KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Alison Lee shot a 6-under 65 on Thursday for a share of the first-round lead with China’s Xi Yu Lin in the LPGA Malaysia, the 20-year-old American’s first event since her emotional Solheim Cup debut.

Lee birdied five of the first eight holes at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, and added birdies on Nos. 12 and 14. The UCLA student bogeyed the par-3 17th and – after rain and lightning delayed play more than three hours – got up-and-down for par on the par-4 18th.

In the Solheim Cup last month in Germany, Lee was in tears after Suzann Pettersen called for the American to be penalized for picking up her ball when she mistakenly thought a short putt had been conceded in the completion of a fourballs match. Infuriated, the U.S. rallied to beat Europe in the biggest comeback in event history, with Lee winning her singles match.

“Not only did we win, but just to be able to be there and participate and be a part of something so great like that and to go into history with the biggest comeback ever,” Lee said. “Definitely learned a lot from it.”

She has been busy off the course.

“Right after Solheim I took one day off and started school right away and did my apartment and bought books and went to class, did rush,” Lee said. “I don’t know how I’m sitting here right now. I don’t know how I survived, but I did it somehow. I feel like it’s all a great experience. I love still being in school.”

Lin three-putted the 18th for her only bogey.

“I guess I was a little too aggressive trying to make another birdie,” Lin said.

Michelle Wie was a stroke back along with defending champion Shanshan Feng, Yani Tseng and Chella Choi. Finally over hip and ankle injuries, Wie had eight birdies and three bogeys.

“Just feels so good to be out here and not thinking, ‘Oh, this swing is going to hurt my hip and my ankle,'” Wie said. “Just going out there and being actually able to hit balls and hit golf shots and play the way that I know I can.”

Feng dropped out of a tie for the lead when she three-putted the final hole for her lone bogey.

Top-ranked Inbee Park, the 2012 winner, was tied for 10th at 68. She won two majors this year and is tied with second-ranked Lydia Ko for the tour victory lead with four.

Ko had a 71. The 18-year-old New Zealander is coming off consecutive victories in the Canadian Women’s Open and Evian Championship, where she became the youngest major champion.

Pettersen opened with a 77. The Norwegian star had a double bogey and four bogeys.

The event is first of five straight in Asia. The LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship is next week in South Korea, followed by stops in Taiwan, China and Japan.

WOBURN, England – England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick birdied his final two holes to card a seven-under par round of 64 and lead by one stroke after the first day of the British Masters at Woburn on Thursday.

Fitzpatrick made six birdies and an eagle in his opening round to edge ahead of Marc Warren, Lee Slattery, Soren Kjeldsen and Robert Karlsson, who all shot a 65.

“It doesn’t get better than that,” Fitzpatrick. “I think tee to green, it is pretty tough. If you don’t hit it in the fairway, the rough isn’t deep but it is quite wet, so it clings. It is difficult to get it to the full, normal distance of your irons.”

The 21-year-old Fitzpatrick won the 2013 U.S Amateur Championship as well as taking the silver medal in the British Open at Muirfield later that year for finishing tied 44th, the highest placed rookie.

His first professional appearance was at last year’s Irish Open but he had to rely on invites to compete in the remainder of the European Tour’s events. He secured his card at Qualifying School in Spain in November for his first full campaign.

This season, Fitzpatrick has already recorded five top-five finishes, including second at the European Masters in Switzerland in July, and his prize money for the year stands at 681,640 euros ($770,882). But he is still seeking his first victory.

“I missed quite a few cuts in a row at the start of the year even though I felt like I was playing all right,” Fitzpatrick said. “Now, I’ve played decent and I’m getting the results I have been looking for. I have been getting so much experience, week-to-week learning more about myself and about tournaments and that has been the biggest thing.”

Bridgestone Invitational winner Shane Lowry is two shots behind Fitzpatrick following a five-under 66, alongside Irish compatriot Padraig Harrington.

Ian Poulter, who is hosting the tournament at his home course, had to overcome some tension caused by his extra responsibilities before his three-under 68.

“I felt nervous on the first tee today, on the 10th, and that is a feeling I haven’t had for a little while,” Poulter said. “But it was nice feeling. I was pretty pumped last night, I was excited and I could not drop off to sleep. Coming out today and seeing everyone on the course, it was a great day.”

UXBRIDGE, Ont. — The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) has announced the seven boys and five girls who will comprise Team Ontario for 2016. The team met in full for the first time, Oct. 2-4 in Foot’s Bay, for their kickoff camp held at OviinByrd Golf Club.

