BELMONT, Mich. – Her ailing back a bit better after treatment, defending champion Lexi Thompson shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday for a share of the Meijer LPGA Classic lead with In Gee Chun.

“I got a lot of work done to it last night,” Thompson said about her back. “It was hurting quite a bit, but I have it all taped up and it helped out out there today, and took my pain pills. It was better today than yesterday.”

Thompson birdied five of the first 13 holes at Blythefield in her bogey-free round to match Chun at 15-under 198. The 21-year-old American birdied three of the four par-5 holes and is 9 under overall on the par 5s.

“I just hit a lot of drivers and, if my game’s on, it comes together,” said Thompson, possibly in danger of missing the Olympics if the back problem lingers into the busy summer. “It’s just a nice setting and atmosphere. It’s one of our best tournaments.”

Chun had a bogey-free 65, making four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine. The U.S. Women’s Open champion sat out a month this year because of a back injury after she was struck by a suitcase that rival South Korean player Ha Na Jang’s father dropped down an escalator at the Singapore airport.

“My iron shot great,” Chun said. “I was putting very well. I was so good at rolling the ball on the line. … I’m always excited to play in the last group so I’m ready. I enjoy it. … I play with Lexi. It’s very exciting.”

Thompson’s father, Scott, is with her – setting up a possible Father’s Day victory present Sunday.

“That’s what I’m going to try to do, but just to have him out here supporting me and basically along the way for my journey my whole life always means a lot to me,” Thompson said. “No more pressure because then I won’t perform to my best. I’m just going to go out here, have fun, be relaxed, just how I have been the last three days. It’s been a very relaxing week so far.”

Thompson won the Honda LPGA Thailand in February for her seventh LPGA Tour title. The long-hitting Florida player, ranked fourth in the world, also won a Japan LPGA event last month.

Sei Young Kim was a stroke back after a 65. The South Korean player eagled the par-5 11th and parred the final seven holes. She won this year in Phoenix, shooting 63-66-70-62 to match Annika Sorenstam’s LPGA Tour scoring record of 27 under. Last year, she won three times and was the rookie of the year.

“The greens are holding very well so we can play second shot very aggressive and then make a lot of birdie chances. That’s a lot of help,” Kim said. “Great score, yeah. The fairways are little narrow, but if I keep it in the fairway, pretty sure I make birdie a couple holes.”

Spain’s Carlota Ciganda was 13 under after a 66, and China’s Shanshan Feng had a 65 to get to 12 under.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko shot a 67 to reach 11 under, starting the back nine with four straight birdies.

“I’ve just got to focus on my game,” Ko said. “The girls are going low so I know all I’ve got to do is have fun out there, be patient and hopefully make birdies. But you just never know what’s going to happen, and especially with the girls going low, there could be a very low number tomorrow.”

The 19-year-old New Zealander won the Kia Classic and major ANA Inspiration in consecutive weeks this year in Southern California.

No. 2 Brooke Henderson, coming off a playoff victory last week over Ko in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship outside Seattle, had a 72 to drop into a tie for 21st at 6 under. The 18-year-old Canadian had three straight bogeys late in the round.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was even on the day and holds a share of 11th. Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., is 1-under and is tied for 60th.

Michelle Wie shot a 67 to move into a tie for 28th at 5 under. She’s winless since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open and hasn’t had a top-10 finish in 37 events.

Ariya Jutanugarn, third last week after winning her previous three starts, was 4 under after a 72.

OAKMONT, Pa. – One year after Dustin Johnson let the U.S. Open slip away from him at Chambers Bay, he drove his way to the top of the leaderboard Friday at Oakmont.

Immaculate from tee-to-green, Johnson endured a marathon day of 36 holes with a game that makes him look tough to beat. He didn’t make a bogey in his opening round of 3-under 67, and he dropped only one shot in his 69 that ended just as the siren sounded to stop play because of darkness.

Johnson was at 4-under 136, two shots ahead of anyone else who completed the second round in the rain-delayed U.S. Open.

