DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., – The LPGA Tour today announced that 24-year-old Sung Hyun Park, of the Republic of Korea, has mathematically clinched the 2017 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award with five events remaining on the season’s schedule.

Park, who won the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open Championship for her first LPGA and major victory, has a 798-point lead over Angel Yin which would mark the third-largest margin of victory in the history of the award, passing 2016 winner In Gee Chun (778 points) and trailing only Karrie Webb over Mayumi Hirase in 1996 (1030 points) and Se Ri Pak over Janice Moodie in 1999 (929 points).

“I am honored to receive this award which was one of my goals from the beginning of the season,” Park said. “This is really special because you only get one chance in a lifetime. Taking this opportunity, I want to be a better player.”

In July, Park rallied from three strokes behind after three rounds to pull off a victory at the U.S. Women’s Open, becoming a Rolex First-Time Winner and capturing her first major title. The following month, Park earned her second career win with a four-stroke rally at the CP Women’s Open. She has six additional top-10 finishes in 2017, with no showing worse than 43rd, and finished in the top 20 at four of the season’s five major championships.

Through October 15, Park leads the LPGA in Official Money with $2,092,623, making her the fastest player in LPGA history to reach $2 million in career earnings at 7 months, 13 days (19 starts; 2017 LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship). She was also the fastest to reach $1 million in career earnings following her U.S. Women’s Open victory at 4 months, 14 days (14 events).

Park also sits in the top 10 in Scoring Average (first), Race to the CME Globe (second), Rolex Player of the Year (third), Birdies (sixth), Driving Distance Average (ninth) and Greens in Regulation (sixth). She is currently No. 2 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, less than one point behind No. 1 So Yeon Ryu.

Park is currently on leave from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, where she is majoring in International Sports and Leisure. After taking up the game in the second grade at her mother’s suggestion, Park joined the KLPGA Tour in 2012 at the age of 19. She earned her first win on the KLPGA in 2015, and captured 10 total victories before joining the LPGA Tour in 2017.

Park will receive the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award at the 2017 Rolex LPGA Awards ceremony, to be held Thursday, Nov. 16, in conjunction with the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.

About the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award

The Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award, named for the late Louise Suggs, an LPGA Founder and LPGA and World Golf Hall of Fame member, was established in 1962. Suggs passed away at the age of 91 in August 2015 but leaves an unsurpassed legacy behind as the namesake for the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award.

This is the 56th year the LPGA Tour will recognize a rookie for their performance in official tournaments. Since its inception, ten Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year winners have become members of the LPGA or World Golf Hall of Fame: Joanne Carner (1970), Amy Alcott (1975), Nancy Lopez (1978), Beth Daniel (1979), Patty Sheehan (1981), Juli Inkster (1984), Annika Sorenstam (1994), Karrie Webb (1996), Se Ri Pak (1998), and Lorena Ochoa (2003).

The rookie of the year award was established in 1962. Until 1992, the rookie of the year award went to the first-year LPGA player who finished with the highest ranking on the LPGA money list through the close of the official domestic LPGA season.

In 1992, a point system was instituted. LPGA Tour rookies are awarded points at each official LPGA tournament based on top 40 finishes and positions 41 through each player making the cut receive 5 points each. All points are doubled at LPGA major championships.

Past Winners

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the 18 athletes who have been chosen to represent Team Canada as part of the 2018 National Amateur Squad and Development Squad.

In all, eight athletes comprise Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad including four players on the men’s team and four on the women’s. The 10-member Development Squad will include five women and five men.

“Based on their outstanding performances this year, we are pleased to announce the young men and women chosen to represent Canada as part of the national team program,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s chief sport officer. These talented athletes are a product of a circle of support that includes personal coaches, parents and provincial high-performance programs and will proudly represent Canada on the global golf stage.”

The following athletes have been selected to Team Canada’s 2018 Amateur Squad:

WOMEN’S NATIONAL AMATEUR SQUAD

• Maddie Szeryk, Allen, Tex., Ontario Public Player (21)
• Naomi Ko, Victoria, B.C., Olympic View Golf Club (20)
• Jaclyn Lee, Calgary, Alta., Glencoe Golf & Country Club (20)
• Grace St-Germain, Ottawa, Ont., Camelot Golf & Country Club (19)

MEN’S NATIONAL AMATEUR SQUAD

• Hugo Bernard, Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., Laval sur-le-Lac Club (22)
• Josh Whalen, Napanee, Ont., Napanee Golf & Country Club (22)
• Joey Savoie, La Prairie, Que., Pinegrove Country Club (23)
• Chris Crisologo, Richmond, B.C., Marine Drive Golf Club (21)

Complete National Amateur Squad bios can be found here.

