A few weeks off was all So Yeon Ryu needed to kick-start what is shaping up to be possibly the best year of her LPGA Tour career.

The third-ranked South Korean star shot a course-record 10-under 61 on Saturday in the NW Arkansas Championship to take a five-stroke lead into the final round, putting in in great position to become the first repeat winner this year.

The ANA Inspiration winner in April for her second major title, she reached 16 under to break the tournament 36-hole record by two strokes. She had her lowest score on the LPGA Tour and matched her professional best set in the 2012 Australian Ladies Masters.

Ryu opened the year with eight straight top-10 finishes, including the major victory. She struggled in her two events after that run, finishing 56th and then missing the cut at the ShopRite LPGA Classic this month in New Jersey. Coming off a two-week break, she has returned to her early season form _ and then some.

“I played really well the beginning of this year, then I didn’t really play well at the last championship, kind of lost confidence a little bit,” Ryu said. “But I think it was great to have two weeks off, because when you have two weeks off you totally forget about how you played the last few tournaments.”

Local favourite Stacy Lewis and Moriya Jutanugarn were tied for second. They each shot 65.

“I think I go try to play a round like I have the last couple of days, really,” Lewis said. “That’s all I can do, and then hope for some help.”

First-round leader Sung Hyun Park followed her opening 63 with a 73 to drop into a tie for 10th at 6 under. Defending champion Lydia Ko was 5 under after a 67.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is the top Canadian. She shot a 75 and is 2 over.

A day after opening with a 65 in gusty afternoon conditions, Ryu preyed on the Pinnacle Country Club course on a calm Saturday morning.

She needed only 25 putts, posting a 30 on her opening nine holes before closing out the blistering round with three birdies on her final four holes. Ryu capped the round with an uphill 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 nine, much to the delight of the gallery.

She also earned the praise of Ai Miyazato, the retiring Japanese star who finished a group ahead of Ryu and was nearby at the scorer’s tent as the South Korean walked off the course.

“Way to go, So Yeon,” Miyazato said. “You were on fire out there.”

The previous course record was 62, set by Angela Park and Jane Park in 2008 and matched last year by Ko and Ayako Uehara. Ko went on to win the tournament with a record score of 17 under.

Ko and Morgan Pressel held the previous 36-hole best at 14 under, set last year.

Ryu nearly won the tournament in 2013, losing playoff to Inbee Park.

She’s trying to win her fourth LPGA Tour title.

“I have a few good memories out here,” Ryu said. “Maybe losing in a playoff is not a good memory, but you know, close to a win. I think a lot of positive out there, so hopefully I can catch my opportunity tomorrow.”

For the full leaderboard click here.

Sung Hyun Park has said one of her goals this season on the LPGA Tour is to win the Rookie of the Year award.

The South Korean might add the title of “winner” to her resume well before any season-ending awards, particularly after opening the NW Arkansas Championship with an 8-under 63 on Friday.

Park finished with nine birdies on her way to nearly matching the course record of 62, needing only 24 putts to take a two-shot lead over Mel Reid, Ally McDonald and So Yeon Ryu.

“My play was best with the putter today, very good,” Park said.

Reid also reached as low as 8 under midway through her round, making a hole-in-one on the par-3 11th. She used a 9-iron on the 135-yard hole, hitting it just past the flag before it spun back and rolled into the hole.

“As soon as I hit it, I thought, ‘Oh, it’s got a chance,”’ Reid said.

Local favourite Stacy Lewis and 56-year-old Juli Inkster were at 66 along with Felicity Johnson, Moriya Jutanugarn, and Katherine Kirk. Defending champion and second-ranked Lydia Ko opened with a 70

The 34-year-old Park won seven times and was the top earner last year on the Korean LPGA tour, but she also played in seven LPGA Tour events with an eye on making the move to the U.S. She has finished in the top 10 four times this year, nine times in her 19 total LPGA Tour appearances.

All that is lacking to solidify her rapid rise into the ranks of the LPGA’s elite is a victory, possibly this weekend in advance of next week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

“I wasn’t really surprised to see how well (Park) is (playing),” fellow South Korean Ryu said. “Even last year, she played a few LPGA tournaments as a non-member, but she would finish top-five, top-10. I think she is a really great golfer, and it’s a matter of how comfortable she is on the tour.”

