Callaway Golf has officially announced their new Apex Irons, new Apex Pro Irons and Apex Hybrids. The new Apex clubs will be available to golfers by the end of the month (September, 2015).

The new Apex Irons utilize Callaway’s precision engineered face cup technology to promote increased distance. This set also features a multi-piece construction with more offset in the longer irons, a more compact shape with less offset in shorter irons and advanced forging for incredibly soft feel.

The new Apex Pro Irons are a forged performance set built specifically for skilled players. They incorporate Tour influenced shaping and design with a classic look, progressive flow weighting that optimizes Center of Gravity (CG) for playability and control, as well as a soft feel that better players prefer.

The Apex Hybrid has a longer, more iron-like blade length with a Neutral CG bias, controlled ball flight, and workability from precision shaping. The new hybrid also delivers high ball speeds from a forged face cup, and an Internal Standing Wave that helps move the CG for versatility on various shots.

The Nova Scotia Golf Association (NSGA) announced their 2015 NSGA Player of the Year Awards Monday.

The NSGA Player of the Year (POY) is a ranking system that assigns points to players from their finishes in various tournaments throughout the golf season. It is designed to promote the development of golfers in Nova Scotia through a points system based on their competitive accomplishments.

After a long summer battle, Glenn Robinson from Ashburn Golf Club defeated Truro’s Paul Coulson to win the 2015 Men’s NSGA Player of the Year. Robinson ended the season with a T12 finish at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship, second place finishes at the Apple Blossom and the Ashburn Club Championship and a third place finish at the NSGA Mid-Am.

Abercrombie’s Julia Henderson returned to competitive golf in Nova Scotia and was impressive as she dominated the 2015 Women’s Player of the Year after finishing first in all 5 tournaments she entered. Henderson took the top spot in the Northumberland, Oakfield and Amherst Field Days along with first place finish at the June Bug. The highlight was capturing her third NSGA Women’s Amateur Championship at Northumberland.

2015 MJT Junior Player of the Year

Ashburn’s Shaun Margeson and Ken-Wo’s Heather McLean claimed Player of the Year – powered by MJT title honours.

In addition to the Player of the Year, the NSGA presents awards to the junior player of the year in each of 9 Regional zones. The following golfers have been chosen as 2015 Zone Player of the Year:

Greatest Reduction in Handicap

Each year the NSGA recognizes the Greatest Reduction in Handicap Factor for the golf season for players throughout the province. Congratulations to the following individuals who achieved the Greatest Reduction in handicaps for male and female players in each of the Junior, Amateur and Senior divisions.

St Andrews, Scotland – Martin Slumbers will begin his tenure as Chief Executive of The R&A and Secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews today.

Slumbers joined The R&A as Chief Executive Designate in March 2015, and succeeds Peter Dawson who retired  Friday 25 September after leading the organization for the past 16 years.

“I am delighted to take on the challenge of leading The R&A and serving such a historic Club,” said Slumbers.  “The organisation has been left in excellent health by my predecessor, Peter Dawson, and I look forward to building upon Peter’s success and working together with our committees and staff to ensure The R&A continues to play a leading role in golf’s global development.”

Born in Brighton and educated at Lancing College, Mr. Slumbers, 55, gained a BSc in Production Engineering and Economics from the University of Birmingham. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse in London before embarking on a career in investment banking. He spent 12 years working for Salomon Brothers International in London and Hong Kong, becoming Chief Financial Officer in Asia and then Europe.

In 1998, he joined Deutsche Bank and served in a number of senior executive roles. He was appointed Global Head of Deutsche Bank’s Investment Banking Operations in 2006 and the following year as Global Head of Global Business Services.

He is a keen golfer and a member of Worplesdon Golf Club in Surrey where he plays to a handicap of two. He is married with two sons.

TORONTO – Dunning Golf, which is currently experiencing double-digit growth in the United States, looks
to continue the successful momentum and increase sales across Canadian markets.

