Since 2024, PING Canada has significantly contributed to First Tee – Canada, helping introduce thousands of children to golf through programs delivered at golf courses, schools, and community organizations nationwide.

Launched in 2021 through a partnership between Golf Canada and First Tee, First Tee – Canada is a youth development program that provides life-enhancing experiences through golf for children from equity-deserving communities. Since its inception, the program has created inclusive and accessible pathways to the sport for more than 170,000 youth from coast to coast.

“PING Canada’s support is making a significant impact on Canadian golf,” said Adam Hunter, Executive Director, First Tee – Canada. “It has enabled us to expand programming into communities where it is needed most, introducing families—who may not have otherwise had the opportunity—to golf and its inherent values. Having an endemic golf brand invest in the future health of the sport in Canada is invaluable. We are immensely grateful.”

Thanks to PING Canada’s philanthropic support, First Tee – Canada has partnered with additional golf facilities, schools, and community organizations, providing the necessary equipment, training, and curriculum to offer the program to participants at no cost.

Participants, many of whom are new to golf, are gaining more than an introduction to the game. They are experiencing opportunities to build friendships and continue to learn life lessons like confidence, integrity and leadership, that extend far beyond the golf course.

“If and when possible, we believe every child should have the opportunity to play and grow through golf,” said Dave Wilson, General Manager, PING Canada. “It is exciting to be part of something that is helping shape the next generation—on and off the course.”

PING Canada has been a long-time supporter of junior golf and their continued support of First Tee – Canada is growing the game in meaningful ways.

For more information on First Tee – Canada’s efforts across the country, visit firstteecanada.ca.

The NextGen Championship season resumes on Friday, May 30 at Trestle Creek Golf Resort in Entwistle, Alta. for the playing of the NextGen Western Championship.

147 junior golfers – 116 Junior Boys and 31 Junior Girls – will tee off on Friday and look to punch their ticket to their respective junior championships later this summer. The 54-hole event will be preceded with a practice round on Thursday, May 29 before play wraps up on Sunday, June 1.

The field will be reduced to approximately the top 53 Junior Boys and top 17 Junior Girls, including ties, after 36 holes. Members of the Junior Boys division that conclude the final round placed within the top eight of the leaderboard will earn exemption into the 2025 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO, set for August 12-15, at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B.

In the Junior Girls division, the top eight finishers, including ties, will earn exemptions into the field for the playing of the 2025 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO, August 13-16, at Sainte-Marie Club de golf in Sainte-Marie, Que.

Notable players from western Canada will compete in the event, including Christian Flick of Heritage Pointe, Alta. and Ryan Mosher of Saskatoon, Sask. Flick, a three-time participant, will look to secure his first victory at the NextGen Western Championship after finishing in the top ten three times, including a runner-up finish in 2022. His ambition will be rivaled by Mosher, a proven winner on the circuit and the reigning NextGen Prairie Champion.

Designed by golf architect and fellow Albertan Brad Dupuis, Trestle Creek Golf Resort offers 27 holes of championship-level golf split across a trio of distinctive nines. Opening in 2012, the course has undergone several renovations to expand its unique terrain, spanning across 600 acres of land to include creeks, lakes, forests and hills into its initial design.

“We are extremely excited to host this year’s NextGen Western Championship,” commented Art New – the Head Golf Professional at Trestle Creek Golf Resort. “We feel that the players are really going to enjoy the Brad Dupuis design which encompasses the natural beauty of the terrain. It will pose a challenge to these up-and-coming future stars, and we are quite certain they will enjoy it.”

Trestle Creek Golf Resort has become much greater than a picturesque, affordable and challenging golf hub since its inception and presently surrounds its fairways with resort lots, a sport and water park and a recreation centre to make the property bountiful of outdoor experiences. The course plays its best defense as players get closer to each of the holes, with undulating greens challenging the field’s best putting strokes and forcing players to dial in their short game for the occasion.

