If there’s any knock against golf resorts, it’s that they often have middling courses. Good enough and well-conditioned, certainly, but not great. This is understandable – the courses must appeal to a wide range of skills and the emphasis is on fun rather than challenge. People are on vacation, after all. Who wants to get beaten up?

That said, Canada is blessed with plenty of exceptions to the rule. From Humber Valley and Highlands Links in the East to Banff Springs, Jasper Park and Whistler in the West, Canada has resorts that combine top-notch accommodations with truly great golf. While the latter examples are well-known and well-documented, here are another five in Canada that are either emerging or perhaps a little less known.

1. CABOT LINKS, INVERNESS, N.S.

STAY: The contemporary design of the resort’s 60-room lodge stands out in this former coal-mining village in Cape Breton, but the building’s low-slung profile and low-key luxe feel right for a beachy setting. The most outstanding feature might be the views: cleverly, every room looks onto Cabot Links and the ocean. Another 16 rooms are available in villas.

PLAY: Cabot Links, regarded as Canada’s only true links, has captured the attention of golf aficionados, and for good reason. Rod Whitman designed an epic playground of wonderful holes in a stunning seaside setting. When the wind blows, it’s even more fun.

LET’S PLAY TWO: Any of The Lakes, Le Portage or Bell Bay nearby would do, but let’s be honest: Cabot Cliffs, a sister course to Cabot Links that’s perched on a cliff, as its name suggests, is the world’s new bucket list course so it’s the one to insist upon. It opened this past Canada Day.

BEYOND GOLF: The Cabot Trail along Cape Breton’s coast is one of Canada’s most scenic drives. Lots to do along the way, from kayaking and hiking to whale watching and local dining.

2. COBBLE BEACH, KEMPLE, ONT.

STAY: The Nantucket-style clubhouse has more than just the typical golf amenities, such as a pro shop and 19th hole. The upper floor is an upscale inn with 10 rooms, all with different layouts and capacities. How cool is it to sleep right in the clubhouse?

PLAY: Architect Doug Carrick has courses that are more highly regarded, but Cobble Beach is surely his most fun. The hummocky fairways ensure a lively ground game, the wide fairways on the front nine give way to tighter passageways on the back, and his ingenious use of the sloping property provides a view of Georgian Bay from every hole. Yes, every hole.

LET’S PLAY TWO: The Golf Club at Lora Bay isn’t exactly next door – it’s nearly an hour away – but the Thomas McBroom design is worth the drive. It’s scenic, features lots of elevation changes (the first tee shot is dazzling) and has a pleasant detour through a former orchard on the back nine. Play well and you’ll score well.

BEYOND GOLF: The Tom Thomson Art Gallery in nearby Owen Sound is the rare small-town museum with big-city cred — a terrific showcase for one of the Sound’s most famous sons.

3. ROCKY CREST, MACTIER, ONT.

STAY: Suites, villas, cottages and cabins are nestled in the trees beside Lake Joseph at this authentic Muskoka resort. It’s family oriented (pools, water activities) but it’s also great for buddy trips, given some of the suites can comfortably hold four or more.

PLAY: Rocky Crest doesn’t pack as big a wow factor as some Muskoka courses, and is perhaps better for it. Rock outcroppings are integrated but not overused or intrusive, fairways are framed by forest and wetlands but playable. Setting it apart from many resort courses, it’s walkable.

LET’S PLAY TWO: Rocky Crest is owned by ClubLink, which has two other courses in the region (Lake Joseph and the Mark O’Meara Course at Grandview). They’re just fine, but Ridge at Manitou, 45 minutes north, deserves more love than it gets, if for nothing else because of its gorgeous 18th hole and its intimate clubhouse.

BEYOND GOLF: Muskoka is dotted with villages and towns that make for a pleasant shopping or lunch excursion, say Port Carling or Bracebridge. Algonquin Provincial Park to the north is Canadian nature at its best. You might even see a moose.

