PGA Tour

Dufner-Snedeker teams wins Franklin Templeton Shootout

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Jason Dufner et Brandt Snedeker (Mike Ehrmann/ Getty Images)

NAPLES, Fla. – Jason Dufner and Brandt Snedeker birdied the last two holes in a best-ball format and won the Franklin Templeton Shootout by two shots on Saturday.

The team of Dufner and Snedeker finished at 30-under 186 at Tiburon Golf Club.

Harris English and Matt Kuchar, who have finished first, second and second the past three years, shot 28 under for second.

Charley Hoffman and Daniel Berger, who had the second-round lead while playing in their first Shootout, finished at 27 under.

Dufner-Snedeker, starting one shot back, had six birdies on the front nine. They followed with birdies on Nos. 10, 12, 13, 17 and 18.

English-Kuchar missed some of the putts they made in the 2013 title. One of the putts that left Kuchar particularly frustrated was a 4-footer he sent long on No. 15.

Canadian Mike Weir was paired with Seon O’Hair. The pair finished tied for 7th with Retief Goosen & Danny Lee -19.

Champions Tour

Vijay and Qass Singh shoot 59 to lead Father/Son Challenge

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Vijay Singh (Matt Sullivan/ Getty Images)

ORLANDO, Fla. – Vijay and Qass Singh eagled the par-5 18th hole for a 13-under 59 and a two-stroke lead Saturday in the PNC Father/Son Challenge scramble event.

Vijay made the eagle putt after Qass hit a 6-iron from 189 yards to 15 feet.

“I always enjoy playing with my dad,” Qass said.

The Singhs also had 11 birdies at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.

“Qass drove the ball beautifully,” Vijay said. “When he catches the drive, it goes for a ride. He left me with a lot of nice second shots. He actually played well and made a lot of birdies on his own and took a lot of pressure off me. The second shot on the last hole tells it all.”

Davis and Dru Love, Lanny and Tucker Wadkins, and Steve and Sam Elkington were tied for second in the 36-hole tournament. Nick and Matthew Faldo, Fred and Taylor Funk, Larry and Drew Nelson, and Lee and Connor Janzen were another stroke back at 10 under.

“We had a slow start,” Davis Love III said. “We had a chip-in at 16 that really fired us up and we birdied the last few. It was a great way to finish.”

Defending champions Bernhard and Jason Langer were tied for ninth at 63.

Jack and Gary Nicklaus were tied for 14th at 64.

“I actually hit the ball pretty decent,” Jack Nicklaus said. “We got off to a good start, but we didn’t do a whole lot. Gary wasn’t totally on his game and didn’t carry his dad as much as I’d thought he would and his dad didn’t respond when he didn’t carry me. Neither one of us were quite there today, but we had a good time. We made a few putts. We’re two or three shots from being really right there. We just have to be there tomorrow.”

 

Asian Tour rookie from France leads in Thailand by 2 shots

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Clement Sordet (Richard Heathcote/ Getty Images)

CHONBURI, Thailand – Clement Sordet of France produced an unblemished 9-under-par 63 to steal the lead from Jamie Donaldson of Wales by two strokes after the third round of the Thailand Golf Championship on Saturday.

Sordet made seven birdies and eagled the par-5 15th hole for the outright lead, his first on the Asian Tour. Sordet turned pro this year after graduating from university in the United States, and usually competes on the European Tour’s second-tier Challenge Tour.

“I just stayed patient, but honestly I had no idea I was 9-under at the end,” he said. “So, 9-under, I’m pretty happy about it.”

Donaldson, leading since the opening round, began the day with a two-shot lead but fell two behind and clung on to second place.

He mixed in six birdies, three bogeys, and a double bogey on the par-4 12th to submit a 1-under 71 and a three-day total of 14-under 202.

“I was cruising. Playing not great but doing enough until 12, which was a killer,” Donaldson said. “Tomorrow’s another day, and I just have to get off to a quick start. I’ve done enough to stay in the tournament – I’m still in it.”

Defending champion Lee Westwood was in contention for a third title at Amata Spring Country Club after carding 64 to be 13 under for the tournament, three off the lead. He was alone in third place.

“I was confident and in control, and it has got to do with being on a course which I’ve won twice before,” Westwood said. “I hit it close a lot, and I played with a new putter. It feels a lot more stable, and I’m rolling the ball quite nicely with it.”

Another stroke behind in fourth was European Tour rookie of the year Byeong-hun An of South Korea (68).

Tied for fifth, five shots off the pace, were 2013 champion Sergio Garcia (70), and last year’s runner-up, Martin Kaymer (72).

