Johnson leads as Day WD’s at Tour Championship
ATLANTA – Dustin Johnson is playing better than anyone in the world, and Kevin Chappell can’t wait to watch him at the Tour Championship.
Even if that means having to beat him.
Johnson powered his way down the fairways and occasionally out of the brutal rough at East Lake on Friday for a 3-under 67, giving him a one-shot lead over Chappell and moving him one round closer to the $10 million FedEx Cup prize.
The U.S. Open champion is on a different level at the moment.
Even on a demanding test like East Lake this year – only 10 players remain under par – Johnson is hitting his driver long and straight. His wedge game has gone from a weakness to a strength. A new putter he put in play two weeks ago when he won the BMW Championship is giving him a better feel for alignment.
Small wonder that this was his seventh straight round at 68 or better during the FedEx Cup playoffs.
“The game is never easy. I wish it was,” Johnson said. “Obviously, I’m playing good right now. I’ve got a lot of confidence in my game. Every week, I feel like I bring the same game, which is nice. But I put in a lot of work to get to where I am.”
Johnson was at 7-under 203.
Chappell, one of two players at the Tour Championship who has yet to win on the PGA Tour, was just as solid, even if it doesn’t look as spectacular. He has made only one bogey in 36 holes, quite a feat on a course where the Bermuda rough is so punishing that balls sink to the ground and sometimes can’t be seen from a foot away.
He shot a 68 and will be in the final group of a playoff event for the second time this year.
Kevin Kisner (70) and Hideki Matsuyama (71) were four shots behind, while Rory McIlroy overcame another rough start on the front nine to post a 70. He was in the group five shots behind, which isn’t much of a deficit at the halfway point except for Johnson being the one they have to chase.
If nothing else, Johnson all but eliminated nearly everyone not among the top five seeds vying for the FedEx Cup. McIlroy is No. 6 and still has a chance, though he would have to win the Tour Championship and Johnson would have to finish third.
“I need to win, and I just need someone to play as good as Dustin this week,” McIlroy said.
Jason Day is out of the picture. The world’s No. 1 player withdrew in the middle of a round at the second straight tournament, citing the same nagging back issues that he hopes will be cured by rest.
By Day withdrawing, Johnson won the points-based PGA player of the year award and is likely to win the player vote as PGA Tour player of the year because of his three victories, with perhaps another to follow.
But there is still work ahead of him, and that starts with Chappell.
“I promise you, I’ll be watching Dustin,” Chappell said. “He’s the best player in the world right now, and it’s an opportunity for me to see where my game is. There’s a golf tournament going on, and I have a chance to win that. That’s the ultimate goal. But I also have a chance to see why he’s the best player in the world right now, and I look forward to taking advantage of that opportunity.”
Chappell has been a runner-up three times this season and keeps running into the wrong guys – Kisner at Sea Island, Day at Bay Hill and The Players Championship. He also was in the mix at the TPC Boston until McIlroy pulled away.
“It seems I like going against the hot player at the time,” he said.
Russell Knox matched the low score of the tournament with a 66 that allowed him to get back under par at 1-under 139, along with Justin Thomas, who is still hopeful of a Ryder Cup pick at the end of the week.
Thomas lost a shot when his ball moved right as he set his putter down behind a short par putt on the 11th hole. The PGA Tour reviewed it on videotape and gave him a one-shot penalty under Rule 18-2, the same penalty applied to Johnson at Oakmont in the U.S. Open.
Thomas disagreed with, but accepted, the penalty. His argument was it was not a flat surface and the greens were running fast
“It’s nothing against the rules officials. It’s a god-awful rule,” Thomas said. “It’s very fortunate it didn’t cost Dustin a major championship. I hope it doesn’t cost me anything. I don’t feel like I did anything wrong.”
Mark Russell, the vice-president of rules and competition for the tour, said, the wind was light and the ball had been at rest “for quite some time.”
“And the moment that Justin put his club behind the ball and addressed the ball, the ball moved,” he said. “In that situation, the evidence is against the player and he was penalized.”
That left him six shots behind Johnson instead of five. Either way, it’s a tall order for Thomas or anyone to catch Johnson.
Day withdraws from Tour Championship
ATLANTA – Jason Day has withdrawn from the Tour Championship because of recurring back pain.