The team is set for a full winter of training, which will include two camps in Florida, along with a camp/the Can-AM Matches during March Break in South Carolina. The camps will all be leading up to the start of the 2016 season, which will begin with the Team Ontario Cup in late April.

“The coaching staff and I are very excited to begin training with this very talented group of young athletes,” said GAO Manager of Sport Performance Mary Ann Hayward. “Several of the players already hold national and age category provincial titles and we are looking forward to raising their games to the next level and hopefully putting more Ontario players onto the National Development Team.”

This year’s team again highlights the quality of the GAO’s high performance programs as eleven members of the team are either returning to Team Ontario or are products of the GAO’s Regional (U17) Team Program.

With each new installment of the team, there are departures. Three 2015 members have graduated from the program and are furthering their career in the ranks of the NCAA. Unionville’s Max Sear is attending the University of West Virginia; Ruthven’s Alyssa Getty is at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and Ridgeway’s Madeline Marck-Sherk is at Florida Gulf Coast University.

The 2016 version of team Ontario will feature five returning players:

• Jason Chung, 16, from Thornhill and Thornhill Golf & Country Club, coached by Charlie Woo.
• Monet Chun, 14, from Richmond Hill and The Summit Golf & Country Club, coached by Don Lee.
• Jackson Bowery, 17, from London and Greenhills Golf Club.
• Jake Bryson, 16, from Dunrobin and Eagle Creek Golf Club, coached by Kevin Haime.
• Isabella Portokalis, 14, from London and West Haven Golf & Country Club

Joining the returnees, are the following graduates of the GAO Regional Team Program:

• Lachlan O’Hara (Team York), 15, from Mississauga and Credit Valley Golf & Country Club, coached by Jeff Overholt and Jon Roy.
• Ty Celone (Team Ottawa), 16, from Long Sault and the Upper Canada Golf Course.
• Peyton Callens (Team Waterloo), 15, from Langton and Delhi Golf & Country Club, coached by Ralph Bauer.
• Sam Meek, (Team York – 2014), 17, from Peterborough and Kawartha Golf & Country Club, coached by Henry Brunton.
• Hailey McLaughlin, 14, from Markham and Cedar Brae Golf & Country Club, coached by Gord Burns.
• Alexandra Naumovski, (Team York – 2014), 18, from Halton Hills and Brampton Golf Club.

Rounding out the team is: Alyssa DiMarcantonio, 12, from Maple and Station Creek Golf Club, coached by Thomas Youn.

GAO Head Provincial Coach Reggie Millage, a Class ‘A’ PGA of Canada professional from Milton, leads the Team Ontario coaching staff. Millage enters his third season with the team. Also returning this year are Athletic Therapist Andrew Hoermann, Strength and Conditioning Coach Nick Martichenko and Mental Skills Coach Judy Goss.

The team is already an accomplished group and they will look for even more success in 2016. Some highlights from the 2015 season included: Chung – CN Future Links Quebec Champion and silver in the Ontario Juvenile Boys’ Championship; Callens – AJGA Junior All-Stars at Ravenwood Champion; Celone – CJGA Mizuno National Champion; McLaughlin – Ontario Bantam Girls and Women’s Four-Ball Champion; DiMarcantonio – Ontario Peewee Girls’ Champion, Bantam Tour Hidden Lake Champion and silver at the Ontario Bantam Girls’ Championship; Chun – Ontario Junior Girls’ Match Play Champion, silver at the Ontario Juvenile Girls’ Championship and bronze at the Spring Classic; Naumovski – silver at the Ontario Junior Girls’ Championship; Meek – Bronze at the Ontario Junior Boys’ Championship; Bowery – Bronze at the Spring Classic; and Portokalis – bronze at the Ontario Bantam Girls’ Championship.

Looking ahead Team Ontario will train indoors during the winter months at Peak Performance Golf in Vaughan. ClubLink’s TPC Eagle Trace in Coral Springs, Florida will host Team Ontario training camps in January and February.  During March-break, the team will head to the Wachesaw Plantation Club in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina for a training camp as well as to take part in the Can-Am Matches, an annual team-match event between the top junior golfers from Ontario and South Carolina.

INCHEON, South Korea – Comparing the Presidents Cup to the Ryder Cup is like listening to a conversation between a Scot and an American.

The words might be similar, but they sound nothing alike.

The biggest difference with the Presidents Cup is an American team that is filled with smiles, not stress. And there’s a reason for that. The Americans haven’t lost in these matches since 1998, and the last four have not been particularly close.

They walk taller. They worry less.

