Canadian Ryan Yip carded a 6-under-par 66 in round two of at the Web.com Tour’s LECOM Health Challenge to sit T5 through 36 holes at the Peek N’ Peak Resort Upper Course in Findley Lake, NY.

The Calgary native was T29 at -3 after round one (69). Starting on hole No. 10 Yip was 5 under par through four holes with three birdies and an eagle.

He recorded two more birdies and one bogey to move to 9 under par two shots back of co-leaders China’s Xinjun Zhang and Adam Long (New Orleans, La.)

A member of the inaugural Team Canada National Team in 2005, Yip came to Findley Lake ranked 100th on the Web.com Tour’s Order of Merit.

.@RyanYipGolf's first four holes of Round 2 @LECOMHC:
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He's T4 heading into the weekend in New York. pic.twitter.com/TCwGciW5EI

— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) July 7, 2017

The 32-year-old’s best result of the season was a T9 at Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER in March. He has two additional top-25 finishes this season.

Young Pro Squad’s Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) is T23 at 6-under-par after a second consecutive 69.

Conners’ Young Pro Squad teammate Albin Choi (Toronto, Ont.) started the day in a tie for fourth after an opening round 66 (-6), but a 1-over-par 73 in round two dropped him to T25.

Merrit, B.C., native Roger Sloan is T47 at 3 under par (70-71).

There are 11 Canadians in the field this week.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

Richmond B.C.’s Alisha Lau ran away with the B.C. Junior Girls Championship finishing at 9-under-par 10 strokes clear of Maple Ridge, B.C.’s Esther Lee (+1). Development Squad’s Hannah Lee was third at 5 over par (293).

Lau started strong with opening rounds of 67 and 68 building a lead she wouldn’t relinquish over four days at the Okanagan Golf Club’s Bear Course in Okanagan, B.C.

Rounding out the top five was fourth place finisher Karen Zhang also from Richmond at 6 over par and Surrey, B.C.,’s Angel Lin who was 9 over par for the championship.

In her second year on the Development Squad Lee, from Surrey, B.C., was consistent from start to finish recording three straight rounds of 1-over par 73 and closing with a 2-over-par 74.

The 16-year-old had an impressive 9th place finish at the Women’s Porter Cup in June and was tenth at the Future Links driven by Acura Pacific Championship in May.

Lee was second at this event in 2016 and won the 2016 B.C. Juvenile Girls Championship.

For the full leaderboard click here.

FERNIE, B.C. – Golf Canada nears the end of its 2017 junior golf championship season as the Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship is set to take place at Fernie Golf and Country Club.

With support from British Columbia Golf, the Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship is the fifth of six regional junior championships presented in partnership with Acura. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will begin with a practice round on July 10 before the tournament gets underway with round one on July 11.

Founded in 1918, Fernie Golf and Country Club will be hosting its first ever Future Links Championship. With a varied terrain and stunning view of the Rocky Mountains, the course features an aesthetic charm accentuated by luscious greens and silica sand bunkers.

“Golf Canada and British Columbia Golf are thrilled to present the 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship in Fernie,” said Greg Moody, the Tournament Director from British Columbia Golf. “We are optimistic that the tricky course at Fernie Golf and Country Club will challenge Canada’s premier junior golfers and allow them to demonstrate their skills.”

The field will consist of 85 junior golfers in the Junior Boys Division with the top six earning exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 31-Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf & Country Club in Kingston, Ont. A tie for the sixth position will be decided by a playoff following the conclusion of play.

The Junior Girls Division will consist of 16 golfers with the top six (including ties) earning an exemption into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.

The final Future Links, driven by Acura Championship of 2017 will conclude the regional championship series this summer.

July 17-20 – Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic – Church Point, N.S. – Clare Golf & County Club.

Results from the previous 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura championships can be found here: Pacific, Ontario, Quebec, Prairie.

More information regarding the Future Links, driven by Acura Championships can be found here.

NOTABLES

Kai Iguchi of Banff, Alta.
Finished T5 at the same event last year, the highest of all returning players. Highest finish of the season is a T7 at the PGA of Alberta Junior Masters. He is currently ranked at No. 47 in the Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit.

Taylor Stone of Calgary, Alta.
The 17-year-old won her first event of the season at the MJT Alberta Season Opener and finished in third at the PGA of Alberta Junior Masters. She is currently ranked at No. 37 in the Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit.

Carter Graf of Red Deer, Alta.
Currently ranked seventh on the Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit. The 16-year-old is coming off a win at the PGA of Alberta Junior Masters back in May. In six events this season, Graf has finished in the top five three times and in the top 10 four times.

Ethan Choi of Pincher Creek, Alta.
The 15-year-old has four top-25 finishes in the five events he has played this year, including a third-place finish at the MJT Alberta Season Opener and T5 at the US Junior Qualifying Coeur D’Alene. He is currently 21st on the Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit. Shot a 14-under-par 59 when he was 14-years-old at the Alberta Bantam Championship at River’s Edge in Okotoks, Alta.

