NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia – Team Canada Amateur Squad member Stuart Macdonald continued his Australian swing in strong fashion on Thursday, collecting a T5 result at the Avondale Amateur, a 72-hole stroke-play event.

Macdonald—a Vancouver product and Purdue University graduate—leaped eight spots up the leaderboard at the Avondale Golf Club with a final round 68 (-3) to hold a two-way share of fifth at 6-under par for the tournament (75-65-70-68).

The 22-year-old trailed host nation’s Joshua Armstrong, who closed with a final score of 11-under par (67-69-66-71). Armstrong currently sits as the No. 370-ranked amateur on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR).

For Team Canada’s Macdonald, the Avondale Amateur marks the second consecutive event played Down Under. He made the round of 16 earlier at the Australian Amateur, and will look to continue his strong play at the upcoming New South Wales Amateur from Jan. 29 – Feb. 2 at the Terrey Hills Golf Club.

Click here for full scoring.

SAN DIEGO – Tiger Woods had a rough return to the PGA Tour on Thursday but two Canadians found themselves in the top 3 after the first round.

Woods, playing in a PGA Tour event for the first in 17 months, fell apart on the back nine of the South course at Torrey Pines and wound up with a 4-over 76, leaving him in danger of missing the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open.

He was 11 shots behind Justin Rose, who shot a 65 on the shorter North Course.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., was one stroke back of Rose after a 6-under 66. Hadwin is coming off a second-place finish at the CareerBuilder Challenge that saw him shoot a 13-under 59 in the third round.

“I don’t want to say it was as good as a 59, but it was pretty darn good,” Hadwin said.

Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch was tied for third at 5-under, Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., sat at 4-under and Nick Taylor, also of Abbotsford, was 3-under.

Woods didn’t hit a fairway after No. 7 and had to cope with thick rough he had not seen in some time. Woods said he had a hard time adjusting to the pace of play from being in threesomes for the first time since he last played a PGA Tour event at the Wyndham Championship in August 2015.

“Honestly, it was just weird waiting that much,” he said. “Not used to doing that. At home, I guess we’re flying a little quicker than this. It was just a different rhythm.”

His game was greater concern than having to wait.

This was a battle from the start, when his opening tee shot went into the right rough and he hit a big cut closer to the gallery than the green. Woods did well to keep his score from getting out of hand early, with four tough par saves on the front nine to limit the damage.

He started the back nine with 10-foot birdie putts on the 10th and 11th holes, and with two par 5s ahead of him, starting to believe this could be a strong start.

“And it went the other way,” Woods said. “I hit bad tee shots and made a bad three-putt and laid up from the rough into rough. I just kept compounding problems and mistakes out there.”

Starting with No. 12, he played the next six holes in 6 over, with a double bogey on the 15th hole the biggest blow.

Woods snap-hooked his tee shot over the crowd and into a deep ravine, letting the driver fall from his hands in disgust. He couldn’t immediately find his ball amid sand dunes and ice plants, instead finding a spot to take his penalty drop. He hooked a long iron through eucalyptus trees into more rough and couldn’t get it closer than 20 feet.

At least he ended with a birdie and a smile, which looked to be more of a relief _ not only for Woods, but for Jason Day and Dustin Johnson.

The star group sure didn’t play like one, with all three players frustrated at times by the bumpy poa annua greens in the afternoon. Day, the No. 1 player in the world, missed five putts from the 4-foot range. He opened with a 73. Johnson made a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 72.

None of them ever were better than 1 under at any point in the round.

“I was fighting out there all day,” Woods said. “Didn’t really hit it that good. Greens were a little tough out there with some of the putts. I had a round which I let get away in the middle part of the back nine, and unfortunately, did hit very good shots.”

Even so, the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open hasn’t had this much energy since Woods won the tournament in 2013 for the eighth time at Torrey Pines. The gallery covered every inch of space behind the ropes from tee-to-green on the first hole, standing six-deep around the green.

“You’re concentrating extra hard out there because obviously this is a tough golf course, but you want to make sure that you’re playing well,” Day said. “Tiger’s back, the cameras are on you, so … I’m trying to do my best. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the way that everyone wanted to start, but I gave it 100 per cent.”

When the group left the fifth green and walked up the hill to the sixth tee, only a half-dozen people remained behind.

Rose had a quiet time over on the North Course, which was renovated by Tom Weiskopf and has new and smooth greens. He had two eagles over his last five holes to take the lead by one shot over Hadwin.

Hadwin has the best score on the South Course, which hosted the 2008 U.S. Open.