The following athletes have been selected to Team Canada’s 2018 Development Squad:

WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT SQUAD

• Céleste Dao, Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que., Summerlea Golf & Country Club (16)
• Monet Chun, Richmond Hill, Ont., Summit Golf & Country Club (16)
• Ellie Szeryk, Allen, Tex., Ontario Public Player (16)
• Alyssa DiMarcantonio, Maple, Ont., Station Creek Golf Club (14)
• Euna Han, Coquitlam, B.C., Morgan Creek Golf Course (15)

MEN’S DEVELOPMENT SQUAD

• Christopher Vandette, Beaconsfield, Que., Summerlea Golf & Country Club (16)
• Johnny Travale, Stoney Creek, Ont., Hamilton Golf & Country Club (16)
• Nolan Thoroughgood, Victoria, B.C., Royal Colwood Golf Club (17)
• Peyton Callens, Langton, Ont., Delhi Golf & Country Club (17)
• Thomas Critch, Cedar Park, Tex., Ontario Public Player (17)

Complete Development Squad player bios can be found here. 

Development Squad to Feature Centralized Program out of Bear Mountain Resort

New in 2018, the National Development Squad program will feature a centralized component, which will be based out of Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, B.C.—Team Canada’s official training centre since 2015.

The program will send Development Squad athletes to Bear Mountain from February through to early June to be immersed in a focused centre of excellence, surrounded by world-class technical coaching staff and experts in the areas of mental performance, physiotherapy, biomechanics and nutrition.

The change in program structure and commitment to a centralized training environment over four and a half months of the year are designed to better support emerging talents as part of Golf Canada’s next generation strategy.

The number of days that Development Squad athletes will spend in a world-class training environment will increase from approximately 30 (in the current structure) to 120 in the new program.

“We felt that this change was necessary to deliver a significant impact to targeted athletes aged 18 and under in this crucial stage of their development,” said Thompson. “An increased number of contact days with our expert high-performance coaches and sport science staff will provide our next generation athletes with a true world-class training environment.”

In addition to the world-class facilities available at Bear Mountain, athletes will have access to one of the best training centres in the country just 10 minutes away – the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence.

For accommodation, Development Squad members will be paired with billet families in the region to provide safe, supportive home environments for training and study throughout the program. All potential billet candidates will undergo a screening process with Golf Canada.

Athletes will be enrolled at Belmont Secondary School in Langford, B.C., where they will attend classes in the morning, followed by training in the afternoon. Team members will also be assigned a teacher from West Shore Distributed Learning Centre, where they will take online courses and receive advanced credits for their sports training. Academic commitment will remain a cornerstone of the Team Canada program with Golf Canada coaches and support team working closely with the teaching staff to ensure success in and out of the classroom.

Bear Mountain Resort has served as Golf Canada’s national team training centre since 2015. In addition to world class amenities and accommodations, the resort features a 36-hole Nicklaus design golf course located on 836 acres with spectacular mountain vistas and views of British Columbia’s seaside capital city. 

Team Canada Coaching Staff Announced….

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the 2018 Team Canada coaching staff that will support both the National Amateur and Development Squads.

On the women’s side, Tristan Mullally of Waterdown, Ont returns as Women’s Amateur Squad Head Coach. Matt Wilson, from Newmarket, Ont., will oversee the Women’s Development Squad. Wilson, who also works as Golf Canada’s director of next generation performance, takes over for long-serving Women’s Development Squad coach Ann Carroll who will be taking a new step in her coaching career.

Derek Ingram of Winnipeg, Man. returns as Men’s Amateur Squad Head Coach. Robert Ratcliffe of Comox, B.C.  will be leading the Men’s Development Squad.

“Derek and Tristan have had tremendous success with Team Canada athletes and the evolution of our national team program will see Robert and Matt play a more significant role through the centralized training environment at Bear Mountain,” added Thompson. “We also want to express our sincere thanks to Ann Carroll on her tremendous contributions to our Women’s Development Squad over the past six years.”

Mullally, Ingram, Ratcliffe and Wilson are all class “A” professionals with the PGA of Canada.

“Not only am I excited to see these young athletes represent Team Canada in 2018, but I’m also thrilled for their PGA of Canada coaches as well,” PGA of Canada President Steve Wood. “The commitment Golf Canada has shown in collaborating with the PGA of Canada in our world class teaching and coaching certification programs is exemplary.”

