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.

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.

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.

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.”

London, Ont. – A day removed from his career-low, 9-under 61 at Highland Country Club, France’s Paul Barjon posted a final-round 2-under 68 to win the Freedom 55 Financial Championship, the final event on the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada schedule by a stroke over French Polynesia’s Vaita Guillaume at 22-under 258, a Mackenzie Tour record for 72 holes.

With the win and a first-place check of $36,000, Barjon jumped from No. 30 to No. 6 in the final Order of Merit and will advance to the final stage of the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament.

Langley, B.C.’s Adam Cornelson finished T50, high enough to clinch Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year honors, which comes with a $25,000 prize.

Members of Dan Halldorson’s family presented Adam Cornelson with the Dan Halldorson Trophy as Player of the Year. pic.twitter.com/YYlZMTB4nB

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) September 18, 2016

Up by six strokes over 18- and 36-hole leader Aaron Wise after his eagle at the par-5 second hole, Barjon remained in the driver’s seat all day and never lost his lead, despite a 10-under 60 by Guillaume. Barjon offset three bogeys with four birdies and an eagle.

“Yesterday was like a round that came out of nowhere,” Barjon said of his 61 in round three. “Today was a little different, when you play with the lead. You have everybody trying to chase you, but I was able to suck it up until the end and it worked out well, even with a 60 by Vaita.”

Barjon’s victory marks his third top-10 finish of the season, bettering a pair of T6 showings at the Bayview Place DC Payments Open presented by Times Colonist and the ATB Financial Classic.

“This is absolutely one of the best golf courses we play all year,” Barjon said of Highland. “It was a good one for me, everything worked out for me and it turned out successful for me.”

Barjon’s nearest threat in the end proved to be Guillaume. Beginning the day nine strokes off the lead at 11-under-par, Guillaume birdied his last four holes en route to a 10-under 60, tying the course record at Highland set by Curtis Reed in 2015. The Campbell University grad finished just a stroke back at 21-under 259.

Wise, the NCAA 2016 individual champion with the Oregon Ducks, finished three shots shy at 19-under after shooting a final round 68.

Freedom 55 Financial established the Canadian Player of the Week award in 2013 to recognize top Canadian players on the Mackenzie Tour. At each event, Freedom 55 Financial presented this award to the Canadian player who had the lowest total score. Winners also received $2,500 to use toward attaining future goals.

With scores of 65-70-67-65—267 (-13) to finish T9, Aaron Cockerill took home top-Canadian honors at this week’s Freedom 55 Financial Championship.

“It’s a huge honour to be the top Canadian at this event,” Cockerill said. “There are so many great players from across Canada here this week, and the competition on this Tour is so strong. Thanks to Freedom 55 Financial for their support in helping players like me chase their dream of making it to the PGA TOUR.”

BOISE, Idaho – Michael Thomson won the Web.com Tour Finals’ Albertson Boise Open on Sunday at Hillcrest Country Club to regain a PGA Tour card.

Thompson finished with his second straight 7-under 64, birdieing five of the first seven holes on the back nine, for a three-stroke victory over Argentina’s Miguel Angel Carballo. He holed out from a bunker for birdie on the par-3 13th.

The 31-year-old Thompson finished at 23-under 261 and earned $180,000 in the second of four events that will determine 25 PGA Tour cards. He won the 2013 Honda Classic for his lone PGA Tour title.

Carballo eagled the par-5 second hole in a 66. He earned $108,000 to also wrap up a PGA Tour card.

Greyson Murray was third at 18 under after a 64. He already earned a card as a top-25 finishers on the Web.com money list.

England’s Andrew “Beef” Johnston (68) was 17 under and also earned a PGA Tour card, making $48,000 to push is two-event total to $54,910

“A few sodas! Yeah, I think there will be a Coke or a Fanta or something like that,” Johnson joked about his card-earning celebration. “Nah, there’s going to be a few beers, man!”

The series features the top 75 players from the Web.com money list, Nos. 126-200 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings – Thompson was 145th, and Carballo 187th – and non-members such as Johnson with enough PGA Tour money to have placed in the top 200 in the FedEx Cup had they been eligible.