“The golf course is fairly generous off the tee,” added New, who believes the strong winds that the property exhibits can also make for a challenge come the final round. “This course is all about your misses approaching the greens. Miss on the correct side depending on pin placement and you can recover. Miss on the wrong side and getting up and down will be a tough challenge.”

To follow the live leaderboard of the NextGen Western Championship throughout the week, please click here.

About the NextGen Championships

The NextGen Championships are a high-performance junior golf series which totals six competitions. From May to July, six championships will take place across Canada where the region’s best junior golfers will compete to earn exemptions into their respective 2025 national junior championships. NextGen Championships provide junior players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills at the highest level of tournament golf.

While there may be some debate over which is the most important of the four men’s golf majors — one that pits the Open Championship’s history against the mystique of the Masters — there is no such discussion when it comes to the women’s game. The U.S. Women’s Open is the queen bee of the LPGA Tour schedule.

Established in 1947, the U.S. Women’s Open is the oldest professional tournament in women’s golf and carries the biggest purse at $12 million (US). Its list of multiple winners is a who’s who of women’s golf — Besty Rawls, Mikey Wright, Babe Zaharias, Hollis Stacy, JoAnne Carner, Betsy King, Patty Sheehan, Juli Inkster, Meg Mallon, Karrie Webb and Annika Sorenstam to name a few. Last year, Yuka Saso added her name to that list when she prevailed at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania.

This year’s 80th edition of the tournament is taking place in Wisconsin for the first time since 2012. Then, Na Yeon Choi took home the hardware at Blackwolf Run in Kohler. This week, Erin Hills is in the spotlight. It is a big, broad golf course that was the site of Brooks Koepka’s 2017 U.S. Open triumph, the first of his five major triumphs.

Here is everything you need to know about the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open.

The Course

Erin Hills caught the fancy of the United States Golf Association immediately after it opened in 2006. At a time when the governing body was shifting away from tree-lined private country clubs for its championships, the public Erin Hills, built on a massive parcel of largely treeless land in rural Wisconsin, offered something new.

Original owner Bob Lang hired Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry to design the course, which they did with input from longtime Golf Digest architecture critic Ron Whitten. Lang had grand visions of championship golf at Erin Hills and two years after the course opened the USGA conducted the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links there. The USGA then awarded the 2017 U.S. Open to Erin Hills and brought the 2011 U.S. Amateur to the course as a test run. Lang had to sell the course amid financial hardships and the layout underwent a number of revisions requested by the USGA after it was purchased by Andrew Ziegler.

At over 7,800 yards (at elevation) for the first round, the course played as the longest in U.S. Open history in 2017, but its wide fairways and calm conditions made it easy pickings and Koepka won with a record-tying 16-under-par total. This week’s U.S. Women’s Open will be the first major at Erin Hills since that time, though the course did welcome the 2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur. The course will measure just over 6,800 yards and play as a par 72.

The Favourites

Jeeno Thitikul leads the LPGA Tour’s points race entering the U.S. Women’s Open thanks to her recent victory at the Mizuho Americas Open and five additional top 10s. The 22-year-old Thai golfer is in search of her first major victory this week, having racked up seven top 10s in 23 career major starts. She does not have a top-three finish, however, with her best result being a solo-fourth at the 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She leads the LPGA Tour in strokes gained total this season.
Bet99 odds: +900

Nelly Korda remains atop the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, but the 15-time LPGA Tour winner is without a victory this season and sits 15th on the Race to CME Globe. After suffering a neck injury last fall that forced her out of two tournaments in Asia, Korda began 2025 with a runner-up finish in the Tournament of Championships but went without a top-five finish until two weeks ago at the Mizuho Americas Open. Nevertheless, she is second on tour in strokes gained total, first in scoring average and first in birdie percentage.
Bet99 odds: +1450

At 24, Haeran Ryu has taken over as the top women’s golfer from South Korea, sitting fifth in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. She captured the Black Desert Championship earlier this month by five shots, her third career LPGA Tour title. The five-time winner on the LPGA of Korea Tour has finished in the top 10 in four of the last six major championships. She leads the tour in strokes gained tee to green, a good stat for any U.S. Open.      
Bet99 odds: +1450

