Frank Van Dornick leads Alberta to Men’s Senior team title
NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. – An unrelenting heat continued to envelop the Grand Niagara Golf Club during the second round of the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship. A trio of Albertans emerged victorious in the inter-provincial team competition, while John Gallacher claimed the Super Senior national title.
Camrose, Alta., native Frank Van Dornick began the day with a share of 19th, but vaulted up the leaderboard with six birdies on the day, including four across a bogey-free back nine, en route to a 4-under 68.
“My round was fairly steady,” said Van Dornick. “I haven’t been hitting it very well, so I was just trying to manage the golf course as best I could. Today, I hit a lot of decent irons, I actually made a lot of putts, and that was the difference.”
The performance propelled Team Alberta to a nine-stroke victory after entering the day two shots back of Manitoba. Teammates David Schultz of Calgary and Brian Brown from Nanton carded rounds of 1-under and 2-under, respectively. Team Manitoba claimed second, while the squad representing British Columbia came third.
“Historically, we’ve been in the hunt, but we don’t always win, of course,” reflected Van Dornick. “When we do, it’s always very special. This is Brian’s first year and David and I go back 25-30 years, so I’ve known David an awfully long time. I think it was really nice for Brian to not only be a part of this, but also play as well as he has to date. I think you’ll see a lot more of Brian in the future.”
Van Dornick was pensive when asked about his fellow competitors and the unique nature of this national championship.
“A lot of these guys, we’ve gone through illnesses together; we know what everyone’s had in the past. The ones that have survived and can continue to compete and still find joy in the competition, they’re the ones we still see. Our hats are off to the ones that are unable to do that for health reasons. We’ve made a lot of friends nationwide as a result of these competitions and all of these friendships are very special.”
At 2-under 142, Van Dornick holds a share of second alongside first-round leader Michael Mercier of Juno Beach, Fla., and Garth Collings of Matlock, Man. The trio trails Las Vegas native Brady Exber by a single stroke. The 60-year-old Exber is playing in his third consecutive Canadian Men’s Senior Championship with his best finish being a runner-up result in 2014.
Back-to-back 72s have earned Burnaby, B.C., product John Gallacher the Super Senior title. The 65-year-old closed the round with nine straight pars to win the 65-and-over division by six strokes. A trio of Albertans in Howard Broun (Calgary), Merv Dusyk (Sylvan Lake) and Ron Kelly (Calgary) tied for second.
A total of 77 players finished 155-or-better to advance to the final two rounds of the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship. The winner will receive an exemption into the 2016 U.S. Senior Amateur championship to be contested at Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis, Mo., from September 17-22.
The third day of competition will begin with groups teeing off Nos. 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m. ET. Additional information from the championship can be found here.
Vandermade, Foster and Kim share lead at PGA Women’s Championship
Mississauga, ONT. – Three young Canadians are tied for the lead after the first round of the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.
Christina Foster of Concord, Ont., and former Team Canada players Nicole Vandermade and Taylor Kim each posted 1-under-par 71’s Wednesday at Credit Valley Golf & Country Club.
Richmond Hill’s Anna Kim sits one shot off the lead at even-par, while Vivian Tsui and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame winner Lorie Kane lurk just two shots back at 1-over.
“This is a great golf course, Credit Valley,” Kane said after her round Wednesday. “I’m jealous because I’d love to play here everyday.”
Kane, who has won the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada a record five times, says she’s looking forward to playing in the second-to-last group and chasing down the three young leaders.
“I never press but I always like to chase,” the four-time LPGA Tour winner from Charlottetown said. “And I think that if I get to be out ahead of the leaders, that’s a good thing.”
Vandermade, who won the Symetra Tour in 2014, said she plans to keep things rolling for Thursday’s final round.
“I just want to keep doing the same things that I did today and not try and think about things too much,” she said. “I’ll just hit some golf shots, try to make some putts, add them up at the end and see what happens.”
