OTTAWA – The National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA Canada) has announced the election of its new board of directors following the successful conclusion of its 2024 annual general meeting, held during the Golf Business Canada Conference and Trade Show in Calgary.

Richard Edmonds, owner of Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club, has been named president of NGCOA Canada. Known for his dedication to the golf industry, Edmonds is expected to provide strong leadership over the next two years, building on the work of his predecessors.

Outgoing president Daniel Pilon, owner of Club de Golf St-Zotique, was recognized for his contributions during his two-year term, which saw significant advancements for golf course operators across Canada.

The board of directors, elected by acclamation, will serve until November 2026.

2024–2026 NGCOA Canada Board of Directors

Executive Committee

• President: Richard Edmonds, Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club

• Vice-president: Slade King, Play Golf Calgary

• Secretary-treasurer: Doug Breen, GolfNorth Properties

• Past-president: Daniel Pilon, Club de Golf St-Zotique

Directors

• Ryan Garrett, PEI’s Finest Golf

• Carole Bergeron, Club de Golf La Tempête

• Rob Howell, Metcalfe Golf Club

• Gail Burrows, Sequin Valley Golf Club

• Doug Quick, Kingsville Golf & Country Club

• Rick Kindrachuk, Wakaw Lake Regional Golf Course

• Chris McNicol, Canyon Meadows Golf & Country Club

• Bryan Ewart, Osoyoos Golf Club

• Brent Miller, ClubLink

• Nada Di Menna, Centre de Golf Le Versant

• Brian Schaal, Copper Point Golf Club

“We are excited to welcome our 2024–2026 board of directors and sincerely thank Daniel Pilon for his outstanding service over the past two years,” said NGCOA Canada CEO Jeff Calderwood. “We look forward to working with Richard Edmonds and the new board as we continue to support our members and enhance the Canadian golf industry.”

Edmonds expressed his enthusiasm for the role.

“I am honoured to serve as president of NGCOA Canada and to work with such an exceptional team of industry leaders,” he said. “I look forward to building on the strong foundation laid by Daniel Pilon and previous boards, advocating for golf course operators, and driving growth, innovation, and sustainability in our industry.”

This leadership transition marks the beginning of a new chapter for NGCOA Canada, combining a legacy of dedicated service with a focus on innovation and growth.

For more information on NGCOA Canada and its initiatives, visit ngcoa.ca.

Things just didn’t feel right for Adam Hadwin when he missed the cut at the Shriners Children’s Open on Oct. 18, so he went back to the drawing board.

Hadwin, from Abbotsford, B.C., spent the next month working on his swing, making subtle changes to improve his mechanics, and entered in this week’s RSM Classic — the finale of the PGA Tour’s Fall Ball season — to test out his new swing in a competitive environment. He said on Wednesday it all traced back to his disappointing performance at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas and that missed cut.

“It just kind of left a sour taste in my mouth, playing as poorly as I did there,” said Hadwin. “So I’ve been working hard the last two weeks, three weeks or so on, on some things and wanted to end the year on a better note.

“This was kind of the last event remaining. It’s fairly easy to get to (from his home in Wichita, Kan.) and the tournament itself is great.”

Hadwin finished the PGA Tour’s regular season 47th on the FedEx Cup standings, guaranteeing him a spot in all of next season’s signature events, starting with The Sentry at Plantation Course in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii, on Jan. 2. It also meant that he didn’t have to play in the Shriners Children’s Open, the RSM Classic or any of the events on the Fall Ball calendar.

He chose to play in those events, however, to stay sharp.

“Winters in Wichita are probably not ideal for golf,” laughed Hadwin of preparing for the 2025 season. “I’ll just be working away on the technical side of things, making sure that I’m doing the right things leading into Hawaii. 

“Positionally, the things that we wanted to accomplish were accomplished and I’m just putting that work in, making swings over and over.”

The RSM Classic has been good to Canadian golfers in the past decade.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., won the event in a five-player playoff in 2016 and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., was the victor in 2022. Hughes was also the runner-up in 2021 and last year.

Hughes and Svensson will join Hadwin in the field on Thursday, as will Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C. The event has players compete on Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside Course and Plantation Course. Hadwin, Svensson and Sloan will start on the Seaside Course and Hughes will tee off on the Plantation Course.

“It’s two good golf courses on the island,” said Hadwin. “(St. Simons Island, Ga.,) is very laid back and I’ve enjoyed coming here the years that I have had to.