 

PGA Tour

Hoffman-Berger take 1-stroke lead at Shootout in Florida

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Daniel Berger (Stanley Chou/ Getty Images)

NAPLES, Fla. – Charley Hoffman and Daniel Berger had a one-stroke lead after Friday’s second round of the Franklin Templeton Shootout

Hoffman-Berger had birdies on the last three holes to finish 8 under for the day and 20-under 124 for the tournament. They led Brandt Snedeker and Jason Dufner and opening-day leaders Matt Kuchar and Harris English by a stroke.

Hoffman-Berger birdied Nos. 2-4, 12-13 and 16-18 to go ahead.

“Obviously, we all want to win,” Berger said. “But we just go in there with some low expectations and just keep doing what we’ve been doing.”

Five teams are within five shots of the leaders after the modified alternate-shot format.

Dufner-Snedeker opened the day with three straight birdies, got to 15 under at No. 6, then bogeyed No. 9. They birdied three of their first four holes on back nine before getting more birdies on Nos. 16 and 17.

Mike Weir and Sean O’Hair are 12-under and share 10th with Kenny Perry and Steve Stricker.

The final round will be Saturday, with a best-ball format.

Team Canada

Young Pro Squad’s Svensson takes outright lead at Web.com Tour Qualifying

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Adam Svensson (Claus Andersen/ Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada)

Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. – Canadian Adam Svensson started the second round of the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament with four consecutive birdies on the par-72 Fazio Course at PGA National Resort & Spa en route to a 7-under-par 65. The 21-year-old from Surrey, Vancouver, British Columbia’s 14-under 129 total is good for a commanding five-stroke lead over former No. 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking Ollie Schniederjans (68).

In a tie for third, six back, are PGA TOUR Latinoamérica alum Justin Hueber (69) and Australian Alistair Presnell (68).

Another six players are knotted at 7-under 136 and tied for fifth.

Svensson opened with a 64 on the tougher Champions Course on Thursday and successfully carried that momentum into Friday. After three consecutive birdies to the start the second round, the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada alum blocked his tee shot right on the par-5, 4th hole behind a group of trees. After a successful layup, Svensson flushed his third, a 9-iron from 142 yards, to 15 feet behind the hole and drained the tricky downhill putt for birdie.

“I was hitting it pretty well,” said Svensson, who found every green in regulation on the front nine. “Every shot was close to the pin and I just kept it going.”

This past season, Svensson had an opportunity to earn a PGA TOUR card through the Web.com Tour with a victory at the Regular Season finale. This past fall at the WinCo Foods Portland Open presented Kraft Heinz the former two-time All-American at Barry University had a one-shot lead over Dicky Pride heading into the weekend and carded 74-71 to fall back into a tie for 13th place.

The tournament did not end the way Svensson had hoped but he was able to take away some positives from the experience.

“I think the Oregon event helped me out a lot,” said Svensson. “I learned a lot from it and I think it was a good thing what happened to me there.”

With two rounds left before a champion is crowned, Svensson knows he must finish strong the final two days to accomplish his goal for the week.

“It’s huge to have full status and get into every event,” said Svensson, who made seven starts on Tour this past season. “It’s good to pick your own schedule, but I’m having fun and looking forward to the weekend.”

One key to Svensson’s success this week has been his play from off the tee. Through two rounds, he is T1 in Driving Accuracy (25 of 28).

Svensson’s 36-hole total of 129 (-14) is the lowest of his professional career. His previous low 36-hole total of 130 (-14) came at the WinCo Foods Portland Open presented by Kraft Heinz on the Web.com Tour.

The last time Svensson competed at PGA National Resort & Spa, he was a member of the Barry University golf team and led the Buccaneers to a 19-stroke win in the three-day event. Svensson used a second-round 64 to win the individual title by three strokes.

Players will be repaired for the third and final rounds according to scores. The leaders will play the Fazio Course in the third round and the Champion Course in the final round.

Donaldson stays in front in Thailand after 2nd round

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Jamie Donaldson (Richard Heathcote/ Getty Images)

CHONBURI, Thailand – Jamie Donaldson of Wales leads the Thailand Championship into the weekend by two shots over Martin Kaymer after the second round on Friday.

Donaldson carded a 4-under-par 68 to lie at 13 under in the Asian Tour event at Amata Spring Country Club.

Kaymer, the runner-up last year, sank eight birdies against a single bogey on the 14th hole, for a second round of 65 and two-day total at 11 under.

Former champion Sergio Garcia featured in a three-man group tied for third at 9 under.

Donaldson started on the back nine and made four birdies, but ran into trouble on the front nine with three birdies and three bogeys.

