JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Tiger Woods will be at Presidents Cup next year with or without his golf clubs.

U.S. captain Steve Stricker said Wednesday he has chosen Woods, Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III and three-time Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples to be his assistants for the matches next year at Liberty National.

International team captain Nick Price said his three assistants would be Ernie Els, Geoff Ogilvy and Tony Johnstone.

Woods was an assistant to Love at Hazeltine when the U.S. won the Ryder Cup over Europe last week.

Woods is to return to competition next week after being out more than a year recovering from back surgery. Stricker says he hopes Woods is at Liberty National as a player. If not, he’ll have him as an assistant captain.

REUNION, Fla. – Team Canada’s Hugo Bernard has added yet another strong collegiate result to his lengthy resume on Tuesday, falling in a three-man playoff to finish T2 at the Division II National Preview.

Bernard, a Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., native, opened the 54-hole tournament—his first collegiate event of the season—with a 74 (+2) at the Watson Course at Reunion. It wasn’t long before the 21-year-old Saint Leo sophomore regained his form, tying a tournament-low score of 65 (-7) in Monday’s second round to climb back into contention. He followed that with an eight birdie effort in Tuesday’s final to jump three more spots into the three-way playoff at 11-under par.

Florida Southern’s John Coultas emerged victorious, while John VanDerLaan shared runner-up honours with Bernard. With the finish, Bernard records his seventh Top-5 finish in just nine events for the Lions.

Collectively, Bernard lifted the Lions to a T5 finish at 861 (-3) for the tournament, 16 strokes back of champion Lynn. The No. 7 ranked Lions will tee-it-up again next week at the Golf Rank Invitational in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., from Oct. 10-11.

Click here for full scoring.

Some would call it sponsorship. I prefer to call it an investment in the future of the game.

Specifically, I am talking about Golf Canada’s Future Links programming.

Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer, says: “Future Links is a suite of national junior programs that serve as the foundation of a systematic development system for the sport of golf in Canada.  All programs have been developed utilizing Canada’s Long Term Player Development program as the basis, with each program with the Future Links family serving a slightly different purpose to assist in developing and supporting learn and excel through the sport.

“Thanks to our previous sponsors, we have been able to provide all of these resources to facilities and golf professionals at no cost.”

The phrase “previous sponsors” brings me to today’s theme.

Since 1996, more than three million Canadian youngsters have participated in CN Future Links programming, thanks to the railway company’s generous sponsorship of the multi-faceted “grow-the-game” initiatives.

But after more than a decade of underwriting the various programs, CN’s sponsorship is coming to an end after this season and Golf Canada is seeking support from corporate Canada to continue this admirable initiative.

“CN was a wonderful partner who shared the vision of introducing the game of golf to children across Canada,” says Gavin Roth, Golf Canada’s Chief Commercial Officer. “We certainly were blessed for the past 10 years to have them and we appreciate deeply their commitment to the entire spectrum of Future Links programs.”

Future Links programs help young golfers develop the technical skills, appropriate attitude and self-confidence to succeed on the course while teaching them positive life lessons to succeed off the course. Through these programs, young girls and boys learn integrity, honesty, sportsmanship and responsibility. The gender split of participants is almost equal, with 55 per cent of them being boys and 45 per cent girls.

The scope and depth of Future Links are impressive, starting with the very young beginner and extending through high-level amateur competitions.

More than 500 facilities in 10 provinces deliver Future Links programming. More than 63,000 children were introduced to the game via more than 2,000 mobile clinic sessions across the country. This past year alone, there were 7,300 Learn to Play participants at almost 200 sites.

Another facet of the Future Links umbrella of programs is the Golf in Schools program, a national program that, since its inception, has been implemented in more than 3,100 elementary, intermediate and high schools.  Through a partnership with PHE Canada, the Golf in Schools program introduces more than 348,000 children to the game of golf each year.

Six Future Links Championships are conducted every year. These three-day tournaments expose more accomplished young golfers to top-level competition. Some of Canada’s best young golfers—Brooke Henderson, Maude-Aimée LeBlanc, Sue Kim, Graham DeLaet, Nick Taylor, and more—played in the Future Links Championships as part of their development.