“This year it’s more so just to test out to see where I’m at, where the golf swing’s at, the shots that I’m hitting. Maybe some things to work on next six or seven weeks before going to Hawaii.”

Around the Tours

CME Group Tour Championship — Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is the lone Canadian in the CME Group Tour Championship, the season finale for the LPGA Tour. It’s her 10th appearance at the elite event. She finished the regular season 14th on the tour’s points list.

World’s longest-running women’s professional sports organization to award over $131 million in prize money across 35 events 

As it enters its 75th anniversary season, the LPGA Tour proudly announces the 2025 schedule, celebrating its legacy as the world’s longest-running women’s professional sports organization. In this milestone year, the LPGA Tour will feature 35 events (33 official events), where the world’s top athletes will compete for a historic total prize fund of more than $131 million. This represents the largest prize fund in the Tour’s 75-year history and marks a significant increase of over $62 million in four years, up approximately 90% from 2021, underscoring the Association’s continued growth and success.

“The 2024 season was another year of historic growth for the LPGA Tour, and with this 2025 schedule we will continue to improve on that growth,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “This schedule is highlighted by two exciting new events, a new multi-year title for the longest-running non-major tournament on the LPGA Tour, even higher purse sizes, increased benefits that will enhance the athlete experience, improved geographical flow and a longer off-season that will give our athletes a well-deserved rest after their tremendous work in 2024. We’re excited to see even more thrilling competition and unforgettable moments for our partners, athletes and fans worldwide as we continue to celebrate and support the remarkable journey of women’s golf in our 75th year.”

The global schedule will begin two weeks later than in 2024 and take the LPGA Tour to 14 states in the United States and 11 other countries, including two multi-event Asian swings, the first in February and March and the second in October and November that includes the return of the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in Korea. One European swing will take place in July and August. New on the calendar in 2025 is the previously announced Black Desert Championship – the only domestic event providing private charters for LPGA athletes – which will be held at Black Desert Resort’s signature course in May. Additionally, the LPGA Tour returns to Mexico for the first time since 2017 for the Riviera Maya Open in Cancun, also in May.

Non-major purses total over $83 million for the 2025 season, up from $45.8 million in 2021. The JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro returns to the calendar in 2025 after receiving the 2024 LPGA Tournament of the Year for continuing to drive purses higher across the Tour and increasing player benefits. So far, nine tournaments have announced elevated purses from 2024, with the FM Championship becoming the first non-major, non-CME Group Tour Championship purse to surpass $4 million. Additional purse increases are expected to be announced, building on the record-breaking prize fund for 2025. Sixteen events have purses of at least $3 million, including 10 non-major and non-Tour Championship events. On top of increased purse sizes, 24 events will be elevating the athlete experience through travel stipends, free accommodations and/or guaranteed minimum payouts.

The season-ending CME Group Tour Championship continues to lead the way in non-major purse size. The LPGA announced earlier today

 the extension through 2027 of CME Group as the title sponsor of the CME Group Tour Championship, which boasts the biggest non-major prize fund and winner’s check on Tour. The $11 million purse includes a $4 million dollar winner’s check, the largest single prize in the history of women’s golf and among the very highest in women’s sports.

The 2025 major championship season will be an exciting one, with LPGA Tour athletes competing for more than $47 million and visiting three new major-championship venues. This major purse total is the highest in the Tour’s 75-year history and an increase of more than 104% since 2021.The season kicks off in April with The Chevron Championship, taking place once again in The Woodlands, Texas at The Club at Carlton Woods. In May, the LPGA Tour will make its first trip to Erin Hills in Erin, Wisc. for the U.S. Women’s Open. Three weeks later, the Tour will visit the home of the PGA of America for the first time, playing the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas. The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in France will kick off the summer European swing in July, and the AIG Women’s Open in Wales at Royal Porthcawl, another new venue for the Tour, will conclude it in August.

Thirty-two athletes will have a chance to represent their countries at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in October at New Korea Country Club in Goyang, Republic of Korea. The bi-annual team match-play event features eight teams, represented by four athletes each, all competing for the coveted Crown. The Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown was last played in 2023 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, where the Thailand Team of Ariya Jutanugarn, Moriya Jutanugarn, Patty Tavatanakit and Jeeno Thitikul was victorious over the underdog Australians. The United States Team finished third.