Andrew Spalti of Vancouver, B.C.
The 17-year-old has placed inside the top 25 of each of his six events this season. He won the MJT Vancouver Championship back in March and is currently ranked at No. 34 on the Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit.

FAST FACTS

In 2017, Golf Canada is conducting its six regional Future Links, driven by Acura championships in conjunction with the Provincial Associations.

Top six finishers in the Boys Division earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

Top six finishers (including ties) in the Girls Division earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Brandon MacDougall won junior boys tournament last year after a two-hole playoff against Team Canada Development Squad member Chandler McDowell.

Kehler Koss defeated Phoebe Yue in playoff to win the girls division in 2016.

Starting times for the first and second rounds will be made available on Monday, July 10th 9:30 a.m. More information on the event and starting times can be found here.

ABOUT THE COURSE

Founded in 1918.

Par 70.

More information can be found here.

With the Royal Quebec Golf Club being conveniently located across the street from the Huot household, all eight Huot boys — Emmanuel, Jules, Maurice, Ulric, Rodolphe, Roland, Benoit and Tony — at one point marched across to work as caddies and help their family financially.

The hours spent at the club, watching and learning from members, developed their love for the game. And though they each gained local and provincial acclaim as players, it was Jules (second from right) who enjoyed the most success.

He captured three Quebec Open and PGA of Canada championships, five Quebec PGA Championships and twice finished as low Canadian pro at the Canadian Open. However, winning the PGA Tour’s 1937 General Brock Open and playing in three Masters are career highlights.

This article was originally published in the Family Issue edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine

Bakersfield, California’s Matt Picanso shot a 6-under 65 at Pine Ridge Golf Club on Thursday to take the first-round lead at the Players Cup, the fourth event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

On a day when gusting winds and the demanding Donald Ross-designed Pine Ridge course got the better of most players, the 34-year old Mackenzie Tour rookie carded six birdies and zero bogeys to lead by one over Calgary, Alberta’s James Love through 18 holes.

“I looked at the forecast and I knew it was going to be tough and windy, so I just stuck to my original game plan,” said Picanso. “I laid back on a few holes and finally felt like I knew what I was doing on the greens.”

Love is making his 72nd start on the Mackenzie Tour this week. In 2016, he had no status on Tour but finished third while playing on a sponsor exemption at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open, earning conditional status for the rest of the year and eventually a spot in the top 60 on the Order of Merit along with exempt status for 2017.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t have been that upset with a four standing on the tee. To make four after where I hit it, it’s the hardest par-3 ever, so I’m not unhappy.” said Love.

The Californian was paired with hometown favourite Aaron Cockerill and said he enjoyed competing in front of a large gallery for most of his round, which included four birdies in his last seven holes to take the lead.

“I was pumped when I saw that pairing because I figured we’d have a good crowd with the hometown boy,” said Picanso.

Love briefly tied the lead before making a bogey – one that included an improbable up-and-down for bogey at the par-3 ninth – to sit one back with a 5-under 66.

“This course is tough without the wind, and it was swirling and gusting to 35 (km/h) today,” said Love. “I played well. I holed out from 150 yards on 18, so that helps. Other than that, it was just pretty solid.”

With the Mackenzie Tour attracting some of the top up-and-coming young players from around the world of college and amateur golf, Picanso’s path to becoming a professional golfer stands out among his peers.
Once a baseball prospect at Bakersfield College, Picanso eventually turned to golf and found a knack for the game at an age when most are taking their first steps on to the path to the PGA TOUR.

“I kind of didn’t start playing competitively until my early 20s. I played baseball my entire life, but I was over it and getting injured all the time,” said Picanso, who at the time had played golf mostly with his family. “I started practicing and trying to get better, and I fell in love with it.”

Slowly but surely, he’s improved year-by-year on various Mini Tours, and won 11 tournaments in 2015 including the Monterey Open, where he shot a final round 60. Picanso was playing the second stage of Web.com Tour Q-School that fall when he tore his labrum in is right shoulder and was forced to endure a lengthy rehab. He earned exempt status for the first eight events of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour season with a T2 finish at the USA West #1 Q-School earlier this Spring.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Belgian rookie Laura Gonzalez Escallon birdied three of the final four holes Thursday for a 7-under 65 and a share of the lead with Sei Young Kim in the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.

Gonzalez Escallon, the 26-year-old former Purdue player who won twice last season on the Symetra Tour, also started fast in the first-year event, making birdies on three of the first four holes.

“The greens are playing soft, so you can be very aggressive,” Gonzalez Escallon said. “I think that helps with low scoring. It’s a really good course. Every hole is different. … It’s new for everyone, so I think rookies can really take advantage of that.”

