AUGUSTA, Ga. – Two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal will not play in the Masters for health reasons that have kept him from competing for an entire year.

He did not specify his health problems on Friday, only that tests show “some improvement.”

“I am sorry to announce that I’m unable to attend this year as I am not feeling well,” Olazabal said in a statement. “The Masters is very special to me, and walking up Magnolia Lane gives me a peace of mind like nowhere else.”

The 50-year-old Spaniard won the Masters in 1994 and 1999. His second green jacket, which he won over Greg Norman, followed a debilitating ailment in his foot that he feared would end his career. Olazabal is in the World Golf Hall of Fame, and he was the winning Ryder Cup captain for Europe four years ago.

But he has not played a tournament since he shot 71 in the second round at the Masters a year ago and missed the cut.

“It’s been very tough being at home these last few months doing nothing,” Olazabal said. “Now I’m feeling better. I hit a bucket of balls every morning and spend 45 minutes on the putting green. I practice for about three hours. I don’t set myself goals or dates. Time will tell.”

Olazabal said he has regular tests that show improvement, “but the main thing is to get rid of pain.”

ORLANDO, Fla. – Jason Day felt he was playing better. He finally had a score to show for it Thursday at Bay Hill.

Day one-putted his last seven holes, including a 10-foot eagle putt on the par-5 16th to take the lead and two tough par saves at the end for a 6-under 66 and a one-shot lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Among those one shot behind was Adam Scott, which was no surprise. Scott is the hottest player in golf, coming off two straight victories at the Honda Classic and the Cadillac Championship at Doral, and he played bogey-free in benign weather and on a course where no blade of grass seems to be out of place.

Day hasn’t played enough to have serious problems with his game, though he missed the cut at Torrey Pines and finished a combined 35 shots out of the lead in the other three tournaments he entered this year. In the five tournaments since his last victory in September, he hasn’t finished within seven shots of the lead.

“There was no sense of urgency at all for me, really,” Day said. “I just kept on saying, ‘Just make sure you stay patient and things will happen, it will happen.’ I just got to make sure I get the reps under my belt and hope it will work. This is one good round, one good round in the right direction. … So that helps.”

Rory McIlroy made a pair of double bogeys and opened with a 75, leaving him in danger of missing his second straight cut against a full field.

He hit his opening tee shot out-of-bounds and made his other double bogey with a shot into the water on No. 8. McIlroy hit two other shots into the water and escaped with par, and he made par putts of 10 feet, 15 feet and 25 feet.

“It probably could have been a few worse,” McIlroy said. “I end up shooting this. I’ll get some good work done on the range tonight and come out tomorrow and play a good round of golf to get myself into the red numbers, at least be here for the weekend (and) I can make a charge.”

Henrik Stenson, Marc Leishman, Brendan Steele and Troy Merritt also were at 67. The group at 68 included the resurgent K.J. Choi and Justin Rose, who made two eagles.

Canada’s Adam Hadwin was a shot back after a 69, while compatriot David Hearn opened with a 71. The pair are the only Canadians in the field this week.

Day doesn’t have a great history in his limited time at Bay Hill. Going into Thursday, he had broken 70 only three times in 14 rounds, nothing lower than 68. He only had one bad swing, a tee shot that soared right and out of bounds on the ninth hole for a double bogey. But he played the last seven holes in 5 under, including the 6-iron he hit to within 10 feet on 16.

Equally satisfying were the par saves from the bunker on the par-3 17th, where he blasted out to 5 feet, and a par on the final hole when he chipped to 10 feet.

Day has Bay Hill and the Dell Match Play next week before preparing for the Masters.

“I’m just trying to win a tournament right now,” Day said. “I’m really thinking about this week and not trying to think about too far ahead with what’s coming up with the Match Play and obviously Augusta. It’s good to shoot the score that I did today because it does a lot for my confidence, and I’m just hoping that I can keep it going for the next three days after this.”

Scott wasn’t sure if he hit the ball badly, or it just seemed like that because the way he has been playing.

