MELBOURNE, Australia – Former British Open winner Ian Baker-Finch says the Olympic golf course in Rio de Janeiro has “come up nicely … grown in well” and that parts of the layout remind him of Royal Melbourne.

Baker-Finch, who will captain the Australian team in golf’s return to the Olympics, also said that despite earlier reports that Adam Scott wasn’t interested in playing, he expects the winner of the past two PGA Tour events to represent his country in August.

Nine Brazilians – five men and four women – played the Olympic course this week in a test event. The course is sandwiched between a sewage-polluted lagoon and luxury apartment towers in the western Rio neighbourhood known as Barra da Tijuca.

Baker-Finch says Scott and Jason Day are excited about playing there.

“Every time I see Jason Day, he says, ‘Finchy, I’m pumped, I’m pumped, I can’t wait’,” the 1991 British Open champion told Melbourne’s SEN radio station Thursday.

“I know there’s been a lot of talk about Adam, the way he started off this year, but he says, ‘Finchy, I play in the green and gold every week, you know that’ . and he’ll be playing his butt of when the time comes.”

Baker-Finch, who also said Minjee Lee and Karrie Webb – the likely Australian women’s team – were “champing at the bit” for their Olympic chance, said he’d only heard good reviews from the course’s test event, which was attended by Australian Olympic chef de mission Kitty Chiller.

“It was more about 18 months ago when they were unsure how it was going to grow in and finish up, but it’s all come up really nicely,” Baker-Finch said Thursday.

“But now . the course looks good, I’ve seen lots of photos and videos. The clubhouse is done (and) practice facilities look good. The course has grown in well. The last six months, that was their main concern, and it certainly looks pretty nice, right now.”

Baker-Finch said architect Gil Hanse tried to incorporate some traditional, deep bunkering into the new course which adds a “little Royal Melbourne” feel.

“The course will stand up,” Baker-Finch said. “It’ll be new and the greens won’t be as good as we’re used to on the (Melbourne) sandbelt because of its age, but the course itself will be really good. It has a little links style, an open look to the course, some wetlands and lovely-looking bunkering.”

Derek Ingram, Canada’s Men’s Team coach, and Tristan Mullally, Canada’s Women’s Coach, also visited the course for the test event. Mullally was also impressed.

This is a cool golf course, will play firm, fast and wind will play a HUGE factor @TheGolfCanada #dragonhomework pic.twitter.com/Q87bNwP4XA

— Tristan Mullally (@tmullallygolf) March 8, 2016

Qualification will be based on world ranking as of July 11, 2016 with a total of 60 players qualifying in each of the men’s and women’s events. The top 15 players of each gender will qualify, with a limit of four golfers per country that can qualify this way. The remaining spots will go the highest-ranked players from countries that do not already have two golfers qualified.

If the team was decided today, David Hearn, Graham DeLaet, Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp would represent Canada.

In the mere 24 months Christopher Doyle has worked at Twitter Canada’s modern office in Toronto, he’s seen a lot.

A Canadian election, a bat-flip (heard ‘round the world), numerous award ceremonies and playoff runs, and last year, a partnership with Golf Canada and RBC at the Canadian Open, just to name a few.

“Fans can really get the most of their sports experience with Twitter,” states Doyle. “It’s such the platform for ‘live.’ When you’re following along with sports, you can have an equally amazing experience with Twitter.”

Christopher Doyle, Twitter’s Director of Media Partnerships

As Twitter Canada’s first-ever Head of Media Doyle works with some of Canada’s top brands and sporting events to “make the platform essential” and to make sure talent – whether it is individual athletes, networks, news outlets or sports teams, “maximize their use of the platform.”

Now more than ever – despite rumours of the networks’ demise – audience engagement through Twitter is important.

“I think it’s because it’s a very conversational platform and it can connect you instantly with others,” Doyle, who has also held communications gigs at both TSN and CBC, recently told CTV News.

At the RBC Canadian Open, Doyle brought the very popular Twitter mirror to Glen Abbey, where golfers like Bubba Watson and eventual champion Jason Day took pictures throughout the practice rounds, and after competition had completed from Thursday through Sunday.

