ANN ARBOUR, Mich. – Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee has picked up right where she left off last season, winning medalist honours and her fourth NCAA golf title on Tuesday at the East & West Match Play event.

The Ohio State senior carded rounds of 69-71 to finish the stroke-play portion at 4 under par, two strokes clear of the pack. The three-time Team Canada Amateur Squad member continued rolling in the match play rounds with 5&3 and 5&4 victories, leading the Buckeyes into a 3rd place finish.

Last season for the Buckeyes, Lee was a First-Team ALL-BIG10 athlete thanks to three victories, including a record-tying victory at the BIG10 championship.

The medal comes with a heavy heart for the 21-year-old Lee, who paid her respects to the late Celia Barquin Arozamena, a European golf star and Iowa State student who had her life tragically taken away this week.

 

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First W of the season ✅ • But real talk. Life’s too short, so tell the people you care about that you love them. Live each day to its fullest and be safe in this cruel world. • Bad things happen to good people. Rest In Peace Celia. Your family is much bigger than you think ❤️

A post shared by Jaclyn Lee (@jaclyn_lee) on Sep 18, 2018 at 7:12pm PDT

Next up, Ohio State travels to the Windy City Collegiate in Chicago Oct. 1-2.

Click here for full results.

The last time Roger Sloan had long hair, he was playing on the PGA Tour.

After a tie for second at Sunday’s Albertsons Boise Open, the native of Meritt, B.C. locked up a return to the top circuit in men’s golf. And, he said, there was a consensus amongst his family it was time to “grow the flow” again.

While the long locks might make a return, Sloan will hope his scorecards have a different look from when he last played on the PGA Tour full time in 2015. He appeared in 20 tournaments but made only seven cuts that year, and has been playing on the feeder Web.com Tour since 2016.

With his tie for second Sunday, Sloan moved to 10th on money list of the Web.com Tour Finals – a four-tournament series where the top 25 earn status on the PGA Tour – and has already secured a promotion with one event left to play.

“It all came together and I was able to play Roger Sloan golf,” Sloan said in a phone interview. “At the end of the day it was a great score and we had a chance to win and we’re walking away with a job promotion. All in all it was a great tournament.”

The 31-year-old will cap his Web.com season when the circuit’s Tour Championship starts Thursday at the Atlantic Beach Country Club in Florida.

The 2018-19 PGA Tour season starts Oct. 4 at the Safeway Open in Napa, Calif.

Sloan will join fellow British Columbian Adam Svensson, who earned his first PGA Tour card by finishing in the top 25 of the regular season money list on the Web.com Tour, along with Nick Taylor, Adam Hadwin, Mackenzie Hughes, Corey Conners, David Hearn, and Ben Silverman as part of the Canadian contingent on the PGA Tour next season.

Sloan credited the work he’s done with mental coach Paul Dewland and swing coach Jeff Barton as keys for his success this year.

“He’s worked really hard, and that’s what it takes. Everyone gets mystical about the mental game but it’s just habits and skills. You’ve just got to work at it, and has,” said Dewland. “He’s ready for the PGA Tour.”

Sloan’s runner-up result Sunday was his best finish on the Web.com Tour since he won the Nova Scotia Open in 2014. He finished tied for ninth in Boise in 2017 and said the familiarity with the golf course helped him to a near-win.

“You just really have to be patient and tactical. That combination suits me, and how I prep for a golf tournament,” said Sloan. “Boise is also a very similar climate to where I grew up in Meritt, and there are a lot of similarities. Plus Boise is a great city, and my wife and I love being there.”

Sloan and his wife, Casey, welcomed their first child – Leighton Maddox – last September. Her first birthday is September 19, and Sloan said there would be a small celebration this week, followed by a big family party next week to also celebrate his promotion to the PGA Tour.

He said travelling with an infant while playing golf this year was like “throwing a wrench into an engine” in terms of his routine, but said it was an “easy” adjustment to make.

