DUBLIN, Ohio – Hideki Matsuyama and Tiger Woods hit their stride at the end of their rounds at the Memorial, and it paid off in different ways.

Matsuyama was in the middle of the pack at Muirfield Village when he ran off four straight birdies and then holed out with a wedge from 130 yards on the 17th hole for an eagle that sent him to a 7-under 65 and a share of the lead with 19-year-old Joaquin Niemann of Chile and Abraham Ancer of Mexico.

“As the round went along, I played better and better,” said Matsuyama, who got his first PGA Tour win at the Memorial four years ago.

So did Woods, which helped him avoid another big number on a course where he has won five times. Woods three-putted from 25 feet to fall to 3 over with five holes to play. He answered with three straight birdies – two of them on par 5s on the front nine – and got up-and-down from 62 yards on the ninth hole for a 72.

“It was nice to somehow grind out the round, turn it around and finish even par,” said Woods, playing the Memorial for the first time since 2013.

Niemann, who won the Latin America Amateur Championship in January, appears to be on the fast track to the PGA Tour. He turned pro after the Masters and already has a pair of top 10s in his four events. Another one this week might be enough to earn special temporary membership on the PGA Tour, meaning he would have unlimited exemptions to try to earn his card.

Ancer had only one bogey on his card early in his round, and he followed with eight birdies. It was the first time he has had a share of the lead after any round in his 40th start on the PGA Tour.

It wasn’t his first time at Muirfield Village, just Ancer’s first time playing the tournament.

He got that firm handshake from the tournament host in 2010 when Ancer received the Jack Nicklaus Award as the top junior college player when he was at Odesa College. He later played at Oklahoma.

“I got to come here as a freshman, get that award from Jack. That was incredible,” Ancer said. “It was like deja vu walking the fairways – watching from the outside, and now playing. It’s a dream come true. And today I felt great.”

Beau Hossler, who keeps showing up on leaderboards in his rookie season, had a 66. The group at 67 included Lucas Glover, while Jason Day was among those at 68.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was tied for 47th at even par 72. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., was in a group at 74th, 2-over 74.

So many of the other top players struggled.

Justin Thomas, in his debut as the No. 1 player in the world, was trading birdies and bogeys and was making progress until he hit his approach out-of-bounds on the par-5 seventh hole and made double bogey, sending him to a 72. Also at 72 was Dustin Johnson, who made nothing but pars on the back nine and failed to birdie any of the par 5s.

Rory McIlroy played the par 5s in 1 over and shot 74. Phil Mickelson was 4 under through eight holes until a double bogey on No. 9, and then four bogeys over his last six holes for a 74. Jordan Spieth shot 75, hurt by two double bogeys on the front nine. He went from a fairway bunker into the water on No. 6, and then went some 25 yards beyond the green on the par-3 eighth for another double bogey.

Matsuyama’s big run began after a sluggish start to the back nine on a muggy, humid day that left Muirfield Village soft, particularly with a burst of heavy rain late Wednesday. The Japanese star chopped his way out of the nasty rough on the 10th and 11th holes, both times making bogey.

And then he couldn’t miss.

It started with an 18-foot birdie putt on No. 13. He followed with a wedge to tap-in range on the 14th and another wedge to 2 feet on the par-5 15th. After a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th, he was in the middle of the fairway when his wedge landed beyond the hole and spun back into the cup.

Matsuyama hasn’t had a top 10 since the Sentry Tournament of Champions to start the year (tie for fourth), and he has been struggling with a left thumb injury.

“It has been frustrating,” he said. “In the past, even if I wasn’t playing well, I could still get it around, get it in the hole. So the last couple of months have been trying. I’m just really glad that I was able to play well today and post a good score at the start.”

Niemann tied for sixth in his pro debut at the Valero Texas Open, and he had a 65-66 weekend at Colonial to tie for eighth. He has started quickly, much like Jon Rahm of Spain two years ago when he secured his card in four starts, boosted by a tie for third and a runner-up finish.