4. WOLF CREEK, PONOKA, ALTA.

STAY: A two-bedroom cabin sits just off the ninth hole on the resort’s Links course. A large, full-serviced campground can accommodate plenty more visitors. So bring your RV or even your tent.

PLAY: The Old Course at Wolf Creek is the original and tighter of the resort’s two layouts. It is strong early work from designer Rod Whitman, who has gone on to create other masterpieces, including Cabot Links in Nova Scotia and Sagebrush in British Columbia.

LET’S PLAY TWO: The resort’s second 18, the Links, is also a Whitman creation but has a more expansive feel. The back nine, added in 2010 to an existing front nine from 1996, is especially good.

BEYOND GOLF: What’s a trip to Alberta without a little cowboy culture? The Ponoka Stampede, held the last week of June each year, is a smaller version of its Calgary cousin and features six days of rodeo and chuckwagon racing.

5. PREDATOR RIDGE, VERNON, B.C.

STAY: The main lodge has panoramic views of the Monashee Mountains and parts of the resort’s two courses. More intimate retreats are available at the cottages and villas built along the 17th and 18th holes on the Ridge course.

PLAY: The Ridge is fun, very playable, winds through mountainous terrain, and features extraordinary elevation changes and provides some of the most jaw-dropping views in Canadian golf. Your best shots of the day might be with your camera.

LET’S PLAY TWO: With its views of Lake Okanagan, the Golf Club at the Rise also delivers lots of eye candy. Anyone with a big game – and time to travel – might also head to Kamloops 90 minutes away to play Tobiano, a course that’s demanding but spectacularly unique (and vaguely lunar) in its appearance.

BEYOND GOLF: It might seem odd for guests of one outstanding resort to spend time at another resort nearby, but Sparkling Hill in Vernon is worth a look, if only to see the 3.5 million pieces of Swarovski crystal incorporated into its design. Otherwise, the Okanagan Valley is wine country – take a guided or self-guided tour of the many vineyards.

Bill Penny of the University of Alberta – Augustana Vikings has been named the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Golf Coach of the Year.

Penny received the award this evening at the 2015 PING CCAA Golf National Championship banquet in Abbotsford, BC.

Penny led the Vikings men’s golf team to gold at the ACAC Championships in only their third year of existence.

“As a coach, he has taken the program at University of Alberta – Augustana from start up to conference championship in three short years,” said CCAA Golf Convenor Albert Roche. “This result is a testament to his coaching ability and his commitment to achieving long term goals.”

Braxton Fox and Michael Harrison of the Vikings won individual gold and silver, respectively, at this year’s Conference Championships.

In the program’s first season, two players went to the ACAC Championships. In Year 2, five made it to provincials and this season, all nine players qualified for the Conference Championships.

Through his continuing education, Penny earned the status of Master Professional in 2003, an accomplishment very few in the CPGA have achieved. Basing his Thesis on his experiences throughout a great career, “Building and Managing a World Class Golf Facility” is truly an interesting read for many aspiring professionals and everyday golfers alike.

Penny has positioned himself as a true leader in the industry, well versed and knowledgeable in all aspects of the game and business of golf.

“Bill has devoted a career towards the development of golf in Canada and beyond,” said Roche.

Other nominees:

Gert Van Niekerk – Douglas Royals

• Van Niekerk guided an inexperienced Douglas Royals men’s team to a fourth place finish in the PACWEST. Despite having a roster featuring four first-year golfers, the Royals competed extremely well against strong opposition on the West Coast. As the founder of the Sport Science Faculty and Athletics at Douglas College, Van Niekerk has fostered life-long relationships with thousands of student-athletes over the last 45 years.

Kevin Corriveau – St. Clair Saints

• Corriveau led the St. Clair Saints women’s team to a third-place finish at the OCAA Championships and a berth to Nationals. Under his guidance, the women’s team has won team medals the last four consecutive years. Corriveau, a PGA of Canada Class A Member, has coached at St. Clair for 14 years. The Saints men’s team placed fourth at the Niagara Invitational.

