National Allied Golf Associations announce return of National Golf Day 2024
OTTAWA, Canada – The National Allied Golf Associations (NAGA) is an industry coalition consisting of the five national golf associations in Canada – Golf Canada; National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) Canada; the Club Management Association of Canada (CMAC); Professional Golfers Association of Canada (PGA of Canada); and the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA).
Each association represents a unique sector of the golf industry – its purpose is to advocate as a single voice about issues that affect golfers and golf businesses, and subsequently their employee groups, and related stakeholders. Since 2011, NAGA has executed an annual lobby day, referred to as National Golf Day, as an event to highlight the positive virtues of Canadian golf and build relationships with key legislative decision-makers both federally and provincially.
NAGA is delighted to advise that after a four-year pause due to COVID-19, we will again be conducting the annual National Golf Day initiative on May 22-23, 2024, with a press conference on Parliament Hill, followed by targeted advocacy meetings with MPs and Senators in Ottawa.
Golf: Many Benefits
Golf flourished during the pandemic as the nature of the sport easily allowed for social distancing while delivering a social recreation experience for both avid and new players . Several clubs now have waitlists due to the increased interest in golf as more people took up the sport when travel or other recreational activities were adversely impacted. Post-COVID, golf enthusiasts have continued their renewed (or new) interest in the sport because of its many benefits, whether health, mental, or social.
Current data suggests that hundreds of thousands of participants have entered the sport in recent years, totaling nearly six million golfers in Canada, just under 20% of the entire Canadian population. New golfers are increasingly likely to be female with active women golfers growing by 6% in 2023 vs 2022. New golfers are also ever more likely to be BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) as evidenced by a 33% lift in BIPOC active golfers in 2023 vs 2022.
Economic Impact Study
Complementary to the advocacy work of NAGA, the coalition conducts an economic impact study every five years to measure the financial, employment, charitable, tourism and environmental impact that the sport and the business of golf contributes to communities across Canada. The survey was executed in February 2024 and the results will be released just prior to National Golf Day 2024. The study will highlight economic insights for each of the 10 provinces and three territories from coast-to-coast.
Given that this study will be the first since COVID and the interest spike that followed, NAGA anticipates the results to be dramatically different than prior years.
Call to Action
In the lead-up to National Golf Day 2024, NAGA invites its association members to encourage your networks to get involved in the sport, whether that be playing a round of golf, experience family time at your local course, introducing a new player to the game, taking a lesson, or enjoying a meal at your local course clubhouse.
NAGA stakeholders are encouraged to consider running a special National Golf Day promotion to support the day and join in the wonderful momentum that golf is currently experiencing.
Sincerely,
National Allied Golf Associations
National Golf Course Owners Association Canada
Daniel Pilon, President
Jeff Calderwood, CEO + Chair, NAGA
The Club Management Association of Canada
Jana-Lyn Fairbairn, CCM, President
Suzanne Godbehere, CEO
Golf Canada
David McCarthy, President
Laurence Applebaum, CEO
Canadian Golf Superintendents Association
John McLinden, AGS, President
Kathryn Wood, CEO
Professional Golfers Association of Canada
Scott Kolb, PGA, President
Kevin Thistle, CEO
Canada’s Stuart Macdonald wins Diners Club Peru Open
Stuart Macdonald won the Diners Club Peru Open on Sunday after carding a 1-under 71 in the final round. Macdonald climbs into the No. 3 spot in the Fortinet Cup season-long standings after securing his second career PGA TOUR-sanctioned win at Los Inkas Golf Club.
This is the second time Macdonald has been victorious in Peru. As an amateur, the Vancouver native won the 29th Lima Golf Club International Amateur Championship in 2017. Macdonald is the first Canadian to win the Diners Club Peru Open since it became a PGA TOUR Sanctioned event in 2012.
Prior to 2024, Macdonald was one of the most consistent performers on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica in 2023. Macdonald did not miss the cut and only finished outside of the top-25 once in eight starts, including a T14 finish at the 2023 Diners Club Peru Open.
