CAMBRIDGE, Ont. – After every LPGA tournament this season Alena Sharp checked the world Rolex rankings with one thing on her mind: the Rio Olympics.

The Hamilton golfer finally qualified to represent Canada on Sunday after finishing the U.S. Women’s Open in a tie for 21st, putting her at 91st in the world and clinching her trip to Brazil for the Games.

“I’ve been watching (thee rankings) every week and knew that maybe a couple of weeks ago that it was probably mathematically impossible to not be on the team,” said Sharp, who will join world No. 2 Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., as Canada’s women’s pairing. “Last night the rankings came out early and it was obviously done that I was the second Canadian.

“I figured it out on my own, but I kind of knew.”

The U.S. Women’s Open was the final tournament to determine who would qualify for next month’s Olympics. The top 15 players in the world rankings – including Henderson -are all eligible with a limit of four for any country. South Korea – which has five – is the only country with more than two players currently in the top 15. The rest of the 60-player field was determined by the world rankings with a limit of two players per country.

The 35-year-old Sharp, as the second highest ranked Canadian, guaranteed her trip to Rio with a career-best showing at a major event. She shot a 72 on Sunday to finish tied for 21st at 1-over.

“I think (the Olympics) is the top of my career thus far,” said Sharp, who flew from San Martin, Calif., to Toronto on a red-eye flight late Sunday night. “Being able to represent Canada in Rio is something that two years ago was kind of in the back of mind. I knew I had to play well to get ahead, and I did that last year.

“To be standing here on July 11, and the day’s finally here, to be on the team is an amazing thing.”

Sharp was in Cambridge as part of a media day for the LPGA’s Manulife Classic which she, Henderson, world No. 1 Lydia Ko and a full field of other pro golfers will compete in Aug. 31-Sept. 4. Sharp also participated in a charity challenge, taking shots across the Grand River, with each ball she hit on target earning the St. Mary’s General Hospital Foundation $10,000. Along with three amateurs, Sharp earned the charity $103,000.

“It was a little pressure having people watch me, but I did well on the par-3s this week at the U.S. Open, so I’m like ‘oh, it’s just like a par 3’,” said Sharp, who used a nine iron to make the 135-yard shot from one side of the gorge to another.

Henderson and Sharp will have even more pressure on them in Rio.

Women’s golf was not an event in 1904, but George Lyon of Richmond Hill, Ont., won golf in the men’s individual at the St. Louis Olympics, with Americans winning the other individual medals and all three team medals.

“I know (Brooke’s) only thinking about one thing – the gold medal,” said Sharp. “I think it’s going to be good to play practice rounds together so we can get the course mapped out to win the tournament.

“She has a lot of positive energy. She’s 18, she’s fearless. Seeing that, you kind of feed off of it.”

BADDECK, N.S. – The operations manager for Cape Breton’s Bell Bay golf course says the renowned facility could reopen as soon as this week despite a fire that destroyed the clubhouse.

Eric Tobin says there was no damage to the scenic course in Baddeck, N.S., which he says is in the best condition it has been over the last two or three years.

Tobin says no one was hurt in Sunday’s fire and firefighters were able to save the cart storage barn next to the clubhouse, which is still in use.

The course, considered one of the most attractive in Nova Scotia, is scheduled to hold a PGA Canada event in September, although there’s no word on the tournament’s status following the fire.

Tobin says a temporary building will be used as a clubhouse for the immediate future.

He says a permanent structure will be built, however its too early to say when that will happen.

The two-year qualification process for golf’s return to the Olympic Games for the first time in 112 years has been completed with today’s publication of the final Olympic golf rankings.

Forty countries are included in the final rankings across the men’s and women’s competitions, which will be played at Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course between August 11 and 20.

The Olympic golf competitions, beginning with the men from August 11-14, followed by the women from August 17-20. A potential global audience of around 3.6 billion could watch golf’s return to the Games, representing the ultimate shop-window for the sport and having the capacity to reach a brand new audience, especially among the younger generation across all continents.