The LPGA Tour will announce full broadcast details for the season in 2025, with all events airing on Golf Channel and at least seven events on NBC and four events on CBS. As previously announced, the LPGA will continue its partnership with ESPN+ in 2025, with three events to be showcased on the streaming platform next season, including the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

2025 LPGA Tour Schedule

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.

Robert Boffa, Equinelle, Hole #3

This year is my second year playing golf and this was my first hole-in-one. When I struck the ball, it felt like I hit it well and the ball was going right for the pin. The hole was 175 yards and I used a 3 iron. The two people who were golfing with me were Jim Parsons and Steve Eardley. Both got really excited and told me that the ball was in the hole. I did not believe them at first, as I thought it had hit the stick and continued off the back of the green. As we walked up to the hole I did not see my ball anywhere in view, I looked in the hole and there it was. I was thrilled that I got a hole-in-one and happy that my two good friends witnessed it.

John Taylor, The Hamptons Golf Club, Hole #5

I was playing with Mark Brown, Paul Toye and Rajeev Shinde. These are three friends I have played with almost every weekend for the past decade. My shot was at the Hamptons Golf Club on hole #5. It was 141 yards with a six iron.

Exactly two years and three months earlier I had to give up golf for a knee replacement. The very first game I missed after this surgery had Rajeev hitting his first hole-in-one at the Hamptons Golf Club on hole #12. I recall how disappointed I was in missing that shot. I had never seen a hole-in-one before.

I can tell you that watching a hole-in-one shot get drained is fun. Even more fun with great friends and an absolute blast when its actually your own ball that goes in.

Peter Enright, The Okanagan Golf Club, Hole #4

I got my first hole-in-one on hole #4 on the Quail course at the Okanagan Golf Club in Kelowna, B.C. It was 156 yards to the pin and I used a 7 iron!

Sienna Harder, Riverway Public Golf Course, Hole #11

I was playing with SFU, HPU and WWU. The yardage was 145 and I used a 7 iron. Thank you so much for recognizing this, I really appreciate it!

Grant Mckay, Mitchell Golf & Country Club, Hole #3

Played with Jeff Otten and Kerry Hahn. The hole was 140 yards and I used a Ping i525 9 iron.

Jeff Dicer, Vulcan Golf & Country Club, Hole #16

Finally after trying for fifty years I finally aced a hole. Vulcan Golf & Country Club in Alberta on hole #16. 160 yard par 3 and I hit a smooth 8 iron. My last game this year, couldn’t think of a better way to finish 2024.

Alexandra Medeiros, Cherry Hill Club, Hole #16

Very exciting stuff! I was playing with Franco Pace and Alex Dumais. Yardage was 92 and the club was a three-quarter 9 iron.

Graham Hill, Sand Valley Golf Resort, Hole #17

Sand Valley Golf Resort, hole #17 from 225 yards with a 5 iron. I was with playing with Heath McCormick, Tyler Yates and Eric Pattenaude. We have an annual golf trip of eight and we move it around to different spots in Canada and the United States. The names of the guys in the group from left to right in the photo is Brad Giancarlo, Chris Wert, Aaron Pedlar, Eric Pattenaude, Graham Hill, Tyler Casselman, Heath McCormick and Tyler Yates.

Kadra Ben, Fox Creek Golf Club, Hole #2

I am a member of Fox Creek Golf in Dieppe, N.B. and I made a hole-in-one on a Friday at hole #2.

Doug Stoddart, Harvest Golf Course, Hole #11

My final swing of the season at Harvest Golf Course in Kelowna resulted in a hole-in-one! My final putt of the season resulted in a 40 foot birdie putt. Three under on my final two holes!

I played in Harvest’s year-end Ironman game. The course closed for the year after the Ironman game. It was a shotgun start. My group started on hole #12. Therefore we ended the round on hole #11, a par 3 where I scored a hole-in-one. The previous hole #10 I sunk a 40 foot putt for a birdie. On the #11 tee box, the group enjoyed a shot of birdie juice just before my hole-in-one.

Caroline Abbenbroek, The Toronto Hunt, Hole #12

The hole-in-one was certainly an epic day for me. I’m a hack golfer at best, I’ve only been recording scores for a few years in an effort to develop a handicap. The ace was a complete surprise for me, and a memorable day for sure. I was playing with Margot and Heather Ritchie, members of the Toronto Hunt that I had not met previously, so it was very exciting to have them with me to witness it. It was the Toronto Hunt’s hole #3, a par 3, the range finder showed 132 yards (slightly uphill), middle pin placement, so I used a 3 wood. I saw that it was going left of the pin, but bounced to the right and rolled ever so nicely into the hole. I was completely shocked to see it actually go in!