Park played in the humid and overcast conditions during the morning at Pinnacle Country Club, avoiding a 46-minute weather delay and gusty conditions during the afternoon.

She entered the tournament fourth in the LPGA Tour in driving distance, and she lived up to that Friday, booming 290-yard drives on the 7,001-yard course.

Ryu was the only player in the afternoon to come within two shots of Park’s morning round, capping her round by reaching the par-5 18th in two and two-putting for her sixth birdie and a bogey-free round.

“I had two weeks off and was really fresh to play,” Ryu said. “I think was everything was really smooth from start to end, and it feels really great to be back.”

Former world No. 1 Ai Miyazato shot a 72 in her first round in the U.S. after announcing last month that she plans to retire at the end of the season.

Michelle Wie opened with a 68.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is T37 at 2-under-par.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Jordan Spieth played well enough in the second round of the Travelers Championship to stay in the lead. Rory McIlroy played just well enough to stay in the tournament.

Spieth shot a 1-under 69 on Friday morning, then watched as a windy afternoon kept anyone from overtaking him.

The conditions also kept fourth-ranked Jason Day from making the cut for a second straight week. He bogeyed the 18th for a 70 to finish at 2 over. No. 3 McIlroy shot a 73, also closing with a bogey, but managed to just sneak into the weekend at even par.

Spieth, who began the day one shot ahead after a first-round 63, started on the back nine. The 23-year-old Texan had to recover from a double bogey on the par-5 13th hole after hitting his tee shot left and out-of-bounds. He also had four birdies and a bogey to reach 8 under.

“We’ve been kind of far behind in a lot of the events in making comeback runs,” said Spieth, the two-time major champion who tied for 35th last week in the U.S. Open. “But being able to be toward the front of the pack on a Saturday afternoon is a beautiful position to be in and one that we’ll certainly embrace. I’m going to try to have a lot of fun this weekend.”

Patrick Reed (66) and Troy Merritt (68) were tied for second. Both fought off wind gusts that exceeded 20 mph to hit 11 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens.

“A golf course like this, even when the wind is blowing, if you’re hitting your tee shots straight, you’re going to have some wedges into the greens,” Reed said.

A 1-under 69 has @JordanSpieth still atop the leaderboard after his second round at @TravelersChamp. pic.twitter.com/uboe9gA3Va

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 23, 2017

U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka isn’t in Connecticut this week, but former Florida State teammate Chase Seiffert is in contention. The 25-year-old had to qualify Monday to get into the tournament. He made two eagles Friday and finished with a 66 to reach 6 under.

“I came into the week with no status on any tour, but I knew my game was really good,” Seiffert said. “I just had to get it done. To come out and play the first two rounds the way I did, it gives me a lot of confidence.

Wesley Bryan (67), Daniel Summerhays (68) and Boo Weekley (68) also were 5 under.

Graham DeLaet (Weyburn, Sask.) led briefly during the afternoon, but had a double bogey on 18 for a 70 to drop into the group at 5 under.

Eighty-five players made the cut and 68 finished within seven shots of the lead.

The biggest drama of the afternoon was watching the world’s third- and fourth-ranked players try to make it to the weekend.

Day was close, until he hit his second shot at 18 into a greenside bunker. He failed to get up and down, missing a 6-footer for par.

McIlroy seemed to be in good shape on 18. He was on the right edge of the fairway and looking at a second shot 105 yards from the hole. But he slipped during the swing and the ball went just 63 yards and farther right.

“My right foot completely came out from under me,” he said. “Obviously, there was a tiny bit of drizzle. Maybe a little bit of surface water. Just, I don’t know. It was weird. As soon as I started down, I just felt it and I couldn’t stop.”

No. 4: Par-4, 477 yards.@McIlroyRory yards to hole: 84! #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/AlpRpFJC0B

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 23, 2017

McIlroy may have saved his tournament on the 13th. After hitting his first shot in the water and taking a drop, he hit his third shot to 17 feet and made par. He then putted in from off the green on 14. McIlroy, who didn’t qualify for the weekend at Erin Hills, hasn’t missed consecutive cuts since 2012.

“I won’t be thinking about trying to win the tournament from there,” he said. I’ll be thinking about trying to go and play a good, solid round of golf. But we have seen here in the past guys going out and shooting a low score and getting themselves back into the tournament.“

Anirban Lahiri of India, playing his first tournament since tying for second at the Memorial, shot a bogey-free 63 to move to 4 under. He made a 32-foot eagle putt on No. 13.