Benoit Lemieux – Boomerang d’AL

• Lemieux guided Cégep André-Laurendeau, a team with four rookies, to the overall RSEQ Championship. First-year player Brendan Smith finished second in the Order of Merit. Former student-athletes Hugo Bernard (St-Leo University) and Etienne Brault (Chattanooga Tennessee University) have recently graduated from the program.

Daniel Cudmore – Holland Hurricanes

• Cudmore led the Holland Hurricanes to ACAA Championships in men’s and women’s golf. He has rebuilt Holland’s men’s team, which lost three members from last year’s CCAA National Champion squad. Cudmore has also been successful in getting a women’s team back into competition.

Victoria native Cory Renfrew posted a 7-under 65 to earn medalist honours at the Monday Qualifier for the Frys.com Open – the season-opening event on the PGA Tour.

The 29-year-old collected eight birdies en route to a four-stroke victory over runners-up Ben Geyer, Eric Hallberg and David Bradshaw. The quartet completed the full field of 144 hoping to notch a win at Silverado Country Club in Napa, Calif.

Renfrew spent this past season honing his game on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada circuit, finishing 40^th on the money list.

This will be the UBC graduate’s third foray on the PGA Tour. He Monday qualified into the 2015 Waste Management Open and finished T59 and played in the 2012 RBC Canadian Open.

Renfrew will join fellow British Columbians Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin, as well as, David Hearn (Brantford, Ont.) and Graham DeLaet (Weyburn, Sask.) to complete the Canadian contingent vying to begin the 2015-16 campaign with a victory.

Weyburn, SK. – Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Canadian PGA TOUR star Graham DeLaet has adopted 37 Saskatchewan schools into the Golf in Schools program through funds raised by the 2013 Graham DeLaet Charity Golf Classic in support of junior golf—an event conducted in conjunction with Golf Saskatchewan.

“My wife Ruby and I created our Foundation with the goal of supporting golf at the junior grassroots level and giving back to the community from which I came. So we are very proud to help grow the game in my home province by bringing it to so many students,” said DeLaet, a graduate of Team Canada’s National Squad. “We are excited to help teach the values of golf to youth in Saskatchewan and look forward to seeing some future stars born through the program.”

DeLaet became an ambassador of the Golf in Schools program earlier this year in June. The funds raised from the 2013 event have gone toward covering the cost of 20 secondary, two intermediate and 15 elementary schools, including four in DeLaet’s hometown of Weyburn, SK.

“Growing our junior golf programs and providing more opportunities for youth to get involved with the sport is a major priority,” said Brian Lee, Executive Director of Golf Saskatchewan. “As an association we have been proactive in adopting and developing new junior programs for schools and golf clubs to endorse throughout the province and we are grateful for Graham and Ruby’s continued support.”

With the additional adoptions from the support of the Graham and Ruby DeLaet Foundation, the Golf in Schools program is now in over 70% of schools in Saskatchewan, which Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer Jeff Thompson recognizes as significant growth for junior golf and the future of the sport.

“Along with our national and provincial partners, we are very pleased to see the continued growth of junior golf through the Golf in Schools program across Canada,” said Thompson. “We also recognize that there are still a number of schools without the program, which we intend to reach through the help of our great supporters, including Graham and Ruby.”

Currently offered in more than 2,400 elementary and close to 300 high schools across Canada, Golf in Schools provides children with a basic introduction to golf through the Canadian school physical education curriculum. The program features three curriculum levels: grades 1– 5 and high school level along with the newly launched intermediate level for students in grades 6–8.

Launched in 2009, the Golf in Schools program—which is endorsed by Physical Health and Education Canada (PHE Canada)—is conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with the PGA of Canada and the provincial golf associations. The Golf in Schools program consists of safety-approved golf equipment, along with a relevant teaching resource for teachers to deliver lesson plans to students.

New in 2015, Golf Canada partnered with the University of Ottawa to include a Life Skills component throughout all three levels of the program. The Life Skills element incorporates fundamental skills and values such as respect, perseverance, and honesty—all of which are fully integrated into the teacher-friendly learning resources.

