HONOLULU — Nick Taylor delivered another theatrical finish Sunday, this time chipping in for eagle on the 18th hole to get into a playoff at the Sony Open and winning with a superb pitch that set up birdie to defeat Nico Echavarria.

Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., never looked like a winner at Waialae, especially after missing two short birdie chances down the stretch. That changed all so suddenly when his eagle chip from 60 feet rolled in on the par-5 closing hole for a 5-under 65.

Echavarria joined him with a great bunker shot for a tap-in birdie on the 18th and a 65. They finished at 16-under 264.

Taylor has five PGA Tour titles and won the last three in a playoff. He had to hole a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th to stay alive. Playing the 18th again, Taylor went from a fairway bunker to 46 yards short of the cup. His pitch was close to perfect, landing on the front of the green and rolling with the grain and wind to just inside 3 feet.

Echavarria was just on the collar at the back of the green, but his 40-foot eagle putt came up 7 feet short and he missed the birdie putt.

The victory sends Taylor to the Masters again, a big perk after a dismal end to last season. He had won the Phoenix Open with clutch putts in a playoff last year. His best playoff win was at home in the RBC Canadian Open in 2023 when he made a 70-foot eagle putt.

Stephan Jaeger and J.J. Spaun both left Waialae with plenty of regrets. From the time they made the turn, it looked like a duel between them to decide the winner, and they put on a great show until the final three holes.

Jaeger holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the 14th to catch Spaun, who then followed by making a par putt from just inside 30 feet to stay tied for the lead.

Jaeger didn’t hit a fairway on the back nine except for an iron off the 15th tee, and it finally caught up with him at the end. He hit driver to cut off the dogleg on the 16th but it went so far left that it was never found, presumed to be out-of-bounds.

“The one on 16 I would like to have back. Wrong hole to hit that shot,” Jaeger said.

Jaeger did well to made bogey off a provisional ball to stay only one behind — Spaun missed a 10-foot birdie putt that would have given him a cushion. And then Spaun made bogey from the bunker on the 17th.

All the while, Echavarria and Taylor rallied in improbable ways. Echavarria made a 15-foot par save on the 15th, a 12-foot birdie on the 16th, saved par from a bunker on the 17th and then hit a splendid bunker shot across the 18th birdie to get up-and-down for birdie.

Taylor looked like he had lost his chances by missing a pair of 4-foot birdie putts. He was two behind when he holed his 60-foot chip for eagle on the 18th hole.

Jaeger and Spaun needed birdie on the par-5 closing hole to join the playoff. Jaeger hit 3-wood off the tee and didn’t clear the bunker, and his second shot hit the lip and left him in the rough some 178 yards away. He went over the green and made par for a 67.

Spaun from the 18th fairway missed to the right, the worst place to be because the pin was cut to the right with the wind at his back. He did well to get it to 10 feet, and then missed the birdie putt and shot 68.

On a day when 15 players were separated by three shots at the start, those four were the only ones who seriously threatened at the end.

Hideki Matsuyama, who won with a PGA Tour record 35-under par last week at Kapalua, closed with a 66 and finished at 11 under and tied for 16th in his bid to become only the third player to sweep Hawaii.

Golf Canada’s Amaya Athill recognized among the group of
12 distinguished honourees

Golf Canada is pleased to congratulate the group of 12 distinguished recipients recognized with the PGA of Canada’s 2024 National Awards. 

Each year, a National Selection Committee for the PGA of Canada evaluates nominations from golf professionals across Canada.

The 2024 PGA of Canada Award Winners Include:

Murray Tucker Club Professional of the Year – Dennis Firth, The Royal Montreal Golf Club

Dick Munn Executive Professional of the Year – Ted Stonehouse, Cabot Cape Breton

George Knudson Teacher of the Year – Gord Burns, Gord Burns Golf School

Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the Year – Matt Seifert, GolfFuture

Ben Kern Coach of the Year – Jean-Francois Richard, Louis Melanson Golf Academy

Pat Fletcher Retailer of the Year – Andrew Szewczuk, Banff Springs Golf Club

Moe Norman Apprentice Professional of the Year – Ethan Hunt, Whistle Bear Golf Club

Stan Leonard Class ‘A’ Assistant Professional of the Year – Anne Balser, Oakfield Golf & Country Club

Warren Crosbie Community Leader of the Year – Amaya Athill, Golf Canada

Tex Noble Professional Development Award – Sean Murray, St. Charles Country Club

Brooke Henderson Female Player of the Year – Casey MacNeil, Timberwolf Golf Academy

Mike Weir Male Player of the Year – Wes Heffernan, Dynamic Motion Golf Performance Centre

For the full list of award descriptions and winners, please click here.

The winners will be celebrated later this month during Canada Night at the PGA Show in Orlando on January 22, 2025.

It’s not often Corey Conners is excited with a PGA Tour result where he finished 11 shots back of the eventual winner. 