Kim had eight birdies and a bogey at Thornberry Creek, the Oneida Nation-owned resort near Green Bay. The South Korean player won the Lorena Ochoa Match Play in May in Mexico for her sixth LPGA Tour victory.

“My shot solid today, and greens were softer, so I was able to go after the pins and give myself a lot of birdie opportunities,” Kim said. “And then putting was good. … It’s been a long time since I played well in the first round, so I’m very blessed to have shot 7 under.”

Tour rookies Madeleine Sheils and Min-G Kim shot 66. Sheils birdied four of the last seven holes.

“Very steady,” the former Nebraska player said. “I hit just about every fairway and I think I might have hit every green for like the first time in my life, so that makes golf really easy, as it turns out.”

Fifth-ranked In Gee Chun and Moriya Jutanugarn topped the group at 67. Jutanugarn had seven birdies in an eight-hole stretch, then played the final eight in 2 over with bogeys on Nos. 11 and 17.

Suzann Pettersen had a 68.

“First time I saw it, I’m like, ‘Well, you’ve got to bring your diving gear because you’ve got to go deep around this place,”’ Pettersen said. “I mean, I just shot 4 under and feel like I shot 100. … The golf course is great. I think it’s great to see a golf course that kind of invites birdies and kind of low scores. I’m a little bit surprised nobody has torn it up more than 7 under because I felt like I played average and shot an easy 4 under.”

Jutangarn’s younger sister, second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn, had a 78. The six-time LPGA Tour winner had a double bogey on the par-4 10th, five bogeys and one birdie.

Brooke Henderson, the 19-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., coming off a one-stroke loss to Danielle Kang on Sunday in the major KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Olympia Fields in Illinois, opened with a 71.

Kang, top-ranked So Yeon Ryu, No. 3 Lexi Thompson and No. 4 Lydia Ko are among those taking the week off before the U.S. Women’s Open next week at Trump International in New Jersey.

“Last week took a lot out of me being in contention, especially in that last round,” Henderson said. “It drained a lot of energy, and I’m just trying to rebuild that this week. Take a little bit more rest and maybe not practice quite as much and rebuild my energy so that next week at the U.S. Open I can go strong and hopefully make it count.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was the low Canadian, tied for fifth at 5-under 67. Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., was tied for 36th at 3-under 69. Augusta James of Bath, Ont., was tied with Henderson for 71st and Calgary’s Jennifer Ha was tied for 121st 2-over 74.

Davis Love III can still get some solid work done in a PGA Tour event.

Heading into the World Golf Hall of Fame in September, the 53-year-old Love shot a 7-under 63 on Thursday in The Greenbrier Classic, leaving him two strokes behind first-round leader Sebastian Munoz.

Love is looking for his first win since the 2015 Wyndham Championship, which made him the third-oldest winner in PGA Tour history. He would be the oldest if he wins in West Virginia.

Slowed this year by a bad back and a broken collarbone sustained in a January snowboarding accident in Sun Valley, Idaho, Love took advantage of a course softened by overnight rain for his best round of the season. He birdied four of his first five holes in the morning round on Old White, the course that was reconstructed after deadly floods forced the cancellation of last year’s tournament.

Have a day, @Love3d!

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-7 and the early lead. pic.twitter.com/wlpZCNYDlc

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 6, 2017

His son, Davis Love IV, also is in the field, receiving a sponsor exemption. It’s the second time they are playing the same tournament; the other was the RSM Classic two years ago. The elder Love served as his son’s caddie in the U.S. Open last month.

“I’ve been working real hard the last couple of weeks on trying to fix my swing to kind of swing around a stiff back and a stiff hip,” the elder Love said. “I’ve given up on hitting it a long way. I’m just saying I’ve got to hit it straight, and this is the perfect golf course for me to get it in the fairway. A lot of hard work is kind of starting to pay off.”

Munoz, a 24-year-old Colombian, was boosted by five birdies on the back nine for a 61.

Defending champion Danny Lee was at 64 along with David Lingmerth, Ben Martin, rookie Xander Schauffele, and Canadians Graham DeLaet and Nick Taylor.

Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., had seven birdies, including a tap-in on No. 7, and just one bogey on his card.

Another #MackenzieTour alum making his move at the @GbrClassic.@ntaylorgolf59 is making a bucket of birdies. pic.twitter.com/0KOEEovbYd

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) July 6, 2017

DeLaet (Weyburn, Sask.) was bogey-free with six birdies in round one.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., was 5 under while Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch were both 1 under.

Players were allowed to lift and clean their golf balls in the fairway because of the wet conditions. It took a full year after the June 2016 floods that killed 23 statewide to get Old White back to playing conditions.

