It is with great sadness that Golf Canada, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and the entire golf community mourns the loss of Dawn Coe-Jones who passed away on November 12, 2016 at the age of 56.

Born October 19, 1960 in Campbell River, B.C. and raised in Lake Cowichan, B.C., Coe-Jones was diagnosed with bone cancer (sarcoma) earlier this year. Following months of aggressive treatment, she passed away peacefully in hospice near her home in Tampa, FL surrounded by family and friends.

Dawn Coe-Jones is survived by her husband Jimmy, son Jimmy Jr. brothers Mark and John Coe, the extended Coe and Jones families and countless friends across the Canadian and international golf community.

Coe-Jones is one of Canada’s most accomplished golfers as an amateur as well as during a distinguished career on the LPGA Tour.

Success as an amateur included back to back victories at the BC Junior Girls Championship in 1978 and 1979. Back to back victories at the BC Women’s Amateur would follow in 1982 and 1983 and later that year, she would go on to capture the 1983 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

An NCAA All-American at Lamar University, Coe-Jones qualified for the LPGA Tour in 1984.

Over a 24-year career on the LPGA Tour (1984-2008), Coe-Jones had three official LPGA Tour wins—the 1992 Women’s Kemper Open, 1994 LPGA Palm Beach Classic and the 1995 Tournament of Champions. She would also win the 1992 Pizza-La LPGA Match Play Championship during a career in which she had 44 top-10 finishes and earned more than $3.3 million in prize money.

Coe-Jones also competed in 24 events on the LPGA Legends Tour, amassing nine top-10 finishes in 24 events played.

Internationally, she represented Canada on the 1983 Canadian Commonwealth Team and at the 2005 World Cup. She also competed in the Handa Cup (representing the world team) on eight occasions (2006-2012, 2014).

She also joined with fellow Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Dave Barr in winning the Canadian Airlines International Mixed Team Championship in 1989 and 1990.

Coe-Jones competed in the Canadian Women’s Open 24 times and had seven top-10 finishes—T10 in 1989; T6 in 1991; 3^rd in 1993; T7 in 1994; T4 in 1998; 4^th in 1999; and T5 in 2004.  She was low Canadian (or tied) on 13 occasions and her $326,554 in earnings are most by a Canadian playing in the National Women’s Open Championship.

She received the Score Award for Outstanding Canadian Female Amateur in 1983 and was an eight-time recipient of the Score Award for Outstanding Canadian Female Professional (1987-90, 1992-95).

Coe-Jones’ distinguished career was acknowledged in 2001 with induction into the British Columbia Golf Hall Fame and in 2003 with induction into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Statement from Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Sandra Post:

“Dawn was a great competitor and role model for over 25 years on the LPGA Tour. Her happy and positive attitude towards life will be missed by all that knew her.”

Statement from Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons:

“On behalf of the entire golf community we are deeply saddened by the passing of Dawn Coe-Jones. Dawn was a tenacious competitor, a mentor and friend to so many of her peers and a proud ambassador for Canadian golf throughout her distinguished career. As we mourn her passing and send our most sincere condolences to family and friends, the golf and sport community come together in celebrating her outstanding legacy.”

A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, November 19 in Tampa, FL.

NOTE TO MEDIA – photos of Dawn Coe-Joes are available to download here.

PLANTATION, Fla. –  Ben Silverman and Lucas Kim finished inside the Top-18 on Friday at the Plantation Reserve Golf & Country Club to join the list of Canadians to advance to Web.com Tour’s third and final stage of Qualifying School.

Silverman, a Thornhill, Ont., native, closed at 9-under par for the tournament (71-67-68-69) to grab a share of sixth place. The 28-year-old is coming off a season on the Web.com Tour in which he made five cuts, highlighted by a T16 result at News Sentinel Open presented by Pilot in August.

Toronto’s Lucas Kim was two strokes back of Silverman at 7-under (70-69-68-70) to finish the event T11. In 2016, Kim’s strongest result came at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada’s Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON, where he finished T22.

