Canada sits T23 through 36 at the World Amateur
RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico – The Canadians struggled to make up any significant ground on Thursday’s second round at the 30th World Amateur Team Championship, carding a team score of 140 (-2) on the par-71, 6,771-yard/6,187-meter Mayakoba El Camaleon Golf Club to sit T23.
For the second straight day, 21-year-old Jared du Toit led the Canadian trio with the team’s lowest score. The Kimberley, B.C., product was scoring well until running into trouble on his 11th and 12th holes, where he carded a respective bogey and double-bogey. du Toit, a senior at Arizona State, finished the day at 1-under par to hold a share of 37th individually.
The second-counting score of the day came from the reigning Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, Hugo Bernard, who matched du Toit with a 1-under 70. The Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., native now stands in a tie for 52nd place. Rounding out the Canadian contingent was Elmira, Ontario’s Garrett Rank. The 29-year-old has yet to find his groove, posting a 72 (+1) to share 80th place.
Collectively, the Canucks sit at 2-under par for the tournament, and will look to make up ground in tomorrow’s third round. Rank will tee-off first for the Canadians on moving day, slated to start at 7:45 am EDT, followed by Bernard at 7:55 am EDT and du Toit at 8:05 EDT. The squad will be paired up with Netherlands and Germany.
Australia nearly matched the 36-hole scoring record and vaulted to an eight-stroke lead after the second round in the 30th World Amateur Team Championship (WATC). Harrison Endycott and Cameron Davis each fired 5-under 66s at the Mayakoba El Camaleon Golf Club.
The Australians, who began the day one stroke behind first-round leader Scotland, posted a 10-under 132 at Mayakoba. Australia’s two-round total of 19-under-par 267 is one off the WATC record established by the USA in 2012. Curtis Luck, the 2016 U.S. Amateur champion, added a non-counting even-par 71. The best two scores from each country’s three-man team are used.
“The mindset was to be as competitive as we can,” said Australian captain Matt Cutler, whose team also equaled the lowest second-round score in WATC history. “You talk about having an opportunity to win. If we play well, we have a chance to win, so that has been our focus.”
Endycott, who has won this year’s Porter Cup and was a quarterfinalist at the Australian Amateur, holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th to cap his team’s performance. He used an 8-iron to set up two of his six birdies at Nos. 9 and 15, but his play was propelled by a run of four consecutive birdies on his inward nine in the first round.
“That was a huge confidence booster,” Endycott said. “Yesterday things weren’t going my way early on. I just wasn’t hitting good shots, and I was struggling to get feels. Making a few good putts from good positions says you can go do this.”
Davis, who finished second in both the Asia-Pacific Amateur and Australian Amateur last year, recorded seven birdies on his scorecard for the second consecutive day. He birdied Nos. 4, 5, 6 and 7 on his outward nine and has the best 36-hole individual score at 10 under after opening with a 67 at the par-72, 6,888-yard/6,386-meter Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club.
“We are full of confidence,” Endycott added. “We all believe in the three of us. As long we keep building that momentum like we are doing at the moment, it is going to be a good week.”
Maverick McNealy, who won the 2016 Mark H. McCormack Medal as the top-ranked amateur player, reeled off five consecutive birdies on his inward nine at Iberostar to advance the USA into second place at 11-under 275.
McNealy, a first-team All-American at Stanford University, and Scottie Scheffler, a junior at the University of Texas, each carded 3-under 69s. Scheffler also closed well with birdies on three of his last five holes.
“We had a nice finish with Maverick making five in a row on the back nine, and we’re very pleased,” said USA captain Paul Caruso. “There was a little bit of weather and wind at the start, but once it calmed down, we played good golf.”
The USA appeared to be fading midway through the round in its quest to win its third consecutive WATC championship. McNealy, who was the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year for a second time, started on No. 10 and bogeyed three of his opening four holes.
“I got off to an atrocious start, so Brad (Dalke) came over and gave me a little pep-talk,” McNealy said. “I feel like I played really solidly after those first four holes. I’m glad I managed to hold the round together.”