“Fans were able to see some really entertaining shots,” says Doyle, “(Day) took an amazing selfie with fans in the background, and we got this really rich content that’s also personal. Fans can enjoy it even though they’re not on the course.”

Nice way to finish the round @JDayGolf #RBCCO #TeamRBC pic.twitter.com/M1TyEnMcej

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) July 25, 2015

That ability to feel like you’re really at a sporting event is key for the platform’s success, explains Doyle.

At the RBC Canadian Open, Doyle also installed Twitter TV – basically a television version of the handheld mirror – where fans could see all the tweets coming in from around the course, and also dress up in an official Canadian Open caddie outfit for a picture.

“Fans could easily share their experience,” says Doyle.

For Brian Decker, the media official for Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada, Twitter has been a huge priority.

“There’s a direct relationship with people who choose to follow you, so you speak to them and provide them with content a little differently than you would in other areas of marketing,” explains Decker. “When there’s a tournament going on or other messaging to share, seeing and reading that engagement in real time is an incredibly useful tool.”

And for the golfers that fans are used to seeing every week, Doyle says they already use Twitter very well.

“This young crop of amazing players is embracing Twitter. They’ve grown up with it and it’s naturally part of who they are,” he says. “It’s a great way for guys to connect to fans.”

One example of this is Graham DeLaet.

The Canadian has nearly 85,000 followers on Twitter, and his feed is filled with quips about his home and native land or life on the tour. He’s also not afraid to back down from a troll, especially when it comes about his beloved Calgary Flames.

“I love following (Graham). You’ll see him tweeting along to a hockey game just like you or I would,” explains Doyle. “You have this shared experience with him.”

The PGA Tour has embraced sharing video on the platform, which Doyle states will become even more important. For example, he says 90 percent of all videos consumed on Twitter are done so from a mobile device.

“It’s that ‘snackable’ content that’s live and in the moment,” says Doyle. “It allows you to follow action from anywhere, at anytime.”

For Decker, video sharing is a huge part of the Mackenzie Tour’s content strategy.

“Anything you can do to make it easier for people to follow along is really important, and being able to share (video) helps a lot,” he says. “With golf particularly, there’s so much interesting visual content to share.”

Twitter is an ever-evolving tool, and Doyle – who was recently named to Golf Canada’s communications committee – is excited to see where it goes, especially in terms of golf in Canada.

“It brings a real interactive element to a tournament. That’s a big part of it,” he says. “Golf Canada has embraced it, and we’re just happy to be involved and to help.”

Follow Golf Canada @TheGolfCanada
Follow Christopher Doyle @ChrisDoyle
Follow Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada @PGATOURCanada
Follow Adam Stanley on Twitter @adam_stanley

HUA HIN, Thailand – Peter Uihlein hit nine birdies and a bogey in an 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Pelle Edberg on Thursday in the first round of the Thailand Classic.

The American started his round on the 10th hole with two straight birdies before losing a stroke on the 12th. He went on to card seven more birdies at the Black Mountain Golf Course.

“Hit some good wedges, some good iron shots. It was good,” Uihlein said. “I birdied the first two holes and then duck-hooked into the water on the next.”

Edberg also had nine birdies, but a pair of bogeys left the Swede a stroke behind.

Scott Jamieson and Javi Colomo (66) share third place.

The Nova Scotia Golf Association (NSGA) and COBRA PUMA GOLF Canada have announced a new partnership which sees COBRA PUMA GOLF become the official clothing provider of the Association.

“The NSGA is excited to be partnering with COBRA PUMA GOLF as they are one on the top companies in the golf industry,” said David Campbell, Executive Director of the NSGA. “It is wonderful to have such a strong brand like Cobra Puma supporting the game here in Nova Scotia.”

As part of the partnership, COBRA PUMA GOLF becomes the Title Sponsor of the NSGA Bantam and Junior Championship and the Player of the Year Program.  In return, they will be the official clothing supplier for Provincial Teams that will represent Nova Scotia at National Championships including the Junior Development Program team members.

