The leaderboard was stacked with red numbers and ties after the first round of the 14th annual Four Winds Invitational. The field of 144 athletes took advantage of the cooler temperatures and pure conditions at South Bend Country Club in round one of the final leg in the Northeast Stretch.

Kaitlyn Papp Budde was the first leader in the clubhouse of the day, posting a 5-under 67. Papp Budde started off strong, sinking four birdies on her opening nine. The Texas native settled into her round carding a 1-under 34 on the back nine to tie her low round of the 2025 Epson Tour season.

Monet Chun followed closely behind Papp Budde, tying her 5-under round of 67 to start off the morning wave. Chun made six birdies and was bogey-free until her 16th hole, breaking her record for the lowest round in her professional career. The University of Michigan alumna is finding her spark at no better venue than in rival territory of South Bend, Ind., as she looks forward to continuing a weekend of solid golf in hopes of securing the best finish of her young professional career.

Epson Tour sophomore Leah John had a number to chase by the time she teed off in the afternoon and started off strong with three consecutive birdies on holes one, two, and three. The Canadian continued her string with birdies on holes five, six, seven, and nine to shoot a 7-under 30 on her front nine.

“I had a very unexpected beginning to my round,” said John. “I made a couple of putts in the beginning, and I was like, ‘Hey, this is great.’ And then it just kept happening and sort of felt like it was out of my control a little bit, but it was pretty exciting. The girls I was playing with were super nice, so I could keep myself distracted just chatting, but it was a pretty epic day.”

John rounded the turn, making two pars before sinking a birdie putt on the par-5 12th hole. The 25-year-old settled into her back nine with five pars before hitting the green on the par-5 18 in two to finish off her round with a birdie. The University of Nevada alumna carded a bogey-free round of 63, finding herself at the top of the leaderboard and leaving round one having tied the 18-hole tournament record along with her new career low round.

“I think that’s the coolest part about golf, it’s about playing against yourself and the golf course, so you’re always striving for more,” said John. “It’s just hard. You never really see yourself as good or a record person, so it’ll be just a nice thing to have in my pocket to remember.”

Tillie Claggett has had a tremendous summertime stretch and now she’s as eager as ever to put a tidy exclamation point on things with a start at the CPKC Women’s Open in August.  

Claggett earned her spot in Canada’s National Women’s Open at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club via her incredible seven-shot victory at the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada, part of the She Plays Golf Championship Series.  

An incoming senior at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., who shot a second-round 63 to push her to what turned out to be an insurmountable lead, also had a runner-up result at the Texas Women’s Amateur Championship in June and a semi-final appearance at The Women’s Amateur in Scotland. 

This year will mark the CPKC Women’s Open debut for Claggett, a member of Team Canada’s National Team. It will not be, however, her LPGA Tour debut. She received a sponsor invite into the Volunteers of America Classic in 2020.  

Claggett has always been an athlete growing up as a star swimmer before beginning to take golf lessons with her dad. She went to a sports school in Calgary which accommodates the schedule of high performing athletes before moving to Texas in Grade 9. She did club swimming there for a year but living in Texas she was obviously able to practice golf more, she says, and the schedule of balancing both sports became too much.  

“Honestly, when I was doing both, I was so afraid of the day I had to choose,” she explains. “But the choice kind of made itself. I loved golf so much and there was so much more longevity in it. There was a lot more joy in it. I kept swimming in high school, but I chose golf from there pretty quickly.”  

Claggett says she went to a “few” different post-secondary camps but with a laugh she explains, the way recruiting works now, she was able to send a lot of emails to coaches, but they are not allowed to respond. Alas, she kept her options open but quickly fell in love with the Vanderbilt campus, the coaches, the team environment and the city of Nashville and yet again, her decision was made quickly.  

Growing up an athlete, Claggett says she’s always hit the ball awfully far which has helped her grow as a competitor as she’s notched five top-10 finishes across the last two seasons at Vanderbilt. Claggett says, even though her swimming days are behind her, she still “loves” the gym, working out upwards of six times per week.  

“And when my putter gets hot, it’s hot. (At the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship) with the win, I was gaining two shots a round with the putting. Mainly my style is just that I like to play aggressive – I want to take advantage of my distance. It’s just how I play the game. It’s my style and it pays off more often than not,” Claggett says.  

The plan now, Claggett explains, is to get her degree (in communications) that’s she’s worked so hard for and then will turn professional after that.  