“I hit so many good shots the last few weeks,” he said. “Didn’t hit terribly bad shots today. My short game was there. That’s the kind of days you’re almost most satisfied with are days like today when you shoot your lowest.”

But he doesn’t suspect that will last, especially with the course in such great shape and so many scores in the 60s.

“On one day, that’s OK,” he said. “But I’m going to have to sharpen up, I think, to contend this week. The course is so pure, conditions are really good. Someone who is hitting it good is going to make a lot of putts because the greens are rolling pure. If you can get it inside 20 feet you’re feeling like you’re going to make everything.”

PHOENIX – Mi Hyang Lee shot a tournament-record 10-under 62 on Thursday in the JTBC Founders Cup after playing her first nine holes in 9 under.

On a day when fellow South Korean player Se Ri Pak announced she will retire at the end of the season, Lee threatened to shoot the second 59 in LPGA Tour history after opening with an eagle and seven birdies on the back nine.

Needing to play the front nine in 4 under to break 60, Lee made only one more birdie – on the par-5 fifth.

Annika Sorenstam is the only player to shoot 59 in an LPGA Tour event, accomplishing the feat in 2001 at nearby Moon Valley.

Lee matched the nine-hole record of 9 under set by Amy Yang last year in South Korea.

Sei Young Kim and Brittany Lang shot 63.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson shot an opening-round 68. Fell Canadians Alena Sharp and Maude-Aimee LeBlanc had mating 1-over 73s.

SHIPPAGAN, NB – Darren Ritchie of St. John is one of six new members who will be inducted into New Brunswick’s Sports Hall of Fame June 4, 2016.

“These dedicated, sports-minded New Brunswickers are being recognized for athletic excellence and leadership in promoting active living in our province,” said Tourism, Culture and Heritage Minister Bill Fraser. “Their commitment to sport inspires individuals and families to take part in physical activities in their communities for better health, improved quality of life and a stronger province.”

Ritchie is the first and only Maritimer to win the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship (1992). His match play victory over Mike Weir was made even more impressive by the fact that he had been diagnosed with malignant melanoma just three months prior to competing. From 1990 – 1992 Ritchie placed either first or second during twelve provincial golfing competitions.

Ritchie and the other five members will join the hall when it holds its induction ceremony at Centre des congrès de la Péninsule acadienne de Shippagan on June 4. The inductees will bring the total number of honourees to 249.

“We are proud to announce that these 5 distinguished athletes and 1 sports builder are to be inducted into the hall of fame,” said Clem Tremblay, chair of the hall’s board of governors.

The other inductees are Patty Blanchard (running); David Foley (soccer); Kevin Foran (hockey); Bernard DeGrâce (officiating) and Eldridge Eatman (running).

For more info, visit www.nbsportshalloffame.com.

Last year, the Golf in Schools curriculum was revised to include a new Life Skills component that placed focus directly on the core values the sport teaches to youth:

With research support from the University of Ottawa, Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada carefully integrated Life Skills into the lesson plans provided to teachers delivering the program.

The model includes two core Life Skills (focus and sportspersonship) and six associated skills (perseverance, goal setting, emotional regulation, honesty, teamwork, respect). As outlined in the model, a balance is achieved by ensuring that children are exposed to both intrapersonal and interpersonal skills during the lessons.

Fast forward to 2016, where the success of Life Skills has led to a transition into Canada’s leading junior golf program, CN Future Links.

The Learn to Play program—CN Future Links’ feature offering—will begin to distribute brand new manuals highlighting Life Skills to registered instructors at the end of March. All four stages of the program will incorporate Life Skills throughout the lesson plans, providing instructors with suggested methods to convey the importance of each skill.

The added value of the revised manual is best summarized by its opening introduction from PGA of Canada CEO Gary Bernard and Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons:

This updated program has been developed with the guidance of experienced golf professionals from a variety of backgrounds and they ensured that it met the highest technical standards and that it aligns with the Long-Term Player Development (LTPD 2.0) guide for golf in Canada. This new program takes into consideration, child development principles, and stages of skill development and articulates benchmarks to be achieved at the appropriate time in the child’s development.