Niemann isn’t sure how many FedEx Cup points he needs for special temporary membership.

“I just want to be out here and enjoy my round and try to play my best and see how it goes,” he said.

Canadians Mackenzie Hughes and Adam Hadwin are T47 and T74, respectively.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Brooke Henderson recorded a 1-over 73 after the first round of the US Women’s Open. She struggled coming out of the gate recording birdies on holes 1, 2 and 4. She finished T44 while Canadian Alina Sharp finished 3-over 75 and Team Canada member, Celeste Dao, finished 11-over 83.

The sun shone brightly at rain-soaked Shoal Creek. So did Ariya Jutanugarn, Sarah Jane Smith and Jeongeun6 Lee.

Jutanugarn, Smith and Lee each shot a 5-under 67 to share the first-round lead, where the course held up better than some feared after heavy rains in recent days.

Thailand’s Jutanugarn spent hours in front before Smith and Lee caught her in the evening.

Jutanugarn is coming off a Kingsmill Championship win and kept up the momentum, including an eagle on No. 6. She said she started focusing more on each shot instead of worrying about the big picture.

“At Kingsmill, I started (saying) I’m not going to think about the outcome,” the eight-time LPGA Tour winner said. “I’m not going to think about winning the tournament.”

Jutanugarn and the Australian Smith each had an eagle, five birdies and two bogeys. The Korean Lee, meanwhile, had five birdies on a course that has been drenched in recent weeks, forcing the cancellation of Tuesday’s practice round and limiting course time on the eve of the tournament.

Danielle Kang, 2014 winner Michelle Wie, Korean Ji-Hyun Kim and Swedish amateur Linn Grant were 3 under. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was tied for 44th at 1-over 73 and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was 3-over 75.

Smith and Lee have never won on the LPGA Tour.

Now, they find themselves in the unfamiliar position of holding a share of the lead at a major championship _ and trying not to get caught up in it.

“It’s pretty early,” Smith said. “I think later on in the week it might be easier to get ahead of yourself. (Friday) morning I have got to make sure that it’s just a new day and not worry too much about where I am. Whether that’s possible, I don’t know. I would like to say that.”

Lee wasn’t getting carried away either. “Well, it’s just the first round, just started it,” she said.

There were doubts about the state of the picturesque course and whether USGA officials would have to play lift, clean and place for the first time at a championship thanks to nearly five inches of rain on the week.

So far, so good.

Jutanugarn said it was the only time she can remember as a pro when she wasn’t able to see the entire course before a tournament, having played only the first nine holes in practice. It wasn’t just the rain but her golf clubs arrived late.

She might as well have left the driver at home, so far.

“I hit 3-wood almost every hole,” Jutanugarn said. “I hit 2-iron maybe twice off the tee.”

Lee parred the first five holes before heating up. She arrived last Wednesday from Korea and played nine holes several times.

“My main strategy today was not to have a bogey and I think that worked and also when I went to a more difficult situation I try not to get into trouble,” she said. “I stay out of it.”

Top-ranked Inbee Park shot 70. No. 3 Lexi Thompson is 1 under. Defending champion Sung Hyun Park shot 76.

Kang had four birdies and a bogey. Her brother Alex, also a professional golfer, got her to start practising with mud balls as a teenager.

“It actually gave me a sense of calm,” Kang said. “It wasn’t, oh, crap, there is mud.

“You have to adjust, what is this mud going to do, how is it going to affect the shot.”

England’s Mel Reid is in a group at 2 under, a few weeks after hiring a new coach. She had missed eight of nine cuts on the LPGA Tour this year.

Reid said she decided to play the ball down in the wet conditions Wednesday.

“Let’s get the mud balls and just kind of deal with it,” she said. “And I honestly think that’s one of best things we could have done. It wasn’t a surprise to us today.

“You are going to get mud balls. You have got to accept it. It’s going to cost you one shot. But it’s going to be the same for everybody. Whoever deals with it the best is going to have the better outcome.”