One more year of school, and one very special opportunity at Mississaugua to come.  

SHE PLAYS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES QUALIFIERS  

The She Plays Golf Championship Series began in 2024 at The Peloton Glencoe Invitational in Calgary and features =three enhanced $60,000 54-hole championships.  

Katie Cranston: Cranston received an exemption due to her finishing first in the Order of Merit at the conclusion of the She Plays Golf Championship Series. The Team Canada member went T2-T9-T9 in the trio of events.  

Clara Ding: Ding, a member of Team Canada NexGen, won the first event of the She Plays Golf Championship Series in B.C. with a dramatic final-hole birdie. Amongst those Ding defeated was Cranston – they were two of three golfers to share a piece of the lead in the final day.  

Shauna Liu: Liu won the Peloton Glencoe Invitational, the first event of the She Plays Golf Championship Series in a come-from-behind effort. It was the fourth win of the year for the 16-year-old and another Team Canada NexGen member. 

Fifth playing of the national championship is headlined by four-time women’s champion, Natasha Stasiuk and two-time defending men’s champion Chris Willis

Kamloops, B.C. – The 2025 Canadian All Abilities Championship, presented by BDO is set for August 4 – 7 at The Dunes at Kamloops in Kamloops, B.C.

The fifth playing of the national championship will be contested over 54-holes, featuring a field of 50 players with neurological, intellectual, sensory, and physical impairments. The tournament was expanded to three rounds last year after the first three editions were comprised of 36-holes.

There are four different divisions in the Canadian All Abilities Championship that players will compete in, regardless of disability classification: Women’s Gross Stroke Play; Women’s Net Stableford; Men’s Gross Stroke Play and Men’s Net Stableford.

The field of competitors includes four-time Women’s Gross Stroke Play defending champion Natasha Stasiuk of Oakville, Ont., three-time Women’s Net Stableford winner, Tess Trojan of St. Catharines, Ont., and defending Women’s Stableford champion, Emma Bittorf of Strathmore, Alta.

On the men’s side, two-time defending champion, Chris Willis of Aurora, Ont. currently ranked no. 11 on the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD), Vic McClelland of High River, Alta. (no. 12 WR4GD), 2022 Men’s Stableford winner, Kevin Delaney of Windsor, Ont. (no. 54 WR4GD) and Kelly Masson of Grand Prairie, Alta. (no. 47 WR4GD).

Earlier this season, both Willis and Stasiuk competed in the G4D Open at the Duchess Course at Woburn in Milton Keynes, England, where Willis finished in 12th and Stasiuk placed seventh on the women’s leaderboard. Both Stasiuk and Willis competed at the U.S. Adaptive Open Championship at Woodmont Country Club in Rockville, Md. in July. Stasiuk finished first in the women’s intellectual impairment category and fifth overall and Willis finished second in the men’s upper limb impairment category and 16th overall. Last month, the duo was successful winning the men’s and women’s individual division titles at the Ontario Adaptive Open at Weston Golf and Country Club in Toronto, Ont. The win marked Stasiuk’s sixth title and Willis’ second having won his first in 2023. Stasiuk has also won a bronze medal from the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, Germany.

“We are excited to begin the fifth playing of the Canadian All Abilities Championship at The Dunes at Kamloops next week,” said Golf Canada Tournament Director Rogan Doyle. “Our championship expanded to 54-holes last year, featuring both a gross stroke play championship and a net stableford championship. This format provides equitability for the field competing in for the national championship. We appreciate the work of the staff and volunteers at The Dunes as we work to collectively deliver a memorable experience for those competing in Kamloops.”

The Dunes was founded in 1996 and has played host to a variety of big events including the CCAA Championship, B.C. Amateur, Western Canadian Summer games and many more. The Dunes is known for its rolling fairways and bountiful dunes mounds lining all fairways. Players will use all clubs in their bag at The Dunes, as well as some very imaginative shot shapes during their round.

“The Dunes at Kamloops is very pleased to be chosen as the host site for the 2025 Canadian All Abilities Championship. The participants are in for a treat as the course is in excellent condition and the forecast looks amazing,” said Bill Bilton, Owner and Head Professional, The Dunes at Kamloops. “Players will be challenged with true U.K. links style fairways, rolling hills and natural fescue. We eagerly await the opening tee shot and making new friends during the event.”