But at The Sentry, the Tour’s season-opening event, no one was going to beat Hideki Matsuyama — who set an all-time, 72-hole PGA Tour scoring record at 35-under 257 — and Conners’ tie for fifth still marked his best result since his win at the Valero Texas Open in 2023.

Conners, from Listowel, Ontario, ranked first in putting in Maui, a big improvement in an area he’s worked hard to improve.

Despite the scoreline, Conners couldn’t have been more thrilled with his 2025 opener

“It was nowhere near winning with how Hideki ended up playing — and I saw that up close on Saturday — but I’m still happy with the week. I got off to a solid start, I got myself within striking distance. Hideki ultimately was unreachable but definitely some positives,” Conners said by phone from Honolulu, the site of this week’s event, the Sony Open in Hawaii. 

If there has been one part of Conners’ methodical approach that’s come under scrutiny over the last half-decade, it’s been his effort on the greens.

He ranked 128th on the PGA Tour in putting strokes gained in each of the last two seasons. He moved into the top 50 in the second half of 2024. Last week? He was the best putter on the course.

Conners was happy to watch putts fall early and often. And even the putts he missed had good chances to drop. 

“It’s something I’ve been focusing on in my game the last number of years, really, but definitely the last six months. It’s an area that’s very important for scoring,” Conners said. “I started the week with a lot of freedom and picked up a few thoughts, nothing too technical, over the off-season on the green. A few keys that I leaned on and it paid off.”

Conners entered 2025 as Canada’s top-ranked male golfer and jumped seven spots in the Official World Golf Ranking with his top-five finish at Sunday. He’s now No. 33 in the world. 

As one of the world’s top-ranked golfers, Conners earned spots on both the Canadian Olympic team and the 2024 Presidents Cup team, which was played at Royal Montreal Golf Club with fellow Canadian Mike Weir as captain of the International side. 

With both events now in the rear-view mirror, Conners says it’s time to focus on finding even more success at the biggest tournaments on the PGA Tour.

In 2025, eight Signature Events boast purses of US$20 million or more, in addition to the four major championships. Conners was the only Canadian to achieve a top-10 finish at a major championship in 2024 and believes his next goal is to consistently contend at these top-tier events.”

“Against the top players in the world you see a lot of the same names up there at the top of the leaderboard and I want to throw my name into the mix as much as I can,” Conners said. 

Conners missed out on the Tour Championship season finale last year for the first time in three seasons and is eager to return to the elite 30-person field in August. 

“I had a bit of a slow start last year. Played well in the summer but wanted to get off to a good start and carry that momentum through,” Conners said. “I’ve had a bunch of successful years but there’s room for improvement. There’s another level I can get to and that’s definitely the goal.” 

Conners looks to continue his fine start to the year this week at the Sony Open, where there are six other Canadians in the field. 

Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, of Abbotsford, B.C., and Taylor Pendrith, of Richmond Hill, Ont., make the Hawaiian island hop from Maui to Honolulu while Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., Adam Svensson of Surrey. B.C., and Ben Silverman, of Thornhill, Ont. make their 2025 PGA Tour debuts.

Liu starts and ends strong to win by six

Team Canada NextGen member Shauna Liu has started the new year with a win, firing a four-day total of 8-under to win the 61st Junior Orange Bowl International Golf Championship at The Biltmore in Coral Gables, Fla.

Liu of Maple, Ont. fired rounds of 64-74-72-66-276 to win by six strokes over Alexa Takai of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Fellow Team Canada NextGen member, Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. finished T14 at 11-over. On the Boys side, Canadians Emile Lebrun (Montreal, Que.) finished T7, Eric Zhao (Toronto, Ont.) finished T11 and Spencer Shropshire (Ramara, Ont.) finished T27.

For the final leaderboard, click here.

Ding goes the distance to win by five

Team Canada NextGen member Clara Ding also opened 2025 in the winners’ circle, firing a three-day total of 3-under to win the Women’s Orlando International Amateur 2025 at Mission Resort and Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

Ding of White Rock, B.C. fired rounds of 70-68-74-212 to win by five shots over Sofia Cerif Essakali of Morocco. Fellow Team Canada NextGen members, Nobelle Park (Oakville, Ont.) finished T3, Aphrodite Deng (Calgary, Alta.) finished sixth, Vanessa Zhang (Vancouver, B.C.) finished T17 and Swetha Sathish (Oakville, Ont.) finished T38.

Other Canadians to make the cut were, Bridget Wilkie (Toronto, Ont.) who finished T20, Angela Cai (Oakville, Ont.) finished T23 and Luna Lu (Burnaby, B.C.) finished T55.

For the final leaderboard, click here.

Each week we write to Golf Canada members who record a hole-in-one, congratulating them and asking if they’d tell us how it happened. These are their stories (edited for length and clarity).

Have you recently accomplished the feat of a hole-in-one? Tell us about it! Share your story, picture / video and course information with us at holeinone@golfcanada.ca.