Raleigh, NC – It was a gloomy Thursday in Raleigh, North Carolina, for the 25th playing of the Rex Hospital Open contested at TPC Wakefield Plantation, but Colombian Sebastian Muñoz and Canadian Roger Sloan shone through the clouds, each posting rounds of 7-under 64 to stake a claim of the first-round lead. The lead marks Muñoz’s fourth first-round lead/co-lead of the 2018 Web.com Tour Season, and the first of Sloan’s career. Austria native Sepp Straka and Chris Baker sit one back of the duo.

Looking to make a return to the PGA TOUR is Roger Sloan, who posted a bogey-free round to claim his first round lead/co-lead since the 2014 Knoxville Open, when he shared the lead heading into the third round.

“We hit a lot of good shots off the tee today,” Sloan said of his round, “hit a lot of good iron shots and made a couple of good putts. It was pretty simple, nothing great, but we did everything really well.”

The 2018 Tour Season has proven to be an up-and-down one for Sloan. After opening with two-straight missed cuts, the 31-year-old picked up a T4 at the Panama Championship, followed by a T16 at the Country Club de Bogotá Championship. The past few weeks have been more difficult for him, however, having missed three-straight cuts before a T30 at last week’s Nashville Golf Open Benefitting the Snedeker Foundation.

“Everything’s kind of been a process,” he remarked. “I played well early in the season and have kind of been in a little of a lull lately. I’m not too far off. I’ve been working on putting, I think putting is something everyone works on. We’re just working on that and – it’s a long season so you just keep the process going. You’re going to play well out here and when you do, you just have to take advantage of it.”

Ryan Yip from Calgary, AB recorded 4-under 67 finishing the round T15. He also had a bogey free round firing birdies on four holes.

The round wasn’t all smooth sailing for Muñoz, who opened play with a bogey on the par-4 first. The 25-year-old refused to be shaken, however, quickly picking up steam with a birdie on No. 3. The change in momentum was crucial for the University of North Texas alum, who has missed the cut in both of his prior appearances in Raleigh.

“It was huge,” he said of the early birdie. “It’s knowing that I’m playing good and just kind of getting on track and seeing the putts go in. You feed off of it and it showed in the round later.”

Muñoz went on to pick up seven more birdies on the day, posting a clean scorecard after the opening blemish. His opening-round 64 marked the sixth sub-70 opening round for him in 13 events this season and was his sixth round of 65 or better.

“I feel like the changes I made in the offseason on my swing and my putting are definitely kicking in,” Muñoz remarked when asked about his performance this season. “I know I’m hitting it really good now. I just have to keep trusting it and keep doing it.”

The payoff is a welcomed breath of fresh air for Muñoz, who struggled in his maiden PGA TOUR Season last year. After winning in his hometown of Bogotá, Colombia, on the Web.com Tour in 2016, he made just eight of 19 cuts on the PGA TOUR in 2016-17, picking up a lone top-25 finish at The Greenbrier Classic (T3). With three top-10 finishes, including a runner-up at the North Mississippi Classic, already under his belt this year, Muñoz has moved into a good spot to be poised for a return to TOUR. He currently sits at No. 13 on the money list, with $130,363 in earnings halfway through the Regular Season.

VANCOUVER — Having played collegiate golf in Seattle, Chris Williams is no stranger to playing in the Northwest, showing off his acclimation with a tournament-leading 65 in the first round of the Freedom 55 Financial Open on Thursday.

Though it may feel like home, Point Grey Golf and Country Club hasn’t always been kind to the 26-year-old, who missed the cut last year after a tie for 41st the year prior. So, what gave this year?

“Since it’s such a short season here in Canada I would only start playing well the sixth, seventh or eighth event of the year,” said Williams. “This season I went down and played in Latinoamerica, so I basically played a full schedule and felt really comfortable with my game rather than coming to this as the first event of the year.”

Williams comes into the event not only comfortable, but also playing some of the best golf of his professional career. The Idaho native capped off his prelude venture on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica circuit with a tie for third earlier this month at the Puerto Plata DR Open, firing a final-round 66.

