Dundas, Ont., native Mackenzie Hughes can qualify for his first career British Open this week with a strong performance at the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn.

After the Travelers the R&A will offer spots to the five highest-ranked players in the top-20 of the FedEx Cup standings not already in the British Open field.

Currently there are four players inside the top-20 who fall under that category: Brian Harman No. 10, Brendan Steele No. 13, Russell Henley No. 18, and Hughes No. 20.

If the 26-year-old Hughes maintains his top-20 ranking the PGA TOUR rookie will be heading to his third career major.

Four weeks to go until battle commences for the Claret Jug.?️ pic.twitter.com/Rq7VC0adEr

— The Open (@TheOpen) June 22, 2017

The Kent State alumnus played in the 2017 Masters on the strength of his first career PGA TOUR victory at the RSM Classic in November. His other major appearance came at the 2013 U.S. Open after going through sectional qualifying.

Hughes’ rookie season has had its ups-and-downs.

After starting strong with three top-25 finishes in his first six events – Hughes has managed just two in his last 16 starts.

Hughes’ best result of late was a T16 at The Players Championship in May where he held a share of the lead through 18 holes thanks to a bogey-free 67.

Adam Hadwin from Abbotsford, B.C., is currently the lone Canadian in the field.

Wesley Bryan (No. 22 in the FedEx Cup standings) Hudson Swafford (No. 26), and Charley Hoffman (No. 30) are also in the mix for British Open spots this week.

For the full Travelers Championship leaderboard click here.

Gary Cowan’s golf career started with a little bit of mischievous behaviour.

Growing up within a short jaunt to Kitchener, Ont.’s municipally owned Rockway Golf Course, a young Gary was asked by a few friends if he wanted to come and collect golf balls from the golf course.

“At the time, I didn’t even know what they were,” admits Gary.

It was his father who deserves some credit for sparking what would become a lifelong devotion after that. His dad bought him his first club in 1948 — a five-iron.

From there, Gary found his passion. He would show up at Rockway on a daily basis, playing as much as he could with his single golf club, learning the basics and the culture of golf from other members at Rockway.

One in particular was Lloyd Tucker, a renowned golf instructor responsible for the success of other local golfing stalwarts like Gerry Kesselring and Moe Norman. Tucker took Gary under his wing and really, the rest — 17 amateur championships (twice a U.S. Amateur winner) and an appearance at the Masters — is history.

Like most golf families, there was some baggage that Gary brought along into the golf world — four children.

Rob, who celebrated his 52nd birthday last month, is the oldest. Todd remained around the sport as an instructor, while Jamie and Sue still play the game.

Whether they liked it or not, the Cowan kids were around golf every summer. All four worked at Rockway, often spending all day working, playing or both.

“It’s all I knew,” said Rob. “It’s all I knew, too,” quipped Gary, who officially became a member at the age of 12.

For Rob, who was trying to make a name for himself as a youth playing in local tournaments, living in his father’s shadow was trying to say the least.

Rob remembers one occasion from 1995, when he was playing in Grand Rapids trying to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Open for the first time. After a rain-soaked first round, he was approached by someone in the clubhouse who asked where he was from. Rob told him Kitchener.

“He said, ‘Do you know Gary Cowan?’ and I said yeah, that’s my dad,” said Rob.

From there, Rob attempted to break free from his father’s shadow.

“People would ask me if I’m Gary Cowan’s son and I would say ‘No, Gary Cowan is my father,’” he said.

While the father-son ties to golf are strong in the Cowan family, when it comes to playing, they couldn’t be more separate. Rob only played nine holes with his father at the now-defunct Grand River Golf Course, and during Rob’s career, Gary only caddied nine holes during one round, before being fired by his son.

“It was a sport we both shared, but we did it quite separately,” said Rob

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

As part of Canada 150 celebrations, the nation’s capital is hosting the stars of the LPGA Tour, including a strong Canadian contingent led by last week’s LPGA Tour winner Brooke Henderson. Golf Canada, in partnership with Canadian Pacific (CP), has announced many of the world’s top players have committed to play in the 2017 CP Women’s Open from August 21-27 at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club.

Defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn leads a stellar list of early commitments set to challenge for the $2.25 million USD purse, one of the largest prizes on tour. A six-time winner on the LPGA Tour, the Thailand native recently climbed to No. 1 in the Rolex World Rankings following her victory at the 2017 Manulife LPGA Classic in Waterloo, Ont.