The top 25 players on the Web.com regular-season money list earned PGA Tour cards. They are competing against each other for tour priority, with regular-season earnings counting in their totals. The other players are fighting for 25 cards based on series earnings . Last year, Rob Oppenheim got the last PGA Tour card with $32,206. In 2014, Eric Axley was 25th at $36,312.

Three-time PGA Tour winner Scott Stallings (71) tied for fifth at 16 under with Ryan Blaum (64) and Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes (68). Tied with Thompson for the third-round lead, Stallings eagled the par-5 16th and made a double bogey on the par-4 18th. He has made $68,875 in the first two events to regain his PGA Tour card after finishing 128th in the FedEx Cup standings.

Hughes already earned a card from the Web.com money list.

Wearing a violet shirt and a white cap under a blue-gray sky, Judith Kyrinis, of Canada, needed to make a 4-foot putt on Wellesley Country Club’s 18th green on Sunday to post a red number.

She missed, but the 52-year-old Kyrinis still earned medalist honors in the 55th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship with her second consecutive round of even-par 74 on the 6,049-yard Wellesley (Mass.) Country Club layout.

Kyrinis led by two strokes after the first round; her 36-her total of 148 was five strokes better than Kim Eaton and two-time champion Ellen Port.

“We all joke that you should four- or five-putt on the final green if you’re going to be the medalist,” said Kyrinis, the runner-up in the 2014 championship. “But I’m OK with it. It means I played well.”

Her joke was a reference to the difficulty that medalists have in going on to win the championship. The last medalist to win was Carol Semple Thompson in 2002.

Her challengers didn’t have such worries; they were more concerned with moving up the leaderboard and qualifying for match play. Eaton, 57, of Mesa, Ariz., had just one birdie in her first 30 holes.

“I just have a hard time making birdies on this golf course,” she said.

Eaton overcame that problem on the 446-yard, par-5 13th by making a 40-foot eagle putt from short of the green. She still may have had just one birdie, but she also owned the lowest round of the championship, a 2-under 72.

One of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs, the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship consists of 36 holes stroke play followed by six rounds of match play, with the 18-hole championship match scheduled to take place on Thursday, Sept. 22.

The Round of 64 will begin at 8:30 a.m. EDT on Monday.

The final four spots were determined by a six-woman playoff. Jen Holland, 53, of Branford, Conn., clinched the final spot by making an 18-inch putt in the gloaming at 7:04 p.m. EDT, well after the sun had set at 6:48.

“That was the longest foot-and-a-half putt I have made in my life,” said Holland as she received congratulatory hugs from fellow competitors.

Other players who had finished earlier had to wait longer to see whether they would be playing on Monday.

On the 18th hole, defending champion Karen Garcia, 53, of Cool, Calif., made a 6-footer for bogey that she approached as if it were a putt to win the championship.

“It might make the difference between me making the cut and not,” said Garcia immediately after shooting 84 for a two-round total of 163. “I was leaking on the way in.”

After posting 91 in the first round, her worst competitive score in 41 years,  Martha Leach, 54, of Hebron, Ky., came back to shoot 75. Thanks to her 16-stroke improvement, her 91 was the second-highest score by any player qualifying for match play in championship history. (Sally Tomlinson shot 92 in qualifying for match play 10 years ago.)

Pam Kuong, 55, of Wellesley Hills, Mass., also went lower in the second round, albeit not as dramatically as Leach. Playing in front of a hometown gallery, Kuong had difficulty judging the speed of her putts until her last five holes. She made birdies on four of them to shoot 78, six strokes better than her first round.

“There were neighbors, friends from work, clients of mine, fellow Charles River Country Club members, a bunch of other competitors from [Massachusetts Golf Association] events,” said Kuong, last year’s runner-up. “I went through a stretch where I had four-putts and three-putts, I was like, well, since my friends are still following me, I can’t give up.”

When Garcia, Leach and Kuong finished their rounds around lunchtime, they all thought their scores – 15-over 163 for Garcia, 18-over 166 for Leach, 14-over 162 for Kuong – would place them near the cutline.

