ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. _ PGA Tour rookie Austin Cook made a 6-foot birdie putt on his final hole for an 8-under 62 and a one-shot lead going into the weekend at the RSM Classic.

Cook has gone 36 holes without a bogey on the Plantation and Seaside courses at Sea Island Golf Club. He played Seaside _ the site of the final two rounds in the last PGA Tour event of the calendar year _ on Friday and ran off four straight birdies on his opening nine holes.

“We’ve just been able to it hit the ball really well,” Cook said. “Speed on greens has been really good and getting up-and-down has been great. I’ve been able to hit it pretty close to the hole to make some pretty stress-free putts. But the couple putts that I have had of some length for par, I’ve been able to roll them in. Everything’s going well.”

The 26-year-old former Arkansas player was at 14-under 128 and had a one-stroke lead over Brian Gay, who shot 64 on Seaside. No one else was closer than five shots going into the final two rounds.

The 45-year-old Gay won the last of his four PGA Tour titles in 2013.

“I’ve hit a lot of greens and fairways,” Gay said. “I’ve hit the ball, kept it in front of me. There’s a lot of trouble out here, especially with the wind blowing, so I haven’t had to make too many saves the first couple days and I putted well.”

Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., shot a second straigh 67 for an 8 under total through two rounds. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., was 5 under and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., was 4 under.

Cook has made the weekend cuts in all four of his starts this season. He earned his PGA Tour card through the Web.com Tour, and has hired Gay’s former caddie, Kip Henley.

“With him being out here so long, he knows everybody, so it’s not like I’m completely the new kid on the block,” Cook said. “He’s introduced me to a lot of people, so it’s just making me feel comfortable out here. He knows his way around these golf courses. We’re working really well together.”

First-round leader Chris Kirk followed his opening 63 on the Plantation with a 70 on the Seaside to drop into a tie for third at 9 under with C.T. Pan (65) and Vaughn Taylor (66).

Brandt Snedeker is looking strong in his first start in some five months because of a sternum injury. Snedeker shot a 67 on the Plantation course and was six shots back at 8 under.

“I was hitting the ball really well coming down here,” Snedeker said. “I was anxious to see how I would hold up under pressure. I haven’t played a tournament in five months, so it’s held up better than I thought it would. Ball-striking’s been really good, mental capacity’s been unbelievable.

“I think being so fresh, excited to be out there and thinking clearly. My short game, which has always been a strength of mine, I didn’t know how sharp it was going to be. It’s been really good so far.”

The Two Yard Fairway ?️ pic.twitter.com/DjsW8oWv0z

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 17, 2017

Watch four European Tour pros take on the toughest driving test of their career in the Dubai desert.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Three new tournaments highlight the release of the preliminary 2018 Symetra Tour schedule that will feature at least 22 tournaments and a minimum of $3 million in prize money for the third straight year. Other events are being pursued and may still be added before the start of the season.

The schedule will start with the inaugural SGIC Kickoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla., at Feather Sound Country Club from March 9-11, one of three new tournaments for 2018. May 24-26 will see the first playing of the Valley Forge Invitational at Raven’s Claw Golf Club in Montgomery County, Penn., a suburb of Philadelphia. The third new event that has been secured will be announced at a later date.

“We are very excited to once again be adding new tournaments to the Symetra Tour schedule,” said Mike Nichols, Chief Business Officer for the Symetra Tour. “It shows that the interest in women’s professional golf continues to grow, allowing us to bring the Tour to new cities.”

In addition to three new tournaments, the Insurance Office of America (IOA) will expand their title sponsor portfolio from two events to three. The IOA Championship stays in Beaumont, Calif., April 6-8. The new addition will be May 4-6 for the IOA Invitational at the Atlanta National Golf Club in Milton, Ga., a past Symetra Tour venue. The final event of the trio is the IOA Classic in Longwood, Fla., set for September 28-30.

Another unique aspect to the Symetra Tour schedule—the Potawatomi Cup—is back for a fifth straight year in 2018. The seventh annual Four Winds Invitational from June 8-10 is the first of four Symetra Tour events on the schedule sponsored by Potawatomi nation tribes. The other three are the Island Resort Championship (June 22-24) in Harris, Mich., the PHC Classic (August 10-12) in Milwaukee, Wis., and the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship (August 17-19) in Battle Creek, Mich. A $40,000 unofficial money purse is available to players based on a points system for the four events.

“Our partnerships with both IOA and the Potawatomi nation tribes are the backbone of the Symetra Tour schedule, now representing a total of seven events,” Nichols said. “Year in and year out, they continue to exceed expectations, and the players love the atmosphere each creates at their events.”