For the full PGA Women’s Championship of Canada leaderboard, click here.
Hannah Hellyer of Windermere Golf & Country Club and Golf-Tonus PTMT’s Sylvie Schetagne are tied for the lead of the Club Professional division.
The PGA Women’s Championship of Canada was first played in 1987 and in addition to five-time winner Kane, past champions include Brooke Henderson, Cathy Sherk, Gail Graham, Nancy Harvey, Alena Sharp and Jessica Shepley.
The two-day, 36-hole championship is being played at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club. Admittance to the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada is free and spectators are encouraged to attend during championship play.
LIVE on #Periscope: PGA Women’s Championship of Canada https://t.co/sh4WoOUHiL
— PGA of Canada (@pgaofcanada) September 7, 2016
Six selected to represent Canada at third annual World Junior Girls Championship
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – The world’s top female junior golfers will head to Mississauga for the third edition of the World Junior Girls Championship from September 25-30 at Mississaugua Golf & Country Club. Two teams of three athletes will don the red and white of the host nation as Canada competes for the title of World Junior Girls champion.
“It is an honour to represent your country and we look forward to welcoming these players to Canada,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna. “The course is in fantastic shape and we are thrilled to host some of the world’s best juniors at this historic club. Our partners at Mississaugua and the communities in the surrounding area have come together to make this a truly memorable event for our competitors.”
Representing Canada One will be Mississauga, Ont., native Chloe Currie who will look to translate home course advantage into success on the international stage. The member of Mississaugua Golf & Country Club has had a banner year, capturing the 2016 Ontario Juvenile Girls Championship before defending her Ontario Junior Girls title. At the national level, the 16-year-old Team Canada Development Squad member collected runner-up results at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship and the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
Mary Parsons opened Golf Canada’s season by claiming victory at the 2016 edition of the CN Future Links Pacific Championship at The Dunes at Kamloops Golf Club in Kamloops, B.C. The product of Delta, B.C., came up just shy of the victory at her province’s Amateur Championship, collecting a second-place result, but then claimed an impressive six-stroke win at the B.C. Junior Girls Championship. The 17-year-old earned third-place at the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship behind Currie.
Completing the Canada One contingent is Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont. The 2016 Team Ontario member claimed her first CN Future Links title at the Quebec edition of the regional cross-Canada championships for junior golfers. The 15-year-old earned a share of second at her province’s amateur championship before finishing T11 at the national event for amateurs. Chun secured an eighth-place result at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.
As the host country, Canada reserves the right to field two teams in the 48-player, 15-country competition. Céleste Dao earned her place on the Canada Two squad following an impressive season. A fifth-place showing at the Quebec Women’s Amateur Championship propelled the Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que., native into a runner-up result at her province’s Junior Girls Championship. She tied for eighth in the stroke play component of the U.S. Girls’ Junior before claiming a share of sixth at Canada’s National Junior Girls Championship. The 15-year-old’s season culminated in a convincing nine-stroke victory at the Graham Cooke Junior Invitational.
Hannah Lee is returning for a second stint at the World Junior Girls Championship, having competed in 2015 at The Marshes Golf Club in the nation’s capital. The member of the National Team Development Squad secured a third-place finish at the CN Future Links Ontario Championship. She excelled at the provincial level, claiming fourth at the B.C. Women’s Amateur before earning a T2 at the B.C. Junior Girls competition. An 11th-place showing at the national Junior Girls Championship and a season of lessons-learned garnered the Surrey, B.C., native the growth and experience she needed to emerge victorious at the B.C. Juvenile Championship.
The third and final member of Canada Two is Isabella Portokalis – the 2016 CN Future Links Ontario champion. The London, Ont., native’s 2016 season includes a T2 at the Ontario Junior Girls Championship and a share of seventh at her provincial Women’s Amateur. The 2016 Team Ontario member’s performance at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship earned her a T11 result before she collected a sixth-place finish at the Ontario Juvenile Girls’ Championship.