First conducted in 2021 at Humber Valley Golf Course in Toronto, Ont., the competition supports Golf Canada’s commitment to create a more inclusive and respectful sport environment across the Canadian golf community.

The stableford scoring format of the Canadian All Abilities Championship awards set points based off a golfer’s net score for the hole. The points will be awarded as follows: Albatross (5 points), Eagle (4 points), Birdie (3 points), Par (2 points), Bogey (1 point), Double Bogey or higher (0 points). The golfers with the highest total of accumulated points over 54-holes will win their respective divisions.

Practice rounds are scheduled for Monday, August 4, and the tournament gets underway on Tuesday, August 5.

For the full player field competing in the Canadian All Abilities Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

Isaiah Ibit played final six holes at 4-under par to force playoff with O’Donovan.  

GATINEAU, Que. – Declan O’Donovan of Sydney, Australia edged out Team Canada NextGen member Isaiah Ibit of Orleans, Ont. on the second playoff hole to claim the 120th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, and cap off a memorable finish at The Royal Ottawa Golf Club in Gatineau, Que.  

O’Donovan captured his title by draining a birdie putt from outside 30 feet, becoming the first Australian winner to hoist the Earl Grey Cup since Gary Simpson claimed the 89th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in 1993. 

O’Donovan carded rounds of 69-67-67-64=267 to win the tournament, playing alongside Ibit and Andre Zhu of Richmond Hill, Ont. in the final group on Thursday. All three players held a share of the lead throughout the final round. It was the first-ever playoff of O’Donovan’s golf career.  

After opening his final round with a pair of bogeys to fall out of the lead, O’Donovan orchestrated a clinical start to his back nine to authoritatively retrieve his place atop Thursday’s leaderboard.  

The 22-year-old made the turn exactly how he needed to, holing out on his second shot on the par-4 10th for eagle to claw his way back in contention. A birdie at the 11th followed for the Australian, tying him for the lead before outright securing it four holes later following a pair of dropped shots from Ibit and Andre Zhu of Richmond Hill, Ont.  

His one-shot lead rendered safely until the final hole, with O’Donovan adding some insurance with consecutive birdies on Nos. 16 and 17. The cushion however, failed to hold off the red-hot putter of Ibit who roared to life with three-straight birdies on Nos. 16, 17 and 18 to dramatically force a playoff with O’Donovan.  

“Isaiah, he really got the momentum going for me,” praised O’Donovan of Ibit, his playing partner. “He was forcing me to play well. 16, 17 and 18, for him, three birdies was absolutely incredible… he’ll definitely win this event. I’m not sure how many people have won the junior Canadian amateur and the men’s Canadian amateur, but if he’s the first, I could definitely see that happening,” he added.   

The two played the 18th hole twice, escaping the first playoff hole equally with par before a wayward approach shot on the par-5 shaped the tournament’s outcome. Alongside O’Donovan in the first cut of the rough aligning the fairway, Ibit opted to use a three-wood to get his ball onto the green. His shot veered left of the target, failing to find his ball and forcing him to take back-on-the-line penalty relief on the fringe of the 16th green, as O’Donovan safely delivered his approach to the edge of the fairway.  

Moments later, an up-and-down secured O’Donovan the title, with the Australian diverting from his lack of playoff experience by reading his last putt perfectly to become the second international player in as many years to hoist the Earl Grey Cup.  

“I’ve played tournaments before. I’ve won, and I have been behind the eight ball, and I think the biggest thing that I’ve learned in situations like today is just keep hitting the ball. Don’t let your head take you out of it. Just keep hitting as many good shots as possible. And I definitely did that today,” said O’Donovan. 

In addition to winning the Earl Grey Cup, O’Donovan becomes one of the first players to clinch their place in next year’s RBC Canadian Open, set to return to TPC Toronto (North Course) at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. The win also grants the Australian a place in the 125th U.S. Amateur Championship, set for August 11-17 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif. and fully exempts him from local qualifying for the 2026 U.S. Amateur and 2026 U.S. Open.  

“There’s a lot of opportunity that comes with this event. I mean, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about what, what could happen if I did win. I think rolling that putt in on the last really let the feeling sink in of that I’m going to be playing in a PGA TOUR event, I’m going to be playing my first U.S. Amateur,” said O’Donovan. 

If eligible, O’Donovan will be able to defend his title next year as Thursday’s win secures his place in the field at the 121st Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. He also joins a prestigious list of players to have their name etched into the Earl Grey Cup, including Canadian Golf Hall of Famers George S. Lyon and Sandy Somerville who captured eight and six championships respectively. 

