SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., made an 11-foot birdie putt to beat Charley Hoffman on the second hole of a playoff after birdieing three of the last four holes in regulation Sunday, capping another wild week at the Phoenix Open with his second memorable victory.

Taylor closed with a 6-under 65 to reach 21-under 263, with the Canadian forcing the playoff with a nine-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th.

Both players birdied the extra hole and hit the green on No. 18 a second time — Taylor from the right rough, Hoffman from the left fairway bunker. Hoffman left his birdie putt short and Taylor birdied the hole for the third time in less than an hour as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Taylor won his PGA Tour title to end a chaotic week of weather delays and the rare decision to close the gates — and, gulp, cut off liquor sales — when things started to get out of hand Saturday.

Taking advantage of the first pleasant day of the week in the desert, Hoffman moved into contention by finishing off a 64 on TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium in the morning to complete his weather-delayed third round.

Hoffman was 4-under in a three-hole stretch on the back nine and had a three-shot lead when he finished.

Taylor wouldn’t let him grab the trophy just yet.

The 35-year-old had an emotional finish at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, making a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole to become the first Canadian in 69 years to win his national open.

Taylor shot a course-record 60 in the opening round in the desert for a five-shot lead that matched the largest after 18 holes on the PGA Tour since 1983.

Taylor finished off a third-round 68 in the morning, but stagnated after a birdie at No. 9. He came to life with consecutive birdies starting on No. 15 and finished with a flourish after just missing a birdie putt on No. 17.

Two-time defending champion Scottie Scheffler surged into contention with five straight birdies to complete his third round, shooting 66 in the morning despite putting off the green into a bunker for a bogey on No. 18.

The world No. 1 briefly held the lead early in the final round before his putter went cold, ending his bid for the PGA Tour’s first three-peat in 13 years. Scheffler nearly aced the par-3 stadium 16th hole, but was too far behind to catch Hoffman. He shot 66 to tie Sam Burns for third at 18 under.

Golf Canada joins the Golf Québec community in extending our deepest respect and condolences to the family and friends of former colleague Patrick Rhéaume of Québec City following the news of his recent passing.

Patrick joined Golf Canada in 2019 as Membership Regional Director for Québec and worked with the organization until stepping down in 2023 following his diagnosis of Lou Gherig’s disease. A passionate advocate for golf, Patrick spent 31 years working in the golf industry in Québec.

Below is a message shared from our friends at Golf Québec in celebration of Patrick’s impact on the association and his outstanding contributions to the game.

—-

THANK YOU, PATRICK, | A great friend in the golf industry has left us far too soon. Lou Gehrig’s disease, which Patrick had been suffering from for more than a year, progressed much more quickly than desired and we are left with unforgettable memories of our friend and colleague.

The Golf Québec community extends its most sincere condolences to his wife, his two children and the family.

Hardworking and dedicated. Patrick always brought innovative ideas to advance the sport of golf in Québec. Teacher and coach for more than 22 years at the AGFC with his BFF Fred Colgan, he allowed countless others to discover the joy of golf, several who went on to excel in competition. Patrick was a colleague as Regional Director of Golf Canada for Québec for three years until his retirement. His enthusiasm and expertise brought a major impact in the relationship with golf clubs across the province. His knowledge, rigor, and his desire to always do better earned him the respect of his peers as an agent for change in the golf industry.

Patrick, we will miss you. Your sense of humour and your sense of duty will remain in our memories. Thanks Pat, and rest in peace, dear friend.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Canada’s Nick Taylor tied a PGA Tour record for the largest 18-hole lead in a stroke event with a bogey-free 11-under 60 in the weather-delayed first round of the Phoenix Open on Friday.

Taylor’s five-shot lead ties Jim Gallagher Jr. at the 1993 Tour Championship for the largest 18-hole lead in a stroke-play event since 1983. He also broke the largest 18-hole lead record at the Phoenix Open of four, set by Phil Mickelson in 2013.

A 3 1/2-hour weather delay in the first round forced about half the field to finish their first rounds at TPC Scottsdale on Friday morning. A frost delay of more than 90 minutes pushed back the resumption of the first round even more.

Taylor was 4 under through six holes after starting on No. 10 to start Thursday’s first round and returned to reel off four straight birdies starting on No. 18. He added three more birdies, including from nine feet on the par-4 ninth, to shoot 29 on the Stadium Course’s front nine.