“We are excited and honored to associate our brands with the NSGA,” said Adam Cox, VP of Sales & Marketing of COBRA PUMA GOLF Canada.  “The efforts of the NSGA to grow the game are tremendous and we cannot be happier to bring our message of game enjoyment to the Nova Scotia golf community”.

The COBRA PUMA GOLF Junior Championship will take place at Chester Golf Club from July 18-21, 2016. The field will consist of 156 of Nova Scotia’s top junior golfers and serves as qualifying for Golf Canada’s Canadian Junior Boy’s Championship.

After being the king of the mountain at BraeBen Golf Club for seven years, Bradlee Ryall is increasing his domain as the new Head of Instruction for the Kaneff Golf Academies.

Ryall, who has a database of over 4,000 students, will expand his brand with the introduction of Kaneff Golf Academies at Lionhead GC, Royal Ontario GC, Royal Niagara GC, Streetsville Glen GC, Century Pines GC and Carlisle Golf & Country Club.

“It’s a huge undertaking, but I’m really exciting about the opportunity to work with great people and I am thankful that I have a job that I love to come to every day,” says Ryall, who started with Kaneff Golf in February as a new management team came on board and set a new direction for the properties. “Our vision is to offer an incredible experience and build the biggest and most respected academy brands in Canada.”

Ryall, who was named PGA of Ontario Junior Leader of the Year at the end of 2015, is looking to take the junior learning pyramid that his Bradlee Ryall Golf Enterprises team developed at the BraeBen Golf Academy and customize it for adult programs at the Kaneff Golf properties. Students work their way up through classes similar to karate and swimming. Instead of receiving belts or badges for graduating from one level to the next, they receive rubber bracelets to identify their progression.

“We have in excess of 1,000 youngsters who annually go through our junior programs and now we will be able to grow that number by leaps and bounds,” says Ryall who is hiring a head teaching professional for each facility and upwards of 10 more PGA of Ontario teaching professionals as the academies takes shape this spring. “We’re looking to grow our adult business too, with programs and clinics for beginners, ladies, and for adults looking to break 80, break 90 and break 100 and much more.”

In 2012, the GAO recognized Ryall and BraeBen as the Junior Facility of the Year and in 2014 they were a “Finalist” for the national Future Links Facility of the Year. Ryall, who will be based out of Lionhead, will also have an administration team of three people working behind the scenes to ensure the smooth operation of all learning programs. They’re going digital in a big way with specialized on-line portals at each facility where students will be able to access a Kaneff Golf Academy iPad and book their upcoming lessons or communicate with their teacher.

“I think we have been successful because we try to ensure that our students are getting more than just a golf lesson. It’s like school, where they are part of a larger group and we try to educate their parents so students and parents understand where their child is headed and that there is always a direction to where they are going next,” says the Toronto native who started playing golf with his uncle, and childhood friends, as a 12-year-old at Lakeview GC in Mississauga, but he didn’t play competitive amateur golf.

After earning a BA in Sociology at the University of Western Ontario, Ryall turned professional in 2001 with a burning passion to make a career out of either playing or teaching golf. A year later, he graduated with a Business Diploma in Golf Management from Humber College and headed out to Fairmount Jasper Park Lodge to spend his first summer learning the ins and outs of being a golf professional. Since that time, he has taught around the world in Punta Cana and Portugal, gaining valuable insight into how people learn. He also trained for five years at two David Leadbetter Golf Academies – IMG and Champions Gate in Florida. After playing professionally for two seasons on the Great Lakes Tour, Ryall landed at Lionhead as a teaching professional in 2008 and prepared for his next adventure. A year later his entrepreneurial spirit took root and he founded Bradlee Ryall Golf Enterprises and set up camp at The Academy at BraeBen.

“All along my main goal has been to help my students build on their passion for the game, while creating a fun atmosphere where they can flourish,” says Ryall who is looking forward to taking that passion to the Kaneff Golf Academies so they can continue to grow the game and create a love for it among all the students. Bradlee will also be trying to find a balance between family life with his wife Courtney and their two children, Harlowe who is two years old and Hudson who is three months, in what should be a summer of fun and hard work!