A three-time winner in 2024 and a two-time winner in 2023, Ruoning Yin hasn’t yet won this season, but she put together back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Chevron Championship, the season’s first major, and the Black Desert Championship. She was then T15 at the Mizuhos Americas Open. Those three results came after five finishes outside the top 20 to start the season, so clearly Yin has turned things around. Her lone major victory came at the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA.  
Bet99 odds: +1800

Former World No. 1 Jin Young Ko is winless since 2023, but she has four top 10s in eight starts this season, including two in her last two starts. She won two major championships in 2019, along with the CPKC Women’s Open, and tied for second in the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open. She tied for sixth at the Chevron Championship last month.
Bet99 odds: +2000

The Canadians

Five Canadians will tee it up at Erin Hills with two-time major winner Brooke Henderson joined by four qualifiers: Vanessa Borovilos, Celeste Dao, Anna Huang and Leah John.

Henderson is still trying to find her form this season as the 13-time LPGA Tour winner sits in unfamiliar positions on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings (42nd) and Race to CME Globe (48th). Her lone top 10 — a T9 — came in the T-Mobile Match Play where she lost in the Round of 16. The 27-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., had a solid T12 finish at the Black Desert Championship but then missed the cut in her last event, the Mizuho Americas Open. Henderson’s best U.S. Women’s Open finish is a T5 in 2015, one of 16 career top 10s in majors.

Borovilos hails from the Toronto borough of Etobicoke and earned one of two spots available at a 36-hole qualifier at Elgin Country Club in Illinois. This will be the first major championship start for the 19-year-old amateur coming off her freshman season at Texas A&M University. Borovilos was the medallist at Elgin Country Club with two rounds of 68 for an 8-under-par total.

Dao is no stranger to the U.S. Women’s Open as the Quebecer has now qualified for the championship four times. However, this will be Dao’s first major appearance as a professional. She took the lone qualifier spot at Salem Country Club in Massachusetts with rounds of 72-71. She’s a University of Georgia alum.

Huang is one of three 16-year-olds in the field this week at Erin Hills, having finished as the runner-up at the qualifier at New Albany Country Club in Ohio. The Vancouver native turned professional in December after earning status on the Ladies European Tour and has made five cuts in six starts on that circuit this year.

John was the co-medallist at her qualifier in Sacramento at Del Paso Country Club. Also from Vancouver, John is plying her trade on the Epson Tour, the LPGA Tour’s developmental circuit, where she’s made three cuts in seven starts this season. She had two top-10 finishes in 12 starts on that tour last year after turning pro in the spring of 2024. John attended the University of Nevada.  

Chip Shots

– There were 1,904 entrants for this year’s U.S. Women’s Open, the second most in tournament history.

– The semi-retired Lexi Thompson will make her 19th consecutive start in the U.S. Women’s Open. Now 30, Thompson has played in the tournament since she first qualified as a 12-year-old.

– Former World No. 1 Yani Tseng is making her first U.S. Women’s Open start since 2016 after successfully qualifying for the championship. The Taiwanese golfer won five major titles from 2008 to 2011 but her career nosedived in 2013 and she is now ranked 995th in the world. Since reappearing on the LPGA Tour in 2024, she has not made a cut in 14 starts. In fact, her last made cut came in 2018. She is a 15-time LPGA Tour winner.

– Emily Odwin will become the first golfer from Barbados — male or female — to play in a major championship when she tees it up Thursday. She qualified at the historic Olympic Club in San Francisco. Odwin learned the game at Royal Westmorland and now attends Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Current and recently retired NHL players will compete in an
18-hole competition prior to the RBC Canadian Open at TPC Toronto

OAKVILLE/TORONTO, ON – Golf Canada and the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) are proud to announce the creation of the RBC Canadian Open/NHLPA Faceoff taking place at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ont. on Thursday, May 29.