More than just his long ball, one of Johnson’s greatest assets is a short memory. He already has squandered chances in four majors, none more crushing than last year when he was a 12-foot eagle putt away from winning and three-putted to finish one behind Jordan Spieth.

Asked if he was motivated by Chambers Bay, Johnson deadpanned, “What happened last year?”

Andrew Landry had a much shorter day.

The 28-year-old qualifier only had to hit one shot Friday when he returned in the morning to make a 10-foot birdie putt for a 66 and the lead. It was the best opening round in 10 majors at Oakmont, beating a record shared by Ben Hogan and Tom Watson.

Landry also became the first player in 30 years to have the sole lead after his first U.S. Open round.

Three storm delays Thursday left a disjointed schedule and no clear picture of who’s in control. The nine players who completed the opening round Thursday, including 19-year-old Scottie Scheffler and his 69, had the entire day off Friday.

Those who had to return to finish the first round initially were given tee times deep into the evening until the USGA decided it best that everyone from that half of the field – including Spieth at 2 over – start Saturday morning.

Johnson went 27 holes without a bogey in a U.S. Open held on its toughest course.

The streak finally ended when he found a deep bunker left of the first fairway, advanced only 40 yards and narrowly missed a 20-foot par putt. He missed plenty of other birdie chances along the way, not alarming because Oakmont’s greens are difficult to putt.

Far more impressive was his accuracy.

Johnson missed only three fairways in the second round, and he has missed only five greens through two rounds. If the lead stands after the second round is over, it would match the lowest 36-hole score in a U.S. Open at Oakmont. And he still hasn’t made a birdie on a par 5 in two rounds.

“It was a long day today, but I felt like I played really solid all day for all 36 holes,” he said. “I drove it really well.”

Sergio Garcia, who also knows his share of heartache in the majors, stayed with Johnson as best he could. He made a tough par on No. 4 by playing his third shot from the fifth fairway. And he finished his round with a 50-foot par save for a 70.

Garcia was at 2-under 138, along with Scott Piercy, who also went 68-70.

“I’m too old for this,” the 36-year-old Spaniard said. “We know how difficult the U.S. Open is, and here at Oakmont even tougher.”

On the leaderboard, they were one shot behind Lee Westwood, who closed with two birdies in the morning for a 67.

“It was good, one of the best starts I’ve ever had,” Westwood said. “I felt confident out there and hit a lot of good shots. I was shaping it both ways, which you need to do in U.S. Opens to get at a lot of the flags.”

Daniel Summerhays, who got into the field as an alternate, had a tournament-best 65 and joined Andy Sullivan (68) at 1-under 139. Jim Furyk, a runner-up at Oakmont in the 2007 U.S. Open, also was at 1 under and faced the ninth hole Saturday morning to finish his round.

Spieth, who finished off a round of only one birdie for a 72, returned to Oakmont in the afternoon to putt. Rory McIlroy, who matched his worst score in a U.S. Open with a 77, came back to work on his swing.

On the course, other stars were struggling.

Jason Day, the No. 1 player in the world, opened with a 76 and was at 5 over with three holes remaining. Phil Mickelson was in danger of missing the cut for the second straight time at Oakmont. He was at 7 over with two holes remaining.

For Johnson, it’s time to put up his feet and contemplate another run at a major.

“He played awesome,” Garcia said. “It’s impressive. He drove the ball great, very far. I don’t think he missed many fairways at all. Out of 36 holes here at Oakmont with only one bogey, it shows you have to play really, really well. He’s going to be tough to beat, but I’ll give it a shot.”

BELMONT, Mich. – Defending champion Lexi Thompson fought through back pain Friday to take the second-round lead in the Meijer LPGA Classic.

“It just came on last weekend and it was really bad today,” Thompson said. “I’m not really one to complain about pain because I just fight through it, but yeah, it’s hurting. I’m going to go and get a rubdown and see if it goes away.”

The 21-year-old Thompson shot a 4-under 67, rebounding from bogeys on 15 and 16 with birdies on the final two holes to reach 10-under 132 at Blythefield.