“We have spent the last few months communicating with our customer base across Canada and there is tremendous interest in the Dunning Golf Spring 2016 Collection,” says Jonathan Wong, President of Toronto-based JW Apparel Inc.

Wong signed on as the Canadian distributor for Dunning Golf in August and is looking forward to launching the 2016 Spring, Summer and Fall lines in the coming weeks.

“Dunning’s distribution and focus will be exclusively into prestigious green grass accounts for 2016 and with the strong brand awareness that Canadian PGA Tour star David Hearn brings to Dunning Golf, I think we’re in for a fantastic year right across the country. Not only will people see tour players like David Hearn wearing Dunning Golf, but you are going to see a lot more Canadians wearing it,” says Jonathan Wong.

Hearn, who wrapped up his FedEx Cup run at the BMW Championship, has been a Dunning Ambassador since 2014, and continues to move up in the golf rankings.

“I decided to partner with Dunning Golf two years ago because of the quality performance fabrics the brand uses in its line, so that athletes like myself can perform comfortably to our highest ability,” said Hearn. “The classic, clean and sophisticated look fit my personality, so I’m excited to see what the 2016 line will bring, and also to wear it on the course.”

Other members of the Dunning Golf Tour Team include; Brendan Steele, Nicolas Colsaerts, Charles Howell III, Roberto Castro, Jim Furyk, Russell Knox, Sam Saunders, Fred Funk and Kevin Foley.

The classic and understated design of the Spring 2016 collection paired with the impeccable fabric quality will strongly resonate with Canadian consumers.

“Jonathan and his veteran sales team are established and respected premium golf distributors in Canada and we believe they’re the right match for Dunning Golf as we move forward,” says Ralph Dunning. “Working together we will continue to grow Dunning Golf’s presence throughout Canada with the upcoming Summer/Fall 2016 lineup
while providing a high level of service to our sales partners.”

Dunning Golf is available at prestigious green grass pro shops and select specialty stores worldwide and on www.dunninggolf.com.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Esteban Toledo held off 66-year-old Tom Watson by a stroke Sunday at Pebble Beach in the Champions Tour’s First Tee Open.

The 52-year-old Mexican player shot a 3-under 69, rebounding from a bogey on the par-3 17th with a par on the par-5 18th for a 9-under 206 total. He also won twice on the 50-and-over tour in 2013.

Watson was trying to break Mike Fetchick’s record as the oldest winner in tour history. Fetchick won the 1985 Hilton Head Seniors Invitational on his 63rd birthday.

Watson finished with a 67. The Hall of Famer moved into a tie for the lead at 9 under on the par-4 16th with his seventh birdie of the round, but bogeyed the 17th after hitting his tee shot into a bunker and missing a 10-foot par putt. He parred the 18th.

After opening with a 75 at Poppy Hills, Watson had a 65 on Saturday at Pebble Beach. He won the 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and took the PGA Tour’s Bing Crosby event at the course in 1977 and 1978.

Second-round leader Colin Montgomerie closed with a 73 to tie for third at 7 under with Vijay Singh and Woody Austin. Singh finished with a 69, and Austin shot 70.

Canadian Rod Spittle finished with a 4-under 68 for a share of 11th place while Stephen Ames closed with an even-par final round to sit T23.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  – Canada’s Mary Ann Hayward shot a two-day total of 1-over 145 and earned medalist honors at the 2015 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, being conducted at the 5,857-yard Hillwood Country Club.

Hayward, 55, carded four birdies and four bogeys during Sunday’s second round of stroke play for an even-par 72, following Saturday’s 1-over 73. This marks the second time Hayward has been the stroke-play medalist at a USGA championship, joining the 1998 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur.

“I played a little better than yesterday. I don’t think I had a three-putt today, which is good,” said Hayward, who manages the sports development program for the Golf Association of Ontario. “The pins were tough today. You just had to pick your spots, and I think I did a pretty good job of that.”

