Tiger Woods withdrew from the PGA Championship, the first time he will go an entire year without playing a major.

The decision, while not a surprise, also means he will go an entire PGA Tour season without playing.

His agent, Mark Steinberg of Excel Sports Management, said in a text to The Associated Press on Tuesday that Woods will not play the remainder of the tour season as he continues to rehab following back surgeries. That would have amounted to only three more tournaments before the start of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Steinberg said Woods will continue to work hard and assess when he can play the following season, which starts in October.

In public appearances dating to April, whether it was opening his golf course in Houston or hosting his tournament in Washington, Woods has given no indication when he will be ready to compete. He had his second and third back surgeries last year and has said he wants to take his time making sure it heals.

Woods now has gone eight full years since winning his 14th major championship at the 2008 U.S. Open.

He was replaced by Harold Varner III at the PGA Championship, which starts July 28 at Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey.

The start times for the 2016 RBC Canadian Championship Pro-Am at Glen Abbey Golf Club have been released. Wednesday, July 20 will see 52 professional golfers take to the historic Oakville course to entertain 156 amateurs. Click here for pairings and start times.

The pairings for the opening two rounds of the 107th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship on Thursday, July 21 and Friday, July 22 are now available online here.

CN FUTURE LINKS – WALK WITH A PRO
Canada’s National Junior Golf Program – CN Future Links – is welcoming a number of its program participants to the 2016 RBC Canadian Open to join PGA TOUR professionals on the 7th hole during the Championship Pro-Am. The “Walk with a Pro” event offers junior golfers the chance of a lifetime – to carry a professional’s putter or bag and maybe even take the pro’s first putt. CN Future Links is conducted by Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and Canada’s provincial golf associations. Visit www.CNfuturelinks.com for additional information or to find a CN Future Links program in your area.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – There was a time when Graham DeLaet thought he would never be able to represent his country on the Olympic stage.

Now DeLaet will be part of a Canadian team brimming with potential when golf makes its Olympic return at the Rio de Janeiro Games following a 112-year absence.

The Canadian Olympic Committee and Golf Canada officially introduced the Olympic golf team Tuesday. DeLaet will join a potent squad including 18-year-old phenom Brooke Henderson, David Hearn and Alena Sharp.

“Up until a few years ago I never really thought I’d ever have the chance to be an Olympian,” said a smiling DeLaet, who recently shaved off his trademark beard so he could better cuddle his newborn twins. “Even just saying that and the closer and closer we get to Rio the more it’s kind of sinking in. It’s a pretty special opportunity, there’s no question.

“Both David and I and Brooke and Alena, we want to bring back some hardware.”

Hearn, DeLaet and Sharp were present for Tuesday’s announcement, with chef de mission Curt Harnett giving them their Olympic jackets. Henderson, who was in Calgary for a junior event, participated in the ceremony via teleconference and was given her jacket by Olympic ski-cross racer Brady Leman.

Golf was played at the 1900 Paris Games and again in St. Louis in 1904. It was supposed to be an Olympic competition at the 1908 London Games, but when organizers couldn’t agree on the format of play it was dropped from the slate of competitions, not to reappear for over a century.

All of DeLaet’s teammates agreed that the return of golf to the Olympics presents a unique opportunity for them to play on a new, higher level. The newly minted Olympians described it as a chance to elevate the sport’s profile in Canada.

“Growing up you watch the Olympics and being into golf, there was no chance to be an Olympian,” said Sharp. “When it was announced it was something very important to me to be able to represent Canada and go down to Rio.

“Growing up I always watched the hockey and we’re known for hockey but I think it’s time to show the world that we’re known for golf.”

Men’s individual golf and a team event were held in 1904, with George Lyon of Richmond, Ont., winning gold, meaning Canada has technically been the defending champion for 112 years. The engraved, sterling silver trophy from the 1904 Olympics is still kept by Golf Canada at its headquarters in Oakville and on Tuesday it was brought on stage for the golfers to pose with.

“The fact that we are defending gold medal champions is a neat piece of history that Canada can be proud of,” said Hearn. “Graham and I are going to try and go down there and defend on the men’s side and Brooke and Alena are going to do what they can to bring home a medal for the women.”

It will be a somewhat depleted field for the Canadian men, as the top four players on the PGA Tour – Americans Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Great Britain’s Rory McIlroy – have all dropped out of the Olympics over health concerns, including the Zika virus. Hearn is No. 130 in the world, while DeLaet is ranked 140th.