“I was out (since the Memorial) meditating,” he said. “So I’ve been a little bit rusty. The body is kind of easing its way back in. So I think I’m going to get better as the week progresses.”

Two-time Travelers champion Bubba Watson, who missed the cut at Erin Hills, will have another weekend off. He followed up a 75 in the first round with a 67 and finished at 2 over.

Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.) and David Hearn (Brantford, Ont.), and Brad Fritsch (Ottawa, Ont,) are T27 at 3-under-par.

Weather could also affect the scoring Saturday. A forecast of rain led tournament officials to move the start of the third round back to 11 a.m., with the players going out in threesomes off the first and 10th tees.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Canadian Jennifer Kirby posted a 4-under-par 68 and is T4 after 18 holes of the Symetra Tour’s Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass Golf Club in Harris, Mich.

The Paris, Ont., product recorded six birdies and one double-bogey Friday to sit three shots back of the leader China’s Ruixin Liu who’s 7-under-par after an opening round 65.

A graduate of the Team Canada Amateur Squad Kirby’s play has been trending upwards. She’s made the cut in her last two Symetra Tour events after missing the cut in three of her previous four starts.

Kirby’s best result of the season came in her first event of the year, Florida’s Natural Charity Classic where she finished T34.

Kelowna, B.C., native Samantha Richdale is T6 after an opening round 3-under-par 69. She fired a 35 (-1) on the front nine and closed with a 34 (-2) on her second nine, to sit four shots back of Liu.

The Illinois State alumnus is looking to get back on track after missing the cut in two of her last four events and failing to finish inside the top-40.

Brogan McKinnon (Mississauga, Ont.) is T12 after an opening round 70 (-2), alongside Anna Kim (Toronto, Ont.)

Quebec City native and Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Anne-Catherine Tanguay, is T36 after an opening round 72 (E). Her teammate Augusta James (Bath, Ont.) is T92 (+3).

For the full Resort Island Championship click here.

Symetra Tour standout Brittany Marchand has been awarded the 2017 Mackenzie Investments-GJAC Player Bursary.

Marchand, 24, was given the $3,000 prize after a vote of the membership of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada, an organization that represents the majority of Canada’s golf media.

“It’s an honour to be the recipient of the player bursary from the GJAC and Mackenzie Investments. This is a tremendous initiative and significantly helps young Canadians golfers achieve their dreams,” said Marchand. “Thanks to the GJAC and Mackenzie Investments—this will go a long way towards my journey to the LPGA.”

“We are very excited to name Brittany Marchand as the recipient of this year’s Player Bursary,” said GJAC President Robert Thompson. “Marchand is working hard on honing her craft to get to the next level, and we, along with Mackenzie Investments, wish her the best of luck moving forward.”

A rookie on the Symetra Tour in 2016, Marchand is back on that tour again this year, with her sights on making the LPGA Tour. Marchand has notched four top-20 finishes this year, with her best being a tie for 11th at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in March.

She also was in the top-10 of the Manulife LPGA Classic in Cambridge, Ont. going into Sunday’s final round, which was a good confidence boost for her moving through the rest of the season.

Marchand, from Orangeville, Ont., captured the Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship in 2012 and recorded three wins while attending North Carolina State University.

“We are thrilled to once again partner with the Golf Journalists Association of Canada for this award and continue our support of golf in Canada,” said Court Elliott, Vice President Sponsorships, Mackenzie Investments. “Congratulations to Brittany and we hope winning this award gives her the confidence she needs to strive to the next level.”

In 2018, the player bursary will be awarded to a member of the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada. The bursary will be awarded to Symetra Tour/Mackenzie Tour members in alternating years.

To learn more about the GJAC click here.

Team Canada Men’s Head Coach Derek Ingram says using an alignment aid is a simple way to maintain your swing when practising solo.

Oftentimes on the PGA Tour, you’ll see guys practising with alignment sticks on the ground on the range and it’s no surprise why. The training aid is easily transportable, quick to set up and ideal to use individually. It’s something I encourage my athletes to use as well, as part of their daily maintenance practice to work on body alignment, clubface alignment and the starting line of their shots.

In this case, Team Canada’s Austin James has an alignment stick aimed slightly right of the target just outside the ball to guide his club face.