“I got to see first-hand my daughter growing up, whereas the alternative was to see her a few weeks throughout the course of the season. I wouldn’t have changed it for the world,” said Sloan, whose wife and daughter joined him on the road this year.

The trio will continue to travel together this year on the PGA Tour.

“It was a huge upgrade for my wife because there is consistent, quality health care at every event,” said Sloan. “She is more pumped than I am.”

Sloan played one PGA Tour event this summer, the RBC Canadian Open in Oakville, Ont. He made the cut and finished tied for 37th.

He said that week he knew he was “good enough” for the next level.

“I didn’t have the greatest week at the Canadian Open but I still was able to have a decent finish,” he said. “That validated the whole processed we’ve devoted ourselves to, and I’m excited for the next several months, and the rest of my career too.”

MARCHAND, SHARP LOCK UP LPGA TOUR STATUS

After Sunday’s final round at The Evian Championship, both Alena Sharp and Brittany Marchand secured LPGA Tour status for 2019.

At the LPGA Tour’s final major of the year, Sharp, of Hamilton, Ont., finished tied for 37th, while Marchand, of Orangeville, Ont., finished tied for 49th.

The top 100 on the money list after Sunday earned LPGA Tour status for next year.

Sharp was 92nd while Marchand, a rookie this year, was 89th.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. is second on the money list and finished tied for 10th at the Evian.

AMES, Iowa – They had both recently turned 22 and were residing in the same Iowa college town but their lives couldn’t have been more different before allegedly intersecting in the most violent way.

Celia Barquin Arozamena was a top amateur golfer from Spain who was finishing her degree at Iowa State University. Collin Daniel Richards was a former inmate from small-town Iowa with a history of violence.

The Big 12 conference champion, Barquin had dreams of making the pro tour and spent hours practicing at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames. Jobless and homeless, Richards had been living in a tent in an encampment near the course and had spoken of his desire to “rape and kill a woman,” police said.

Richards was charged with stabbing Barquin to death during a random attack while she was golfing by herself in broad daylight on Monday morning. Barquin’s body was found in a pond on the course near the ninth hole after fellow golfers noticed her abandoned bag and called police. Richards was arrested within hours, suffering from injuries to his face and hand after Barquin apparently tried to fight him off, investigators said.

As Barquin’s colleagues began grieving the loss of a talented teammate and classmate, Richards was ordered jailed on a $5 million cash-only bond at the county jail and facing the rest of his life in prison. It was, said Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell, a “cowardly act of violence.”

The university had planned to honour Barquin at its football game Saturday for being its female athlete of the year – news that had brought Barquin to tears, according to athletic director Jamie Pollard. Instead, football players will wear helmet decals with her initials to mourn the loss.

“We’re all devastated and heartbroken,” said Pollard, who choked back tears at a news conference.

The golf course issued a statement calling Barquin an amazing young woman with an infectious smile who “made the people around her better.”

Barquin was a top golfer in Spain as a teenager and came to Iowa State to pursue her career, drawn by its facilities, coaches, and picturesque campus. She became one of the best in school history and was completing her civil engineering degree after exhausting her athletic eligibility earlier this year. She recently won an amateur tournament in Europe and competed in the U.S. Women’s Open Championship.

Richards had lived in small towns throughout western Iowa, residing with his mother, father and grandparents at various times. He ended up in Ames in January 2017 when he was placed in a halfway house there after violating his probation, court records show. By then, he had convictions for burglary, theft, criminal mischief and harassment. A judge revoked his probation, and he was sent to prison in November 2017.

Richards left a state prison in southeastern Iowa in June after completing the sentence. Soon he was back in Ames, arrested weeks later after being found passed out at a liquor store and admitting that he drank heavily after taking antidepressants.

Police Cmdr. Geoff Huff said homicides are rare in the city, and it’s “very troubling for something like this to happen in broad daylight.”

Police said officers recovered a knife that Richards had given to acquaintances after the slaying, as well as bloody clothing from his belongings.