This unique event will take place one week prior to the 2025 RBC Canadian Open and will feature current National Hockey League (NHL) Players and Alumni competing in a one-day tournament. The format will see eight teams of two players competing in an 18-hole competition, culminating in a playoff on the iconic no. 14 Rink Hole at TPC Toronto.

“We are excited to partner with the NHLPA on this new initiative leading into the 114^th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship. Golf and hockey bring a natural intersect for players and we want to thank the NHLPA and its members for their shared enthusiasm in bringing this concept to reality,” said Tim McLaughlin, Chief Marketing Officer, Golf Canada. “We have seen the success and growth of golf content online and through social media, and this promises to be a fun and engaging experience for the players ahead of the 2025 RBC Canadian Open.”

The roster of current NHLPA members set to compete in the inaugural RBC Canadian Open/NHLPA Faceoff at TPC Toronto includes Will Cuylle and Calvin deHaan (New York Rangers), Jamie Drysdale (Philadelphia Flyers), Warren Foegele and Quinton Byfield (L.A. Kings), Robert Thomas (St. Louis Blues), Ryan Strome (Anaheim Ducks), Logan Stanley (Winnipeg Jets) with more players to be named later.

In addition, current TSN personalities and NHL Alumni, Jeff O’Neill (Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs), and Carlo Colaiacovo (Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabres), will also be competing on May 29.

“Golf and hockey have traditionally gone hand-in-hand here in Canada, so we’re thrilled to partner with Golf Canada to bring the RBC Canadian Open/NHLPA Faceoff to life,” said Devin Smith, NHLPA Senior Director, Sponsorship & Player Marketing. “The opportunity to bring NHL players and the RBC Canadian Open together here at this incredible venue at TPC Toronto in such a fun and unique format is something we at the NHLPA and the players are very excited about. We are looking forward to a great day of competition along with some fun and engaging content for fans, in partnership with Golf Canada and RBC.”   

Scoring will follow a stableford format, with set points awarded based off a golfer’s net score for the hole. Points will be awarded as follows: Albatross (5 points), Eagle (4 points), Birdie (3 points), Par (2 points), Bogey (1 point), Double Bogey or higher (0 points). The top teams with the highest total of accumulated points will advance to the playoff.

The competition will be closed to the public but will be covered on both Golf Canada and NHLPA social media channels and a full-length feature piece will be shared online shortly after the completion of the event. The 114th playing of the RBC Canadian Open will take place June 4-8 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ont. For more information on the RBC Canadian Open, including volunteer opportunities or to purchase tickets, please visit rbccanadianopen.com.

Click here for more information on the RBC Canadian Open/ NLPA Faceoff

Ludvig Åberg, Sungjae Im, Tom Kim and Alex Noren to compete in the
114th playing of Canada’s Men’s National Open Championship

Oakville, ON – RBC and Golf Canada are pleased to announce that international stars Ludvig Åberg, Sungjae Im, Tom Kim and Alex Noren have all confirmed their commitment to compete in the 2025 RBC Canadian Open.

Åberg (world no. 6) returns to the RBC Canadian Open, where he made his professional debut on the PGA TOUR in 2023. In that short time, Åberg has become a two-time winner with his most recent win coming at the Genesis Invitational this past February. Åberg was part of Europe’s Ryder Cup winning side in 2023 and represented his native, Sweden at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. In addition to his win, Åberg has earned three top 10’s and four top 25’s this season. He has also earned one international win in his career, the Omega European Masters in 2023.

Im (world no. 21) is a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR and has also earned three international wins during his career. This season, Im has earned three top 10’s and six top 25’s including a T5 finish at The Masters last month. Im has been part of the International Team at three Presidents Cups (2019, 2022, 2024) and represented the Republic of Korea at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Im will be making his second appearance at the RBC Canadian Open after finishing seventh in 2019.

Kim (world no. 45) is a three-time winner on the PGA TOUR and has earned seven career international wins. The 22-year-old will be making his second appearance at the RBC Canadian Open, after finishing T4 last year in Hamilton, Ont. Kim was part of the International Team at the past two Presidents Cups (2022, 2024) and represented the Republic of Korea at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. This season, Kim has earned one top 10 and one top 25 finish in 13 events on the PGA TOUR.

