Canadian rookie Jaclyn Lee shares 5th midway through L.A. Open
LOS ANGELES – Minjee Lee took advantage of fellow Australian Hannah Green’s problems Friday to take the second-round lead in the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open.
The fourth-ranked Lee shot a 2-under 69 to reach 7-under 135 at Wilshire Country Club. She holed a wedge from 114 yards for eagle on the par-4 14th.
“Out of all the ones that I have been close to making, I think that’s the only one that I actually saw like drop into the hole,” Lee said. “It was pretty cool to see it happen for the first time.”
Green birdied three of the first six holes to get to 9 under, then played the final 12 in 5 over for a 73 that left her three strokes back at 4 under. She had a double bogey after hitting into the water on the par-4 17th – her eighth hole – and also had three bogeys.
“I just hit a really bad shot and got into the water,” Green said. “Couldn’t really get myself out of jail, but definitely did not have the putter rolling as much as I would’ve liked. Had a couple three-putts, so that was pretty disappointing.”
Lee had the eagle, two birdies and two bogeys.
“I think like it’s a second-shot golf course, so obviously it’s pretty generous off the tee,” Lee said. “If you have your irons on and you have solid iron play then it’s really going to help you. I think that’s what I’m good at, so, yeah, I think that’s what is really helping me.”
The four-time LPGA Tour winner tied for third last week in Hawaii for her third top-three finish of the season.
Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen was second after a 67.
“If you hit a good drive you get rewarded and you don’t have too far on the green, but if you’re a little bit off-line then it gets hard,” she said.
Morgan Pressel (66) and Mexico’s Gaby Lopez (68) were 5 under.
“This course kind of has its quirks to where if you get on the wrong side of the pin it can be really challenging to get it up and down and save par,” Pressel said. “I played smart and gave myself a lot of opportunities.”
She was in the first group of the day off the first tee.
“It was definitely fresh greens,” Pressel said. “Poana can definitely get bouncy, especially late in the afternoon.”
Stacy Lewis, tied with Green for the first-round lead, matched Green with a 73 to finish at 4 under with playing partner Inbee Park (70), Danielle Kang (66), Jaclyn Lee (67), Shanshan Feng (70). Calgary’s Lee had a stellar round going which included an eagle on the par-5 2nd, before giving back two strokes with consecutive bogeys to close the round. She finished the day with a 4-under 67.
We see you, @JaclynLee57! 6 under thru 11 with the share of the lead at @lpga_la ??@BrookeHenderson and @ACTanguay both inside top 10 ?? pic.twitter.com/PztaPU33hD
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) April 26, 2019
Lewis had six bogeys, three on the first four holes.
“I really hit it good all day,” she said. “Hit a couple squirrely shots, but it was harder, I thought, with the wind this afternoon.”
Top-ranked Jin Young Ko was 2 under after her second straight 70, playing alongside third-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn and No. 7 Brooke Henderson.
Henderson, the winner in Hawaii, was 1 under after a 73. Jutanugarn was another shot back after a 71.
Second-ranked Sung Hyun Park, No. 6 Lexi Thompson and No. 10 Nelly Korda missed the cut. Sung Hyun Park shot 76-71, Thomson 75-72 and Korda 73-77.
2019 RBC Canadian Open – Exemptions at a Glance
The RBC Canadian Open will be providing exemptions to a wide range of competitors for the 2019 championship, being conducted June 3-9 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
Exemptions have long been an important and unique facet in bringing together a field of competitors for Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship.
Exemptions for 2019 will be formalized over the coming weeks leading into the event, with the final four spots awarded on the Monday of tournament week following the Monday Qualifier at Heron Point Golf Links.
The 2019 RBC Canadian Open champion earns the $1,368,000 winner’s share of the US$7.6 million total prize purse along with 500 FedExCup points, two-year exempt status on the PGA TOUR, exemptions into the 2019 Open Championship and 2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions, and an invitation to the 2020 Masters Tournament and Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The 2019 RBC Canadian Open is also part of the Open Championship Qualifying Series. The top-3 finishes (not otherwise exempt) earn a spot in the field of The Open Championship in July at Royal Portrush.
For RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director Bryan Crawford, the new June date of the RBC Canadian Open as well as strong performances by Canadian professional and amateur competitors on the global stage has made decisions related to RBC Canadian Open exemptions more difficult than ever.
“What we’re seeing in 2019, especially with our new date on the PGA TOUR schedule, is tremendous interest from European Tour players looking for the opportunity to compete in the RBC Canadian Open,” said Crawford. “Similarly, its exciting to have such a deep roster of talented Canadians performing well on tours around the globe as it’s important to provide playing opportunities for our Canadian players. All are positive considerations, and while it makes for tougher decisions against certain categories, the end result is a talented and deserving field of competitors challenging for Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship.”
The 2019 RBC Canadian Open field is limited to 156 participants with both professionals and amateurs eligible to participate, and a total of 24 exemptions are available into the RBC Canadian Open in various categories.
Following the conclusion of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, Golf Canada will review and evaluate the full slate of exemption categories.
EXEMPTION CATEGORIES
Category A – 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur & Mid-Amateur Champions [2 positions]:
Both 2018 champions receive playing positions in the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, provided they remain amateur. Two-time reigning Canadian Men’s Amateur champion Zachary Bauchou of Forest, VA will be joined by 2018 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Joseph Deraney of Belden, MS.
Category B – Regional & Final Qualifying [7 positions]:
Three (3) Regional Qualifying competitions will be conducted May 6 at Kings Lakes by the Sea in Delta, British Columbia, May 16 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North) in Caledon, Ontario and May 27 at Elm Ridge Country Club (North) in L’Ile Bizard, Quebec. The low qualifier at each regional competition receives an exemption directly into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, provided a minimum of 100 competitors participate at each regional site, and up to the next 15% of the field will be eligible to compete in Final Qualifying. Amateurs must have a handicap not exceeding 0.
Final Qualifying – conducted Monday June 3 at Heron Point Golf Links in Alberton, Ontario — will be available to those exempt or who have qualified through regional qualifying, non-exempt PGA TOUR members and others, with four (4) spots directly into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open. Qualifying is open to all professionals and amateurs, with a maximum field size of 144 competitors. Amateurs must have a handicap not exceeding 2.0.
Category C – PGA TOUR Member [2 positions]:
Two spots into the field of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open are allocated to members of the PGA TOUR who are not otherwise exempt into the field.
Category D – Web.com Graduate [2 positions]:
Two 2018 Web.com Tour graduates who earned their PGA TOUR cards for the 2018-2019 season, and who are not otherwise exempt.
Category E – PGA of Canada [1 position]:
One spot into the field of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open is awarded to the PGA of Canada’s Order of Merit leader as of June 1, 2019.
Category F – Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada [3 positions]:
One spot will be awarded to the highest ranked Mackenzie Tour alumni on the 2019 Web.com Tour Money List through the Evans Scholar Invitational, as of May 26, 2019, and that played a minimum of six (6) Mackenzie Tour events in 2018.
One spot will be awarded to each of the winners of the first two tournaments on the 2019 Mackenzie Tour schedule—the Canada Life Open (May 23-26 at Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver, British Columbia) and the Bayview Place DC Bank Open (May 30 to June 2 at Uplands Golf Club in Victoria, British Columbia).
Category H – At Large [7 positions]:
These exemptions will be allocated to players at the discretion of Golf Canada based on performances from Tours worldwide. Players can be Canadian or foreign, amateur or professional to be considered.
Professionals finishing in the top-10 at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, and not otherwise exempt, can enter into the next regular-field event on the PGA TOUR schedule (Travelers Championship).
If an amateur wins:
- The player would not receive the champion’s prize money or the 500 FedEx Cup points, but they would earn the invitations to the other tournaments.
With respect to exempt status, if the player chooses to stay an amateur, they can play out of the winner’s category through 2020-21, but would be limited to non-member regulations (i.e., a maximum of 12 PGA TOUR starts for the season). If they turn pro after the win, they still would not receive the prize money or FedEx Cup points but would be fully exempt and have all the benefits of being a member.