“While we would love to have a single title sponsor for all Future Links programs, we welcome interest from sponsors who might want to undertake supporting a portion of the programming,” says Roth.

“The impact of Future Links has been incredible and we want to keep that momentum going to ensure the future of the game in Canada remains bright.”

Solid investments with guaranteed returns are hard to find. Future Links is the exception.

Time for corporate Canada to step up to the tee, once again.

LATROBE, Pa. – With a large tear forming in his left eye, Jack Nicklaus asked everyone from the elite to the everyman to remember the time Arnold Palmer touched their lives during an emotional farewell to the King on Tuesday.

“I hurt like you hurt,” Nicklaus said. “You don’t lose a friend of 60 years and don’t feel an enormous loss.”

The service at Saint Vincent College in Palmer’s hometown was filled with just as much laughter and warmth from stories of the most significant player in the modern game. The basilica at the college was packed with golf’s biggest names from around the world.

Charlie Mechem, the former LPGA commissioner who became one of Palmer’s most trusted advisers, referred to them as the “elite battalion” of Arnie’s Army.

Palmer died Sept. 25 in Pittsburgh as he was preparing for heart surgery. He was 87. His private funeral for family members was Thursday.

“We were looking down at the air strip and the fog just suddenly lifted,” Ernie Els said Tuesday after landing in one of several private jets that descended on Arnold Palmer Regional Airport. “This is a beautiful day. We’ve all met different people in life. He was a man who didn’t change. It didn’t matter if you cut the grass or you were a president. He was the same with everybody.”

Palmer’s co-pilot, Pete Luster, flew his plane around Saint Vincent College for nearly an hour before the service, tipping the left wing as he zoomed by.

Mechem set a happy tone by pointing to a large photograph of Palmer with a grin that made everyone feel so important. He asked the crowd to remember the Palmer who hitched up his pants and gave a thumbs-up.

“There’s an old saying that there are no irreplaceable people,” Mechem said, his voice cracking toward the end of the ceremony. “Whoever made that line didn’t know Arnold Palmer. There will never be another.”

Palmer won 62 times on the PGA Tour, including seven major championships.

The service was another reminder that Palmer was not the greatest golfer who ever lived, or even the best from his generation. He just had the greatest influence through television, through marketing and mostly through eye contact.

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem tried to explain Palmer’s popularity by mentioning his attacking style of golf, his appeal on television and the way he carried himself.

“He had this other thing,” Finchem said. “It was the incredible ability to make you feel good – not just about him, but about yourself. I was amazed by how people reacted to him. He took energy from that and turned right around and gave it back.”

CHASKA, Minn. – This wasn’t about being maybe the best team ever assembled. The Americans were simply a team, and they finally won back the Ryder Cup.

Phil Mickelson led the Americans behind the scenes. Patrick Reed powered them with his passion on the golf course. And it was Ryan Moore, the final captain’s pick who wasn’t even on the team until a week ago Sunday, who delivered the cup-clinching point at Hazeltine.

Moore finished eagle-birdie-par for a 1-up victory over Lee Westwood, and the celebration was on.

“When put in the right environment, the U.S. team brought out some amazing golf,” Mickelson said. “And we’re bringing back the Ryder Cup because of it.”

There was no meltdown like Medinah four years ago, when the Americans blew a 10-6 lead under captain Davis Love III.

Europe never really had a chance.

Reed outdueled and outshouted Rory McIlroy for a 1-up victory, and by then the back end of the scoreboard was filled with American red.

The final score was 17-11, the biggest rout for the United States since 1981. That U.S. team is considered the best team ever assembled with 11 major champions. In a radio interview going into the Ryder Cup, Love was trying to explain that the Americans didn’t have to do anything “super human” when he said, “This is the best team maybe ever assembled.”

Ultimately, this wasn’t about measuring against the past as much as it was building to the future.

The Americans lost for the third straight time in 2014 at Gleneagles, and it was team divided over everything from how the captain was selected to how the team should be built. Mickelson put his image on the line by publicly challenging captain Tom Watson at the closing press conference in Scotland, and he was the strongest voice among five players on a task force that was assembled to figure out why the Americans couldn’t seem to win.