Joe Kispal, Heritage Palms Golf & Country Club, Hole #3

I have been playing golf for over 40 years and this is my first hole-in-one.

We are Canadian snowbirds who winter at Heritage Palms Golf and Country Club in Fort Myers, Florida. Heritage Palms has two 18 hole golf courses, Royal and Sabal. I was playing the Royal course with my wife April when I aced hole #3 using an 8 iron measuring 134 yards from the white tees.

We are both members of Golf Canada and our home course is Crowbush Cove. We are truly blessed belonging to beautiful courses on both sides of the border. P.E.I. for the summer months and Fort Myers for the winter months. Retirement plan is working.

Kevin McKee, Ledgeview Golf & Country Club, Hole #14

It was foggy that day and the range finders didn’t work. I was playing with three other members and we all guessed at around 158 yards, it was a blue flag and straight away, I hit my smooth 6 iron and saw one bounce and knew it was close. When we got up to the green, I didn’t see the ball and knew something special might have happened. I walked towards the cup and saw the divot approximately 24 inches before the cup and knew it had to be in. I was playing with Pat Hatchwell, Larry Marsolais and Scott Hurdle.

Chantal Lauzon, University Golf Club, Hole #3

First hole-in-one ever! It happened at University Golf Club in Vancouver, B.C. Winter course, hole #3 shot from the front tees which measured 75 yards to the hole.

Ghislain Auger, Falcon Dunes Golf Course, Hole #17

My playing partners/friends were Keven Phinney from Morinville, A.B., Bob McKay from Clifford, O.N. and Donny McKay from Oliver, B.C. I also won money for participating in the “hole-in-one pot of gold.”

Dan Holland, Gorge Vale Golf Club, Hole #10

I’ve been golfing a long time and have never had one before. On January 4th, 2025 I was golfing with Debb Holland, Vic Lum and Kurt Mar while I aced hole #10 at Gorge Vale in Esquimalt, B.C. Our four ball was the first out and we had just finished the turn shortly before 10 a.m. The pin was back left and measured out at 113 yards. It was overcast and damp from rain the evening before but no wind. I hit with my 9 iron and the ball took one hop about a foot before the hole then in.

Alex Vandenham, Loreto Bay Golf Course, Hole #14

Yes, very exciting. It was with the Wednesday Men’s League playing with Brian Gore, George Wade and Daryl Truman on hole #14 on Club de Golf Loreto here in Baja Sur.

The hole #14 is one of the most beautiful holes on the course. It’s a par 3 and I was playing the white tees, downhill 110 yards to the middle with a red flag, front of the green. That shot is normally an 8 iron for me unless conditions suggest a shorter or longer club. This time I saw no reason to change so it was my 8 iron again. The ball landed just on the front edge of the green, bounced once and then rolled to the hole and dropped. I can still picture it, somebody yelled, “it’s going in” before it dropped. To top the day off, I finally broke 90 that round! One of those rare good walks unspoiled.

Most of the men playing that morning ended up in Señora Delicias which has a lunch special for the golfers so I bought everyone a cerveza or soda water. Fun day!

I want to also give a shoutout to my home club in Canada, Kaslo Golf Club in the Kootenay region of B.C.

For the gear enthusiasts: 

– Driver: Taylormade R580 10.5 degree
– 3 Wood: Nicklaus airMax 35-S 15 degree
– 5 Wood: Infinity Plus M500 21 degree
– Irons: Infinity Plus M500
– Lob wedge: Infinity BWS 60 degree
– Putter: Acushnet Bullseye original
– Playing a Maxfli Elite Tour feel 90

(Yes, I’m a senior golfer)

Ron Frank, Seymour Golf & Country Club, Hole #8

Playing with fellow club members Alan Oishi and William Hung, we were the first group out at 9:00 am on a chilly Saturday morning.

We arrive at the challenging par 3, hole #8 at 10:30 am and we’re looking at a middle pin, the green is a little uphill and we’re facing a cool breeze. I often grumble that this tough hole is no one’s favourite.
With the temperature at only around 50 degrees Celsius, the ball is flying reluctantly, which calls for an extra club.

I choose six iron and I hit what seems like my best strike ever and deliver a towering three foot draw right at the pin. My playing partners provided enthusiastic approval of the ball flight as it seems to stay up forever before landing eight inches in front of the hole before it disappears. My first ever hole-in-one and now my favourite hole!

Thanks to both Alan and Will for great support and celebration, and photography by Will.

Jerry Laboret, rayhawk Golf Club (Talon), Hole #17

The yardage for my hole-in-one was about eighty yards onto an island green, I used an eight iron. I golfed with my wife, Jenny who parred the hole and two very good friends from our home course, Harry & Lucy English, which both birdied the hole, it was a very good hole. It was even more special when I made the hole-in-one on an island green.