Other past champions include Canadian Golf Hall of Famers and four-time winners, Nick Weslock (1957, 1963, 1964, 1966) and Doug Roxburgh (1972, 1974, 1982, 1988). More recently, two-time PGA TOUR winner Mackenzie Hughes claimed the championship in consecutive years (2011, 2012) while 2023 RBC Canadian Open champion and five-time PGA TOUR winner Nick Taylor claimed the 103rd Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in 2007. 

Team Ontario was able to successfully reclaim the Willingdon Cup on Tuesday with a seven-stroke come-from-behind win over Team Quebec and Team Alberta.  

The trio, represented by Eric Zhao of North York, Ont., Dawson Lew of Toronto, Ont. and Zhu parlayed a 7-under 63 from Zhu on Monday with a 4-under performance from Lew the following day to clinch the province’s 33rd title at the Inter-Provincial Team Championship.  

The team championship ran concurrently over the first 36 holes, with the two lowest scores from the three-person team counting towards the combined team total for each round. Team Ontario finished last year’s tournament four shots behind Team British Columbia.  

The top 20 finishers on Thursday have also secured a spot in next year’s Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. To view the final leaderboard from the 120th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.  

Andre Zhu and Team Canada NextGen member Isaiah Ibit enter final round two and three shots off the pace  

GATINEAU, Que. – Declan O’Donovan of Sydney, Australia fired a 6-under 64 on Wednesday to claim the top spot of the leaderboard at the 120th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO. O’Donovan’s lead caps off a busy round of international talents soaring into contention at The Royal Ottawa Golf Club in Gatineau, Que.  

O’Donovan pulled in front of Jager Pain of Woodbridge, Ont. and Andre Zhu of Richmond Hill, Ont. on the 14th hole, converting on his fifth birdie putt of the day as the 36-hole co-leaders dropped shots.  

An eagle at the scorable par-5 fifth electrified O’Donovan’s round on Wednesday, leading to six additional birdies and helping the Australian climb four places to hold the outright lead at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. 

“It honestly put a kick in my step which was very nice,” commented O’Donovan of his early eagle to get the ball rolling on his round. “I went on a nice string of birdies on some tough holes later on,” he added.  

The Australian – ranked no. 352 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) and one of five competing in the field – wasn’t the only international player to catch fire and make a charge on moving day. His 6-under 64 on Wednesday overtook Noa Auch-Roy of Lyon, France for the lowest score of the day, with the latter negating a trio of bogeys with eagles on Nos. 1 and 5 before playing his back nine 4-under par and rising 19 places.  

Auch-Roy will open Thursday’s final round four strokes off the pace and in a tie for fourth alongside Calen Sanderson of Newtown, Pa. – who was able to claw his way into contention. Pain rounds out the trio at 6-under after following up three birdies in his first four holes with a 3-over finish on his back nine to close with an even par 70 on Wednesday. Zhu, who co-led the tournament alongside Pain after 36 holes, will tee off on Thursday alongside O’Donovan in the final group. Zhu carded a timely birdie on the par-4 16th to help recover from a double bogey at the pivotal 14th hole to move into the final grouping.  

Team Canada NextGen member Isaiah Ibit of Orleans, Ont. led the Canadian charge throughout the third round and will open his quest for the Earl Grey Cup on Thursday after firing his lowest round of the tournament. Ibit birdied Nos. 16 and 18 to get to 7-under for the tournament, finishing his round at 3-under 67 to pull within three shots of O’Donovan.  

O’Donovan, Zhu and Ibit will all tee off in Thursday’s final group at 10:10 a.m. EDT.

The Royal Ottawa Golf Club played nearly two strokes easier than Tuesday’s second round, prompting lower scoring and charges from various players that started their round outside the first page of the leaderboard on Wednesday. Cloudy conditions surrounded the Ottawa-Gatineau region throughout the third round and is expected to linger into Thursday.   

As for the 54-hole leader, excitement stands as the only emotion O’Donovan has felt since exiting the 18th green on Wednesday, with a chance to come out victorious in less than 24 hours at one of golf’s oldest amateur championships  

“I love playing golf and playing in different countries, this is another great opportunity,” commented the 22-year-old. 