They had different plans for Sunday afternoon. Garcia would practice her putting, Leach would watch football and Kuong was hosting a barbecue at her house for some of her fellow championship competitors. But all would have an activity in common.

“We’re all going to be following the scores on the computer,” said Kuong.

The leader board brightened for them as the afternoon progressed. When Kuong had finished at 12:20 p.m., she was tied for 62nd place. By the time play finished, she had moved into a tie for 30th.

Notable players qualifying for match play include 2009 champion Sherry Herman, 2010 champion Mina Hardin, 2004 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Corey Weworkski, 2005 Mid-Amateur champion Mary Ann Hayward and 2016 USA Curtis Cup captain Robin Burke.

USGA champions Anna Schultz (2007 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur), Diane Lang (2005, ’06 and ‘08 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur) and Robin Donnelly (1989 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur) failed to qualify.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Paul Broadhurst birdied the par-5 18th at Pebble Beach on Sunday to win the PGA Tour Champions’ Nature Valley First Tee Open.

The Senior British Open winner at Carnoustie in July for his first victory on the 50-and-over tour, Broadhurst made a 6-foot birdie putt on 18 after running his first attempt past the hole.

The 51-year-old Englishman finished with a 4-under 68 for a one-stroke victory over Bernhard Langer and playing partner Kevin Sutherland. Langer birdied the last for a 66, and Sutherland birdied the final two holes for a 70.

Joe Durant bogeyed the 18th – lipping out a 3-footer – for a 67 to finish fourth at 9 under.

Broadhurst finished at 11-under 204 for two rounds at Pebble Beach and one at Poppy Hills. He won six times on the European Tour and played in the 1991 Ryder Cup.

Canada’s Stephen Ames tied for 10th at 5-under.

The seniors played alongside boys and girls from The First Tee programs throughout the country.

London, Ont. – Dan McCarthy of Syracuse, New York, wrapped up Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Player of the Year honours on Sunday, finishing with $157,843 in earnings on the season to top the Order of Merit and lead five players who earned status on the Web.com Tour for 2017.

McCarthy, 31, who produced a unprecedented season of four wins and the all-time record for single-season earnings, will be fully exempt on the 2017 Web.com Tour after finishing $73,768 ahead of No. 2 Brock Mackenzie of Yakima, Washington. Joining McCarthy and Mackenzie in The Five were No. 3 Taylor Moore of Richmond Hill, Ontario, No. 4 Aaron Wise of Lake Elsinore, California and No. 5 Adam Cornelson of Langley, B.C.

The Five will graduate to the Web.com Tour in 2017 and look to follow in the footsteps of at least nine PGA TOUR-era Mackenzie Tour alumni who will have PGA TOUR status for the 2016-17 season, including 2013-15 Order of Merit winners Mackenzie Hughes, Joel Dahmen and J.J. Spaun.

“Dan’s exceptional play this year has set the standard for excellence on the Mackenzie Tour. What he has done this season in winning four times and setting the new mark is without precedent, and we can’t wait to follow his success as he reaches the next level. We wish The Five the very best of luck as they make the next step on their journey and follow in the footsteps of so many players, including the last three Order of Merit winners, who have gone from the Mackenzie Tour to the PGA TOUR,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday.

McCarthy, a Le Moyne College (Syracuse, New York) graduate set the new record for single-season earnings on the Mackenzie Tour, recording wins at the Freedom 55 Financial Open, GolfBC Championship, Players Cup and Cape Breton Open, becoming the first player to win four times in a season in Mackenzie Tour history. McCarthy also set the records for largest margin of victory (seven strokes) and low 72-hole score (259) at the Players Cup and GolfBC Championship.

“This was an unforgettable year for me, and I’m so proud to have earned that fully exempt status on the Web.com Tour next year,” said McCarthy. “The level of competition out here is so good, and my goal at the start of the year was to be in that top five. To see all the hard work I’ve put in over the years come to fruition and finish No. 1 is an incredible feeling.”

The Mackenzie Tour also announced that its 12 tournaments combined to raise more than $1 million for charity, increasing charitable contributions from $567,500 in 2015

“A primary goal of every Mackenzie Tour tournament, along with every event under the PGA TOUR umbrella, is to make a positive impact in the community. Each year, we have pushed to make a larger impact in every community where we play, and I want to thank all of our tournaments along with every player, fan, volunteer and anyone else who helped make a positive difference in peoples’ lives through the Mackenzie Tour this year,” said Monday.