The 2018 Young Pro Squad team selection is expected in December.

The University of Fraser Valley (UFV) Cascades jumped to the first-round advantage on Tuesday in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) National Championship at the Royal Ashburn Golf Club in Durham, Ont.

The Cascades hold the lead in all four categories: men’s team, women’s team, men’s individual and women’s individual. Daniel Campbell (Wellington, Wash.) led the men’s division, carding a 1-under 71 to register the only under-par score of the day. Campbell holds a two-stroke advantage over teammate Zach Olson (Strathmore, Alta.).

Collectively, the Cascade men recorded an opening-round 13-over par, nine strokes ahead of University of British Columbia Okanhagan Heat.

On the women’s side, UFV sit at 24-over par for a three-stroke cushion over defending champion Georgian College. The Cascade women are led by Emery Bardock of Armstrong, B.C., who posted a round of 10 over par, highlighted by an ace on the par-3 7th.

“It was probably the most exciting thing all day because I wasn’t playing too well,” said Bardock. “Our last three holes are always ice cream holes for our team, so my coach was like ‘make this birdie putt.’ When I got up there (green), I was like ‘it’s in the hole,’ so it was really exciting.”

Emery Bardock of the @UFVCascades talks about her first career ace today on No. 7 at @RoyalAshburn! ⛳️??#CCAAgolf2017 pic.twitter.com/E6P7YMIvFI

— CCAA/ACSC (@CCAAsportsACSC) October 17, 2017

As part of the championship the host committee at Durham College and Conroy’s No Frills in Whitby have partnered to have one pound of food donated to the Salvation Army for every birdie made throughout the tournament. Through one round the total sits at 91 birdies, or 91 pounds of food.

The Georgian Grizzlies took home the women’s title in 2016, and the Niagara College Knights were victorious on the men’s side.

Round two will get underway at Royal Ashburn at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Click here for full scoring.

TORONTO – Newly minted PGA TOUR members Ben Silverman (Thornhill, Ontario) and Roberto Diaz (Veracruz, Mexico) will captain the teams from the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica at the 2017 Aruba Cup, taking place December 11-16 at Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf, it was announced Tuesday

Silverman and Diaz, both PGA TOUR rookies who earned a spot in “The 25” on the 2017 Web.com Tour, will lead teams of 10 players in the Presidents Cup-style match-play event at Tierra del Sol.

“It’s an honour to be selected by the Mackenzie Tour to lead our team at the Aruba Cup this December,” said Silverman, who made his debut as a PGA TOUR member with a T43 finish at the Safeway Open. “It feels like it’s happened pretty fast, but it’s fun to look back and remember where I came from and go help out some guys who are coming from there right now.”

“I owe a lot to PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and it’s an honour for me to come to the Aruba Cup and try to represent my past with the Tour,” said Diaz. “I think we’re going to have great chemistry, and hopefully I can help them with everything they need and defend the title.”

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

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

The roster for the Mackenzie Tour, which includes the top-10 available players on the Order of Merit, will be announced in the coming weeks, while the Latinoamérica team, which includes the top-10 available players on the Order of Merit with a minimum of two Latin American players selected, will be announced following the conclusion of the 2017 season, at the Shell Championship in Miami in early December.

The inaugural Aruba Cup took place in 2016, with the team from PGA TOUR Latinoamerica defeating the Mackenzie Tour team, 13-7. The 2017 Aruba Cup consists of three competition days, featuring four-ball, foursomes and singles matches from December 14-16.

Three Canadian juniors will be among the 80 competitors in the fifth annual Drive, Chip and Putt championship at Augusta National on April 1, 2018.

Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos headlines the Canadian trio, returning for a third time after finishing atop the girls 10-11 age group at the Winged Foot Golf Club regional qualifier in Mamaroneck, N.Y., — one of 10 conducted across the United States. The 10-year-old is one of three returning three-time finalists—she finished 5th in 2016 and 4th in 2015.

Borovilos is joined by fellow Ontario natives Landon Kelly (Bobcaygeon, Ont.) and Luke DelGobbo (Fonthill, Ont.) who also advanced at Winged Foot by capturing the boys 7-9 and 14-15 age groups, respectively.

Kelly mastered Winged Foot’s greens tying the high score in all divisions with 65 points in the putting competition to win the Boys 7-9 division. Good golf runs in the family, as Kelly learned the game from his mother, Shana – a PGA of Canada professional – and sister Nyah, who participated in the 2014 National Finals.

Canada’s Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., captured the girls 14-15 division at last year’s championship, becoming the first Canadian to win a title.