“There’s a lot of opportunity ahead of me but regardless of what happens tomorrow I’m still going to be playing golf the next day so as long as I stick with that mindset and stay aggressive, I’ll be very happy with whatever the result is.”  

Thursday’s winner will receive a direct exemption into several marquee events, including a spot in the field at the 2026 RBC Canadian Open. Additionally, the Canadian Men’s Amateur champion will lock up a place in the 125th U.S. Amateur Championship, set for August 11-17 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif. and will be fully exempt from local qualifying for the 2026 U.S. Amateur and 2026 U.S. Open. The winner – as well as the top 20 finishers – will also be exempt into next year’s Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and will be able to defend their title, if eligible.    

To view the full leaderboard after 54 holes, as well as scheduled tee times for Thursday’s final round of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.  

Three players hold a share of the individual lead entering the third round on Wednesday 

GATINEAU, Que. – Team Ontario overcame a three-stroke deficit on Tuesday to avenge their runner-up finish from last year’s event and claim their 33rd Willingdon Cup, capping off a busy second round at the 120th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO.  

Dawson Lew of Toronto, Ont. led the comeback to help Team Ontario reclaim their place atop the annual Inter-Provincial Team Championship, negating an early bogey on his round by playing his next 10 holes at 5-under par to disarm Team Quebec of their lead and give his side the momentum they needed to win the title.  

“It’s awesome,” commented Lew on the feeling of winning the Willingdon Cup. “I know both of the guys on the team, so it feels nice to be able to get it done with them,” he added. “We just wanted to play good on our own and kind of let the results take care of itself.”  

Team Ontario was represented by Andre Zhu of Richmond Hill, Ont., Eric Zhao of North York, Ont. and Lew. The trio combined to shoot 10-under par over 36 holes as Team Quebec settled in a tie for second with Team Alberta at 3-under par despite leading the field by three strokes at the start of Tuesday’s round.  

Team Canada NextGen member Jager Pain of Woodbridge, Ont. was able to capitalize on easier scoring during Tuesday’s morning wave to wrap up the day with a share of the lead despite trailing by two upon entering the clubhouse. His ability to work around an early bogey at the par-4 second highlighted the 18-year-old’s ascension up the leaderboard on Tuesday, playing the following four holes at 3-under par with his dad on his bag.  

All week, the focus between the two has been situated on consistently finding new ways to follow dropped shots with pars and birdies, with Jager going as far as drawing a blue goldfish on his golf ball to remind himself of the short memory needed to do so.  

“It’s been a birdie mindset, trying to get as many birdies as I can and eliminating bogeys with strategy,” commented Jager, backing up his claims with 12 pars on Tuesday including eight-straight to close out his second round. He enters Wednesday’s third round in a deadlock with Zhu and Ryan Vest of Vernon, B.C. atop the leaderboard at 6-under par, crediting his play off the tee as the difference maker at The Royal Ottawa Golf Club.  

“I just tried to play simple golf and not do anything crazy. There’s a lot of places you can’t miss out here, so I just tried to avoid those. I think playing steady golf all week is the way to go,” added Pain.  

Vest – who teed off in the afternoon five shots off the pace – fired a bogey-free 67 to give himself a look at hoisting the Earl Grey Cup on Thursday as tougher conditions brought much of the field back into contention.  

Thirteen players will start their third round within three shots of the lead after 18-hole leader Thomas Grenier of Thetford Mines, Que. laboured to a 3-over 73 finish just a day removed from setting a tournament scoring record. Grenier was unable to shake off consecutive dropped shots at Nos. 6 and 7, compounding his efforts with a double-bogey at 17 to start Wednesday’s third round a shot behind the leaders at 6-under par.  

Team Canada NextGen members Ethan Wilson of St. Albert, Alta. and Isaiah Ibit of Orleans, Ont. sit two strokes off the lead and will begin their third rounds in a tie for fifth. Declan O’Donovan of Sydney, Australia shot a 3-under 67 on Wednesday to rise 23 places and join the duo. He’s ranked no. 348 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).  

The winner of the Earl Grey Cup will receive a direct exemption into several marquee events, including a spot in the field at the 2026 RBC Canadian Open. Additionally, the Canadian Men’s Amateur champion will lock up a place in the 125th U.S. Amateur Championship, set for August 11-17 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif. and will be fully exempt from local qualifying for the 2026 U.S. Amateur and 2026 U.S. Open. The winner will also be exempt into next year’s Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and will be able to defend their title, if eligible.   