“It was definitely important to come back from the two bogeys,” Thompson said. “I just hit a few errant drives there toward the end and made bogeys, but I played 17 and 18 well.”

Canada’s Alena Sharp bogeyed her final hole to drop into a tie for second at 9 under with South Korean players In Gee Chun, So Yeon Ryu and Q Baek. They all shot 67.

“We just finished major tournament last week and the golf course was quite narrow and a really, really tough golf course,” Ryu said about the KPMG Women’s PGA last week outside Seattle. “We really had to deal with all the trees. After last week, this golf course feels more wide open, I feel more comfortable, felt like be able to play more aggressive.”

Thompson won the Honda LPGA Thailand in February for her seventh LPGA Tour title. The long-hitting Florida player, ranked fourth in the world, also won a Japan LPGA event last month. The back pain could be a major concern heading into the busy summer schedule and golf’s return to the Olympics.

“I just try not to pay attention to it,” Thompson said. “It was hurting just getting into posture for my golf shot, so it is what it is. Took a few ibuprofens and waited for it to kick in. I didn’t really want to pay attention to how bad it was hurting because then it brings more attention to it and it becomes a mind game. I just tried not to focus on it and I just tried to stick to what I did yesterday.”

The 35-year-old Sharp is winless on the LPGA Tour, with six top-10 finishes in 11 seasons.

“I’m going to just keep playing my game, hit fairways and go at pins when I can,” Sharp said. “My putting has been really good the last two tournaments, so I’m kind of relying on it.”

Amy Yang (67) was 8 under along with Sei Young Kim (69), Minjee Lee (67), Haru Nomura (67), Jodi Ewart Shadoff (68), Amelia Lewis (68) and Carlota Ciganda (69).

Top-ranked Lydia Ko and No. 2 Brooke Henderson, coming off a playoff victory over Ko in the KPMG Women’s PGA, were together at 7 under after matching rounds of 68.

Ko birdied three of her last five holes. The 19-year-old New Zealander won the Kia Classic and major ANA Inspiration in consecutive weeks this year in Southern California. She has 12 LPGA Tour victories.

“I’m happy with the way I played,” Ko said. “I was pretty consistent and I just got to keep playing like this. My ball striking wasn’t as good as yesterday, so hopefully it can get better progressively on the weekend.”

Henderson played her final nine holes in 4 under. The 18-year-old Canadian, up to No. 2 in the world, has 10 top-10 finishes this season. She also won last year in Portland, Oregon.

“It was much warmer out today, a beautiful day,” Henderson said. “I started out not as well as I would have liked, 1 over for the front nine, but I made a lot of birdies on the back and go 4 under, so overall it was a pretty steady day. I know I have some work to do on the weekend, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Ariya Jutanugarn, third last week after winning her previous three starts, was 5 under after a 69. Older sister Moriya also was 5 under after a 68.

Laura Davies, the 52-year-old World Golf Hall of Fame member who shot a 65 on Thursday to share the lead, had a 73 to drop to 4 under. She won the last of her 20 LPGA Tour titles in 2001.

Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., shot 2-under on the day to take a share of 39th.

Michelle Wie made the cut by a stroke at 1 under, following her opening 71 with a 70. She’s winless since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open and hasn’t had a top-10 finish in 37 events.

TOYOTA CITY, Japan – Team Canada Men’s Development Squad struggled to close out their final round on Friday at the Chukyo Golf Club, carding a collective 4-over par to drop to an 11^th place finish at the 24th annual Toyota Junior Golf World Cup presented by JAL.

As a team, the Canadian contingent tallied an aggregate score of 1-over par through 72-holes of the play-four-count-three format. They were as high as T6 in the event, but struggled to hold their position. The foursome finished well back of the Americans, who ran away with the competition posting four consecutive rounds under par to lock down a score of 36-under par—good for a nine-stroke victory over runner-up Germany. The win marks the eighth title for the Americans and their first since 2005.