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Lincicome played a six-hole stretch at Ocean Club in 6 under, capping the run with an eagle on the par-5 seventh hole. She added birdies on 11, 14 and 15, and had only 24 putts _ the first a 30-footer for par on No. 1.

“Putting, I have no idea,” Lincicome said. “We play, we play little games with my husband or friends or whoever, but it’s not like I go to the putting green and work on it for hours. Like it’s just one of those things, hit or miss. Like I had a par save on 16, I did it cross-handed. I putted the last little 2-footer in cross-handed. Just whatever I kind of feel, I just do it.”

The 31-year-old American won the 2015 ANA Inspiration for her second victory in the major and the last of her six LPGA Tour titles. She had the eagle and three birdies on the first four par-5 holes, then settled for a par on the par-5 18th.

“I was making everything _ 30-footers, 10-footers, 5-footers. It was a pretty easy day,” Lincicome said. “I didn’t really have to make too many par saves, which was nice. And would have loved to have had a 4 on that last hole to have no 5s on the scorecard.”

U.S. Solheim Cup teammate Stacy Lewis was two strokes back along with Megan Khang and P.K. Kongkraphan. Lewis is winless since June 2014.

Gerina Piller was at 67 with Celine Herbin and Simin Feng.

Second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn had a 75. She won five times last season and took the LPGA Tour player of the year award. Top-ranked Lydia Ko is skipping the tournament.

Fifth-ranked Lexi Thompson opened with a 69, and U.S. Solheim Cup captain Juli Inkster had a 70 to start her 35th season on the LPGA Tour.

Defending champion Hyo Joo Kim shot 71, Canadian star Brooke Henderson closed with a bogey for a 72, and Michelle Wie had a 73.

UXBRIDGE — Golf Ontario is pleased to announce this year’s four new members of the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame. James Fraser, Thomas McBroom, Ken Tarling and Stacey (West) Mahoney will become the 76^th, 77^th, 78^th and 79^th members of the Hall at the official induction ceremony on May 3, 2017 at Wooden Sticks Golf Club in Uxbridge. In addition, Ian Hutchinson will be receiving the Lorne Rubenstein Award, which is presented annually to accredited members of the Ontario media for “major contributions to golf.”

2017 Ontario Golf Hall of Fame Inductees

James Fraser

Oakville resident James Fraser, 79, enters the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in the Builder category. Originally born in Montreal, QC, Fraser, has been working in the golf industry since the early 1960s at the club, provincial and national levels serving in numerous roles. While many of his roles have revolved around Rules, Fraser has also served as Governor (RCGA, Canadian Seniors’ Golf Association) and Director (Beaconsfield GC, Toronto Golf Club, Quebec Golf Association, Canadian Golf Foundation, Stanley Thompson Society and RCGA).  In 2007 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by Golf Ontario (Golf Association of Ontario), the RCGA Distinguished Service Award and International Association of Golf Administrators Distinguished Service Award. He is an honorary member of Beaconsfield GC, Quebec Golf Association, the International Association of Golf Administrators, and the Golf Journalists Association of Canada.   

Thomas McBroom

Port Carling resident Thomas McBroom is known as one of Canada’s most respected golf course designers and enters the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in the Builder category. The majority of his work in his 25-year career has been in Ontario, yet McBroom has designed more than 60 courses across the country and even more internationally. Golf Digest has named six of his designs Best New Canadian Course and one (Memphremagog) as one of the Top 100 in the world. Two of his European courses have even cracked Europe’s Top 100.  In addition, SCORE Golf Magazine has named 14 of his courses among the Top-100 in Canada.  Today, McBroom, 64 and a member at both St. George’s and Oviinbyrd, is still active and while he has designs in North America, Europe and the Caribbean, he has set his sights on expanding with courses in China. 

Ken Tarling

Entering the Hall in the Professional Golfer category is Sandford’s Ken Tarling. Originally from Saskatoon, Tarling turned pro in 1982. Throughout his career, Tarling captured 21 provincial titles, two national (2001 PGA of Canada Club Professional Championship and 2011 PGA of Canada Senior’s Championship), one Canadian Tour win and 12 international victories in eight countries. Now at the age of 58, Tarling is competing on the European Senior Tour. Tarling has also served as the President of the Canadian Tour, been on the PGA of Canada Board of Directors and taught at Humber College in the Professional Golf Management program. In 2012, he received an Honorary Life Membership with the Canadian Tour. 