Noren (world no. 71) has won 10 times on the DP World Tour in his career and will be making his third appearance at the RBC Canadian Open. Noren was most recently in the final pairing of the 2025 PGA Championship this past Sunday, in only his second tournament since returning from an injury that sidelined him for multiple months. Noren was part of Europe’s Ryder Cup win in 2018 and has represented Sweden at the past two Olympic Games (2020 in Tokyo and 2024 in Paris). Noren is a three-time runner-up on the PGA TOUR.

Also joining the international stars are up-and-coming collegiate standouts Luke Clanton of Hialeah, Fla., and Gordon Sargent of Birmingham, Ala.

Clanton is currently the no. 1 player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and on Monday was named the recipient of the 2025 Ben Hogan Award, recognizing the outstanding male amateur and collegiate golfer of the year. Clanton earned his PGA TOUR Card through the PGA TOUR University Accelerated and has competed in 13 PGA TOUR events over the past two years. He has earned two runner-up finishes along with an additional top five and a top ten finish. He also made the cut at the 2024 U.S. Open finishing T41, his first tournament on the TOUR. Clanton is a junior at Florida State University and earned the McCormack Medal in 2024 as the world’s top amateur golfer.

Sargent is currently ranked no. 20 on the WAGR and is a senior at Vanderbilt University. Sargent won the 2022 NCAA Men’s Individual National Championship as well as the 2023 McCormack Medal. He became the first player to earn their PGA TOUR Card through PGA TOUR University Accelerated in October 2023. In addition, he finished as the low amateur at the 2023 U.S. Open, finishing T39. He has competed in six events on the PGA TOUR over the past two years.

“RBC and Golf Canada are excited to announce these four great players in Åberg, Im, Kim and Noren to the emerging field set to compete in the 114th playing of the RBC Canadian Open,” said RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director Ryan Paul. “We also look forward to welcoming two of the top amateurs in the world and rising stars  Luke Clanton and Gordon Sargent to compete at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.”

Tickets for the 2025 RBC Canadian Open are available here. Children aged 12-and-under get free admission with a ticketed adult.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that the She Plays Golf festival schedule is now set for 2025.

The She Plays Golf Festivals will return to Calgary, Vancouver and Greater Toronto areas again year and is proud to announce expansion into Atlantic Canada. She Plays Golf was originally successfully piloted across Calgary as part of the Peloton Glencoe Invitational in 2023.

She Plays Golf is a citywide celebration of women’s golf that features inclusive programming for women and girls who are recreational golfers or exploring the sport for the first time. She Plays Golf Festivals help to address gaps in the participation pathway and introduce women and girls to the game in a safe, fun, and judgment-free environment.

Festival activities take place at golf courses across the host region during the same week as the She Plays Golf Championship Series event with activities including introductory “Try Golf” events for women and girls new to golf, , networking socials for women in business and leadership, and more.

“We are excited to announce the full schedule of She Plays Golf Festival events for the 2025 season, as well as expansion into Atlantic Canada this fall,” said Heather Fattore, Manager of Inclusion Programs, Golf Canada. “The participation festivals are a celebration of women’s golf, and we encourage more women and girls to join us this year and try golf. We are also very appreciative of our partners at The R&A, RBC and adidas Golf for their continued support and commitment to She Plays Golf.”

The festival schedule for She Plays Golf will kick-off with the B.C. She Plays Golf Festival in the Greater Vancouver area from June 3 – 7. The Alberta festival will run from June 9 – 14 in Calgary before moving to the Greater Toronto Area for the Ontario Festival from July 2 – 6. New for 2025 is the addition of a She Plays Golf Festival in Atlantic Canada, taking place in Moncton, N.B. from September 9 – 13.