Jordan Spieth has played in one of each in his short but already stellar career, and it was hard not to notice the contrast between the two cups.

“It seems there is a bit of a difference in the two teams rooms in the Presidents Cup experience I’ve had and the Ryder Cup last year,” Spieth said Wednesday. “Almost like we put too much emphasis on the Ryder Cup instead of just freeing up to play our own game.”

Ryder Cup practice rounds felt like dress rehearsals. Presidents Cup practice rounds feel like a Tuesday money game on tour.

“We feel like the favorites,” Spieth said. “We’re walking around with cockiness in our step, and often that can bite you if you’re not careful, but we’re aware of that. But the point is, we’re out there smiling because we believe whatever matchup we want to put together, we believe we can beat the other team.”

The Americans, who have won the Ryder Cup only one time in the last 16 years, go after their sixth straight victory in the Presidents Cup when the matches get started Thursday at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea.

Adam Scott, who has yet to play on a winning Presidents Cup team in six previous tries, and Hideki Matsuyama lead off the foursomes session against J.B. Holmes and Bubba Watson, two of the longest hitters in golf.

Spieth and Dustin Johnson are in the anchor match against Marc Leishman and Danny Lee.

A lively opening ceremony Wednesday night, which featured South Korean President Park Geun-hye and former President George W. Bush, began with great suspense when a secret box was carried onto the stage. It was carefully opened to reveal the shiny gold Presidents Cup trophy.

But there really hasn’t been much suspense at all.

The last time it was close was in 2003 at South Africa when it ended in a tie after Ernie Els and Tiger Woods matched pars in three sudden-death playoff holes before it was too dark to continue. Jack Nicklaus was the captain that year, and he mentioned that Presidents Cup in a speech Wednesday night. Nicklaus referred to it as the greatest sporting event in which he had ever taken part.

“We have that opportunity again this week,” Nicklaus said.

The Presidents Cup has lacked the rancor of the Ryder Cup, which is inevitable when it’s a competition between two tours (PGA and Europe) instead of the Americans against an International team in which all but one player – Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand – is or will be a PGA Tour member.

“They’re all Americans, they were just born in a different country,” U.S. assistant captain Fred Couples said.

This is the first Presidents Cup without Woods since 1996 when he was a 20-year-old playing on sponsor exemptions to avoid going to Q-school. Els didn’t qualify and didn’t feel worthy of a pick, so he is out for the first time since 2005.

Price has an International team that is the youngest ever despite the 45-year-old Thongchai. The captain is worried that if the Presidents Cup is another blowout, even some of the players might start losing interest.

What might give these matches a little edge is a debate over the number of matches, which were reduced from 34 to 30 this year in a decision that left neither team happy. The International team wanted it lowered to 28, like the Ryder Cup. The Americans wanted it to stay at 34.

Price believes the fewer the matches, the more likely it is to come down to the last day.

Whether that makes a difference depends largely on the one aspect that doesn’t change no matter what kind of cup is involved. It’s about making putts, winning holes and piling up points.

“We don’t have a crystal ball, and anything can happen in this game,” Scott said. “But I believe we’re moving closer to a great competition.”

When the Golf Canada Calgary Centre was established in 2001, the strategy was very clear-cut—create a well-rounded training facility (academy, range, executive par-3 and mini golf) that delivers best-in-class programming and an inviting experience to all types of golfers.

Since its inception, the Calgary Centre has been at the forefront of quality junior programming in Canada. For Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer, Jeff Thompson, the Calgary Centre continues to push the needle when it comes to junior golf and Long-Term Player Development.

“The Calgary Centre has been our flagship facility with respect to piloting programming and coaching programs that appeal to all types of golfers—including schools in the community, women’s groups and families looking to get involved with competitive golf programs,” said Thompson. “The coaches and instructors on staff have done a tremendous job in maximizing programs available to them such as CN Future Links and Golf in Schools. It is our vision that National Junior Golf Development Centres like the Calgary Centre will lead the way when setting an example for best-in-class junior facilities.”

Seven PGA of Canada Class “A” professionals are on staff at the Calgary Centre, delivering a full suite of junior programs, including the Get Linked initiative which provides grants that connect CN Future Links facilities to nearby Golf in Schools sites.

To find a National Junior Golf Development Centre in your area, visit the Golf Canada Juniors website: golfcanada.ca/juniors

To learn more about the Golf Canada Calgary Centre, click here

MISSISSAUGA — The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) announced the recipients of the 2015 Volunteer Awards on October 5, as par of the annual Volunteer Appreciation Day held this year at Mississaugua Golf & Country Club.