Adam Johns, Crandon Park Golf Course, Hole #8

I got a hole-in-one on January 16th. 130 yards out from an uphill mound style green. 9-iron, one hop and in. Playing with my buddy Nick to celebrate my 30th birthday and got my first hole-in-one on my actual birthday, bought everyone in the clubhouse drinks of course.

Dom Lafontaine, Rancho Manana Golf Club, Hole #14

It was at Rancho Mañana Golf Club in Arizona. I was playing with my brother, and we were having a great time on the course. On hole #14, the pin was a white flag at 148 yards, tucked on the left with a greenside bunker. I knew I didn’t have much room to work with.

I took my Callaway AI Smoke A-Wedge and swung. The shot felt great and honestly, I couldn’t see the ball land because the bunker lip was higher than the green. For a second, I thought I rolled off the green! While looking at my brother, questioning where it was, we started filming on the way to the green. Walking up to the green, we did not have a view of the ball, so I got closer and closer until I saw my Pro V1x right in the hole. Still can’t believe it happened, what an electric feeling it was.

John Lund, Uplands Golf Club, Hole #9

Wednesday, January 21 was a fun day for me and my golf mates at Uplands Golf Club after I got my totally unexpected hole-in-one.

Uplands Golf Club’s ninth hole is a 172 yard uphill shot. Probably the most difficult par 3 on the course with the least hole-in-one’s. I chose a four wood on this day and it worked. I didn’t see it go in but it was certainly headed in the right direction. My pals Ernie Behm and Dwayne Leskewitch both commented the same. Upon arriving on the green Ernie looked in the hole and said, “yep, it’s in here!”

As I’m now 79 years of age I notice that gravity seems to be getting stronger thus making distances longer every added year. However, I am determined to keep playing three days a week. I feel like I’ve chosen the right golf course here at Uplands as it is perfect for those of us who love to walk in the outdoors with friends. The course itself is fairly flat, except for hole #9 and hole #18. It is a friendly community-oriented club filled with lots of social activities. I love it here!

My favourite social gathering was celebrating my hole-in-one of course. It was a ton of fun to buy drinks for my fellow members. Thank you Uplands for our hole-in-one insurance policy.

Keep swinging golfers! if you haven’t had a hole-in-one yet, your turn is coming.

George Fukushima, El Tigre Golf Course, Hole #6

I was golfing with two gentlemen that I only met that day, Kurt a member at the club and Monico from California. Hole #6 is an island green that was playing 112 yards and I used a pitching wedge. The ball landed nine inches to the left of the hole and one hopped in.

As 2024 draws to a close, Golf Canada reflects on the stories that captivated our readers throughout the year. Here are the top 10 most-read articles that highlighted significant moments and achievements in Canadian golf:

1. Final Field released for the 2024 RBC Canadian Open

2. Pendrith, Conners, Hughes named to International Team for upcoming Presidents Cup

3. Golf Canada announces professional athletes named to 2024 Team Canada

4. Golf Canada releases 2024 championship schedule

5. Golf Canada announces amateur athletes named to 2025 Team Canada

6. LaunchPad Golf expands across Canada with six new locations

7. Built For This: TPC Toronto to host RBC Canadian Open in 2025

8. Canada’s Nick Taylor wins Phoenix Open on second playoff hole

9. Two women golfers announced to Canadian Olympic Team for Paris 2024

10. Mississaugua Golf and Country Club to host 2025 CPKC Women’s Open

As the year comes to a close, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to our readers and the incredible Golf Canada community. Thank you for your passion, engagement, and unwavering support throughout the year. Your love for the game inspires everything we do, and we’re honoured to share these stories with you.

Here’s to another year of unforgettable moments on the course and beyond. Thank you for being an essential part of the Golf Canada family—see you in 2025!

Last year, Canadian golf fans were treated to a truly momentous year in Canadian golf.

Highlighted by Nick Taylor cementing his place in Canadian sports history with his unforgettable 72-foot winning putt to become the first Canadian to win the RBC Canadian Open in 69 years. The silhouette of Taylor’s iconic putter toss now finds it’s permanent place as the tournament’s official logo.

While there is much to celebrate from this year’s on-course performances, milestones off the course deserve as much attention.

Year end is often time for pause and reflection on moments and experiences that helped to shape our past season. 2024 is no different, with much to reflect upon and celebrate that was simply, good for the game.

Golf, It’s Good For You – Ahead of World Health Day, Golf Canada launched a season-long campaign that highlights the many health benefits that the sport can provide. The campaign – Golf, It’s Good for You – focused on golf’s positive physical, mental and social benefits to significantly improve one’s quality of life.

All of the World Health Organization’s key criteria for health enhancing physical activity can be achieved through golf. It is an activity that incorporates strength, balance, endurance and cognitive challenges, and has also been shown to improve cardiovascular fitness, enhance mental agility and foster social connections. In recent studies, it’s even been found to combat over 40+ chronic diseases.