For more information, full schedule and to register, please click the links below:

B.C. She Plays Golf Festival (Greater Vancouver Area)

Alberta She Plays Golf Festival (Calgary)

Ontario She Plays Golf Festival (Greater Toronto Area)

Atlantic She Plays Golf Festival (Moncton, N.B.)

As previously announced, the She Plays Golf Championship Series features three enhanced championships thatmark the continued support of a professional women’s golf tour in Canada. Championships will be contested over 54-holes with a field of 60 professionals and elite amateurs with a $60,000 CAD purse.The top finisher in each event from the She Plays Golf Championship Series will earn a direct exemption into the 2025 CPKC Women’s Open, set for Mississaugua Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. from August 20-24.

She Plays Golf is proudly supported by The R&A, RBC and adidas Golf. For more information on She Plays Golf including Festivals and Championship Series, please visit golfcanada.ca/sheplaysgolf/.

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) announced today that its Board of Directors has elected Craig Kessler as the organization’s 10th Commissioner.

The appointment comes during the LPGA’s landmark 75th anniversary season, marking a pivotal moment of global growth and opportunity for one of the most enduring and respected leaders in women’s professional sports worldwide.

Kessler was selected following a rigorous and comprehensive global search, led by the LPGA Board’s Search Committee and shaped by input from LPGA Tour athletes, partners, staff and key stakeholders.

“We set out to find a transformational leader with a deep appreciation for the LPGA’s legacy and a clear vision of what’s possible for our future,” said John B. Veihmeyer, Chair of the LPGA Board of Directors. “Craig is an inspiring and engaging leader, who brings a unique mix of executive leadership experience, deep relationships in the golf industry, and a genuine commitment to elevating women and girls through golf. The LPGA has never been more dynamic – and Craig is exactly the right leader to drive its next era of growth and impact.” 

Kessler brings a broad and impressive range of experiences across sports, business, private equity and entrepreneurship. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer of the PGA of America, where he oversaw all operations of the 30,000-member organization, including its non-profit foundation. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Buff City Soap, a fast-growing experiential retail company that expanded from 100 to 260 stores under his leadership. Earlier in his career, Kessler also served as Chief Operating Officer at Topgolf, where he helped scale the company’s groundbreaking blend of sports, entertainment and technology.

In addition to his executive roles, Kessler brings board-level experience with the National Golf Foundation, UT Southwestern hospital system, and the Dallas Mavericks Advisory Board. He began his career at McKinsey & Company and went on to leadership positions at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) and Providence Equity Partners. His track record includes evaluating investments and working alongside management teams to improve company performance – skills he now brings to one of the world’s premier women’s sports organizations.

“The LPGA stands at the intersection of world-class competition and global impact,” said Kessler, incoming LPGA Commissioner. “From young girls who are picking up a club for the first time, to the LPGA Professionals helping teach this great game to people around the world, to the incredible athletes competing on Tour—the LPGA is driving the future of golf. I’m honored to join this powerful movement and eager to help build what comes next—together.”

“This isn’t just about leading a sports organization – it’s about redefining what’s possible,” Kessler added. “This role is deeply personal to me – not just as a professional opportunity, but as a chance to make a difference in the world and create new opportunities for others. Golf changes lives. I believe in the LPGA’s mission, its members and its momentum. I can’t wait to get started.”

Kessler will officially step into the role on July 15, succeeding Mollie Marcoux Samaan, who stepped down in January 2025. Liz Moore will continue as Interim Commissioner until that time. Veihmeyer added, “Liz has done an exceptional job in the interim role, and we look forward to the many important contributions she will continue to make to the LPGA in the future.”

Aphrodite Deng got to live out the dream of every competitive golfer, playing two rounds with the best in the world and excelling on the course, and she’s just 15 years old.

Deng played alongside Nelly Korda of the United States at the Mizuho Americas Open, winning the junior tournament on May 11 while the American tied for fifth in the LPGA Tour’s event of the same name. 

“It was a really fun experience,” said Deng, who also won the American Junior Golf Association’s Junior Invitational in March by six strokes. “I was trying not to think too much about who’s watching and stuff, but it was fun.”