Team Canada’s Naomi Ko qualifies for U.S. Women’s Open
WOODBURN, Oreg. – Canadian Naomi Ko has punched her ticket back to the U.S. Women’s Open.
Ko, a Victoria, B.C., product, bested the 56-player field earn medalist honours with a final score of 3 under par (70-71) at the OGA Golf Course, one of 25 qualifying sites this year. The win marks the second time Ko earned a spot in the LPGA major—she qualified in 2016 as an 18-year-old.
The Team Canada National Amateur Squad member will take to Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, S.C., when action gets underway from May 30 – June 2.
Click here for full scores.
Decent day of scores continues for @GolfCanada players. @naomiko_golf was medalist at her @uswomensopen QF site and will play her second US Open. Been trending ↗️ and starting to play nicely again. #kokoproud
— Tristan Mullally (@tmullallygolf) April 26, 2019
Nick Taylor and partner share 2nd at delayed Zurich Classic
AVONDALE, La. – Nearly three inches of heavy rain and lightning forced a stoppage in play lasting more than seven hours Thursday during the first round of the Zurich Classic team event.
The first players to tee off were on the course for a little more than 2 1/2 hours before the horn sounded to suspend play.
The tandem of Joel Dahmen and Brandon Harkins left the course with the lead at 6 under through nine holes at the par-72 TPC Louisiana course southwest of New Orleans.
Canadian Nick Taylor and partner Martin Laird of Scotland share 2nd place at 10 under par.
One group played as many as 10 holes before play was stopped. Play resumed in the evening with just more than two hours of daylight left.
As the only team event on the PGA Tour, the Zurich Classic field is comprised of 80 two-player teams that play a best-ball format in the first and third rounds and alternate shot in the second and final rounds.
Canadian duo of Brooke Henderson, AC Tanguay in contention in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES – Worn out after two long nights with infant daughter Chesnee, Stacy Lewis shot a 6-under 65 on Thursday for a share of the lead with Hannah Green halfway through the first round of the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open.
“I’m looking forward to get a little rest,” Lewis said. “Really with the baby it’s different every day. She could be in a great mood and all of a sudden she’s screaming and you don’t know why. And we’re getting teeth, so it’s just the age that she is.”
The 34-year-old Texan is making her sixth LPGA Tour start since Chesnee’s birth in late October.
“My mom was here. She left on Monday,” Lewis said. “My husband (University of Houston women’s golf coach Gerrod Chadwell) is coming in tonight. I wanted to just kind of see how was it by myself for a couple days, and she chose to have her worst night in months right after my mom leaves.”
She birdied four of her last six holes in the bogey-free round at Wilshire Country Club.
“I hit it good and putted well,” Lewis said. “That’s kind of the combination that’s been missing, is just putting both of them together. Finally did it on the same day.”
She missed the cut last year, shooting 75-73.
“Last year it was super firm and so I did not like the golf course,” Lewis said. “Just felt like you didn’t get rewarded with good shots, and it was a little bit of goofy golf. Now the greens are much more receptive and you can just hit a lot better golf shots. They’re still difficult to putt, but I just feel like you get rewarded more for good shots.”
The 12-time tour winner played alongside Inbee Park and Sung Hyun Park.
“It was nice playing with Inbee,” Lewis said. “I hadn’t played with her in a while. I love playing with her because she hits so many good putts. Kind of get some confidence just seeing the ball roll really well.”
Inbee Park had a 68. The second-ranked Sung Hyun Park shot 76.
Green also had a bogey-free round.
“My ball-striking was great, but also my putter was really hot,” Green said. “I was really happy with how I rolled it. … I think whoever wins this week will have the least amount of putts.”
Fellow Australian Minjee Lee was a stroke back, also playing bogey-free.
“It was pretty solid all round,” said Lee, ranked fourth. “I just hit the greens and then if I was close, I would try and take opportunity of my birdie chances. If not, then I would be able to have a par.”