Three-time CP Women’s Open champion and world No. 2 Lydia Ko of New Zealand will be searching for a record fourth Canadian Women’s Open title. Ko’s three Canadian titles (2012, 2013 and 2015) ties the 20-year-old with Meg Mallon and Pat Bradley for most victories at Canada’s National Women’s Open. A 14-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Ko held the No. 1 world ranking for 85 weeks prior to Jutanugarn.

World No. 3 So Yeon Ryu, who won the inaugural CP Women’s Open in 2014, will also compete at Ottawa Hunt. Jutanugarn and Ryu are among nine of the top-10 players on the LPGA Tour Official Money List who have confirmed their intention to compete in the nation’s capital later this summer.

Other top-10 commitments include In Gee Chun, Christie Kerr, Canada’s Brooke Henderson, Inbee Park, Anna Nordqvist, Sei Young Kim and Sung Hyn Park.

No player will generate more excitement this August in Ottawa than Canadian sensation Brooke Henderson of nearby Smiths Falls, Ont., who will compete in her seventh career National Open, this time in front of hometown crowds at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club.

Coming off her impressive come from behind win at last week’s Meijer LPGA Classic, the four-time winner and major champion has amassed 18 top-10s since joining the LPGA Tour in late 2015.

The graduate of Golf Canada’s National Team program is a former world No. 1 amateur and represented Canada at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where she finished T7.

A proud ambassador for CP, Henderson will lead the Canadian contingent into Ottawa as part of the Canada 150 celebration events being hosted in the nation’s capital. World No. 71 and Canadian Olympian Alena Sharp of Hamilton will look to improve on her top-five finish at the 2016 CP Women’s Open as she competes in her national

Open for the 13^th time. Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured member and CP ambassador Lorie Kane, a four-time winner on the LPGA Tour will be competing in Canada’s National Open Championship for a record 27^th consecutive time.

The world’s best will be at Ottawa Hunt to compete for the CP Women’s Open trophy, with a strong Canadian contingent led by Smiths Falls Brooke Henderson.

LPGA Tour members Jennifer Ha of Calgary and Maude-Aimée LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., are also set to compete and will be joined by several more Canadians to be announced in the coming weeks.

Jutanugarn, Ko and Ryu will be among 10 past champions competing this year along with Brittany Lincicome (2011), Michelle Wie (2010), Suzann Pettersen (2009), Cristie Kerr (2007) and Katherine Kirk who won the event in 2008 when Ottawa Hunt last hosted the stars of the LPGA Tour.

The field of 156 golfers teeing it up at Ottawa Hunt is expected to again represent arguably the strongest field on the LPGA Tour, carrying over from the 2016 event which welcomed 96 of the top 100 players on the LPGA Tour money list.

“We are thrilled to bring the stars of the LPGA Tour back to Ottawa Hunt as part of the special Canada 150 celebrations happening in the nation’s capital and across Canada in 2017,” said Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin.  “Ottawa is a tremendous golf market with passionate golf fans and no doubt the global stars of the LPGA Tour and Canadian talents led by hometown hero Brooke Henderson will make for a truly special event in 2017.”

Information regarding tickets, volunteer opportunities and corporate hospitality for the CP Women’s Open can be found at www.cpwomensopen.com.

CP Has Heart Charity Campaign to benefit the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario…

Now in its fourth year, CP’s community investment program, CP Has Heart is committed to raising funds in support of children’s heart health in the host community of the CP Women’s Open. The 2017 edition of Canada’s National Women’s Open is proud to have the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) as the beneficiary charity.

The CP Has Heart fundraising activities tied to the CP Women’s Open and CHEO are part of CP’s overarching “Beautiful Hearts” campaign across the Ottawa region which will also run during the CFL regular season, playoffs and Grey Cup

The “Beautiful Hearts” campaign will support the refurbishment of facilities that patients use every day at CHEO and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and celebrate the resiliency and spirit of the human heart.

“At CP, we take great pride in our history of connecting Canada and are thrilled to be in Ottawa for this celebration connecting Canadians with the world’s best golfers – including our CP Ambassadors Brooke Henderson and Lorie Kane – and connecting CHEO with opportunities to further its important work,” said Keith Creel, CP President and CEO.

“Our family of 12,000 railroaders is excited about the tournament, but more than that, we are excited to leave a charitable legacy in the nation’s capital. CP Has Heart’s ‘Beautiful Hearts’ campaign will bring crucial support to both CHEO and the Ottawa Heart Institute this year.”

