for six years (2003-2009). A highlight of his volunteer experience included accompanying Team Canada in 2006 and 2007 as a Head Rules Official for the Toyota Junior Boys World Cup in Japan.

A past President of the Eastern Township Golf Association, his contributions provincially with Golf Québec spanned more than a decade where he supported various committees, served as Tournament Chair in 1998 and 1999, and was President of the Association in 2000. Gagné has also lent his expertise to Golf Canada over the years as a technical expert and French language translator supporting the Rules of Golf as well as Handicapping and Course Rating. In 2018, he contributed to a working group alongside past Golf Canada President Jacques Nols and current Golf Canada Rules Chair Diane Barabé in the full translation of the new Modernized Rules of Golf including publications and supporting materials which came into effect January 1, 2019. This year, he will apply his technical translation expertise to the French-language adaptation of materials and the Handicap Manual to support the global roll-out of the World Handicap System which comes into effect January 1, 2020. Gagné has also supported Golf Canada and Golf Québec in conducting numerous education and certification sessions related to the Rules of Golf as well as Handicap and Course Rating.

Raymond Gaudet (Industry)

Raymond Gaudet’s contributions to the game of golf in Québec are rooted in two pillars—family and collaboration. Born in Saint-Liguori, Qué., Gaudet—a passionate golfer and former member at Club de Golf Joliette—was a practicing dentist for 42 years while making his mark in the golf industry. His entrepreneurial spirit in the 1970’s inspired him to build a golf course in his home village and in 1977, the opening nine of the now 36-hole Club de Golf Montcalm was designed by course architect John Watson.

The course became 18 holes in 1978, 27 holes in 1987 and then the final nine opened in 1991. Montcalm was, and remains to this day, a family business as his wife of 56 years, Evangeline, served as the General Manager of the club for 40 years. Today, his four children lead the business including son Claude who is President, General Manager and Superintendent; daughter Eve who is Food and Beverage Manager; son Sylvain who is Director of Golf; and son Robert-André who is Assistant Superintendent.

Gaudet, a trusted advisor in the Québec golf community, would go on to become one of the founding members of the APTGQ—the Québec Golf Course Owners Association. He would serve as the association’s second president, remained in office for seven years and would later participate in the founding of the Québec Golf Federation (QGF). Looking to give back to the sport he loved, Gaudet helped the QGF to launch the Maxi Golf Junior Circuit, a provincial tour aimed at developing young golfers in Québec.

A respected voice in the Québec golf industry and advocate for collaboration and industry cooperation, Gaudet was a driving force behind the formation of the Québec Golf Federation, an association comprised of club owners and managers, delegates of Golf Québec, club professionals, superintendents and other industry stakeholders. Although he retired in 2016 after more than 40 years leading Montcalm, Gaudet remains full of projects for the club.

Daniel Caza (Media)

Over the course of a distinguished media career, Daniel Caza has chronicled the sport of golf in Québec and nationally. He is a trusted voice in the Québec golf and sports media landscape. The Montreal native is an insightful commentator who is well respected by his peers and the golfing public, as well as club operators and golf industry stakeholders for his unique perspective on the Québec golf landscape.

Before becoming a golf writer, which he’s done for the past 20 years, Caza was contributing to prestigious media outlets such as La Presse Canadienne, Le Soleil daily newspaper and RDS covering the Montreal Canadiens and Montreal Expos as well as other major international events such as Formula One Grand Prix, boxing and tennis.

He joined Radio-Canada during the same period where he had the opportunity to be part of the broadcasting team covering the coverage of the Olympic Games in Atlanta and Nagano. Since 1999, he has worked almost exclusively in the golf industry—first with Transcontinental, then with Gesca and, finally, with Ovation médias. He has been a lead contributor to the golf division of the publishers mentioned, and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of the MonGolf.ca platform.

His golf contributions with Ovation médias also extend to Revue Golf International, Golf Les Affaires and Guide Québec Golf. Caza also contributes to the golf television program “Au 19e” broadcast on RDS.

Most golfers look for balance in their swing. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp found it in her life and is now reaping the benefits on the LPGA Tour.

Sharp was named Golf Canada’s player of the week on Feb. 18 after tying for sixth at the Women’s Australian Open and tying for 17th at the Victoria Open to open the LPGA Tour’s season. Sharp credits a more measured approach to training and a better work-life balance to help her stay focused after a frustrating 2018 where she battled with depression.