Officers were called to the course around 10:20 a.m. Monday to investigate a possible missing female player. They found Barquin’s body in the pond with several stab wounds to her upper torso, head and neck, according to the complaint filed Tuesday against Richards.

A police dog tracked Barquin’s scent to a homeless encampment along a creek near the golf course where Richards had been living in a tent, the complaint said. Officers found Richards with several fresh scratches on his face consistent with fighting and a deep laceration in his left hand that he tried to hide, it said.

“What did he do to her?” an acquaintance of Richards allegedly asked officers who were searching the area.

That man told investigators Richards had said in recent days that he had “an urge to rape and kill a woman,” the complaint said. A second acquaintance told police that Richards arrived at his nearby home on Monday appearing “disheveled and covered in blood, sand and water” before bathing and leaving.

Paul Rounds, a public defender representing Richards, declined comment.

Court records show that since 2014, Richards had been charged with abusing a former girlfriend, stealing a pickup truck after wrecking his own vehicle, using a baseball bat to smash a car window and burglarizing a gas station. In one case, the Iowa State Patrol seized a long knife from him during a traffic stop. In another, he threatened to return to a convenience store to shoot clerks after they caught him shoplifting.

Barquin’s former team announced Tuesday it was pulling out of the East & West Match Play in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to grieve their loss. Women’s golf coach Christie Martens said Barquin was an “outstanding representative of our school.”

Professional golfer Sergio Garcia, one of Barquin’s favourite players, tweeted that he was heartbroken by the news.

Heartbroken over what happened to #CeliaBarquinArozamena I had the pleasure of meeting her and I know she was a special person. Sending my thoughts and prayers to her family and loved ones in this difficult time

— Sergio Garcia (@TheSergioGarcia) September 18, 2018

Garcia wasn’t the only golfer to take to social media to express their condolences. Several Canadian golfers also shared their thoughts.

You can’t even explain such lose. RIP Celia???? https://t.co/pGbxEYUYxh

— Lorie Kane (@loriekanelpga) September 18, 2018

So heartbreaking?… As a former college golfer and student, if there was any place that was safe, the golf course was just that. My heart goes out to the family, friends and teammates. RIP Celia https://t.co/LBlrtcnEU6

— Brittany Marchand (@Britt_Marchand) September 18, 2018

This really brings tears to my eyes. Cannot believe such a horrible thing could Happen to such a nice person. Can’t even describe in words how I’m feeling right now. RIP Celia. https://t.co/4oV3N1o8HC

— Albin Choi (@AlbinChoi) September 19, 2018

I cannot imagine why this would happen to anyone. To her family, friends and teammates you are in my thoughts. Rest In Peace Celia. https://t.co/HV6QDkOhkI

— Alisha Lau (@alishalau13) September 19, 2018

How many times have we enjoyed the solitude of playing a round on our own? Early morning, late evening, just you and the course. I can’t fully wrap my head around something like this happening. RIP https://t.co/2m67vHYQZP

— Jessica Wallace (@JessWGolf) September 19, 2018

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that the Thornhill Club will host the 15th annual Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru National Event on Sept. 24.

The event will mark a celebration of the success of all Golf Fore the Cure events held nationwide during the 2018 season. Since its inception in 2003, Golf Fore the Cure has introduced the sport to over 14,000 women while simultaneously raising over $6.4 million for breast cancer research, with proceeds going to program partners Canadian Cancer Society and Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.

“The Thornhill Club is proud to be the host venue for the 2018 Golf Fore the Cure National Event,” said Todd McGrath, Head PGA of Canada professional at Thornhill Club. “We have a very strong female membership and are proud to host an event that supports both the growth of women’s golf and breast cancer research.”

The 18-hole charity event expects over 120 women, including the top-three fundraising teams from across Canada as well as program ambassador and Rogers Sportsnet broadcaster Evanka Osmak, who will be delivering opening remarks.

