BEAUMONT, Calif. – Ten Canadians are set to kick-off the Symetra Tour’s 2016 season this Friday with the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort and Spa.

Headlining the Canucks is Young Pro Squad member Augusta James of Bath, Ont., who was the top-ranked Canadian on last year’s Volvik Race to the Card money list at No. 12 ($53,077). Fellow Young Pro Squad member Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. will be chasing her third Symetra Tour title—she won last year’s Florida’s Natural Charity Classic by three strokes.

The 54-hole event consists of 106 professionals and two amateurs competing for a purse of $100,000. At the end of the 23-event season, the Top-10 athletes on the final money list will earn LPGA Tour membership for 2017.

Many Team Canada graduates will look to make their mark on the new season, including: Sara-Maude Juneau (Fossambault, Que.), Jennifer Kirby (Paris, Ont.), Rebecca Lee-Bentham (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.), Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Québec, Que.) and Jessica Wallace (Langley, B.C.).

The action will begin at 7:15 a.m. (PST) on Friday and will return to the Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon. In the 2015 event, American Katie Kempter rallied with birdies on her final three holes to capture her first professional victory.

Friday’s tee-times of all Canadians in the field are listed below:

• 7:48 a.m (Tee #1). – Anne-Catherine Tanguay
• 7:59 a.m. (Tee #10) – Sue Kim
• 8:10 a.m. (Tee #10) – Sara-Maude Juneau
• 8:32 a.m. (Tee #1) – Jennifer Kirby
• 11:30 a.m. (Tee #10) – Megan Osland
• 11:52 a.m. (Tee #10) – Rebecca Lee-Bentham
• 12:14 p.m. (Tee #10) – Augusta James
• 12:36 p.m. (Tee #1) – Samantha Richdale
• 12:36 p.m. (Tee #10) – Jessica Wallace
• 12:58 p.m. (Tee #10) – Brittany Marchand

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ADELAIDE, Australia – Canadian-based South Korean SooBin Kim shot a course-record 9-under 63 on Thursday to leave top-ranked Lydia Ko and Canadian sweetheart Brooke Henderson seven strokes behind at the Women’s Australian Open.

Kim’s bogey-free opening round came after starting on the 10th hole of The Grange’s West course. She had a three-stroke clubhouse lead over American Casey Grice with most of the afternoon groups, including five-time champion Karrie Webb, on the course.

P.K. Kongkraphan of Thailand, Jenny Shin and amateur Choi Hye-jin had 67s and were tied for third among the early finishers.

Ko, who won last year’s title at Royal Melbourne, bogeyed two holes on her first nine after starting on the 10th, but the New Zealander had three birdies on the back nine for her 70.

“I’ll take it,” Ko said. “I hit two really loose shots where it was hard to put myself in position the next time but overall I played pretty solid … not many putts dropped.”

Kim, who moved to Canada from South Korea with her family when she was 10 and is based in Langley, B.C., birdied seven of her first 12 holes.

Ranked 256th in the world, Kim was playing her first LPGA tournament round this year because her low ranking failed to gain her direct entry into the initial two LPGA events in the Bahamas and Florida.

Kim, who eclipsed the previous women’s course record of 66 shot by Australian Nadina Taylor at an amateur event in 2000, had 26 putts in what she described as “one of those days.”

“I was just picking my line and rolling them in, let the ball do the rest,” the 22-year-old Kim said. “I was pretty ready for it, so (I am) not surprised.”

Kim has not made up her mind whether to become a Canadian citizen. She has had the same coach, Brian Jung, for nine years and was part of British Columbia Golf’s player development program.

“I was definitely thinking about it but I still haven’t got the citizenship yet, still deciding,” Kim said. “Most of the Koreans they want their kids to learn English, so that was the reason I moved to Canada. And then golf followed after that …”

The tournament is also sanctioned by the Australian Ladies and Ladies European Tour.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce its competition schedule including host clubs and dates for the 2016 championship season.

A total of 24 professional and amateur championships, as well as qualifying events into Canada’s two National Open Championships – the RBC Canadian Open and the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open – will be conducted in 2016.

“Each year, nearly 3,000 talented Canadian and international golfers come together at many of Canada’s premier golf facilities in the spirit of competition and camaraderie to challenge for a Canadian national golf championship,” said Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons. “It is Golf Canada’s privilege to conduct these championships in partnership with our host venues, committed sponsors and thousands of dedicated volunteers from coast to coast. We are proud that these championships are providing athletes with an opportunity for meaningful competition and the chance to add their names to Canada’s storied golf history.”