Macdonald carried that momentum to PGA TOUR Canada in 2023. In six starts, Macdonald finished with three top-20 finishes and only missed the cut once. Macdonald’s best finish came at the 2023 Commissionaires Ottawa Open, where he defeated Devon Bling and Luke Schniederjans in a playoff to claim his first PGA TOUR-sanctioned win. Macdonald picked up a second top-5 finish at the 2023 Windsor Championship, where he finished T2.
Prior to turning professional in 2017, the Vancouver native starred at Purdue University from 2012-2016. Macdonald ended his career with the 14th best scoring average in Purdue program history and finished fourth on the team in top-10’s his senior year with four.
Macdonald is expected to be in the field at the Kia Open, the fifth event of the Latin America Swing, which will be hosted at the Quito Tenis y Golf Club from May 2-5 in Quito, Ecuador.
Securing the win with your Dad right beside you on the bag.
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) April 28, 2024
Nothing like it ❤️ pic.twitter.com/qtvuwJxOQL
Stephen Ames celebrates 60th birthday with successful title defense in Mitsubishi Electric Classic
DULUTH, Ga. — Stephen Ames celebrated his 60th birthday with a successful title defense in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, closing with a 5-under 67 on Sunday for his eighth PGA Tour Champions victory.
A stroke behind Paul Broadhurst after matching the tournament record Saturday with a 64, Ames had two eagles in the final round. He won by four strokes, finishing at 14-under 202 at TPC Sugarloaf for his record third victory in the event.
Broadhurst, the 58-year-old Englishman coming off a victory last week in the Invited Celebrity Classic, closed with a 72 to tie for second with Doug Barron (69). K.J. Choi (70) and Steven Alker (71) were 9 under.
Ames became the first multiple winner this year on the tour, also taking the Chubb Classic in February. He has six victories in his last 29 starts after winning twice in his first 175 — the first at TPC Sugarloaf in 2017 — on the 50-and-over tour. A naturalized Canadian citizen from Trinidad and Tobago, Ames won four times on the PGA Tour.
Ames opened with a birdie on the par-4 first, eagled the par-5 sixth and par-4 13th and birdied the par-4 14th. He bogeyed the par-4 15th and 17th and birdied the par-5 18th.
Canadian Brooke Rivers’s cool head prevails to help Wake Forest win ACC championship
An NCAA conference title was riding on Brooke Rivers’s putter, but she kept her mind clear.
Rivers, a Team Canada member from Brampton, Ont., sank a 12-foot putt on the 18th green to break a tie in her match and lift the Wake Forest Demon Deacons to the ACC conference final with a 3-1 win over North Carolina on Sunday.
The championship match against the Clemson Tigers was called that night due to darkness. With Wake Forest ahead in three matches and the top seed in the tournament, the Demon Deacons won the title, a scenario that was set up by Rivers’s cool demeanour earlier in the day.
“I just thought of the putt at hand and no external factors,” said the 19-year-old Rivers. “So I tried to clear my mind of anything consequential and focus more on what I was doing in that moment.”
“The only thing running through my head was the putt that I had to hit and how I was going to actually hit that putt.”
Wake Forest won the eighth conference title in program history after the two rain delays, advancing the Demon Deacons to the regional finals as they look to defend their 2023 U.S. collegiate national title.
Rivers said that she likes how match play — the format used in the medal rounds of varsity golf — boils the sport down to its essence.
“You just control what you’re doing and what you can do instead of putting your focus and emphasis on another person,” said Rivers. “You just control what you’re able to control.”
Wake Forest women’s golf coach Kim Lewellen said that Rivers has shown in her freshman year that she knows how to rise to the occasion.
“Brooke is a competitor and when she’s out there, the tougher the situation, the better that she does,” said Lewellen. “She had to make a putt on the hole before that that was a left-to-right slider that was probably five, six feet, and she made that.
“When we really needed her to clinch that point she had that competitiveness come out and there was no doubt in her mind.”
Wake Forest will be one of six host sites for the 2024 NCAA Regionals in two weeks at Bermuda Run Country Club in North Carolina. In each regional, 12 teams and six individuals not on those teams will compete.