Williams took a while to heat up Thursday. Starting on the back-nine, he made his first birdie on the fourth hole before adding another on the par-5 18th to make the turn at 2-under. Another birdie at the first set the stage for a hole-out from the fairway on 5, catapulting Williams up the leaderboard.

“I started off slow, hitting it in the trees and making some good pars, but then I found something,” said Williams. “On the back I made a few putts and the eagle on five and it snowballed from there. All of a sudden I was 7-under.”

Playing in the morning wave Thursday, Williams led a crowded leaderboard by just one with half the field still left to play. He noted that with the amount of talent on the Mackenzie Tour, he envisioned an afternoon player potentially claiming the lead. That would never come to fruition as the sixth-year pro headed to his hotel as the lone leader.

On Williams’ heels is Jordan Niebrugge, craving a victory after three top-threes in 2017, and Cody Blick, a self-proclaimed lover of the BC Golf Swing, who came just a stroke away from a 59 in Victoria last season.

The top Canadian honours is shared by Andrew Funk and Jimmy Jones Jr., who are knotted in a tie for 14th place at 3 under par. Funk made six birdies on his way to a 3-under total, and Jones birdied his last hole of the day in his first professional event.

OAKVILLE – Starting tomorrow (June 1), the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum – located inside Golf Canada’s offices on the grounds of Glen Abbey Golf Club – will host the “Play Hard, Fight Hard: Sport in the Canadian Military” exhibit.

Developed by the Military Museums and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, the exhibit explores the relationship between sport and military service dating back to the 1880s. The exhibit runs until Sept. 15. and fans attending the RBC Canadian Open from July 23-29 will be able to see the exhibit for free during the tournament. Admission to the museum is $10 per person.

Some of the key artifacts that will be on display are from Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured members who served in the Canadian military, including a Bronze Cross Medal given to noted Canadian golf course architect Stanley Thompson who fought in the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917.

The exhibit is supported by the Alberta Museums Association, Veterans Affairs Canada and Directorate of History. This showing marks the first time it will be shown outside of Alberta.

For more information on the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame visit, www.golfcanada.ca/cghf.

CHILLIWACK, B.C. – The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades and the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds remained atop the leaderboard in the men’s and women’s team divisions, respectively, after the second round of the Canadian University/College Championships at Chilliwack Golf Club.

Everyone kept their eyes peeled on the host team as the Cascades continued to dominate the men’s team competition. They sit in top position with a substantial 12-shot lead at 21-under-par 555, in large part thanks to top-three finishes by three of their golfers – Zach Olson, Daniel Campbell and Halen Davis. The UBC Thunderbirds posted the lowest team score of the day, sitting in second with a combined score of 9-under-par 567. The third spot belongs to the University of Victoria Vikes, who earned a team total of 3-under-par 573.

In the individual men’s category, the Cascades’ own Olson entered the day in a three-way tie for first and never looked back.

“I went out with the same game plan”said Olson. “I kept the ball in play and hit a lot of fairways and greens today, so it was steady.”

The Strathmore, Alta. talent ending the second round sitting in solo-first at 7-under-par 137, one stroke ahead of teammate Daniel Campbell who moved up two spots to second. Davis, also of the Cascades, shares the T3 spot with Baptiste Mory of the Université Laval Rouge et Or and UBC’s Andrew Harrison at 5-under-par 139.

The low-score of the day goes to Vikes player Lawren Rowe, who carded a 7-under 65 for an overall 140.

In the women’s division, the Thunderbirds continue their historic lead with an overall team score of 13-over-par 445. The Université de Montréal Carabins are second, 8 strokes behind at 21-over-par 453 while the University of Victoria Vikes sit in third at 26-over-par 458.

Thunderbirds golfer Avril Li began the day sharing the lead with fellow teammate Kelly Hellman. Though a double bogey on her second hole threatened her lead, Li managed to stay ahead card a 1 under to end the second round in solo-first with a comfortable 5-stroke lead.