Along with the launch of the campaign a golf and health website along with enhancements to Golf Canada’s Mobile App were introduced. For more information on the many health benefits the game can provide, please click here.

Expansion of She Plays Golf Festivals and introduction of new Championship Series – She Plays Golf was first piloted in Calgary in 2023 and expanded to the Greater Vancouver Area and Greater Toronto Area in 2024 providing more programming and opportunities for women to try golf. She Plays Golf festivals feature inclusive programming for women and girls, addressing gaps in the participation pathway and introducing new women and girls to the game in a safe, fun and judgement-free environment.

Three week-long festivals featured 23 events at 18 golf facilities with over 800 women and girls engaged in She Plays Golf programming. Over 580 festival participants who were new to golf experienced activities led by close to 90 women coaches and volunteers.

In addition to the festivals, a new championship series was introduced featuring three enhanced 54-hole tournaments. The Peloton Glencoe Invitational, GOLFBC Group BC Women’s Open and the ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada were part of the She Plays Golf Championship Series in 2024. In addition to prize money, the top two finishers at each event earned direct exemptions into the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open. Team Canada members Lauren Kim and Anna Huang (Peloton Glencoe Invitational), Ellie Szeryk and Brooke Rivers (GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open) and Michelle Xing and Katie Cranston (ORORO PGA Women’s Championship) earned exemptions.

Plans for She Plays Golf in 2025 will be announced in the new year, for more information, please click here.

First Tee – Canada fully operational coast-to-coast – 2024 officially marked First Tee – Canada programming being available in every province across the country. In addition to this significant advancement, First Tee – Canada achieved another milestone by surpassing 100,000 participants since its inception in 2021. This year alone, First Tee – Canada provided programming to over 84,500 participants at 386 facilities (golf facilities, schools and community centres) led by 239 coaches across Canada. Seventy per cent of programming was offered at no cost to participants and 74 per cent of partnered schools and community centres serve equity-deserving communities with 45 per cent of participants identifying as BIPOC and 41 per cent identifying as female.

The continued growth of First Tee – Canada reflects the sustained impact of corporate and champion donors driving the philanthropic excellence of the Golf Canada Foundation which experienced another banner year with more than $11.2 million in funds raised in support of the game of which $5.487 million was for First Tee – Canada.

Youth On Course will be fully national in 2025 – In 2024, over 32,900 rounds of golf at $5 or less were played with 5,382 unique participants marking significant increases for both. Youth On Course programming was available across nine provinces and 105 golf courses participated in the program that saw expansion to Manitoba and Saskatchewan. 2025 will see planned expansion into Quebec, making the program fully national.

Inaugural BDO National Golf League champions crowned – The BDO National Golf League was launched ahead of the 2023 season as a nationwide, season-long competition to enhance weekly recreational league experiences for men, women and junior golfers. The inaugural season saw 10,000 participants from 107 leagues from coast-to-coast. Scoring followed a 9-hole net stableford format that took place during a six-week period of a club’s league season. Within those six weeks, the best four scores were used to determine the individuals that would advance to the provincial championships for a chance to be one of 52 pairings that would compete for the league championship at Hamilton Golf and Country Club the weekend before the RBC Canadian Open.

Storyline twists occurred during the championship round thanks to inclement weather that halted play on two occasions, resulting in a re-formatting of play. To complete the championship, pairings played their respective nine holes, with the top teams from the back and front nine then meeting in a playoff for the championship.

Tim Charles and Peter Morse were crowned the inaugural champions of the BDO National Golf League following a playoff win over Reid Middleton and Brian Thorne. Morse drained a lengthy putt to claim the championship for the Nova Scotia duo.

Along with becoming the inaugural champions, Charles and Morse travelled to Royal Troon in Troon, Scotland to represent Canada in The R&A 9 Hole Challenge one-week prior to the 152nd Open Championship as part of winning the national championship. For more information on the league and how to get involved, click here.

Golf – the number one participation sport in Canada – This past year saw an increase in public playing members with a Golf Canada membership. This year also marks back-to-back years of 10 million+ scores being posted by Golf Canada members. Last year marked the first time that the 10 million milestone had been reached and Golf Canada members surpassed that number in 2024 with 10.6 million scores posted to the Golf Canada Score Centre! For more information on a Golf Canada membership, click here. For more information or to download Golf Canada’s Mobile App, click here.

Canadians competing with the world’s best – Canadians continued to find themselves on the world’s biggest stage as Nick Taylor, Corey Conners, Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp wore the Maple Leaf at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Henderson and Sharp were competing in their third consecutive Olympic Games since golf was re-introduced at Rio 2016. In three games, Henderson has earned finishes of 7, T29 and T13. Conners earned the best men’s finish since golf returned with a T9 finish in Paris.