The low five teams and the low individual not on those teams will advance to the finals.
NCAA — Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., tied for third on the individual leaderboard to help the University of Texas women’s golf team win Big 12 Championship with a commanding 12 stroke victory on Saturday at the Clubs at Houston Oaks. The Canadian freshman earned a Big 12 All-Tournament Team honours.
LPGA TOUR — Rookie Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., is 62nd in the Race to CME Globe standings and is the top-ranked Canadian in the field at this week’s JM Eagle L.A. Championship. Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., is 137th and will also tee it up at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles.
EPSON TOUR — Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., leads a group of four Canadians into the IOA Championship. Although she has yet to earn points on the second-tier Epson Tour this season, she is No. 773 on the Rolex women’s golf world rankings heading into play at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon in Beaumont, Calif. She will be joined by amateur Leah John of Vancouver, Kate Johnston of Ayr, Ont., and Vancouver’s Tiffany Kong.
PGA TOUR — Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin, who grew up together in Abbotsford, B.C., will team up at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in Avondale, La. They are the highest ranked Canadians in the FedEx Cup standings at 21st and 33rd respectively. Best friends Corey Conners (55th) of Listowel, Ont., and Taylor Pendrith (99th) of Richmond Hill, Ont., will also be a team. Ben Silverman (103rd) of Thornhill, Ont., and Roger Sloan (189th) of Merritt, B.C., will be in different pairings at TPC Louisiana.
KORN FERRY TOUR — Edmonton’s Wil Bateman leads the Canadian contingent into the Veritex Bank Championship. He’s 18th on the second-tier tour’s points list. He’ll be joined at Texas Rangers Golf Club in Arlington, Texas, by Myles Creighton (27th) of Digby, N.S., Etienne Papineau (35th) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., Jared du Toit (76th) of Kimberley, B.C., and Sudarshan Yellamaraju (120th) of Mississauga, Ont.
CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames is the lone Canadian in the field at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic. He’s fourth in the Schwab Cup standings heading into the three-day event at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga., which tees off on Friday.
PGA TOUR AMERICAS — Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont., sits atop the Fortinet Cup points list after winning last week’s 69th ECP Brazil Open in a 54-hole, wire-to-wire victory. He’ll be back in action at the Diners Club Peru Open in Lima on Thursday. Anderson is one of 13 Canadians in the field.
July Talk and Lindsay Ell added to SiriusXM Concert Series at 2024 RBC Canadian Open
All Canadian line-up set for two-night concert series at
Hamilton Golf and Country Club
The festival vibe for Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship just got stronger as Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Canadian artists July Talk and Lindsay Ell have been added to the performance line-up of the SiriusXM Concert Series at the RBC Canadian Open.
Juno Award winners, July Talk will be performing on Friday, May 31 along with previously announced Canadian legends, Our Lady Peace.
Award-winning singer, songwriter and philanthropist, Lindsay Ell will join country music rising star Josh Ross on Saturday, June 1 as the headline acts at the SiriusXM Concert Series taking place following play at the historic Hamilton Golf and Country Club, May 28 to June 2, 2024.
The two-night onsite concert series will be hosted by title sponsor, SiriusXM Canada in partnership with Live Nation Canada and Golf Canada and will shine a spotlight on Canadian talent and emerging musical artists.
July Talk originated in Toronto and features two front people, Leah Fay Goldstein and Peter Dreimanis, surrounded by whiplashing guitarists Ian Docherty and Josh Warburton, and drummer Danny Miles and percussionist Dani Nash. The band has produced four studio albums since its inception in 2012. Three-time Juno award winner, July Talk is highly regarded for its on-stage presence and performances and has toured extensively over the past decade. The band’s most recent album, Remember Never Before, was released last year and is regarded as the most potently yet inventively “July Talk” album yet, the band returns – changed – to where they began.