Taylor’s 60 matches the course record set four previous times, last by Mickelson in 2013. Taylor leads overnight leader Sahith Theegala and three others by five shots heading into Friday’s second round.

Andrew Novak, Doug Ghim and Maverick McNealy also shot first-round 65s.

113^th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship is headlined by
defending champion Nick Taylor and world no.2 Rory McIlroy

Golf Canada, in partnership with RBC is pleased to release the full selection of ticket options for the 2024 RBC Canadian Open taking place May 28 – June 2 at the historic Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Hamilton, Ont.

Defending champion Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. and world no.2 Rory McIlroy are early headliners for the 113th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship that returns to Hamilton Golf and Country Club for the seventh time in tournament history and first since 2019.

CLICK HERE TO SECURE YOUR TICKETS BEFORE THEY SELL OUT!

Taylor, a three-time PGA TOUR winner will be the first Canadian in nearly 70 years to compete as defending champion. Taylor secured victory with his iconic 72-foot putt on the fourth playoff hole over Tommy Fleetwood last June at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto.

McIlroy returns to the award-winning newly renovated Hamilton Golf and Country Club where he won his first of two Canadian Open titles at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open. The 24-time PGA TOUR winner went on to successfully defend his RBC Canadian Open title in 2022 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club. McIlroy will be looking to claim his third career Canadian Open title and join three-time champions Tommy Armour, Sam Snead, and Lee Trevino.

“We are really pleased with the early response from the Hamilton community and really golf fans from coast to coast. There is real excitement in returning to Hamilton Golf and Country Club and its quite clear that golf fans are ready to get behind the 2024 RBC Canadian Open in a major way,” said RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director Bryan Crawford. “Hamilton has been an exceptional host venue for the championship, and we are really looking forward to connecting with the community. We encourage families to take advantage of our free admission for youth 12-and-under to come and watch world class golf and enjoy the exciting festival experience in Hamilton.”

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the 2024 RBC Canadian Open offers golf fans the thrill and excitement of live professional golf with a world-class field competing for Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship.

Fans of all ages will once again be able to experience the week-long festival atmosphere highlighted by The Rink on the 13th hole at Hamilton, and a variety of food and patio experiences at The Fare Way featuring the Keg. Announcements related to live music entertainment will be forthcoming.

The official charitable beneficiary of the RBC Canadian Open is First Tee – Canada. As part of the championship’s commitment to junior golf, admission all week is free for youth aged 12-and-under.

General admission tickets provide access to the golf course and enjoy fan activations throughout the property and experience the thrill of major professional golf.

Upgraded ticket experiences including corporate hospitality packages and premium guest hosting are also available.

Click here to sign up for the RBC Canadian Open newsletter and be among the first notified for future announcements and updates.

Make sure you are part of the action in Hamilton!

Visit www.rbccanadianopen.com/tickets/ to secure your tickets before they sell out!

Canada’s Lauren Zaretsky can already cross winning an NCAA tournament off her goals list.

The golfer from Thornhill, Ont., led from wire-to-wire to win the UCF Women’s Challenge on Monday for her first-ever collegiate title. 

The Texas Tech Red Raiders sophomore fired a career-best 8-under 64 in the first round of the three-round event and never looked back to claim the title at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando, Fla.

“I had high goals,” said Zaretsky, who had to overcome injury issues over the past few months. “After shooting my best score ever and being in contention for winning, I think I just had to keep my foot on the gas and hope to win it in the end.”

Zaretsky was dominant in her first collegiate tournament of 2024, with rounds of 64-71-68 to finish 13 under and win by three strokes.

The 20-year-old said that her strong performance came despite having injured knees.

“I have a torn meniscus in one of my knees and probably both my knees are torn,” said Zaretsky, noting that golf carts were permitted at the UCF Women’s Challenge. “They were kind of bothering me in the first semester, so I’ve been trying to get back to feeling 100 per cent. Now I pretty much feel 100 per cent.”

Now that Zaretsky has a taste for victory at the collegiate level she wants to keep pushing herself to greater heights.

“I’m trying to hopefully to win more college events and the big dream would be to win a national championship,” said Zaretsky. “As a team and as an individual would be the ultimate goal.

“I think that’s the biggest achievement you can have at the NCAA level. Hopefully my team can make it this year, and then I have a chance to do it on both ends.”

She’ll have her first crack at a second title starting Monday when Texas Tech hosts NEXUS Collegiate at Albany Golf Club in New Providence, Bahamas.