“After eight years of intense planning and preparation for golf’s historic return to the Olympic Games, the IGF is extremely excited finally to have reached this important milestone of identifying those players who are eligible to compete in Rio de Janeiro,” said Peter Dawson, president of the IGF. “We are particularly gratified to see how many countries are represented among the men and women and anticipate compelling competitions for both on the outstanding golf course that Gil Hanse and Amy Alcott have created. It has taken a tremendous amount of work by a number of people to get to this stage, and we at the IGF are extremely grateful for the role each and every one of them has played in making this possible.”

Qualification began July 14, 2014 and concluded Sunday, July 10. The full list of qualifiers confirms the names of the 120 players – 60 male and 60 female – who are now eligible to be entered by their respective National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in accordance with the qualification criteria.

For Canada, those golfers are David Hearn and Graham Delaet on the men’s side and Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp on the women’s side.

The IGF will send confirmation of the quota places to the National Olympic Committees (NOC) no later than 5 p.m. ET  on Tuesday, July 12. The NOCs will then confirm use of allocated quota places to the IGF who, in turn, will reallocate all unused quota places before the Rio 2016 sport entries deadline of July 18.

The IGF will publish a further list of 60 names for both the men’s and women’s events on Monday, July 18, which will provide ratification of all the competitors who will comprise the respective fields at the Olympic Games.

The final rankings underline the diversity of the fields who will tee off in Olympic competition next month for the first time in over a century, with a total of 40 countries being represented across both the men’s and women’s events.

Additionally, every continent is represented in the rankings, affording golf a unique opportunity to grow the game in unexposed territories and to achieve greater visibility with the potential television audience during the Games in Rio.

Across the two individual competitions, Africa has eight eligible players; Asia 29; Australasia & Oceania eight; Europe 52; North America 11; South America 12.

Full information on the Qualifying System for the 2016 Olympic Games can be found here.

Click here to view the final Olympic men’s ranking
Click here to view the Final Olympic women’s ranking

OAKVILLE, Ont. – ZTE and Golf Canada announced today a one-year partnership that will see ZTE become the Official Smartphone of the RBC Canadian Open. This year’s RBC Canadian Open is set to take place at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario, from July 18-24, 2016.

As the Official Smartphone of the RBC Canadian Open, ZTE will have exclusive naming rights to the Spectator Village, which will be known as the ZTE Spectator Village. ZTE is also the official sponsor of the ZTE Tweet Caddies, a group that will be keeping fans updated on the tournament, games and giveaways through social media channels.

“We’re thrilled to sponsor the RBC Canadian Open and showcase our devices at this world-class event. This partnership marks the second PGA TOUR event we’ve sponsored and a major step forward in our North American sports marketing strategy,” said Lixin Cheng, chairman and CEO of ZTE North America. “ZTE is committed to ensuring consumers get cutting edge technology at an affordable price and we’re looking forward to letting RBC Canadian Open spectators get up close and personal with our newest flagship device, the Axon 7.”

ZTE will offer charging stations for patrons, as well as showcase the popular Axon smartphone series, Grand X View tablet and SPro 2 Smart Projector. There will also be exciting games and giveaways throughout the Championship, with prizes including free rounds of golf, stays at a resort, swag bags and chances to win the Axon 7 smartphone all located in the ZTE Spectator Village.

“We are pleased to welcome ZTE as a partner of our National Championship,” said Golf Canada Chief Commercial Officer Gavin Roth. “Innovative technology is having a positive impact on fan engagement at major sporting events and we know ZTE will deliver an exciting spectator experience at this year’s RBC Canadian Open.”

TROON, Scotland – Jason Day is more motivated by failure than success, which helps explain how he reached No. 1 in the world.

And it all started last year at the British Open.

Day had never felt so calm in the midst of such raging emotion that being in contention at a major can bring. He had an innate sense that it would all work out in his favour, right up until the moment that it didn’t.

He had a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at St. Andrews to get into a playoff. It was right on line. And he left it short.

But it was that moment he realized he was good enough to win majors, and that he would win them if he had more chances. The following week he won the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club. Two weeks later, he won the PGA Championship with such a dominant display of power that he became the first player to finish at 20-under par in a major.

Six weeks later, he reached No. 1 for the first time.

“It was kind of, I guess, the start of my run where everything kind of changed my world,” Day said.