Founded in 1922, Thornhill Club was designed by renowned golf course architect Stanley Thompson. The club has a long tradition of hosting major events including the 1987 Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship, the 2006 Canadian University/College Championship and the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship. In addition, Thornhill was the site that played host to 1945 Canadian Open where Byron Nelson claimed his remarkable 11th victory in a row.

The day will culminate with a special presentation involving representatives from the Canadian Cancer Society, who will be on hand to accept the cheque for funds raised nationally through this program during the summer.

Presenting partner Subaru continues to extend their commitment to the program with the “Subaru Safest Drive” mini-game, adding to their generous gifting at the event. Pink Partner adidas Golf will be providing an apparel piece to all participants in addition to providing the top-three fundraising teams with a winter gift package including golf pants, sweater and shoes. The evening will commence with a three-course dinner, coupled with speeches from keynote speakers and followed by a special prize draw.

Registration is open to public and corporate teams.

Click here to register.

CALGARY – Albert Pistorius is proving the old adage that if you want to be successful on the golf course it’s probably best not to have any expectations.

“Two-days before the tournament I was hitting it so badly that I actually considered not teeing it up,” Pistorius admitted after his second round. “So, I’m really surprised that I’m playing this well, but that’s just it, though—when you don’t have expectations that are too high you usually end up playing pretty well.”

The associate professional at Pinebrook Golf & Country Club in Calgary has rattled off rounds of 66-64 at The Winston Golf Club and leads the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf by four shots heading into Wednesday’s final round.

The 37-year-old native of South Africa holds a three-shot lead over fellow Calgary resident and 2016 PGA Assistants’ winner Dustin Risdon and four shots over the PGA of Canada’s No. 1-ranked player Marc-Etienne Bussieres.

Pistorius—a former Sunshine and European Tour player who was once ranked No. 700 in the Official World Golf Ranking—converted nine birdies Tuesday at The Winston. Pistorius says he’s obviously pleased with his play thru two rounds of the national championship.

“I’ve had a knee injury this year and this is only my 15th round of the season, so I’m pretty happy with how I’m playing,” he said. “I’ve found something in my swing and I’ve only missed two greens over the two days, which has led me to have a bunch of opportunities for birdies.”

Pistorius has converted those birdie looks and leads the field with 16.

Risdon, who sits just three shots back of the lead, knows a thing or two about making a lot of birdies, too. When he won the 2016 PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada at Lora Bay he strung together rounds of 67-67-64, cruising to an 11-shot victory. He says he’ll need another final round tomorrow at The Winston like the one he had two years ago if he has any shot of winning a second PGA Assistants’ title.

“I’m obviously going to have to fire something low tomorrow if I’m going to have a chance,” he said. “The way Albert’s playing I’m going to at least have to fire a round like the one I put together back in 2016 on the final day. I can’t go out there and think that if I shoot 70 I’ll have a chance to win because it’s not going to be good enough.”

Sitting alone in third, just four shots off the lead is Bussieres, the PGA of Canada’s No. 1-ranked player. The 32-year-old from Quebec is a past winner of the PGA Championship of Canada (2016) and last year’s PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada, where he came from five shots back heading into the final round.

“Sometimes it’s just easier to come from behind for the win than it is to hold on to your lead,” Bussieres said. “But either way, I need to get my putter going and if that happens I’m pretty confident in my game and my chances.”

2013 PGA Assistants’ winner Billy Walsh sits alone in fourth at 9-under-par, while this year’ PGA Championship of Canada winner Pierre-Alexandre Bedard; 2015 PGA Assistants’ champion Brad Kerfoot; four-time Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada champion Wes Heffernan; local favourite Craig Gibson and Cory Renfrew of B.C., round at the top five at 7-under-par.