Canada’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay followed at 67.
Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Getty Images)
Top-ranked Jin Young Ko played in the afternoon. She’s the only player with multiple victories this year, taking the Founders Cup in Phoenix and the major ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage.
Ko was group with Brooke Henderson, the Lotte Championship winner last week in Hawaii, and third-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn.
All smiles for last week’s champ, @BrookeHenderson. She’s back in contention with 3-under 68 to share 5th place @lpga_LA ????
Fellow Canadian @ACTanguay leads the way at 4 under par ? pic.twitter.com/6moYE6eRHu
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) April 26, 2019
Defending champion Moriya Jutanugarn, Ariya’s older sister, opened with a 71.
Jessica Kordahad a 74, playing a four-hole stretch in 5 over with three straight bogeys and a double bogey.
Sixth-ranked Lexi Thompson also struggled, shooting 75. She was 5 over in a five-span, also making three bogeys and a double bogey.
Trafalgar Golf & Country Club extends legacy through Golf in Schools
Trafalgar Golf and Country Club will ensure their legacy is instilled in the Milton community for years to come, by making a donation to the Future Links, driven by Acura Golf in Schools program.
President Bob Hunter, Men’s Captain Neil Gartshore and Finance Committee Chair John Reynolds presented the program with a $9,600 donation on behalf of the membership at Trafalgar.
“In 1958, Trafalgar Golf and Country Club and its members had a vision. That was, to be recognized as one of the premier golf facilities in Southern Ontario, dedicated to the mentoring and growth of junior golf”, says Bob Hunter, President of Trafalgar Golf and Country Club.
“Despite its closing as a private golf club after 60 years, the donation, on behalf of the members, is the continuation of the dream…one that creates a legacy, that will reach thousands of students in the Milton area. The membership at Trafalgar Golf and Country Club, wishes to extend our sincere congratulations to Golf Canada and its Future Links Golf In Schools program and to extend our thanks for your commitment to the growth of junior golf across this country and beyond”.
Today, we are celebrating Adopt a School Week with #GolfinSchools! Help create the next Canadian #golf hero by adopting a school in your community ⛳️
➡️ https://t.co/FCzROaAhzf pic.twitter.com/px0kRYRc3L
— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) April 22, 2019
The generosity of Trafalgar will allow 20 elementary schools to be adopted into the Golf in Schools program. Providing them with a first exposure to golf opportunity in in their physical education classes. A Golf in Schools donation includes the full program kit, which features safe, age-appropriate golf clubs along with a teacher-friendly learning resource. Developed in conjunction with the PGA of Canada and Physical Health Education (PHE) Canada, the learning resource incorporates Life Skills into the curriculum—placing added focus on transferrable skills both on and off the golf course.
“We can’t thank the membership at Trafalgar enough for their generous donation”, says Jeff Thompson, chief sport officer. “This donation is a great way for Trafalgar’s legacy to live on in the community they were a part of for so long. We look forward to working with schools in Milton to introduce the game of golf to their students.”
Trafalgar Golf and Country Club is a Golf Canada member club in Milton, Ont., that opened its doors in 1958. Since then, several notable Canadian golfers have grown up learning the game at Trafalgar, including Sandra Post. Having a recognized, thriving junior golf program is something the course has always been proud of.
The decision was made in September 2018 that Trafalgar Golf and Country Club would be sold to land developers in Milton, seizing operations as a private facility in 2019.
Canada’s Brigitte Thibault wins NCAA conference title
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – Team Canada’s Brigitte Thibault went wire-to-wire at Mission Hills Country Club to win the Mountain West Conference, becoming the fourth golfer to do so in program history for Fresno State. The sophomore closed the event with a two-stroke victory at 1 over par, boosted by the strength of two strong opening rounds (71-70).
Thibault—who played in the inaugural Augusta Women’s Amateur—was thrilled to pick up her first collegiate win at an iconic course.