Mickelson was under pressure all week and delivered 2 1/2 points, including a halve with Sergio Garcia in which both birdied the final two holes.

“You keep losing, you feel like you have to do something different,” said Love, who avoided becoming the first U.S. captain to lose the Ryder Cup twice. “They had a lot of pressure on them for the last two years. And every time we picked a guy, there was more and more pressure on the team and more and more questions. And I’m just proud the way every one of them played. It was a great team effort.”

The golf was equally great.

Reed faced the tallest order in the leadoff match with Rory McIlroy, and the quality of golf was as high as it gets. Reed squared the match by driving the fifth green to 8 feet for eagle, and he kept the tee until the 18th. Reed matched McIlroy’s birdie on No. 6, McIlroy matched Reed’s birdie on No. 7 and the par-3 eighth hole was as sensational as it gets in a Ryder Cup.

McIlroy holed a 60-foot birdie putt, leapt into the air and cupped his hand to his ear, mocking the American crowd to yell even louder. Reed then holed a birdie putt from 35 feet, charging the crowd before turning to wag his finger at McIlroy. They bumped fists and patted each other on the back, both 5 under through eight holes.

Their standard of gold dipped after that, perhaps because they spent so much energy pumping fists, and Reed finally took his first lead when McIlroy bogeyed the 12th hole. McIlroy’s putter went cold, and Reed closed him out with a 7-foot birdie on the 18th.

Mickelson made 10 birdies, and Garcia made nine birdies against no bogeys in their match.

Among the lone bright spots for Europe was Thomas Pieters, the Belgian rookie who had the best debut of any European rookie by going 4-1. He took down J.B. Holmes in the third match, right after Henrik Stenson dismantled Jordan Spieth. By then, it was ominous.

There would be no comeback like Medinah. There would be no celebrating for Europe, which it had done eight of the last 10 times.

The Americans stood atop a bridge to the left of the 18th green and sprayed champagne on themselves and the crowd, an enormous gathering that sent endless cheers of “U-S-A” and “Red, white, blue” across Hazeltine for three straight days.

Every U.S. player contributed a point.

For Europe, Westwood was among four players who ended the week without a point.

The Ryder Cup Task Force was dismantled after Love was named captain for the second time, though Mickelson and Tiger Woods remain on a committee for the next Ryder Cup in 2018 in France. Europe has not lost consecutive Ryder Cups since 1993.

EL DORADO, Ark. – Madelene Sagstrom won the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout on Sunday for her third Symetra Tour title of the season, officially earning an LPGA Tour that she wrapped up months ago.

The 23-year-old Swede closed with an even-par 72 at Mystic Creek to finish at 7-under 209, two strokes ahead of Becca Huffer (68) and Bath, Ont.’s Augusta James (69).

Quebec’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay tied for 4th after a final-round 70 left her at 4-under 212.

Sagstrom finished off the Symetra Player of the Year, Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year and the season money title. She earned $15,000 to push her record season total to $156,184 with two tournaments left. The 2015 Southeastern Conference player of the year at LSU has 11 top-10 finishes in 14 events.

“This season has meant so much to me and all the awards mean a lot to me,” Sagstrom said. “I knew I was close to closing out the award (Player of the Year) and I feel accomplished, but I also realize that I can’t focus on those things to perform at my best. I’m now really looking forward to the Symetra Tour Championship, which will be my last event.”

Sagstrom earned an in-season promotion to the LPGA Tour with her third victory, but the big tour had no more domestic full-field events left that she could play this season.

The Swede also won the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial in April in Florida and the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic in May in South Carolina.

The final top 10 on the money list will earn LPGA Tour cards.

BEIJING – In-Kyung Kim won the Reignwood LPGA Classic on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour victory in six years, making an eagle and a birdie on the two late par 5s to lead a South Korean sweep of the top three places.

The 28-year-old Kim shot a 7-under 66 at Reignwood Pine Valley, holing a 25-foot eagle putt on the 16th and a 12-footer for birdie on the 18th for her fourth tour title and first since the 2010 Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Mexico. She also won a Ladies European Tour event last month in Germany.