Martha Leach, 53, of Hebron, Ky., finished solo second at 3-over 147. Leach, who carded a 1-over 73 on Saturday, played her first 13 holes at 1 over par. However, a string of three disappointing bogeys over her last five holes dropped her to a 2-over 74 for Sunday.

“I’m not thrilled about the way I finished,” said Leach, a realtor and part-time substitute teacher. “I think I need to go to the driving range and putt some. I like to be hitting the ball really well going (into match play) to get that confidence.”

Hayward and Leach are already USGA champions, with each having taken a U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur title. Hayward won the 2005 Women’s Mid-Amateur at Shadow Hawk Golf Club in Texas, while Leach captured the 2009 title at Golden Hills Golf and Turf Club in Florida.

Caryn Wilson, 54, of Rancho Mirage, Calif., earned the third seed at 5-over 149. Wilson, a former professional tennis player, survived what she termed a “roller-coaster” day that featured three birdies, three bogeys and one triple bogey en route to a 3-over 75.

“I just kind of checked out in the middle,” said Wilson, who reached the semifinals of the 2013 Senior Women’s Amateur. “I was feeling a little wonky today. I think I got out there and I hadn’t eaten much and I hacked around.”

Two-time U.S. Senior Amateur champion Ellen Port, 54, of St. Louis, Mo., recorded two birdies and three bogeys on Sunday for a two-day total of 6-over 150. Port, who has also four U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur titles, tied for fourth with 2009 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur runner-up Laura Coble, 51, of Augusta, Ga.

Four players tied for sixth at 7-over 151, led by three-time Senior Women’s Amateur champion Diane Lang, 60, of Weston, Fla. She is joined by Lynne Cowan, 52, of Rocklin, Calif.; Leigh Klasse, 56, of Woodbury, Minn.; and Sue Wooster, 53, of Australia. Sherry Herman, the 2009 Senior Women’s Amateur champion, and Kim Eaton round out the top 10 at 8-over 152.

First-round leader Ginny Burkey, 60, of Eugene, Ore., followed Saturday’s even-par round with a difficult 9-over 81 on Sunday, a round that included six bogeys and one triple bogey. However, her two-day total of 9-over 153 earned her a tie for 12th and easily moved her into the match-play portion of the championship.

For the third consecutive year, the 36 holes of stroke play concluded with exactly 64 players advancing to the match-play bracket. No playoff was needed to determine any match-play berths.

Notables to miss the cut include 1972 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Mary Budke, 61, of Palm Springs, Calif. (164), 1989 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur champion Robin Donnelley, 62, of Palm Beach, Fla. (165) and 2011 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion Terri Frohnmayer, 59, of Salem, Ore. (164).

The 2015 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship is open to female amateur golfers who reached their 50th birthday on or before Sept. 26, 2015, and have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 18.4. It consists of 36 holes of stroke play followed by six rounds of match play, with the championship scheduled to conclude with an 18-hole final on Thursday, Oct. 1.

The U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship is one of 13 national championship conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Tournament results can be found here.

EL DORADO, Ark. – Jackie Stoelting won the El Dorado Shootout on Sunday for her first Symetra Tour title, closing with a 2-under 20 for a three-stroke victory.

The 29-year-old former Florida Southern player finished at 3-under 213 at Mystic Creek and earned $15,000 – after making only $7,475 in 18 events this year on the LPGA Tour.

“I just woke up this morning and had this feeling that I could win today and that’s an awesome feeling,” Stoelting said. “It’s been a long time coming and I’m so excited to be the champion today.”

She birdied the par-3 12th and par-4 13th and closed with five pars.

“It’s a tough golf course,” Stoelting said. “It’s all about placement. You’ve got to be able to hit good approach shots and then you have to make putts and fortunately I came out on top this week, which is everything that I could ask for.”

Stoelting finished third on the Symetra Tour money list last season to earn her LPGA Tour card, but make only two cuts this year and is preparing for the final stage of LPGA Qualifying School.