Each year, CHEO touches the lives of more than 500,000 infants, children and youth from Eastern and Northern Ontario, Western Quebec and Nunavut. To better care for these patients, CHEO will be embarking on a $1.8 million project to upgrade the hospital’s Catheterization Lab and Interventional Suite. A redesigned space, specialized equipment and pediatric specific training will be critically important elements in the health and wellness of CHEO’s patients.

Through August 27, 2017, CP will match all donations made towards pediatric cardiac care and research at cheoheart.com. CP will also donate $5,000 to CHEO for every birdie made by a player on the 15th hole at Ottawa Hunt during this year’s championship.

The 15^th hole will also feature the 15^th Green CP Fan Zone where golf fans can donate $20 to upgrade their grounds pass to access a covered greenside bleacher and viewing area with all proceeds to benefit CHEO.

Since 2014, the CP Has Heart charity campaign has raised more than $4.5 million in support of children’s heart health.

Kids 17-and-under Get in Free…
Golf Canada and CP are committed to offering a fan friendly, family event with the CP Women’s Open. To introduce more juniors to the sport, children aged 17-and-under get FREE admission to the CP Women’s Open for the entire week.

Tickets…
Juniors – 17 & Under Free
Early Week (Mon-Wed) $11.30
Anyday Grounds (Thurs-Sun) $39.55
Weekly (Mon-Sun) $90.40
Clubhouse Badge (Mon-Sun) $169.50.

Visit www.cpwomenspen.com for more information.

From April 27 – 30, Golf Canada held the second installment of its Tournament Administration and Referees’ School (TARS) at Richmond Country Club in Richmond, B.C.

Over 50 participants from across the country gathered to attend the seminar that featured some of the most knowledgeable and well-versed Rules of Golf experts. Distinguished presenters at TARS 2.0 included:

• Shona McRae, Assistant Director of Rules, R&A
• Diane Barabé, Chair, Rules and Amateur Status Committee, Golf Canada (2017-present)
• Dale Jackson, Past Chair, Rules and Amateur Status Committee, Golf Canada (2012-2017)
• Dean Ryan, Rules Official, PGA TOUR; Past Chair, Rules and Amateur Status Committee (2008-2012)
• Jean Stone-Séguin, Amateur Status Chair, Golf Canada (2016–present)
• Adam Helmer, Director of Rules, Competitions and Amateur Status, Golf Canada
• Mary Beth McKenna, Manager of Rules and Competition, Golf Canada

Participants arrived on the Thursday to write the Level 3 or Level 4 Rules of Golf exam in hopes of achieving the 85th percentile required to become a certified Golf Canada Rules Official.

Following the exam, a reception was held at the Richmond Olympic Oval, where Vancouver hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics speed skating competitions.

Upon arrival, guests were invited to the ROX Theatre where they viewed a short inspirational video, detailing the experience of what it would be like as an athlete pursuing the Olympic dream.

The venue also offered participants the chance to try various interactive simulators, including ski jumping, bobsledding, and many more.

Golf Canada also presented Bill Klein with the 2016 Volunteer of the Year award.

Some of the highlighted topics included discussion on the Rules Modernization Project, insights and perspectives from players about the Rules of Golf, and a roundtable on the art of refereeing.

The seminar also offered various practical demonstrations to supplement the lessons and topics covered in presentations.

“I enjoyed meeting Golf Canada staff in person, most of which was for the first time. I was grateful for the opportunity to learn from others with a substantial amount of experience and wisdom,” said a TARS participant.

On the final day of the seminar, participants took to the course for role playing sessions to test their application of the knowledge absorbed from the previous two days.

Instructors would demonstrate different rules scenarios for groups and ask for a  Rules Official to make a ruling.

The role-playing sessions were well received by all participants, as it provided a valuable opportunity to experience what it would be like officiating in an actual tournament.

A huge thank you to the instructors who did an excellent job sharing their experiences and instilling wisdom into the keen group of participants who attended.

In addition, Golf Canada would like to thank Richmond Country Club for providing the extraordinary service and hosting the seminar at its beautiful facilities. Finally, Golf Canada would like to thank everyone who attended TARS 2017.

There was a tremendous amount of great feedback that will be considered for the next installment. We hope to see everyone at future seminars as well as on-course officiating at events. Thank you for your dedication and support of golf in Canada.

To view pictures taken throughout TARS 2.0, please click here.

Together for 25 years and more than 600 golf tournaments, Phil Mickelson and caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay are moving on.