Kim finished at 24-under 268, a stroke ahead of third-round leader Mi Jung Hur and 2014 winner Mirim Lee in the Asian Swing opener. Playing a group behind Kim in the final threesome, Hur missed a chance to force a playoff when her eagle chip from the back fringe went a foot right.

China’s Shanshan Feng, the 2013 winner in the event that wasn’t played last year, shot a 69 to tie for fourth with Canada’s Brooke Henderson (71) at 21 under.

The 19-year-old Henderson, from Smith Falls, Ont., a two-time winner this year, plans to play all six weeks in Asia, a journey that will take her to Taiwan and South Korea the next two weeks, back to China for the Blue Bay LPGA at Hainan Island, and then to Malaysia and Japan.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was even-par in the final round to finish tied for 42nd at 5-under. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp’s final round of 3-under left her 2-under for the tournament and tied for 51st.

Kim made up for a bogey on par-5 ninth – she went for the green in two and ended up short in the water – by playing the other four par 5s in 5 under. She made the eagle on 16 and birdied Nos. 6, 12 and 18. She also birdied the par-4 15th in her late run.

“Fifteen was really big, too,” Kim noted when asked about the eagle on 16.

The 5-foot-3 player was aggressive on 16 after considering laying up.

“I wasn’t sure go for it or not go for it,” Kim said. “I felt like today I really played with everything I got. I didn’t really pull back. Even No. 9, I felt was the right club. I think I managed. I played aggressively, which I had to on this golf course. And especially back nine, I knew that everybody was going to score, so I wanted to do the same thing.”

Hur birdied five of the last six for a 70 in the round delayed 1 1/2 hours at the start because of rain and lightning. She opened bogey-bogey-birdie-bogey and parred the next eight.

Lee had a 68. She had a double bogey on No. 9, then played the back nine in 6-under 31 with an eagle on the 12th and five birdies.

Second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn shot a 65 to tie for sixth at 18 under and take the lead from the idle Lydia Ko in the player of the year points race. The tour leader with five victories, Jutanugarn had a double bogey on the par-5 sixth, then birdied eight of the last 12 holes – with birdies on the final four par 5s. The Thai player also had a double bogey on a par 5 in a second-round 75 that took her out of contention.

Kim is the sixth South Korean winner this season and the third-oldest winner behind Anna Nordqvist (29) and Brittany Lang (30). Kim earned $310,000 to push her season total to $573,534 and is projected to jump from 42nd to 29th in the world ranking.

Fonthill, Ont. – What started out as just an opportunity to have fun with a couple friends turned into a big win at the inaugural Hyundai PGA Scramble for the team from Angus Glen.

The squad—which featured Patrick O’Leary, Dan Mesley, Mike Asselin, David Fotheringham and PGA of Canada professional Terry Kim—pulled out the big victory Saturday at Lookout Point Country Club in Fonthill, Ont., besting the home course favourites by the slimmest of margins.

“We just had fun out there and that has been our motto since the very start,” the Angus Glen team said. “But in the end, as just a bunch of amateurs, it feels really cool to be crowned as national championship winners.”

Angus Glen’s two-day net score of 108.2 was a mere 0.2 shots better than Lookout Point who finished at 108.4. The team from Midland Golf & Country Club rounded out the top three with a score of 109.2.

For the full Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada leaderboard, CLICK HERE.

The Hyundai PGA Scramble of Canada saw thousands of golfers from across the country participate in the series of events this summer. The 25 teams participating at Lookout Point—which were comprised of four amateurs and a PGA of Canada Professional—made it through local and regional qualifying events before teeing it up this week in the national championship final.

The winning team was officially crowned at the closing ceremonies Saturday evening at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls.

“It’s been just an amazing week,” the Angus Glen team said. “From our amazing accommodations in Niagara Falls to the way everyone has looked after us here at Lookout Point, it’s really been a dream experience.”

Lookout Point Country Club is home to World Golf Hall of Fame member Marlene Streit; two-time PGA Women’s Championship of Canada winner, Cathy Sherk; five-time PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada winner Bill Kozak; and PGA TOUR Champions winner Rod Spittle. Spittle was on hand Friday morning to hit the national final’s ceremonial tee shot.