Switzerland moved into third at 10-under 276 with an array of closing birdies and an eagle at Mayakoba. Jeremy Freiburghaus, who shot a 3-under 68, birdied four of the last six holes. Mathias Eggenberger, who helped Team Europe win this year’s Palmer Cup, shot a 69. His round was highlighted by a 32-foot eagle putt at the par-5 seventh.
“We are more than pleased,” said Toni Matti, who is serving as Switzerland’s captain for a sixth time. “Golf is never ending. It’s always until the finish that you can make some birdies and some eagles.”
Poland counted a 2-under 69 from Adrian Meronk and a 1-under 70 from Mateuz Gradecki, positioning them in fourth at 9-under 277. Meronk, who was an All-America selection at East Tennessee State University in 2015-16, took advantage of the par 5s on the inward nine at Mayakoba. He had an easy up-and-down for birdie at No. 13 and made a 15-footer for another birdie at No. 15.
“I am kind of use to it because I was a leader in college as well,” said Meronk about his role as a playing captain. “It’s been always good for me, and I hope we finish strong.”
Scotland was one stroke behind at 8-under 278. The first-round leader struggled to a 2-over 144. Robert MacIntyre, the runner-up at this year’s Amateur Championship at Royal Porthcawl, had an even-par 71, while Grant Forrest added a 73. Forrest’s topsy-turvy round included a triple-bogey at Mayakoba’s par-4 first hole, his 10th hole, and a 60-foot eagle putt from the fringe at No. 5.
“It was one of those days where it couldn’t have gone much worse,” Forrest said. “It’s just what happens sometimes, and you have a tough time when the putts don’t go in.”
Austria and Ireland are tied for sixth at 7-under 279. Austria’s Markus Maukner and Michael Ludwig each carded 2-under 70s at Iberostar. Maukner improved from his first-round 80 by making five birdies against three bogeys. Jack Hume, of Ireland, fought back from a two-stroke penalty to post a 2-under 70, and teammate Paul McBride had a 73.
“There is good spirit in the team,” said Austrian captain Tobias Schmied. “You saw that today when a player who didn’t score too well yesterday improved his performance today for the good of the team.”
Spain, which was tied for third after the first round, had difficulties making the transition to the Mayakoba El Camaleon course. The team’s second-round score of 3-over 145 left them at 281 in a tie for 12th. Manuel Elvira, who is a junior at the University of Central Florida, shot a 71 and Ivan Cantero had a 74.
“This is a PGA Tour golf course,” said Elvira about a venue which will host the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in November. “It was a real tight golf course, and the greens are more difficult. It’s tougher to score on this course than the other one.”
Joshua Ho, of Singapore, produced the low round of the championship with a 7-under 65 at Iberostar. Ho, who was 11 strokes better than his first-day score, and Gregory Foo’s 70 helped improve their team’s standing 26 places and into a tie for 12th at 281.
A biennial competition, the World Amateur Team Championship has been played since 1958, with the winner taking home the Eisenhower Trophy. The United States won the 2014 title in Karuizawa, Japan, by two strokes over the Canadian contingent of Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.), Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Adam Svensson (Surrey, B.C.).
In 28 appearances at the World Amateur Team Championship, Canada has captured the Eisenhower Trophy on one occasion (1986) and earned runner-up honours five times.
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Dustin Johnson keeps right on rolling at East Lake
ATLANTA – Dustin Johnson hit out of a bunker to 2 feet for birdie on his first hole and kept right on rolling to a 4-under 66 for a three-way tie of the lead Thursday at the Tour Championship.
Hideki Matsuyama had six birdies and Kevin Chappell played bogey-free to join Johnson at 66 on a tough day for scoring at East Lake.
Johnson only has to win the Tour Championship to capture the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus.