Golf Canada’s complete 2016 championship schedule as well as registration information can be found here.

Championship Notes:

Golf Canada’s championship season kicks off with the CN Future Links Pacific Championship, May 13-15, at The Dunes at Kamloops Golf Club in Kamloops, B.C. The event is the first in a series of six regional junior competitions presented by CN that in 2016 will see tournament fields expanded to include 120 players – 87 boys and 33 girls.

The 14^th playing of the Canadian University/College Championship will be conducted from May 31 to June 3 at Morningstar Golf Club in Parksville, B.C. The championship will be the first of eight national amateur competitions being contested in 2016.

Beginning in late July, Atlantic Canada will host a trio of competitions: the 103^rd Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship (Ken-Wo Golf Club in New Minas, N.S.), as well as the 78^th Canadian Junior Boys (Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L.) and 62^nd Junior Girls Championships (The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S.).

The 2016 edition of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will return to its roots for its 112^th playing. The Royal Ottawa Golf Club in Gatineau, Que. – which staged the competition’s first playing in 1895 – will host the world’s third oldest amateur championship from August 8-11 alongside co-host Eagle Creek Golf Club located in Dunrobin, Ont. This will mark the first occasion on which one of Canada’s national amateur championships will be played concurrently in two provinces.

A two-stage qualifying procedure for the 2016 RBC Canadian Open will feature a trio of regional qualifying competitions in British Columbia (Bear Mountain Golf Resort in Victoria on May 30), Ontario (DiamondBack Golf Club in Richmond Hill on June 6) and Quebec (Club de golf de la Vallée du Richelieu in Sainte-Julie on June 6). The final qualifying event will be held at Heron Point Golf Links in Ancaster, Ont., on July 18.

For the 28^th time in the 107-year history of Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship, Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., will play host to the RBC Canadian Open from July 18-24. In 2015, Australian Jason Day was crowned champion, edging out Brantford, Ont., native David Hearn, who held the 54-hole head before finishing third.

On Saturday, July 16, prior to the start of the 2016 RBC Canadian Open, Glen Abbey will also open its fairways to junior competitors for the 8^th annual CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event.

Late August will see the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur and Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur & Senior Championships hosted at Golf Château-Bromont in Bromont, Que., and Wolf Creek Golf Resort in Ponoka, Alta., respectively.

The 2016 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, set for August 22-28 at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club in Priddis, Alta., will be conducted the week following golf’s return to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Three-time winner and defending champion Lydia Ko will lead the stars of the LPGA Tour back to the Calgary area as Priddis Greens plays host to the championship for the third time (1999 and 2009). The tournament’s Monday Qualifier will take place at The Hamptons Golf Club in Calgary on August 22.

Golf Canada has also confirmed that the Canadian Women’s Tour events will not be played in 2016 and that the Tour has been put on an indeterminate hiatus due to a lack of title or presenting sponsor. The player exemptions into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open that have traditionally been awarded via the Tour will be reallocated by Golf Canada at a later date. The champion of the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada will continue to earn an exemption into Canada’s premier LPGA event.

Grand Niagara Golf Club in Niagara Falls, Ont., will host the 54^th Canadian Men’s Senior Championship from September 6-9 with the addition of a Sunday Qualifier this season. The minimum age of eligibility for the Super Senior division has been lowered from 70 to 65.

The Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru National Event will take to Burlington Golf & Country Club in Burlington, Ont., on September 12.  The one day event is a celebration of the success of all Golf Fore the Cure events held nationwide during the 2016 season. To date, the program’s fundraising efforts have totaled more than $5.4 million towards breast cancer research.

Highland Country Club in London, Ont., will set the stage for the 2016 Freedom 55 Financial Championship from September 12-18. Golf Canada is proud to serve as the organizing body for the season-ending event on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada.

As the National Sports Federation and governing body of golf in Canada, Golf Canada conducts the country’s premier amateur and professional golf championships as part of its mandate to promote the sport and aid in the development of the nation’s world-class talent.

Brooke Henderson will be making her Australian debut this week at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.

“This is my first time here so I’m really looking forward to it,” Henderson said with a smile.

The trip Down Under will be the first of several international trips for the 18-year-old this season.