PGA TOUR — Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., leads the Canadian contingent into the always raucous WM Phoenix Open this week at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course in Arizona. He’s ranked 30th on the FedEx Cup standings. Nick Taylor (56th) of Abbotsford, Corey Conners (68th) of Listowel, Ont., and Adam Svensson (70) of Surrey, B.C., are also in the field.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Edmonton’s Wil Bateman rocketed up the Korn Ferry Tour’s points list after tying for second at The Panama Championship on Sunday. He’s tied for eighth heading into this week’s Astara Golf Championship at Country Club de Bogota in Colombia. Myles Creighton (38th) of Digby, N.S., Etienne Papineau (40) of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., Sudarshan Yellamaraju (T124th) of Mississauga, Ont., are also in the field.

Calgary – Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) is proud to announce that Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation has been chosen as the primary charity partner for the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open, to be held at the historic Earl Grey Golf Club from July 23 – 28, 2024.

“CPKC is pleased to once again partner with the Alberta Children’s Hospital through the 2024 CPKC Women’s Open,” said Keith Creel, CPKC President and CEO. “By building on our first Women’s Open partnership with Alberta Children’s Hospital in 2016, we will leverage our community investment program, CPKC Has Heart, to help the youngest hearts across Alberta.”

This year’s goal is to raise more than $2.75 million for Alberta Children’s Hospital. Those funds will be dedicated to support researchers at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute who believe there is potential to develop a routine blood test to provide earlier detection of congenital heart defects or other anomalies at birth so parents and caregivers can be prepared before the baby is born.

“Every year in Alberta, there are approximately 550 babies born with a congenital heart defect,” says Saifa Koonar, President and CEO of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation. “With this incredible support from the CPKC Women’s Open, our researchers are working to develop a new, non-invasive test to identify these problems sooner, leading to better prenatal care and opportunities for critical life-saving interventions.”

“It has been inspiring to share in the impact of CPKC Has Heart on the lives of countless youth and families in the host communities of the CPKC Women’s Open,” said Laurence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada. “Bringing the 50^th playing of our National Women’s Open Championship back to Calgary and now to Earl Grey Golf Club for the first time will be special. I know that golf fans and event enthusiasts will celebrate the CPKC Women’s Open as a week-long festival experience that will leave a meaningful community legacy in support of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.”

The LPGA awarded the CPKC Women’s Open, hosted Aug. 22-27 at Vancouver’s Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, with Tournament of the Year in 2023 for the second consecutive year. Golf Canada and CPKC also received Gold Driver Awards for Best Sponsor Activation in 2019, 2022 and 2023 as well as Best Community and Charity Engagement in 2017, 2019 and 2022. 

About Canadian Pacific Kansas City

With its global headquarters in Calgary, Alta., Canada, CPKC is the first and only single-line transnational railway linking Canada, the United States and México, with unrivaled access to major ports from Vancouver to Atlantic Canada to the Gulf of México to Lázaro Cárdenas, México. Stretching approximately 20,000 route miles and employing 20,000 railroaders, CPKC provides North American customers unparalleled rail service and network reach to key markets across the continent. CPKC is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpkcr.com to learn more about the rail advantages of CPKC.

About CPKC Has Heart

At CPKC, we know that a railroad may serve as the arteries of a nation, but at its heart is community. That’s why, through CPKC Has Heart, we’ve already helped raise more than $35 million to help improve the heart health of adults and children across North America. And along the way, we’re showing heart whenever we can. Find out more on www.cpkcr.com

About Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation

The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation inspires our community to invest in excellence in child health, research, and family centred care. Through the generosity of donors, the Foundation provides funding for innovative programs, state-of-the-art equipment, advanced medical training and internationally recognized pediatric research. The Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation is a founding partner of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, as well as the primary funder. www.childrenshospital.ab.ca 

Canadians Etienne Papineau and Myles Creighton have already noticed that the fields on the Korn Ferry Tour are deeper than the events they’re used to playing. But they’re hanging in there two tournaments into the second-tier circuit’s season.

Papineau and Creighton are in the Korn Ferry Tour’s top 30 entering The Panama Championship this week, after earning their way onto the circuit from the PGA Tour Latinoamerica and PGA Tour Canada. 

Papineau, who is 25th on the points list, said although there are great players on the third tier of men’s professional golf, it’s apparent that everyone is an excellent player on the Korn Ferry Tour.

“I feel like any player can win at any time, to be honest,” said Papineau from Club de Golf de Panama in Panama City on Wednesday. “Every player is really good. I mean, they’re all here for the same reason: to get their PGA Tour card.”