For PGA of Canada instructors looking to further their knowledge of Life Skills, online training sessions will be made available in early May.

Click here to register for CN Future Links.

TORONTO – St. George’s Golf and Country Club announced Jason Clarke as its new Chief Operating Officer, effective May 16, 2016. Clarke previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Mississaugua Golf and Country Club since 2012.

Designed by Stanley Thompson in 1929, St. George’s underwent an extensive restoration of its greens in 2014 led by consulting golf course architects, Tom Doak and Ian Andrew.

“St. George’s Golf and Country Club is a Canadian gem. I am honoured and thrilled to be a part of this venerable Club,” said Clarke. “St. George’s delivers world-class services and I look forward to working with the Board, the Members and the Management Team to enhance the member experience.”

Jason’s previous management experience includes holding the COO/GM position at Toronto Lawn Tennis Club and General Manager at the Manitoba Club and the Halifax Club.

Gary Jeffrey didn’t play a lot of golf in 2015, but when he teed it up, there was usually a paycheque with his name on it at the end of the day.

The veteran golf professional from Collingwood, Ont., made the most of turning 50 carding three victories and three second place finishes on the way to winning PGA of Ontario Senior Player of the Year honours in 2015.

“If I counted the number of leisure rounds, or practice rounds I played last year it might have been five,” says Jeffrey who is the father of two young boys, Bennett who is four and Callen who is seven. “I would pop over to Blue Mountain Golf & Country Club a day or two before an event and hit some balls on the range and make some putts and I kept lose hitting a few balls at Golf Town, but I also didn’t want to overdo it,” added Jeffrey who battled through some recurring injuries throughout the season.

Jeffrey opened the season playing his first round of the year in his very first senior event at Black Bear Ridge Golf Club. Despite being 1-over after five holes, he carded five birdies and an eagle to win the PGA of Ontario 2015 Senior Spring Open by a single stroke at 3-under par. “That first round really set the tone for the rest of the season and I decided I was going to go out and try to win as many events as possible,” who spent the past three and a half years as a teaching professional at Golf Town in Barrie and is currently looking at new opportunities, after Golf Town axed close to 50 PGA of Canada teaching professionals last November as part of a corporate restructuring.

“I still remember when I was an assistant in my hometown at King’s Forest GC in Hamilton and just out of college looking for my first professional win back in 1989 and in 2015 it felt like I was a rookie again,” says Jeffrey, who has worked at numerous clubs around the province including Hamilton G&CC, Crosswinds G&CC, Cranberry Resort, The Golf Club at Lora Bay, Brooklea G&CC and Owen Sound G&CC.

At the PGA of Ontario Summer Challenge at Lookout Point CC Jeffrey won in a playoff over Keir Smith from The National Golf Club of Canada to secure his second victory of the year and he would go on to finish second at the PGA of Ontario Senior Championship at Flamborough Hills Golf Club behind Ian Doig.

Jeffrey returned to the winner’s circle in the Senior Fall Classic at Peterborough Golf & Country Club where he finished at 2-under for a two-stroke win over David Banks. “I hit the ball really well in Peterborough and had an eagle on 17, which proved to be the turning point,” he says. “Finishing strong seemed to be a big part of the success for the year.”

At the Mr. Lube PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada presented by Adams Golf at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Jeffrey finished T11 at 1-over for three rounds 71-74-69. “My goal going in was to be in the top-10 in my first national senior championship and I came up a little bit short of that, but I still managed a strong final round to climb back up the leaderboard. Hopefully, I’ll be in contention in 2016.”

Jeffrey also finished T2 in the PGA of Ontario Senior Pro/Junior Pro Championship with Ron Kenesky a familiar partner from Twenty Valley Golf and Country Club and T2 with another senior, Dave Wettlaufer in the PGA Team Championship Qualifier for the Nike Golf PGA Team Championship of Canada at The Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda where they went on to a respectable finish despite a disappointing opening round.