The Alberta squad (Risdon, Heffernan, Riley Fleming and Eric Locke) won the 36-hole Inter-Zone competition Tuesday (which is compiled of four players on each team representing their respective PGA Zone and is contested over the first two rounds) by a shot over the team from Quebec.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – With the upcoming 2018-19 PGA TOUR schedule reflecting previously announced, significant structural changes, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan today unveiled further innovations that elevate the entire FedExCup season – from the Regular Season through the FedExCup Playoffs and ultimately, at the Playoffs Finale, the TOUR Championship. These changes include a simplified scoring system at the TOUR Championship that will determine the FedExCup Champion and a new $10 million program for the FedExCup Regular Season sponsored by Wyndham Rewards: the “Wyndham Rewards Top 10.”

The FedExCup Playoffs – which have been reduced from four to three events beginning next season and will conclude before Labor Day, allowing the TOUR to compete to own the August sports calendar – will feature fields of 125 for THE NORTHERN TRUST, 70 for the BMW Championship and 30 for the TOUR Championship, where the FedExCup Champion will be determined. While the points structure for the first two events will remain the same (awarding quadruple points compared to FedExCup Regular Season events), there will be a significant change to the format for the TOUR Championship.

Instead of a points reset at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, beginning with the 2018-19 event the TOUR is instituting a strokes-based bonus system related to the FedExCup standings through the BMW Championship. The FedExCup points leader after the first two Playoffs events will begin the TOUR Championship at 10-under par. The next four players will start at 8-under through 5-under, respectively. The next five will begin at 4-under, regressing by one stroke per five players until those ranked Nos. 26-30 start at even par.

With the implementation of this change, the player with the lowest total score will be the FedExCup Champion and be credited with an official victory in the TOUR Championship competition.

“This is a significant and exciting change for the PGA TOUR, our players, our partners and – most importantly – our fans,” said Monahan. “As soon as the TOUR Championship begins, any fan – no matter if they’ve followed the PGA TOUR all season or are just tuning in for the final event – can immediately understand what’s going on and what’s at stake for every single player in the field. And, of course, players will know exactly where they stand at all times while in play, which will ratchet up the drama, consequence and volatility of the competition down the stretch.

“Compared to the current system, the beauty here is in the simplicity. Fans are very familiar with golf leaderboards in relation to par, so they will have a clear understanding of the impact every shot makes during the final run for the FedExCup – ultimately leading to a singular champion without conflicting storylines.”

“It has been gratifying to witness the growth, popularity and importance of the FedExCup since its launch in 2007,” said Davis Love III, a current Player Director on the PGA TOUR Policy Board who also served on the Board during the development and launch of the FedExCup. “Several important refinements have been made along the way to help accelerate the FedExCup’s universal acceptance as a tremendous achievement in professional golf.

However, I believe this new strokes-based bonus system for the TOUR Championship might well be the most important of them all, as it will lend absolute clarity to where everyone in the field stands and what exactly they must do to win the FedExCup. It will make for a very exciting and dramatic four days.”

Meanwhile, the new $10 million Wyndham Rewards Top 10 not only will add drama to the Wyndham Championship as the final event before the FedExCup Playoffs but will also put an even greater premium on excelling over the course of the FedExCup Regular Season. The top-10 Regular Season finishers in FedExCup points through the Wyndham Championship – also sponsored by Wyndham Rewards – will reap the benefits of the Wyndham Rewards Top 10. The leader will earn $2 million, followed by $1.5 million for the runner-up with the 10th-place finisher earning $500,000. Additionally, each player in the top 10 will be invited into Wyndham Rewards at its most exclusive Diamond level, unlocking all the travel perks and unique Wyndham benefits that go along with it.

And while the Wyndham Rewards Top 10 will be recognized at the conclusion of the Wyndham Championship, the impact of the program will be felt throughout the season; a player’s performance every week becomes more critical than ever before, elevating the significance of each tournament on the schedule and producing drama for PGA TOUR fans at every turn.

“We are excited to unveil the Wyndham Rewards Top 10 next year, which will place an even greater premium on excelling over the course of the Regular Season,” said Andy Pazder, Chief Tournament and Competitions Officer for the PGA TOUR. “Season-long success is tantamount to qualifying for and advancing through the FedExCup Playoffs, and this is an exciting way to reward the best of the best and provide an added layer of drama for our fans in each market and around the world.”