Lindsay Ell has performed on some of the world’s biggest stages, with three career number ones and more than 401 million streams. Ell has been nominated for numerous awards including: ACM Awards (New Female Vocalist (2019), New Female Vocalist (2020), and Music Event of the Year (2020)); CMT Awards (Social Superstar (2015), Collaborative Video of the Year (2019)), CMA Awards (Musical Event of the Year (2019)); and JUNO Awards (Country Album of the Year (2021)) along with 20 CCMA Awards. In addition, last year Ell earned a Canadian Screen Award nomination (Best Host or Presenter, Factual or Reality/Competition) for her role as Host of Canada’s highest-rated reality TV program, Canada’s Got Talent. Ell will be joining Shania Twain’s Las Vegas residency later this summer as Twain’s lead guitarist and recently shared the stage with OneRepublic.
In addition to world-class golf and the SiriusXM Concert Series at the RBC Canadian Open, spectators will enjoy a week-long festival atmosphere at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, highlighted by, The Rink, located at the 13th Hole along with a variety of food and patio experiences at The Fare Way featuring The Keg.
“The additions of July Talk and Lindsay Ell to previously announced artists Our Lady Peace and Josh Ross promise to make the 2024 Sirius XM Concert Series a memorable experience for golf and music enthusiasts alike. Fans onsite will enjoy world-class golf followed by two incredible nights of live music featuring these amazing Canadian talents,” said Bryan Crawford, tournament director, RBC Canadian Open.
RBC Canadian Open tickets for Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1 include full day access to the tournament and the SiriusXM Concert Series. The concert grounds will be located near admissions and The Fareway featuring The Keg at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
To purchase tickets to the 2024 RBC Canadian Open, please visit RBCCanadianOpen.com/tickets/.
Celebrating 100 Days until Olympic Golf at Paris 2024
Men’s competition to be held 1-4 August, followed by the women’s competition 7-10 August
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND (Tuesday, 23 April, 2024) – In 100 days, the men’s golf competition will commence at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics at the renowned Le Golf National. The men’s golf competition will be contested Thursday, August 1st through Sunday, August 4th, followed by the women’s competition, which will run Wednesday, August 7th through Saturday, August 10th. Paris 2024 marks the fifth time golf has been featured in the Olympics, and just the third time since 1904 after its return at Rio 2016.
“With 100 days until the beginning of Olympic Golf Competitions, we’re excited to see the momentum building as we approach the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games,” said International Golf Federation Executive Director Antony Scanlon. “We know Le Golf National will provide a challenging, dramatic test to the competitors, and I can’t wait to welcome these 120 athletes as they represent their nations on sport’s biggest stage while vying to be presented Olympic medals atop the podium.”
QUALIFICATION
Both the men’s and women’s fields for the Olympic Golf Competitions feature 60 players. The IGF uses the Official World Golf Ranking to create the Olympic Golf Rankings as a method of determining eligibility. The top 15 world-ranked players will be eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country. Beyond the top 15, players will be eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15. For more information on the qualification process and to access the most updated Olympic Golf Rankings, please click here.
If qualification ended today (April 23, 2024), Canada’s team would be comprised of Nick Taylor, Adam Hadwin on the men’s side and Brooke Henderson and Maddie Szeryk on the women’s team.
COMPETITION FORMAT
The competition consists of a 72-hole individual stroke play for both men and women, with four rounds scheduled over four consecutive days. Scores are cumulative from round to round. The player with the lowest aggregate score wins.
HOST COURSE – LE GOLF NATIONAL
Le Golf National, one of the most prestigious golf venues in Europe, will host both competitions and is owned and managed by the French Golf Federation. Located in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Le Golf National has previously hosted major international competitions, most notably the 2018 Ryder Cup. The venue also serves as the permanent home for the annual Open de France event on the DP World Tour. Le Golf National opened in 1991 and was fully renovated in 2016.
KEY DATES FOR OLYMPIC GOLF
- 12 June – 50 days from the beginning of the men’s Olympic Golf competition
- 17 June – Olympic Golf Rankings finalised for the men’s golf competition
- 24 June – Olympic Golf Rankings finalised for the women’s golf competition
- 23 July – Olympic Torch at Le Golf National
- 29 July – Groupings and tee times announced for the men’s golf competition
- 1-4 August – Men’s golf competition
- 5 August – Groupings and tee times announced for the women’s golf competition
- 7-10 August – Women’s golf competition
NEW IGF WEBSITE
Today, the IGF also released its new website: www.igfgolf.org.