“Overall it was a pretty consistent round, pretty similar to yesterday,” said Li. “I had one bad hole on number 2 but I didn’t let that bother me just stuck to my game plan.”

Veronique Fortin-Latreille of the Université de Montréal Carabins had a difficult front-nine with back-to-back bogeys and a double bogey but ended her day strong after an eagle on the 18th hole. Fortin-Latreille shares second with Ana Peric of the University of Toronto Varsity Blues and Victoria Vikes’ Quinn Fitzgerald at 3 over.

The women’s and men’s individual winners receive an exemption into their respective Canadian Amateur Championship. The top three men’s and women’s individual finishers qualify for the 2019 Summer Universiade.

For more information on the tournament, please click here.

TOP-5 MEN’S TEAMS

1. University of Fraser Valley Cascades  -21(555)
2. University of British Columbia Thunderbirds -9(567)
3. University of Victoria Vikes  -3(573)
4. Université Laval Rouge et Or  E(576)
5. Université de Montréal Carabins  +5(581)

TOP-5 WOMEN’S TEAMS

1. University of British Columbia Thunderbirds +13(445)
2. Université de Montréal Carabins +21(453)
3. University of Victoria Vikes +26(458)
4. University of the Fraser Valley Cascades +27(459)
5. University of Toronto Varsity Blues +34(466)

TOP-5 MEN’S INDIVIDUAL

1. Zach Olson University of Fraser Valley Cascades *68-69-137 -7

2. Daniel Campbell University of Fraser Valley Cascades *69-69-138  -6

T3. Halen Davis   University of Fraser Valley Cascades   *70-69-69  -5

T3. Baptiste Mory   Université Laval Rouge et Or     *70-69-69  -5

T3. Andrew Harrison  University of British Columbia Thunderbirds  *72-67-139  -5

TOP-5 WOMEN’S INDIVIDUAL

1. Avril Li University of British Columbia Thunderbirds *72-71-143  -1

T2. Veronique Fortin-Latreille Université de Montréal Carabins   *73-75-148 +4

T2. Ana Peric  University of Toronto Varsity Blues  *75-73-148  +4

T2. Quinn Fitzgerald  University of Victoria Vikes   *74-74-148  +4

T5. Veronica Vetesnik  University of Manitoba Bisons *73-73-149 +5

T5. Emily Leung  Simon Fraser University Clan  *73-73-149 +5

Click here for full scoring.

SHOAL CREEK, Ala. — Celeste Dao stood on the first tee at the Shoal Creek Club on Wednesday and had her picture taken.

The 17-year-old from Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que., a member of Golf Canada’s National Development Squad, posed with Canadian star Brooke Henderson before they teed off for a practice round in preparation for the U.S. Women’s Open which gets underway Thursday.

Dao, who qualified for the second major of the women’s season with rounds of 71-69 at Cape Cod National Golf Club last week, wanted to capture a big moment in her young career, a moment she said she never thought she would experience this early in her career.

“I would not have imagined me being here. If you asked me in January what were my goals this year, I wouldn’t say being in the U.S. Open. That is a really high level for me. Being here, I’m so, so happy,” she said.

After a practice round with veteran Alena Sharp of Hamilton on Monday and nine holes with Henderson on Wednesday, who were both gracious to take a young player under their wings the week of a major, Dao was thrilled with the experience.

“It was great, playing with the best in Canada,” she said after her round Wednesday with Henderson.

What did she pick up?

“(Henderson)’s great around the greens. I was looking at her and how she managed to take notes of the greens with her sister (her caddie, Brittany) and calculating everything. She does that much more than me. It was really fun to watch that and how she spots her targets off the tee,” Dao said.

Henderson, 20, said she was happy to oblige Dao and recalled her days as a teenager (not so long ago) and the thrill of being on such a big stage.

“It’s pretty cool to see young, up-and-coming Canadians,” Henderson said. “She was hitting it really well today. I think she is just really excited to be here. She should be. It’s really amazing. It was one of the best experiences I ever had, so I think she will really enjoy this week.”