In addition to the $10 million Wyndham Rewards Top 10, the existing FedExCup bonus pool will increase by $25 million, to $60 million. The FedExCup Champion will receive $15 million, versus the $10 million prize from previous years.

“Our players and fans have invested in the FedExCup over the past 12 seasons, and with these enhancements, we are reinvesting in the FedExCup in order to raise the stakes, so to speak, for their benefit,” said Monahan. “We are able to grow and diversify our fan base because we have the best athletes on the planet competing on the PGA TOUR. Now is the time to make these changes, and thanks to significant input in the process by our players, partners and fans, I believe we’re making exactly the right moves.

“To that end, these changes wouldn’t have been possible without the full support of the TOUR Championship’s outstanding Proud Partners – Coca-Cola and Southern Company – as well as longtime partner FedEx and an enhanced partnership with Wyndham Rewards,” he added. “They shared our vision for how we can challenge ourselves to raise level of excitement and fan engagement throughout the season up until the moment our FedExCup Champion is determined.”

CALGARY—The sun wasn’t the only thing heating up Calgary today.

Nearly 40 players took advantage of prime scoring conditions at The Winston Golf Club Monday, posting rounds under par.

John Shin of British Columbia and the PGA of Canada’s No. 1-ranked player Marc-Etienne Bussieres lead the way after matching opening rounds of 7-under-par 65.

Local favourites Craig Gibson, Albert Pistorius and Dustin Risdon, along with former amateur standout Jake McNulty of Ontario and the reigning PGA Championship of Canada winner Pierre-Alexandre Bedard are all one back at 6-under.

“When you have these many good players posting low numbers it’s a sign the course is set up fairly and it’s a test of golf that will reward good play,” Bussieres said after his round about The Winston Golf Club.

The group at 4-under-par includes past PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada winner Billy Walsh, four-time Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada winner Wes Heffernan and Calgary’s own Stefan Cox and Scott Anderson.

Other notables with opening-rounds under par include B.C.’s Kevin Stinson; past PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada winners Brad Kerfoot and Bryn Parry; Sonny Michaud of Quebec; young guns Riley Fleming and Cory Renfrew; and perennial contenders Oliver Tubb and Adam Bruce.

“The field for this championship seems to be getting better and better every year,” Shin said. “Here in Alberta they produce a lot of great players, the guys from Quebec are obviously very strong, Ontario has a bunch of solid players and of course the guys from B.C. are talented. So collectively the field is just so deep, it’s almost like a tour event.”

This year’s field includes seven past PGA of Canada national champions, plus 11 of the top 20-ranked PGA Player Rankings presented by RBC.

The field will be cut to the low 60-players (and ties) after Tuesday’s second round.

There is also a 36-hole Inter-Zone competition compiled of four players on each team representing their respective PGA Zone and is contested over the first two rounds.

The squad from Quebec leads the way at -15, with Alberta and Ontario three back at -12.

First opened to the public as the Regal in 1923, The Winston Golf Club has matured over 90-years to become one of the finest in Calgary. The course has seen many changes in its day including a major re-design completed in 1992 by renowned golf architect Les Furber.

Formerly known as Calgary Elks, the course has played host to the 2007 Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada’s ATB Classic and most recently the 2012 PGA of Alberta Championship

Admittance to the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada is free and spectators are encouraged to attend during championship play.

For the full PGA Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf leaderboard, click here.

It is with sadness and respect that Golf Canada, the Golf Canada Foundation and Alberta Golf extend sincere condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr. Clay Riddell who passed away suddenly on September 16, 2018.

“On behalf of Golf Canada, the Golf Canada Foundation, Alberta Golf and the Canadian golf community, we extend our most sincere condolences to Clay Riddell’s family, his many friends and colleagues, and the team at the Shaw Charity Classic,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “Clay used the sport of golf to leave an incredible legacy in Calgary and across Alberta and was a driving force behind the amazing success of the Shaw Charity Classic.”