Deng was born in Calgary and her family lived in Montreal before moving to New Jersey for her dad’s work. She mostly lives in Orlando now but remains a Canadian citizen and plays for Golf Canada’s junior program.

She said that she learned a lot from observing Korda, who won five consecutive tournaments and seven total last season to return to world No. 1 in the women’s world golf rankings and earn the 2024 LPGA Tour’s Player of the Year award.

“I think I need some of that in my life.”

Jeff MacDonald, head coach of Golf Canada’s NextGen team, said that Deng has grown stronger over the course of the season and it’s helped her improve her game.

“She’s hitting the ball quite a bit further,” said MacDonald. “She’s always been a really consistent player, drives it great, but just in the last few months she’s been getting a little bit of extra distance. 

“That’s helping her out a ton. She’s just super steady.”

Both Deng and MacDonald were at Weston Golf and Country Club in Toronto for Team Canada’s media day, where media and other stakeholders could train like Golf Canada players for a day. 

Deng, who has taught golf to younger children, said she was looking forward to instructing adults.

Golf Canada announced at the media day at Weston that it was adding 11 Canadians to the field at the RBC Canadian Open. 

Korn Ferry Tour players Sudarshan Yellamaraju and Matthew Anderson, both from Mississauga, Ont., headlined the group. Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., earned his exemption as the top Canadian amateur player on the world rankings and Calgary’s Hunter Thomson earned his exemption by finishing first on the individual leaderboard at the inaugural Canadian Collegiate Invitational last September at Öviinbyrd Golf Club in MacTier, Ont. 

Toronto’s Richard T. Lee, Calgary’s Wes Heffernan, and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., also accepted exemptions.

Three other Canadians earned exemptions through Canadian Open regional qualifying including Cougar Collins of Mono, Ont., Matt Scobie of Oshawa, Ont., and Brett Webster of Chilliwack, B.C. An additional exemption will be awarded at the Quebec regional qualifier, taking place at Griffon des Sources — Aigle Lion in Mirabel, Que., on Wednesday.

LPGA TOUR — Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., leads a group of four Canadians into the Riviera Maya Open at El Camaleon Golf Course at Mayakoba this week. She’s 104th in the Race to CME Globe standings heading into play in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (119th), as well as Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., — both unranked — are also in the field.

PGA TOUR — Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., is ranked 43rd on the FedEx Cup standings heading into this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge. Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., is 160th and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., is 164th heading into the tournament at Colonial County Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., is the lone Canadian in the field at the Soudal Open. He is 127th in the Race to Dubai Rankings, the points list for the European-based tour, heading into play at Rinkven International Golf Club in Antwerp, Belgium.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., will represent Canada at this week’s Senior PGA Championship. Ames is 21st in the Schwab Cup standings and Weir is 57th heading into play at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Yellamaraju, Anderson and Sloan are all in action at the Visit Knoxville Open at Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tenn. Yellamaraju is 11th in the second-tier tour’s points list, Anderson is 43rd and Sloan is 112th. They’ll be joined by Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald (31st), Myles Creighton (56th) of Digby, N.S., Etienne Papineau (137th) of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.

PGA TOUR AMERICAS — Joey Savoie, also from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, is the top-ranked Canadian playing in the Inter Rapidisimp Golf Championship. He’s 616th in the official world golf rankings and one of nine Canadians in the field at Club el Rincon de Cajica in Bogota, Colombia.

Mirabel, Qué. – Wei-Hsuan Wang of Niagara Falls, Ont., emerged victorious in a dramatic playoff at the Québec Regional Qualifier on Wednesday, securing a direct exemption into the 2025 RBC Canadian Open.

Wang outlasted Eric Banks of Quispamsis, N.B., and Olivier Ménard of Valleyfield, Que., in a three-man playoff at Club de Golf Griffon des Sources. After draining a 15-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole, Wang sealed the win with a composed par save on the second.