The Country Club of Winter Haven will host the 10th annual Florida’s Natural Charity Classic in week two of the season from March 16-18. Another staple to the tour schedule—the Symetra Classic—returns to the Charlotte, N.C. area with a Saturday finish (May 17-19).

Several other tournaments that return on the Symetra Tour schedule include: Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic in Greenwood, S.C. (Links at Stoney Point, May 10-13); Decatur-Forsyth Classic in Decatur, Ill. (Hickory Point Golf Course, June 15-17); a Saturday finish in Indiana at the French Lick Resort (July 12-14); Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic in Rochester, N.Y. (Brook Lea Country Club, July 19-22); Fuccillo Kia Classic of NY (Capital Hills at Albany, July 27-29); Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Willow Run Golf Club, Aug. 30-Sept. 2); Garden City Charity Classic in Garden City, Kan. (Buffalo Dunes Golf Club, Sept. 7-9); and the Guardian Championship in Prattville, Ala. (Capitol Hill Golf Club, Sept. 21-23).

“The 2018 schedule offers plenty of challenging venues, both new and familiar,” said Nichols. “Every year our goal remains the same — provide the best qualifying tour in the world for rising female stars to sharpen their skills and ready themselves for the LPGA Tour.”

The season will conclude with the Symetra Tour Championship at LPGA International in Daytona Beach from October 4-7 and features the largest purse of the year on Tour at $225,000. In total, the Symetra Tour will visit 16 different states throughout the 2018 season. Florida once again leads with four tournaments, while Michigan and Indiana each check in with two.

Every year since 2008, the top 10 players on the Symetra Tour official season money list are awarded LPGA Tour membership. In 2017, three players topped the $100,000 plateau for the first time in Symetra Tour history. Benyapa Niphatsophon was the head of the class earning $124,492 without a victory, a testament to her consistency. Hannah Green ($113,880) and Celine Boutier ($112,044) followed closely behind Niphatsophon.

In addition, the 2017 season was a great one for 2016 Symetra Tour graduates. Madelene Sagstrom, the first player in Symetra Tour history to earn greater than $100,000 when she set the standard with $167,064 earned in 2016, was selected by Team Europe captain Annika Sorenstam to compete in the 2017 Solheim Cup. Eight of the 10 rookies finished inside the top 110 on the LPGA Tour official season money list, and five of the graduates (ranked in the top 70) are competing in the CME Group Tour Championship.

NAPLES, FLA – Korea’s Sung Hyun Park received her trophy as the LPGA Tour’s top rookie of 2017 at a ceremony in Florida on Thursday.

Park was presented with the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year trophy during the LPGA ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort. It was held after the opening-round of the LPGA’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

Park actually clinched the points race for the top rookie honors in mid-October. She had opened a 1,413-615 lead over Angel Yin of the United States with five tournaments remaining. Rookies earn 150 points for each victory, which is doubled for majors and the CME Group Tour Championship. Yin was only scheduled to play four more events at the time and wouldn’t have been able to catch Park.

The 24-year-old former Korea LPGA star won the U.S. Women’s Open for her first LPGA win and her first major in July, and she followed up with a win at the CP Women’s Open in August.

She became the first rookie to reach No. 1 in the world rankings last week, but her reign lasted just one week, as Feng Shanshan of China soon brought her down to No. 2.

Heading into CME Group Tour Championship, Park was leading the LPGA in money and was in second place in scoring average. She was also in third in the Player of the Year points race, within striking distance of the current leader, Ryu So-yeon of South Korea.

No rookie has won the money title, scoring title, Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same year since Nancy Lopez in 1978.

NAPLES, Fla. – LPGA rookie Sung Hyun Park took a big first step toward sweeping all the season awards, and possibly picking up a $1 million bonus.

Park made a pair of birdies over the closing stretch at Tiburon Golf Club on Thursday for a 5-under 67, leaving the 24-year-old from South Korea one shot behind after the opening round of the CME Group Tour Championship.

Peiyun Chien of Taiwan and Sarah Jane Smith of Australia opened with bogey-free rounds of 66 to share the lead in a warm breeze.

Park had decent separation from the other four players who only have to win the final LPGA Tour event of the year to capture the CME Race to the Globe and its $1 million bonus. As for the entire 74-player field, it was plenty crowded at the top. That includes Lydia Ko, the first of a record five players who have been No. 1 this year.

Ko, who has gone 34 starts over 16 months on the LPGA Tour since her last victory, drilled a 3-wood onto the green at the par-5 17th and made the 15-foot eagle putt, then holed a bunker shot for par on the final hole for a 67.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., had a 70 and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot a 75.