“You need to keep the momentum going and I managed to do that today,” he said. “It was a great temperature at the start of the day but it got really hot on my back nine which is the front nine.”

Kaymer thought his round was an improvement on Thursday but merely solid.

“There wasn’t really any highlight for me,” he said. “I just hit good iron shots towards the greens, and gave myself a lot of good chances for birdies. I didn’t miss many putts.”

Garcia also struggled in the heat on his back nine and shot a 69, to tie with Matthew Fitzpatrick of England (67), and Chinnarat Phadungsil of Thailand (69).

Defending champion Lee Westwood improved with a 68 after his opening 71, to be eight shots behind Donaldson.

Amateur

Record year for CN Future Links Learn to Play

temp fix empty alt images for attachment

Canada’s flagship junior program, CN Future Links, is set to enter its twentieth year of golf on the heels of a season which saw Learn to Play numbers climb to reach record highs.

With the wind at its back, CN Future Links marched forward to hit 7,130 participants in the summer of 2015—up from 2,860 since 2010. Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer, Jeff Thompson, credits the national success of the program to strengthened collaboration with program partners.

“The measured success we have achieved with CN Future Links would be not be attainable without the continued support of our partners,” said Thompson. “Together, we have continued to push the needle in terms of evolving the program and growing participation at the grassroots level.”

Nationally, CN Future Links is powered by a team of dedicated supporters, led by title sponsor CN railway. Since 2006, CN has been at the forefront of junior golf in Canada, extending the values of the sport while promoting health and safety to youth to communities across Canada.

Learn to Play, the feature program of CN Future Links, has continued to evolve over its 12 years of existence, most recently with a free mobile app for instructors and a new progress reward from apparel sponsor, Cobra PUMA Golf. Upon completing one of the four stages, participants receive a highly popular Puma hat branded with the CN Future Links stage colour completed (at no cost to the instructor).

The diagram below outlines how each reward aligns with golf’s Long-Term Player Development Model and PGA of Canada’s coaching stream context.

15-12-11 - Learn to Play Story

Looking to get a jump on next year’s programming? Learn more about CN Future Links here.

Canada’s Svensson shares lead at Web.com Tour Q-School

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Adam Svensson (Claus Andersen/ Mackenzie Tour - PGA Tour Canada)

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Canadian Adam Svensson and Georgia’s Rick Lamb share the first-round lead at the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament after each finished at 7 under for the day.

Svensson’s 64 came on the par-71 Champion Course, while Lamb fired a 65 on the par-72 Fazio Course at PGA National Resort & Spa.

Four players are tied for third at 6 under: Taiwan’s Cheng Tsung Pan, Ollie Schniederjans, T.J. Vogel and Austin Cook.

Svensson, who finished ninth on the 2015 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Order of Merit in only six starts, finished his round on the front nine with an eagle on the par-5 third and birdies on the final three holes.

“I hit it exceptional all day today,” said Svensson, who turned professional earlier this year. “I had a couple of nice putts drop there in the end including a tricky right-to-left putt on the ninth that somehow ended up rolling in.”

The 21-year-old was quick to admit that a strong round on the more difficult Champion Course will give him an advantage heading into the second round.

“It was huge,” he said. “I just have to go out tomorrow and stay focused and not think about anything that happened today and just stick to the game plan.”

With ideal scoring conditions greeting players on Thursday, Lamb, 25, took advantage of the Fazio Course with eight birdies on the day, including one final effort on the par-4 18th.

“Got on a little roll and went with it,” Lamb said. “Hit a 7-iron from 165 yards into the wind and had 5 feet for birdie.”

Even after an early bogey on the fifth hole, the University of Tennessee alum was able to bounce back with a birdie on the par-4 sixth to keep his round in control.

“I’m pretty pleased with the start,” he said. “You can’t complain when you shoot 7 under so I am happy with the way everything started today. It’s more relaxing knowing I am in a good position but I still have three more days and need to continue to play well.”

The Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament is a four-day, 72-hole competition that ends on Sunday, Dec. 13. The tournament is being contested at the PGA National Resort & Spa’s Champion Course (CC) and Fazio Course (FC). The Champion Course has played host to The Honda Classic on the PGA TOUR since 2007. The Fazio Course plays to a par-72, while the Champion Course plays to a par-71.

There were nearly 1,000 entries for the tournament, which included previous Pre-Qualifying, First and Second stages that began in August.

A total of 155 players began play on Thursday morning.

Players in this event are competing for positions on 2016 Web.com Tour priority ranking, which will be used to form tournament fields. The medalist (or co-medalists) will be guaranteed fully-exempt status next year. Players 2-10 (and ties) will be subject to the third reshuffle next year and players 11-45 (and ties) will be subject to the second reshuffle.