“We are so pleased with the success of the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada and congratulate all of the golfers on their incredible season,” said Barry McInerney, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mackenzie Investments. “At Mackenzie Investments, we believe in striving to bring our best to everything we do and the winners of the Mackenzie Tour exemplify that same confidence and tenacious attitude. Now that we have completed our second season as the umbrella sponsor, we continue to be impressed by the partnership, players and most importantly, the charitable aspect which helps so many communities across Canada.”

Players 6-10 earn spots into Final Stage
In addition to The Five earning status on the Web.com Tour, players finishing 6-10 on the Order of Merit earned an exemption into the final stage of Web.com Tour Q-School, led by No. 6 Paul Barjon of New Caledonia, who won the Freedom 55 Financial Championship to move to No. 6, along with No. 7 Austin Connelly of Church Point, Nova Scotia, No. 8 Max Rottluff of Dusseldorf, Germany, No. 9 Michael Schoolcraft of Denver, Colorado and No. 10 Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ontario.

Players finishing 11-20 earned an exemption into the second stage of Web.com Tour Q-School.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – In Gee Chun clinched the Evian Championship in record-breaking style on Sunday, winning by four shots to secure her second major with the lowest ever 72-hole score in a major.

The 22-year-old South Korean sank a difficult 10-feet putt to finish on 21 under, breaking the record for men and women of 20 co-held by Henrik Stenson and Jason Day. She bettered the women’s record by two.

She led from start to finish, although she did share the first-round lead with Sung Hyun Park – who finished tied for second with So Yeon Ryu in a dominant tournament for South Koreans.

Chun finished the day with a 2-under 69, the most modest of her four rounds. Not that it took anything away from her achievement.

“I just cannot believe I won the Evian Championship and made 21 under par,” Chun said as she clutched the trophy, her voice breaking with emotion. “I’m not dreaming right?”

Chun missed the cut here at Evian Resort last year and tied for 65th in 2014.

In four days of intensely accurate driving and clinical putting, she was near-faultless. Her only significant blemish was a double bogey on the ninth hole in the third round – and even then she limited the damage having opted for a two-stroke penalty.

There was one bogey on Sunday, on the 14th, but she made a birdie on the next to move back to 21 under and almost added another birdie on the 16th, with her attempt stopping just short.

Chun, who won the U.S. Women’s Open last year, is only the second player in LPGA history to have her first two LPGA wins come at majors. The other was countrywoman Se Ri Pak in 1998.

It looked like she might miss out on a new major record when she sent her tee shot into the left rough on the 18th. She chose the safe option and used a wedge to chop her way onto the fairway, about 95 yards from the pin.

Then, she glided her ball over the water to give herself a decent shot at history.

After making her record-breaking putt, she raised both arms in the air and smiled.

She did not see what was coming next, however, as defending champion Lydia Ko poured Champagne over her.

Shanshan Feng, China’s only major winner, was six shots back in fourth place, with South Korean Sei Young Kim posting an impressive 65 to move up to fifth ahead of countrywoman I.K. Kim.

American Angela Stanford was 11 shots behind Chun in seventh spot.

It was a tournament to forget for Ko.

Chasing her third major, the 19-year-old New Zealander finished in a tie for 43rd at 2 over.

She did enough, however, to win the third edition of the Rolex Annika Major Award – rewarding the player with the best combined record at all five majors and named after 10-time major winner Annika Sorenstam.

Ko won the ANA Inspiration in April, where Chun was tied for second.

That tournament was Chun’s first start after a month out with a back injury caused in bizarre circumstances. She was struck by a hard-case suitcase that rival South Korean player Ha Na Jang’s father dropped down an escalator at the Singapore airport.

Chun, who has nine wins on the Korean LPGA, started as the rain poured hard in the morning.

The rain eased off around lunchtime, and the crowd finally came out in droves to see history being made.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson carded a final-round 70 to tie for 9th at 7-under.