“It’s a dream come true to have a direct exemption to play in the 2025 RBC Canadian Open,” Wang said. “I have always wanted to play on the PGA TOUR, and for the past few years, I have been aiming to join the Korn Ferry Tour. But with my mom facing cancer, I’m very happy about today’s result.”

Wang’s round was a rollercoaster. He opened with a double bogey and a bogey in his first three holes but rebounded with an eagle on the par-5 fourth to steady the ship. He finished the front nine at one-over before carding birdies on holes 10, 13 and 15 to post a two-under 70 and force the playoff.

“Actually, I had a tough start this morning, being three over after three holes with a double bogey, a par, and a bogey,” Wang explained. “But then I bounced back, so I was already quite happy with that. The win is a bit of a bonus for me. I feel really lucky to get this chance. My driver wasn’t great today, but the greens were soft, which helped. My putting was really good and played a major role in my win.”

A total of 132 players participated in the event in Mirabel, including 79 amateurs. The field represented 13 provinces and states, with 68 players from Québec. The top 10 percent of the field—14 players, including ties—advanced to the Final Qualifier, scheduled for Sunday, June 1, at The Pulpit Club in Caledon, Ont.

Wang joins a growing list of regional qualifiers who have earned their way into the 2025 RBC Canadian Open, scheduled for June 4-8 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. That list includes Team Canada alumnus Cougar Collins of Mono, Ont. (First Ontario Regional Qualifier at Brampton Golf Club), Matt Scobie of Oshawa, Ont. (Second Ontario Regional Qualifier at Cherry Hill Club), and Brett Webster of Chilliwack, B.C. (B.C. Regional Qualifier at Squamish Valley Golf Club).

For the final leaderboard from today’s qualifier, please click here.

Sundre, Alta. – Tyler Saunders of St. Albert, Alta. topped the field while four other Albertans picked up exemptions into the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier on Wednesday to wrap up regional qualifying at the Sundre Golf Club in Sundre, Alta. 

As a result of the field consisting of less than 120 players, only the top ten per cent of players – fifth place and ties – earned exemptions into the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier, set to be contested on Sunday, June 1 at The Pulpit Club in Caledon, Ont. The field includes players that qualified through regional qualifiers across the country, with four spots in the 2025 RBC Canadian Open up for grabs ahead of the tournament.  

Saunders humbled the course on Wednesday with a scorching front nine that included the first eagle of the day at the par-5 seventh to pull him into a tie with clubhouse leader, Mike Valk of Medicine Hat, Alta., at four-under par.

Saunders – a former member of Team Canada’s Junior Boys program – didn’t wait long after making the turn to cut himself loose atop the leaderboard, sprinkling in back-to-back birdies on Nos. 11 and 12 to power his way to six-under par. Despite dropping a pair of shots after bogeys at the 15th and 16th hole, Saunders was able to make a birdie putt on the par-3 17th to finish his round of 67 and keep his solo lead.  

“I wasn’t expecting to hit it as well considering the conditions, but it felt really good to hit a lot of really good shots like I did today and make the putts,” said Saunders, who admitted to the challenges of playing in rain and enduring temperatures that at points, felt like two degrees during his round.  

“Just to have a shot at getting into an event like that is pretty special. It’s pretty cool just to be able to go to Ontario in a couple weeks and be able to try and get my name in the field,” he added.  

Though bouncing around the top of the leaderboard on Wednesday, Valk dealt enough damage throughout the morning wave to comfortably sit in second place and advance to the Final Qualifier. His six birdies on the front nine led the field, but bogeys at holes seven and 16 kept him from contending for the day’s top spot.  

Phelan Shaw of Calgary, Alta. carded a two-under round of 70 to finish in third place despite picking up a trio of bogeys. His hometown counterpart, Jared Code of Calgary did just enough to squeak into the top five of the leaderboard and grabbed momentum with birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 to get to two-under par. A bogey on the 17th dropped him to one-under par, however, his round of 71 served to be enough with Chase Strang of Airdrie, Alta. joining him to nab the last available spot.  

RBC Canadian Open – Alberta Regional Qualifier Results:

For the full leaderboard, click here.