Canada’s Savannah Grewal has re-earned her LPGA Tour card for 2025 and will take plenty of lessons into her second season as a pro.

Grewal, of Mississauga, Ont., finished tied for 48th on Sunday at The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican — the final full-field event of the LPGA Tour season — and ended the year at No. 97 in the Race to CME Globe standings. The top 100 earn LPGA Tour cards for next year.

“I hit the ball, for the most part, pretty good — just made some mental mistakes the first two rounds. I learned from that, especially Saturday,” Grewal said from Bellair, Fla. “Just happy to have made the cut and hopefully keep my Tour card.”

Grewal was just three shots back of the lead through two rounds last week at the Lotte Championship but struggled over the weekend, shooting 74-76, to drop into a tie for 54th. She needed to make the cut this week at the penultimate event of the season and did it on the number.

Grewal rallied to shoot a 4-under 66 on Saturday but gave it all back Sunday after a 4-under 74. It was still enough to solidify a second year in a row on the LPGA Tour.

“I just tried to stay really calm, especially in the first two rounds, just knowing I had to make the cut. I just tried to stay really present,” Grewal said. “I made triple bogey on my 18th hole in the first round because I did not stay present. Other than that, I felt like I did a pretty good job of staying calm.”

Grewal’s best result came in her second event of the year, the Blue Bay LPGA, where she finished tied for fourth. She struggled to put two good rounds together after that, however, missing nine straight cuts at one point. But she found the weekend in her last five tournaments in a row, which proved to be the difference.

Grewal, a pre-med graduate from Clemson University, earned LPGA Tour status for this season via a tie for 10th at the LPGA’s Q-Series finale last December.

She admitted she “wasn’t in a great spot” mentally this year but is eager to improve upon that for 2025.

“As long as I can stay present and confident, I can be just fine next year,” Grewal said. “That’s been my biggest takeaway.”

Nelly Korda captured The Annika on Sunday for her incredible seventh victory on the LPGA Tour in 2024. Grewal finished 15 shots back of Korda’s winning total.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp also made the cut at The Annika. She finished tied for 43rd and ended up No. 123 on the Race to CME Globe.

Four Canadians — Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C., Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., and Josee Doyon of St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que. — will aim to follow in Grewal’s footsteps and earn LPGA Tour status via the finale of LPGA Q-Series Dec. 5-9.

The LPGA Tour wraps up its 2024 campaign at the CME Globe Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla., next week.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. will be the lone Canadian in the field that features only the top 60 in the Race to CME Globe standings. Henderson, thanks to eight top-10s this year, is No. 14.

Korda — who has already locked up Player of the Year honours — will enter the season finale No. 1 in the standings. Up for grabs is the biggest first-place prize in women’s golf, US$4 million.

Rory McIlroy finished the 2024 DP World Tour season in style by winning his sixth Race to Dubai crown following victory at the DP World Tour Championship.

After a third placed finish at last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, only South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence could deny McIlroy from claiming his sixth Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex of his career.

Lawrence needed to win and for the World Number Three to finish in 12th or worse for him to overturn McIlroy’s huge advantage, but his challenge never materialised as he carded a one-under-par total at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The Northern Irishman shared the lead after the first and third rounds, and looked in total control when he burst three shots clear thanks to a run of four straight birdies from the second.

Rasmus Højgaard remained in touch and capitalised on bogeys at the ninth and 13th from McIlroy to sit alongside him at the summit at 13 under.

However, birdies at the 16th and 18th paid dividends for McIlroy as he secured his third triumph on the Earth course by two shots to complete a season-finale double.

Antoine Rozner, who shared the third-round lead with McIlroy and Højgaard, birdied the opening hole to take the outright lead at 13 under, which turned into a two-shot advantage after the final group bogeyed the same hole.

The Frenchman slid a putt by at the second which would have improved his score and McIlroy and Højgaard responded by birdieing the same hole to return to 12 under.

McIlroy gained momentum and put his approach inside four feet at the third, which he rolled in to rejoin Rozner at the summit.

The birdie trail continued for the World Number Three at the fourth to become the first player to reach 14 under and when he followed suit at the fifth, he was two clear.

