NOORD, Aruba – With three victories in the final four matches, Team Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada extended their lead over Team PGA TOUR Latinoamérica at the Aruba Cup on Friday, leading the matches 6.5-3.5 after Foursomes play at Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf in Aruba.

One day after their thrilling win anchor match win in Thursday Four-Ball, T.J. Vogel and Rico Hoey once again provided the exclamation point on the day, closing out their match 3&1 against José Toledo and Jared Wolfe to give the Mackenzie Tour a 3-2 edge in Foursomes play.

“I think it’s great for overall team morale just to win both days. Even though today was just 3-2, it’s a big victory,” said Mackenzie Tour Captain Ben Silverman. “The fact that we were able to pull out a couple of matches at the end, it’s huge.

“We just have a head start, but we still have to go out and win at least four points tomorrow.”

With the Mackenzie Tour holding a 3.5-1.5 lead to start the day, it quickly appeared as though PGA TOUR Latinoamérica would turn things around in a big way on Friday, earning leads on the front nine of the day’s first four matches. The first two points of the day went their way, as Hank Lebioda and Brian Richey defeated Patrick Newcomb and Johnny Ruiz 6&4 while Oscar Fraustro and Nelson Ledesma took down Max Rottluff and Kramer Hickok on the day’s first match 2&1.

From there on out, however, the Mackenzie Tour took over, with Lee McCoy and Chase Wright providing the spark.

Nursing a 1 up lead against Tee-k Kelly and José de Jesús Rodríguez, McCoy emphatically closed the door at the 18th hole by stuffing a 6-iron from 152 yards into a stiff wind to within five feet of the flag, with the birdie eventually being conceded for a 2 up win.

“I think finishing so poorly yesterday, I had a lot of motivation to make up for that half point that I let slip away and was fortunate to come out on the other side of that today,” said McCoy, who bogeyed the 18th hole yesterday to half his Four-Ball match and added that it was important to build on Thursday’s strong start for the Mackenzie Tour team.

“You don’t want to give them too much wiggle room going into singles because that’s where the majority of the points are up for grabs. 10 points are there for the taking to make it interesting, and I’m sure it’s going to be,” said McCoy.

Shelton and Niebrugge closed out their match 5&4 with a flurry of birdies, leaving Vogel and Hoey, who won Thursday’s anchor match in dramatic fashion, in position to turn the momentum fully towards the Mackenzie Tour if they could earn another point.

“I told them they were the swing match, and Rico was like, ‘Aye aye, Captain!’ They were just loose and they pulled it through,” said Silverman.

A pair of solid pars at 15 and 16 earned the Mackenzie Tour tandem a 2 up lead with two to play, and after Toledo’s drive found a fairway bunker and the Latinoamérica squad took five strokes to get on the green, the hole and match were conceded.

The Aruba Cup will resume Saturday morning with singles matches beginning at 8 a.m.

Click here for full scoring.

The Golf Coaches Association of Canada, in partnership with Golf Canada, have announced the mid-season poll rankings for both the men’s and women’s University/College golf teams.

WOMEN

The defending Canadian University/College champion University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and RSEQ’s Laval Rouge et Or women’s golf teams (57 points) were chosen as the No. 1 University/College golf teams in Canada at the mid-season point of the 2017-18 golf season.

The T-Birds and Rouge et Or both earned three of six 1st place votes based on results from various conference championships and fall team scoring averages. The OUA Champion Toronto Varsity Blues (48 points) came in third, followed by the UFV Cascades Thunderbirds (40 points) who slot in 4th place. The Victoria Vikes (35 points) round out the top 5.

MEN

The Canada West Golf Champion University Victoria Vikes Golf Team (59 points) were chosen as the top University/College golf team in Canada at the mid-season point of the 2017-18 golf season. The Vikes earned five of six 1st place votes based on results from various conference championships and fall team scoring averages.

The RSEQ Champion and reigning Canadian University/College champions Laval Rouge et Or (54 points) came in second, followed by the UBC Thunderbirds (45 points). The UFV Cascasdes (42 points), and Western Mustangs (37) round out the top 5.

The Golf Canada University/College Golf Championship will run May 28 – June 1, in Chilliwack, B.C. at the Chilliwack Golf Club.

Murray Tucker Golf Professional of the Year Award winner Andrew Steep headlines an impressive contingent of PGA of Canada National Award recipients.

Steep, along with his fellow national award winners and two new PGA of Canada Hall of Fame inductees, will be honoured at the association’s annual PGA of Canada Night on Thursday, Jan. 25 at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla.