The DeLaet’s support of the Golf in Schools program dates to back to September 2014, when along with his wife Ruby, donated $1 per twitter follower (@Fore_Kids) to Golf in Schools upon launching the Graham and Ruby DeLaet Foundation.

The Graham and Ruby DeLaet Foundation is focused on improving the health and wellness of children and supporting the development of junior golfers at all stages. More information on Graham and the Graham and Ruby DeLaet Foundation is available at www.grahamdelaet.com

More information about the Golf in Schools program including the school adoption program is available at www.golfinschools.ca

The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association is proud to announce the 2015 CCAA Golf All-Canadians.

The student-athletes, who are selected by their conference based on performance and contribution to the sport and their team, were honoured at a banquet during the 2015 PING CCAA Golf National Championships in Abbotsford, BC.

PACWEST

Brady Stead – Camosun Chargers

• Stead captured the PACWEST gold medal for Individual Cumulative Scoring and was named the PACWEST Player of the Year. A fifth-year player, Stead also led the Chargers to the Conference League Championship. He has a never-ending work ethic and has developed into a leader at Camosun.

Connor O’Dell – UFV Cascades

• The veteran finished second in the PACWEST overall standings and was victorious at the UFV Invitational by three strokes. O’Dell was the Cascades top performer as they won the PACWEST team silver medal. In his third year of eligibility, O’Dell was UFV’s highest-ranked golfer and a terrific leader.

Hannah Dirksen – UFV Cascades

• Dirksen captured the PACWEST individual title by four strokes and also had wins at the KPU and UFV Invitationals. She led the Cascades to a silver-medal performance at the Conference Championship. Dirkson has stepped into the No. 1 role with the Cascades and has become the leader of the squad.

Carolyn Lee – UBC Okanagan Heat

• Lee won two PACWEST tournaments and also led the Heat to a gold medal in team play. She defines student-athlete having been named a recipient of both the CCAA National Scholar and CCAA Academic All-Canadian awards. Her work habits in the classroom translate directly to her efforts on the course, where she has also excelled as a team leader at UBC-O.

ACAC

Braxton Fox – Augustana Vikings

• Fox fired a final-round 74 to capture the gold medal in individual play at the ACAC Championship. He also led the Vikings to a first-place finish in the team event. The Bachelor of Science in Physical Education student hopes to one day become an NHL referee.

Michael Harrison – Augustana Vikings

• Harrison led the Augustana Vikings men’s team to a Conference Championship in Alberta. The rookie finished second individually at the ACAC Championship, only two shots out of the gold-medal position. Harrison is a Physical Education and Kinesiology student at Augustana.

Kate Griffiths – Red Deer Queens

• Griffiths earned a silver medal at the ACAC Championship. She was victorious at the ACAC North Regional Qualifier. Griffiths is extremely dedicated and driven to excel. She leads by example and pushes her peers and teammates to excel through her dedication and hard work.

Elizabeth Stewart – MacEwan Griffins

• The ACAC Player of the Year and Order of Merit winner led the Griffins to a third ACAC Championship in as many seasons. She also finished in the silver medal positions at both the North and South Regionals. Stewart has been recognized as a favourite in the ACAC to play with because of her attitude and smile. She was awarded the 2014 CCAA Fair Play Award as voted on by fellow competitors and coaches.

OCAA

Evan Littlefield – Niagara Knights

• Littlefield led Niagara to the OCAA Championship. The Knights were also victorious at the Fanshawe Invitational and Niagara Classic. He fired a final round 69 to capture the individual title at the Conference Championship. Littlefield is a consummate team player and a grinder on the course.

Scott Benzoni – Humber Hawks

• Benzoni captured a pair of silver medals at the OCAA Championships. He placed second individually and led the Hawks to a second-place finish in the team event, only two strokes away from gold. Benzoni became Humber’s go-to player this season and he is one of the finest competitors and gentlemen in collegiate golf.