The 28-year-old Aussie arrived at Royal Troon on the weekend and headed out to a links course he had never seen, playing in a wind he might not see the rest of the week.

The intrigue of Troon is that the shorter nine going out typically is with the wind, while the stronger, longer holes coming back are into the wind. It was the other way around over the weekend, and it began to shift on Monday on the first official day of practice with 25 mph (40 kph) gusts straight off the Irish Sea.

“In the last five days, the forecast has changed dramatically,” defending champion Zach Johnson said. “And my guess is, it could change again.”

The forecast for Day has a little more clarity.

He has finished out of the top 10 only twice in his nine tournaments dating to March. What he brings to the Ayrshire coast of Scotland is more motivation – his last golfing memory was more failure.

Day appeared to be firmly in control at the World Golf Championship in Ohio two weeks ago until he three-putted for bogey on the 15th hole, made a mess of the par-5 16th hole on his way to a double bogey, and wound up three shots behind U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson.

“I learn more when I fail than when I win,” Days. “We’re not going to win every single one. Even though I don’t like losing, it was great to be able to learn something from that and turn this into what I would say a learning experience. … It was really bad. It was a terrible way to lose, and it was frustrating and disappointing. But things like this, you can’t win them all.”

He said the Tiger Woods era spoiled golf fans into believing everyone should win tournaments when given a chance, and no one was better at that than Woods. Seventy times around the world, Woods had at least a share of the 54-hole lead. He won 60 of them.

“That’s what I’m shooting for, to be able to finish off like he did back in the day,” he said. “Will I ever get to a point like that? Maybe not. But that’s what I’m shooting for right now.”

As a kid, Day said the two biggest tournaments were the Masters and the British Open. Australians have a long history with the claret jug, dating to Peter Thomson winning five times and Greg Norman winning twice. Day was only a year old when Norman closed with a 64 at Royal Troon, only to hit his drive on the final hole of the playoff so far that it went into a pot bunker and ended his chances.

Norman still has his name on the jug twice. Woods, whom Day seeks out for advice in golf, is on there three times.

“Coming so close last year was definitely a motivational factor in that I would love to one day hold the claret jug and be able to put my name down in history with the best that have ever lived and played the game,” he said.

The jug for the last year belonged to Johnson, who poured wine from it one last time on Sunday night at a house he is sharing with players. Johnson’s first duty Monday morning was to give it back to R&A chief Martin Slumbers outside the clubhouse at Royal Troon.

“It was bittersweet,” Johnson said. “More sweet, but the fact that you’ve got to give it back, you know it’s coming. I guess a portion of that sweetness is you still have an opportunity to get it back.”

Day will defend his RBC Canadian Open title from July 18-24, 2016 at Glen Abbey Golf Club.

TROON, Scotland – Jordan Spieth withdrew from the Olympics on Monday, leaving golf without its top four players when the sport returns to the games for the first time since 1904.

The decision was announced by International Golf Federation President Peter Dawson.

Spieth was the last player to say he was not going to Rio, telling the IGF it was for “health reasons.” Spieth was practicing at Royal Troon during the IGF news conference and was not expected to speak until Tuesday.

Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy previously withdrew, all citing the Zika virus. Day and Johnson have said they plan on having more children, while McIlroy is engaged and said he would soon be starting a family.

Golf still has eight of the top 15 players in the world competing in Rio, though losing the top four could be a big setback in its bid to stay in the Olympic program. It is assured of being part of the Tokyo Games in 2020, but the International Olympic Committee votes next year to decide whether it stays beyond that.

Spieth was replaced by Matt Kuchar, who narrowly reached No. 15 in the world two weeks ago with a tie for third in the Bridgestone Invitational.

Spieth was enthusiastic about the Olympics until about a month ago, when he started to mention security, Zika and other concerns. Spieth was said to be struggling with his decision until Monday.

SAN MARTIN, Calif. – Eleven years after finishing as runner-up as an amateur in her first U.S. Women’s Open, Brittany Lang won her first major title – with help from a playoff penalty on Anna Nordqvist.

Lang made par on all three holes of the aggregate playoff and Nordqvist was given a two-stroke penalty for touching the sand with her club in a fairway bunker on the second playoff hole Sunday, helping deliver Lang the title.