“It was a tough, tough year out there,” Stoelting said. “I actually made more money today than I did all year out on the LPGA so I really just wanted to play a couple of events to gain my confidence back because I know that I’m a good player. To be honest it helped a lot not having to worry about a money list and just play golf. It doesn’t mean that the nerves weren’t there but it means everything to me that I had the chance to come out here and preform and play well. This is definitely the boost that I needed.”

Ally McDonald was second after a 71.

Chie Arimura and Daniela Iacobelli tied for third at 1 over. Arimura shot a 71, and Iacobelli had a 72.

ATLANTA – Jordan Spieth treated the Tour Championship as if it were a major. He played like it was, too.

Looking for a fitting finish to a sensational season, Spieth poured in putts from all over East Lake and never gave Henrik Stenson or anyone else much of a chance Sunday. His final stroke was an 8-foot par putt that was right in the heart for a 1-under 69, and he leaned back with a smile of pure satisfaction.

The 22-year-old Texan became golf’s first $22 million man – a PGA Tour record with just over $12 million in prize money, and the $10 million bonus for the FedEx Cup.

“This is incredible,” Spieth said. “This is an event where we approach it like a major championship because we know this is possible at the end of it.”

Even when he missed back-to-back cuts to start the FedEx Cup playoffs, Spieth spent the month trying to peak for the most important event in the lucrative series. He was the first to show up at East Lake on Monday to start grinding on his game. And with a one-shot lead going into the final round Sunday, he was on the putting green three hours before his tee time for what caddie Michael Greller called the “early grind.”

“We only do this at the majors,” Greller said.

It all paid off so handsomely, especially that putter.

Spieth made three birdies in a four-hole stretch around the turn, and they were demoralizing for Stenson. Spieth made a 20-foot birdie on No. 8 for a two-shot swing that he never gave back. He made an 18-foot birdie on the par-5 ninth with Stenson already at tap-in range for birdie. And with Stenson just over 3 feet away for birdie on No. 11, Spieth curled in a 45-foot birdie putt.

“Eleven was a dagger,” Spieth said.

At that point, Stenson could only smile and bump fists with Spieth.

“You can’t expect him to make it,” Stenson said after a 72. “You’re feeling like you got a good chance to make up some ground. But he just poured that one in the middle. It’s fun to watch and just say, `Well done.’ The best player this week won the tournament, won the FedEx Cup.”

Spieth closed with seven pars for a four-shot victory over Stenson, Danny Lee (65) and Justin Rose (66). His fifth victory of the year, which includes the Masters and the U.S. Open, was worth $1,485,000 million and gave Spieth $12,030,465 for the year.

The previous record was $10.9 million by Vijay Singh in 2004.

And if that wasn’t enough, Spieth went back to No. 1 in the world.

The first person to greet him was his little sister, Ellie, who keeps Spieth and the entire family so grounded in light of so much success. His parents, girlfriend, grandfather and a tight group of high school friends from Dallas were there to watch another amazing performance in a year filled with him.

Spieth became the youngest player since Horton Smith in 1929 to win five times in a season, and the youngest to claim the FedEx Cup title.

“It’s been a phenomenal year for him,” Stenson said. “I watched it firsthand at the first two rounds at Augusta, and he played phenomenal and putted phenomenal. And it was the same putting display, really, today – just an exhibition on the greens, to be honest.

“His putting and mental focus is the best in the world. It’s hard to argue that.”

And there’s no longer an argument for PGA Tour player of the year.

Jason Day had five victories, including his first major at the PGA Championship, and there was talk a sixth win and the FedEx Cup might put the Australian in the discussion. Not anymore. Spieth made a spirited bid for the Grand Slam and joined Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only players to finish no worse than fourth in all the professional majors. Along with the money title, he won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest adjusted scoring average.

The only question he couldn’t answer was what he will do for an encore.

“This is one I cannot wait to celebrate,” he said.