Lorelle Weavers – Niagara Knights

• Weavers fired consistent rounds of 75-76-75 to capture gold at the OCAA Championships. She was also victorious at the Fanshawe and Georgian Invitationals. The defending CCAA National Champion is a model student-athlete, having also been named an Academic All-Canadian. Weavers’ friendly demeanor with her competitors hides the fierce competitive fire she has.

Emilie Tyndall – Georgian Grizzlies

• Tyndall led Georgian to gold in team play at the OCAA Championship and finished second overall individually. She and the Grizzlies were victorious at the Niagara Invitational. Tyndall’s upbeat personality and focus was contagious this season as she clearly established herself as a leader at Georgian.n tremendous leadership.

RSEQ

Étienne Papineau – St. Lawrence Lions

• Papineau captured the RSEQ individual gold medal, winning two events, including the Conference Championship. He finished the season third in the Quebec Order of Merit standings. Papineau, who finished tenth at the Junior World Championship, is a member of Golf Canada’s development team.

Brendan Smith – Boomerang d’André-Laurendeau

• Smith fired his best round of the season, a one-under par 71, at Continental to lead the André-Laurendeau Boomerang to the RSEQ Championship. Smith is a great teammate with a strong commitment to his game.

Annie Lacombe – Vanier Cheetahs

• Lacombe fired two consistent rounds of 78 at Continental to earn a second-place finish at the RSEQ Championship.

Noémie Ouellette – St. Lawrence Lions

• Ouellette earned the RSEQ individual gold medal, with victories at every conference tournament. Back-to-back 74’s gave her an eight-shot win at the Conference Championship. Ouellette finished the season fourth in the Quebec Junior Girls Order of Merit standings. The Lions captain has also shown tremendous leadership.

ACAA

Josh Landine – UNB Varsity Reds

• In Landine’s first year of varsity golf, he captured the individual gold medal at the ACAA Championships. He finished in the Top 3 in all four events, including two victories. Landine has an extremely strong work ethic. He is a quiet leader and a true role model for other student-athletes.

Nick Earle – UNB Varsity Reds

• Earle led the Varsity Reds to a second-place finish in the ACAA Championships in their first season of play. The rookie also placed second individually at the Conference Championships. The UNB men’s team was victorious in two of four ACAA events this season.

Jaylene Holmes-Tang – Holland Hurricanes

• Holmes-Tang finished second individually at the ACAA Championships and led the Hurricanes to gold in the team event. She was victorious at the UNB Invitational. Holmes-Tang, a 2014 National Scholar award recipient, is a dual athlete who has also participated at the CCAA Curling National Championships.

Karleigh McEwen – Holland Hurricanes

• In her first season at Holland, McEwen earned victories at two tournaments as well as the ACAA Championship. She also led the Hurricanes to the ACAA team title. McEwen had the lowest scoring average in the conference and improved her play with every round.

TRINITY, Tex. – Four Canadians combined to tally a 3-under 141 in Monday’s opening round of four-ball at the Spirit International at the Whispering Pines Golf Club.

Collectively, the Canadian squad sits in a tie for seventeenth, 11 strokes back of the leading Norwegians who carded a 14-under 130.

Representing Canada on the women’s side are dual-citizen Maddie Szeryk and Ottawa native Grace St-Germain. Together, the duo posted a 2-under 70 led by three birdies on the back nine from Szeryk.

On the men’s side, former Team Canada members Hugo Bernard of Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., and Eric Banks of Truro, N.S., combined for a 1-under par 71.

Accompanying the Canucks in Texas as team captain is Robert Ratcliffe, Team Canada’s Lead Development Squad Coach. Ratcliffe, a class “A” professional with the PGA of Canada, looks forward to the next two rounds and hopes to build on Monday’s performance.

“Not exactly the performance we were hoping for today but we’re remaining optimistic heading into the next couple rounds,” said Ratcliffe, a Comox, B.C., native. “There are a couple adjustments we’ll make heading into tomorrow and we are feeling confident that we can build on today and post some lower scores in the coming rounds.”