As for the future Jeffrey isn’t sure what’s in store, but that’s nothing new for this pro and many others. One thing that is for sure is that he would like to return to the winner’s circle in 2016. At the very least he will be teeing it up for some family golf with Bennett, Callen and his wife Lauren. “The first words out of Bennett’s mouth when he was one were, “Go golf” and he’d hit a golf ball around the house with a wooden spoon. I’m really looking forward to getting out there with them this summer and having some fun.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Symetra Tour, the Road to the LPGA, in conjunction with The Evian Championship announced today that the top two finishers at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship will earn spots into The Evian Championship, the fifth and final major on the LPGA schedule. This is the first time in history players will earn spots in an LPGA major based off a finish at a Symetra Tour event.

The FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship will take place at Battle Creek Country Club in Battle Creek, Michigan the week of July 18-24. The top 156 players will be competing for the winner’s check and the top two finishers will receive entry into The Evian Championship and financial support from Société Générale, one of The Evian Championship’s Major partners, to help them through their season.

“This is an opportunity of a lifetime for a rising star in women’s golf to experience an LPGA major in a setting like Evian-les-Bains, France,” said Chief Business Officer of the Symetra Tour, Mike Nichols. “The vision of the Symetra Tour is to prepare the next generation of LPGA stars and we are grateful to Evian for giving two players this unique chance to experience the LPGA first hand before they are full-time LPGA players.”

In the case of a tie for second at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship, there will be a sudden death playoff for the final exemption into the Evian Championship.

The Evian Championship, which became the fifth LPGA major in 2013, will be contested the week of September 15-18 at Evian Resort Golf Club. The total purse for the event is $3.25 million and the winner will earn $487,500. Last year, Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1 Lydia Ko won the Evian Championship, becoming the youngest player ever to win an LPGA major championship.  Canada’s Brooke Henderson tied for 25th.

The FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship is a third year event on the Symetra Tour. Past winners include Min Seo Kwak (2014) and Madeleine Sheils (2015).

FJ has unveiled the new VersaLuxe™ footwear category, a line pegged to be versatile and loaded with high-end luxurious materials and details.

VersaLuxe shoes were designed to provide luxurious comfort on and off the golf course by utilizing golf’s finest leathers, stunning details and a fashionable, yet versatile, spikeless outsole.

From the rich, super-soft premium SuppleLuxe™ leather by Pittards® of England and fine-grade stitching to the cork covered fit-bed and suede inner heel pocket, every detail has been meticulously considered in order to deliver a shoe that is the pinnacle of style, comfort and craftsmanship.

“For this assignment, our design team was challenged with creating a shoe that featured the ‘best-of the-best” so a player could experience luxurious looks and feel on and off the golf course,” said Doug Robinson, FJ Vice President of Design and Development Worldwide. “Our inspiration here was that timeless, super soft, supple leather chair that fits you perfectly after years of wear. These shoes were created with a similar commitment to exquisite materials, superb craftsmanship and the highest quality.”

“We want this shoe to be something you look forward to wearing for years as it molds to your foot over time and becomes more comfortable with every wear.”

Some of the line’s features and benefits include:

·        Premium super soft SuppleLuxe waterproof leather by Pittards of England
·        Suede inner-heel pocket, no slip comfort fit
·        Full leather linings for mold-to-feet custom fit
·        Genuine cork-covered soft, ultra-comfortable fit-bed
·        Versatile spikeless outsole
·        New Lane last features a rounded toe character, full fit across the forefoot allows toes to spread and grip.
·        Contrasting and Tonal lace options included
·        2 year waterproof warranty

The line is now available and pricing starts at 220 CAD MSRP.

For more details, visit: www.footjoy.ca.

ORLANDO, Fla. – The PGA of America says it will no longer hold the PGA Grand Slam of Golf for the year’s major champions.

The event began in 1979 and was played continuously from 1986 until last year. It was scheduled to be held at Trump National in Los Angeles, and the PGA of America decided to cancel it because of all the attention on Donald Trump’s remarks about Mexican immigrants when he announced his campaign for president.

The PGA of America says the event no longer fits into the golf landscape because of the PGA Tour’s wraparound season and players involved in more than one tour.

It also says the Grand Slam has struggled to attract fans and media interest.