In a surprising email just two days after the U.S. Open that Mickelson didn’t play, they said the decision to part ways was mutual and not based on any one incident.

“We just feel it’s the right time for a change,” Mickelson said.

They were apart the last time they were together. Mickelson was home in California to attend his daughter’s high school graduation, while Mackay was at Erin Hills in Wisconsin taking notes and scouting the course just in case a weather delay would have allowed Mickelson to make his tee time.

Statement from Phil regarding Bones breakup. #damn pic.twitter.com/9pJfJvXQfN

— Jay Coffin (@JayCoffinGC) June 20, 2017

“Player-caddie relationships don’t often last that long,” Mackay said. “I will always be grateful that I was around to witness so much of Phil’s career.”

Mackay previously caddied for Larry Mize and Scott Simpson when he was hired in 1992 to work for Mickelson, who had won a PGA Tour event while at Arizona State. Their first event was a U.S. Open qualifier, and Mickelson shot rounds of 69-63.

They were together for 45 victories worldwide, including five majors, and every Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup team since 1994.

“When Phil hired me in 1992, I had one dream: to caddie in a Ryder Cup,” Mackay said. “Last year, at Hazeltine, Phil played in his 11th straight Ryder Cup. It was so cool to have a front row seat. I wish Phil nothing but the best. His game is still at an elite level, and when he wins in the future (definitely the Masters), I will be among the first to congratulate him.”

Mackay is not retiring as a caddie, though he had no immediate plans. He is coming off double knee replacement surgery during the last off-season.

Mickelson said his brother, Tim Mickelson, would caddie for him the rest of the year. Tim Mickelson is the agent for Jon Rahm, and he filled in for his big brother during the Mexico Championship when Mackay went down with a stomach virus.

Rare was the occasion when Mickelson was playing a tournament with someone other than Mackay on his bag.

Steve Loy’s, Mickelson’s coach at Arizona State and now his manager, was on the bag for the 1993 Tucson Open. Mickelson took his college roommate, Rob Mangini, to Japan in 1995. Those were the only two times Mackay did not caddie for him.

“Bones is one of the most knowledgeable and dedicated caddies in the world,” Mickelson said. “He is always prepared and has the ability to make decisions in pressure-packed situations. Bones is without a doubt one of the most thoughtful people that I have ever known. The next player to work with him will obviously be very lucky.”

Phil and Bones have officially split.

It doesn’t get any better than this exchange from 2012. pic.twitter.com/zll38kLHsh

— Skratch (@Skratch) June 20, 2017

Mackay also was there for some of Mickelson’s unpredictable decisions, such as trying to hit out of the rough, under a tree and over the water at Bay Hill, or trying to play a fairway metal out of the rough at a major.

Mickelson allowed him only one “veto” a year, a chance to talk Lefty out of a shot.

“I do want to say for the record that I did not use my ‘veto’ this year,” Mackay said. “I would like to pass it along to Tim, in all its glory.”

No chance. Mickelson said vetoes are “non-transferrable.”

The player-caddie relationship extended far beyond the golf course. Mackay flew to San Diego in 2009 to spend time with his boss after Mickelson discovered that his wife had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Mackay met his wife, Jen, through Amy Mickelson and they have two children. They live in Scottsdale, Arizona, where Mackay is a member at Whisper Rock.

“He has been one of the most important and special people in my life since the day we met and I will always be grateful for everything he has done for me,” Mickelson said. “Amy and I, and our children, will always think of Bones, Jen, Oliver and Emma as family. We are looking forward to sharing life and friendship with them forever.”

Whether it’s a group of four or 400, golf has always been a game that’s created memories among those closest to us.

Rewind the clock to Christmas 1977 in little Noëlville, Ont., which is located about an hour south of Sudbury in the municipality of French River. Appropriately named for this time of year, Noëlville — a 735-square-kilometre area with a population of just over 2,600 — is small in size but big in community.

The Mayer family, mid-afternoon on December 31st, challenges the Carriere family to a hockey game.

“It was just a friendly competition,” recalls Mike Mayer, whose father Claude was among the game’s founding players. “It was just for fun. We had so much fun and we wondered if the community would buy into it. And they did. It just took off. It was crazy.”

Fast-forward to today, and the hockey tournament includes 32 teams with about 15 players each, and is one of the most anticipated events annually marked on the calendar.

That said, it’s not as big as the softball competition that the families decided to organize a few years after the beginning of the hockey tournament, which now has approximately 100 teams who participate each summer.