The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship is a 54-hole four-ball stroke-play competition with three concurrent competition categories: International Team, Men’s Team and Women’s Team. Unofficial individual competitions are also conducted—with PGA TOUR and LPGA TOUR exemptions awarded to the gold medalists. The men will compete for a spot in the Crowne Plaza Invitational, while the women will compete for a spot to play in the Volunteers of America North Texas Shootout.

The event features world-class amateurs from over 20 countries across six continents. Conducted at the Whispering Pines Golf Club since its inception in 2001, the Spirit is a biennial event alternating years with the World Amateur Team Championship. The Spirit is hosted by the World Health & Golf Association, a charitable organization dedicated to promoting amateur golf for the benefit of health related reasons.

Click here for live scoring.

CARY, N.C. – Tom Lehman had an eagle and three birdies in the final four holes Sunday to win the Champions Tour’s SAS Championship.

The 56-year-old Lehman birdied the par-4 15th and 16th, eagled the par-5 17th and birdied the par-4 18th for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke victory over Joe Durant.

“It’s just nice to get back in the winner’s circle,” Lehman said. “It’s nice to see the putts drop when you need them most.”

Lehman finished at 12-under 204 at Prestonwood Country Club and earned $315,000 for his ninth victory on the 50-and-over tour and first since June 2014.

“I knew that there was a lot of guys really bunched up, and I knew that nobody was running away with it,” Lehman said. “I was 7 under from the 10th hole on … and nobody was really making any big move, so the game was still on. (Durant) played well, but he didn’t get way ahead where we couldn’t catch him. So, he kept everybody – the last group kept everybody in the game.”

Durant closed with a 68. Needing to hole out from the fairway on the 18th to force a playoff, he hit close to set up his final birdie. He missed a 4-foot birdie putt on 17.

“You’ve got make a four there,” Durant said. “I knew that (Lehman) had made a three, and from the crowd, I figured he made a birdie on 18, too. He just finished great. He did what you have to do to win a golf tournament out there, and I just finished a little short.”

Bernhard Langer and Kenny Perry tied for third at 10 under. Langer shot a 68. Perry, the second-round leader, had a 70. Colin Montgomerie tied for fifth at 8 under after a 66.

“So disappointing in many ways, the week to be honest, but that’s my best finish here,” Montgomerie said. “At least I got a top 10 here.”

Montgomerie took sole possession of first place in the Charles Schwab Cup race, 39 points ahead of Jeff Maggert after they began they week tied. Langer is third with three events left.

Canada’s Stephen Ames tied for 16th at 4-under 212.

WOBURN, England – Matthew Fitzpatrick signaled his emergence as one of Europe’s most prominent young golfers on Sunday, shooting a 3-under 68 to complete a wire-to-wire victory in the British Masters at Woburn for his first professional title.

The 21-year-old Englishman, playing his first full professional season on the European Tour, shot five birdies in his final round to win by two strokes and finish on a 15-under total of 269.

“I honestly did not think I was going to win this year,” Fitzpatrick said, even though he finished second in the European Masters in Switzerland in July. “A wire-to-wire victory is unbelievable for me, I really feel that is an amazing achievement. I dreamt of doing it but I never thought I would be good enough.”

Fitzpatrick’s front nine was quiet and unspectacular, making seven pars, a bogey and a birdie on the fourth to go out in 35 shots for par.

But the 2013 U.S. amateur champion shifted gears on the back nine with four birdies.

“It was frustrating after the front nine, I could not get anything going,” Fitzpatrick said. “But the back nine, I started brightly and it felt like I was swinging it a little bit better and I managed to pull it off.”

Fitzpatrick was jostling for the lead with Soren Kjeldsen (69) at the top of the leaderboard on the closing stretch and they both missed putts for the outright lead within minutes of each other on Nos. 13 and 14.