The Canucks were led by Vaughan, Ont., native Tony Gil, who closed at 4-under par (65-73-68-74) to finish alone in 18^th place. The 18-year-old University of Houston commit was a steady performer all week, playing in his third Toyota World Junior event. Trailing Gil by one stroke was teammate A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C. Ewart, 17, posted consistent rounds of 71-70-69-71 to end the tournament in 19^th place.

Rounding out the Canadian squad was Quebec’s Charles-Éric Bélanger, who came in at 11-over par (76-73-74-72) to end in a tie for 47^th. Jack Simpson, an Aurora, Ont., product, posted a total of 18-over par, ending in 56^th place overall.

Medalist honours went to Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, who fired a final round 62 (-9) in Friday’s final to close at 17-under par with a five-stroke margin over second place.

On the girls’ side, the Americans captured the team and individual victories, with Kristen Gillman taking home the medal at 10-under par. Canada did not have a squad compete in the girls’ division.

Click here for team scoring.
Click here for individual scoring.

The 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship is expected to attract a strong international field when it is played at Ken-Wo GC in New Minas, N.S., this summer.

The tournament, an “A”-ranked event by the World Women’s Amateur Golf Ranking (WWAGR) for the past five years, will run July 26-29.

It will be the fifth national tournament held at the venerable course, which opened as a nine-hole layout in 1921 and is one of the oldest in the province.

It will also be the second time that Ken-Wo has hosted this prestigious event, one of the oldest competitions in the country. In 2002, Lisa Meldrum won her second of three consecutive national women’s titles on the Ken-Wo layout. Other national tournaments played at Ken-Wo include the 1985 Canadian Junior Girls, the 1996 Canadian Club Champions’ event and the 2001 Canadian Junior Boys.

Golf Canada president Roland Deveau of Nova Scotia said Ken-Wo was chosen to host the Amateur for a variety of reasons.

“First, it’s a great championship course. It has a great variety of holes and is a challenging track, which will bring forth an excellent champion,” said Deveau. “I have been involved with a number of national and provincial championships at Ken-Wo and each one has been a great experience for the players and club. And finally, the Annapolis Valley area will be a fine host for competitors, their friends and families. It is a region in which competitors from across the country and international guests will truly enjoy,” he said.

Hosting the 103rd Women’s Amateur has the strong support of the Ken-Wo membership, according to Rene MacKay, the club’s director of golf and operations and co-chair of the tournament.

“This club has a long history of supporting competitive golf,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to put the club’s name on the national golf map. The members take pride in their club and it is exciting for staff and members to be involved,” MacKay added.

Ken-Wo, which got its name from its location in New Minas, halfway between Kentville and Wolfville, home of Acadia University, is a traditional tree-lined track, known more as a “thinker’s course,” explained MacKay.

The course is expected to play to a par 70 and approximately 6,200 yards from the tips, certainly not long by today’s standards. However, savvy course management and green reading will be keys to scoring well.

“Ken-Wo’s defence is it is tree-lined and the greens are difficult. I have been here for close to 20 years and I still have a hard time with them because they are difficult to read,” MacKay said.

In a brief overview of what these top-flight golfers can expect, MacKay acknowledged the first five or six holes are fairly straightforward, “laid out in front of the golfer” with holes seven, eight and nine more difficult.

“They are all par 4s. The seventh hole is tree lined and fades left to right. If you hit to the right you will have no shot into the green. The eighth hole is a beautiful golf hole. It is also tree lined and a slight dogleg left. The ninth hole you hit into a valley but it is tough to get your second shot up the hill to the back of the green,” said MacKay.

Holes 10 through 13 are affectionately called the course’s “orchard” holes because it used to be the site of an old apple orchard.

Holes 14 through 18, known locally as Death Valley, “are likely this golf course’s biggest strength,” said MacKay. He noted that many championships have been won and lost over these last holes.

“At Augusta they say the (Masters) starts on the last day on the back nine. For us the tournament starts on the last day on No. 14,” he said with a smile. “So much can happen there.