“Golf Ontario is excited to once again partner with Golf Canada to conduct this global championship at another of Ontario’s storied clubs – Mississaugua Golf & Country Club,” said Mike Kelly, Golf Ontario Executive Director. “We thank their membership and volunteer committees for all their hard work. We are thrilled for our athletes from Ontario who have been selected to represent Canada and wish them the best of luck.”
“These six athletes have had tremendous seasons and their selections to Team Canada are the result of their hard work and commitment to the sport,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “The Provincial Golf Associations, their home clubs, their parents and of course, the athletes themselves – their joint efforts have made this accomplishment possible and they should all be proud.”
While highlighting the work of those involved with the newest members of Team Canada, Thompson also spoke highly of the talented juniors from coast to coast.
“The selection of these teams was not an easy task. Across the nation, the level of skill shown by our junior-aged players speaks to not only the passion for golf in Canada, but also the excellent work done by golf facilities and our provincial partners to hone the skills of our athletes. We look forward to seeing these six players represent Canada against a number of the best juniors in the world.”
National Team Development Squad Women’s Coach Ann Carroll will once again lend her expertise to Canada One. Coach Mike Martz from the Golf Performance Centre at Whistle Bear will return to lead Canada Two.
The inaugural World Junior Girls Championship in 2014 was held at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont. Mika Liu of Beverly Hills, Calif., captured individual honours in leading Team USA to victory. Playing in her final event as an amateur, current World No. 3 Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished fourth as Canada One claimed bronze.
The second edition of the tournament was conducted at Ottawa’s The Marshes Golf Club where the trio representing the Republic of Korea completed a wire-to-wire victory to secure the team title. Paju-si, South Korea native Hye-jin Choi finished 12-under in claiming a seven-stroke victory. Choi is currently the No. 15-ranked amateur in the world and counts a victory at the 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship among her accomplishments.
In addition to the 72-hole team and individual competitions, the World Junior Girls Championship will celebrate the sport and focus upon the promotion and development of junior girls golf. Golf Canada will host a PGA of Canada coaches clinic and a girls skill development clinic in the days leading up to the competition’s first round on Tuesday, September 27.
Admission to the competition is free.
USGA to host 2017 Golf Innovation Symposium in Vancouver
FAR HILLS, N.J. – The United States Golf Association will host the 2017 North American Golf Innovation Symposium on March 6-7 in Vancouver, gathering leaders in sustainable facility management and sports research to share knowledge and advance the game.
Symposium attendees will discuss how research, science and data can help golf facilities around the world reduce their costs, operate more efficiently and provide a better experience for golfers. Over two days, the USGA and other contributing innovators will share details of their ongoing work in areas such as resource management, golf operations, revenue management, pace of play and equipment standards.
“Golf facilities have saved water and fuel, solved problems that cause bottlenecks on the golf course, and introduced programs to welcome more people into our game – simply by learning and sharing best practices discussed at these forums,” said Mike Davis, executive director/CEO of the USGA. “It’s a significant priority for the USGA to bring these leaders together, and foster this kind of innovative thinking each year.”
The 2017 event will be the fourth symposium hosted by the USGA, and the first conducted outside the United States. The first two events focused on pace of play and were held at USGA headquarters in Far Hills, N.J. In January 2016, the symposium in Pasadena, Calif., added programs on other aspects of facility management and golfer experience. Presentations from previous symposiums, delivered by the LPGA Tour, American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) and USGA, among others, can be found by clicking here.
The 2017 event, supported by Golf Canada and the Mexican Golf Federation, will center on three major themes: Golfer Experience, Facility Sustainability and Innovation in Governance. The USGA will introduce technologies and tools, in addition to presenting research results from the USGA’s strategic partnership with the University of Minnesota. One of the partnership’s first studies measures the impact of green speed on pace of play.