This week’s medalist will earn $25,000. Players 2-10 (and ties) will earn $15,000 each. Players 11-45 (and ties) will earn $10,000 each.

Brooke Henderson LPGA Tour

Henderson hopes to build on strong LPGA Tour season in Olympic year

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Brooke Henderson (Harry How/ Getty Images)

TORONTO – Brooke Henderson had two dreams come true this year: she became a member of the LPGA Tour and won her first tournament at that level.

She’s setting her sights even higher in 2016.

Henderson hopes to continue her ascent on the top women’s professional golf circuit and also lead Canada to the podium when the sport makes its return to the Olympic program next summer in Rio.

She got a chance to learn more about the Olympic experience at this week’s Canadian Olympic Committee symposium at a downtown Toronto hotel. Watching promotional videos of fellow Canadians winning medals and hearing the national anthem has her counting down the days until the 2016 Games.

“Every time I watch those videos, I get goose bumps. My blood runs crazy,” Henderson said Thursday. “It’s an amazing opportunity that I have just to play in the Olympics and to play on the LPGA Tour.

“They’re both dreams that I’ve had since I was young and now this year is the first year that I can achieve both of those.”

Henderson, a former top-ranked amateur, showed this past season that she was the real deal. She finished third at the Swinging Skirts LPGA stop last April before picking up fifth-place ties at the Women’s PGA Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open.

Her statement performance came in August at the Cambia Portland Classic, when she blew away the field with a whopping eight-stroke victory.

Henderson was about three weeks shy of her 18th birthday at the time. She was granted immediate LPGA Tour membership by commissioner Mike Whan after the win.

The teenager from Smiths Falls, Ont., has since climbed to No. 18 on the Tour’s ranking list. Henderson is planning a full schedule in 2016 and plans to treat the Games like the sixth major of the season.

“The Olympics is a dream that I had as a little girl,” she said. “I didn’t know what sport or what I was going to do or how I was going to get there. But I wanted to be in the Olympics and I wanted to share the same passion as all these other athletes that I watched on TV in the Winter and Summer Games.

“So Rio is in August, it’s going to be a long summer and it’s going to be a long season. But it’s definitely something that I want to peak for and I want to represent Canada as best as I can.”

Sixty golfers will compete in the four-round women’s stroke play competition at the Aug. 5-21 Games. Golf was last played at the Olympics in 1904.

“I’ve won on the LPGA Tour, I’ve competed against the best in the world, I know (Olympic success) is possible,” Henderson said. “Hopefully if I can move my ranking up a little bit more, I’ll be seen as a contender in Rio.”

Official player nominations aren’t expected to be made until July, but Henderson is a virtual lock for the Canadian team. She’s looking forward to the pressure and the high expectations.

“It’s fun to have because you’re expected to do great things,” she said. “I’m really excited to go and represent my country and be the best that I can be.”

PGA Tour

English and Kuchar lead Franklin Templeton Shootout

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
(Harris English/ Matt Kuchar (Michael O’Bryon)

NAPLES, Fla. -Matt Kuchar and Harris English made a run at the record in the first round of the Franklin Templeton Shootout.

They’re in the lead with a 14-under 58 at the Tiburon Golf Club. Billy Horschel-Hunter Mahan and Graeme McDowell-Gary Woodland are tied for second with 59s.

Kuchar and English opened with an eagle on No. 1 and followed with three straight birdies. They had two birdies from Nos. 5-9 and three straight birdies from Nos. 13-15 on the back nine. They finished with an eagle on No. 17 and birdie on No. 18.

“Having Kooch as a backup guy is pretty good,” English said. “I know if I mess up or I miss a putt, I wouldn’t want anybody else hitting a shot or putting behind me.”

Second-ranked Jason Day, who won last year’s event with Cameron Tringale, withdrew last week. Kuchar and English got close to the tournament record of 55, set by Day and Tringale last year.

“Having a partner lets you be a little bit more aggressive, lets you be a little more free-swinging,” Kuchar said. “We’ve just formed a good partnership and get in a pretty good groove out there.”

Since being paired in 2013, Kuchar and English have gone 79 under in their seven rounds. That’s an average of a little better than 11 under per round.

Horschel-Mahan birdied their first three holes and went birdie-eagle-birdie to end their day. They also eagled No. 14.

The format Friday will be modified alternate shot. Horschel said they’d be pleased to go 13 under again.

“I think we’re going to come in here with some pretty big smiles on our face,” he said.

 

Canada’s Mike Weir and former RBC Canadian Open champion, Sean O’Hair, are T11th at -7 with Steve Stricker and and Kenny Perry.