This year’s winners are:

Murray Tucker Golf Professional of the Year
Andrew Steep, Southwood Golf & Country Club, Manitoba

Moe Norman Candidate for Membership of the Year
Sean Murray, Bearspaw Country Club, Alberta

Stan Leonard Class “A” Professional of the Year
Sean Thompson, Calgary Golf & Country Club, Alberta

Pat Fletcher Retailer of the Year
Mike Matuch, Bearspaw Country Club, Alberta

George Knudson Teacher of the Year
Matthew Robinson, Rideau View Golf & Country Club, Ontario

Tex Noble Professional Development Award
Jason Schneider, Wildwood Golf Course, Saskatchewan

Ben Kern Coach of the Year
Paul Horton, Heritage Pointe Golf Academy, Alberta

Jack McLaughin Junior Leader of the Year
Kevin Haime, Kevin Haime Golf Centre, Ontario

Mike Weir Player of the Year
Pierre-Alexandre Bedard, Club de Golf Cap Rouge, Québec

“This year’s PGA of Canada national award winners are wonderful golf professionals and on behalf of the national board of directors’ and the association’s 3,700 members, I’m proud to congratulate them today on their achievements,” said PGA of Canada president Steve Wood.

Steep, the head golf professional at Southwood Golf & Country Club in Winnipeg is the 42nd recipient of the golf professional of the year award. This award is the highest honour paid to a golf professional and is designed to recognize the contribution to developing and improving the game of golf, education, instruction, playing ability and dedication to the PGA of Canada.

“It’s truly an honour to be recognized as the Murray Tucker Golf Professional of the Year award winner,” Steep said. “I can’t thank the PGA of Canada enough for the honour.”

The 31-year-old is a former winner of the Moe Norman Candidate of the Year Award winner and son of PGA of Canada Life Member James Steep.

Additionally, Sam Young and James (Jim) Collins will be inducted into the PGA of Canada Hall of Fame during PGA of Canada Night.

“We will proudly induct two more great PGA of Canada professionals into the PGA of Canada Hall of Fame at PGA of Canada Night,” said Warren Crosbie, PGA of Canada Hall of Fame Chair. “I would greatly encourage those interested in learning more about the members of the Hall of Fame, as well as the history of the association to visit the PGA of Canada Hall of Fame website.”

The PGA of Canada Hall of Fame nomination process is available here and members of the association, industry partners and the general public are encouraged to submit the names of individuals they feel are worthy of induction.

PGA of Canada Night takes place in Orlando, Fla., on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, at the PGA Merchandise Show (Orange County Convention Centre) at 5 p.m. in room W109A.

NOORD, Aruba – Thanks to a pair of clutch birdies on the 18th hole, Team Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada took the lead over Team PGA TOUR Latinoamérica at the Aruba Cup on Thursday, leading the matches 3.5-1.5 after Four-Ball play at Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf in Aruba.

After the teams halved the first three matches and the Mackenzie Tour scored a full point with Johnny Ruiz and Patrick Newcomb’s 3 and 2 win over Tee-k Kelly and Brian Richey, T.J. Vogel birdied the final two holes to secure a 1 up win with Rico Hoey over Rodolfo Cauaubón and Nelson Ledesma, building a two-point lead.

“It was great to see our guys rally and finish so strongly on the last few holes,” said Mackenzie Tour captain Ben Silverman. “The guys came into the day with a great attitude and had a lot of fun out there. We know that PGA TOUR Latinoamérica is going to come back strong tomorrow, but I’m very happy with our start today.”

Early on, it looked as though the two teams would be evenly matched, with each Tour leading in two matches as the teams headed to the back nine. But the momentum turned thanks in part to Max Rottluff’s birdie-birdie finish, giving he and Mackenzie Tour Player of the Year Kramer Hickok a half point against Hank Lebioda and José Toledo. Shortly thereafter, Ruiz and Newcomb closed out their win over Kelly and Richey to give the Mackenzie Tour the lead.

“We ham-and-egged it really well. We were back-and-forth, and every time I birdied a hole for a tie, Johnny would step up and make a putt. He made a couple of bombs today, and we just kept the rhythm going,” said Newcomb, who holds the distinction of being the only player to win on both PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and the Mackenzie Tour.

• @LeeMcCoyGolf chips in
• @Jruiz1919's putter gets hot
• T.J. Vogel closes in style

The best action from Day One at the #ArubaCup ? pic.twitter.com/278A92J1fj

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) December 15, 2017

With one match left on the course, it was Vogel’s time to shine, with the former USC and University of Florida standout recording a two-putt birdie at the par-5 17th to square the match, then stuffing an 8-iron from 129 yards to three feet at the closing hole to make birdie and earn a 1 up win.