Before McIlroy teed off at the sixth, Rozner bogeyed the same hole to inflate the Northern Irishman’s advantage to three.

Rory McIlroy joins Seve Ballesteros with six Race to Dubai titles:

Rozner and Højgaard replied with a birdie at the next, however, McIlroy continued to keep his nose out in front despite a bogey to close his front nine.

It became a two-way tussle with Højgaard following his birdie at the seventh, while Rozner slipped back after a double bogey at the ninth.

McIlroy narrowly missed chances to extend his lead at the start of his back nine and when he bogeyed the 13th, there were two at the top.

The 35-year-old showed his quality at the 16th by landing his approach inside a foot for his first birdie in 11 holes, which Højgaard could not match.

Trinity, Texas – Team Canada won the bronze medal in the combined men and women’s team competition along with another bronze in the women’s team competition at The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship (The Spirit) at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas on Saturday.

Team Canada was represented by Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont., Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont. and coached by Stollery Family Women’s Head Coach, Salimah Mussani of Vancouver, B.C.

In the combined team championship, Canada finished T4 at 36-under (196 women’s and 200 men’s) with Denmark. England won the combined competition firing a 44-under to take the gold medal. The Republic of Korea (Korea) and Spain finished tied for second at 39-under. Due to the ties, Korea and Spain shared the silver medal, while Canada and Denmark shared bronze.

Borovilos and Kim combined to shoot 20-under (66-63-67-196) to earn the bronze medal in the women’s team competition. Denmark finished at 23-under to win with Spain taking the silver medal at 21-under. On Friday, Canada was led by Borovilos carding six birdies and an eagle. Kim was equally as strong in Thursday’s opening round with five birdies.

In the women’s individual competition, Carla Bernat Escuder of Spain finished first with 21 points, 2024 World Junior Girls team and individual champion, Soomin Oh of Korea finished second with 20 points and Marie Madsen of Denmark finished third with 17 points. Borovilos finished T5 with 14 points and Kim finished T11 with 12 points.

McCulloch and Matthews combined to shoot 16-under (66-66-68-200) to finish 10th in the men’s team competition. Mexico and England finished tied for first at 28-under with Australia finishing third at 25-under.

Individually, Josiah Gilbert of Australia won the men’s gold medal finishing with 21 points. Omar Morales of Mexico finished second with 19 points and Gerardo Gomez (Mexico) and Dominic Clemons (England) finished tied for third with 18 points. Both McCulloch and Matthews finished T18 with 11 points.

The 11th playing of The Spirit was contested over 54-holes of stroke-play competition that brought together 20 countries. In addition to the combined team component, competitors battled in individual championships as well as men’s and women’s team competitions. In the individual competition, players were awarded points based solely on birdies and eagles during their round with one point for a birdie and two for an eagle.

For the final leaderboards from The Spirit, please click here.

There are four rounds left in the LPGA Tour’s regular season, and rookie Savannah Grewal is determined to be mentally present for all 72 holes.

Grewal, from Mississauga, Ont., and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp are the only Canadians at this week’s The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge. The 23-year-old Grewal is right on the cusp of earning a card for the 2025 LPGA Tour season, but she needs to at least make the cut at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Fla., to clinch it.

“Honestly just one shot at a time,” said Grewal on her approach. “I think you come in at every tournament and your goal is to go out there and compete and to be in contention, so that’s obviously still the goal of this event. 

Watch Savannah live at the CPKC Women’s Open

“But I think that as long as I’m not looking at the leaderboard too much and I’m just really focusing on where I am in that moment, I think that’s probably what’s going to help me the most.”

Grewal is 96th in the Race to CME Globe Standings, the LPGA Tour’s points list. The top 100 players on the elite women’s professional golf tour will receive a card for next year.

“If I don’t play well there’s a chance I might not keep my card for next year, but I feel pretty confident with where I’m at and I think as long as I stay present and I don’t get too far ahead of myself, things will be just fine,” said Grewal.

Sharp is 126th in the rankings and will likely need to finish in the top six at the ANNIKA, depending on how the golfers ahead of her in the standings do, to make it back on tour in 2025 without qualifying through another means.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is not playing this week. At No. 13 on the standings, she is already guaranteed a spot on next year’s tour and will also play in the CME Group Tour Championship next week.

No. 146 Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and No. 192 Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., are not in this week’s field. As a result, they will both need to requalify to return to the LPGA Tour next season.