“I’m playing on the Gold Coast next week in the European tour event and then in Singapore in a few weeks in the LPGA and hopefully the Asian Swing in the Fall,” Henderson said of her 2016 travel schedule. “So being able to play all over I know a couple of months ago I was looking to get the sponsors invite into Dubai, so yeah I’m just kind of playing and being well known by people everywhere.”

What makes the travel easier on Henderson is having her sister Brittany as a travel companion and caddie.

“You know I love having her to travel with and see the world and experience all these things with her and then to also have her also on my bag with me every day is really cool,” Henderson said. “When I was a little girl I grew up watching her and wanting to be like her and now I have her support with me.  It really means a lot.”

Last year was Henderson’s breakout year.

“It’s been an amazing year, considering back a year ago I didn’t have a tour to play on, I didn’t know which events I would play in,” she said today. “I was just counting on Monday qualifiers and sponsors invitations to get into events, and I was able to play well and a lot of doors opened to me and I was able to win in Portland a couple of months ago and get full LPGA Tour status. I’m really just living the dream now, travelling around the world, first time to Australia is really exciting.”

Henderson’s win on the LPGA Tour in Portland last August came after she Monday-qualified, but it was emphatic. She won by eight shots, and soon petitioned the LPGA Tour for an exemption so that she could have a playing card although she had not reached the minimum age of 18. This was granted, and now she is a full member.

A former world No. 1 amateur, she says her improvement has been steady.

“I think over the last three or four years I’ve continued to improve just a little bit every year and that’s been key,” she said today after the Open pro-am. “Last year the main thing was realizing that I was good enough to compete on the LPGA Tour. Getting top 10 finishes was (a boost in) confidence for me. Over the last couple of months and in the off-season I’ve gained a bit of distance which has really helped. I was considered a longer hitter to begin with and gaining 10-15 yards has really helped. Moving forward I think short game is what I need to improve to compete on the LPGA.”

Henderson likes the look of The Grange – the venue for this weeks  ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.

“It’s in amazing condition, they’ve really done a great job with it. It’s a little bit tricky, second shots are key here, just playing smarter on the course and knowing where to hit the ball is going to be very important.”

Carlsbad, Calif. – Cobra Golf has introduced its new KING wedges – designed to improve feel and performance on shots that really count.

In addition to a new muscle shape, the KING wedge collection utilizes progressive grooves, variable face roughness and three sole grind configurations, to provide golfers with superior feel, increased spin consistency and personalization for different swing types.

“We’ve been working on these new wedges for nearly two years to create the best performing specialty wedges for golfers,” said Jose Miraflor, Director of Product Marketing at COBRA Golf. “Our COBRA engineers collaborated with our tour players, including Rickie Fowler, Jonas Blixt and Lexi Thompson, and conducted extensive research and testing on the KING wedges. Through that we’ve greatly improved wedge feel and versatility, giving golfers the confidence to hit a variety of shots around the green.”

One of the most important attributes of a wedge is feel and COBRA engineers used modal analysis to help tune vibrational frequencies (or shape) to deliver the softest feeling wedge to date.

The KING wedges (MSRP $150) are designed and manufactured using new Progressive Milled Grooves which feature wider grooves and gapping on higher lofted wedges, and traditional groove spacing on lower lofted wedges. The wider groove design allows higher lofted wedges (56-60*) to grab the golf ball imparting increased spin, and making spin more consistent throughout the wedge set. The new grooves are combined with Variable Face Roughness (VFR), a face milling technology that maximizes both RA (average roughness) and RY (max peak to peak depth) to the USGA limit.

To provide the ultimate wedge customization and performance, the KING wedges feature Three Sole Grind configurations that have been combined with the iconic COBRA Notch, which provides golfers with the ability to choose the perfect wedge to match their game and turf conditions. Each unique sole grind has its own set of advantages:

• The Versatile sole features a medium bounce (8-10*) to provide overall versatility on medium to firm turf conditions.
• The Classic configuration has a high sole bounce (11-12*) and a narrow sole for ease of use on all turf conditions.
• The WideLow option has a low bounce (4-7*) with a wide sole that works well on medium to soft turf conditions.

The KING wedges, available April 1, 2016, feature a new, durable Satin Nickel Chrome plating finish that helps diffuse light and prevent glare along with True Temper Dynamic Golf S200 (Stiff) shafts and Lamkin UTX grip.

For more information on the entire KING family of products, visit cobragolf.ca.

TORONTO – The National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA Canada) has announced an official marketing partnership with the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, a marketing body responsible for promoting the Caribbean island of St. Kitts as a travel destination.