“I had probably the best look at the green, and I knew if I put a good swing on it I was gonna have a chance. Fortunately it was the perfect club, and I was able to hit it to three feet,” said Vogel.

The Aruba Cup will resume Friday morning with foursome (alternate shot) matches beginning at 8 a.m.

Click here for full scoring.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., – The LPGA continues its upward momentum with record prize money and three new events in 2018, setting the stage for another season to remember for the world’s best female golfers.

The 2018 LPGA schedule features 34 events across 14 countries, with a record $68.75 million in prize money.

“Perhaps the most important aspect of our schedule is the consistency — continuing to deliver strong playing opportunities both in North America and around the world, while growing overall purse levels every year,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “There is simply no better Tour opportunity in the world, when it comes to purses, global TV coverage or strength of field. It’s an exciting time in women’s golf, with the best players from every corner of the globe competing against each other in virtually every event.”

Saskatchewan will host a it’s first LPGA Tour event in 2018, as the CP Women’s Open will be contested August 20-26 at Wascana Country Club in Regina.

Through its CP Has Heart campaign, Canadian Pacific (CP) will once again make a substantial donation to the host community by supporting pediatric cardiology at the new Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, which is currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2019. In the four years of CP’s title sponsorship of the CP Women’s Open, $6.5 million has been raised to support children’s heart health in Canada.

After a three-year recruiting process, Wascana Country Club finally earned its opportunity to host the stars of the LPGA Tour after originally submitting a bid back in 2014. The club is one of only four private golf courses in a province that counts 206 total facilities.

The LPGA lost two events for 2018 – the Lorena Ochoa Match Play in Mexico and the Manulife LPGA Classic in Canada.

The LPGA replaced them with three new tournaments. One will be held in the Los Angeles area on April 19-22 and another at Lake Merced in San Francisco a week later. The other addition is a tournament in Shanghai. That will be played Oct. 18-21 as part of a seven-tournament swing through Asia.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson will have to wait a year to defend her New Zealand Women’s Open title, as the event will take a hiatus for 2018 and move to spring 2019, making a logical pair with the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.

The LPGA Tour expects to have more than 400 hours of U.S. broadcast coverage on Golf Channel and network TV in 2018, with more than 450 hours available in 175 countries around the world. With domestic TV ratings that continue to climb annually, up 19% in 2017, the 2018 season is sure to continue to entertain and inspire golf fans around the globe. Golf Channel will once again broadcast the CP Women’s Open.

Tickets and corporate hospitality opportunities are now available for the 2018 CP Women’s Open by visiting www.cpwomensopen.com.

Here’s a look at the 2018 LPGA Schedule as of Dec. 13, 2018. 
(bold = majors; italics = new event; ** = unofficial money)

The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica compete this week in the second annual Aruba Cup, a Presidents Cup-style team match play event featuring the top 10 players from each team.

As notable alumni of each team, PGA TOUR members Ben Silverman (Mackenzie Tour) and Roberto Díaz (PGA TOUR Latinoamérica) were selected as captains for the Aruba Cup.

Silverman, 29, played on the Mackenzie Tour in 2014 and 2015 before going on to earn Web.com Tour status for the 2016 season. In 2017, he produced a breakthrough year, with five top-10s and a win at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper. He finished 10th on the money list to secure his first trip to the PGA TOUR in 2017-18, where he has already recorded two top-10 finishes.

Díaz, 30, played on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica from 2012-15 before earning Web.com Tour status for the 2016 season. In 2017, he recorded two top-10 finishes including a playoff loss at the Club Colombia Championship by Servientrega. He was 25th on the money list allowing him to join the 2017-18 PGA TOUR.

Below are notes on the players competing for Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada:

OAKVILLE, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Josh Whalen of Napanee, Ont. and Maddie Szeryk, a dual citizen from London, Ont. and Allen, Texas, have been recognized as Canada’s top male and female amateur golfers for 2017 as Golf Canada announced the final standings for its National Orders of Merit.

Whalen claims top spot in the men’s National Order of Merit ranking after an impressive season highlighted by a 3rd place finish at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. The 22-year-old also posted a T6 finish at the Sunnehanna Amateur and recorded six NCAA top-20s in his senior year with the Kent State Golden Flashes, including a runner-up finish at the Boilermaker Invitational.

Hugo Bernard, 22, of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., finished second on the Order of Merit thanks in part to earning medallist honours at the USGA’s U.S. Amateur Qualifying event in Maine, as well as strong showings at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship (T4), the French Open (T3) and the Mackenzie Investments Open (T7).