Jason Day, who withdrew from the final round of the BMW Championship two weeks ago with back pain, was among those at 67. Jordan Spieth was 3 over after two holes and shot 68, courtesy of six birdie putts between 18 and 30 feet.
Rory McIlroy and Paul Casey also were at 68.
Canada holds share of 27th after first round of World Amateur
RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico – The Canadian contingent of Jared du Toit, Hugo Bernard and Garrett Rank struggled out of the gate in the 30th World Amateur Team Championship, posting a collective score of even-par (144) to hold a share of 27th after the first round.
The trio was led by 21-year-old Jared du Toit of Kimberley, B.C., who carded a 71 (-1) on the Iberostar Playa Paraiso course—one of two courses in rotation this week. Individually, the Arizona State senior sits T34, five off the pace.
Team Canada’s second-counting score of the day was registered by Hugo Bernard of Mont-St-Hilaire, Que. The 21-year-old reigning Canadian Amateur champion scored a 1-over 73 to find himself in a tie for 77th through 18 holes of play. 29-year-old Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., recorded a non-counting 74 (+2), fighting back after slipping with a double and triple bogey in his first five holes.
Connor Syme shot a 6-under 66 to help Scotland take a one-stroke lead over Australia after the first round of the World Amateur Team Championship.
Walker Cup player Grant Forrest added a 68 at Iberostar Playa Paraiso to give Scotland a 10-under 134 total, with only the best two scores counting for the three-man teams. Robert MacIntyre had a 69.
The 20-year-old Syme topped the individual standings along with Poland’s Adrian Meronk. A rangekeeper at Drumoig Golf Centre in St. Andrews, Syme won the 2016 Australian Amateur.
Cameron Davis led Australia with a 67, Harrison Endycott had a 68, and U.S. Amateur champion Curtis Luck shot 69, also opening at Iberostar Playa Paraiso in the rotation with Mayakoba El Camaleon.
Spain was third 8-under at Iberostar Playa Paraiso. Mario Galiano shot 67, Manuel Elvira 69, and Ivan Cantero 71.
The two-time defending champion United States was tied for seventh at 5 under. Oklahoma’s Brad Dalke opened with a 67 at Mayakoba El Camaleon, Stanford’s Maverick McNealy had a 70, and Texas’ Scottie Scheffler a 73.
A biennial competition, the World Amateur Team Championship has been played since 1958, with the winner taking home the Eisenhower Trophy. The United States won the 2014 title in Karuizawa, Japan, by two strokes over the Canadian contingent of Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.), Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Adam Svensson (Surrey, B.C.).
In 28 appearances at the World Amateur Team Championship, Canada has captured the Eisenhower Trophy on one occasion (1986) and earned runner-up honours five times.
Click here for full scoring.
TaylorMade extends contracts with Day and Johnson
Carlsbad, Calif. – TaylorMade announced today the contract extensions of the number one and two players in the Official World Golf Rankings, Jason Day and Dustin Johnson.
Jason Day, who first signed with TaylorMade in August of 2006, made his debut on the PGA TOUR that same year and hasn’t looked back since.
“For so many years, I aspired to play at the highest levels of the sport and become the best player in the world. I chose TaylorMade at the onset of my PGA TOUR career because they made products that performed. They’ve supported me on my quest for world #1 since day one. I’m excited to continue working with the great team at TaylorMade and playing the best performing equipment in the game.”
Dustin Johnson, who first signed with TaylorMade in December of 2007, earned his 2008 PGA TOUR card by way of successfully navigating qualifying school. Johnson’s first victory on the TOUR came at the Turning Stone Resort Championship in October 2008. Just four months later, he captured TOUR victory #2 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He then successfully defended his title the following year for his 3rd PGA TOUR victory. Johnson has had at least one victory in each of the last nine PGA TOUR seasons, the longest such active streak on Tour.