Creighton won the PGA Tour Latinoamerica’s Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship in Colombia last season and finished second overall in that circuit’s order of merit to move up to the Korn Ferry Tour. He agreed with Papineau that the Latinoamerica and Canada Tours — now merged into the PGA Tour Americas starting this year — had solid players at the top of their rankings but were more inconsistent down the standings.

“I think if you ran a PGA Tour Americas event on the courses that we played in the last two weeks, I think the winning score would be very similar,” said Creighton. “It’s just maybe to finish 20th or 25th is like a couple shots better, or to make a cut, it’s very marginally different. 

“You grow with it, as well. You don’t tend to notice that the competition is a little tougher, because you’re becoming a better player and you’re adapting to that.”

Papineau, from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., tied for 44th at The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic on Jan. 17 to start the year and followed that up with a tie for 14th at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic on Jan. 24.

Creighton, from Digby, N.S., tied for 25th at the Great Exuma Classic and followed that up with a tie for 27th at the Great Abaco Classic. 

Although the way he plays his game remains the same, Papineau said he’s changing his approach off the course.

“I would say in my preparation, I think I’ll be able to be more careful with that,” he said. “It’s a longer season than PGA Tour Canada. We have 25 events during the season. 

“It starts much earlier so I’m going to be playing pretty much all year up until October.”

Both Canadians are on the Korn Ferry Tour with limited status that only guarantees them spots in the first eight events of the year. There will be a reshuffle after the first four tournaments and, if they’re high enough in the standings, they’ll have their membership extended. 

If they’re still in the top 30 at the end of the year they’ll earn cards on the PGA Tour, the top men’s golf circuit in the world.

“It’s so important to get off to a good start right from the beginning,” said Creighton. “You want to play well early and put yourself in a good position early to then build off that. You don’t want to be playing from behind in that sense. 

“It just gives you a little comfort knowing that you’ve made a cut, you’ve accumulate a couple of points, and you’re in a good spot to start the year.”

Papineau and Creighton will be joined at Club de Golf de Panama by Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont., Edmonton’s Wil Bateman and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont. Yellamaraju is tied for 95th on the Korn Ferry Tour rankings, while Gligic and Bateman have yet to play on the second-tier circuit this season.

Oakville, Ont. – Golf Canada is pleased to announce the addition of the Canadian U15 Championship and player development educational summit to its 2024 Amateur Championship schedule. The event will take place August 27-30 at the Elmira Golf Club in Elmira, Ont.

The Canadian U15 Championship, presented by BDO will bring together a field of 78 girls and boys, aged 14 and under from across the country to compete over 36-holes, followed by a player development educational summit.

“We are excited to add the Canadian U15 Championship, presented by BDO and its associated player development educational summit to our amateur tournament schedule this season,” said Golf Canada’s National Head of Talent Identification, Tristan Mullally. “This event is an opportunity for Canada’s top young players to compete for a national championship and also receive important education about the high-performance journey.”

The half-day player development educational summit scheduled for August 30 is required for all participants in the Canadian U15 Championship, presented by BDO. Players, along with their families and coaches, will participate in various interactive clinics to learn about navigating the modern pathway in high-performance golf. Topics will include sport psychology, physical training for young golfers, parenting high-performance athletes, and talent development research. Players will also participate in select Team Canada skills tests and learn about the structure of the national team system.

Elmira Golf Club will play host to the inaugural championship. Founded in 1963, the picturesque 18-hole, par 70 course is situated in a country setting just west of Elmira. The clubhouse, also home to “The Grill on the Green” restaurant, sits perched above the 18^th green and provides panoramic views of the golf course below as it flows through the “Eldale Valley” below. Gently winding through the valley and rolling hills is Larches Creek, offering players interesting shots through the unique mixture of finishing holes. Elmira Golf Club celebrated it’s 60^th anniversary in 2023 and recently underwent renovations that saw the addition of 20 new tee decks along with a complete white sand bunker restoration.

“Elmira Golf Club is thrilled to be hosting the inaugural Canadian U15 Championship. After celebrating our 60^th anniversary this past season at EGC, this special event will certainly create the momentum for the next 60 years in the Club’s history. We are looking forward to welcoming Canada’s best U15’s, their families, and Golf Canada to Elmira this August,” said Jeremy Logel, General Manager and Executive Professional, Elmira Golf Club.