“It’s not all about golf,” said Sharp. “I was practising too much and really wore out. Then not getting the results. This is a humbling game. It can be tough mentally and bring you down. When it’s going well it’s amazing but when it’s not going well, it’s tough.

“So working with my therapist and having a good work-life balance along with a strong finish last season, it helped me feel like I was coming out of the downward spiral from last season.”

 

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The big change for Sharp in the off-season was to never really stop playing golf. In previous years she would take a few weeks off, then ramp up an intense training regime featuring long days of up to six hours of practise and strength training.

This year, Sharp has aimed for quantity of practice, rather than intensity.

“I didn’t put down the clubs, I did light practice,” said Sharp, who conceived of her new training program with coach Brent Saunders last June. “Just a couple of hours of practice a day, nothing crazy. Get in, do you work, get out, and rest. Got in the gym and got stronger and I’m hitting it further.

“Just mentally I’m really fresh. Just good practice habits have translated into the results I had in Australia.”

Now that the LPGA Tour season has begun, Sharp plans to continue putting an emphasis on working every day, rather than ramping up the intensity of her training to prepare for an event and risk burn out or injury.

“I think I might have a little bit more quantity on certain days but I’m not really going to change much,” said Sharp. “What I’ve been doing obviously is working and it’s a long season and there’s a lot of travel.

“I know last year that I was pretty tired in August. I ran around too much, practising five or six hours every day. It really wore me out.”

Alena Sharp of Canada speaks to the media following her final round at the CP Womens Open at the Wascana Country Club on August 26, 2018 in Regina, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

Sharp has another week off with Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., the only Canadian competing at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore starting on Thursday.

Instead, Sharp is using the downtime to focus on her next two events, the Bank of Hope Founders Cup in Phoenix (March 21) and the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, Calif., (March 28).

“I just feel like I have a really good recipe for success,” said Sharp. “Really trying to stay away from results-focused thinking this year and being into the process.”

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Raymonde Michaud of Rivière-du-Loup, Qué., has been named the recipient of Golf Canada’s 2018 Volunteer of the Year Award.

A golf official recognized for her work with youth and leadership with the Optimist movement, Michaud will be acknowledged during the closing dinner of Golf Canada’s 2019 Annual Meeting on Saturday, March 2 at the Marriott Montréal Airport In-Terminal Hotel.

“Volunteers are the driving force behind the success of golf in this country and we are proud to recognize Raymonde Michaud for her leadership and extensive contributions to support the game of golf in her home province of Québec,” said Golf Canada President Leslie Dunning. “Raymonde has given back to the game at the regional and provincial level and it is fitting that her leadership, commitment and contributions are being recognized.”

Each year in Canada, tens of thousands of committed volunteers help to support the game of golf in communities from coast to coast.

Now in its 13^th year, candidates for Golf Canada’s Volunteer of the Year Award are put forth for consideration by the respective provincial golf associations in acknowledgment of significant contributions to the game of golf in their community. 

Raymonde Michaud, Rivière-du-Loup, QC

Raymonde Michaud’s volunteering career started at a very young age, in 1974, as a Scout Leader in Rivière-du-Loup. Through the years, she remained involved with the local scouting movement where she advanced to become an instructor in charge of the leaders’ training from 1979-1984, a director from 1986-1997, and eventually the President of the Maurice Proulx Scout Foundation from 1997-2016.

An avid golfer at the Club de golf de Rivière-du-Loup, Raymonde devoted close to 30 years of her time to the betterment of the sport. She started volunteering as the Junior Representative of her club in the summer of 1989. In 1990-91, she acted as Club Captain of the women’s division before joining the facility’s Board of Directors in 1997 and 1998. After a short hiatus, she came back to the Board from 2003 to 2009.

Looking to share her passion for the game at a large scale, she became a volunteer of the (former) Canadian Ladies Golf Association (CLGA) – Québec Branch. She joined the regional Rules Committee of the Québec City area and was actively involved from 1992 to 1997. A nationally certified rules official, she was appointed to the CLGA provincial Rules Committee from 1998 to 2004.

Through the amalgamation of the CLGA with the Québec Golf Association (QGA) in 2004 and later on with the restructuration that led to the creation of the Québec Golf Federation (Golf Québec) in 2011, she remained an active member of this provincial operational committee until 2016. Raymonde is one of the most experienced regional and provincial rules officials and is still actively involved as an official at Golf Québec championships.