Dao said her goal for the week is “watching the girls and getting the most experience. For a score, I will try and make the cut.”

Dao said Sharp gave her some tips on how to manage her nerves on the biggest stage in women’s golf.

“She talked to me a lot, just giving me advice to manage the stress on the first tee. She said stick to the routine. Breathe and stick to the routine. It’s normal to feel stress. Enjoy the moment and go,” she said.

Dao has spent the past three months in Victoria, BC, with the national development squad. She had her first international victory at the beginning of the month when she won the Mexican Junior Girls Championship with a final round 66 and prevailed in a three-hole playoff over Mexico’s Corey Lopez.

“My year was really great,” Dao said. “Each step is bigger for me and I try to achieve bigger goals. It’s great so far.”

The experience here at the U.S. Open is going to help her the rest of this season, she said.

“This is going to give me a boost. Just learning all this. Once you see the greatest, it helps you so much.”

HIGH RIVER, Alta. – The 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship is set to begin on Friday at Highwood Golf.

With support from Alberta Golf, the Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship is the third of six regional junior championships presented in partnership with Acura. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will begin with a practice round on May 31 before the tournament gets underway with round one on June 1.

The Highwood, as it is locally known, was established in August 1958. This will be the first Future Links, driven by Acura Championship for the club, which is located just 30 minutes south of Calgary.

“Alberta Golf is excited to present the 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship alongside Golf Canada,” said Stephen Wigington, this week’s Tournament Director and Manager of Competitions at Alberta Golf. “We are confident that the course here at Highwood Golf will challenge Canada’s premier junior golfers and allow them the opportunity to showcase their  skills.”

The field will consist of 77 junior golfers in the Junior Boys Division with the top six earning exemptions into the 2018 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 30-Aug. 2 at Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club in Medicine Hat, Alta. A tie for the sixth position will be decided by a playoff following the conclusion of play.

The Junior Girls Division will consist of 34 golfers with the top six (including ties) earning an exemption into the 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on July 31- Aug. 3 at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, B.C.

Three additional Future Links, driven by Acura Championships will span the country this summer.

• June 8-10 – Future Links, driven by Acura Québec – Lachute, Que. – Club de golf Lachute.
• June 15-17 – Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie – Portage la Prairie, Man. – Portage Golf Club.
• July 17-19 – Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic – Port Blandford, Nfld. – Twin Rivers Golf Course.

Two other editions of the 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Championships have taken place so far.

The 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship took place on May 11-13, where Cole Wilson and Monet Chun earned medallist honours in their respective divisions. Additional information regarding the 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship, including participants, start times and full results can be found here.

At the 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship, Laurent Desmarchais and Taylor Kehoe were crowned champions in their respective divisions. Additional information regarding the Ontario Championship can be found here.

NOTABLES
Ethan Choi of Pincher Creek, Alta.
The sixteen-year-old member of Team Alberta’s 2018 High Performance Squad finished second in this event last year. He would go on to place T4 at the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship. Choi, who currently ranks third on the Future Links, driven by Acura Jr. Boys Order of Merit, is fresh off a win last weekend at the PGA of Alberta Junior Masters.

Camille Lapierre-Ouellet of Granby, Que.
The seventeen-year-old is off to a spectacular start this season with wins at the CJGA Atlantic Spring Classic at the Eagles Glenn Golf Club and the Humber College PGM Junior Open in Metcalfe, Ont. Alongside her wins are four other top-three finishes, the most recent being a T2 place at the CJGA Quebec Junior Open.

Ty Steinbring of Barrhead, Alta.
Eighteen-year-old member of the 2018 Team Alberta finished last year’s event in third, only two shots behind the lead. His top-ten finishes this season include a T7 place at the PGA of Alberta Junior Masters and a 5th place finish at the CKGA Junior at RedTail Landing.

Sydney Scraba of Calgary, Alta.
Seventeen-year-old Scraba placed third at this event last year. The Calgary, Alta. product most recently came in second at the MJT – Alberta Spring Classic 2018, which took place from May 5-6 at Paradise Canyon Golf & Country Club.