Henderson is world No. 2 among women, while Sharp is 85th.

All four Canadian golfers say they are willing to take the risk of being exposed to the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which can lead to birth defects.

“I think part of being Canadian is having that pride,” said DeLaet, to a round of applause from fans assembled at Glen Abbey Golf Club to watch the qualifying rounds of the PGA’s Canadian Open. “It should be a privilege to represent your country, not a chore. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”

DeLaet, whose wife gave birth to twins eight months ago, says his family doesn’t plan on having more children. Hearn is already a father, while Sharp believes the risk is minimal for a variety of reasons.

“The cases have decreased by 85 per cent, I think you can contract Zika in Florida too. It’s not a big issue for me,” said Sharp, who also said that the COC and the International Golf Federation have regularly updated the golfers on the virus. “Of course I’m going to be careful, I’m going to put bug spray on and probably wear long sleeves but I think I’m going to wear shorts.

“I think that at the golf course, because it’s supposed to be windy, I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. I think it’s going to be more about being careful at the Olympic Village. I’m going to be wearing bug spray 24/7.”

Welcome to #TeamCanada @GrahamDeLaet. Canada will be cheering you on @OlympicGolf I #Rio2016 #TeamRBChttps://t.co/SzrHjYnf94

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) July 19, 2016

I want to be part of the team & really be the proud Canadian competitor cheering on the other athletes – @AlenaSharphttps://t.co/l7Dxge4aU3

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) July 20, 2016

I’m excited about the opportunity & I’m very proud to be representing #TeamCanada at the Olympics – @HearnDavidhttps://t.co/UmJzlmpfTt

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) July 20, 2016

HAMILTON, Ont. – From the most pressing issues in Canadian golf news, to thought-provoking profiles and jealously-inducing travel logs, the best in Canadian golf writing and photography was showcased Monday at Beverley Golf and Country Club in Hamilton, Ontario as the Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) held its annual general meeting and awards banquet.

First, second and third prizes were handed out in the following categories: Feature, Profile, Editorial/Column/Blog and Travel. Three prizes for Photography were also awarded.

“Our awards have progressed from where we were 10 years ago, and we really are recognizing the best in golf writing. It’s the Academy Awards of Canadian golf journalism,” said GJAC President Grant Fraser. “I would like to congratulate all of those who participated in the awards, and especially the winners.”

The big winner of the day was Jason Logan, the editor of SCOREGolf Magazine, who captured three awards, including a first-prize for his travel story on Casa de Campo. SCOREGolf won six awards in four categories, including a sweep of the Profile category.

Logan’s other awards came in the Editorial and Profile categories.

Other first-place winners included Lorne Rubenstein, for his lauded Q&A with Tiger Woods for Time Magazine, in the Features category, Rick Drennan for Pro Shop Magazine on the RBC Canadian Open in the Editorials category, and Rick Young for SCOREGolf.com on new European Tour CEO (and Canadian) Keith Pelley in the Profile category.

Bernard Brault from La Presse and Golf Canada won two prizes for photography, including the first-place prize.

“We had more submissions than we have had in the past. It just keeps getting bigger and better, and the quality of our awards are first class,” said Fraser, who is concluding his two-year term as president at the end of 2016.

The full list of winners can be found here

Feature

1. Tiger’s private struggles, Time, Lorne Rubenstein
2. Home invasion, SCOREGolf, Robert Thompson
3. Iconic Old Course stands in way of Spieth’s Grand Slam quest, The Globe and Mail, Curtis Gillespie

Editorial/Column/Blog

1. Opening up the talk on our Open, Pro Shop Magazine, Rick Drennan
2. Seeing is believing, SCOREGolf.com, Jason Logan
3. Jordan Spieth has youthful answer to golf’s stuffy image, Toronto Sun, Jon McCarthy

Travel

1. “Razor Sharp,” Jason Logan, SCOREGolf magazine
2. “Perfect in Every Way,” Grant Fraser, Ontario Golf News
3. “Nevis,” Ted McIntyre, Hamilton Spectator

Profile

1. “Pelley’s Mission,” Rick Young, SCOREGolf.com
2. “Straight Shooter,” Jason Logan, SCOREGolf magazine
3. “Pros and Conners,” Bob Weeks, SCOREGolf magazine

Photo

1. “Disabled Golfer,” Bernard Brault, La Presse
2. “Bubba Bunker Boomer,” John Gallaugher, Pro Shop magazine
3. “Silhouette,” Bernard Brault, La Presse

Vancouver – The historic first U.S. Amateur Qualifying event to be held in Canada at Marine Drive Golf Club produced club member Chris Crisologo as its medallist with the 2nd qualifying position going to William Deck from Kelowna.