Aside from her continuous involvement with the scouting movement and numerous golf associations, Raymonde became the first female members of the Rivière-du-Loup Optimist Club in 1991. She volunteered with many regional committees and acted as an officer and a Governor of her regional and district branches. Raymonde continues to serve on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Children’s Optimist Foundation.

Raymonde Michaud and Jack Nicklaus (1985)

In 2007, Raymonde was instrumental in  the creation of a new partnership between Golf Québec and the Western District of the Québec Optimist Clubs. The objective was to provide junior golfers of the Optimist Junior Golf Club – St. Laurent Region – with a qualifying opportunity for the prestigious Optimist International Junior Golf Championship held every year in Florida. The very first edition of the Golf Québec Optimist Classic was conducted in 2009 with approximately 40 young participants and the event is now one of the tournaments composing the Junior Provincial Tour. With over 240 junior golfers, boys and girls, from Québec, Eastern Ontario and the Maritimes, it is the most prestigious qualifier held in Canada and 2nd largest in the world for the Optimist International Junior Golf Championship. In 2018, in collaboration with the Optimist Junior Golf Club – St. Laurent Region, Golf Québec proudly qualified twenty (20) young players aged 9 to 18 for the International event held at the PGA National Resort & SPA, in Palm Beach Gardens, from July 17 to August 1, 2018.

Raymonde also contributed to the Golf Québec Optimist Classic as a Rules official in every edition of the provincial qualifier. As well, a few years ago, she was invited to act as a Rules official during the two-week international competition held in Florida.

Congratulations to Raymonde Michaud of Rivière-du-Loup, Qué, on being named Golf Canada’s 2018 Volunteer of the Year!

MILTON, Ont. – A Canadian golf course will host a sectional qualifier for the U.S. Open for the first time in June.

RattleSnake Point Golf Club in Milton, Ont., will host one of 12 qualifiers for the major on June 3.

The 36-hole event in Milton makes geographic sense for the United States Golf Association because of the new date for the RBC Canadian Open, which starts June 6 in nearby Hamilton.

Many PGA Tour and European Tour players not automatically entered in the U.S. Open – June 13-16 in Pebble Beach, Calif. – will tee it up in one of the sectional qualifiers.

England and Japan also will host qualifiers, while the other nine are in the U.S. Ten of the 12 will take place on June 3.

The amount of qualifiers from each site is determined by strength of field.

Golf Canada was thrilled to land the qualifier.

“We are delighted to deepen our partnership with the USGA in debuting a Canadian sectional qualifier for the U.S. Open during the week of the RBC Canadian Open,” Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum said in a statement.

“Connecting our respective national open championships is a meaningful step in continuing to elevate the RBC Canadian Open while also enhancing our relationship as global partners in the game. This is also special for our partners at ClubLink, who are excited to welcome the 36-hole sectional qualifier to RattleSnake Point Golf Club.”

“It would not be a bad idea to require each golfer to pass a written examination on the Rules of Golf…”

Don’t panic. That was just the opinion of J.T. Clark, editor of the Toronto Star.

In 1915.

His comments were reported in Canadian Golfer magazine and the editor concluded the article with these timeless words: “Play up, play up, and play the game. And conscientiously observe the Rules and etiquette.”

Not much has changed since then. If anything, the recent renovation of the Rules of Golf, which went into effect on Jan. 1, has put a laser focus on the Rules and their implementation. (You can review the new Rules here.)

Recent incidents on the professional tours have impacted this greatly. Penalties for having a caddie helping line up a player and a disqualification for Sergio Garcia’s inexcusable behaviour at a European Tour event have garnered widespread and disparate reactions.

That, in my opinion, is not a bad thing. If anything, it’s positive.

Let’s take it for granted that many recreational golfers observe the mere minimum of the Rules and etiquette. That’s fine as long as they don’t impact the enjoyment and safety of their fellow golfers and they are not posting scores for an official handicap. Any score posted for handicap purposes must be played under the Rules of Golf.

Why?

In Clark’s words:  “Players sometimes bring in weird scores, procured in weird ways that would disqualify them 10 times over.”  Plus ca change, plus c’est la même chose, n’est pas?

But at the very least, every golfer, recreational and competitive, should have access to knowing and understanding the Rules.

While I’m not agreeing with Clark’s assertion that every golfer passes a written Rules exam, I think it is incumbent on anyone who is serious about the game to avail them of the opportunity offered by Golf Canada.