He has another between his feet and the ball to monitor his body alignment. Though some players are accustomed to the alignment rod right against the toes, I don’t like it because I feel the sticks get in the way and we are also trying to check hips, shoulders and even eye line.

Austin’s stuck a third alignment stick in the ground about 15 feet in front of the ball on the target line. He is trying to start the ball right of this stick and his target line and then draw it back to the target. In a perfect world, the ball does not overdraw past the target.

Those are the basics of an alignment station. Opening up and closing out your practice sessions with a drill like this for as little as 10 minutes with a mid-iron (six- to eight-iron) is a great way to maintain your body setup, your clubface at address and your clubface at impact (start line).

I believe it’s the small things that add up to make a big difference.

Check out other practice tips from the Team Canada coaches here

Follow @digingramgolf

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

Traditional stroke play isn’t the only way to tee it up. Craig Loughry Golf Canada Director of Handicapping & Course rating explains a number of team formats available to spice up your next game.

Last fall, the PGA Tour announced a big change to its Zurich Classic of New Orleans event. Like most stops, it had been an individual stroke play tournament since its inception in 1938 but that is no longer the case.

This year, and moving forward, it was conducted as a team format played in partners of two, with two rounds of foursomes and two rounds of four-ball stroke play.

It’s worth reviewing these team formats in some detail. Foursomes is a competition in which two golfers team as partners and alternately play one ball.

Meanwhile four-ball is a competition in which teammates play their own ball with the lower score between the two on each hole counting as the team’s score. This is also known as better-ball.

I won’t argue that these formats could probably be better named or labelled, as it’s not evident what they mean simply by reading them. Better-ball is too often confused with a scramble; four-ball seems like it would be a four-person team; and foursomes just sounds like a group that is playing in one slotted tee time.

I’ve heard through the years that it would be great if this was less confusing and their names derive from the fact they are usually part of a match-play competition pitting two teams of two head to head (hence four balls in play or a foursome in play).

However, once you get accustomed to the terms, it’s digestible. And Stableford, well that’s named after the inventor of the points game. That format dates back to the 1930s (and can be played by a team in several ways).

I highly recommend checking for these formats in either the Rules of Golf or more specifically in the Golf Canada Handicap Manual (Section 9), which can be conveniently found on our website.

When the Zurich Classic format change was announced, I heard and read comments that golf could use a shot in the arm with more team play. Most people referenced the Presidents Cup (run by the PGA Tour), Ryder Cup (PGA of America/European Tour) and Solheim Cup (LPGA Tour/Ladies European Tour) as perfect examples of exciting team golf. Both exhibitions use these forms of team play, which — judging by the television audiences and player comments — is key to the allure of these events.

Congratulations to our winning team, Jonas Blixt and Cameron Smith! Your 2017 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Champions! #teamgolf pic.twitter.com/i8OKDLDtwd

— Zurich Classic (@Zurich_Classic) May 1, 2017

I don’t disagree, since golf is perceived to be an individual sport despite one generally played with two or three others in a group. Similarly, it seems natural and logical that team play would slide in seamlessly and add an element of friendly competition.

I’d like to help change the perception of golf being an individual sport so I did a little digging in the archives. I knew the aforementioned formats were mentioned in the Rules of Golf specifically (Sections 29-30 and 31) and that they have been around for a long time.

What I wasn’t sure of was how long these formats have existed, as the sport of golf can be traced back to 1467 (some 560 years — just think about that history). My research showed that these forms of play were first officially documented in the early 1800s, although I’d bet they existed long before that.

Even outside of golf’s top tours, team formats have been enjoyed at the club level for at least 200 years. All you have to do is look at how many clubs run team competitions, or member/guest events, which are typically four-ball stroke play. This is a great format because if you are playing badly — much worse than your partner on a particular hole — you can just pick up, pull out the pom-poms and cheer on your pal.

And let’s not forget, the Handicap System can be used to set these events up equitably for all golfers. There is an entire section in the Handicap Manual (Section 9-4) that explains various allowances for recommended use to ensure these formats are played fairly.

Anyone who’s played in such team events knows about the thrill of competing with a friend (such as my partner Ray, who I call “Mr. Clutch”) and the added social engagement it contains. I’d certainly encourage the golfing public to give these formats a try if you haven’t already.