Johnson’s rise to a career-best #2 in the OWGR has been a steady climb since he turned pro, when he was ranked 1,375th. By the beginning of the ’15-’16 season, Johnson found himself at #8, joining stablemate Jason Day as the second TaylorMade Tour staffer in the top 10. A dramatic victory in the 116th U.S. Open Championship at Oakmont, a career milestone for Johnson, lifted the 32-year-old to #3, and he then elevated to #2 two weeks later with his victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and then cemented himself atop the FedExCup Playoff Standings entering the Tour Championship with a dominant win at the BMW Championship.
Arguably the longest hitter on Tour, Johnson has been ranked inside the top five on the PGA TOUR in driving distance every year since earning his card, and held the top spot at the conclusion of the 2015 season. Thus far through the ’15-’16 season, Johnson still holds the #1 position with a 314.2 yard average off the tee.
“When I started my professional career, my goal was to be the best and win tournaments. I chose TaylorMade because they made products that outperformed anything else I had ever played. Since day one, I’ve had a great relationship with the TaylorMade team and especially the guys who support me every week out on TOUR. I’m looking forward to continuing our teamwork and playing equipment that I believe in and has helped me to succeed.”
For more information on TaylorMade Golf equipment or Tour staff players, visit TaylorMadeGolf.ca.
Kyrinis into Quarterfinals at U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur
WELLESLEY, Mass. – Judith Kyrinis, 52, of Thornhill, Ont., will be playing in the first match Wednesday at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur – one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association.
Kyrinis, who was medalist during qualifying, outlasted 54-year-old Robin Burke of Houston, in 20 holes before having an easier time in the Round of 16 Tuesday, with a 4-and-3 win against Evelyn Orley, 50, of Cardiff, Calif.
Kyrinis advanced despite an inflamed right elbow, which she said wasn’t a factor.
“It bothered me my first match more than anything,” she said. “This morning was not my best ball-striking, but I was better this afternoon, so that’s good to see.”
The quarterfinals will begin at 8 a.m. EDT on Wednesday; the first semifinal match is scheduled to start at 12:45 p.m.
Kyrinis is the last Canadian standing. Three Canadians fell in the Round of 32.
The competition consists of 36 holes stroke play followed by six rounds of match play, with the 18-hole championship match scheduled to take place Thursday, Sept. 22.
Team Canada men set to chase Eisenhower Trophy
Canada’s best are gearing up to take on the world’s top talent on Wednesday when competition begins for the Men’s World Amateur Team Championship at the Mayakoba El Cameleón Golf Club and Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club in Riviera Maya, Mexico.
The Canadian trio will be led by Kimberley, B.C., product Jared du Toit, who currently stands as Canada’s top-ranked male on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) at No. 26. He’ll be accompanied by Team Canada Amateur Squad teammate and reigning Canadian Amateur champion, Hugo Bernard of Mont-St-Hilaire, Que.
Rounding out the squad is 29-year-old Garrett Rank of Elmira Ont., who will be riding on the strength of his recent third-straight victory at the Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship.
Canada is paired with Japan and Spain for the opening rounds, with Bernard drawing the tournaments opening tee-slot at 7:15 am EST. Rank will follow at 7:25 am EST, while du Toit will go at 7:35 am EST.
The squad will be under the direction of Team Canada Men’s Head Coach, Derek Ingram, alongside non-playing team captain Doug Roxburgh.
A biennial competition, the World Amateur Team Championship has been played since 1958, with the winner taking home the Eisenhower Trophy. The United States won the 2014 title in Karuizawa, Japan, by two strokes over the Canadian contingent of Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.), Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Adam Svensson (Surrey, B.C.).
In 28 appearances at the World Amateur Team Championship, Canada has captured the Eisenhower Trophy on one occasion (1986) and earned runner-up honours five times. In 25 appearances at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, Canada has earned runner-up honours four times.
Click here for pairings.
Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship set to kick off this week
VICTORIA, B.C. – The 2016 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship will get underway this Friday at Bear Mountain Golf Resort’s Mountain Course, with 81 of the top Champions Tour players competing for one of the year’s top purses of US$2.5 million.