Kim and Silverman joined three other Canadians who played their way into the final stage of qualifying, taking place from Dec. 8–11 at the Orange County National Golf Course in Winter Garden, Fla.

Click here for full scoring.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Gary Woodland birdied three of the final four holes Friday for a 6-under 65 and a one-stroke lead in the PGA Tour’s OHL Classic at Mayakoba.

Woodland played the first 36 holes without a bogey, following an opening 64 to get to 13-under 129 on Mayakoba’s Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon course. He won the last of his two tour titles in 2013.

“I haven’t been here since my rookie year, so it’s been since 2009,” Woodland said. “The golf course is in great shape. It sets up good for me. I can hit a lot of irons off the tees, lay back a little bit. The whole deal is to keep the ball in the fairway and then attack from there.” d.“

Married last month, Woodland took last week off and worked with instructor Butch Harmon after opening the new season in Malaysia and China.

“It was nice to have an off week last week,” Woodland said. “Went out and spent some time with Butch. After the wedding, kind of got a little rusty. Took some time off, but nice to get back in the swing of things. Very comfortable with where I’m at right now.”

Webb Simpson was second after his second straight 65.

“Today was a lot different from yesterday,” Simpson said. “Today was a bit of a struggle with some distance control. I had to chip a lot more today, so today was about scoring. I was able to score, made some putts when I needed to for par. Yesterday, I don’t remember missing any greens and today I missed quite a few, so very different day, but same score.”

Scott Piercy had a 6 to reach 11 under. He tied for third in the season opener at Silverado.

“Just kind of plodding along and trying to pick up birdies where I can and kind of keep the scorecard pretty clean,” Piercy said. “Felt pretty good. Just trying to pick up some marbles on the way and count them at the end of the week and see where we fall.”

First-round leader Chris Kirk followed his opening 63 with a 70 to drop into a tie for fourth at 9 under with local favourite Abraham Ancer (68), Russell Knox (65), Charles Howell III (64), Ben Martin (64), John Huh (66) and Adam Hadwin (66).

Marc Leishman eagled the par-5 seventh and followed with a hole-in-one on the 134-yard, hitting a sand wedge for 134 yards. The Australian was 7 under after a 65.

“One-hopped past it and spun back into the hole,” Leishman said. “Same thing on 8. High sand wedge and landed about a yard past it and zipped back into the hole. It was first hole in one I’ve had on tour. I’ve had quite a few others just in practice rounds and that, but that’s always nice to see it drop in.”

Defending champion Graeme McDowell rallied to make the cut by a stroke, following an opening 75 with a 65 to get to 2 under.

Jim Furyk missed the cut, shooting 74-70 in his first event of the new season.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Paul Goydos shot an 8-under 62 on Friday in windy conditions to take a three-stroke lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

The 52-year-old Goydos holed out from 167 yards for eagle on the par-4 12th and closed with birdies on the par-3 17th and par-5 18th on Desert Mountain Club’s Cochise Course.

Colin Montgomerie, third in Charles Schwab Cup season standings, was second. The Scot birdied the final two holes.

Points leader Bernhard Langer topped the group at 67. The top five in the standings – Richmond winner Scott McCarron is second, followed by Montgomerie, Joe Durant and Miguel Angel Jimenez – can take the season title with a victory Sunday. McCarron holed out from the fairway for eagle on the par-5 15th in a 69. Durant shot 70, and Jimenez had a 74.

Tom Pernice Jr., the winner of the playoff opener two weeks ago in California, also was at 67 along with Paul Broadhurst and Duffy Waldorf.

MEXICO CITY – Sarah Jane Smith shot a 4-under 68 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead in the Citibanamex Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

The Australian birdied four of the first seven holes, dropped a stroke on the par-4 eighth and birdied the par-3 14th. Winless on the LPGA Tour, she had a 9-under 135 total at Club de Golf Mexico.

“I feel a little bit nervous to be honest. I have never been in this position before,” Smith said. “So, even a couple times today, I was a little nervous, but I was happy with the way that I handled it. Hopefully, I can just keep doing what I have been doing and see what happens.”