Stacey (West) Mahoney

While now a resident of Cary, North Carolina, Stacey (West) Mahoney, 58, carved a name for herself in Ontario as a junior golfer. She was a three time winner of the Ontario Junior Girls’ Championship (1975, 76, 77) a feat she replicated at the National level with the Canadian Junior Girls Championship (1974, 76, 77).  After her junior career, Mahoney also captured the Canadian Ladies’ Amateur Championship in 1979. She found success as Low Amateur at the Peter Jackson Classic (Canadian Women’s Open) in 1977 and 1980. Mahoney also represented and captured many team honours during her career. She enters the Hall in the Amateur Golfer category. 

Ian Hutchinson – Lorne Rubenstein Award

Ian Hutchinson is a veteran Canadian golf writer whose career began as a sports writer in 1978 before he began specializing in golf. His history in the game includes an extensive background with Canadian golf trade publications. Hutchinson is also a regular contributor to publications and websites in Canada and the United States. In 2008, Hutchinson started Golf News Now as a way of offering the industry immediate access to breaking news and new product introductions and to offer a central meeting place for information through links to company, association and media websites.

Augusta James, Jennifer Ha and Anne-Catherine Tanguay will comprise the women’s squad while Taylor Pendrith, Albin Choi and Corey Conners return to the men’s squad

OAKVILLE, Ont.  – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the six athletes—three female and three male—who have been selected to the 2017 Team Canada Young Pro Squad.

Comprising the team for 2017 is Augusta James (Bath, Ont.), Jennifer Ha (Calgary), Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec City), Albin Choi (Toronto), Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.).

The focus of the Young Pro Squad—now in its fourth year—is to bridge the gap for top-performing amateurs transitioning into the professional ranks. Since the inception of the Young Pro Squad in 2014, current and former team members have accounted for 26 wins across various professional golf tours including LPGA Tour and PGA Tour wins by program graduates Brooke Henderson and Mackenzie Hughes respectively.

“These dedicated athletes are a strong reflection of Canada’s commitment producing winners at all levels of golf and we are proud to continue supporting these aspiring professionals,” said Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer and interim CEO Jeff Thompson. “The support we’ve received from our sponsors and partners has helped the Young Pro initiative achieve remarkable results in a relatively narrow time frame and we look forward to further strides in 2017.”

Heading up the female contingent is long-standing Team Canada member Augusta James, who enters her sixth year as part of Team Canada. The 23-year-old looks to continue her ascension through the professional ranks as she embarks on a third consecutive Symetra Tour campaign. The former Canadian Women’s Amateur champion finished just outside the top-10 on the money list for a second straight year to narrowly miss out on qualifying for full status the LPGA Tour. James enters 2017 with partial status on the LPGA Tour and full playing rights on the Symetra Tour where she won the 2015 Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial Classic.

“Team Canada has been a huge supporter of my career since the beginning and I’m thrilled to return to the squad,” said James, who currently ranks fifth among Canadians on the Women’s Rolex World Golf Rankings. “I’ve developed very close relationships with Tristan (Women’s Team Coach Tristan Mullally) and the support staff and I’m looking forward to more success in 2017.”

Joining James on the Women’s Young Pro Squad is Calgary’s Jennifer Ha, the lone Canadian to earn full LPGA Tour status via qualifying school. The 22-year-old recorded a T8 result at Daytona Beach to earn priority LPGA Tour status for the entirety of the 2017 season. She joins the LPGA Tour on the heels of a Symetra Tour season highlighted by T7 finish at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship. Ha is also no stranger to the Team Canada program; she was member of the Amateur Squad from 2014-15 and Development Squad in 2013.

“I’m grateful to officially have Golf Canada back in my corner once again,” said Ha, a graduate of Kent State. “I’m taking on some new challenges in 2017 and the support of the Young Pro program will be a huge boost in helping to achieve my goals.”

Rounding out the women’s team is Quebec City native Anne-Catherine Tanguay, also a graduate of Team Canada’s Amateur Squad program. Tanguay, 26, joins the team on the strength of a season that featured five top-20 finishes, good for No. 61 on the Volvik Race to the Card money list. The Oklahoma State alumna joins Ha as first-year members of the Young Pro Squad.

On the men’s side, all three members make their return to the Young Pro Squad in 2017.

Taylor Pendrith, 25, earned two top-25 finishes on the Web.com Tour in 2016 to finish at No. 107 on the money list. The Kent State alumnus is a season removed from finishing third on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada Order of Merit as one of five athletes to graduate onto the Web.com Tour. Pendrith will look to make strides on the Web.com circuit in 2017 where he holds conditional status.

“Having the Young Pro program so invested in my future success is very humbling,” said Pendrith. “I’m so happy to have all the guys back and am thankful for the continued coaching and advice from Derek (Men’s Team Coach Derek Ingram) and the sport science team.”