“I’m so glad to get my first collegiate conference championship win, at Mission Hills, because that’s where the Q School is, that’s where the ANA is, it’s a lot on the future opportunities,” said Thibault. “I’m really proud of myself to step it up at this major championship. I’m really happy.”
“Really proud of Brigitte,” said head coach Emily Loftin. “Excellent play over three days and she learned to manage herself with having a lead and it’s great to see that type of growth in a young player. This should help catapult her moving into postseason. I’m always elated when we get a victory, but even more so when it’s the first one at the conference championship, just an exciting day all-around.”
Thibault, a Rosemère, Que., native, lifted the Bulldogs to a fifth place team finish. The NCAA Regionals from May 6-8 at four different sites, followed by the championship from May 17-22 – Thibault was named as an individual participant in the Auburn regional championship. The selection marks the fifth time Fresno State has been represented in the postseason over the last six years.
RBC Canadian Open and Tourism Hamilton partner to launch The Hamilton Fare Way
HAMILTON (Golf Canada) – The RBC Canadian Open has partnered with Tourism Hamilton and several of the city’s pre-eminent restaurants to deliver a unique culinary experience to fans attending one of Canada’s premier sporting events this June.
The Hamilton Fare Way is a new on-site food initiative taking place at this year’s RBC Canadian Open, being held June 3-9, 2019 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. The gastro-experience will highlight the city’s vibrant culinary scene through an exciting partnership with Tourism Hamilton.
“World class golf, food and music is what the new RBC Canadian Open is all about,” said Bryan Crawford, RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director. “Our championship has always been synonymous with terrific golf. Earlier this year, we announced the addition of the RBCxMusic Concert Series onsite featuring Florida Georgia Line and the Glorious Sons on Friday and Saturday of tournament week. Now we’re thrilled to bring together talented chefs from Hamilton’s exploding food scene as a dynamic addition to the RBC Canadian Open.”
Eight restaurants will be featured June 6th to 9th of tournament week as part of The Hamilton Fare Way, which will be located between holes 17 and 18 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
“Having these wonderful restaurants featured at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open is an absolutely terrific opportunity for the City of Hamilton,” says Sharon Murphy, Manager Tourism & Events at the City of Hamilton. “There is so much momentum behind the dining and arts scenes in our city and this is an exciting opportunity for golf and music fans to experience what our city has to offer.”
The Hamilton Fare Way will celebrate some of the arts & culture that make Hamilton so unique, and will include musical performances, interactive installations and more programming from some of the city’s dynamic artists.
One of the most storied events on the PGA TOUR schedule, the 2019 RBC Canadian Open returns to Hamilton Golf and Country Club for the first time since 2012.
The field includes RBC ambassadors like world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, major champion Webb Simpson, and Canadian PGA TOUR winners Adam Hadwin and Corey Conners. Multi-time major champion and world No. 4 Rory McIlroy will also make his RBC Canadian Open debut this June.
More information about the 2019 RBC Canadian Open including tickets, corporate hospitality and volunteer information is available at www.rbccanadianopen.com.
Restaurants participating the The Hamilton Fare Way at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open include:
Berkley North (31 King William St.)
Featuring a young and passionate culinary team with a changing menu that reflects seasonal, responsibly sourced ingredients.
Bread Bar (258 Locke St. South)
Offering handcrafted food made with the finest ingredients and an ‘earth to table’ philosophy for people who want a better quality meal.
The Brux House (137 Locke St. South)
Inspired by the European beer belt, it uses quality, local ingredients that cater to those looking for refined but approachable dishes.
Hambrgr (207 Ottawa St. North)
A simple approach: make the best damn burger its customers have ever eaten.
Mezcal (150 James St. South)
A Mexican-inspired eatery, mixing ingredients from Mexico, Latin America, and locally in Hamilton for its chefs to cook “with a conscience.”
Nique (30 Vine St.)
Food that is inherently Canadian, with a cultural mosaic of a menu.
Radius (151 James St. South)
A local-first eatery with a menu chalk full of items, where possible, from the produce and fine meats of its very own farmers, and from its own farm in Carlisle.