Mexico’s Gaby Lopez had a 65 on her home course to match South Korea’s Mi Jung Hur (66) and Colombia’s Mariajo Uribe (67) at 7 under in the 30-player event. Lopez eagled the par-5 second hole, hitting to 2 feet from 195 yards.

“It is one of those numbers when you know you have the number perfect, is just a matter of the swing, adjusting your swing,” Lopez said.

South Korea’s Chella Choi and France’s Karine Icher each shot their second straight 69 to get to 6 under.

Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, tied for the lead with Smith after a first-round 67, had a 72 to drop into a tie for seventh with 2008 winner Angela Stanford (68), Austin Ernst (67) and Jing Yan (67).

Michelle Wie was tied for 13th at 3 under after a 71. The 2009 winner in Guadalajara, she’s playing on a sponsor invite after failing to qualify.

Mexican amateur Maria Fassi, tied for third after an opening 69, had a 76 to fall into a tie for 22nd at 1 over. She’s a freshman at the University of Arkansas.

Brooke Henderson, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 7 in the world, also was 1 over. The Canadian shot 71. No. 14 Anna Nordqvist was 3 over after a 72.

During the mid-November early signing period, five Team Canada Development Squad athletes signed National Letters of Intent to commit to NCAA golf programs for the 2017-18 season.

On the women’s side, three athletes made their official announcements to join NCAA Div I programs next year. Surrey, B.C., native Hannah Lee will join the Oklahoma Sooners, a three-time Big 12 Conference Championship winner. Lee will fall under the guidance of the Sooners’ Head Coach, Veronique Drouin-Luttrell, a Quebec native and two-time Big 12 Coach of the Year recipient.

Mississauga, Ont., product Chloe Currie will head to South Carolina to attend the College of Charleston, a Division I program in the Colonial Athletic Association Conference. The Cougars are three-time conference champions.

Delta, B.C., native Mary Parsons signed in favour of joining the Indiana Hoosiers program. Dating back to 1986, the Hoosiers have recorded seven Big 10 Championship titles.

@maryyparsons @lee_hannahh @chloe_currie27 @TheGolfCanada exciting future for these players #proud pic.twitter.com/j6xwdMf3pw

— ann carroll (@AnnAnncarroll) November 11, 2016

On the men’s side, former Team Alberta teammates Max Sekulic (Rycroft, Alta.) and Chandler McDowell (Springbrook, Alta.) both signed on the dotted line to attend Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz. The pair graduated to the development squad this season together, and will continue their journey next year as members of the Grand Canyon Antelopes.

The early signing period comes to a close on Nov. 16; uncommitted athletes will be eligible to sign agreements once again during the regular signing period from Apr. 12 – Aug. 1, 2017.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Chris Kirk shot an 8-under 63 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead in the OHL Classic at Mayakoba.

Kirk had four birdies on each nine in his bogey-free round on Mayakoba’s Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon course.

“I don’t think anybody’s comfort’s really that high,” Kirk said. “I definitely drove the ball well today. Just trying to stick to my sort of go to shot and hit draws out there for the most part. It’s definitely intimidating off the tee a little bit, but thankfully I hit a lot of good ones today.”

The former University of Georgia player has two top-10 finishes in three starts in the new PGA Tour season, opening with a tie for eighth at Silverado and tying for second in Mississippi. He tied for 61st last week in Las Vegas, closing with rounds of 75 and 74.

“I just played pretty terrible over the weekend in Vegas, but I think I was just a little bit tired,” Kirk said. “So thankfully, I came and took Monday and Tuesday completely off and didn’t touch a club and just tried to relax, and now I feel kind of re-energized and ready to play again. No, I definitely wasn’t expecting to shoot 63 today, but happy I did.”

He won the last of his four PGA Tour titles in 2015.

Ben Crane, Camilo Villegas and Gary Woodland were tied for second at 64.