Of the top seven players on the leaderboard, Park is the only LPGA Tour winner this season.

“Nothing different from my usual play,” Park said. “I think I started off with a really good feel, a lot of good shots and some good putts. There is a little bit of bounce on the greens, but I think I can play well in the next rounds.”

She dropped two shots by missing the green and coming up short on pitch-and-runs up the slope, though she atoned for those mistakes with seven birdies.

Park had only seen Tiburon on Wednesday during the pro-am. Her peers don’t necessarily see her as a rookie because she dominated on the Korean LPGA Tour the last two years. But she’s new to the LPGA Tour and already has won rookie of the year.

At stake for Park is a chance to become the first rookie since Nancy Lopez in 1978 to win all the major awards.

Most players headed back to their rooms to get dressed for the Rolex Awards dinner on Thursday night, which is more of a preview than a coronation because all the major awards won’t be decided until Sunday.

Lexi Thompson leads the Race to the CME Globe and the Vare Trophy. So Yeon Ryu has a tiny lead for player of the year. Park is leading the money list. Shanshan Feng, who made her debut at No. 1 in the world, is coming off two straight victories and can capture the Globe and player of the year with a victory.

Park was the only one with a presence on the leaderboard.

Thompson began by slamming her driver into the turf as she watched her opening tee shot sail so far right on the par-5 opening hole that it landed in a murky creek in the hazard. She took her penalty drop and let the club fall out of her hands as she pushed the next shot into the hazard. Thompson at least could play that shot, and she eventually holed a 6-foot putt to escape the bogey.

That was the only big damage for Thompson, though some of her best putts were for par and she managed only a 71.

“I bounced back, had a good attitude out there and played some solid golf coming in,” Thompson said.

Feng opened with a birdie and holed a 25-foot birdie putt on her third hole, though her momentum stalled and she had to settle for a 70, along with Brooke Henderson, who at No. 5 in the Race to the CME Globe also can collect the $1 million bonus just by winning.

Ryu had treatment on her right shoulder at the turn and battled for a 72.

Park, with her lanky build and long swing, looked impervious to all the awards on the line this week. And she wasn’t the least bit bothered playing alongside Thompson and Feng. She attacked the course with her driver and managed the wind with her high ball flight.

“They are playing that I played with before, so nothing particularly different today,” she said through a translator.

The surprise might have been Ko, though she has shown signs in recent months of getting her game back. Her biggest concern was the prospect of throwing away her eagle with what looked like a double bogey on the final hole. From a buried lie in the bunker, however, it came out perfectly and rattled into the cup for par and a 67.

“I don’t think I’ve made a par like that before,” Ko said. “I hit it way too hard and it kind of half-plugged in the bunker. I said, ‘Oh, great. What am I going to make?’ Luckily, it was the perfect place to hit for a 4.”

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Chris Kirk holed an 18-foot putt for eagle on his final hole for a 9-under 63 and a one-shot lead Thursday in the RSM Classic.

Kirk played the par 5s on the Plantation Course at Sea Island Golf Club in 5 under.

“I kind of hit my putter on the fringe a little bit and I wasn’t sure it was going to get there, but that was just kind of the day that it was,” Kirk said. “Even when I thought it wasn’t quite going to work out, it still went in the middle of the hole.”

The seven lowest scores of the opening round came on the Plantation Course during a picturesque afternoon on the Golden Isles. Sporting a University of Georgia hat Thursday, Kirk won at Sea Island four years ago for the second of his four PGA Tour victories.

“It’s a big Georgia territory out here on St. Simons,” Kirk said. “Hopefully, my hat will bring me some luck the rest of the week.”

The tournament is the final PGA Tour event of the calendar year, and Kirk is sorting out equipment changes.

“I’m still trying to get it all worked out and figure out what I want to do going forward,” Kirk said. “But keep shooting 9 under, so I won’t have to worry about it too much.”

Joel Dahmen had a 64.

“I think it played a little easier today,” Dahmen said. “The wind was down, greens were a little softer over here on the Plantation side. But just kept the ball in front of me and made a bunch of 8- to 10-footers.

“I’ve been rolling it pretty good,” Swafford said. “Took some time off, which was nice, after China. I was kind of frustrated with the golf a little bit. Took a little time off and got back into it. Something just kind of started clicking, but knew I don’t have to be crazy aggressive and just give myself a chance.”

Sea Island resident Hudson Swafford was at 65 with Jason Kokrak and Brian Gay.

Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., was at 67, Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., finished with a 68, David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., were 3 under and defending champion Mac Hughes of Dundas, Ont., shot an even-par 70.