The last holes are the meat of the golf course. Many rounds have gone down badly. This is where the course really defends itself,” he stated. The last five holes include two par 5s, two tough par 4s and a long par 3.

Overall, MacKay said Ken-Wo is a “positional” course and there are definitely “spots where you can’t hit it.” He anticipates the longer hitters will decide not to use driver on some of the shorter holes where being long off the tee may not be of any benefit.

The greens — about 4,000 to 5,000 square feet with a lot of undulation — are protected by about 50 sand traps and some water. “This course lends itself well to a national championship,” he concluded.

MacKay is intrigued to see how well the players will score and speculates a lot will depend on where the pins are situated on the greens. “I think we will see a 65 or 66, but not from one player every day. I think, depending on the setup laid out by Golf Canada, maybe four, five or six under will win.”

Atlantic attack This article was originally published in the May 2016 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. To view the full magazine, click the image to the left.

BELMONT, Mich. – Defending champion Lexi Thompson shot a 6-under 65 on Thursday for a share of the Meijer LPGA Classic lead, with Brooke Henderson, Lydia Ko and Ariya Jutanugarn close behind.

The 21-year-old Thompson played the front nine – her final nine at Blythefield – in 6 under. After parring the first nine holes, she holed out from 71 yards with a lob wedge for eagle on the par-5 first and birdied Nos. 3-5 and 8 – playing the three front-nine par 5s in 4 under.

“I had a slow start for my first nine there on the back, but hit it very well and then got on a birdie run there on my second nine,” said Thompson, ranked fourth in the world. “It’s definitely playing a little bit softer, so the greens are more receptive than last year. It was a lot firmer last year. The course was playing tough at one point because it got pretty windy.”

She was tied for the lead with 52-year-old Laura Davies, Sei Young Kim, Carlota Ciganda and Paula Reto. U.S. Women’s Open champion In Gee Chun was at 66 along with So Yeon Ryu, Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Jaclyn Jansen, Alena Sharp and Amelia Lewis.

Henderson, coming off a playoff victory Sunday over the top-ranked Ko in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship outside Seattle, matched Ko with a 67.

Henderson had five birdies and a bogey. The 18-year-old Canadian, up to No. 2 in the world, has 10 top-10 finishes this season. She also won last year in Portland, Oregon.

“It was a pretty solid day,” Henderson said. “Four under, I’ll take it. Only two back from the lead right now, the leaderboard’s pretty crowded with the top names and a ton of really good scores. I’m excited for the rest.”

Ko had three of her four birdies on the back nine in her bogey-free round.

“It was a pretty consistent day,” Ko said. “I had a few putts where it was close to going in but didn’t fall. You’ve got to commit to your lines and put a good stroke on it. But I’m happy to start with a 67. Especially, that front nine and those first few holes were tough because the wind was getting up and it seemed like the skies were getting dark, too.”

Jutanugarn, third last week after winning her previous three starts, bogeyed the last two holes for a 68. She played alongside Henderson.

Thompson won the Honda LPGA Thailand in February for her seventh LPGA Tour title. The long-hitting Florida player also won a Japan LPGA event last month. She rallied to win last year at Blythefield, finishing at 18 under for a one-stroke victory.

“A lot of great memories,” Thompson said. “I just replayed a lot of the shots I hit basically the last round. I remembered a lot. There was actually a lot of Sunday pins from last year today.”

Davies had seven birdies and a bogey.

“I’ve been playing well recently, but I haven’t been holing any putts,” said Davies, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. “Today, I holed some putts, so that’s what I put it down to 100 per cent. I did drive it well, but the putter was the reason.”

The long-hitting English player won the last of her 20 LPGA Tour titles in 2001.

“I have a very natural game,” Davies said. “I don’t have to rely on coaches and that sort of thing. It’s just all feel for me, and that’s why it’s so frustrating to play as well as I’ve done over the past few years and get nothing from it. So, I’m not saying I’ll get anything from this week, but it’s a nice start.”