Canadian Golf Hall of Famer, Mike Weir was named Captain of the International Team for the 2024 Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Que. Joining Weir were Conners, Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith who were Captain’s picks for the International Team. After a difficult opening day, the International Team responded by winning all five foursome matches on Friday to sit tied heading into the weekend. In the end, Team U.S.A. retained the title, winning 18.5 – 11.5 over Team International. Conners and Pendrith both earned two full points for their team during the biennial event. The 2026 Presidents Cup will take place at Medinah Country Club in Chicago, Ill.

Canadian golf fans set new records in Hamilton and Calgary – Canadian golf fans took in both National Open Championships in record numbers this past year. Over 209,000 fans combined attended the RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open setting new attendance records for both tournaments.

The success of Canada’s National Open Championships was recognized by both the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour in their season-ending tournament recognition awards. The RBC Canadian Open took home the PGA TOUR’s Best Marketing Initiative award for the logo and branding of the tournament changing to Nick Taylor’s iconic putter toss silhouette. Originally designed to be a one-year tribute, the change will now be permanent.

The CPKC Women’s Open was awarded the Gold Driver Award for Best Volunteer Appreciation. Volunteerism was a critical part of the success of the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open at Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary, Alta. The tournament was conducted for the first time at Earl Grey and saw 1,300 dedicated volunteers, whose positions were filled ahead of schedule, help to deliver an exceptional experience in Calgary. To recognize the work of its volunteers, the tournament hosted a Volunteer Appreciation Day which included a complimentary breakfast, happy hour and gifts that were given to all volunteers to celebrate the 50th playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open.

Offering more tournaments and pathways for Canadian amateur golfers – This season saw the introduction of a new championship added to the amateur championship calendar with the debut of the Canadian U15 Championship. The tournament provided young players the opportunity to compete for a national championship while receiving information about the high-performance journey through an educational summit following play.

Golf Canada also introduced the inaugural Canadian Collegiate Invitational, bringing some of the best NCAA Division I Men’s teams north of the border. The event will expand to include a women’s competition in 2025.

In total, 12 national amateur championships, 16 qualifiers, six NextGen tournaments and two Team Canada NextGen selection camps provided Canadians with opportunities to compete coast-to-coast from the junior level all the way to the senior ranks. The season concluded with the World Junior Girls Golf Championship which showcased some of the brightest upcoming golfers from around the world.

Lisa Meldrum becomes the 86th inductee into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame – In keeping with the importance of celebrating Canadian golf excellence, Lisa Meldrum of Montreal, Que. was named the 86th member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in February.

Meldrum enjoyed an accomplished junior and amateur career, having won 12 championships between 1997 and 2003.

Her successful competitive run was highlighted by winning the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship three consecutive years in a row from 2001 to 2003. During that time SCOREGolf recognized her as the Best Female Amateur Golfer in Canada all three years. Prior to the Canadian Women’s Amateur three-peat, Meldrum won the 1998 Canadian Juvenile Girls Championship and the 2000 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, later earning SCOREGolf’s Best Female Junior Golfer recognition in 2000.

For more on Meldrum’s incredible career, please click here.

A new home for Canadian Golf – Phase one of construction on a new home for Canadian golf is well underway at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. Originally announced in July 2022, the 26,000 sq. ft. facility will be the national headquarters of Golf Canada along with the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum. Elements of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame can already be found in the main clubhouse and locker rooms at TPC Toronto. Lockers and memorabilia highlighting Canadian golf legends and significant moments in both the RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open history are now part of the fabric at TPC Toronto. The new facility will also be the national headquarters for First Tee – Canada and will include an 18-hole publicly accessible community putting green. To follow the progress and for more information on the new home for Canadian golf, please click here.

From the season’s opening drive to the final putt and the many volunteers, partners and stakeholders who support Canadian golf, there is much to celebrate and reflect upon that was simply, good for the game in 2024.

Each week we write to Golf Canada members who record a hole-in-one, congratulating them and asking if they’d tell us how it happened. These are their stories (edited for length and clarity).

Have you recently accomplished the feat of a hole-in-one? Tell us about it! Share your story, picture / video and course information with us at holeinone@golfcanada.ca.

Zheran Yu, Willow Valley Golf Club, Hole #8

I was playing with one gentleman named Nick Zhang. It was around 100 yards from the blue tee with a front pin. I used my gap wedge.

Val Ziegeman, Ivey Ranch Country Club, Hole #2

Hole #2 at Ivey Ranch. Playing alongside my husband Norm along with my neighbours Maury and Joan.

Pavel Racu, Scarlett Woods Golf Club, Hole #9

I was with my friend Ken, it was just about high noon, yardage was 182. I hit the lucky number 7 iron using a Lynx four ball and will spend the rest of my life chasing that feeling.