Other planned topics include facility benchmarking, insights from the USGA-ASGCA Site Evaluation Program, and ideas for improving the golfer experience, such as flexible course routing and Tee It Forward guidance. Presenters will represent academia, the private sector, non-endemic golf industries and golf associations.
“The challenges facing golf courses transcend borders,” said Scott Simmons, CEO of Golf Canada. “Like other organizations around the world, we are trying to help our golf community, and we are excited to bring the Golf Innovation Symposium to Canada so we can provide an opportunity for our facility managers to benefit from the knowledge that will be shared.”
Additional details will be made available in the coming months.
The 2017 Golf Innovation Symposium reflects the latest effort by the USGA to serve the game of golf as a knowledge center and information-exchange platform for golf facility operators and owners, and to spark and share innovative thinking for a healthy future for the game.
Woods hopes to return in October at Safeway Open
CARMEL, Ind. – Out of golf for more than a year, Tiger Woods said Wednesday he hopes to play the first event of the PGA Tour season next month and could play as much as twice more before the end of the year.
Woods said if his rehabilitation from back surgeries keeps going well, he would play the Safeway Open in Napa, California, on Oct. 13-16.
“My rehabilitation is to the point where I’m comfortable making plans, but I still have work to do,” Woods said in a surprise announcement on his website . “Whether I can play depends on my continued progress and recovery. My hope is to have my game ready to go.”
Woods last played on Aug. 23, 2015, at the Wyndham Championship. Two shots out of the lead going into the final round, he closed with a 70 and tied for 10th. A month later, he announced he had another operation on his back. Then, Woods had a third back surgery in October.
He missed all four majors for the first time in his career.
Jack Nicklaus tweeted to Woods.
.@TigerWoods, it’s great to see you back and in good health. You’ve done so much for the game and it’s better with you playing. Good luck!
— Jack Nicklaus (@jacknicklaus) September 7, 2016
The Safeway Open is the opening event of the wraparound PGA Tour season held at Silverado. Woods also said he intends to play in the Turkish Airlines Open the first weekend in November and his Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas the first week of December, where he would be eligible for the 18-man field as the tournament host.
He also said he would take part in his Tiger Woods Invitational, a charity event for his foundation, Oct. 10-11 on the Monterey Peninsula.
“It was difficult missing tournaments that are important to me, but this time I was smart about my recovery and didn’t rush it,” Woods said.
The announcement was a swift departure from the few public appearances this year in which Woods has said he planned to return but did not have a timetable.
Now he does.
“He needs to get back out here,” U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson said. “The tour needs him, and I want to see him playing well again. He’s not going to come back unless he’s ready, so I feel like he’ll play well. Winning? I don’t see it right away. But he’s on a different level than anyone else. He’ll be prepared.”
Rory McIlroy said he knew Woods was close based on a conversation with Woods’ agent at the British Open this year. He said the PGA Tour sent out an alert to players on their mobile phones, which McIlroy checked at the end of his pro-am round at the BMW Championship.
“I’m sort of glad I’m not there that week. … It’s going to be a bit of a circus,” McIlroy said. “But it’s good to see him back and healthy, and it will be exciting to see him back on the course again.”
Woods won his 79th PGA Tour title in 2013 at the Bridgestone Invitational, leaving him three short of the record held by Sam Snead. The last of his 14 majors was in the 2008 U.S. Open, right before reconstructive surgery on his left knee. He hasn’t seriously contended in a major since 2013. Woods had his first back surgery right before the 2014 Masters.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him play again, seeing what the state of his game is,” world No. 1 Jason Day said. “I think he’s done it the right way by waiting and not coming back too soon. There’s been a couple of times where I feel like he may have come back too soon and kind of injured himself a little bit more and that’s what’s kept him out of the game so long.”
Woods first played in Turkey in 2013 when it was an exhibition and as part of the deal, he was required to play in Napa at least once over the next three years. Woods had been planning to play last year until back surgery, and then the tournament changed title sponsors.