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

Jordan Spieth didn’t take long to figure out TPC River Highlands.

Making his debut at the Connecticut course, the 23-year-old Texan had eight birdies and a bogey Thursday for a 7-under 63 and a one-stroke lead in the Travelers Championship.

Spieth birdied five of the first eight holes and took sole possession of the lead on the final hole, hitting a wedge to 4 feet for birdie on the par-4 18th.

“Being 3 under through four it helps you walk a little easier, it helps kind of the shots you are playing throughout the round,” Spieth said. “You don’t feel like you have to take as many chances and I was able to play away from pins when I was in a little bit of trouble.”

The two-time major champion tied for 35th on Sunday in the U.S. Open at Erin Hills.

Johnson Wagner and Brett Stegmaier, a Connecticut native who grew up about 25 miles from the course in Madison, were tied for second.

Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., was tied for fourth after shooting a 65. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot a 67. Hearn is T19 alongside Dundas, Ont., native Mackenzie Hughes.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., and Ottawa’s David Fritsch had 70’s and Nick Taylor, also of Abbotsford, shot a 71.

Another strong start for @GrahamDeLaet at the @TravelersChamp.

He's contending again with a 5-under 65. pic.twitter.com/eDlJuF4NWK

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) June 22, 2017

The 33-year-old Stegmaier said he decided to become a professional golfer while in the gallery at the tournament in 2000, watching Notah Begay sink a 25-foot birdie putt to win. It was his fourth appearance at the Travelers and his first sub-par round.

“To be here now, it’s almost a little surreal,” Stegmaier said. “Just being on tour, I realize it’s not the greatest thing in the world, because it’s still a job. You still got to grind and there’s low points. But with the right perspective, to be here now talking to you guys, it’s pretty cool.”

Stegmaier, who missed six cuts in his last seven tournaments, had seven birdies in a nine-hole stretch in the middle of the round and closed with a bogey on No. 9.

Wagner was first into the clubhouse with a 64. He chipped in from 70 feet on his opening hole.

“It was a nice way to start and kind much calmed me down and kind of let me know today was going to be my day,” he said.

DeLaet and Troy Merritt shot 65.

Rory McIlroy, also playing for the first time at TPC River Highlands, had a 67. The third-ranked McIlroy started early on the back nine drawing large galleries before 8 a.m.

He was still experimenting with the putter he began using while missing the cut at the U.S. Open and missed five short birdie putts Thursday. But he finished with just one bogey. That came on No. 18 when he missed a 13-foot birdie putt by 3 feet, then lipped out his par attempt.

“I feel like I could have been at least three or four better, said McIlroy, who said he’s giving the new putter one more week to begin working. ”I think I hit five or six putts out there that hit the hole and didn’t go in.“

The tournament’s strong field includes Spieth, McIlroy and fourth-ranked Jason Day.

Day, who like McIlroy missed the cut at the U.S. Open, shot a 72. Two-time Travelers champion Bubba Watson had a 75.

Spieth said he felt as if he built off what at the time seemed like a meaningless 69 in the final round at Erin Hills.

“I thought that was a round just like this,” he said. “I thought I played as well or even better than I did today.”

A 7-under 63 in his debut at the @TravelersChamp.@JordanSpieth has finished with sole possession of the lead. pic.twitter.com/5GbEZ6Du33

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 22, 2017

He had to overcome several distractions Thursday including a delay at the sixth hole while paramedics attended to a fan who had passed out.

The incident came several weeks after Spieth said he witnessed a fan die during the pro-am at the Memorial in Ohio.

“It’s bizarre that that happens, but fortunately this lady, she got up and seemed to be just fine after she kind of cooled down for a little while and the paramedics came,” he said. “I mean, there’s more important things than golf. But, it didn’t bother us.”

Jim Furyk, like playing partner McIlroy, shot a 67. Furyk was playing his first round in Cromwell since setting a tour record with a 58 in the final round last year. He said fans were shouting at him all day to go for 57.

“Rory joked off the 10th we might hear 40s before we’re done,” he said. “It was a fun round and it’s great to come back.”

For the full leaderboard click here.

London, Ontario’s Ellie Szeryk carded a 5-under-par 66 at the Garland, Tex., Qualifier to secure a spot in the 2017 U.S. Girls Junior Championship at Boone Valley Golf Club, in Augusta, Mo., from July 24-29.