Kim, the Founders Cup winner in Phoenix in March, birdied her final two holes. She had eight birdies and two bogeys.

“I shot pretty steady,” Kim said. “The greens are really holding, so it should make birdie opportunities very easier.”

Reto, from South Africa, had five birdies in a six-hole stretch on her opening nine, then added birdies on No. 3 and 9 – holing an 18-footer on the last. The former Purdue player is winless on the tour.

“I told myself, ‘If it goes in, it goes in. I’m going to put a good stroke on it,”’ Reto said. “I was really happy that it did go in.”

Ciganda had six birdies in a bogey-free round. She’s winless on the tour.

“The way it’s playing, a little wet, it reminds me a little bit of my home course back in Spain,” Ciganda said. “I played very solid today, six birdies, no bogeys. My putting was good, too.”

Michelle Wie had a 71. She had a double bogey on the par-4 16th, four birdies and two bogeys. Wie is winless since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open and hasn’t had a top-10 finish in 37 events.

OAKMONT, Pa. – Storms that took plenty of bite out of Oakmont wound up shutting down the U.S. Open on Thursday.

The first round was suspended for the third and final time just as 28-year-old qualifier Andrew Landry was finishing up a dream round in his debut at golf’s toughest test.

Coming off two straight bogeys, Landry hit his approach into about 10 feet on the ninth hole for a birdie attempt when the horn sounded as a violent storm approached. He was at 3-under par.

That wasn’t the only memorable U.S. Open debut. Scottie Scheffler, who just finished his sophomore year at Texas, can at least say he was the leader for the day. Scheffler, one of only nine players to finish, opened with a 69.

Seven of the 78 player who teed off in the morning were under par, so Oakmont still presented its typical share of problems, mostly on the greens.

Defending champion Jordan Spieth was irritated by a few mistakes, though he was 1 over through 12 holes. Spieth was mainly disgusted on the 17th hole when his wedge landed behind the pin, spun back on the rain-softened green and kept trickling until it went down the slope and into a bunker.

“You got to be KIDDING me! How is that in the bunker?” Spieth said from the fairway before slinging his club toward his bag. Even more irritating to Spieth and others was that after the initial delay of 1 hour, 19 minutes, players were sent back to the course without having a chance to warm up.

It could have been worse. Masters champion. Danny Willett, Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler played in the same group and were a combined 14-over par through 13 holes. Fowler had missed the cut in three of his last five events.

Oakmont received more than an inch of rain overnight, and it was evident immediately how much it affected the course reputed to be the toughest in America. Denny McCarthy, the first to hit a shot in the 116th U.S. Open, struck what he thought was a good approach to No. 1. The fairway slopes sharply downhill to a green that runs away from players, and the typical play is to land it some 25 yards short and let it run onto the green and, hopefully, have it stay there.

His shot stopped short of the green.

But while the greens were soft, they still were quick as ever. Starting on No. 10, Bryon DeChambau had a 40-foot birdie attempt that didn’t stop until it was some 35 feet beyond the hole.

Two holes later, Spieth hit a wedge that checked up about 10 feet short of the hole and then trickled a few inches toward the cup. And it didn’t stop. Turn by turn, the ball kept moving until it settled 2 feet away. Even then, Spieth gave the putt great care and rolled in it.

“It’s nice to know if I miss it, I’m chipping,” Spieth said walking off the green.

There was still enough excitement, with Lee Westwood holing out with a wedge on the 14th hole, Danny Lee holing out from the fairway on No. 6 and McCarthy getting it on the act with a hole-out from the 11th fairway.

Lee was at 2 under through 13 holes, along with Bubba Watson, who made only two pars in his opening holes. Watson has never played the U.S. Open very well, except at Oakmont. He tied for fifth in 2007.

Westwood, Kevin Streelman and Harris English were at 1 under on various parts of the course.

DeChambeau, who won the U.S. Amateur last year and had to qualify for the Open because he turned pro, was among the early leaders until two holes set him back.