Headlining one of the strongest fields of the 2016 Champions Tour season are World Golf Hall of Fame members Bernhard Langer, Vijay Singh, Colin Montgomerie, Mark O’Meara and Tom Kite.
Langer, who currently leads the Charles Schwab Cup standings with $2,432.659 in 2016 earnings, has put forth one of the strongest seasons in Tour history at the age of 59, with four wins – including major championship victories at the Regions Tradition and Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship earlier this year.
The two-time Masters Tournament champion owns 29 career titles on Champions Tour, which puts him tied for second on the all-time victories list with Lee Trevino, trailing only Hale Irwin, who has 45 career wins.
Singh won 34 times during a stellar career on the PGA TOUR, including major championship titles at the 1998 and 2004 PGA Championship, as well as the 2000 Masters Tournament.
The 53-year-old native of Fiji ranks 14th on the PGA TOUR’s all-time victories list, and recorded a staggering 31 of his 34 wins during what is commonly referred to as the “Tiger Woods era.” Singh was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2005.
Montgomerie, 53, has notched three victories on Champions 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 Scotland native won the European Tour’s Order of Merit a record eight times during a standout career which gave way to Hall of Fame honors in 2013. Montgomerie drew the ire of American golf fans through the years, posting a 20-7-1 record in the biennial Ryder Cup without losing a singles match.
Other notable players in the field include former Masters Tournament champions Craig Stadler (1983), Larry Mize (1987) and Ian Woosnam (1991), as well as former Open Championship winners Mark Calcavecchia (1989) and Todd Hamilton (2005).
Two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen and 1987 U.S. Open winner Scott Simpson will tee it up on Friday, as will former PGA Championship winner Jeff Sluman (1988).
The inaugural Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs are set to get underway at the end of October, which makes the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship a crucial stop on the 2016 calendar as one of the final three events in the Tour’s Regular Season. The top 72 players will qualify for the Playoffs.
The Charles Schwab Cup standings during the Regular Season are based on earnings, in turn making the US$375,000 winner’s share this week an attractive target for players looking to win the prestigious season-long race. Only three events in the Tour’s 26-tournament schedule have larger purses than the US$2.5 million offered this week, with all three being major championships.
The field at the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship will consist of 52 former PGA TOUR winners, and 11 players who have won on Champions Tour this year alone.
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 available for both pro-am rounds and tournament rounds, and are offered in a variety of packages, including the popular Champions Club.
Canada’s St-Germain begins collegiate career with T2 finish
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Team Canada’s Grace St-Germain made an immediate impact in her first collegiate event on Sunday, finishing T2 at the Lady Falcon Invitational at her new home base (and campus).
St-Germain, 18, posted a 1-over 145 (72-73) in the 36-hole event, to help lift the Falcons to a convincing 14-stroke victory over runner-up Florida Tech. The event marks the first collegiate tournament for the Daytona State freshman, who has spent the last two years as a member of Team Canada’s Development Squad. She finished three strokes behind teammate Jiwon Jeon of South Korea, who closed at 2-under par (72-70).
With the strong finish, the Ottawa native shows no signs of slowing down after an impressive summer campaign which featured a win at the Ontario Women’s Amateur and a runner-up at the Quebec Women’s Amateur. St-Germain will tee-it-up next with the Falcons from Sept. 23-25 at the Lady Paladin Invitational.
The Falcons are listed as a Div I school under the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)—an association dedicated to America’s two-year collegiate programs.
Click here for full scoring.
Course Tour: Mississaugua Golf and Country Club
Nestled against the Credit River, within shouting distance of Lake Ontario and a mere 17 minutes (without traffic, of course) from downtown Toronto, lays one of the country’s most iconic and celebrated layouts.
And when Mississaugua Golf and Country Club hosts the 2016 World Junior Girls Championship from September 27-30, all eyes will once again be on the Percy Barrett/George Cumming/Donald Ross/Stanley Thompson design.