Szeryk had six birdies and just one bogey on Wednesday at Firewheel Golf Park – Old Course to win medallist honours and finish five strokes clear of Macy Holliday (Dallas, Tex.) and Haley Vargas (Lubbock, Tex.) who carded even par 71’s to also advance.

Ellie is the younger sister of Team Canada Amateur Squad member Maddie Szeryk.

The younger Szeryk advanced to the round-of-64 at the Women’s Western Golf Association Amateur Championship last week, an event her sister went on to win.

Earlier in June Szeryk finished second at the Future Links driven by Acura Quebec Championship at Milby Golf Club after a 4-under-par 69 in the final round and in May she finished 2nd at the Future Links driven by Acura Ontario Championship at Brockville Country Club.

Two other Canadians have already qualified for the 2017 U.S. Girls Junior Championship.

Phoebe Yue advanced from the Merced, Calif., qualifier and Euna Han won medallist honours at the Kent, Wash., qualifier to book her ticket to Boone Valley.

For the full Texas qualifier results click here.

Isn’t it great when things come full circle?

Eunice Hong, a collegiate golfer at the University of British Columbia (UBC), recently started a summer internship at the Golf Canada Foundation, the same foundation that helped her academic and golf dreams become a reality.

In 2015, Hong was the recipient of the Geordie Hilton Academic Scholarship, one of 17 scholarships that the Golf Canada Foundation hands out every year.

“It felt really great to be honoured for my accomplishments,” said Hong. “It turned into a motivation for me to keep going and push myself harder in both golf and school. Knowing that the Foundation works so hard with all the donations and sponsorships, I wanted to give back to the golf community, especially the Foundation.”

Hong, a 20-year-old student in her second year at UBC’s Sauder School of Business, began playing golf when she was in grade nine because, like most young golfers, it was something her father really enjoyed.

It was the support of her parents that drove the Thornhill, Ont., native to seek out the scholarship. Prior to participating in golf her parents financed her through six years of competitive swimming.

“Part of the reason for getting the scholarship was obviously the financial benefit, but mainly I wanted to give back to my parents,” she said. “They put me through competitive swimming and competitive golf; that’s a lot of money. I wanted to thank them for all of their support over the years.”

When Hong received the award she felt that her parents’ efforts were also rewarded.

“They were ecstatic,” she said. “It was really great for them knowing that I won an award because it meant that they knew that their hard work helping me in school and golf paid off.”

Hong is just one of over 350 promising young golfers who have received a scholarship since the Foundation established the program in 1982. Since that time the Foundation has dispensed $2.3 million to assist student golfers with tuition, books, residency and other student-related expenses.

“We believe strongly in supporting Canada’s student-athletes and helping create the next generation of leaders, in part benefiting from the values and skills they learn through golf,” said Martin Barnard, the Chief Executive Officer of the Golf Canada Foundation.

The program, which is currently accepting applications until June 30, has allowed young golfers to continue their golf careers while pursuing their University or College education.

Brad Fritsch is a notable example of a former student-athlete that the foundation benefited. He received a scholarship back in the 1990s and now he is professional golfer on the PGA TOUR.

Beyond the dollars and cents of the scholarships, it’s the opportunity that the awards present that really benefit the students.

“The scholarship really opened up doors for me,” Hong said. “I wasn’t originally planning on leaving Ontario, but with the scholarship I was able to talk to a lot of other coaches around Canada and got me over to UBC while simultaneously creating connections to the business side of golf.”

Prior to receiving the award, Hong was planning on staying close to where she grew up and playing golf on the side, as a hobby. But now, her Golf Canada Foundation scholarship has allowed her to pursue a different future.

“I didn’t really ever think of going to the LPGA or anything else competitive,” she said. “I just wanted to keep golf there as a hobby, to play with friends and family. Now that I have the scholarship, things have changed. I don’t know about ultimately going pro, but now it’s definitely a possibility.”

After all, the Foundation wants to allow students to pursue academics through golf all the while supplying options through the Canadian sport system for both education and career choices.

“We want to provide opportunity for all students to have access to top schools through the sport, and particularly for young women to gain access to high quality education through golf,” said Barnard. “We hope that men and women who come through this program will inspire younger kids to pick up the game and stick with it for a lifetime.”

The scholarship application period is open until June 30 – click here to apply.