The hockey and softball tournaments — which are so popular they even have their own Wikipedia entries — have been going on since the 1970s. The elder Mayer realized his kids enjoyed golf as they got older, and the younger Mayer, Mike, would usually tee it up with approximately 20 people the day after the softball tournament. It only made sense to then add a golf tournament to the rotation of yearly family events.

It started a few summers ago at The Maples Golf and Sports Club in Noëlville.

Adding intrigue to the Noëlville Family Golf Tournament is the fact that The Maples is a Tri-Par designed course, the first, the club claims, in the world.

With multiple tee decks on every hole, each can be played as either a par 3, 4, or 5. According to its website, there are 387,420,489 possible combinations of golf rounds and it can be played up to a par 90.

Mike Bouffard, owner of The Maples, says there were 40 people who played golf in the tournament a year ago, with more, he hopes, to come.

There’s a constitution that participants must follow in order to participate in the hockey tournament — an example: one must be within seven generations of an original participant in order to play, and the same holds true with golf.

“There are a lot of rivalries,” Bouffard says with a laugh. “You have the pride of your family on the line. Especially in hockey, when two families meet who don’t exactly like each other there’s always competition. But in golf everyone is having a good time. It’s all about bonding in the family.”

“It’s pretty well the way it is around here. Families want to meet. It gives them an occasion to get together,” he continues. “The golf tournament is on Father’s Day weekend, so it just fits well to have a tournament then. It’s all about the family ties.”

Family comes first at the Noëlville Family Golf Tournament. 

A family getting together is an important aspect to any longstanding golf tournament — whether it is in small-town Ontario or the smallest province in the country, as is the case with the Kenmac Energy Family Golf Classic in Prince Edward Island.

Dan MacIsaac, who started Kenmac Energy Inc. in 1986, picked up the sponsorship of the Family Golf Classic 30 years ago. As one of 10 kids, he grew up across the street from Belvedere Golf Club — the host club — and admits the course was a big part of the lives of he and his siblings.

A key highlight of the social calendar in Charlottetown every summer, the mid-July event is a hub for families year after year.

“There’s been a lot of great memories, but I think playing with third-generation kids in the tournament is a testament to what this day means to many families,” says MacIsaac. “It’s also a lot of fun to see the youngest kids each year prepare for their first time in the tournament.”

MacIsaac notes the tournament annually awards prizes for families in different divisions, and specifically a full set of clubs (with bag) for kids 13-and-under, and a driver for kids 14 to 18. Parents aren’t left out, however, as each year there is a draw for two nights and two rounds at Cabot Links.

The tournament isn’t just an opportunity for families to gather and play the game they love; there is an aspect of growing the game as well. And, like the Mayers and Carrieres 1,800 kilometres away in Noëlville, the families who participate in the Kenmac Energy Family Golf Classic are eager to return every summer to help the next generation enjoy the game as much as they do.

“I enjoy seeing kids playing the game I love while meeting new friends and learning life skills at the golf course,” MacIsaac explains. “There’s nothing better as a grandparent myself to see your grandkids dropped off at the golf club in the morning and see them make friends and enjoy spending the day at the club as I once did. I’ve got a commitment to sponsor this family golf day until I get to play with my youngest grandchild, who is seven now (so) three more years for sure. We have had a lot of fun over the years on this day in July.”

Whether an annual golf tournament is the result of a longstanding family rivalry that started one New Years Eve on the hockey rink or because there was an obligation to continue to give back to a golf course that gave you so much growing up in Charlottetown, the crux of it all is that family togetherness will keep tournaments — and golf itself — thriving well into the future.

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

Former amateur standout Maude-Aimée LeBlanc has seen her fair share of ups and downs during her six years as a pro, but through it all, she has grown and matured.

During the recent Manulife LPGA Classic in Cambridge, the former Canadian national team member took a moment to speak about her journey to success on the golf course.

Looking back, the 28-year-old Sherbrooke, Que. native credits her dad, Gaston, for getting her started in the sport at the tender age of five.

“It was my dad who introduced me to the game.  He never played pro, but he was a really good amateur. I remember really enjoying the sport and playing all the time as a kid,” recalled the 6 foot 1 inch LeBlanc.

“I started tournaments around nine years old. I was one of only two girls competing in the junior tournaments and we were always beating the boys; and it was around that time that I knew I was pretty good,” she recalled with a smile.

LeBlanc says it was American Michelle Wie’s success that inspired her to pursue the sport professionally.