Stenson made a $1 million putt of his own, though it was the least he could do. He was three shots behind when he shanked his shot from the 17th fairway and made double bogey. That dropped him into a four-way tie for fourth and cost him a spot in the FedEx Cup ranking. But he bounced back with a 60-foot birdie putt on the 18th to go back to No. 2 in the FedEx Cup to earn a $3 million bonus (instead of $2 million for third).

Stenson had three runner-up finishes in the postseason, and he has five for the year without winning. He still has events left on the European Tour.

But this week – and year – was all about Spieth.

“It’s the greatest season I’ve ever had, obviously,” Spieth said. “But it’s one where I believe we took our game on course and off course to a level that I didn’t think would be possible at different times in my life.”

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Andrew Loupe won the Web.com Tour Finals’ Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship on Sunday to earn a PGA Tour card.

Loupe closed with a 1-under 70 for a two-stroke victory. The 26-year-old former LSU player finished at 5-under 279 on Ohio State’s difficult Scarlet Course.

“I knew what I had on the line,” Loupe said. “I just kept telling myself to take it on this week.”

Loupe birdied the par-4 14th to take the outright lead.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve won,” Loupe said. “I guess I’ve got to cherish these moments. It’s hard to win in golf. But I always believed. I’ve been telling myself for a long time that I could do this. To be honest, this course stood out to me. I thought that it was probably my best chance to get one just because you can use length as an advantage a little bit out here.”

Loupe earned $180,000 to jump from 30th to third on the series money list with $190,642 with one event left. He finished 198th in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings to drop into the four-event series for the top 75 players from the Web.com Tour money list, Nos. 126-200 in the FedEx Cup standings and non-members who earned enough money to have placed in the top 200 had they been eligible to receive points.

The top 25 players on Web.com Tour regular-season money list earned PGA Tour cards. They are competing against each other for tour priority, with regular-season earnings counting in their totals. The other players are fighting for another 25 cards based on series earnings.

Third-round leader Roberto Castro, Tom Hoge and Bronson Burgoon tied for second. Castro finished with a 75, Hoge had a 69, and Burgoon shot 70. They also secured PGA Tour cards, earning $74,667 each.

Castro, 188th in the FedEx Cup standings, is fourth on the series money list with $110,979.

“I’m playing the PGA Tour next year,” Castro said. “I’m playing good. Next week, I can go try and win a golf tournament. It’s a positive step forward.”

Hoge, 132nd in the FedEx Cup, is seventh with $77,384.

“I think we’re all thinking about that the whole time,” Hoge said about trying to lock up a tour card. “I knew that I probably had to finish top 10, and so that was the whole focus.”

Last year, Eric Axley took the 25th card with $36,312.

Burgoon earned a card with a top-25 finish on the Web.com Tour’s regular-season money list and has moved up to No. 9 with $263,320.

BAD GRIESBACH, Germany – Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand shot a bogey-free 67 to win the European Open by one shot on Sunday.

Jaidee, the overnight leader, had four birdies to add to his rounds of 68, 68 and 64 for a 17-under 267 on the Bad Griesbach course in southeastern Germany.

“It is the third time I have won outside of Asia, so I’m very excited about that,” Jaidee said after claiming his seventh European Tour title. “I didn’t make many mistakes this week – only one bogey all week. I played very nicely and 17 under is some score for me.”

The 45-year-old Jaidee became the oldest player to win the European Open since Colin Montgomerie in 2007 at age 44.

Graeme Storm of England had five birdies in his round of 67 to finish second with a 16-under score of 268.

Pelle Edberg of Sweden was third at 14 under after a mixed round of 69 with four bogeys and six birdies.

Veteran golfer Bernhard Langer carded a 69 to finish as the highest placed German at 8 under.

“I hit some of the best shots I have ever hit,” the 58-year-old Langer said. “I just couldn’t make the putts … Putting is a big part of the game, but my putter was ice cold this week.”

Langer won the European Open in 1985 and 1995.

Toronto’s Albin Choi finished the competition 4-over 288 in 65th place.