Phil Mickelson also is playing the Safeway Open.
Singh, Montgomerie, Jimenez and O’Meara to play Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship
VICTORIA – World Golf Hall of Famers Vijay Singh and Colin Montgomerie, as well as four-time European Ryder Cup team member Miguel Angel Jimenez, have committed to play the 2016 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship.
The Champions Tour event will be contested at Bear Mountain Golf Resort’s Mountain Course in Victoria the week of September 19-25, 2016. The tournament will feature a US$2.5 million purse, with 81 players competing for a winner’s share of $375,000.
Singh, who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2005, won 34 times over a standout PGA TOUR career, including major championship wins at the 1998 and 2004 PGA Championship, as well as the 2000 Masters Tournament.
The Fiji native competed on the International Presidents Cup team eight times throughout his illustrious career, where 31 of his 34 wins came during the Tiger Woods era. The 34 victories rank 14th on the all-time PGA TOUR wins list, ahead of names such as Lee Trevino, Gary Player and Johnny Miller.
Montgomerie, who spent the vast majority of his career competing on the European Tour, has made a second home on the Champions Tour. The 53-year-old has notched three victories on Tour, including the 2014 and 2015 Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, as well as the 2014 U.S. Senior Open – all of which are senior major championships.
The eight-time European Ryder Cup team member compiled one of the all-time best records in the biennial event, posting a 20-7-1 stat line without losing a singles match. During his tenure on the team, the Scotland native helped the Europeans to five victories, with each coming in his last six years of competition from 1995 through 2006.
Montgomerie won a record eight European Tour Order of Merit titles, including seven in a row from 1993 through 1999. His 31 career victories, which are the most of any British player in Tour history, gave way to a World Golf Hall of Fame induction in 2013.
Much like Montgomerie, Jimenez became a household name through his play overseas, including four stints on the European Ryder Cup team alongside 21 victories.
The 52-year-old earned fan favorite status through the years with his trademark ponytail and well-lit cigar during tournament rounds. On social media, Jimenez acquired an entirely new set of fans via his pre-round stretching routine, which combined the looks of yoga and dance to create an infinite number of posts on numerous outlets.
On the Champions Tour, the Spaniard has won an event each of the last three years, with a victory at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in April serving as the most recent. Jimenez has been the best player on Tour this year behind Bernhard Langer, notching a staggering seven top-5 finishes in eight starts, including the win and four runner-up finishes.
The trio of legends was joined by five other players of note in the event’s most recent commitment list, with World Golf Hall of Fame member Mark O’Meara leading the way.
The two-time major championship winner, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015, has two career wins on the Champions Tour, including the 2010 Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship – one of five senior major championships.
Also announced today were 1982 Masters Champion Craig Stadler, former U.S. Presidents Cup team Captain Jay Haas, 2005 PLAYERS Championship winner Fred Funk and 11-time PGA TOUR winner John Cook.
Tournament week in Victoria will begin with Official Pro-Ams on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by 54 holes of championship play from Friday through Sunday, with no cut. All three competitive rounds will be broadcast live by Golf Channel to more than 200 million homes in 84 countries and 11 languages around the world.
Tickets are also on-sale for this premier event and can be purchased at www.selectyourtickets.com.
Team Manitoba ahead; Michael Mercier leads seniors in Niagara Falls
NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. – Heat and humidity dominated the day as the 2016 edition of the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship opened at the Grand Niagara Golf Club. Michael Mercier carded a 4-under 68 to top the Senior division’s leaderboard, while Ottawa’s Dru Lafave and Burnaby, B.C., native John Gallacher share the Super Senior lead. The trio representing Manitoba is ahead in the inter-provincial team competition by two strokes.
Garth Collings of Matlock, Man., and Calgary’s Allan Ross recorded matching 70s to lead the Canadian contingent in the overall competition. Collings Collected three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 8th hole.