“When I was 12 or 13, I remember seeing Michelle Wie on TV all the time; and she was playing professional tournaments already.  I was thinking that was pretty cool and I thought that’s what I wanted to do also,” she said.

LeBlanc still remembers the thrill of playing alongside Wie during the 2008 Canadian Women’s Open in Ottawa.

“I played with her for the first time when I was 19 at the Canadian Women’s Open,” she recalled.

“I got an exemption; and they paired us together and it was an incredible experience.  It was actually at the same course that the Canadian Open is taking place at this year (Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club).”

In reflecting on her success as an amateur, the 2006 Royal Canadian Junior Girls Champion also credits Golf Canada for playing an important role.

“I was on the team with Golf Canada since I was 13.  I learned a lot and got a lot of opportunities to play all around the world, so it was great for my development,” said LeBlanc, who also won the 2007 Quebec Amateur Championship.

LeBlanc’s success as a junior would score her a full scholarship to Purdue University where she would lead the women’s golf team to the NCAA title in 2010.

“It was a great team and Maude was one of the better players – if not the best.  I learned so much from her. She was such a long hitter and had a good putter,” recalled former teammate and current LPGA pro Paula Reto during the recent Manulife LPGA Classic.

“We were all on the 18th waiting for Maude to come in; and she had to make par to help us win the title – and she did just that.”

According to another former Boilermaker teammate, Laura Gonzalez Escallon, LeBlanc’s par on the 18th hole required a determined effort.

“Maude had to make up-and-down from a really deep bunker where you couldn’t even see her; and she made it to give us the win by one shot. It was clutch,” said Gonzalez Escallon, a first year LPGA pro.

“I was a rookie at the time and it was an amazing feeling.  It was such a big accomplishment for all of us to win the NCAA title and to have that on our records.”

Leading her team to the NCAA title in her junior year earned LeBlanc recognition as first team All-American by Golfweek Magazine.

LeBlanc says her time at Purdue will always hold a special place in her heart.

“Our team was amazing and we had great team chemistry so it was a lot of fun. The four years spent there will always be something that will be special to me.”

After graduating in 2011, she secured her full LPGA tour card on her first attempt through Qualifying School.  However, a back injury ended her 2012 rookie season half way through.

LeBlanc had a difficult time recovering her “A” game following the injury.  After struggling in 2013, she would lose her full LPGA status and competed primarily on the Symetra Tour during the 2014 season.

By 2015, LeBlanc’s health was back at 100 per cent and her game was rounding back into form. She would go on to record six top five finishes on the Symetra Tour in 22 starts that year.

In December of 2015, the former amateur standout once again earned her full LGPA tour card through Qualifying School where she finished in the top five.

LeBlanc would go on to record her most successful season as a pro in 2016, as she made the cut in 15 of 23 tournaments, and earned over US$173,000 in prize money.

Given her successful 2016 campaign, she entered the 2017 season with the personal goal of breaking through and capturing her maiden LPGA title.

However, after a strong start, where she finished in a tie for seventh spot at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in February, LeBlanc has struggled since – making the cut in only two out of her next 11 tournaments.

Despite LeBlanc’s struggles, her former Purdue teammate believes the talented Canadian is capable of putting up much better results.

“Maude’s got a great game and she’s one of the longest hitters on tour – so it’s just a matter of having that confidence in her short game,” noted Gonzalez Escallon about LeBlanc who is ranked in the top five in the LPGA in driving distance at just over 275 yards per drive.

LeBlanc agrees that a big part of her inconsistency has to do with her confidence on the greens.

“I had a really good start to the year. I felt my putting was really good at the beginning of the year and it kind of went downhill a little bit.  So, it’s been a bit frustrating,” she said candidly.

However, the sixth-year pro says she’s been working hard to address that area of her game.

“I’ve been putting in extra time working on my putting in practice and recently I feel like I’m playing a lot better than my scores have been,” she said.

“As well, I’ve learned a lot from the ups and downs over the years; and I feel that I’ve matured a lot and I know what I need to do to turn things around. I feel that I’m really close to doing that.”

While there are a number of big tournaments still to come on the LPGA schedule this summer, says she has one specific one circled on her calendar.

“One of the tournaments I’m really looking forward to is the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.  I have two weeks off before because I’m not playing in the Solheim Cup. So, I’m going be home during that time to play the course a few times before the tournament and I’ll be prepared,” noted the former Canadian national team member.

With her back injury now a thing of the past combined with a world class long game, LeBlanc is clear on what she needs to address in order to reach her goals on the golf course for the remainder of this year – and beyond.