FAST FACTS
In 2018, Golf Canada is conducting its six regional Future Links, driven by Acura championships in conjunction with the Provincial Associations.

Top six finishers in the Boys Division earn exemptions into the 2018 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

Top six finishers (including ties) in the Girls Division earn exemptions into the 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Logan Carver went wire-to-wire to win the junior boys division at the championship last year.

Angela Zhang won the junior girls division after bouncing back from a rollercoaster-like second round.

More information on the tournament can be found here.

ABOUT THE COURSE
Established as a non-profit corporation in August of 1958.

The Alberta Flood of 2013 saw 250 mm of torrential rain inundated the club with water. Thanks to the passion and commitment of the staff and members, a flood mitigation dike project was completed in 2014 through and around the property to help restore the course.

More information on the Highwood Golf can be found here.

OTTAWA, Ont. – On a day that was perfect to play golf, Canada’s golf industry was on Parliament Hill touting the benefits of the sport to nearly 70 members of parliament and a handful of Canada’s senators as well.

It was the first year the National Allied Golf Associations (composed of Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada, the National Golf Course Owners Association, the Canadian Society of Club Managers, and the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association) decided to change their outward marketing approach to align with the American golf industry associations.

NAGA, as its known, will remain the administrative name for the body of industry associations, but moving forward the brand will be called ‘We Are Golf.’

We Are Golf set up a junior golf clinic on Parliament Hill in concert with Golf in Schools, and welcomed nearly 100 students from Carson Grove Elementary School on Tuesday, many of whom had never played golf before.

“What’s been amazing is that we’ve been able to get the word out about We Are Golf,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum, who has just recently celebrated one year at the helm of Golf Canada.

From left to right: Charlie Beaulieu (Vice President, Golf Canada), Leslie Dunning (President, Golf Canada), Laurence Applebaum (CEO, Golf Canada), Patrick Kelly (President, B.C. Golf)

The objective of the day was to continue to grow awareness of golf in the country’s decision makers, as leaders from each of the respective organizations had a day chalk-full of meetings on Parliament Hill with MPs from across the country.

Jeff Calderwood, the CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association and chair of NAGA, said one of the main objectives of the day was based on how many people the organization got to meet with, and he said they ended up exceeded that number.

“It’s up to us to tell the story about golf and let the nearly 70 MPs and the few senators know all about what the golf industry is really about. Without that, you’re susceptible to politicians just seeing this as a game,” said Calderwood. “It could be a great game, and a game more people could play than any other sport, but if you need to go beyond that and give them the rest of the story. That’s when they start to treat you the way you need to be treated to have a fair outcome on anything environmental, tax-related, or funding-related.”

Calderwood said a key message would be around how golf is a vital industry in almost every community in Canada. Well north of 75 percent of all communities (or ‘ridings,’ in political vernacular) have a golf course – save for downtown ridings like Toronto Centre or Ottawa Centre, for example – and even the ones that don’t are only 10 minutes away from the nearest course, said Calderwood.

This past election was a first for Calderwood, he said, as more than 200 MPs that came into the legislature were first-timers. He admitted Tuesday that with the next election only 18 months away, there would be a lot of education for the new MPs on the golf industry – its economic benefits, its environmental benefits, and more.

“It never ends,” he said. “This time they had 200 new members of parliament, which is an unusually big turnover. You start back at ground zero with their awareness of the golf industry, but the education needs to be a perpetual thing. This gives us a chance to highlight (golf) early in the year and sync up with National Golf Day in the U.S.”

Unlike Calderwood, this was Applebaum’s first time on Parliament Hill lobbying on behalf of the golf industry.

He said the day was a positive one, and he was impressed to see how many rookie MPs play golf, along with their families. Specifically he was happy to hear from MP Roger Cuzner from Cape Breton-Canso, who has seen millions of tourism dollars flood the island thanks to the worldwide success of Cabot Links, Cabot Cliffs, and Highlands Links.