Two alternate spots were won by two more members from the host club, Jackson Thornley and Conrado Pederes, who beat yet another Marine Drive member, Jordan Lu, in a playoff.

On a day with weather befitting a marathon qualifier, Marine Drive GC member Chris Crisologo was the medallist shooting rounds of 65-69 for a 6-under par score under blue skies and a hot July sun in Vancouver.

The long day took it’s toll on a number of golfers both mentally and physically but the Simon Fraser University product who was earlier this year named Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference, posted a 5-under par 65 in his morning round and was never challenged for the medallist position.

This will be Crisologo’s first appearance in a U.S. Amateur and as he says, “I’m definitely excited, this will be a great experience, I’m really looking forward to it.”

Playing 36 holes in one day can certainly be a tough task and even though Crisologo’s familiarity with the golf course was a benefit, he didn’t get off to the start he would have liked,”It’s a long grind, obviously, I didn’t start off too well, to be honest with you. I was a little bit anxious on the first few holes, I think I was 1-over through my front nine, but knowing this course so well, I’ve been here 10 years now, you start to realize there are some birdie holes out here and you just have to take it for what it’s worth.”

Over his two rounds Crisologo recorded 10 birdies and an eagle to go along with 6 bogies for his 134 total that will now see him travel to Bloomfield Township outside of Detroit Michigan for the 116th U.S. Amateur to be held at the famed Oakland Hills Country Club, previous host to nine major championships including 6 U.S. Opens and 3 PGA Championships.

Joining Crisologo as the 2nd of two qualifiers from this event is William Deck of Kelowna who opened the day with a fine 3-under 67 of his own, only to see that evaporate on his afternoon front nine where he posted a 5-over 39 when, according to his own recounting he, “Hit it all over the place.”

Deck was able to right the ship, however, when he birdied 3 of his final 5 holes, aided by two hole-outs from the fairway to bring his score back to even for the day and knock another Marine Drive member, Jackson Thornley into 1st alternate status.

The 2nd alternate position was earned by yet one more member from Marine Drive, Conrado Paderes, who defeated the 2014 BC Amateur winner Jordan Lu, who also happens to be a member of Marine Drive, in a playoff.

For complete scores click here.

RICHMOND HILL, Ont. – Cameron Percy, Joey Garber, Corey Conners and Ben Taylor have all earned entry into the field for this week’s RBC Canadian Open through today’s Final Qualifying at DiamondBack Golf Club.

Cameron Percy of Australia and Michigan’s Joey Garber shot matching 5-under par 67s to share co-medallist honours. Percy will be making his 94th career PGA Tour start and his fourth at Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship. His best result came in 2015 at Glen Abbey Golf Club where he tied for 18th. Garber will be making his debut at the RBC Canadian Open.

England-born Ben Taylor finished T3 at 3-under-par alongside Ontarians Corey Conners of Listowel and Chris Hemmerich of Kitchener. Taylor would claim his exemption on the first playoff hole thanks to a birdie on the par-5 18th hole.

Conners, a member of Team Canada’s Young Pro Squad, edged Hemmerich to claim the final spot into the RBC Canadian Open on the second extra hole by making par on the par-5 No. 1.

Conners will be competing in the RBC Canadian Open for a fourth consecutive year.

“I’m really excited,” said Conners. “I’ve been playing really well all year and I really like where my game is at. The atmosphere of being a Canadian and playing at the RBC Canadian Open is really cool. You see young kids who want autographs and there are a lot of people cheering for you, so it’s a great feeling and something that I’m looking forward to experiencing again.”

Additional information regarding the 2016 RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier can be found here.

TROON, Scotland – Henrik Stenson kept hitting the best shots of his life, one after another, because there was no other way to beat Phil Mickelson in a British Open duel that ranked among the best in golf.

Stenson only cared about that silver claret jug. He wound up with so much more Sunday.

His final stroke of this major masterpiece was a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at Royal Troon that tumbled into the cup on the last turn. His 10th birdie of the round gave him an 8-under 63 to match Johnny Miller for the lowest closing round by a major champion.

Stenson finished at 20-under 264, the lowest 72-hole score ever in a major. He tied Jason Day’s record for lowest under par set last year at the PGA Championship.

Records didn’t matter. This was about winning his first major.

“I didn’t know until they told me in the recorder’s hut,” Stenson said when asked if he knew that last putt was for 63.