Grewal earned some critical points at least week’s LOTTE Championship, ultimately tying for 54th at even par. She started strong with a first-round 68 and maintained her solid position with a second-round 70. However, a third-round 74 and fourth-round 76 put her in this week’s high-stakes position.

“I think as long as I focus on my breathing and just go out there and I enjoy being out there, just have fun with it, I think that’s probably going to be the best thing for me,” said Grewal. 

“I think that last week I did a really good job of that the first two rounds and I think the, after the cut, I kind of started to get ahead of myself and look at that leaderboard.”

“I think as long as I stay present and I don’t get too far ahead of myself, things will be just fine.”

Crunch-time from @SavannahGrewal‘s maiden @LPGA Tour season, with next year’s status on the line:

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) November 13, 2024

AROUND THE TOURS

PGA TOUR — The fall ball season continues with the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., isn’t just the highest ranked Canadian in the event, at No. 51 he’s the highest ranked golfer in the field, period. No. 57 Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and No. 176 Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., will also tee it up.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Danny King of Aurora, Ont., was tied for fourth at 4-under overall on Wednesday after two rounds at the 2025 PGA Tour Champions Qualifying first stage at Buckhorn Springs Golf and Country Club in Valrico, Fla. Martin Plante (74) of St-Sauveur, Que., and Dennis Hendershott (73) of Brantford, Ont., was tied for 36th at 5 over. Craig Watkins of Georgetown, Ont. was disqualified. Mike Woodcock (79) of Chatham, Ont., was tied for 43rd at 16 over in the qualifying stage at Grand Bear Golf Club in Saucier, Miss. Calgary’s Stuart Patterson withdrew after one round.

DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., will be in the second pairing to tee off at the DP World Tour Championship on Thursday. It was his goal all season to reach the European tour’s finale at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Earth course, Dubai, UAE. He was 49th in the Race to Dubai rankings after last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, with the top 50 golfers on the DP World Tour reaching its championship tournament.

BELLEAIR, Fla. — Caitlin Clark has one goal when she plays in an LPGA pro-am.

“I’ve tried to practice as much as I can,” Clark said Tuesday. “I’m just the average golfer. I’m going to hit some good, I’m going to hit some bad. … Just going to try not to hit anyone standing outside of the ropes. But it’ll be fun.”

The WNBA rookie of the year star was invited to take part in Wednesday’s pro-am at Pelican Golf Club ahead of The Annika. The presenting sponsor is Gainbridge, which has an endorsement deal with Clark.

She took part in an LPGA Women’s Leadership Summit with Sorenstam, the tournament host, and former model and business leader Kathy Ireland.

Clark will be playing the front nine with Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in the women’s ranking who has clinched the LPGA’s player of the year award. She plays the back nine with Sorenstam, who retired in 2008 and now dabbles in senior golf.

Clark had said after the Indiana Fever were eliminated from the WNBA playoffs that she planned to play golf until it became too cold in Indiana, adding with a smile, “Become a professional golfer.”

Yes, she was kidding.

“I’ve tried to take as much time as I can to practice, but there is only so much hope. You just cross your fingers, pray,” she said Tuesday. “No, I’ve practiced a little bit and I just had the quote about becoming a professional golfer. Everybody thought I was serious. I was not serious. I love it. I love being outside and making it competitive with my friends.

“It’s challenging and getting to come here and be around the best and have a good time is what I’m looking forward to.”

This will be her second pro-am, which often attracts athletes and entertainers. Clark played in the pro-am at the John Deere Classic in July 2023 when she was still at Iowa.

Which female Canadian athlete would you most like to see at the @cpkcwomensopen Pro-Am?

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) November 13, 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.

Steve Butler, Brampton Golf Club Limited, Hole #13

Used a 7 iron and the hole was 162 yards from the tips! Went one up in our friendly two vs. two match.

Derren Lench, Gorge Vale Golf Club, Hole #14

I was golfing with three other members who were Jay Kang, his wife ,Yong Kang and Gerry Webster. It was hole #14 and I was playing the whites with the flag on the front of the green. It was 130 yards to the flag and typically the hole plays a bit longer as it’s uphill and into the wind slightly. I played a 8 iron and I hit it perfectly. It was going right at the flag, it hit once and dropped in. I was quite shocked as I’ve never had a hole-in-one and the 14th hole typically causes me some grief. I was also dealing with jet lag as just returned on the Monday of that week from two and a half weeks in Greece so I was tired. My handicap is 13 although I played well this day and with the hole-in-one and shot 79.