For the individual and inter-provincial team leaderboards following the second round of the 120th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.  

BRIDGEND, Wales — Canadian amateur Anna Huang shot a four-under-par 67 on Monday to top the leaderboard at final qualifying for the 2025 AIG Women’s Open, securing her spot in the championship field at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club.

Huang, 16, was the youngest player in the 107-competitor field at Pyle and Kenfig Golf Club and emerged as the outright leader among 17 qualifiers for the major championship, which begins Thursday in Wales.

“I’m delighted with my score,” said Huang, who will make her second major appearance after competing in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open. “On the front nine, I just stayed really patient. I didn’t miss any fairways and the putts were dropping.”

While the Vancouver-area golfer is relatively new to links golf, she showed no signs of inexperience.

“I don’t play links golf, so it took a couple of practice rounds to get used to it, but I think I handled it pretty well,” she said. “I learned a lot from the U.S. Open earlier this year and bringing more patience into this week was really helpful.”

Huang’s score placed her ahead of Ireland’s Anna Foster and Thailand’s Aripichaya Yubol, who each carded rounds of 68. A group at 69 included Hira Naveed (Australia), Soo Bin Joo (Korea), Morgan Metraux (Switzerland) and Alessandra Fanali (Italy).

Also among the qualifiers were Brianna Do of the United States, who shot 70, and Lydia Hall of Wales, a member at nearby Southerndown Golf Club.

The AIG Women’s Open, conducted by The R&A, is one of five major championships in women’s golf. The 2025 edition will be played July 30–Aug. 3. Future host venues include Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2026.

Team Canada NextGen member Justin Matthews lurks in third; Team Quebec carries three shot lead into final round of Inter-Provincial Team Championship 

GATINEAU, Que. – Thomas Grenier of Thetford Mines, Que. fired an 8-under 62 at Rivermead Golf Club to smash the previous course record and carry a one-shot lead into the second round of the 120th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, in Gatineau, Que. 

Grenier made six birdies, an eagle, and didn’t drop a single shot to claim the lowest score in the course’s 116-year history. His 8-under 62 on Monday is also the lowest single-round score to ever be recorded at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, the previous record belonging to multiple players at 64.  

Players from 13 different countries descended on Rivermead Golf Club and The Royal Ottawa Golf Club to kick off the 2025 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. The double-field format pinned half of the total field at each course, with warmer conditions in the Ottawa-Gatineau region prompting lower scores as the morning wave worked into the back end of their respective rounds. 

Grenier, who began his round on Rivermead Golf Club’s 10th hole, was part of the morning wave to have aligned their game perfectly with the warm weather. Teeing off at 8:27 a.m. EDT, Grenier quickly reeled in birdies at the 10th and 12th to vault into a tie for second at 2-under par. The 18-year-old added birdies at the par-four 15th and par-five 17th to double his score and take his first outright lead of the tournament, playing his back nine without a blemish and dominating the course with his irons.  

Following his round, Grenier credited his short game to help him grab the early lead, though his play with his driver – particularly on the fourth hole – was the club most responsible for etching his eight-under 62 in the course’s history books and leading the tournament after 18 holes.  

His drive on the 307-yard par-four latched onto the green, setting him up for an eagle putt to advance his lead further. Unfazed by the quickening greens, Grenier converted, draining his putt from 15 feet to get to 6-under par before ending his round with two more birdies.  

“I had the speed all day, so I was able to make some putts,” said Grenier. As for becoming the newest recipient of the course record at Rivermead Golf Club, Grenier casted a brief smile before adding a quick sentiment on his accomplishment. “It’s very nice, it’s my first course record,” he added.  

Despite beating out the previous course record by three strokes, Grenier wasn’t the only one to have a historic opening round at Rivermead on Monday. Andre Zhu of Richmond Hill, Ont. rolled in seven birdies and an eagle of his own to card a 7-under 63 and pull within a single shot of Grenier.  

The two helped lead the way for their respective provinces in the Inter-Provincial Team Championship as well, with Team Quebec leading Team Ontario by three strokes heading into Tuesday’s final round. Grenier’s round was buoyed by a 2-under 68 from Team Canada NextGen member Antoine Jasmin of Blainville, Que. and an even-par 70 from Émile Lebrun of Laval, Que. to lead at 10-under.  