Local qualifying began in May, June and July, held at more than 260 sites throughout the United States. The top-three scorers per venue, in each of the four age categories in separate boys and girls divisions, advanced to 50 subregional qualifiers in July and August. Two juniors in each age and gender division then competed at the regional level in September and October, held at some of the top courses in the country, including several U.S. Open and PGA Championship venues.

The top finisher from each regional site’s age/gender divisions – a total of 80 finalists – earned a place in the National Finals.

Click here for all regional qualifying results.

The Canadian equivalent—Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge National Event— will be contested on July 21 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. Learn more here.

Born in Montreal and raised in Verdun, Que., Bob Vokey has become one of the world’s foremost wedge designers and trusted short game advisor to many of the modern game’s greatest golfers. His innovative designs have made Titleist Vokey wedges a trusted brand among golfers of every age and skill level. Over his illustrious career, Vokey has designed wedges for many of golf’s notable players.

Earlier this year, as part of the 2017 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club, the legendary club maker officially entered the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame as an honoured member.

Watch the video teaser below for a glimpse into the life of Vokey and click here to watch the video in full.

The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) announced the golf All-Canadian award recipients on Monday for the 2017 season.

20 student-athletes (10 women, 10 men) were selected ahead of this week’s national championship at Royal Ashburn Golf Club in Ashburn, Ont.

The following were named as All-Canadians:

Tiger Woods is swinging a driver without pain, and his agent says doctors have cleared him to practice without limitations.

Still to be determined is when Woods can play in a tournament.

“We haven’t even addressed when he comes back to play again. We have not addressed one thing,” said Mark Steinberg, his agent at Excel Sports Management. “He wants to play this so conservatively.”

Steinberg said Woods received a “good report” last week from doctors who performed fusion surgery on his lower back in April. Woods posted a video on Twitter on Oct. 7 of him hitting a smooth iron shot . Then on Sunday, Woods posted another video — in a red shirt , no less — hitting a driver.

Making Progress pic.twitter.com/I3MZhJ74kI

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) October 15, 2017

Woods, whose last victory was four years ago at the Bridgestone Invitational for his record 18th World Golf Championships title, has not played since he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic on Feb. 3 because of back spasms.

Two months later, he had a fourth surgery on his back in 19 months.

Woods first posted a video on Aug. 31 hitting pitch shots. Steinberg said doctors last week “allowed him to proceed with no restrictions,” which is when he began posting video of fuller golf shots.

“He has started to hit balls at a more aggressive rate,” Steinberg said. “He feels really good, but he’s going to take it very slowly. I think he’s excited that he’s not feeling pain. That’s what gets him excited, being able to bend down and pick up his kids.

“He’s taking it from wedges and short irons to the longer clubs. But he’s still doing it in a really cautious manner.”

Woods was an assistant captain at the Presidents Cup two weeks ago, and he said then his priorities were to get his health in order, make sure he is pain-free and then wait on word from his doctors.

“I’m still training. I’m getting stronger,” he said on Sept. 27. “But I certainly don’t have my golf muscles trained.”

Woods last year returned after 15 months to play in his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, where he finished 15th against an 18-man field. The tournament is a week after Thanksgiving. Two spots are still available for sponsor exemptions to players in the top 50 in the world, or to the tournament host, which is Woods.

Fred Ridley recalls soaking up the ambience of Augusta National a week before his debut in the 1976 Masters as the U.S. Amateur champion. He was alone under the massive oak tree next to the clubhouse when he turned around and realized he had company.

Clifford Roberts, co-founder of the club and the first chairman of the Masters, was standing behind him.

“I kind of jumped and thought, ‘Oh God, what have I done?'” Ridley said. “We had a nice conversation. The interesting thing was, we were leaving and he says, ‘Now young man, you’re going to be playing in the Par 3 next Wednesday. You make sure you get some practice over there.’ He loved the Par 3. That was my recollection of the only conversation I had with him.”

Forty-one years later, Ridley is the seventh chairman in the 85-year history of Augusta National.

He took over Monday when the club re-opened for a new season.

The culmination of a lifetime's passion. Get to know Augusta National’s seventh Chairman, Fred Ridley. pic.twitter.com/764RwUKWnu

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) October 16, 2017

Ridley, a 65-year-old business lawyer from Tampa, Florida, succeeds Billy Payne, who is retiring after 11 years. Payne’s tenure was marked by the club inviting female members for the first time, and for creating events geared toward American youth (Drive, Chip and Putt) and two amateur events in Asia and Latin America that offer the winners a spot in the Masters.