The players were not told of the penalty until they were in the middle of playing the final hole after officials reviewed replays in the latest controversy at a USGA event.

Lang then sealed the win with a short par putt on the final playoff hole, while Nordqvist made bogey to lose by three shots.

At last month’s men’s U.S. Open, eventual winner Dustin Johnson played much of the final round not knowing if he would be penalized one stroke because his ball moved as he addressed it on the fifth green. The penalty ended up proving moot as Johnson won by three shots.

Lang shot a 1-under 71 to finish with a 6-under 282 for the tournament at CordeValle for her second win in 287 tournaments on the LPGA Tour. She survived a bogey on the 17th hole that led to the playoff before recovering in the playoff for a breakthrough win at age 30.

Both players made pars on the first hole of the playoff, which was played on the final three holes of the course. Then things got interesting on the next hole after Nordqvist hit her tee shot into a fairway bunker.

While preparing to hit the shot, Nordqvist’s club barely touched the sand. She did not realize it and both players made par on the hole, heading to the final playoff hole seemingly tied.

But television replays showed the infraction and USGA officials studied the video before determining if the two-stroke penalty was necessary. An official told Nordqvist about the penalty after she hit her third shot on the 18th hole but before Lang did, giving her a possible advantage.

Lang hit her shot onto the green and the two-putted for the win, getting hearty congratulations from many of her fellow Americans on tour after she joined Michelle Wie (2014) as the only U.S. golfers to win the Open in the past six years.

Lang capitalized on a surprising final-round collapse by world No. 1 and 54-hole leader Lydia Ko, who made a double-bogey 7 on the ninth hole and shot 3-over 75 on the day, finishing two shots off the lead in a four-way tie for third with Amy Yang, Sung Hyun Park and 2009 winner Eun Hee Ji.

Lang took sole possession of the lead when she perfectly read a putt from more than 20 feet that broke slightly right before going in the hole to move her to 7-under, with Nordqvist in the clubhouse at 6-under after making an eagle on the par-5 15th.

But Lang followed that up with her first three-putt of the week when she just missed a par from about 5 feet, leading to groans from the crowd. She followed with a two-putt for birdie on the par-5 18th, setting the stage for the playoff.

Lang came on the scene as an amateur back in 2005 when she finished tied for second at the U.S. Women’s Open at Cherry Hills. But in more than a decade as a pro, Lang has won just one tournament, the 2012 Manulife Financial LPGA.

After shooting a 75 in the second round to drop seven shots behind leader Park, this tournament didn’t appear to be the one where she would have her breakthrough.

But she staged one of the best U.S. comebacks in years, with her 36-hole deficit the biggest for any winner at the tournament since Betsy King came from nine shots back after two rounds to win in 1990.

Ko had a two-shot lead heading to the eighth hole and seemed on her way to becoming the youngest man or woman to win three majors. But then she bogeyed the eighth hole before her collapse on nine.

Ko’s tee shot went left into the rough. Instead of just chipping out, Ko decided to try to clear the hazard and get back into position to make a possible birdie.

But her shot from the rough landed in the hazard and Ko could not find it and took a penalty. Then her wedge shot went over the green into the rough before Ko managed to get up and down from there for a double bogey that dropped her out of the lead for good.

“I should have judged the lie a little better and maybe played a little smarter and laid up short of the hazard,” she said. “Then just lay up again and try and make up-and-down for par.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp led the Canadian contingent with an even-par final round to finish T21 for her best career result at a major championship. Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., earned a share of 26th with a 2-over showing. Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson finished 64th, while Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Sue Kim of Langley,  B.C., tied for 65th.

WINNIPEG – Syracuse, New York’s Dan McCarthy took his record-breaking season to new heights on Sunday, capturing the Players Cup to become the first player in the PGA TOUR-era on the Mackenzie Tour to win three times in a season.

The 30-year old shot a final-round 7-under 64 at Niakwa Country Club to win by seven over Olympia, Washington’s Cameron Peck and Burlington, Ontario’s Michael Gligic, guaranteeing himself a spot in The Five and Web.com Tour status for 2016.