Their closest chasers were largely led by Zhu’s 7-under 63 to open play, with even-par rounds from Eric Zhao of North York, Ont. and Dawson Lew of Toronto, Ont. keeping Team Ontario in contention for the Willingdon Cup.  

In the battle for the Earl Grey Cup, Team Canada NextGen Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont. sits three shots off the pace following a five-under 65, while his teammates Jager Pain of Woodbridge, Ont. and Ethan Wilson of St. Albert, Alta. sit in a tie for fourth and eighth respectively.  

Matthews is the lowest-ranked Canadian in the field on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) at no. 225. His chase for the top spot of the leaderboard on Tuesday will be rivaled by Alexis Leray of Boulogne-Billancourt, France (no. 135 WAGR), who boasts the third-highest rank in the field and shot a 3-under 67 to stay in contention.  

Fifteen players are within five shots of the lead heading into Tuesday’s second round. Notably, each of the top five finishers on Monday played at Rivermead Golf Club despite the course playing harder in the opening round.  

The winner of the Earl Grey Cup will receive a direct exemption into several marquee events, including a spot in the field at the 2026 RBC Canadian Open. Additionally, the Canadian Men’s Amateur champion will lock up a place in the 125th U.S. Amateur Championship, set for August 11-17 at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif. and will be fully exempt from local qualifying for the 2026 U.S. Amateur and 2026 U.S. Open. The winner will also be exempt into next year’s Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and will be able to defend their title, if eligible.  

For the individual and inter-provincial team leaderboards following the opening round of the 120th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here. 

Xing joins prestigious list of Canadian Women’s Amateur champions and
earns an exemption into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open

ROTHESAY, N.B. – Michelle Xing fired her third consecutive round of 1-under 71 on Friday to win the 111th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO at The Riverside Country Club in Rothesay, N.B.

The 17-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont. finished the tournament as the lone player under par at 2-under following rounds of 73-71-71-71=286 to claim the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup by four shots over Macy Pate of Winston-Salem, N.C. and Eunseo Choi of Auckland, New Zealand who both finished tied for second at 2-over.

“It means everything to me,” said Xing after receiving her gold medal and the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup. “It’s something I’ve been working towards since I was little and winning it a day after my birthday is the best present for me.”

Players battled the wind at The Riverside Country Club throughout the week and fog rolled in as players began play on Friday before lifting as the final groups teed off.

On the opening hole both Xing and Choi dropped a stroke to still co-lead the tournament at even par before Xing grabbed the solo lead with a birdie on No. 4. Choi responded with a birdie on No. 5 and took the lead on No. 7 following a bogey from Xing. That lead was short-lived as Xing carded another birdie on No. 9 to pull even with Choi heading to the back nine.

Xing said throughout the front nine that she was doing her best to stay present and not look too much into the future. “The back nine is quite scoreable so I wasn’t thinking too much. Just play my game, hit the green, give myself a look for birdie and if not two-putt.”

Choi opened the back nine with a pair of bogeys to put Xing atop the leaderboard by two. Xing dropped a stroke with a bogey on No. 13; it would be the closest anyone would get to her on Friday.

Xing fired back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 to open up to a three-shot lead on Pate and went four ahead of Choi with three to play and that’s when it started to feel like she was closing in on the title.

“On 13 I hit my drive to a bad spot and knew that bogey was likely the outcome, on 14 I knew if I could hit a good drive, I could hit on and two putt for birdie,” she said.

“On 15 I hit a good putt and I kind of started to feel the pressure a little bit because we were coming into the closing three holes but again, I was just trying to stay present and distract myself with anything really,” she added.”

Xing closed her round with three consecutive pars, tapping in on 18 to win the national championship. After handshakes, she was greeted by her Team Canada teammates and friends who stormed the green and dumped water on her in a celebratory manner.

As for what Xing was feeling as she tapped in for par on 18.

“It was happiness and relief. It’s just something that I’ve been dreaming of really, to win a tournament of this level. It feels great honestly.”

In addition to winning the Duchess of Connaught Gold Cup, Xing has earned an exemption into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open taking place at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. from August 20 – 24.

Xing will be making her second consecutive appearance in Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship having earned qualification through the She Plays Golf Championship Series last year.

“I am so excited. I was going to try, and Monday qualify for that but…” she paused and began to laugh. “Being exempt into the field feels great and I get to play with the pros again and try to learn from them.”

She has also earned an exemption into the 2025 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, taking place August 4 – 10 at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore and an exemption into the 2026 Canadian Women’s Amateur, taking place at The Toronto Golf Club, July 20 – 24, 2026.