Rousseau House (375 Wilson St. East)
Our restaurant is a local casual upscale experience with a great patio. Under Construction to transform into a state of the art Micro Brewery.
Sandra Post rooting for Brooke Henderson to break records
Sandra Post is no longer the most successful Canadian in LPGA Tour history – and she couldn’t be happier.
Post was cheering Brooke Henderson from home as she won the LOTTE Championship on Saturday in Hawaii, tying Post’s career wins record for a Canadian. Henderson also matched Mike Weir and George Knudson for wins by a Canadian on the PGA or LPGA tours at eight.
The 70-year-old Post, from Oakville, Ont., is all for Henderson winning again and moving ahead of herself, Weir and Knudson – all of whom are in Canada’s Golf Hall of Fame.
“I truly believe that records are made to be broken,” said Post on Monday. “My last win was in 1981, which was another century. I think it’s long overdue. No matter who came up after me, I always wished they would do better than me.”
Henderson finished 16 under on Saturday at Ko Olina Golf Club to beat South Korea’s Eun-Hee Ji by four strokes. At just 21 years old, the native of Smiths Falls, Ont., has won a major in the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and ended a championship drought for homegrown talent at the 2018 CP Women’s Open, Canada’s national championship.
“I hope Brooke wins more and more and more events,” said Post. “I hope that there’s no stopping her for a very long time. Then it will be her bar to set and then hopefully someone else comes along and breaks it.”
Although Post, who watches every LPGA Tour event, is a big fan of Henderson, she feels it’s too early to call her the greatest Canadian golfer ever.
“We don’t know how long she’s going to play and it’s a different time,” said Post. “There are more tournaments, there are more majors for her to win. When I played, there were only two majors.
Now there’s five per year. Everything has changed.
“Having said that, I think it’s more about women’s sport. I think it’s good to have someone like Brooke for the exposure of the sport and people following it. I think it’s good for women and for sport to have winners.”
Post and Henderson first met ahead of the ANA Inspiration in 2015, the first major of the LPGA season, when the latter golfer was still an amateur. Post won the event twice when it was still known as the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner’s Circle and offered up some advice to the young golf prodigy.
“I don’t give her any advice now, she’s got it well in hand,” said Post with a laugh.
Post is generally impressed with the growth of golf among Canadian women, pointing out the success of Henderson, Hamilton’s Alena Sharp and Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay on the LPGA Tour. She’s also impressed by the success of Canadian amateurs Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., who was the only Canadian in the field at the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur, and Oakville’s Nicole Gal, who won the won the girls’ 14-15 age division of the Drive, Chip and Putt championship, also at Augusta.
“The LPGA has done a lot in girls’ golf to promote it and grow it,” said Post. “When you see contests like Augusta’s Drive, Chip and Putt, and you see the women’s amateur that they played before it, it’s impressive.
“Right now, junior golf and the enthusiasm for it and parents getting their kids into it, it’s really good for the game.”
C.T. Pan wins RBC Heritage with late comeback
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – C.T. Pan took advantage of Dustin Johnson’s back-nine meltdown to win the RBC Heritage for his first PGA Tour victory.
The 27-year-old Pan, from Taiwan, closed with a 4-under 67 on Sunday at Harbour Town Golf Links for a one-stroke victory over Matt Kuchar. Pan finished at 12-under 272.
The top-ranked Johnson, the third-round leader in his home-state event, had a 77 to tie for 28th at 4 under. He played a five-hole stretch in 7 over, making bogeys on Nos. 11-13 and double bogeys on Nos. 14-15.
Pan took the lead for good with a 9-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th.
Kuchar closed with a 67.
Patrick Cantlay, Scott Piercy and Shane Lowry tied for third at 10 under. Cantlay and Piercy shot 69, and Lowry had a 70.
Pan headed to the practice range after the round to keep ready in case of a playoff, then raised his arms in triumph when told he’d won. He earned $1,242,000, a PGA Tour exemption through 2020-21 and spots in next month’s PGA Championship and next year’s Masters. He’s the RBC Heritage’s fourth straight first-time winner.