Fitzpatrick saw an eight-footer slide another two feet beyond the hole on the 13th, which he returned for par, while Kjeldsen spurned a straight one from 12 feet moments after on the 14th.

It was Kjeldsen, 19 years Fitzpatrick’s senior, who crumpled under the pressure.

On the par-5 15th, he gave himself a 30-foot putt for eagle, but an excessive swing saw his ball race off the green. The 40-year-old Dane rescued par, before a wild and wayward tee shot on No. 16 settled in the rough, behind the base of a tree.

He escaped, but failed to get up and down for par from 60 feet, by which point Fitzpatrick had demonstrated his composure to surge two shots clear.

After Fitzpatrick escaped from a fairway bunker on the 15th, a resplendent approach with his 8-iron from 175 yards settled 20 feet before the flag. On the same green that had troubled Kjeldsen moments before, the youngest player in the field rolled the ball firmly into the center of the cup for birdie.

On the par-3 17th, Fitzpatrick’s tee shot finished eight feet from the pin for a routine birdie before a bogey on the 18th.

Kjeldsen ended tied for second on 13 under alongside Paraguay’s Fabrizo Zanotti (69) and Bridgestone Invitational winner Shane Lowry (67) of Ireland.

Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who started the day tied for the lead with Fitzpatrick, carded a 1-over 72 and was tied fifth on 11 under.

LONGWOOD, Fla. – Jackie Stoelting won the IOA Golf Classic on Sunday for her second straight Symetra Tour title, shooting her third 4-under 67 for a two-stroke victory.

Finishing the season as a non-member on the Symetra Tour after struggling on the LPGA Tour, Stoelting won the El Dorado Shootout two weeks ago in Arkansas for her first tour title.

“It was a huge monkey off my back to win two weeks ago and now to win two in a row after six professional seasons is everything I could have asked for,” Stoelting said. “This is definitely the confidence I needed and an extra bonus to win twice.”

The 29-year-old former Florida Southern player finished third on the Symetra Tour money list last season to earn her LPGA Tour card, but made only two cuts and earned just $7,475 in 18 events. She’s preparing for the final stage of LPGA Qualifying School.

Stoelting earned her second straight $15,000 check, though her earnings don’t count on the money list. She’s the first player to win consecutive events since Esther Choe in 2012.

With her father serving as her caddie, and her mother, husband and many other family members watching, she hit a hybrid to a foot to set up a birdie on the par-4 17th and closed with a par.

“It has been a long journey to get here, I spent five years on the Symetra Tour,” Stoelting said. “None of my family was in Arkansas so to have them all here was just awesome. I’m glad that they got to witness it and be a part of it this time.”

Brianna Do was second after a 68. She made a 7-foot birdie putt on the final hole to finish second alone, and earned $9,342 to jump from 18th to 12th on the money list with $51,037. The top 10 next week after the season-ending Symetra Tour Championship will earn LPGA Tour cards.

“It wasn’t going to be a win with a birdie, but I hit a really good tee shot and I’m glad I made that putt,” Do said. “It was a nice way to end the round.”

Yueer Cindy Feng, Lindy Duncan and Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong tied for third at 9 under. Feng shot 67, Duncan 68, and Santiwiwatthanaphong 69. Duncan is 13th on the money list with $50,315.

Sara-Maude Juneau finished 4-under and was the top Canuck finisher. The Quebecor tied for 20th.

INCHEON, South Korea – The final hour when both teams thought they had it won. The clutch putt that turned a rookie into the hero. The stubbed chip that made the local star cover his face with both hands as if he wanted to hide.

The Presidents Cup, packed with raw emotion and endless nerves, was unlike any other over the last 10 years.

Except for the outcome.

The Americans won for the sixth straight time Sunday when Chris Kirk made a 15-foot birdie putt to win his match in a stunning turnaround on the final hole, and Bill Haas provided a storybook ending with the winning point for his team and for his father.

“A moment I’ll never forget,” U.S. captain Jay Haas said, so choked up when it ended that he couldn’t speak.