His shot out of deep rough in the 18th fairway squirted low and left and into a bunker, and his third shot banged off the grandstand, leading to double bogey. On his next shot at No. 1, he pushed right and into the bushes. Then, he hit a provisional shot into deep rough on the left. DeChambeau was spared by finding his ball. It was unplayable, so he was allowed to go back to the tee. He hit the fairway and limited the damage to a double bogey.

Players were sent back onto the course to play no more than two holes before another band of storms arrived, and play was halted the second time for 2 hours, 26 minutes.

The longest day of all belonged to the likes of Jason Day, Phil Mickelson and the other half of the field that didn’t even play. And they faced an even longer day on Friday that for some could mean 36 holes at Oakmont.

VICTORIA, B.C.—Marc-Etienne Bussieres etched his named on the P.D. Ross trophy Friday at Victoria Golf Club, capturing the 2016 PGA Championship of Canada sponsored by Mr. Lube and presented by TaylorMade-adidas Golf.

The 29-year-old from Club de golf Longchamp bested Billy Walsh 3&1 on the 1893 A.V. Macan-designed seaside links gem in the championship’s final match.

“It’s an honour and a privilege to have your name on a trophy that’s as historic as the P.D. Ross,” Bussieres said.  “To be beside names like Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and George Knudson is really something,” he said, adding, “but they’re legends of the game and I’m just trying to get better and keep winning trophies.”

Past champions of the PGA Championship of Canada include Moe Norman, George Knudson, Al Balding, Bob Panasik, Wilf Homenuik, Stan Leonard, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer.

Bussieres admitted two things after his win: he hasn’t been playing much golf this year and he felt his nerves during the week.

“Honestly, I haven’t been playing a whole lot this year,” he said. “I’ve been busy working in the shop and teaching lessons, so my schedule has been pretty full.

“I’ve been pretty relaxed all week, but I was a little nervous during my first match against Oliver (Tubb). When you’re low medalist and are seeded No. 1, you don’t want to be ousted right away.”

After claiming medalist honours earlier in the week, Bussieres defeated Tubb, Kevin Black, Phil Jonas and Walsh on his path to the championship title.

In the third place match, Jonas defeated Bryn Parry 1-up.

With the championship win, Bussieres not only takes home the P.D. Ross Trophy and a $15,000 winner’s cheque, he also earns 60-ranking points and moves inside the top 10 on the PGA of Canada Player Rankings.

Click here for scoring.

In celebration of golf’s imminent return to the Olympic Games in Rio this summer, Golf Canada, its NAGA partners, the 10 Provincial Golf Associations and MacKenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada are proud to join forces again to announce the launch of the Golf Canada Golf Podium Predictor Contest – just one of the many new features of the newly revamped golfcanadagolf.ca site.

“2016 is an exciting year for golf in Canada.” says Peter Kirkpatrick, Managing Director of Brand and Marketing Services at Golf Canada. “With golf’s return to the Games, and Canada’s status as defending champions (Canadian George S. Lyon won the gold medal in 1904, the last time golf was contested at the Olympic games) our team at Golf Canada felt it was important to give Canadians the opportunity to share in the excitement. It’s our hope that the enhancements to the golfcanadagolf.ca site, including the contest, will increase the awareness for golf in the Olympics and ignite passion and pride for the game itself.”

The contest gives participants the opportunity to show off their prognostication skills by stating their predictions for who will win Gold, Silver and Bronze medals this summer.

One lucky entrant will walk (or fly rather) away with the Grand Prize of an amazing golf vacation for two in Whistler, B.C., courtesy of Tourism Whistler.

The prize includes:

• Round-trip airfare and ground transportation
• Five nights’ accommodation courtesy of the Fairmont Chateau Whistler
• One round of golf at Big Sky Golf & Country Club
• One round of golf at Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club
• One round of golf at Nicklaus North Golf Course
• One round of golf at Whistler Golf Club 
• One $100 dining gift certificate to Quattro Whistler

In addition, weekly random draws will be made for Team Canada Head Covers.