“To get anything back in order out there would’ve been an incredible feat,” Love said. “But what they did with the renovation, to take really, really good golf course with a lot of history and make it even better, the redesign is incredible. The players are just raving about it.”

Round 1 complete @GBRClassic

1. Muñoz -9
2. Love III -7
3. Martin -6
3. Lingmerth -6
3. DeLaet -6
3. Schauffele -6
3. Taylor -6
3. Lee -6 pic.twitter.com/nuf9gxrmF0

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 6, 2017

Munoz is looking for his first top 10. His best finish is a tie for 27th at the Texas Open.

The PGA Tour rookie was 6 under through 10 holes. He missed a short birdie putt on the par-5 12th and bogeyed the par-4 13th after his approach shot found the greenside rough. He then took charge with birdies on the next four holes.

Phil Mickelson shot 67 in his first tournament since parting ways with his caddie of 25 years, Jim “Bones” Mackay. Mickelson’s brother, Tim Mickelson, is his caddie for the rest of the year.

“I think any time you have a change of environment it brings about a new energy,” Phil Mickelson said. “But more than that, Tim is one my favourite people to be around. We really had a lot of fun together today.”

Mickelson missed the cut in his three other Greenbrier Classic appearances and he hit some erratic shots Thursday, including striking a fan in the head on his approach to the par-4 11th.

Lingmerth is looking to atone for a collapse last week in the Quicken Loans Invitational. The Swede led after each of the first three rounds but shot 3 over in each round on the weekend to tie for fifth, along with Martin.

“I’m not going to dwell on it too much,” Lingmerth said. “A nice little start today. I didn’t really have my best stuff. I never really got into trouble. I gave myself a couple of opportunities.”

Click here for the full leaderboard

Estevan, Sask. – Ryan McMillan came from behind while Chaewon Baek went wire-to-wire to win the Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie Championship at TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club on Thursday.

McMillan, who started the day T2, shot a bogey-free, 4-under-par 68 to close out the tournament 5 under par. The 17-year-old from Winnipeg, Man., made the turn at 1 under par in a tie with Tayden Wallin and then carded three birdies in five holes to cruise to the finish line.

Kade Johnson, from Yorkton, Sask., finished in solo-second after he made an eagle on the par-5 15th hole. The 18-year-old was in a three-way tie after the seventh hole, but made a double-bogey on the par-3 eighth hole and ultimately finished four strokes back of McMillan.

Wallin started his round at the top of the leaderboard and got off to a strong start with two birdies in the first five holes. After he carded a triple bogey he bounced back and scored two birdies after he made the turn, but he struggled in the final six holes where he went 5 over par.

Rounding out the top six finishers in the boys division who earned exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 31-Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club in Kingston, Ont., are: Callum Davision from Duncan, B.C., Andrew Campbell and Josh Nagy, who are both from Saskatoon, Sask.

In the girls division, Baek completed her wire-to-wire victory with a 5-over-par 77 in her final round. The 13-year-old from Langley, B.C., carded a triple-bogey on the par-5 fifth hole but had already built up a comfortable cushion between second place.

Angela Arora, from Surrey, B.C., shot the low round of the day in the girls division with an even-par 72 and jumped up the leaderboard to finish in solo-second place, nine shots behind Baek. She got off to a slow start with two bogeys in her first three holes, but a bogey-free back nine paired with two birdies got her back in it.

Vaijayanti Bharkhada finished her tournament with an 80, moving her to 23 over par for the tournament and a solo-third finish.

Rounding out the top six earning exemptions to the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Champions on Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont., are: Samantha Copeland of Calgary, Alta., Chloe Sies of Melville, Sask., and Hannah MacNeil of Shaunavon, Sask.

Full results.

Team Canada Young Pro Squad golfer Albin Choi carded an opening round 6-under-par 66 at the Web.com Tour’s LECOM Health Challenge to sit T4 through 18 holes at the Peek N’ Peak Resort Upper Course in Findley Lake, N.Y.

The Toronto product started the day with five straight birdies and was bogey free for the rest of his round carding one more birdie to sit two shots back of the leader China’s Xinjun Zhang.

Choi came to Findley Lake ranked 89th on the Web.com Tour’s Order of Merit. His best result of the season was a T5 at the rain shortened BMW Charity Classic presented by Synnex Corporation.

The afternoon wave is making moves up the leaderboard, including @AlbinChoi at -5 #LECOMHC ⛳ pic.twitter.com/L0JpLj8ru0

— LECOMHealthChallenge (@LECOMHC) July 6, 2017

Choi’s Young Pro Squad teammate Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) is T25 at 3 under par after an opening-round 69 (-3), alongside Calgary’s Ryan Yip, and Ben Silverman (Thornhill, Ont.).

Merritt, B.C., native Roger Sloan is T47 (-2).

There are 11 Canadians in the field this week.

Click here for the full leaderboard.