“The course was awesome, but it was obviously very hot and humid,” said the 58-year-old. “The course played very well. I got off to a good start, but then I had a bit of a hiccup. I really worked hard to keep it in play. I made a couple of lucky shots and I was fortunate enough to shoot 70.”
Collings and teammates – and Winnipeg products – Michael Walker and Brad Moore, tallied a team total of even-par 144 to stake a two-stroke lead ahead of Team Alberta. Teams British Columbia and Ontario are T3 at 5-over 147.
“It’s the main reason why we come here,” reflected Collings, when asked about the 36-hole inter-provincial team competition. “Any individual success we have is great also, but when I teed up in our province to play in the Senior in Manitoba, I played to make this team. That was my goal. For us to play well here, hopefully we can keep it going tomorrow. It’s senior golf, it’s really about the golf and the camaraderie.”
Alone atop the Senior division is Michael Mercier of Juno Beach, Fla. The 58-year-old, who began the day on the back nine, notched seven birdies on the day, including four across his first nine holes for a 3-under 33 showing. Las Vegas native Brady Exber counted five birdies and sits one stroke back of the leader.
Ottawa’s Dru Lafave and John Gallacher of Burnaby, B.C., lead the 65-and-over Super Senior division contested concurrently with the championship’s first two rounds. At even-par, the pair sit one stroke clear of Vineland, Ont., native Kerry Short.
Following the opening 36-holes, the field will be reduced to the low 70 players and ties. The champion will receive an exemption into the 2016 U.S. Senior Amateur championship to be contested at Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis, Mo., from September 17-22.
Additional information from the tournament can be found here.
Freedom 55 Financial Championship welcomes matching $25,000 donations to Thames Valley Children’s Centre
London, Ont. – Golf Canada in partnership with title sponsor Freedom 55 Financial and the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada confirmed today that the Thames Valley Children’s Centre (TVCC) will return as the official charitable beneficiary of the Freedom 55 Financial Championship, which will run September 12-18, 2016 at Highland Country Club in London, Ont.
Leading up to this year’s championship, a pair of community donations have been made in the name of the Freedom 55 Financial Championship to kick off the charity fundraising efforts for the season ending event on Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada.
London, Ont. native and NHL player Brandon Prust has donated $25,000 through the Brandon Prust Foundation to Thames Valley Children’s Centre in the name of the Freedom 55 Financial Championship. The Brandon Prust Foundation was created in 2014 with a mission to improve kids’ lives. The Foundation strives to help kids be happier and healthier through funding events, programs and activities, especially to aid children experiencing illness or pain.
An additional donation of $25,000 was made to the Thames Valley Children’s Centre by the Harbour Grace Foundation, a collection of companies owned and managed by Founder and Chief Executive Officer Ms. Kyle MacDonald. The company is headquartered in London, Ontario and is active in several industries, including real estate, publishing, entertainment, and manufacturing. The Harbour Grace Group is also active in multiple philanthropic endeavours, and Ms. MacDonald has a passionate interest in supporting scholarships for young Canadian students wishing to access world-class post-secondary educations.
The Mackenzie Tour also committed support to the Thames Valley Children’s Centre with a donation of $12,500 in the name of the Freedom 55 Financial Championship on behalf of Mackenzie Investments.
In 2015, more than $44,000 was raised in support of Thames Valley through various fundraising activities during the Freedom 55 Financial Championship.
Thames Valley Children’s Centre (TVCC) works to support children and their families to achieve the highest possible quality of life. TVCC serves more than 8000 children, youth and their families every year through a wide range of services provided out of the main London Centre and 15 regional office locations across Southwestern Ontario. Clients range in age from birth to 19 with services supporting a range of special needs including physical disabilities, communication disorders, developmental delays and autism spectrum disorders.
The 12th and final event on the Mackenzie Tour schedule will see the culmination of the race for Web.com Tour status at Highland Country Club. Only the top 60 players on the Order of Merit will be eligible, setting up an exciting race to the season’s final event.