Haas used a captain’s pick on his son, sent him off in the 12th and final singles match at the Jack Nicklaus golf Club Korea and then saw Bill Haas hit all the right shots to hold off Bae Sang-moon for a 2-up victory.

The 15 1/2-14 1/2 margin was the slimmest since the famous tie in South Africa in 2003. Not since 2005 has the Presidents Cup been decided by the final match.

That’s what the International team wanted when it demanded the number of matches be reduced (from 34 to 30). It almost got something even better _ the shiny gold trophy that again stays with the Americans.

“Irrelevant of the outcome – we obviously would have loved to have won – we put on a show of golf this week,” captain Nick Price said.

The final session was not without its share of heartbreak.

Anirban Lahiri, the first player from India to make the International team, battled Kirk shot-for-shot over the final hour holes and looked like a winner when he played a delicate pitch to perfection on the par-5 18th and had 4 feet for birdie. Kirk’s chip ran 15 feet by. Based on the status of other matches still on the course, it looked like the International team would finally emerge a winner.

And then Kirk made his putt on the final turn, and one of the most stoic players on the PGA Tour unleashed a fist pump.

Moments later, Lahiri missed.

His putt caught the right edge of the cup and spun out, and he dropped his putter over his back in disbelief.

“I have to give credit to Chris for making that putt,” Lahiri said. “These things are scripted, I guess, and I wasn’t in the script this time.”

Neither was Bae, the only player under the Korean flag who was playing for the final time before he starts mandatory military service. When it became evident the Presidents Cup would be decided by his match with Haas, the American was 1 up and not giving away any shots. Bae holed a 10-foot putt on the 16th to halve the hole. He came within inches of holing a bunker shot on the 17th to halve the hole, which assured the Americans would do no worse than tie.

Facing that tough chip below the 18th green, Bae hit it heavy and the gallery groaned as it rolled back to his feet. He crouched over that covered his face as his caddie, Matt Minister, placed a hand on Bae’s shoulder to console him. Bae chipped about 12 feet by the hole, and when Haas blasted out of a bunker to 8 feet, Bae conceded the putt.

“I wanted to make the winning point for the team, but at the end of the day, our team lost,” Bae said. “So I was very sad and disappointed about it.”

The Americans had a one-point lead going into the decisive singles session, and for the longest time, appeared to be in control all day. They had early leads in nine matches. The International side had to have all the close matches go their way, and that’s what happened.

Marc Leishman took his first lead against Jordan Spieth on the 15th hole and made a 7-foot putt on the 18th for a 1-up victory. Hideki Matsuyama won the 18th hole with a birdie to beat J.B. Holmes.

Two halves were just as critical. Louis Oosthuizen hit a splendid second shot to 12 feet for eagle on the 18th and tied Patrick Reed, and Thongchai Jaidee escaped with a half-point against Bubba Watson in the most unlikely scenario. Thongchai drove into the water and saved par, while Watson missed a 5-foot birdie putt.

Phil Mickelson had an unbeaten record (3-0-1) for the third time in the Presidents Cup, trouncing Charl Schwartzel. Zach Johnson also went unbeaten in easily beating Jason Day, the PGA champion and No. 2 player in the world who failed to win a match this week.

The shortest match belonged to Adam Scott, who won six straight holes against Rickie Fowler and ended it on the 13th green.

Ultimately, though, the Americans were posing with the gold cup, just like always. The series now is 9-1-1 since the Presidents Cup began in 1994, though the International team headed home with belief they are getting closer.

It might have found a stalwart in Branden Grace, who went 5-0 to join Shigeki Maruyama as the only International player to win all five matches.

Scott now has played on more teams (7) of any player to have never won a Presidents Cup. He looked down the row at Grace, Matsuyama, Lahiri and Day and described them as the “future of this event.”

“They are the ones who are going to take it forward,” Scott said. “I’m tipping that every one of them is going to be excited to make the 2017 team after getting a taste of how close this was today.”