The GAO volunteer recognition program has been designed to recognize outstanding performances and contributions by volunteers who have played an instrumental role in promoting the growth and development of amateur golf throughout the province of Ontario, while preserving the integrity and traditions of the game.

“Our volunteer team in Ontario is second to none and their dedication to the growth of the sport is inspiring,” said GAO Interim Executive Director Mike Kelly. “From course rating to championships to committee work, volunteers move our association forward with passion and for that we are grateful.”

This year, the GAO presented two Honourary Life Director Awards, two Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Awards, the Volunteer of the Year Award and the District Volunteer of the Year Award.

Honourary Life Director Awards — Bill Muzak & Jim Bristow
Honourary Life Directors are recognized for their outstanding achievements through their involvement as a Committee and Board Member. This year the GAO chose to recognize a pair of individuals who have made tremendous contributions to the association and golf in the province.

Bill Muzak, a resident of Baden, can often be seen and heard at many GAO events as a starter welcoming players and guests to the tee at tournaments. He has been volunteering as a Tournament Official since 2001. He also served on the Board of Directors from 2008 to 2014 during which time he sat on numerous board and operating committees.

Jim Bristow, from London, is a past Ontario Golf Association President (1996) and has been a volunteer with the GAO since 2002. He is a level 4 Rules Official, but also works as a Site Coordinator, Senior Rules Official and currently serves on the GAO’s Finance/Risk Committee.

Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Award — Randy Millage & Kathy Hill
The Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Award is considered the highest honour recognizing individual service to the game of golf in Ontario. The award is named after Richard H. Grimm, who was affectionately known as “Mr. Canadian Open” for his service to the event from 1965 to 1993. The GAO’s Dick Grimm Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual’s meritorious service as a volunteer. Recipients of this award embody the principles of integrity, dignity and commitment, which are central to the volunteer experience and to Mr. Grimm’s persona.

Kathy Hill, a Mississauga resident, has been a course rater for more than 20 years. She has been a Team Leader and Chair of the Handicap & Course Rating Committee and is designated as a Master Course Rater. Throughout her time volunteering with the GAO, Hill has shown strong leadership and interpersonal skills. She has taken on additional responsibilities in the form of recruiting and training new course raters and has always been willing to help out when called upon.

Randy Millage, from Ennismore, has been involved in golf in the province since 1980. His work has concentrated on junior programs that began out of his home club: the Peterborough Golf & Country Club. He has also served as club president and on numerous club committees. Millage teamed up with the GAO in order to organize junior events. The events helped to open doors for junior golfers by making connections with NCAA schools. Millage is also a Certified Rules Official and has been a Site Coordinator at GAO qualifiers and championships for many years.

Volunteer of the Year — Pat Newman
The GAO Volunteer of the Year Award has been designed to recognize and honour a GAO volunteer who has demonstrated outstanding performance and contributions while preserving the integrity and traditions of the game.

Pat Newman, a native of Collingwood, has been a GAO volunteer since 2007. As a dedicated Rules Official, Newman has demonstrated his leadership skills in that role along with the positions of Senior Rules Official and Site Coordinator. One of Newman’s greatest accomplishments happened in 2014 when he took on the task of writing and introducing the GAO qualifying manual. It became evident that the manual is a valuable resource for new and returning volunteers and has provided consistency at qualifiers that are operated by volunteers.

District Volunteer of the Year — Shirley Egerton
The District Volunteer of the Year Award has been designed to recognize those volunteers who embody the spirit of volunteerism and have shown dedication by making a significant contribution in promoting, supporting and expanding amateur golf within their district.

Shirley Egerton, who lives in Bath, has been volunteering with the GAO since 2009 as a Tournament Official and has been the Kingston District Coordinator since 2013. Egerton has fully embraced her district community and has taken a special interest in promoting and supporting junior golf in the district. She is always available to help and takes time to mentor new volunteers at qualifiers and championships.

The GAO congratulates all of the 2015 award winners and thanks all of the volunteers who put in countless hours to make GAO events successful.

INCHEON, South Korea – Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson battled at Chambers Bay in the U.S. Open. They will be partners in South Korea at the Presidents Cup.

Spieth and Johnson will be in the anchor match of foursomes Thursday against Danny Lee of New Zealand and Marc Leishman of Australia when the Presidents Cup begins at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea.

Spieth had a successful partnership with Patrick Reed at the Ryder Cup last year, and Johnson and Matt Kuchar won both their team matches at the 2012 Ryder Cup. Now they’ve swapped. Kuchar will be with Reed in the second of five matches against Louis Oosthuizen and Branden Grace of South Africa.