“I feel like I’ve been rolling it pretty good,” Swafford said. “Took some time off, which was nice, after China. I was kind of frustrated with the golf a little bit. Took a little time off and got back into it. Something just kind of started clicking, but knew I don’t have to be crazy aggressive and just give myself a chance.”

He played alongside fellow former Georgia players Bubba Watson and Brian Harman.

“We are right in the heart of Dawgs’ territory, mine and Harman’s backyard, so it’s kind of nice,” Swafford said.

Though, his caddie wore an Auburn shirt.

“We don’t need to talk about that,” said Swafford, not needing to be reminded that Auburn beat Georgia in football last week.

Nick Watney and Brice Garnett each had a 5-under 65 on the Seaside Course, which will be used for the final two rounds.

Harman shot 69, and Watson had a 71.

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — John Cochrane has waited a long time for his first professional championship win.

After rounds of 72-69 at the TPC Eagle Trace in Coral Springs, Fla., the 56-year-old’s wait is over, capturing the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada presented by Titleist & FootJoy.

“Not only is this is my first PGA of Canada national championship win, it’s my first win as a golf professional,” and elated Cochrane said after his final round. “Even though it was a long-time-coming, I really felt like it was my time to win.”

A PGA of Canada member for more than 20-years, Cochrane also played the PGA TOUR Canada – Mackenzie Tour for a number of years in the 1980s and 1990s.

Cochrane’s two-day total of 3-under-par saw him two shots better than Brian Hadley and Jeff Mills. Josh Fleming finished alone in fourth after a final round 67, with first-round leader Scott Allred and Philippe Mongeau rounded out the top five.

Built in 1983, TPC Eagle Trace hosted the PGA TOUR’s Honda Classic from 1984-1991 and again in 1996. The layout has some unique characteristics for a Florida golf course, including an island green, three greens surrounded by wooden bulkheads, and it doesn’t have a single palm tree on the property—a rarity in southern Florida. All four par-3s require precise tee shots as water and bunkers protect each green.

“I really like the finishing holes here at TPC Eagle Trace,” Cochrane said. “All week I’ve felt comfortable on the back nine, which helped me stay committed to hitting my shots.”

Cochrane’s final-round back-nine at TPC Eagle Trace featured four birdies, three of which came in succession on holes 14, 15 and 16.

“I felt zero anxiety out there on the back today,” Cochrane said. “I chipped in on No. 11 and also made a bunch of crucial putts as well.”

The Inter-Zone Team Championship, which is comprised of four players per zone (and three scores per team counting), was handed out on Wednesday. Team Ontario (Hadley, Gordon Burns, Billy Walsh and Ken Tarling) captured the title.

Former champions of the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada include Danny King, Adam Chamberlain, Roger Beale, Norm Jarvis, Gar Hamilton, Bob Panasik, Yvan Beauchemin, Graham Gunn, Ken Tarling and Brian Hutton.

In addition to competing for the overall championship trophy, players in the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada earn much-coveted ranking points with hopes of moving up on the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC. Players who are ranked inside the top 64 following the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada earn invites into the following year’s PGA Championship of Canada.

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ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Chesson Hadley of Raleigh, N.C. was named 2017 Web.com Tour Player of the Year in a vote of his fellow competitors, it was announced today by PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan and Web.com Tour President Dan Glod. Hadley, who received the Jack Nicklaus Trophy for winning Web.com Tour Player of the Year, was selected for the honor over Brice Garnett and Stephan Jaeger.

“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I would like to congratulate Chesson Hadley for a tremendous season on the Web.com Tour, and for earning this award through a vote of his peers,” said Monahan. “By winning the Regular Season and Finals money lists, he put forth one of the best seasons in Tour history, and set the foundation for a great start to his 2017-18 campaign.”

Hadley competed on the Web.com Tour in 2013, winning the Rex Hospital Open and Web.com Tour Championship to earn his PGA TOUR card for the 2013-14 season. Once on TOUR, the former Georgia Tech golfer broke through with a win at the 2014 Puerto Rico Open, which delivered Rookie of the Year honors later that same year.

After losing his exempt status following the 2015-16 PGA TOUR season, Hadley returned to the Web.com Tour in 2017, where he notched five top-25 finishes in his first 12 starts – including a playoff loss at the Rex Hospital Open – before winning the LECOM Health Challenge in July.

The victory, which secured his return to the PGA TOUR, gave way to a strong second half of the season for the 30-year-old, including a solo-third finish at the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper and his second win of the year at the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Kraft Nabisco – one of three top-10s compiled during the Web.com Tour Finals.