“This is a very tight golf course,” Crane said. “After maybe 10 to 15 yards of rough on each side, it’s just jungle, right? When you get some crosswinds, you’ve got to hit solid tee shots and you’ve got to really control your ball. You really want to be able to flight your ball because you really don’t want to be curving it down on that crosswind downwind, right, because it’s going to curve so much.”

Mexico’s Abraham Ancer bogeyed the final hole for a 65.

“It’s huge. It’s awesome playing in Mexico in front of my people,” said Ancer, a former University of Oklahoma player. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself and I obviously want to play well, but it would be awesome to finish up there at the end of the tournament.”

NCAA champion Aaron Wise also was 65 along with Webb Simpson, Scott Piercy, Kevin Streelman and Nicholas Lindheim.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a 67 while Nick Taylor, also of Abbotsford, and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., both shot 68. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was 71.

Jim Furyk had a double bogey in a 74 in his first round of the season.

Defending champion Graeme McDowell opened with a 75.

MEXICO CITY – Carlota Ciganda birdied three of the last six holes Thursday for a 5-under 67 and a share of the lead with playing partner Sarah Jane Smith in the Citibanamex Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

Ciganda had a bogey-free opening round at Club de Golf Mexico.

“I really like this course,” Ciganda said. “I really like it because is really similar to my home course in Spain.”

The former Arizona State player won last month in South Korea for her first LPGA Tour title.

“I was home last week and I played four tournaments in Asia, so it was really nice to be home with my family,” Ciganda said. “I didn’t practice at all. It was just resting and having fun, going out for dinner with friends. And I feel very mentally refreshed, because in Asia I was a little bit tired at the end. It is important how to manage all the tournaments and all the weeks you want to play.”

Smith played the back nine in 5-under 31 after bogeying Nos. 8 and 9 to make the turn at even par. The Australian is winless on the LPGA Tour.

“It makes a difference when you see it,” Smith said about playing alongside Ciganda. “I love playing with her, she is so nice and we always have fun, so it absolutely makes a difference.”

Mexican amateur Maria Fassi, a freshman at the University of Arkansas playing on a sponsor invite, was two strokes back at 69 along with South Korea’s Chella Choi and France’s Karine Icher.

“I was feeling really good,” Fassi said. “I worked really hard on preparing for this tournament and on the first tee when they said my name I was nervous, I am not going to lie, but after I hit the fairway on the first tee, I was like, ‘OK you got it, just enjoy your round.’ And that’s what I did. … I was really solid off the tee. I gave myself a lot of opportunities to be a little bit more aggressive on my second shots.”

Michelle Wie opened with a 70. The 2009 winner in Guadalajara, she’s also playing on a sponsor invite after failing to qualify for the 30-player event.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 7 in the world, had a double bogey in a 74. No. 14 Anna Nordqvist also struggled, making a double bogey in a 75.

Oakville, Ont. and Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. – The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s 10-man team for the inaugural Aruba Cup was announced Thursday, led by four-time 2016 winner and Player of the Year Dan McCarthy.

The team, consisting of the top 10 available players on the 2016 Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit with a minimum of five Canadians, will compete against a team of 10 players to be announced from PGA TOUR Latinoamérica in a Presidents Cup-style event at Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf in Aruba, December 12-18, 2016. The three competition days will Four-ball, Foursome and Singles matches on December 15, 16 and 17, respectively.

“I’ve been looking forward to this event ever since it was announced in September, and from talking to the other guys on the team, I know they are too,” said McCarthy, who won four times in 2016 on the way to setting the all-time Mackenzie Tour earnings record with $157,843. “We’ve got a really solid team of great players and better guys, and it will be a thrill to play against the guys from PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.”

Joining McCarthy (Syracuse, N.Y.) on the team are Brock Mackenzie (Yakima, Wash.), Taylor Moore (Edmond, Okla.), Adam Cornelson (Langley, B.C.), Paul Barjon (Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia), Austin Connelly (Church Point, N.S.), Max Rottluff (Dusseldorf, Germany), Michael Gligic (Burlington, Ont.), Ryan Williams (Vancouver, B.C.) and Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.).