“Clay’s generosity touched the game of golf through his meaningful support of the Golf Canada Foundation; he was a Foundation Trustee and Leadership in Golf Philanthropy recipient, funding programs that will reach tens of thousands of children across the province,” added Golf Canada Foundation CEO Martin Barnard.

Our sincere respect, admiration and deepest thoughts are with Mr. Riddell’s family and friends at this difficult time.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – Ariya Jutanugarn, of Thailand, has won the 2018 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award, which recognizes the player who has the most outstanding record in all five major championships during the current LPGA Tour season.

Jutanugarn received the honor thanks to her win at the U.S. Women’s Open, her second career major championship victory, and ties for fourth place at the ANA Inspiration and the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

The 22-year-old, who joins Michelle Wie (2014), Inbee Park (2015), Lydia Ko (2016) and So Yeon Ryu (2017) as winners of the prestigious award, was recognized in a ceremony on the 18th green at The Evian Championship, concluding an exciting season of majors in 2018.

“I feel great, I feel really honor to join the list of winners because of all the big names,” said Jutanugarn. “I watch Annika since I was young. She is my idol as always. I’m really like, ‘Look how she is doing?’ And I really want to follow her footsteps. She inspire me a lot. And I really want to thank her for like all the great everything for the LPGA. It’s amazing for me.”

Points for the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award are awarded at all five major championships to competitors who finish among the top 10 and ties. To take home the award, a player must also win at least one of the five majors. Pernilla Lindberg (ANA Inspiration), Sung Hyun Park (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship), Georgia Hall (Ricoh Women’s British Open) and Angela Stanford (The Evian Championship) were the other players to qualify this season.

Heading into The Evian Championship, six players were still in the running for the 2018 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award but Sung Hyun Park dropped out of contention for the honor when she missed the cut on Friday. That left RAMA standings leader Jutanugarn, Lindberg, Hall, Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu to vie for the award over the last two rounds at Evian Resort Golf Club.

Jutanugarn has enjoyed one of the best campaigns of her LPGA career this year. Her three wins (Kingsmill Championship presented by GEICO, U.S. Women’s Open conducted by the USGA and Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open) are the equal-most by a single player on Tour this season and represent the third successive time she has won multiple titles during the same year. Jutanugarn has racked up 10 additional top-10 finishes, including a runner-up spot at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup.

With her third win this season, at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open in late July, Jutanugarn moved back to No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, a spot she held for two weeks during June of 2017. She is the only Thai player (male or female) ever to reach No. 1.

“I’m pretty happy about the way I played this season,” said Jutanugarn. “I still have a lot of thing to improve and I really want to improve a lot. I didn’t expect to be like this good before, so everything is just good for me.”

A 10-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Jutanugarn earned Tour membership with a tie for third at the 2014 Qualifying Tournament. She claimed her first LPGA title at the 2016 Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic and ended up winning four more times that year, including the Ricoh Women’s British Open, before becoming just the second player to win the Rolex Player of the Year, Race to the CME Globe and the LPGA Official Money Title in the same season.

Jutanugarn landed two more LPGA Tour victories in 2017, at the Manulife LPGA Classic and the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. She is also a three-time champion on the Ladies European Tour.

LONDON, Ont. – After a year that featured three victories, Tyler McCumber officially locked up Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada Player of the Year honours Sunday.

The native of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida finished with $139,300 for the season and topped the money list – leading the five players who earned status on the Web.com Tour for 2019.

McCumber, 27, won the Osprey Valley Open and then won the very next week at the Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON. In the process, he became the only golfer in Mackenzie Tour history to win back-to-back events.

A three-time winner on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, McCumber finished third at the ATB Financial Classic after his two-straight wins, but won The Players Cup the very next week.