Joey Savoie, 23, of La Prairie, Que., rounded out the top-3 after recording runner-up finishes at the Duke of Kent, the USGA’s U.S. Amateur Qualifying event in Maine and the Monroe Invitational.

Whalen, Bernard and Savoie were all recently named to the 2018 Team Canada National Amateur Squad.

The 2017 season marks the third straight year that Maddie Szeryk has finished atop the women’s National Order of Merit. The 21-year-old recorded three victories this season—the B.C. Women’s Amateur and Women’s Western Amateur Championships, as well as the NCAA’s Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational as part of the Texas A&M Women’s Golf Team.

Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C., finished runner-up on the Order of Merit for the second consecutive time. In February, the 20-year-old picked up her first NCAA win at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic. Other notable showings included third place finishes at the Canadian Women’s Amateur and B.C. Women’s Amateur Championships, as well as the Women’s Porter Cup.

Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee finished third on the National Order of Merit. In 2017, the 20-year-old earned a runner-up finish at the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship and two NCAA top-5s.

Szeryk, Ko and Lee are all returning members of Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad for 2018.

On the Future Links, driven by Acura National Junior Order Merit, Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que. and Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que., took home top honours in their respective divisions.

Vandette, 16, tallied five victories this season, including the Quebec Men’s Amateur Championship, Canada Summer Games and the Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship. He also finished third at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

Rounding out the top three on the Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Boys Order of Merit are Nolan Thoroughgood (17) of Victoria, B.C. and Ethan Choi (15) of Pincher Creek, Alta.

Vandette and Thoroughgood were recently named to the 2018 Team Canada Development Squad which will train out of Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria.

Dao topped the junior girl’s Order of Merit after a prolific 2017 season where she picked up wins at the Canada Summer Games, Quebec Junior Girls Championship, NIVO Quebec Women’s Provincial Championship, U.S. Junior Girls Qualifier at Fitchburg, Ma., Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship and the CJGA Quebec Junior Open. The 16-year-old also represented Canada at the World Junior Girls Championship in late September.

Finishing runner-up behind Dao is 16-year-old Monet Chun from Richmond Hill, Ont., while Susan Xiao, a 15-year-old from Surrey, B.C., rounded out the top-3.

Dao and Chun were recently named to the 2018 Team Canada Development Squad.

Golf Canada’s National Orders of Merit are used to identify and give recognition to top-performing amateur golfers from across Canada. They also provide an objective national comparison and ranking system, enabling Canada’s top players to compare themselves to counterparts across Canada.

Golf Canada also uses the National Order of Merit to assist with the Team Canada player selection and International event player selection process. For full Order of Merit standings and a points breakdown, please visit www.golfcanada.ca/nationalordersofmerit/.

The following are top-10 National Order of Merit finishers from each respective division:

Men’s National Order of Merit Top-10

Women’s National Order of Merit Top-10

Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Boys Order of Merit Top-10

Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Girls Order of Merit Top-10

FAR HILLS, N.J. USA and ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND – A working group led by the USGA and The R&A has unanimously agreed to adopt a new set of protocols for video review when applying the Rules of Golf.

The group, consisting of the PGA TOUR, LPGA, PGA European Tour, Ladies European Tour and The PGA of America, as well as the governing bodies, will implement the following measures from January 1, 2018:

• Assign one or more officials to monitor the video broadcast of a competition to help identify and resolve Rules issues as they arise
• Discontinue any steps to facilitate or consider viewer call-ins as part of the Rules decision process

In addition, the USGA and The R&A have approved the adoption of a Local Rule, available from January 1, to eliminate the additional two-stroke penalty for failing to include a penalty on the score card when the player was unaware of the penalty. All of the organizations represented on the working group will introduce the Local Rule for 2018, and this score card penalty will be permanently removed when the modernized Rules of Golf take effect on January 1, 2019.

As golf’s governing body in Canada, Golf Canada will implement this new Rule in at all amateur competitions in 2018.

The USGA and The R&A established the video review working group in April to initiate a collaborative discussion on the role video footage can play when applying the Rules, including the challenges and benefits of its use and also the issues that arise from viewer call-ins.

“The level of collaboration with our partners has been both vital and gratifying as we look to the future,” said Thomas Pagel, USGA senior director of the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status. “As technology has continued to evolve, it has allowed us to evolve how we operate, as well.” [To watch an interview on usga.org with Pagel on Video Review, plus a copy of the protocols and full Local Rule, click here]

David Rickman, Executive Director – Governance at The R&A, said, “This has clearly become an important issue in the sport that we felt we should address at this stage ahead of the implementation of the updated Rules of Golf in 2019.