Scenes from National Golf Day on Parliament Hill ??⛳️#CanadaGolfDay#WeAreCanadianGolf pic.twitter.com/KS4VoolZwB

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) May 29, 2018

Getting the message out about golf’s positives was key, said Applebaum, speaking specifically to its impact on Canada’s GDP ($15 billion) and employment (more than 300,000 across the country).

While in past years NAGA was on Parliament Hill lobbying for tax fairness for the golf industry – to allow people to claim a round of golf on their taxes in terms of entertainment as a bonafide business expense – that wasn’t on the agenda Tuesday.

Applebaum said that is still an “important issue” as an industry, but instead the day in Ottawa was more for “advocacy, information, and sharing.”

“We’re not here for an ask. We’re just here to let the MPs know how active their constituents are with golf, and down the road we’ll address the tax issue,” he explained.

Moving forward, Applebaum is hopeful that National Golf Day results in more awareness, and maybe even days off for people to go play golf. But he would say the first iteration was a success.

“We’ve gotten together as an industry, which we don’t always do so well, and we’ve been able to get our voice heard,” he said. “That makes for a really nice day for us.”

Knowing they need some solid finishes this summer to secure their futures on the PGA TOUR, Canadian rookies Ben Silverman and Corey Conners say their impressive showings at the Fort Worth Invitational are a huge confidence boost heading into a crucial stretch of the season.

Conners finished eighth and Silverman 11th at last week’s event just outside Dallas, Texas, to give each of them a 19-point boost in the FedEx Cup standings. Still, Conners, now 109th, and Silverman, 124th, know there is work still to be done to reach the target of finishing the campaign in the top 125 and automatically earning PGA Tour status for next season.

“I’ve been eyeing it since the season started in October,” said Silverman by phone from Texas.

Both golfers posted huge rounds in Texas en route to their best finishes of the 2018 calendar year.

Silverman shot 5-under 65 in Sunday’s final round – his best-ever round on the PGA TOUR. Conners shot a 7-under-par 63 on Saturday – tied for the round of the day – en route to his first top-10 finish on the tour.

“It’s what I needed to see,” said Silverman. “Things with my game have been progressing in the right direction but I just haven’t seen the results out of it that I should.”

Silverman, who had two top-10 finishes in the 2017 portion of the season, missed his previous three cuts entering last week’s event. But the 30-year-old said he has shown he can compete.

FORT WORTH, TX – MAY 25: Ben Silverman of Canada looks on on the ninth tee during round two of the Fort Worth Invitational at Colonial Country Club on May 25, 2018 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

“When I don’t have a day like Saturday (when Silverman shot 2-over-par 72) I’d be much closer to the lead, and that’s where I should be when things with my game are going well,” he said. “I’m just going to keep working on everything I’ve been doing and I’ve got lots of good stuff coming up this summer.”

Silverman and his wife, Morgan, welcomed their first child in November, and he said for the first time they tried something different on the road last week: booking a one-bedroom suite. Silverman slept on the pullout couch when he had an early tee-time and said that helped him get better rest and resulted in better play.

Conners was in the last group on Sunday two tournaments in a row in March – the Valspar Championship and the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship – but struggled in the final rounds, finishing tied for 16th and 13th, respectively.

Conners’ final-round scoring average of 72.02 has him 168th on Tour, but he said he learned “a ton” those weeks in March. It helped him feel more comfortable on Sunday in Texas, en route to his best ever PGA TOUR result.

“I was definitely more relaxed and focused,” he said. “It’s definitely different on Sunday. You try to play just another round of golf but you know it’s the final day and you’ve got to try to make a move.”

Conners and Silverman are off this week from the PGA Tour, but they will attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open at sectional sites in Ohio on June 4.

Silverman said if he gets into the U.S. Open he will not play the week before, at the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn., but Conners said no matter if he gets in or not, he will play in Memphis.

Conners played the U.S. Open last year after qualifying, while Silverman has not yet played a major championship.