McCumber, who was battling a shoulder injury for most of last year, was “totally healthy” as of November. He said he a routine of working out and practicing whenever he wanted, which was beneficial for him going into this season.

“Having full status on this Tour I had a good game plan coming in,” said McCumber. “The formula is really good and what I’m doing is right for me. I’m not surprised I came out with a good year. There’s a lot that goes into being No. 1 – getting momentum, capitalizing on opportunities, and I did a good job of that.”

McCumber had the money title locked up before the final event of the season. After his victory in Edmonton he moved to the top of the Order of Merit, a spot he never relinquished.

George Cunningham, after a tie for second at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship – his sixth top-10 of the year – ended up at No. 2, $37,133 behind McCumber. With $102,167 earned on the year, he became the first golfer in Mackenzie Tour history to earn more than $100,000 and not finish on top of the money list.

“I’ve learned a ton this year,” said Cunningham, who finished in the top 30 at the RBC Canadian Open in his first PGA TOUR start this summer. “I’m such a different player I feel like from when I was in college, and I thought I was playing really well in college. Every single thing I’ve learned this year is off the charts.”

Zach Wright, who finished 39th at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship, moved down to third on the Order of Merit after Cunningham jumped him to get to No. 2.

“I did well. I’ve been very consistent. I’ve had a few rounds where my attitude got int the way, but I can always learn from that. Overall I did pretty well,” said Wright, who became the only player in Mackenzie Tour history to open a season with six consecutive top-10 finishes. “At the beginning of the year I moved back home and started working with my old coach, and everything I was feeling good about. It was nice to get off to a good start because it gave me confidence, and I knew I could do it.”

Corey Pereira of Mission Viejo, California, and Michael Gellerman, of Tucson, Arizona, joined Wright, of Phoenix, Arizona, and Cunningham, also of Tucson, Arizona in The Five.

“Getting into The Five does feel far fetched at the beginning of the year,” admitted Pereira. “You know you have to win out here and then you know you need a top-5 or top-3 to secure your status. It’s extremely challenging. To come out and get it done feels awesome and gives me a lot of confidence.”

Gellerman, who, like Wright, never won this year on Tour but still finished in The Five said he made some good progress from 2017, which was his main goal at the start of this year.

“I tried to reach some of my goals mid-year and see where that led me. I played some good golf along the way. Unfortunately Tyler (McCumber) got in the way a few times,” said Gellerman with a laugh, who finished second to McCumber at both the Osprey Valley Open and The Players Cup. “I’m really happy to be here.”

The Five will graduate to the Web.com Tour in 2018 and look to follow in the footsteps of 19 players who have gone on from the Mackenzie Tour to the PGA TOUR during the PGA TOUR-era (2013-present), including PGA TOUR winners Tony Finau, Nick Taylor, and Mackenzie Hughes.

“It’s been a great season on the Mackenzie Tour with so many incredible performances, especially for the players who make up The Five this year,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday. “A special congratulations goes to Tyler, who played some truly impressive golf this year. We wish all five players success on their journey to the PGA TOUR.”

PLAYERS 6-10 EARN SPOTS INTO FINAL STAGE

In addition to The Five earning status on the Web.com Tour, players finishing 6-10 on the Order of Merit earned an exemption into Final Stage of Web.com Tour Q-School, led by No. 6 Sam Fidone, of Lufkin, Texas, who earned $66,742.

After his victory Sunday at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship, Danny Walker of Bradenton, Florida, moved up 44 spots on the Order of Merit to the No. 7 spot.

Ben Griffin, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Mark Anguiano of Bellflower, California, and Ian Holt of Stow, Ohio – who shot a 6-under-par 64 Sunday at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship to move into a tie for fourth and move five spots up the Order of Merit – round out the rest of the top 10.

Players finishing No. 11-25 earned an exemption into Second Stage of Web.com Tour Q-School. The biggest mover of that group Sunday was Jonathan Garrick of Chicago, Illinois, who, after finishing tied for second at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship, moved up 20 spots to No. 19.