“I believe that I can still win out there but I just have to get the putter to cooperate,” she said.

“I feel my game has been moving in the right direction recently so I’m just going to stay patient and continue to work on my putting – and I believe the results will come.”

In the midst of its 14th season, Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru boasts over 100,000 participants since 2003 raising over $5.9 million dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society and Québec Breast Cancer Foundation in support of breast cancer research during that period.

Golf Fore the Cure presented  by Subaru offers a seamless addition to an existing event (such as ladies night) with free prizing and event kits.

In 2017 Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru has a fundraising goal of $500,000.

In just one month over $15,000 has already been raised. The below infographic outlines six easy steps to planning your own Golf Fore the Cure event:

Before their names shared space on the silver U.S. Open trophy, Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth were together in a less attractive location.

Both failed by three shots to advance out of the second stage of qualifying school in Texas, leaving them with no status on any tour.

That was five years ago, and each went his own way.

Spieth, a U.S. Junior Amateur champion who won an NCAA title with Texas, received sponsor exemptions to PGA Tour and Web.com Tour events and rode a runner-up finish in the Puerto Rico Open to a meteoric year that ended with him on the Presidents Cup team at age 20.

Koepka began filling his passport.

One three-week stretch on the Challenge Tour took him from India to South Africa to Kenya. He played in Kazakhstan and Madeira Island, Finland and Belgium. He won in Italy and Spain, and he was on the verge of a third victory, this one in Scotland, that would earn him graduation to the European Tour.

And he was ready to come home.

He called Blake Smith, his manager at Hambric Sports, and told him, “I don’t even want to play.”

“I don’t want to say homesick. I was just tired of golf. Tired of travelling,” Koepka said. “I just wanted to be home, even though I was about to win the third one. For some reason, I just wanted to get out and go home.”

He stayed. He won. And then he flew to London early the next morning and qualified for the British Open.

All of which made his U.S. Open victory Sunday at Erin Hills all the more special.

Koepka can’t count the miles he travelled after leaving Florida State, but he wouldn’t trade the path that led him to a major championship at age 27.

“I think it helped me grow up a little bit and really figure out that, ‘Hey, play golf, get it done and then you can really take this somewhere.’ And I built a lot of confidence off that,” Koepka said.

Those who saw him couldn’t ignore the sheer athleticism, raw power and quiet confidence.

“I kept telling people last year after the Ryder Cup,” Brandt Snedeker said, “when Brooks figures out how good he is, he’s going to be a world beater.”

He beat everyone at Erin Hills, and in the end, it wasn’t even close.

One shot behind going into the final round, Koepka didn’t miss a green until the par-3 13th – the only one he missed in the final round – and he saved par with an 8-foot putt that might have been more meaningful than the three straight birdie putts that followed.

“I needed to make that if I was going to win this tournament,” he said.

Brian Harman in the final group behind him made back-to-back bogeys and couldn’t catch up. Hideki Matsuyama shot 66 but started too far back. Koepka closed with a 67 for a four-shot victory, the lowest final round by a U.S. Open champion since Tiger Woods at Pebble Beach in 2000 when he won by 15.

Only after he signed his card did Koepka realize a birdie on the par-5 18th would have broken another U.S. Open record at Erin Hills. He made par and finished at 16-under 272, matching the record to par by Rory McIlroy, who shot 16-under 268 at Congressional in 2011.

No big deal.

It takes a lot to get Koepka excited, and while a U.S. Open certainly does the trick, it was hard to tell. When he started out Sunday, one shot out of the lead and among 12 players within five shots, he did little more than walk to the cup after three birdies on the front nine.

When he was tied for the lead with six holes to play, he gave a light fist pump, clenched his hand a little tighter after each of those four big putts.

“Did you see that fist pump there on 18,” Koepka said with a proud smile.

Yes, both of them, neither to be mistaken with anything Tiger Woods has done over the years.

Despite such a chill personality, there was some irritation about not winning as much as he felt he should. Koepka won the Turkish Airlines Open in 2014 over Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson. Three months later, he powered his way to victory in the Phoenix Open.

And that’s been it in the big leagues, though he has done well enough to make the Ryder Cup team last year (going 3-1-0 in his matches).

Signing. Late into the night. @BKoepka @usopengolf #choresofachampion pic.twitter.com/JyVKrrf4K4

— PGA TOUR Media (@PGATOURmedia) June 19, 2017

“I’d won once on the PGA Tour, once on the European Tour,” Koepka said. “I just felt like I should be winning more. I don’t know why. It’s one of those things. Not a big fan of losing. I don’t think anyone out here is. And I just couldn’t stand the fact that I’d only won once.”