BANDON, Oregon — Utah Valley Wolverine sophomore Blair Bursey carded a 2-under-par 69 in Tuesday’s final round to claim the Bandon Dunes Championship individual title at Bandon Dunes Resort with a three-round score of 5-under-par 208 (71-68-69).

Bursey finished first ahead of 68 other golfers at the tournament to claim his first-ever collegiate tournament victory. He finished two strokes ahead of Clemson’s Austin Langdale to secure medalist honors. Bursey was one of just three golfers to finish the tournament under par.

“I’m so proud of Blair,” Utah Valley head coach Chris Curran said. “This is a huge win. He’s been so close several times and broke through today. His putting was clutch down the stretch, birdieing two of his last five holes.”

Bursey registered four birdies and 12 pars during his final round on Tuesday. He led the field with 13 birdies over his three rounds. The first place finish marks Bursey’s third top-3 performance of the season.

As a team, Utah Valley finished sixth in the 12-team field with a three-day total of 41-over-par 893 (305-289-299).  The Wolverines finished ahead of Boise State, Washington State, Gonzaga, Denver and San Jose State. Clemson claimed the team title with a 2-over-par 854 (290-274-290). Washington finished second at 871 (+19) and UAB was third at 879 (+27).

“As a team, we once again failed to finish strong,” Curran said. “We are a young team but I like where we are heading.”

Next up for Bursey and Utah Valley will be the Redhawk Invitational hosted by Seattle U at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Washington, April 4-5.

Listen to the announcement by clicking below.

The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is proud to announce that Canadian LPGA Tour legend Lorie Kane of Charlottetown, two-time Canadian Men’s Amateur champion Warren Sye of London, Ont., and renowned golf journalist Bob Weeks, of Toronto, Ont., have been elected as 2016 inductees into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Kane and Sye are being inducted under the player category, while Weeks will be inducted as a builder. With their inductions, the trio will become the 75^th, 76^th and 77^th honoured members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

“For over 40 years, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame has recognized the accomplishments of outstanding individuals and their tremendous impact on the game of golf in Canada,” said Sandra Post, Chair of the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee. “Each member of our 2016 class of inductees has demonstrated passion, dedication and excellence in shaping the place of golf within the Canadian sporting landscape. It is with great pride that we welcome them to stand alongside the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame’s honoured members.”

LORIE KANE

Lorie Kane started playing the game of golf at the age of five. As her interest and talent grew, she came under the tutelage of Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured member Jack McLaughlin, whom she still credits as an inspiration and major influence in her career.

Provincially, she won the P.E.I. Junior Girls Championship twice and was the P.E.I. Women’s Amateur Champion nine times between 1983 and 1992. Her extraordinary amateur career saw her represent Canada on several occasions, including as a member of the Canadian Commonwealth Team and the Canadian World Amateur Team, as well as taking part in the World Cup. In 2015, Kane represented Canada in the first-ever golf competition at the Pan Am Games.

Kane turned professional in 1993 and three years later earned exempt status on the LPGA Tour. Over the next several years, she accumulated 34 Top-10 finishes, nine of which were runner-up results. In 2000, Kane captured her first professional win at the Michelob Light Classic in St. Louis and also won three more times on the LPGA Tour that same year. Nationally, she captured the Canadian PGA Women’s Championship from 1996-1999 and again in 2001.

Throughout her career, Kane established herself as one of the most popular LPGA Tour players with players and spectators. Her accomplishments garnered her the Heather Farr Player Award in 1998 and the Mousie Powell Award in 2000. In 2006, Kane was presented with the Order of Canada.

She is known for her generosity and dedication to charitable organizations, having been the Kidsport P.E.I. official spokesperson since its inception in 1997 and currently serves as the ambassador for the CP Has Heart charity campaign.

With her induction, Kane becomes the first native of P.E.I. to be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

WARREN SYE

Warren Sye’s outstanding amateur career took off in 1986 when he represented Canada at the World Amateur Team Championship; that year, Canada captured the World Amateur title and won the Canadian Sport Council (formerly known as the Sports Federation of Canada) “Sport Team of the Year” award. Sye went on to represent Canada three more times at the World Amateur Championship.