The collaboration will see the tourism organization leverage NGCOA Canada as a marketing platform to engage with the millions of Canadians playing golf across the country and position the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis as a premier leisure destination.

There are approximately 5.7 million Canadian golfers who play roughly 60 million rounds of golf annually. They account for more than 1 million golf related trips per year, and are responsible for driving $19.7 billion in golf industry direct spending – $4.6 billion of which is spent on golf related travel and on-course spending outside of the country.

Over the course of the multi-year relationship, St. Kitts will work with NGCOA Canada to leverage the Association’s network of over 1,200 member courses, directly connecting with this highly influential and valuable group of travelers, while solidifying St. Kitts as a top-of-mind and preferred destination for Canadian’s golf and leisure travel.

The partnership’s core programming will be St. Kitts-sponsored “Club Nights” at select, targeted NGCOA Canada member facilities. Typically the most attended day at a golf course in any given week, integrating via “Club Nights” provides the St. Kitts Tourism Authority with a captive audience to build both brand awareness and directly educate consumers on the world-class St. Kitts & Nevis golf and hotel properties. The partnership will kick off this spring with over 40 event integrations planned for the 2016 golf season.

“The Canadian passion for golf- and especially golf travel- is very significant to St. Kitts and a key driver behind our partnership with the Association. With two championship courses, another in its final phase of construction and grow in, and the fourth now carved into the landscape, St. Kitts as a destination offers an amazing golf experience- designer courses surrounded by beautiful warm Caribbean sightlines and world class resorts”  states the Hon. Lindsay F.P. Grant, Minister of Tourism, International Trade, Industry and Commerce.

“The NGCOA Canada is a forward looking association that prides itself on delivering exceptional value to our members. Our partnership with St. Kitts Tourism Authority will create sponsorship opportunities for our members, enhance the consumer golf experience, and help build awareness for St. Kitts and Nevis as a world-class golf vacation destination. This partnership is a true WIN for our members, St. Kitts and Nevis, and the NGCOA Canada”, says Jeff Calderwood, CEO, NGCOA Canada.

The partnership stems from the integrated marketing platform developed for the NGCOA Canada by SportBox Entertainment Group, the Association’s agency of record for strategic partnerships. With the volume and purchasing power of Canadians playing golf at clubs across the country, SportBox Group and the NGCOA Canada embarked on a strategic relationship, building a framework that would provide brands with opportunities to directly connect with targeted audiences.

“The NGCOA [Canada] provides customized, scalable coast-to-coast access to 5.7 million Canadians that are responsible for billions of dollars of economic activity – that is a highly sought-after consumer for almost any brand,” said David Corelli, Chief Strategy Officer, SportBox Group. “This marketing vehicle provides an uncluttered and direct channel for brands, such as St. Kitts, to engage with a demographic that have a high propensity to spend in many consumer categories.”

A person with knowledge of the negotiations tells The Associated Press that Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler are poised for a prime-time golf exhibition.

Quicken Loans is finalizing details for a match between McIlroy and Fowler that would be played June 7 under the lights at Detroit Golf Club. It would be televised live by Golf Channel and CBS.

The person spoke with the AP on Monday on condition of anonymity because the match has not been announced.

The first two hours would be televised live by Golf Channel, followed by the 9-11 p.m. slot shown live on CBS. It was not clear how many holes would be broadcast under the lights.

Unlike the Monday night matches involving Tiger Woods in 1999 and 2000, there would be a celebrity component with this exhibition. The person said it would be “Team Rory” against “Team Rickie.”

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Vaughn Taylor doesn’t know how he lost his game. Even more mystifying was the way it returned.

His goal Sunday when he teed off in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, trailing Phil Mickelson by six shots, was to finish in the top 10 so he wouldn’t have to rush down to Los Angeles and try to qualify for the next PGA Tour event.

It had been more than a decade since he won. It had been three years since he had a full PGA Tour card. And just 10 days ago, Taylor was throwing up in his hotel room in Bogota, Colombia, so sick that he withdrew from a Web.com Tour event and flew to Pebble Beach as an alternate. The one-time Ryder Cup player only had a carry bag with him to save money on baggage fees.

Taylor ran off four straight birdies on the back nine at Pebble Beach to close with a 7-under 65, and he wasn’t sure it was enough when Mickelson stood over a 5-foot birdie putt to force a playoff. And then Taylor got one last surprise.