Another member made a hole-in-one the same day on the second hole. So there definitely was some free drinks flowing in the clubhouse.

I have been golfing off and on for 50 years and started as a teenager in Sidney. I would ride my bike pulling my clubs and cart from Sidney to the Ardmore Golf Course. I’ve been a member at Gorge Vale for almost two years.

Joan Murray, RattleSnake Point Golf Club, Hole #2

Hole #2 on the Sidewinder course. 111 yards across a gully with a #6 rescue club.

Logan Cameron, Green Gables Golf Club, Hole #16

I went out Sunday morning with my grandfather Dave and my friend Brandon. For some reason we decided to play the tips. It was beautiful day. The par 3, hole #16 over the water was playing 215 yards. I used my hybrid and watched my ball roll back off a ridge right into the hole for my first hole-in-one.

Jennifer Cheung, Uplands Golf Club, Hole #17

It was an amazing feeling, I thought never in this lifetime that I would ever have an hole-in-one.

It was a Sunday, shotgun start playing with my Sunday group of ladies, Judy Cryderman, Maureen Yip and Nancy Greer. Hole #17 was about 110 yards and I used my 11 wood. My only thought was, please do not go into the bunker.

Unfortunately, I did not see the ball drop, I only knew that it was not in the bunker, perhaps at the back of the green, at best. After looking for awhile, Judy said, “look in the hole,” she saw it go in, but didn’t tell me. As it was my first one, she wanted me to experience it and wanted to watch my reaction. I think the whole course heard me.

Grateful for being able to share drinks with friends and members at the club.

You play a terrible game and then something like this happens, then it’s not so bad. I’m happy playing bogey golf, throw in a few pars and I’m good. Anything else is a bonus.

Jason Mitchell, Whitevale Golf Club, Hole #9

Pin was at the back, playing 195 yards downwind. I used a 5-iron and played with my wife, Lucy Wetherall.

My wife and I had just returned from a trip to Iceland on Friday afternoon. We were both still feeling a little jet lagged on Sunday and thought it would be a good idea to play golf to get some exercise and fresh air to power through it.

The pin on the ninth hole was located at the very back of the green playing 195 yards downwind from the blue tees. I hit a 5-iron and landed it about five feet in front of the pin. My wife and I thought we saw it roll into the hole, but because the pin was located so close to the back of the green, we thought it could have rolled past the pin and disappeared into the rough as well. I couldn’t celebrate it until I was sure. So, I quickly walked up the green to have a look and sure enough it was in the hole! Let the celebrations begin!

This was my first hole-in-one. As a result, I’m temporarily the proud owner of the Whitevale “hole-in-one” parking spot!

Curtis Joly, Cottonwood Golf & Country Club, Hole #6

It was quite exciting and unlike my previous hole-in-one a few years back when I really didn’t see it go in (I knew I was close but it was dusk).

This time however, it was a beautiful day on hole #6. Wind was left to right. Pin was 185 yards and we were on the upper box from the our tees. I hit a 7 iron with a slight draw (lefty) and with my group just behind me, we knew it was a good shot but when it started tracking after it landed towards the pin, it was going to either roll off the green or go in. When it went in, our group freaked out and started cheering and high-fiving. It was chaos and excitement. A really surreal moment and feeling being able to share it with my group who consisted of Cody Therrien, Tyson Eckel and Jamie King.

Lorraine Lang, Grand Pines Golf Course, Hole #7

I got lucky, that’s for sure. I was playing with husband Garry Lang and good friends Lori and Gary Kazun. I used a 5 wood and we figured it was about 150 yards. Fun moment that’s for sure.

Henry Cranshaw, Picton Golf & Country Club, Hole #2

114 yards from the red tees and I used a 5 iron. My fourth hole-in-one. Playing partners were Mike Doria, Eugene Dayton and Myrna Kidnew.

Vivian Benedetti, Balfour Golf Course, Hole #7

It was on hole #7 at Balfour Golf Course, with Roma Crispin and Cathy Leugner when I got my hole-in-one. It was 95 yards and I used my pitching wedge. My ball bounced once in front of the green then rolled the slightly uphill distance of approximately four yards and dropped straight into the hole.

Evan Smith, Mountain Woods Golf Club, Hole #9

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.

The ninth hole 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.