U.S. captain Jay Haas says Spieth and Johnson wanted to play together. He says whatever Spieth wants, Spieth gets.

Odyssey Golf has officially announced the new Odyssey Works Tank Cruiser line of putters which feature the high performance Fusion RX insert, and adjustable weighting options in the head and grip for improved stability and feel. The line of putters, which uses the company’s Versa high contrast alignment, is made up of 4 popular Odyssey head shapes: #7, V-Line, #1 Wide and 2-Ball Fang.

The adjustable counterbalance weighting is designed so golfers can fine-tune the weighting to match their putting stroke. A heavier counterbalance can help take the hands and wrists out of the stroke for a smoother, more consistent motion while a lighter counterbalance weight helps activate the hands for a more “feel” type of stroke.

With adjustable head weights, a heavier head can add stability and a lighter head can provide more feel. The head weights in the #7, V-Line and #1 Wide models can be adjusted to 365 grams, 375 grams or 385 grams. The 2-Ball Fang head weight can be adjusted to 375 grams, 385 grams or 395 grams. These putter models also come standard with a Superstroke grip.

Odyssey Principal Designer, Austie Rollinson noted, “There’s a lot of versatility with these adjustable weighting options. The whole platform of this adjustability is to give you stability throughout the stroke. And when you add all of the other great technologies, you have a great package.”

Charles-Éric Bélanger has an enviable attitude towards golf.  “Golf is a passion for me and every ball I hit, every shot I make, brings a special feeling,” he says. “Through golf, I meet great people and friends everywhere.  I enjoy everything about it.  It’s a great game.  I love it.”

That’s a mature and balanced perspective for just about anyone; it is even more impressive when it comes from a 16-year-old, but not just any 16-year-old.

In August, Bélanger became the first Canadian Junior Boys’ champion from Quebec since 1976.  Since the tournament’s Juvenile Division was introduced in 1970, Bélanger is only the seventh champion to capture both the Junior and Juvenile titles in the same year and only the third to do so in his home province.  It wasn’t easy. He needed a one-hole playoff to thwart Maxwell Sear of Unionville, Ont., at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. Raphaël Lapierre-Messier of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., and Henry Lee of Coquitlam, B.C., finished tied for third place.

“To win the national championship is something I am very proud of,” Bélanger said.  “It is a great honour for me.  It is a huge accomplishment and an objective I had in my junior career.”

Bélanger points to his father, Patrick, as his inspiration.  A member at Royal Quebec Golf Club, Patrick introduced his son to the club when the boy was eight and, a couple of years later, Charles-Éric says, “I started to feel the love for the game.  I started playing in some tournaments for fun and to experience competitive play when I was around 11-years-old.  My father never put any pressure on me, but he has been a great support.”

Bélanger attributes much of his progress to Académie de golf Fred Colgan, which is associated with his high school, Académie Saint- Louis in Quebec City.

While Bélanger’s immediate goal is to become part of Team Canada’s Development Squad, he hopes his golf eventually provides him with a scholarship to an NCAA university.  He is focused on getting a good education before making any decision on turning pro. “Like my father always said: ‘Work hard, enjoy yourself and have fun. Never forget to smile and that golf is a game’.”

With a parental attitude like that, it is no wonder Charles-Éric Bélanger is mature beyond his years.

Also in August, 18-year-old Michelle Kim finished off a terrific year by winning the Canadian Junior Girls’ Championship at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask.

The 18-year-old Team Canada Development Squad member’s third-round 69 propelled her ahead of the competition with a four-stroke lead through 54 holes; she went on to finish the championship at six-under-par 286.

“This is probably the biggest achievement that I’ve ever made,” said Kim, who now is a freshman at the University of Idaho.  “It feels amazing especially because it is my last junior tournament and I’ve worked really hard.”

Hannah Lee, a fellow Surrey, B.C., native, finished her final round at two-under-par to claim solo second at four-under for the championship. The 15-year-old won the national Juvenile title as a result.  Her opening-round 66 was a new competitive course record.  Rounding out the top three in the overall standings was Team Canada Development Squad member Naomi Ko, a 17-year-old from Victoria who is headed to North Carolina State.

“Michelle is quiet, but fierce,” says Ann Carroll, the women’s Development Squad’s head coach.  “Her strong suits are her mental game and short game.  She works for hours and hours on her putting and certainly puts in the hours on the range.”

That dedication and hard work paid off this season; in addition to the Canadian Junior, Kim also claimed the B.C. Junior and B.C. Amateur titles as well as the CJGA’s Western Canadian Junior Championship.