Stenson won by three shots over Mickelson, a runner-up for the 11th time in a major, but never like this.

Lefty played bogey-free for a 65 and posted a score (267) that would have won all but two Opens over more than a century.

“A 65 in the final round of a major is usually good enough to win,” Mickelson said.

Not this time.

Stenson held the claret jug and told Mickelson at the closing ceremony, “Thank you very much for a great fight.” Mickelson said it was the best golf he ever played without winning.

“You know he’s not going to back down and he’s going to try to make birdies on every hole,” Stenson said. “So I just tried to do the same, and just delighted to come out on top and managed to win this trophy.”

This was heavyweight material, reminiscent of the “Duel in the Sun” just down the Ayrshire coastline at Turnberry in 1977, when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus battled right down to the final hole, and no one else was closer than 10 shots.

Stenson and Mickelson were never separated by more than two shots over 40 straight holes until the Swede’s final birdie.

Mickelson led only once, a two-shot swing on the opening hole. They were tied with five holes to play until Stenson made an 18-foot birdie on the par-3 14th, and then buried Lefty with a putt that defined his moment as a major champion.

Stenson hammered in a 50-foot birdie putt across the 15th green, walking toward the hole as it was on its way, stopping halfway to pump his fist when it fell, rare emotion for a 40-year-old Swede with ice blue eyes and a stare that can cut through gorse.

Mickelson gave it his best shot in his bid at 46 to become the fourth-oldest major winner in history. He chased a 3-wood onto the green at the par-5 16th, and his eagle putt from 30 feet missed by less than an inch. Stenson matched his birdie with an up-and-down from deep rough, and he was on his way.

“I always thought he would come through with a win,” Mickelson. “I’m sorry that it came at my expense.”

J.B. Holmes won the B-Flight. He finished third, 14 shots behind.

“Those guys are playing a different golf course than everyone else,” Holmes said.

Mickelson had not won since the British Open at Muirfield three years ago, with Stenson as the runner-up. Mickelson began the week at Royal Troon with a 63, and Stenson finished what Lefty started.

The Swede won his first major in his 42nd attempt, becoming only the ninth player to capture his first major after turning 40. Beyond the score, the measure of his performance was that he putted for a birdie on every hole Sunday in a mild wind off the Irish Sea. Stenson three-putted for bogey from just off the first green, and he three-putted on No. 10 to fall back into a tie for the lead.

They matched pars on only six of the 18 holes.

Stenson became only the fourth player to win the British Open with all four rounds in the 60s, joining Tiger Woods, Nick Price and Greg Norman. He also ended a streak of six American winners at Royal Troon that dated to 1950.

He gave Sweden a long-awaited major in men’s golf, 19 years after Jesper Parnevik lost a 54-hole lead at Royal Troon. Stenson said Parnevik send him a message that said, “Go out and finish what I didn’t manage to finish.”

“I’m really proud to have done that, and it’s going to be massive for golf in Sweden with this win,” Stenson said.

Maybe he can take that silver jug down to Rio in his search of Olympic gold.

Golf’s top four players have withdrawn from the Olympics, but the Rio Games will have at least two of this year’s major champions – Stenson and Masters winner Danny Willett of England.

There’s one more major to play before Rio. Take a breath, Henrik. The PGA Championship starts a week from Thursday.

OPELIKA, Ala. – Aaron Baddeley made a 24-foot putt on the fourth hole of a playoff with Si Woo Kim to win the Barbasol Championship on Sunday at Grand National.

Baddeley broke into a celebratory run off the green, tossed his club in the air and flung his cap back onto the green after his fourth PGA Tour victory. The Australian secured a two-year exemption and a spot in the PGA Championship, but not the Masters.

Both parred the first three holes of the playoff, three on 18 and the third on 17.

Woo parred 18 again after Baddeley had already clinched his first win since the 2011 Northern Trust Open.

Baddeley finished with a 5-under 66 to match Kim at 18-under 266. Kim shot a 63, closing with a bogey.

Woo, a 21-year-old South Korean, sent his approach down a slope into the rough between two grandstands on the fourth playoff hole. He chipped to 5 feet but Baddeley closed it out before Woo finished.

Woo had a two-stroke lead before a bogey on the 18th hole after putting within 9 inches on his par attempt. Baddeley parred to force the playoff.

The weather turned steamy after a light drizzle on the final regulation holes.