It’s the second straight FedEx Cup playoff event that the world’s No. 1 player did not finish because of back pain. Day stopped midway through the final round of the BMW Championship. His agent said Friday at East Lake this was the same issue, and Day was withdrawing as a precaution.
The withdrawal means Dustin Johnson wins the points-based PGA player of the year. Johnson is likely to win the player vote for PGA Tour player of the year.
Day was 3 under for the tournament when he pulled his tee shot into the water on No. 8, hit his next shot well to the right and couldn’t reach the green out of deep rough.
Golf Canada staff celebrate Adopt a School Week with 10 adoptions
During Sept. 19-23, Golf Canada along with industry partners are celebrating the inaugural Adopt a School Week to honour the investments made throughout 2016 in support of the Golf in Schools (GIS) program.
Through a staff fundraiser, Golf Canada raised over $2,800 towards Golf in Schools adoptions and are proud to select ten schools from its waiting list—thanks in part to the matching program in place from the Canadian Seniors Golf Association (CSGA).
Offered at the elementary ($475), intermediate ($635) and high school ($795) level, Golf in Schools features age-appropriate equipment to accompany a user-friendly Learning Resource. Developed in partnership with the PGA of Canada and Physical Health Education (PHE) Canada, the Learning Resource helps students build character and confidence through its new Life Skills model, featuring golf lessons with both intrapersonal and interpersonal examples.
The program’s Learning Resource is tailored to suit teachers of all backgrounds—regardless of prior golf knowledge or skill level. Its seamless lesson plans are simple yet effective, teaching students timeless skills that are relatable to everyday scenarios.
“Naturally, we felt compelled to support the Adopt A School week initiative, a focused effort on bringing golf into schools in an easy to deliver, safe manner,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “The GIS program is often a child’s first introduction to the sport and we feel this program can and will have a long-term impact on the growth of Canadian golf, exposing it to a large segment of the population that would likely not have considered the sport as a recreational activity.”
For Thompson, the initiative presents a strong opportunity for facilities to grow numbers at the junior level.
“With Adopt a School Week, we hope to encourage facilities to view adoptions as an investment towards their future membership,” he said. “There’s great opportunity to build lasting relationships with schools that continue to provide value year-over-year.”
Make an impact in your community today by adopting a school at golfcanada.ca/adoptaschool
Growth of golf at heart of World Junior Girls Championship
When the third annual World Junior Girls Championship takes centre stage at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club September 25-30, fans of the sport will focus upon the tournament between the talented 18-and-under female golfers from across the globe. But the organizers of the competition and the events surrounding the championship have a larger goal in mind – the continued development of the sport.
“The World Junior Girls Championship is about more than this year’s competitors and the chance to learn through international competition,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna. “It is also about the promotion of junior girls golf in the Mississauga community and Canada as a whole.
“Through our partners at Mississaugua and our excellent volunteers and committee members, we have brought together the surrounding communities to truly celebrate the game. While the championship itself brings together national golf federations from around the world, the events during tournament week will gather people from across the city in support of golf.”
A coaching summit will take place Sunday, September 25 at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club. PGA of Canada coaches will have the chance to meet with international coaches to exchange ideas and to share in coaching methodology. In the afternoon, a junior girls skills development clinic will see PGA of Canada members/coaches introduce and develop fundamental skills with aspiring golfers from the community.
On Wednesday, September 28, a special clinic will be conducted in partnership with Golf Fore the Cure – a national program aimed at women’s participation in golfing activities and raising funds towards breast cancer research. In the 2016, the initiative raised over $270,000 in the fight against breast cancer, while more than 10,000 women took part in 140 events across Canada.
A total of 47 athletes will take part in the 2016 edition of the World Junior Girls Championship, including the six players selected to don the red and white of Team Canada. Canada One will be comprised of Chloe Currie (Mississauga, Ont.), Mary Parsons (Delta, B.C.) and Monet Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.). As host of the competition, Canada will field a second team made up of Céleste Dao (Notre-Dame-de-L’Île-Perrot, Que.), Hannah Lee (Surrey, B.C.) and Isabella Portokalis (London, Ont.).
The four-day tournament’s opening round gets underway on Tuesday, September 27.
The public is welcome to attend. Admission to the competition is free.
For more info, visit worldjuniorgirls.com.
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.
Click here for full scoring.
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.