CHASKA, Minn. – Patrick Reed took over his match and the rest of the Americans followed suit. Now they need to win only five of 12 singles matches to win the Ryder Cup.

The Americans won three of the four afternoon matches for 9 1/2 to 6 1/2 lead Saturday.

Reed holed out a wedge from the fairway for eagle on the par-5 sixth hole to take a lead that he and Jordan Spieth never relinquished against Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose.

Phil Mickelson delivered the key putts for another point, and Lee Westwood gave the Americans help they didn’t need by missing a 2-foot putt on the final hole.

Not even the undefeated partnership of Rory McIlroy and Thomas Pieters could dig Europe out of a hole.

The next challenge for the Americans is history. They led 10-6 at Medinah four years ago only for Europe to rally for another victory.

BEIJING – Mi Jung Hur birdied the par-5 18th hole for a 6-under 67 and a one-stroke lead over Canadian Brooke Henderson on Saturday in the Reignwood LPGA Classic.

Hur was 5 under on the back nine at Reignwood Pine Valley to take a 20-under 199 total into the final round of the Asian Swing opener. The 26-year-old South Korean player had a bogey-free round after shooting a tournament-record 63 on Friday for a share of the second-round lead with Henderson.

“On the back nine, just everything works really well,” said Hur, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour. “Front nine, I think it’s all about the putter. Didn’t work on the front nine, but works on the back nine.”

The fourth-ranked Henderson shot a 68, saving par on 18 for a bogey-free day.

“I think the winner tomorrow is going to shoot a really low score,” the 19-year-old from Smith Falls, Ont., said. “I don’t think anybody is going to run away with it, necessarily. I think it’ll be really tight right down until the end. So making lots of birdies and playing smart all the way around.”

Planning to play all six weeks in Asia, she has two victories this year, winning the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June for her first major and successfully defending her Cambia Portland Classic title in July.

“Five under is a solid round for me and I’m happy with that,” Henderson said. “I would’ve liked to have finished with a few more birdies. Left one on 17 and kind of gave 18 away.”

She lipped out a birdie try on 17 and hit into a bunker on 18.

“Definitely not the finish I was looking for,” Henderson said. “Kind of let them both slip away. I guess that’s what tomorrow is for. Hopefully, get a couple quick birdies and get back in.”

China’s Shanshan Feng, the bronze medallist in the Rio Olympics, had a 69 to drop three strokes back along with South Koreans Mirim Lee and In-Kyung Kim. Feng won the inaugural Reignwood LPGA in 2013 at 26 under for the second of her four tour titles. In 2012, she won the LPGA Championship to become China’s first major champion.

Lee got the spot with Hur and Henderson in the final group Sunday, shooting a 66 to match the best score of the day. Lee is the defending champion after winning the 2014 edition of the event that was not played last year.

Kim had a 68 with seven birdies and three bogeys.

“I think I manage the round pretty well,” Kim said. “It was a little bit troubling getting the target with the tee shot. Maybe they moved the tee box a little bit here and there.”

It was another five strokes back to China’s Simin Feng (67) and South Korea’s Amy Yang (70) at 12 under.

Second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn was tied for ninth at 10 under after a 69. The 20-year-old Thai player has a tour-high five victories and would take the player of the year points lead from idle Lydia Ko with a ninth-place finish or better.

Older sister Moriya Jutanugarn, winless on the tour, also was 10 under after a 69.

Taiwan’s Yani Tseng had her best round of the year, birdieing the final three holes for a 66 to get to 9 under. She won the last of her 15 tour titles in 2012.

Hur won LPGA Tour events in 2009 in Oregon and 2014 in Alabama, finishing at a personal-best 21 under in the second victory.

“I just want to break that record,” Hur said. “If I set my goal and focus more about that it will help me to focus. … I just want to focus on my every shot. That’s the most important thing. Like crowd here is a little bit noisy, but they’re really fine.”

Noisy?

“Like they take a photo,” Hur said. “No. No. It’s fine. You get used to it, so I don’t care.”