This makes two on the PGA Tour, and it was a big one.

“It’s crazy to think that this is only his second win,” Justin Thomas said. “But he’s a great player and he has no fear. … When he’s on, there are not many people in the world better.”

For the full U.S. Open leaderboard click here.

Wilmer, Alabama’s Robby Shelton shot a 2-under 69 on Sunday at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf and Country Club to win the GolfBC Championship and claim his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada victory.

The former University of Alabama standout closed out the victory in style with a 7-footer for birdie at the 72nd hole to win by one over Camarillo, California’s Johnny Ruiz, Danville, California’s Cody Blick and Ridgeway, Virginia’s Adam Webb.

The win puts Shelton atop the Order of Merit through three events, in position to earn Web.com Tour status for the 2018 season.

“It means a lot. Just to win anywhere is so exciting. Just to know that my game’s there and to finally get one done feels great,” said Shelton.

Shelton began the day with a three-stroke lead over Webb, but quickly found himself in a four-way battle for the title as Webb, Blick and Ruiz made their charges. It was Ruiz who charged hardest, making birdie at 14 and 15 to take the solo lead at 19-under.

Unbeknownst to Shelton, Ruiz caught bad break at 18 when his tee shot nestled up against a pine tree that guards the approach to the green and was forced to play his second shot left-handed, eventually making bogey to fall into a tie for the clubhouse lead with Blick.

“I had no idea. Looking up on the scoreboard, it said 19-under (through 17), and I thought for sure he parred this hole,” said Shelton, who took driver off the tee in an attempt to make birdie and found the thick rough left of the fairway, 65 yards from the pin.

“I pulled it a little,” said Shelton of his drive. “My lie wasn’t great, but I just knew I had to land it on the green and roll out to the pin.”

He executed the shot to perfection, however, rolling the ball to within seven feet of the tucked back-right pin and giving him a birdie putt that he unwittingly had for his first Mackenzie Tour win.

“Over the putt, I thought I had to make it to go into a playoff,” said Shelton, who poured the putt in the middle of the hole to the roar of the crowd that knew what he didn’t – that he had just won the GolfBC Championship.

“Somebody told me when I was walking off the green that I won, and then it hit me,” said Shelton. “I still have to play well the rest of this season, but to get a win early on is huge and does a lot for my confidence.

With the win, Shelton moves atop the Order of Merit, just $323 ahead of Freedom 55 Financial Open winner Lee McCoy. Webb, Blick and Ruiz, meanwhile, each notched career-best finishes in a tie for second.

29-year old Webb was making his 14th career start on the Mackenzie Tour. Last year, he recorded three top-25s and one top-10 to earn a spot in the Freedom 55 Financial Championship and retain exempt status for 2017.

Webb played collegiate golf at Longwood University, where he recorded two individual wins. He owns two mini tour wins as a professional on the eGolf Tour and GPro Tour.

Blick was making his 13th career start on the Mackenzie Tour this week. Earlier this year, he earned exempt status for the first eight events of the season with a T4 finish at the USA West #1 Q-School.

Last week in Victoria, Blick shot a 10-under 60 in the third round of the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by Times Colonist and finished T3.

Ruiz was making his seventh career start on the Mackenzie Tour. Earlier this year, he earned exempt status for the first eight events of the season with a T2 finish at the British Columbia Q-School.

Ruiz had conditional status on the Mackenzie Tour in 2015 and missed the cut in all four starts. He did begin playing golf until age 14 and notched his first pro win at the 2016 Monterey Open.

With the win, Shelton becomes the first player to hold the solo lead after every round of an event since Joel Dahmen at the 2014 Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON and the first player to hold at least a share of the lead after each round of a tournament since Adam Cornelson at the 2016 Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by Times Colonist.

With a total score of 13-under par in a tie for seventh, West Vancouver, British Columbia’s Seann Harlingten finished as the top Canadian on the leaderboard, earning Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours and a $2,500 prize.

The top Canadian on the leaderboard each week takes home the award, with the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end earning the Dan Halldorson Trophy, Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year honours and a $25,000 prize.

Team Canada Amateur Squad member Jared du Toit finished T9 in his second event as a pro and earned an spot in the field at the Players Cup, July 3-9 at Pine Ridge Golf Club in Winnipeg.

Watch the final round highlights below.

For the full leaderboard click here.