Entry into the Canadian U15 Championship, presented by BDO, can be gained through the following avenues:

1. Top 10 U15-aged players from the 2024 Canadian Junior Boys Championship and Canadian Junior Girls Championship (players must make the cut)

• 2024 Provincial U15 Boys and U15 Girls Champions
• Top 2 U15-aged finishers per gender in the 2024 NextGen Championships
• Host Club exemption(s)                                 
• The remainder of the field will be determined by selection.

The boys and girls individual champions will earn exemptions into their respective 2024 Team Canada NextGen Selection Camp as well as their 2025 Canadian Junior Championship, presented by BDO. The top five finishers in each division will earn spots into two 2025 NextGen Championships.

In addition, the Canadian Junior Financial Assistance Program supported by the Gary Cowan Heritage Fund and the Canadian Seniors Golf Association will extend to this championship. The Canadian Junior Financial Assistance Program provides travel grants to qualifying families to mitigate the costs of participating in Golf Canada national championships. For more information, click here.

The full 2024 Canadian Amateur Championship schedule is expected to be announced next month. Registration for all National Amateur Championships will be open on Wednesday, March 6.

The buzz of the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla. returned January 23-26, 2024 to a level not seen in a half-decade with plenty of Canadian connections at the annual kick-off to the golfing year.  

There were a few questions about the longevity of the show, especially in the years following the emergence of COVID-19. But with golf booming like never before, this year featured more than 1,000 exhibitors and attendees from more than 80 countries – the “miles and miles of aisles” returned.  

Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum was thrilled to see such excitement around the game as Canadians emerge from what the organization has called a “Momentous Year” for the sport.  

At the top level, there was the where-were-you-when moment of Nick Taylor’s RBC Canadian Open triumph, but also four wins from Stephen Ames on PGA Tour Champions, and multiple winners across the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, and more – including Alena Sharp winning a bronze medal at the Pan Am Games and the Canadian squad winning the World Junior Girls Championship for the first time.  

“These were the real successes on the golf course,” Applebaum says. “But off the golf course I would say seeing the strength of our clubs, seeing the strength of our membership, and bringing so many partners to the table was incredible.  

“We’re just so happy to be supporting Canadian golf and leveraging off this amazing success into 2024.”  

With more than 10-million scores inputted into the Golf Canada app last year and with the trend of incredible participation numbers in new entrants into the game – including more women, more young people, and more diversity – Applebaum says there is so much to look forward to as we inch closer to spring.  

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With the new year underway there is also lots of new gear available.  

Here’s everything you need to know from some of our partners to make sure you look and play your best in 2024!  

TITLEIST 

The big story for Titleist this year is wrapped in the AVX golf ball, a new roster of Scotty Cameron putters, and an extra-special wedge drop from Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Bob Vokey – the SM10 Vokey wedges.  

The new AVX delivers new technology in the core, the casing layer, the cover, and the dimple pattern to deliver better spin and control for golfers but keep all the distance you love with irons and the driver.  

“We really operate with the spirit of continual improvement,” says Frederick Waddell, the senior manager of golf ball product management at Titleist. “When we think about Pro V1 or Pro V1x – the best players in the world trust those products, you trust your game to those products, so we have to be striving for better materials, better manufacturing processes, fine tuning flight, spin, feel, so then you can play your best.  

“We don’t just offer one golfer we have fitting options and by constantly tinkering with those and looking to improve those, we’re serving players that want to play their best with the best products in the world to shoot lower scores.” 

There are 10 new models of the Scotty Cameron Phantom mallet putters that were completely redesigned with improved feel and sound, plus alignment-infused head shapes.  

“The theme (for 2024) is alignment by design,” says Austie Rollinson, the senior director of putter research and development at Scotty Cameron. “We’ve really worked hard to infuse alignment through the whole shape of these putters to help the golfer align better to the target […] and alignment is key to making more putts.” 

Finally, the new SM10 wedges are all about getting a lower ball flight, a much-improved feel, and giving golfers maximum spin.  

“With SM10 it’s all about ball flight,” says Corey Gerrard, the director of marketing for Vokey Wedges. “You’re going to see a higher (centre of gravity) that’s moved forward in the face that gives you that lower ball flight and plenty of control and maximum spin to stop the ball closer to the hole more often.”  

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FOOTJOY 

FootJoy has once again given Canadian golfers all kinds of reasons to continue to play – no matter what the weather.  