Nick Withers, Gorge Vale Golf Club, Hole #2

It was a beautiful Victoria late afternoon after a long Monday at the home office. A little cool at 10 degrees Celsius or so but rain had subsided from previous days and decided to get a quick nine holes with my wife, teeing off without any range or putts after a two week hiatus from golf. Made a good up and down for a par on hole #1 and headed to the par 3, 155 yard, hole #2 on the Gorge Vale course. It was a beautiful hole with a gentle breeze into us. As I hadn’t warmed up, I took an extra club, 7 iron, and hit my lefty draw but a little thin. I uttered some gentle encouragement for it to go and saw it cover the water but then lost sight of my yellow ProV1x that I prefer for Fall golf. I figured the ball was just past the flag which was why I couldn’t see it, (that and the fact my vision isn’t what it once was, even with glasses!) As I strolled down to my wife’s tee box, I looked and couldn’t see the ball behind the flag so I took out my phone and recorded my stroll to the hole where I confirmed the hole-in-one. Number one for me and a wonderful memory for sure! And it continued with a good nine from there, finishing just before darkness at one under for the nine holes, my personal best. Of course a hole-in-one helped with that!

John Krasevec, Las Vegas Country Club, Hole #3

We were in Las Vegas for a “Clublink goes to Vegas” trip. There were 110 of us there for the four-day tournament. This was our first round of the week. The hole was playing 155 yards. I used a 6 iron.

Dixie Haley, Marina Mazatlan Golf Course, Hole #6

It was a very exciting day to have a hole-in-one! I had one before at the P.E.I. amateur a few year’s back. My playing partner was Deric Stucker. The yardage was 83. The club I used was a Cobra pitching wedge.

Gerry Risi, Silver Lakes Golf & Country Club, Hole #17

I was playing with Peter Dunn, Stacy McGann and Jamie Mathieson. On hole #17, which is a par 3, the yardage was 148. I used a 4 hybrid.

Theresa Walterhouse, Verde River Golf Club, Hole #5

It was exciting but also a bit surreal! I was playing with Rob Burkart. I can’t remember the exact yardage but I think it was likely about 90 yards or so, pin position in a bowl right after some bunkers. So it is a bit of a tricky shot because if you are short you are in the bunkers, if you are long, you are in the back bunkers. And interestingly, if you are above the hole you are fine but it will funnel down and almost always go well past the pin to the bottom of the bowl, very difficult to make that putt from above the hole. So I played a pitching wedge as I didn’t want to be too long into the back bunkers and purposely landed well past and a bit right of those bunkers/bowl, (actually executed what i intended.) It hit the perfect spot and then caught the top of the bowl and funnelled left all along the top ridge of the bowl until it eventually came down the bowl on the left side right above the flag and into the hole. I was just extremely happy that I caught the bowl and it was going to funnel down. I’d rather be below the flag trying to make that putt, but to have it go in was a total shock. Rob and I were on separate tee boxes, they were lateral, and I yelled over at him, “I think that went in the hole” and he thought it did too, couple behind us heard us. Didn’t see the shot but saw me pull it out of the hole when I was on the green. In fact the couple who witnessed it we chatted with a few holes later and they thought maybe I had a few hole-in-one’s before because we were so calm. Not the case, it was my first!

Michael Peter, Pine Ridge Golf Course, Hole #16

Got a hole-in-one at Pine Ridge Golf Course. It was hole #16, a par 3 playing 165 yards. Hit an 8 iron to a blind pin. Driving up to the green we couldn’t see the ball so we instantly knew that it was in the hole!

Michael Gatens, Miramont Country Club, Hole #4

The pin was back left at 136 yards. I hit 8-iron from white tee’s, hit behind the hole, caught the slope and rolled back into hole. Was playing with two members from my regular old-guy’s group. The club made a nice plaque for me.

Each week we write to Golf Canada members who record a hole-in-one, congratulating them and asking if they’d tell us how it happened. These are their stories (edited for length and clarity).

Have you recently accomplished the feat of a hole-in-one? Tell us about it! Share your story, picture / video and course information with us at holeinone@golfcanada.ca.

Justin Ewing, Cayuga Golf Course, Hole #17

On a Saturday, my son, Justin Ewing scored a hole-in-one on hole #17 at Cayuga Golf Course. Our foursome included, Gary Ewing, Lori Ewing, Justin Ewing and Nathan Ewing.

– Submitted by Justin’s mom

Patricia Keays, Pine Needles Golf & Country Club, Hole #15

I was playing at Pine Needles with my daughter and her boyfriend. It was on hole #15, a 100-yard par 3. I was using my 7 iron. It was nearly 10 degrees the day after Thanksgiving! My final score for the round was 103, not my best, haha!

Evan Smith, Mountain Woods Golf Club, Hole #9

The day of the hole-in-one was a perfect Fall day for a round of golf, a warm sunny day with a light breeze. I was playing with my longtime friend, Mike Whittaker. We’ve been playing golf together for over 50 years, since we were kids. We were paired up with two other club members, Ken and Simone.