Payne, who chose Ridley as his successor, becomes chairman emeritus.

Starting with that chance meeting with Roberts under the oak tree, Ridley says he has met every chairman who preceded him and knew most of them well. What he took from Payne was the value of relationships and the willingness to share credit.

“The worst thing I can do is try to be Billy Payne, other than his accomplishments and his drive to be the best,” he said.

Ridley was not specific on any changes or initiatives he had in mind for the club, saying only that he would lean on the principle established by Roberts and Bobby Jones.

“That principle here is constant improvement,” Ridley said. “That permeates the culture here, whether it’s the Masters Tournament, whether it’s the member experience, whether it’s growing the game or whatever we do.”

Augusta National recently acquired land from adjacent Augusta Country Club that would allow it to expand the par-5 13th hole, which now is 510 yards.

“We are looking at whether we’re going to do anything,” Ridley said. “We just haven’t made any decisions.”

He also was reserved about how the club felt about the distance the modern professional is hitting the golf ball, referring only to a good relationship with golf’s two governing bodies, the USGA and the Royal & Ancient.

“We’re interested in that issue,” he said. “It’s not my place to talk about what’s good and not good for the game. I might have opinions, but I’m not the person to talk about it. What I can talk about is what’s good for Augusta National and our golf course. Going back to the guiding principles, again, I believe that the philosophies that Jones and (Alister) MacKenzie established here are timeless.”

Ridley is the second Augusta National chairman, along with Hord Hardin, to have served as USGA president. He has not stayed active with the USGA, where executives are known for their blue blazers, saying that “my jacket has been green for quite some time.”

Ridley was USGA president in 2004 when the final round of the U.S. Open was marred by the overly baked condition of the greens at Shinnecock Hills and a pin position at the par-3 seventh that made it impossible for anyone to hold the green without putting water on it.

He was not directly in charge of the golf course, but “I was the president, so the buck stops there.”

He was chairman of the competition committees at the Masters for the last 10 years, making him responsible for a rules controversy involving Tiger Woods in 2013.

Woods hit a wedge off the pin and into the water on the par-5 15th. He dropped from an incorrect spot, which was spotted by a television viewer, David Eger, a former USGA and PGA Tour rules official. When word got to Ridley, he said he viewed the drop and did not see a violation.

Only after more questions were raised did the rules committee realize Woods should been penalized. Woods was given a two-shot penalty but spared disqualification for signing an incorrect card because Ridley said officials made a mistake by not speaking to Woods.

“I think anytime you get involved in a complicated situation you learn,” Ridley said. “I think we were pretty transparent when we told the media what happened, what we did, how we resolved it. But yeah, we learn things all the time. I try not to look backward other than to learn.”

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – American Pat Perez won the PGA Tour’s CIMB Classic, claiming a four-shot victory over compatriot Keegan Bradley on Sunday at TPC Kuala Lumpur.

He sealed his first title in almost a year despite carding a modest three-under 69 in the final round, courtesy of a strong start with three birdies in the first four holes.

The 41-year-old only managed to make par on the back nine, but did enough to finish the tournament with a 24-under 264 to take home the $1.26 million prize purse and 500 FedEX Cup points.

Victory also earned him an automatic entry for next year’s Masters in April.

Perez’s feat comes after a long recovery from a shoulder injury last year that threatened to derail his career.

The bulky golfer admitted he never expected to reign supreme in the sweltering conditions in Kuala Lumpur.

“Unreal. I think I’m the last guy that expected to win this week, to be honest with you. I did not think I was going to win this week,” Perez said. “I really can’t explain it, it’s been an amazing 12 months. I can’t explain it, but I hope it continues.”

Perez also confirmed he’ll be back to defend his title next year.

“I’ll be here every year. Every year of the tournament, I’ll be here. It’s been very good to me. The tournament’s been fantastic,” he said.

Bradley took home the runner-up spot after he carded an unblemished five-under 67 to finish at 20-under 268.

Xander Schauffele, who started the round in second place, faltered with four bogeys to finish tied-third alongside South Korea’s Kang Sunghoon at 17 under.

Defending champion American Justin Thomas finished tied for 17th place.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., was the low Canadian at 12 under. Richard T. Lee and Adam Hadwin finished in a tie for 51st place at 3 under while Graham DeLaet was 2 under.

Thomas had been in terrific form coming into the event, but failed to lift his game in his mission for a “three-peat.”

“I was definitely low on gas. It’s been a great but long year, for sure,” Thomas said.