The top five players on the Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit earn Web.com Tour status for the following season, with players finishing in spots 6th through 10th earning an exemption into the final stage and players finishing 11th through 20th into the second stage of Web.com Tour Qualifying School.
Tennessee native Jason Millard won the 2015 Freedom 55 Financial Championship over 2014 champion and Team Freedom golfer Ryan Williams of Vancouver while fellow Team Freedom player Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont. won the Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year Award. Both Girard and Pendrith were among the season ending Top-5 last year to advance to the 2016 Web.com Tour.
The 2016 Freedom 55 Financial Championship is also pleased to invite attendees to a FREE live concert following play on Friday September 15. Local rockers Soul Trippers will play an outdoor concert at Highland Country Club and admission to the concert is FREE with your ticket to the Freedom 55 Financial Championship. Daily prize draws will include Two Weekly Passes to the 2017 RBC Canadian Open (Thursday & Friday); Two Weekly Passes to the 2017 Players Championship (Saturday); and Two Weekly Passes for the 2017 President’s Cup (Sunday).
As well, children aged 17 and under get in free all week without restriction at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship – download your free junior tickets here.
Volunteer and ticket information is available at www.freedom55financialchampionship.com.
Lorie Kane headlines PGA Women’s Championship of Canada
Mississauga, Ont. — Lorie Kane headlines the field for this week’s PGA Women’s Championship of Canada at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club.
Kane, who was recently inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, looks to win her record sixth PGA Women’s Championship of Canada but will face fierce competition from a contingent of players including Nicole Vandermade, Lisa Ferrero and Kylie Barros.
“It’s going to be a fantastic championship this week at Credit Valley,” said PGA of Canada president Steve Wood. “Our field is headlined by Canadian golf legend Lorie Kane who has a chance to win an amazing sixth PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.”
The two-day, 36-hole championship will be played Sept. 7-8 at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club. Admittance to the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada is free and spectators are encouraged to attend during championship play.
Credit Valley last hosted the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada in 2008, which was won by American Hannah Jun. The club has also hosted the 1993 PGA Championship of Canada and last year’s PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada.
“Credit Valley Golf and Country Club has a long standing history of hosting national golf championships and once again we are very excited to showcase our exceptional golf course to the best female golfers in the world,” said Credit Valley’s Chief Operating Officer Ian Webb.
Originally the hunting and fishing grounds of the Ojibway people, Credit Valley traces its golfing beginning back to 1930. Ontario’s then Lieutenant Governor, W.D. Ross, commissioned that six holes be built on the original property which was located where the driving range and parking lot now stand.
Last year at Burlington Golf & Country Club, golf superstar Brooke Henderson won her second-straight PGA Women’s Championship of Canada title. Henderson, who is currently ranked No. 3 in the world, finished two shots better than Jun and Canadian Elizabeth Tong.
The PGA Women’s Championship of Canada was first played in 1987 and in addition to Jun and Henderson, past champions include Cathy Sherk, Gail Graham, Nancy Harvey, Kane, Alena Sharp and Jessica Shepley.
McIlroy rallies to win Deutsche Bank; Hearn ties for 8th
NORTON, Mass. – Rory McIlroy rallied from six shots behind Monday and closed with a 6-under 65 to win the Deutsche Bank Championship for his first PGA Tour victory of the year.
One week after working with a new putting coach and changing putters, results came quickly for McIlroy. He closed out the front nine with three straight birdies to take the lead and got up-and-down from a bunker for birdie on the final hole as a finishing touch.
Paul Casey, who started the final round at TPC Boston with a three-shot lead, needed to hole a 60-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff. Casey was trying to win on the PGA Tour for the first time since 2009.
McIlroy won for the 20th time in his career worldwide.
Brantford, Ont., native David Hearn closed with a 1 under for a share of eighth place. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., finished in a tie for 46th.