No more call-ins ✅
Local Rule eliminates scorecard penalty ✅
Big changes are coming to video review for televised golf events in 2018.https://t.co/RWaKDgdFpw pic.twitter.com/xfXb9D3M66

— USGA (@USGA) December 11, 2017

“We have concluded that whilst players should continue to be penalized for all breaches of the Rules during a competition, including any that come to light after the score card is returned, an additional penalty for the score card error is not required.”

The new protocols also recognize the importance of limiting video review to material obtained from the committee’s broadcast partner. Other video, such as from an individual’s smartphone or camera, will not be used under these protocols.

The new protocols and Local Rule are the latest measures announced by the USGA and The R&A to address concerns related to video evidence. In April, Decision 34-3/10 was issued to limit the use of video through the introduction of a “reasonable judgement” standard and a “naked eye” standard.

For more information, see usga.org or randa.org.

CHANDLER, Ariz. – Four Canadians finished inside the top 45 in the final stage of Qualifying School at the Whirlwind Golf Club on Sunday to earn guaranteed Web.com Tour starts next season.

Leading the Canadian contingent was Calgary’s Ryan Yip, who played his way into a six-way tie for 10th at 18 under (73-65-67-65), earning guaranteed starts for the first 12 events.

Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Albin Choi (Toronto) and graduate Stuart Macdonald (Vancouver) closed the 72-hole stroke play event at 16 under par, tied for 23rd. Rounding out the quartet was Vancouver’s Seann Harlingten, who finished tied for 30th at 15 under par.

Choi, Macdonald and Harlingten earned exempt status for the first eight events by finishing between places 11-45 (plus ties).

Champion Lee McCoy of Dunedin, Fla., will be fully-exempt next season.

#TeamCanada alum @stuart_mac_golf with a ?? chip-in on 18… In great position to earn #WebTour status.

? from @BlairHamilton12

Full scoring: https://t.co/hUUONo6sam pic.twitter.com/Ob210iWzRo

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) December 10, 2017

Click here for full scoring.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – The Shaw Charity Classic, Dominion Energy Charity Classic and DICK’s Sporting Goods Open were among the award winners for the PGA TOUR Champions 2017 season. In all, six awards were presented by PGA TOUR Champions at the TOUR’s Tournament Meetings on Thursday, Dec. 7 in Boca Raton, Fla.

At the annual gathering, six specific tournament categories were recognized:

• President’s Award – Shaw Charity Classic
• Players Award – Dominion Energy Charity Classic
• Sales Award – DICK’s Sporting Goods Open
• Bruno Award – Gene Smith (PGA TOUR Champions Rules Official)
• Outstanding Achievement Award – Tiffany Nelson (Charles Schwab Cup Championship)
• Volunteer of the Year – Maggie Hatcher (Boca Raton Championship)

President’s Award
For the third time in its five-year history, the Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta, was named the recipient of the prestigious President’s Award, which captures the criteria of all PGA TOUR Champions awards, as well as the intangibles that make it stand out amidst a plethora of successful tournaments.

“It is remarkable to see a tournament win the President’s Award for the third time,” said PGA TOUR Champions President Greg McLaughlin. “On behalf of PGA TOUR Champions, it is an honor for me to present the President’s Award to the Shaw Charity Classic. This event has achieved great success very quickly and continues to raise the bar every year. Shaw Communications has been a tremendous partner in allowing this event to support the local Calgary community, and the charitable impact throughout Alberta has been extraordinary.”

The 2017 edition of the Shaw Charity Classic carried on the tournament’s tradition of extraordinary charitable giving. The tournament exceeded its fundraising goal by nearly 30 percent, raising more than $8.3 million for children’s charities across Alberta. In all, the tournament secured donations from more than 2,400 donors that ultimately impacted the lives of more than 480,000 children, and in five years, the tournament has raised more than $22 million and donated to more than 150 charities.

Once again, the community came out in droves, as more than 1,200 people volunteered, and the weekly attendance exceeded 45,000 fans. During the tournament, fans were treated to several off-course activities in the Fan Zone, which included a petting zoo, crafting stations, golf simulators, and an interactive Shaw experience where fans had the opportunity to interface with newest home entertainment and communications technology.

“We began our five-year celebrations by encouraging the public to find a small way to make their mark on this powerful event in Alberta. Receiving the President’s Award for a third time is recognition that needs to be celebrated by communities across Alberta who have generously supported our mission,” said Sean Van Kesteren, Executive Director of the Shaw Charity Classic. “We have not wavered in our goals of bringing world-class golf to Calgary, while raising more than $20 million in an effort to provide hundreds of thousands of Alberta kids hope and the opportunity to live a better life.”