Xing joins a prestigious list of past champions in the tournament’s storied history led by Marlene Stewart Streit, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, who sits atop the class with 11 victories. In addition to some of golf’s brightest stars on the LPGA Tour including Ariya Jutanugarn (2012), Brooke Henderson (2013), Hye-Jin Choi (2016), Jennifer Kupcho (2017) and Yealimi Noh (2018).

Anna Iwanaga of Hyogo, Japan and Kaitlyn Schroeder of Jacksonville, Fla. finished tied for fourth at 3-over. Team Canada member, Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. fired a 2-under 70 on Friday to jump up and finish sixth at 4-over. Fellow Team Canada members, Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta. and Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver, B.C. finished T7 at 6-over along with Jazy Roberts of West Bendigo, Australia. Molly Smith of Westford, Mass. Finished at 7-over to round out the top 10.

On Wednesday, Team British Columbia (B.C.) reclaimed the Inter-Provincial Team Championship from Team Ontario after consecutive runner-up finishes the past two years.

Team B.C. finished with a two-day collective score of 9-over, six shots clear of the two-time defending champions to claim the title for the first time since 2022. The team was represented by Angela Arora of Surrey, B.C., Yeeun (Jenny) Kwon of Vancouver, B.C. and Amy Seung Hyun Lee of Langley, B.C.

Arora’s back-to-back rounds of 2-over 74 and Kwon’s scores of 73 and 76 counted on both days for Team B.C. The two lowest scores from the three-person team counted towards the combined team total for each round. Team Ontario finished as runner-up with a combined score of 15-over. Team Alberta and Team Quebec finished in a tie for third at 30-over, with Team Manitoba rounding out the top five at 32-over.

For the final leaderboard following the 111th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, presented by BDO, please click here.

BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Adam Svensson made a 48-foot eagle putt on the closing hole to complete an 11-under 60 on Thursday that gave him a two-shot lead over Sam Stevens and Thorbjørn Olesen after one round of the 3M Open.

Svensson also made nine birdies and did not drop a shot in the lowest round in the tournament’s seven-year history. He tied the TPC Twin Cities course record set by Paul Goydos at the 2017 3M Championship on the PGA TOUR Champions.

Chris Gotterup, who finished third at last week’s Open Championship and won the Genesis Scottish Open two weeks ago, was three shots back along with Chad Ramey and Matti Schmid. Zac Blair, Chris Kirk, Jake Knapp and Brendan Valdes were another shot back, and Rickie Fowler and Emiliano Grillo were among those at 6 under.

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Svensson’s lone TOUR win is The RSM Classic in 2022. The 31-year-old Canadian has one top-25 finish in 21 starts this season and has missed 11 cuts.

“I had a great range session today. Just really putted amazing, I made a bunch of breakers. It was probably my best putting round I ever had,” said Svensson, who needed just 25 putts, including a nearly 40-foot birdie on the 11th hole and a 34-footer on the fourth.

His career-best 60 is the second-lowest score on the PGA TOUR this season. Jake Knapp shot 59 at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches in February.

Stevens could have shot 59 with an eagle on the par-5 18th, but instead he put his second shot from 246 yards into the water in front of the green, leading to his lone bogey and a 62 that was still his lowest round on TOUR.

“I have a pretty big gap between my 3-iron and my 3-wood, and I hit a terrible shot. I thought if I hit a 3-wood, it was just going to fly to the back of the green, and I kind of had to hit a 3-iron perfect to even cover the water. But I figured that was my best chance to shoot 59, so I gave it a go,” he said.

Fowler and Grillo are among a group of 18 players who rank between 60th and 80th in the FedExCup standings, needing a strong performance to help secure spots in the 70-man field for the first Playoffs event in two weeks. Fowler entered the week at No. 63 and Grillo is No. 71.

“At the end of the day, good golf solves a lot of things,” Fowler said.

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Rickie Fowler flights it close for back-to-back birdies at 3M Open

Patrick Rodgers and Gary Woodland (66th and 78th, respectively) each shot 67. No. 70 Keith Mitchell had a 68, and 65th-ranked Cam Davis shot 71.

Defending champion Jhonattan Vegas shot 68. Haotong Li, who was in the final pairing with Scottie Scheffler at last week’s Open Championship and finished tied for fourth, shot a 1-under 70.