“They’re very cool and are becoming a must have for Canadian golf fans.” says Marianne Baker, Golf Canada’s Director of Brand and Merchandising. “I’m sure they will only get more popular when people see them on the clubs used by our Olympians in Rio this summer. They’re kind of our version of the Canadian mitts.”

golfcanadagolf.ca, launched in 2015, is an industry initiative that invites golfers and fans to share their golf stories and passion for the sport.

“We’re building a movement,” added Kirkpatrick. “And, it couldn’t be easier to join in using the #golfCanadagolf, the rally cry for all things great about golf in Canada.”

Visit golfcanadagolf.ca to learn more.

When the 2016 World Junior Girls Championship begins September 25th, Canada’s top female teenage golfer won’t be attendance.

That’s because Brooke Henderson is a little busy skyrocketing up the world rankings, winning major championships on the LPGA Tour, and becoming the face of the sport in this country.

However, that doesn’t mean her presence won’t be felt.

The blonde-haired youngster with a megawatt smile participated in the inaugural edition of the World Junior Girls event in 2014 at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont. It was her final event as an amateur and she finished fourth individually. Her team of three claimed the bronze medal.

Henderson recorded a video for the competitors last year at The Marshes Golf Club in Ottawa, which was incredibly well received. This year, when the tournament heads to the storied Mississaugua Golf and Country Club just outside Toronto, Henderson will have just wrapped up the final major of the year in France.

But for the Canadian and international competitors alike, Henderson is an inspiration, especially given her young age.

“I’m still a young girl myself,” she said with a laugh when asked how it feels to inspire girls who are around her age. “It’s really unbelievable. Hopefully I can continue to be that role model.”

Henderson appeared at an event in Ottawa led by noted Canadian golf instructor Kevin Haime in early May this year before heading out on her most recent run of fine play, culminating with Sunday’s victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the teenagers’ first major championship win.

At Haime’s event, Henderson and her sister Brittany put on a clinic for a group of approximately 60 juniors – both male and female.

“What an opportunity for those kids to watch her. She’s going to do special things in golf, and as a junior in the area (Ottawa), you can’t imagine a better get for this event,” explained Haime. “It’s even more special than Jordan Spieth, the kids can really relate her. It’s the whole local element.”

The native of Smiths Falls, Ont., was part of Canada’s national team since she was 14. That was the year she first felt that playing golf, for a living, was within her grasp.

“I had that dream as a young girl, to play on the LPGA Tour, and I thought maybe it was possible,” she stated. “I didn’t know for sure until I was 14 and won a pro event in Quebec and got an invite to play against LPGA Tour players.”

The event in question was a Canadian Women’s Tour event that took place almost exactly four years to the date of her major victory (June 13, 2012). With that win, she eclipsed the record for “youngest person to win a professional golf event” held previously by someone who was already becoming familiar to her: Lydia Ko.

It was also Ko who Henderson took down in a playoff to capture her first major.

But Ko remains an inspiration to Henderson, by the Canadian’s self-admission.

They had a spirited exchange on Twitter at the conclusion of Sunday’s playoff that ended with Ko saying what Henderson was “doing for golf in Canada and women’s golf is amazing.”

The day after her win Henderson was asked what she remembers, if anything, of Mike Weir’s win at The Masters in 2003 – seeing as Henderson was only five years old.

Although she admitted she didn’t remember watching it, she knew how much his win meant.

“He really changed golf in Canada, I think, for everybody,” she said.

With Henderson only at the beginning of her career, and with Weir in the twilight of his, there is a chance she will change golf, again, in this country.

And perhaps it will start at the World Junior Girls Championship in September.

Will there be the next Brooke Henderson in the mix?

Henderson, unlikely, will want to give up the mantle quite yet. However, she is happy to be a part of the inspiration to get more young girls playing golf. Many of whom will be in the championship field in September.

“It’s pretty cool to think that I can inspire and motivate,” she said. “And just being someone they want to be like is really amazing.”

For more info on the World Junior Girls Championship, visit www.worldjuniorgirls.com.