Former Auburn University player Michael Johnson finished a stroke back after a 65 in his first professional tournament, a few miles from campus. He just missed a potential birdie putt on his final hole that would have landed him in the playoff.

Richard H. Lee (65), Michael Thompson (65), Andres Gonzales (67) and Jhonattan Vegas (72) all finished at 15 under.

Vegas opened the day with a three-stroke lead and five holes to go to complete the rain-delayed third round. He posted four bogeys and an eagle over the first nine holes, two days after setting the course record with a 60.

Canada’s Graham DeLaet tied for 8th at 14-under. The Weyburn, Sask., native carded a final round 63 to climb 28 spots the leaderboard.

Thunder Bay, Ont. – Oklahoma’s Taylor Moore shot a final round 6-under 66 on Sunday at Whitewater Golf Club to win the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel for his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada win. The win moves Moore to No. 2 on the Order of Merit, earning him an exemption into the RBC Canadian Open next week.

The 22-year old University of Arkansas graduate carded five birdies, an eagle and one bogey to win by three over Listowel, Ont.’s Corey Conners.

“It feels incredible,” said Moore, who birdied the 18^th hole to secure the three shot victory. “I didn’t really want to think about it (RBC Canadian Open), but it’s a dream come true — it has been a life goal of mine to play in a PGA TOUR event. I’m excited about that and ready to get going.”

Starting the day with a one stroke lead over California’s Tain Lee, Moore started steadily but was quickly caught by Conners, who birdied his first three holes to tie Moore’s lead. Moore, a Mackenzie Tour rookie, responded strongly, however, with three birdies and an eagle from from holes three through seven to take control of the tournament, adding a birdie at the 10^th to take a four shot lead with eight holes to go.

“Corey came out of the gates hot and birdied the first three so I knew I couldn’t just sit there and be complacent,” said Moore.

“Taylor had a great eagle on no. 7, made a great putt, and I walked out of there with a par so that was a bit of a swing,” said Conners, who was nonetheless pleased with his performance. “I played pretty well, got off to a really nice start. I’m happy with my game all around.”

For Moore, the win came with the added bonus of having his father, Rod, caddying for him for the first time as a professional.

“It’s something you’ll remember forever. It’s awesome, to have him on the bag is even better. He doesn’t get to do it very often,” said Moore, who recorded a runner-up finish earlier this year at the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist.

Conners, who currently ranks No. 3 on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Order of Merit, recorded his best career Mackenzie Tour finish, as did Church Point, Nova Scotia’s Austin Connelly, who shot a 5-under 67 to finish alone in third place.

MCCARTHY, MOORE, CORNELSON TEE IT UP ON THE PGA TOUR

As the top three players on the Order of Merit, Syracuse, New York’s Dan McCarthy, Edmond, Oklahoma’s Taylor Moore and Langley, British Columbia’s Adam Cornelson earned exemptions into the PGA TOUR’s RBC Canadian Open next week at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Below are the top five players on the Order of Merit through six of 12 events, with the top five earning status on the Web.com Tour for 2017 (bold denotes Canadian).

1. Dan McCarthy $106,383
2. Taylor Moore $53,392
3. Adam Cornelson $37,297

Oakville, Ont. (Golf Canada) – The final four spots into the 2016 RBC Canadian Open field will be determined Monday as the Final Qualifier is set for DiamondBack Golf Club in Richmond Hill, Ont.

A total of 72 competitors will challenge for one of four spots into the field for Canada’s National Open Championship.

The Final Qualifier features 18 holes of stroke play with the low four competitors receiving an exemption directly into the 2016 RBC Canadian Open field.  If necessary, a hole-by-hole playoff will be conducted immediately following the conclusion of play.

Click here for pairings, start times and results for RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifying on Monday, July 18. Results will be available as players complete their rounds.

The Final Qualifier on Monday, July 18—which was originally scheduled to be contested at Heron Point Golf Links in Alberton, Ont.—was moved to DiamondBack Golf Club by Golf Canada because of irrigation issues at Heron Point.

“Heron Point’s water control system was damaged late in the Spring which caused them to lose the majority of their water supply,” said Adam Helmer, Golf Canada’s Director, Rules, Competitions and Amateur Status. “Compounded by the drought that we have had in Ontario this season it has left the tees and fairways very burnt. They have worked hard to regain their turf conditions and were hopeful to get the course in shape for the qualifier, however, the conditions have become worse in the last few weeks which resulted in our decisions to change courses.”

The Final Qualifier at DiamondBack Golf Club will begin at 7:30am ET off the first tee.