Hadley earned $562,475 in 2017 and became the first player in the five-year history of the Web.com Tour Finals to win the Regular Season and Finals money lists. His single-season earnings rank third on the Tour’s all-time list, trailing only Michael Sim ($644,142 in 2009) and Patton Kizzire ($567,866 in 2015).

“This is a special way to cap off a great season and I’m especially grateful to my fellow players for their vote. The Web.com Tour, and everyone who works alongside it, does a phenomenal job of supporting and developing players,” said Hadley. “I’m honored to accept this award and hope to carry the momentum forward this coming season on the PGA TOUR.”

By virtue of winning both money titles, Hadley was the only player to earn full exempt status on the PGA TOUR for the 2017-18 season, which includes a spot in THE PLAYERS Championship.

“Chesson returned to the Web.com Tour in 2017, and by working hard, being disciplined, and relying on those around him, he honed his game, confidence and competitiveness. Today, he is back on the PGA TOUR, with three top-5 finishes under his belt,” said David L. Brown, Web.com’s Chairman, CEO and President. “His inspirational journey underscores the real reason why the Web.com Tour exists – to help golfers reach their potential. On behalf of Web.com’s 3,800 employees who help businesses reach their potential, congratulations to Chesson and his entire team for this well-deserved honor.”

“Chesson Hadley put forth one of the best seasons in Web.com Tour history,” said Glod. “Equally as important, Chesson was a fantastic representation of the Web.com Tour membership outside the ropes through his interaction with fans, sponsors, tournaments and volunteers.  We are proud to name him as the 2017 Web.com Tour Player of the Year.”

Hadley was honoured at a reception at the Sea Island (Ga.) Resort, host of this week’s The RSM Classic, which gets underway tomorrow.

Toronto – The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournament will take place at five separate sites during the spring of 2018 as players compete for Mackenzie Tour membership for the 2018 season.

The five 72-hole, no-cut Qualifying Tournaments with fields of 132 players each will take place on the following dates and locations:

Players will have an opportunity to qualify at one of the five sites, with official details on the number of membership cards and playing status to be announced at a later date.

“We’ve been fortunate to have so many players interested in qualifying to compete on the Mackenzie Tour over the last five years, and we felt that it was important to give as many players as possible the chance to qualify with five fields of 132 players,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday. “We look forward to hosting players at each of these five outstanding venues next spring as they look to achieve their goals of making it to the PGA TOUR.”

Carlton Oaks, which has previously hosted PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour Q-School, returns as a host from 2016 and 2017 Mackenzie Tour qualifying along with Crown Isle, which annually hosts the season’s final Qualifying Tournament.

The Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass, the sister course to the world-famous THE PLAYERS Stadium Course and a Web.com Tour host facility from 2010-2015, joins as a new qualifying site this year along with The Wigwam’s Gold Course, which has hosted U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur Qualifying. Also serving as a site is The Club at Eaglebrooke, which was designed by Architect Ron Garl and opened for play in 1996.

The application to enter Mackenzie Tour qualifying will be open to the public live at PGATOUR.COM/MackenzieTour on January 15, 2018. Entry fees will once again be US $2,750.

The full 2018 Mackenzie Tour schedule will be announced in early 2018.

Cobra Golf, a leader in golf club innovation and technology, today introduced the KING F8 and KING F8+ drivers featuring the brand’s first ever Precision Milled Forged face for the ultimate in driving performance. The groundbreaking, fully CNC machined driver face paired with revolutionary 360^o Aero Technology^TM and equipped with COBRA CONNECT™ Powered by Arccos, delivers COBRA’s fastest, most precise and smartest drivers to date.

“At COBRA Golf our engineers continue to push the envelope when it comes to innovation and delivering the best in game-changing golf equipment for golfers of all levels,” said Tom Olsavsky, VP of Research & Development, COBRA Golf.

The KING F8 and F8+ drivers (along with COBRA’s entire F8 family of products including fairways, hybrids and irons deliver the first ever connected set of golf clubs), boast COBRA CONNECT™ Powered by Arccos, the award winning connected golf system that helps players of all skill levels make smarter, data-driven decisions.  Electronically embedded sensors in the grip automatically record the distance and accuracy of every shot so golfers can track their improvements round-to-round.  Using the COBRA CONNECT/Arccos 360 mobile app, users simply pair their club to receive detailed performance data and access rangefinder GPS distances for more than 40,000 courses worldwide.

Both the F8 and F8+ drivers, along with hybrids, will be available at retail on Jan. 12, 2018. The entire family of KING F8 Irons will be available at retail beginning Feb. 2, 2018.

Learn more by visiting the website here.