Mickelson missed.

“Just absolutely amazing,” Taylor said. “Didn’t know if it would ever happen again, to be honest. Just lost a lot of confidence, lost a good bit of my game. I just kept working, grinding and kept at it. And I can’t believe it actually happened today.”

Neither could Mickelson.

Lefty was going for his record-tying fifth victory at Pebble Beach, and the 43rd title of his Hall of Fame career. He had a two-shot lead to start the final round, lost the lead after five holes, rallied with a birdie on the 17th hole and then delivered two good shots to within 60 feet of the hole, just short of the green on the par-5 18th.

“It never crossed my mind that I wouldn’t make that one,” Mickelson said after his 72.

Taylor had never given up on his career, though he was starting to rule out another victory, and he never imagined returning home to Augusta, Georgia, to play in the Masters. He is the first player this year to qualify by winning.

“Playing in the Masters is my Super Bowl,” Taylor said.

Taylor was No. 447 in the world and had never won a tournament against the best players. His previous two victories were the Reno-Tahoe Open (2004 and 2005), which is held opposite a World Golf Championship. He had a scare two years ago when his aluminum fishing boat capsized in a strong current, leading to a few moment of panic with cold water up his chin and a park ranger guiding him to shore.

He finished at 17-under 270 and earned $1.26 million, which is about $165,000 more than he made the last three years combined.

Jonas Blixt, the first player to catch Mickelson, made bogey on the par-5 14th to fall back and closed with four pars for a 69 to finish third. Hiroshi Iwata of Japan, who played with Mickelson in the final group, was one shot behind until he missed the 16th green and made bogey. He closed with a 72 to tie for fourth with Freddie Jacobson (71).

Taylor didn’t look like much of a threat when he went out in 34, but he poured it on the back nine. He hit his approach to 3 feet on the 13th and to 12 feet on the dangerous par-5 14th. Coming out of the rough on the 15th, his ball hit the golf ball of Matt Jones and settled 2 feet away for a third straight birdie.

The real blow came at the 16th, a 30-foot birdie putt on one of the toughest greens at Pebble. He rammed it hard enough and watched it break back into the cup, and Taylor ran around the green to celebrate.

“I’ve had that putt before. It’s a hard putt,” Taylor said. “I wasn’t even thinking about making that putt. I knew it broke a lot, and it’s a little uphill at the end. It’s really easy to leave that putt short. I just flushed it. It was kind of going in from the start.”

He missed two good birdie chances on the last two holes, but still wound up a winner.

Taylor didn’t even realize he was in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am _ he still has limited status as a past PGA Tour winner _ until Monday when he was learned Cal Pettersen had withdrawn. That no longer is a problem. He’s in the Masters and PGA Championship, and he gets to set his own schedule for the next two years.

Jordan Spieth, the world’s No. 1 player, closed with a 66 and tied for 21st, ending his streak of seven straight top 10s dating to September.

Nick Taylor and David Hearn were the top Canadians, tying for 30th place at 5 under. Taylor shot a 1 under on Sunday while Hearn had a 2-over 74. Austin Connelly was 2 over for the day and finished at 1 over.

Mickelson at least left Pebble believing he was closer to ending the longest victory drought of his pro career that dates to the 2013 British Open.

“It’s certainly disappointing, but it makes me more determined to get back to work and get this thing right,” he said. “I know that I’m close to being where I want to be. But if I was there, I would have been able to finish it off.”

Canada’s Nick Taylor and and David Hearn had a share of 30th at 5-under, while Austin Connelly finished 1-over to tie for 60th.

TALAHASSEE, Fla. – Team Canada Amateur Squad member Maddie Szeryk fired a final round 70 (-2) on Sunday to capture medalist honours at the Florida State Match-Up at the Don Veller Seminole Golf Course.

Szeryk, a 19-year-old dual citizen from Allen, Tex., posted six birdies on Sunday en route to a four-stroke victory over Florida State’s Kim Metraux and South Carolina’s Katelyn Dambaugh. The win marks Szeryk’s first collegiate victory and the fifth time she finished a 54-hole tournament at 5-under or better—the only Texas A&M golfer to accomplish that feat.

Collectively, the Aggies finished with a score of 898 (+34) to finish fifth. Florida State took home the title with a final score of 871 (+7).

Szeryk, last year’s Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year, will tee-it-up again with the Aggies on Mar. 11–13 at the Forest Hills Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., for the 3M Augusta Invitational.

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