From an outerwear perspective, FootJoy’s new line is all about dialling in a ‘modern classic’ aesthetic while also providing top-level performance in all weather conditions.  

“We do ‘modern classic’ really well and we’re looking to push and innovate on that,” says John Toracinta, the senior marketing specialist at FootJoy. “When you talk about modern classic, everything is getting a little tighter from stripes to prints to patterns and not only on shirts and essentials but also on outerwear and the small details that differentiate it.” 

On the footwear side, the big story for 2024 is the update to the FootJoy ProSL. Available in two models, the ProSL has been a great franchise for FootJoy for a number of years and it’s changed the way spikeless traction works for golfers.  

“In prior years we’ve been doing evolutions – like updating materials – but this year for ProSL we went full revolution,” says Dan Buonomo, product manager at FootJoy. “It’s completely redesigned not only from a look and feel perspective but also the traction story that’s going on underneath.”  

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LEVELWEAR 

Canadians will not only see Levelwear on our top Tour talent once again this year – like Corey Conners, Adam Hadwin, Taylor Pendrith, and Maddie Szeryk – but it will also be available at both the RBC Canadian Open and CPKC Women’s Open merch tents through 2024.  

The great story for this year’s drops from Levelwear is all about colour and fabric across its lines of polo shirts, layering pieces, and more.  

“We’ve got more colour stories than we ever have had before and new technologies in some of our fabrics as well – and lots of new prints,” says Gareth Knocker, the director of apparel at Levelwear. “Prints are definitely still trending, so we have a lot of new, fun prints for Canadian golfers this year too.”  

PUMA 

Puma will be launching its 2024 Maple Leaf Collection in May while the brand, which celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, will be the official outfitter of Team Canada’s golf squad at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.  

“We’re really excited. This is a first for us. We’ve been making a collection for Canada for a little while now, but this is the first time there’s a lot more at stake,” says Chris MacNeill, the senior manager of golf apparel at Puma. “We custom made some products for them – from Canadian-themed graphics to colours and all-new performance fabric [and] we’re excited to bring the performance side plus the fashion side together and outfit Team Canada this year.”   

FORESIGHT 

The new Falcon system from Foresight is a  shrunken version of the incredibly popular GC Hawk, while also new for 2024 is the Quad Max – the PGA TOUR favourite has received a few new tweaks for this year.  

The best is just getting better!  

And in case you were wondering about getting a Foresight machine in your home – you’re not alone. Mitch Grassing, a Canadian launch-monitor expert at Foresight based out of Kitchener-Waterloo, says, in Canada, the in-home units make up about three quarters of their business and is the most popular set up.  

“If you’ve got a space to swing a golf club,” Grassing says, “we can make something happen.”  

Proud partner @ForesightCanada has exciting new developments ahead for 2024. pic.twitter.com/2CuLzdi77E

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) January 25, 2024

Just nine tournaments into the DP World Tour season, Canada’s Aaron Cockerill is already in the best position of his career.

Cockerill, from Stony Mountain, Man., tied for fourth at the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday, firing a 4-under fourth round to finish at 10 under, just four shots back of Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy. That performance moved Cockerill 33 points up the Race to Dubai rankings to ninth overall.

“There’s still a long way to go but it’s obviously better to start in a good position than be behind the 8-ball,” said Cockerill, who played in his fourth tournament of the season but first of 2024.

Cockerill is the eighth highest-ranked Canadian on the official world golf rankings, sitting 219th overall. Keeping pace with high-profile players like McIlroy and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, who also tied for fourth, at the Dubai Desert Classic was encouraging.

“I only lost to three other guys and a couple of them are really, really highly ranked golfers,” said Cockerill. “I mean, those guys are all within the top 30 in the world, I think so, it’s exciting.”

The 32-year-old Cockerill had some strong performances last season on the European-based DP World Tour, with a tie for fourth at the Alfred Dunhill Championship on Dec. 12, 2022, and a second-place finish at the ISPS HANDA — Championship on April 22, but then he struggled through the summer. 

He said he’s learned from that experience and plans to do things differently in 2024.

“I think a lot of that has to do with my habits away from the golf course,” said Cockerill from his home in Dubai. “When we’re over here at the start of the season I’m kind of secluded, in terms of what my normal day to day would be at home. 

“Here it’s: golf course, practice, gym, work hard. I’m going pretty hard and not really doing a lot in between. Not that I want to be a drill sergeant to myself the whole season, but I also need to know that I need to stay pretty disciplined and keep up with my practice habits.”