Albin Choi, a member of the Young Pro Squad since its inception, will return for a fourth year representing Team Canada in the professional ranks.

Choi recorded three top-10 finishes on the Web.com Tour in 2016 to finish the year at No.69 on the money list. Entering his eighth year with the Team Canada program, the 24-year-old former Canadian Men’s Amateur champion has full status on the Web.com Tour this season.

“I’m thrilled to have been involved with the Team Canada program for most of my career—it’s almost like a family now,” said Choi. “The Young Pro Squad has been such a huge help for my maturity as a professional athlete and I can’t wait to make great strides once again in 2017.”

Rounding out the male contingent is Listowel, Ont., native Corey Conners. In 2016, the 25-year-old recorded eight top-10’s on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica to finish inside the top-10 (No. 6) on the money list, granting him partial Web.com Tour status. Conners also added a runner-up finish at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, a Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada event.

“Knowing that I always have that strong support system in place for me when I need it is a very reassuring thought,” reflected Conners, who recently finished T5 at Web.com Tour’s Bahamas Great Exuma Classic event. “I’m extremely excited for this upcoming season and to reconnect with the Team Canada family for my seventh year.”

Men’s National Squad coach Derek Ingram and Women’s National Team coach Tristan Mullally—both PGA of Canada Ben Kern Coach of the Year recipients—will provide coaching to their respective Young Pro athletes. In addition to funding and coaching support, the athletes will have access to Team Canada’s sport science staff which includes Psychologist Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood and Physiotherapist & Strength Coach Greg Redman.

“I’m proud to see these young athletes further their progress through the professional ranks as they build upon their careers,” said Gary Bernard, Chief Executive Officer of the PGA of Canada. “The commitment Golf Canada has shown in collaborating with the PGA of Canada in our world class teaching and coaching certification programs is another example of the organization’s overall commitment to the game of golf in Canada.”

The program was developed in partnership with the PGA of Canada and is funded in large part by the Golf Canada Foundation with generous contributions from founding partners Canadian Pacific and RBC, as well as supporting partners Citi Canada, Bear Mountain Golf Club and the Golf Canada Foundation Women’s Fund.

“On the verge of our fourth year of support, driving funds for the Young Pro Squad program will continue to be very high on the Foundation’s priority list,” said Golf Canada Foundation CEO Martin Barnard. “We’re very proud of what the program has been able to accomplish thus far, and we anticipate future success in developing the next generation of professional Canadian golfers to inspire our youth.”

Throughout the season, Golf Canada will closely monitor the performance of elite Canadian amateurs transitioning to professional golf with the possibility of program expansion.

Click here to read Team Canada Young Pro Squad player bios.

GREAT ABACO, Bahamas – Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Corey Conners collected a second consecutive top-10 Web.com Tour finish on Wednesday at the Great Abaco Classic.

Conners, 25, closed the event with a 6-under 66 for the day’s low score, boosting the Listowel, Ont., product up nine spots into a share of seventh for the tournament. The Kent State graduate finished at 9-under par overall (73-68-71-67), seven strokes back of champion Andrew Landry of Port Neches-Groves, Tex.

Conners’ recent performance on the Web.com Tour makes a strong case for extended status throughout the season; he is currently exempt in the first eight events. After this week’s result, Conners sits No. 6 on the Web.com Tour money list with $41,250.

Fellow Canadians Justin Shin and Albin Choi also made the cut in the Bahamas. Shin, a Team Canada graduate, finished with four straight even-par rounds to end up tied for 44^th. Toronto’s Choi, also a Young Pro Squad member, struggled in Wednesday’s final with an 80 (+8) to slip 43 spots into a tie for 56^th.

Click here for full scoring.

Five Canadians will be among the 108 competitors kicking off the LPGA Tour season on Thursday in the Bahamas for the fifth edition of the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic.

The event will be the debut of 14 rookies, including Calgary’s Jennifer Ha, who earned full status in December with a T8 result at Qualifying School. Fellow Canadians Brooke Henderson, Alena Sharp, Maude-Aimee Leblanc and Augusta James are also scheduled to begin their seasons in the Bahamas.

“Yeah, actually I didn’t intend on putting the clubs away for as long as I did, but I think a break is good considering how busy it was last year and I just really enjoyed the rest and relaxation,” Henderson said with a smile. “So right after seeing me we spent a few weeks in Florida and just kind of vacationed a little bit in the sun,” Henderson said. “And then we went back home for a month where it was snowy and cold, we built snowmen, went to tons of hockey games, and just enjoyed seeing friends and family at home.  The last few weeks we went back down to Florida to practice and train and get ready for the season where, you know, practicing just a few little things that I wanted to be a little bit better at this year.”