Sye excelled provincially, capturing the Ontario Amateur Championship five times between 1988 and 1996. He also claimed the Ontario Champion of Champions title in 1983 and again in 1991.

His success nationally includes a pair of victories at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship (1990 and 1994). During that time, he was also a member of four Willingdon Cup teams representing Ontario. He captured the Ontario Senior Championship title in 2012.

His extraordinary accomplishments as an amateur golfer were recognized by SCOREGolf Magazine, winning their “Male Athlete of the Year” award in 1985, 1990, 1994 and 1996. In 2003, Warren Sye was inducted into the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame and the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame.

BOB WEEKS

Bob Weeks is a golf analyst and senior reporter for TSN, where he provides coverage of the sport from across the globe. During his time as a journalist, he has covered more than 60 major golf championships, as well as hundreds of top Canadian and international championships.

Weeks began his career in golf media with SCOREGolf in 1987 and rose to the position of editorial director in 2012, overseeing all content at the media company. He hosted SCOREGolf TV for 16 years and spent 20 years as the voice of the SCOREGolf Show – a daily 90-second golf radio program heard in more than 70 markets across the country.

In 2009, he was recognized on the National Post’s list of the most influential people in Canadian golf and ranked sixth overall. An award-winning writer, Weeks has written for GOLF Magazine, Golf Digest, Golfweek, the Globe and Mail, Maclean’s, as well as countless other publications throughout the world.

Weeks, who began playing golf at the age of 11 in P.E.I., has been a proud member of Weston Golf and Country Club in Toronto for more than 40 years.

He is a member of the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame and a winner of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada’s Dick Grimm Award. In 2015, Weeks was presented with a Distinguished Service Award by Golf Canada for outstanding contributions to the game. In addition to golf, Weeks is a respected curling journalist who in 2016 will also be inducted to the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame.

There’s an old saying in golf, attributed to Bobby Jones, that the game is mainly played on a five-and-a-half inch course: “the distance between your ears.”

And few people know that better than Canadian Alena Sharp.

Now in her 11th year on the LPGA Tour, she began working with Tony Robbins mental coach Mimi Peak last year, and it was her best as a professional. She played in 26 events and only missed five cuts. She also recorded her first top 10 since 2010, and her first-ever top five finish, earning more than $270,000 in the process.

So what was different?

“I had a few rough years. The older you get the more you think, and the more bad crap is in your head,” says Sharp, laughing. “I’m just getting rid of all that stuff and believe that I’m good enough to be out here.”

Sharp had a strong debut on the LPGA Tour, but had a blip in the middle of her career where she bounced around on some mini-tours. Although she wishes she didn’t have that happen, she says she learned a lot during that time.

She also bounced back with a Symetra Tour victory in 2014.

“Obviously I’d love to be further along (in my career) than I am, but I know that this is my path. As long as I keep getting better, that’s the one thing I want to keep doing,” explains Sharp.

Sharp states that she used to put a lot of pressure on herself and focused too much on end results, getting her in trouble. Her work with Peak and Golf Canada’s National Women’s Team Coach Tristan Mullally – which began in 2015 – have inspired her to take things one shot at a time.

“I do put a lot of pressure on myself, and I do try too hard sometimes,” admits Sharp. “I’m setting process goals now and watching the results come from them, instead of always thinking about results.”

She has also found some inspiration in a fellow Canadian.

On the final hole of the LPGA’s Portland Classic in August, it was Sharp who was one of the first people to reach Brooke Henderson and spray the then 17-year-old with non-alcoholic champagne.

Watching Henderson grow as a person and a player has been exciting and motivating for Sharp.

“I think I read something last week that she doesn’t think she’s a feel player, and that’s something I used to do. Then I started thinking too much,” says Sharp. “Being around her has brought that back in me a little bit. It’s helped me. We’ve played practice rounds together and talk a lot, so it’s been a nice relationship.”

That relationship is probably going to extend into the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, where Sharp and Henderson are the likely pair who will represent Canada in the golf competition.

But Sharp’s revitalized mental attitude hasn’t let her get ahead of herself.