Hole #9 at Mountain Woods is a 121 yard par three. It has an elevated tee with a great view of the green. I would normally use a pitching wedge but decided at the last minute to try a gap wedge for the first time. The shot looked pretty good off the tee, high and straight at the pin, but I lost sight of it looking into the sun. Once down at the green, not seeing the ball anywhere, I thought it must have come up short. I looked everywhere, including in the creek that runs in front of the green. “I guess it must have gone long,” I thought, getting a bit frustrated at not being able to find the ball. It was only when I went past the hole and looked down that I realized it had gone in,  from frustration to elation in an instant.

Golf is a wonderful game, good exercise and fresh air, great companionship, and the occasional shot that makes us think we have real talent.

Robert Walsh, Glendenning Golf Course, Hole #11

I was playing at Glendenning Golf Course on the last day of season. Played with my two brothers, Stephen and Paul Walsh, plus our good friend, Wayne Fowler. On hole #11 playing at 148 yards I hit an approach wedge which spun side ways in the hole. It was my second this summer. I had one on the same course, hole #6 in June.

Jeff McKee, Kingsville Golf & Country Club, Hole #9

My hole-in-one was on hole #9, from the white tees. The hole was playing 138 yards and I hit my 7 iron. My playing partners were fellow members Greg Hengl and Bob Donaldson. 

Murray Blair, Lakewood National Golf Club, Hole #12

My hole-in-one was a 7 iron from 178 yards. I was playing with my wife Dana and two great friends from the United Kingdom. My second hole-in-one this year!

Stuart Elliot, Pheasant Glen Golf Resort, Hole #6

I did indeed ace hole #6 at Pheasant Glen, 136 yards with an 8 iron past the flag, spinning back. Three good buddies were there to see it, Al Hope, Phil Noble and Kim “Sharpie” Sharpe. Sharpie took the above photo. Big credit should go to Ross Mantell, a CPGA pro who works and teaches at Pheasant Glen. He has been helping me to play the best golf of my life.

Jim Macleod, Waikoloa Beach & Golf Resort, Hole #7

My wife, Terry was there with me. It was hole #7 on the Waikoloa Kings Course, 144 yards and I used a nine iron. I thought it might have gone in, but after I parked the cart at the back of the green, I took my putter and sand wedge to the green, just in case! After 45+ years, one of them white dimpled balls finally found that four inch hole! Great experience!

The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) has announced its Golf Story of the Year, along with various Player of the Year awards for the 2024 season.

“GJAC is pleased to recognize Canadian professional and amateur golfers again this year with our year-end Player and Canadian Golf Story of the Year awards,” said Mike Johnny, president of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada. “The competitive golf landscape in Canada continues to thrive, with successes across multiple tours and levels of competition. At home, participation in the game remains high, and grassroots initiatives to expand engagement in golf are flourishing. From the Presidents Cup to the World Junior Girls Championship, to name just two, Canada is always proud to showcase the best players coming to compete on the world stage.”

Here are the Story of the Year and Players of the Year for the 2024 season:

Presidents Cup Return to Royal Montreal Named GJAC Story of the Year

The Presidents Cup returned to the Royal Montreal Golf Club, the site of Canada’s first time hosting the event in 2007. Under the leadership of International Team captain Mike Weir, two Canadians—Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith—were selected to join Canadian qualifier Corey Conners.

The Americans won the biennial competition 17–10 for their 10th straight victory.

While hosting this event in Canada was significant, it was Weir’s leadership and the numerous storylines of Canadian player participation that created positive energy among Canadian golf fans.

Taylor Pendrith Named Male Professional of the Year

Pendrith’s most successful year on tour was capped with his first PGA Tour victory at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, along with seven top-10 finishes in 2024. Advancing to the Tour Championship, Pendrith finished tied for 14th in the season-long FedEx Cup standings.

Pendrith was named to his second Presidents Cup team, playing in all five sessions and tying for the International Team lead with two points.

He ended the year ranked 47th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Brooke Henderson Named Female Professional Player of the Year

Canada’s most accomplished professional golfer was named Female Professional Player of the Year for 2024. With nine top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour and her selection to Canada’s Olympic golf team, Henderson continued to lead as Canada’s top female golfer. She ended the season ranked 13th in the CME Race to the Globe standings on the LPGA Tour.

Henderson finished the year ranked 25th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking.

Ashton McCulloch Named Male Amateur of the Year

McCulloch, a sophomore at Michigan State University and a member of Team Canada, had a standout season. He did not finish lower than tied for seventh in all 2024 competitions, including a victory at The Johnnie-O at Sea Island. He also qualified for the U.S. Amateur and advanced to the round of 16, while finishing second at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

McCulloch competed in the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, shooting 75-75.

Lauren Kim Named Female Amateur of the Year

Kim, a sophomore at the University of Texas, capped off a successful season with a collegiate victory at the Glencoe Invitational, earning an exemption to compete in the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open. She also finished tied for third at the Big 12 Women’s Golf Championship and fifth at the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

Kim, a member of Team Canada, is currently ranked 25th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

For more info about GJAC, visit www.gjac.ca.