But, you don’t have to travel all the way to Mississauga to check out the venerable layout. Here’s a bird’s eye view of all 18 holes.
And, here’s a unique look at the historic clubhouse.
For more info on the World Junior Girls Championship, visit www.worldjuniorgirls.com.
Golf in Schools: The gift that keeps on giving
To find out how you can grow your business by Adopting a School, visit golfcanada.ca/adoptaschool or call 1-800-263-0009 ext. 475.
There’s been much hand-wringing recently over the “future of the game” and where golf is headed if more youngsters don’t get involved.
For those of you who really care about the future of the game, the solution might be to stop wringing your hands and use them to open your wallets. Here’s your chance.
Sept. 19-23 is national Adopt a School Week, created by Golf Canada and supported by the PGA of Canada, provincial golf associations and the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada.
Adopt a School is an offshoot of the successful Golf in Schools program created by Golf Canada in conjunction with the PGA of Canada and PHE Canada with support from the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada as a program partner. It provides courses, companies and individuals with the opportunity to “adopt” one or more schools of their choosing to introduce the Golf in Schools program at that school. (Schools can also enroll in the program on their own if they wish.)
In a very generous gesture, for a limited time the Canadian Seniors’ Golf Association is matching all adoptions, giving donors the option to select two schools to receive the GIS program, while donating funding for just one.
The GIS program, currently in more than 3,000 elementary and high schools with more than 336,000 students participating from coast to coast, includes a “best-in-class” learning resource as well as child-friendly golf-specific equipment.
“It’s a fabulous program and the equipment is so well designed,” says Enid Botchett. A retired educator in Edmonton, she has a long history in volunteerism including serving in many roles with Alberta Golf, including president. In 2012, she was named Golf Canada’s volunteer of the year.
But as excellent as the program materials and equipment are, Botchett says having a local champion for the program is equally vital.
Fellow Edmontonian Patti Christensen agrees. Now an elementary principal, she has shared her love of golf at every school where she has worked.
Like Botchett, Christensen says the Golf in Schools program is unlikely to achieve its ultimate goal of not only introducing kids to the game, but keeping them in the sport unless there is a connection with a golf course or driving range.
“For Golf in Schools to really work, you must build a community partnership with golf courses. It’s not just about showing the kids what golf is about for a day or a few days, but helping them make the connection with the real golf experience.
“Another important part of the program is to teach them not just skills but values that come along with golf, like perseverance, etiquette, sportsmanship and character.”
For golf courses participating in the Adopt a School program, there are tangible benefits. Call it “enlightened self-interest.”
“My motivation [to support GIS] is to grow the game because, otherwise, who is going to play golf?” says Jason Harris, owner of Orr Lake Golf Club near Barrie, Ont. Harris is heavily invested in the program, having adopted four schools in the area and paying a pro from a neighbouring course to visit those schools. Harris then busses the kids to his course to swing a club for real and get some pointers from a PGA of Canada member. Over the past few years, his support of the program has introduced more than 550 kids to golf.
“As great as the GIS concept is, Golf Canada can only do so much and they are doing their part by subsidizing the GIS packages and providing the grants to go into schools and to bring schools to the course,” says Harris.
“It is the ultimate responsibility for golf course owners to step up and continue or take over the school sponsorship by offering the in-school visits and bringing the classes to the golf course. We have to realize this is a top priority for the future of the game as well as for our business.”
Harris has seen ancillary benefits to his support of the Golf in Schools program.
“Sure, the kids come out to the course, but then they bring along mom and dad. Then there’s a whole family dynamic. Not only the kids want to play golf and take lessons, but so do their parents. We had 140 people go through our Learn to Golf clinics this summer. That’s 140 new golfers, so that’s a positive thing for golf.
“This entire program was great PR for us in the community plus we have definitely seen an increase in the number of juniors and families playing our course this year.”
Every journey starts with a first step, as the old saying goes.
With your support, Adopt a School just may provide that first step for thousands of youngsters to be introduced to “the game for a lifetime.”