“I don’t want to get too high hopes, but it’s a big goal in the back ground. I would love to represent Canada and I know it would be an amazing experience,” she says. “I think it’s going to be something every athlete obviously wants to go through, and to be down there with other Canadian athletes – not just golfers – would be amazing.”

Before that, though, Sharp has to continue building off 2015. She’s in the field of two majors without having to qualify and is looking forward to playing the tougher courses.

“I made the cut (at the majors) but I was near the bottom. I want to challenge, I want to be one of the contenders out there,” she says. “I like the courses that are longer, they play more into my game. I really think I can excel more at those tournaments.”

Sharp has had a fair-to-midland start to 2016, making one cut and missing another. She’s back in the LPGA Tour field when it comes to Arizona in a few weeks and she says she may play in a couple of Cactus Tour events before then.

“I had a decent start this year,” she explains. “But I feel like it’s going to be a good year.”

Rickie Fowler came through in the clutch again, and this one paid off handsomely.

Fowler was among several PGA Tour players who took part in the Cigar Aficionado-Wine Spectator Pro-Am on Monday at Old Palm Golf Club for Ernie Els and his “Els for Autism.” When it was over, all the players got one shot on the 19th hole to win $1 million for the charity if they made a hole-in-one.

According to Golf Channel, Fowler wasn’t wearing golf shoes and he had to borrow a wedge from Luke Donald.

The shot went in the hole, and the crowd erupted. The wild scene of high-fives ended with Els hoisting Fowler as if he had just made the game-winner. Which he did.

Fowler said on Twitter, “One of the coolest moments in my career no question!! So cool & pumped what we able to help raise yesterday!!”

Southampton, Bermuda – The stage is set for the 2016 Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship at the Turtle Hill Golf Club in Bermuda.

The 36-hole championship, which takes place March 11-12 at the Turtle Hill Golf Club at the Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda, features former Ryder Cup members; PGA and European Tour winners; European Senior Tour winners; a Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada winner; WEB.com, Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour LatinoAmerica players; PGA of Canada national championship winners and a Golf Channel personality.

“This year’s Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship features a number of amazing talents, including Barry Lane, Chip Beck and Charlie Rymer to name a few,” said tournament director Adam LeBrun. “The field is full of players who have the game to win this week in Bermuda.”

The championship is highlighted by:

Charlie Rymer—Golf Channel personality; former PGA Tour member
Chip Beck—Four-time PGA Tour winner; three-time Ryder Cup member; shot 59 in a PGA Tour event
Billy Joe Tolliver—Former NFL quarterback
Thomas Curtis—2015 Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship winner
Mark Mouland— Two-time European Tour winner and 2014 Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship winner Mark Mouland
Barry Lane—Ryder Cup member, five-time European Tour winner and four-time European Senior Tour winner Barry Lane
Oliver Tubb—2014 Canada Cup winner and the PGA of Canada’s No.6-ranked player
Ken Tarling—Two-time PGA of Canada national championship winner
Dustin Risdon—Three-time PGA Tour Canada winner
David Markle—Former contestant on the Golf Channel’s Big Break; two-time member of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Team
Michael Gligic—PGA Tour Canada winner
Lindsay Knowlton—Three-time member of the Canadian Women’s National Amateur Golf Team
Daniel Augustus—2010 Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship winner
Brian McCann—Two-time PGA of Canada national championship winner and the No. 5-ranked player from the PGA of Canada Player Rankings

Thomas Curtis captured the 2015 Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship, posting a two-day total of 2-over par. The 30-year-old looks to become the first back-to-back winner in the championship’s history.

Past champions of the Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship include Bermudian Daniel Augustus, PGA Tour winner Nick Taylor, PGA of Canada member Ian Doig, American Jordan Mitchell, Mark Mouland of the European Senior Tour and Curtis.

In addition to the professionals in the championship, the 151-player field is rounded out by an impressive list of amateur golfers—from Bermuda, the United States, Canada and Europe—vying for titles in the men’s, women’s and senior amateur divisions.

Click here to check out the full field as well as the starting times for the championship’s first round of play.