The break did Henderson good as she enters 2017 motivated to build on an impressive 2016 season where she won twice including her first major at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

“You know, I’d love to get a few more wins and move my world ranking up a little bit. Being number two last year, you know, and then slipping back to eight kind of    it’s a good feeling to be number two so I’m trying to get back there and repeat that.”

The process of trying to climb back up the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings begins tomorrow for Henderson at the Ocean Club.

“You know, this course looks a lot different than it has,” Henderson admitted. “I actually played two years ago too.  I won the money qualifier, but it looks a lot different and looks a lot more scoreable. I think I was a little bit intimidated by it.  But it looks like if the wind stays down a lot of birdies can be made and a low score. So hopefully everything goes my way this week and I get a Top 10 or finish high.”

Rounding out the Canadian contingent is Quebec’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay, who Monday-qualified with a 71 to join the field.

In 2016, Hyo Joo Kim captured her third title on the LPGA Tour with a final round 7-under par, 66 to win at 18-under par, two-strokes ahead of Stacy Lewis, Anna Nordqvist and 2015 champion Sei Young Kim.

Click here for tournament information.

CARLSBAD, Calif., – Today Callaway Golf (NYSE: ELY) announced that it has reached a Staff Pro agreement with LPGA Tour star Michelle Wie. In addition to being one of the most popular players in the sport, and of its greatest phenoms ever, Wie has been one of the most accomplished players on the LPGA since joining the Tour full-time in 2009.

A 27-year-old Hawaii native, Wie has been in the spotlight since the age of 10, when she became at the time the youngest player to qualify for a USGA amateur championship. At 13, she became the youngest player ever, male or female to win a USGA adult event at the 2003 Women’s Amateur Public Links and the youngest player to ever make an LPGA cut. At 14, she became the youngest female ever to play in a PGA Tour event at the Sony Open, and at 16 she turned professional. Despite being one of the most recognized players in the game already, Michelle chose to attend Stanford University in addition to competing professionally.

Since playing full-time on the LPGA Tour, Wie has won 4 times, highlighted by her major victory at the U.S. Women’s open, been among the top-ranked players in the world, and competed on 4 U.S. Solheim Cup teams. She’s also known for being one of the longest hitters on the Tour, and one of its biggest stars both inside the ropes and while engaging her fans through social media.

“Joining Callaway feels like a natural partnership,” Wie said. “I believe that they make the best equipment in golf, and that their clubs are really going to help me have a great year. I also admire how they make the game fun and accessible to fans, and make them feel like they are part of the experience. That’s something that’s really important to me.”

As a Full Callaway Staffer, Michelle will use Callaway clubs, balls and an Odyssey Putter.

Wie will add to Callaway’s tremendous group of talented young players, a list that includes Patrick Reed, 2016 Masters Champion Danny Willett, Wes Bryan, Ollie Schniederjans, Ryo Ishikawa, Branden Grace, Thomas Pieters, and Daniel Berger, whoofficially joined the company as a Tour Staffer this week.

VAUGHAN, Ont. – Golf Town, Canada’s number one destination for golf gear, apparel and services, has announced today a three year endorsement deal with LPGA Canadian professional golfer Brooke Henderson. The 19 year old, now ranked No. 8 in the world, quickly rose to prominence in 2016 with fifteen top 10 finishes, and three LPGA Tour victories including her first major; the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

“I’m so excited to be able to partner with Golf Town and act as an ambassador for them both on and off the course,” said Brooke Henderson. “Growing up, my family would always stop at Golf Town’s around the country to pick up golf gear when I played in junior tournaments, so it will be really fun to head back there as a professional.  We have some great customer events and in-store visits planned and I’m very thankful for the partnership!”

The agreement includes intellectual property rights, Golf Town branding on Henderson’s touring bag, in-store appearances as well as digital and social media content.

“We are excited to partner with one of the most iconic Canadian golfers,” said Chad McKinnon, President of Golf Town. “Our partnership is based on shared values; inspiring more young Canadians to get into the game. Brooke is our first sponsored athlete and there is a reason behind this. While Brooke is a very committed athlete, she’s accessible, refreshing, and connects emotionally with a younger audience. Working closely with Brooke will support our brand transformation and grow the game of golf in Canada.”

This announcement is the first in a series to come from Golf Town, which has recently come under new ownership and management and is strategically rebuilding its presence in Canada.

Here’s the new logo on the bag as well! #readyfor2017 pic.twitter.com/LFsPBiRLUO

— Brooke Henderson (@BrookeHenderson) January 24, 2017