“It feels amazing. It hasn’t fully set in and I’m kind of shaking here,” McCarthy said. “It never gets old, and it feels better every time. Each time is a new test, and I’m very happy with the way I did today.”

Entering the day with a five-stroke advantage, McCarthy cruised past a flurry of low scores around him by carding birdies on three of the first six holes, never letting his lead shrink to more than two shots. The Le Moyne College graduate went without a bogey over his final 36 holes.

“It wasn’t as easy as the score made it look,” McCarthy said. “That was my plan all day, to keep the foot on the gas. I knew guys were going to make birdies in front of me, and I figured if I went low, then it would be tough to catch me.”

The win adds another chapter to what has already been a record-breaking season, with McCarthy matching his own record for the lowest 72-hole total on the Mackenzie Tour, as well as the largest margin of victory, set earlier this season at the GolfBC Championship. In addition to becoming the first three-time winner in a season, McCarthy is the first player to surpass $100,000 in single season earnings, now sitting at $105,428 for the year.

“It’s a tremendous confidence boost to know that I can do it, even just once. Now three times is really, really special. All these guys out here that are playing well deserve to be at the next level and are good enough. Like myself, they just haven’t played well enough at the right time. It’s a huge confidence boost for me going forward.”

Now with a virtually insurmountable lead on the Order of Merit, McCarthy can turn his sights towards competing at the next level – including a start at the RBC Canadian Open in two weeks. Even with opportunities on the horizon, however, the fifth-year Mackenzie Tour veteran said past experience has taught him not to take anything for granted.

“I’m not going to change anything. I’m just going to continue doing the drills that I always do, that keep me going. I’m going to try to treat it as just another tournament. I’m sure when I get there the whole scene is going to be a bit unusual with the bigger crowds and all that, but I’m sure I’ll handle it okay.”

With the Players Cup win, McCarthy adds his name to a list of champions that includes PGA TOUR players Erik Compton, Graham DeLaet and a long list of other legends of the game, including Moe Norman.

“It’s extremely special. [Players Cup Executive Director Ryan Hart] was telling me during the trophy ceremony that Moe Norman’s name is on here four or five times, and I’ve studied a lot of Moe Norman’s swing, so it’s pretty special to add my name to the same trophy that he’s on.”

Seven shots back in a tie for second were Peck, who played in the final group with McCarthy, and Gligic, who recorded his best finish on the Mackenzie Tour in two seasons.

With a total score of 18-under par in a tie for second place, Burlington, Ontario’s Michael Gligic finished as the top Canadian on the leaderboard, earning Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours and a $2,500 prize.

The top Canadian on the leaderboard each week takes home the award, with the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end earning the Dan Halldorson Trophy, Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year honours and a $25,000 prize.

ENDICOTT, N.Y. – Paul Goydos likes to say his golf game is two good rounds, then a mediocre one.

“That’s kind of all tournaments, not just here,” he said before playing in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open.

Last year, he did just that at En-Joie Golf Club, fading late while challenging for the lead and losing to Jeff Maggert by two shots.

For one day at least, Goydos didn’t follow that script. He shot a bogey-free 69 on Sunday to beat Wes Short Jr. (69) by two shots on a tricky day at En-Joie buffeted by gusting winds, finishing at 14-under 202 for his third career victory on the Champions Tour.

“My game is like a jack-in-the box, kind of keep spinning it and it pops up every once in a while,” Goydos deadpanned afterward. “There was no inkling that I was going to play well, other than the mythical law of averages. Things hadn’t gone well, hadn’t played well, my attitude was bad, so naturally I won.”

Qualifier Neal Lancaster (70) was alone in third at 11 under, while John Riegger (72) finished tied for fourth at 10 under with Joe Durant (68).

Glen Day (69) and Kevin Sutherland (69) were another shot back in a tie for sixth.

John Daly (73) was three shots behind to start and couldn’t muster anything. He made bogey at the par-5 fifth hole and another at No. 9 to make the turn at 7 under, where he finished.

First-round leader Scott Dunlap began the overcast day one shot off the lead and took himself out of contention with a disastrous second hole. Dunlap twice plunked shots into the greenside water hazard at the par 4, a 379-yard dogleg left, and carded a quintuple-bogey 9. He finished with a 75 to tie Daly.