“We’ve got a tremendous team of guys who have proven themselves to be among the best up-and-coming players in the world, and I expect them to play some great golf in Aruba,” said Team Captain Stephen Ames. “We know the team from PGA TOUR Latinoamérica will be very competitive as well, and I’m looking forward to some great matches in December.”

Mackenzie, 35, captured his third career Mackenzie Tour win in a dramatic seven-hole playoff at the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, adding five other top-10 finishes and finishing outside the top-25 just twice in 12 starts.
Moore, a 23-year old who graduated from the University of Arkansas in the Spring, excelled in his first season as a professional, finishing solo second in his pro debut at the Bayview Place DC Payments Open and capturing the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.

Cornelson, 28, rebounded from losing his card in 2015 by breaking through for a triumphant win in Victoria and recording a playoff runner-up in Ottawa to finish fifth on the Order of Merit and take home the Dan Halldorson Trophy as Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year.

Barjon, a 24-year old who completed his collegiate career at the Texas Christian University in May, captured his first pro victory and set the new Mackenzie Tour 72-hole scoring record at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship, one of three top-10s on the season.

Connelly, 20, a former member of Golf Canada’s National Amateur Team, produced a solid campaign in his first full year as a pro, notching four top-10 finishes, including a tie for second at the ATB Financial Classic.
Rottluff, a 23-year old former NCAA First-Team All-American at Arizona State University, entered the winner’s circle in his first pro season thanks to a triumph at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open.

Gligic, 27, produced three top-five finishes, including a tie for second at the Players Cup, to earn an exemption into the Final Stage of Web.com Tour Q-School for the first time.

Williams, 35, finished in the top-20 on the Order of Merit for the third straight season, recording three top-10 finishes.

Conners, 24, who plays on both the Mackenzie Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, excelled in limited action in Canada, making the cut in all seven starts and finishing second at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel.

“We’re so excited to have this outstanding group of up-and-coming players competing at Tierra del Sol and look forward to welcoming them to our Island next month. We hope that one day we’ll be watching these guys compete on the biggest stages of the game and remembering the time they spent here competing in the Aruba Cup,” said Oliver Riding, Director of Operations, Tierra del Sol Resort and Golf.

Below is the 10-man roster for the Mackenzie Tour team (bold denotes Canadian):

Dan McCarthy – Syracuse, N.Y.
Brock Mackenzie – Yakima, Wash.
Taylor Moore – Edmond, Okla.
Adam Cornelson – Langley, B.C.
Paul Barjon – Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia
Austin Connelly – Church Point. N.S.
Max Rottluff – Dusseldorf, Germany
Michael Gligic – Burlington, Ont.
Ryan Williams – Vancouver, B.C.
Corey Conners – Listowel, Ont.

At a conference for the International Association of Golf Administrators (IAGA) in early November in Amelia Island, Fla., Barb Trammell was named the new president of the IAGA. She will serve a one-year term.

An industry veteran with over 30 years’ experience in the golf business, Trammell has served as CEO of the Oregon Golf Association since November 2007, a position she will continue to serve.

The IAGA is made up of golf administrators from state, regional, provincial and national golf associations, and serves as a means of exchanging information, techniques and communication among the world’s golf organizations, to which Golf Canada is a proud member.

Golf Canada CEO, Scott Simmons, acted as a panelist at the event, where he spoke about the state of the game in Canada and the Natioanl Sport Federation’s Strategic Plan.

Trammell was Senior VP of Tournament Operations for the LPGA Tour, having served in that role for 19 years, beginning her tenure as a Rules official in 1987. Widely regarded as an internationally respected Rules expert and golf administrator, she was one of the first women to be invited to officiate The Masters, The Open Championship, the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. She served on the USGA Rules of Golf Committee for 15 years, contributing to the changing and updating of the Rules of the game during that time.

Barb is a Class A member of the PGA of America and has also held roles as PGA club professional and Division I college golf coach.

Other regional golf administrators who have served as IAGA president are John Bodenhamer (2001), the former PNGA/WSGA executive director; and Kris Jonasson (2007), who still serves as the executive director of British Columbia Golf.