That’s my personal opinion, just like I feel every touring and club professional, golf coach at any level and the appropriate instructor at every Professional Golf Management program should be Rules certified.

If that isn’t the case, then ideally there would be a Rules expert (now called “referees” under the new Rules) at every course.

It’s an initiative that at least one provincial association is trying to encourage.

Anne Balser is the Manager of Sport Development and Championships at the Nova Scotia Golf Association. Aside from being an accomplished player (two-time Nova Scotia Amateur champion, 2010 Canadian University/College champion, four-time All-Canadian and twice an All-American while attending the University of Victoria), she learned the importance of the Rules at an early age. She recently obtained her national Rules certification.

“My mom was a golfer and a teacher, so any time my sisters and I went out with her, she took the opportunity to show us not only how the Rules worked, but how they could help us. I learned the Rules are not there to penalize you but that knowing the Rules can actually help you save strokes.”

This year, the NSGA is conducting introductory Rules seminars around the province. The first, at Ken-Wo Country Club, drew more than 70 golfers interested in learning the basics.

“It showed us that there is great interest among golfers to understand not only the new version of the Rules but how the average golfer can benefit from knowing the basic Rules,” said Balser.

In addition to these onsite visits, Balser pointed out that golfers can dig into the Rules while digging out of the snow before the season starts in much of Canada through various online opportunities such as webinars, YouTube videos and other supports.

Alison Murdoch, an honoured member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame with an incredible national and international resume, has been Rules-accredited at the national level for more than a decade. Her incentive to do so was obvious.

“As a player, it would be incredibly embarrassing to make a ruling for myself or another player and get it wrong, so I took it upon myself back in 2008 to take the Rules seminar and exam. I’ve never regretted it.”

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

She lauds the camaraderie of the Rules teams she is part of at tournaments, using compliments such as “welcoming, supportive, helpful, educational, rewarding, challenging” to encourage others to achieve their Rules certification.

“At my club, where they know I am a certified Rules referee, I am often asked about a ruling. It’s great to be recognized as a resource and I am happy to help. Perhaps the greatest reward is when I make a ruling and someone comes up to me after and thanks me because I saved them from an unfortunate situation because they were unaware of the Rule.”

Not only has the new Rules code become more understandable and user-friendly, but Golf Canada has changed their Rules Education System to three levels from the previous four to make it more accessible.

“Level 1 is an online platform to educate all golfers about the basics of the Rules and explain commonly encountered situations on the course,” says Adam Helmer, Golf Canada’s Director of Rules, Competitions and Amateur Status.

If you love the game, know the Rules.

Click here to register for Level 1.

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – Martin Trainer won the Puerto Rico Open on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title, closing with a 5-under 67 at windy Coco Beach Golf and Country Club for a three-stroke victory over four players.

Making his 11th PGA Tour start, Trainer birdied four of the last 10 holes to finish at 15-under 273.

“It’s obviously incredible,” Trainer said. “I never thought that I would be able to win on the PGA Tour. I managed do it today and that’s just incredible.”

The 27-year-old former University of Southern California won twice last year on the Web.com Tour and finished fourth on the money list to earn a spot on the big tour.

“There comes a certain point where the pressure is like maxed out in your brain and you just do whatever you can to make contact and hit putts forward,” Trainer said. “At the end I had no idea if my putts were going to go like four 4 by or 4 feet short. You just have no feel, the pressure is just overwhelming you.”

Trainer earned $540,000 along with a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and an exemption to the PGA Championship, but didn’t get an invitation to the Masters in the event played opposite the World Golf Championships’ Mexico Championship.

“I never had the luxury of making a plan, I was just trying to play as many events as I could,” Trainer said. “So now I guess that will be a little different, I’ll be able to pick and choose where I want to go and have a little more flexibility with my schedule. It’s just such a great feeling to be able to have that. I’m just trying to let it sink in.”

Third-round leader Aaron Baddeley shot a 72 to tie for second with Daniel Berger (66), Roger Sloan (67) and Johnson Wagner (69). At No. 72, Berger was the highest ranked player in the field.

“I’m just working on the things that I mentioned earlier, and I’m just happy that I was able to execute some shots out there coming down the stretch,” said Sloan. “And I’m looking forward to next week.  I haven’t played the Honda.  I’m really looking forward to playing there, PGA National.  So, we’re just going to keep on doing what we do.”