Goydos began play tied for the lead at 11 under with Riegger and was the steadiest of the leaders, carding eight pars and making birdie at the par-4 sixth hole while none of the others staged a threat in difficult conditions. A birdie at No. 10 dropped him to 13 under, three shots ahead of Riegger, Short and Lancaster.

Riegger, who played the first two rounds without making bogey, had his streak end with a bogey on Sunday’s opening hole. He had another at the par-3 fourth hole after having recovered with a pretty fairway chip for eagle at the par-5 No. 3, but another bogey at No. 10 dropped him to 10 under in a three-way tie for second.

Riegger’s strength over the first two rounds had been his play at the generous par-5s, having gone 7 under, and his streak of excellence on the holes continued on the back side. At the par-5 No. 12, he notched his second straight eagle at the hole to move within a shot of Goydos.

Despite another bogey at No. 14, Riegger was still within striking distance at No. 16 and rallied once more. He drove the trees right at the short par 4 but rallied for birdie. Unfazed, Goydos, who played it safe on the hole by laying up short of the elevated green that’s guarded by a handful of bunkers, matched Riegger’s birdie to maintain his two-shot edge.

“I mean, John couldn’t have hit a better putt,” Goydos said. “He hit that putt and I’m like, ‘Wow!’ I was very happy with the way I kind of didn’t rush it. I kind of stayed in my routine, kind of went through whatever I needed to do to hit a good putt.”

Both drove into the bunker on the right of the green at No. 17, their balls sitting side-by-side in the white sand, and only Goydos escaped. After Riegger hit out past the pin and two-putted for bogey, Goydos blasted to 4 feet and saved par.

“John hit a nice bunker shot. Him going first I think was an advantage for me,” Goydos said.

Riegger also made bogey at 18 to slip back further.

Lancaster, in only his second tournament of the year, watched his chances fade when his tap-in putt for birdie at No. 16 lipped out while trailing by two shots.

“I guess just so close you kind of took it for granted,” Lancaster said. “I just think it’s nerves. I feel like I should have won the tournament.”

Calgary’s Stephen Ames finished in a tie for 23rd at 4-under. Jim Rutledge of Victoria posted a 3-under on the day to earn a share of 39th, while St. Catharines, Ont., native Rod Spittle finished T66.

CLYMER, N.Y. – Monday qualifier Rick Lamb chipped in for birdie on the second hole of a four-man playoff Sunday to win the LECOM Health Challenge for his first Web.com Tour title.

Lamb closed with a 9-under 63 to match Dominic Bozzelli, Rhein Gibson and Cheng Tsung Pan at 19-under 269 on Peek’n Peak’s Upper Course.

“It hasn’t set in yet,” Lamb said. “Everything happened so quick. It’s just one of those days where everything went my way. It couldn’t have turned out any better.”

Lamb won on the par-5 18th after the four players each parred the hole to open the playoff.

The 25-year-old former Tennessee player earned $108,000 to enter the money list at 21st, with the top 25 at the end of the regular season earning PGA Tour cards. Lamb missed the cuts in his other two starts this season. He also shot a 63 on Monday on the Lower Course to get into the field.

“It’s completely life changing,” said Lamb, the first Monday qualifier to win since Sebastian Cappelen in the 2014 Air Capital Classic. “The money puts me in the top 25 on the money list and now sets me up for the final stretch to potentially get a card.”

Lamb was 6 under on the first six holes on the back nine, making an eagle on the par-4 12th and four birdies. He parred the final three holes of regulation, finishing about an hour before the final group.

“I was just trying to stay loose,” Lamb said. “I thought someone might come in at 20 under, but I tried to stay in it mentally just in case there was a playoff.”

Bozzelli shot 66, Gibson 69, and Pan 68.

Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., finished T5 at 16-under alongside Joel Dahmen.

Surrey, B.C., product Adam Svensson earned a share of 9th at 13-under, while fellow British Columbian Roger Sloan of Merritt was T14 at 12-under. Calgary’s Ryan Yip was T54 and Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch claimed 62nd.