Golf Canada Hole-In-One Report – Week of April 15, 2024
Each week we write to Golf Canada members who record a hole-in-one, congratulating them and asking if they’d tell us how it happened. These are their stories (edited for length and clarity).
Have you recently accomplished the feat of a hole-in-one? Tell us about it! Share your story, picture / video and course information with us at holeinone@golfcanada.ca.
Ronald Rozon, Royal Colwood Golf Club, Hole #7
I was playing with Michael Gibbons, James Leslie and Michael Craig. Hole #7, 149 yards, Pitching Wedge.
Phyllis Laschuk, Point Grey, Hole #2
On Tuesday, April 9th, I received the eGolf Canada newsletter and read all the articles including the Hole-in-One Report. It brought back memories of the past hole-in-one’s I’ve had in 2018 and 2019 and thought – “it would be nice to enjoy another one day”.
On April 11th, I arrived at Point Grey for my usual Thursday game. It was starting to rain and the forecast was for continuing rain throughout the day. With two from our group cancelling, my longtime (over 30 years) golf buddy, Caroline McKee showed up, along with a new member, Betty Gass. We reluctantly agreed to play a few holes and decide if we would continue. As we walked to the first tee, Killian from the pro shop stopped us and asked if we would have the young fellow on the tee join us as his group had cancelled and he was a guest from The Ottawa Hunt Club.
We happily agreed and mentioned to Geoff that we may only play a few holes due to the weather and he said that was fine. On the first hole we were impressed with his ball striking as well as his engaging and patient manner despite the 40 plus age difference.
On the second hole, approximately 86 yards, I took my pitching wedge and watched as my ball bounced once, hit the flag and landed near the hole. I was breathless as I turned to see if my group had just seen the shot, and as I looked back to the hole the ball had disappeared.
Yes, the ball was in the hole. But silence followed as I mentioned that the hole-in-one insurance states that you have to complete at least nine holes. And the rain was persisting, so I was grateful when Caroline, Betty and Geoff said they would continue and complete the nine.
After hole #9, we enjoyed drinks and lunch and most importantly for me will be the memories for my lifetime of sharing my hole-in-one with dear friends and a special new acquaintance.
Deborah Parker, Tara Golf & Country Club, Hole #4
I was playing with Linda Landry and Wynann Biondo. As you can see from the picture I brought my wedge with me because we didn’t see it go in and I figured I may have rolled off the back, but to my surprise it didn’t! It was on a par 3, I believe the yardage was 134. I hit my Ping 5 hybrid and was playing my Taylor Made Tour Response.
Claire Primeau-Bouchat, Belleview Golf Club, Hole #11
Member at Belleview Golf Club – Woodslee, ON
– Witnesses: Peter & Shelly Roovers & Andrew Bouchat
– Handicap: 16
– Hole #11 – Par 3 – 126 yards – used my TaylorMade Kalea 3W and a Titleist golf ball
It was a nice spring day with blustery winds. I was playing with my husband and two friends and having a decent round. The shot on hole #11 was slightly left of the pin – bounced once and ran towards the cup and disappeared. My husband yelled “it’s in”. I was picking up my tee and actually did not see it go in the hole. We told the Golf Course Manager (Josh) who sent a notification to the Membership via Facebook. This was my third Hole-in-One putting me one-up on my husband who has two of them.
Rosemary Willett, Paragon Golf & Country Club, Hole #7
This was my seventh hole-in-one! Last year I had one on hole #15 at Paragon playing with Mike Willett, Lorraine Drummond and John Drummond. This year I had a hole-in-one on hole #7 at Paragon and I was playing with the same couple and my husband! I used a choked up 7 wood for 110 yards.
David Wilks, Uplands Golf Course, Hole #11
I had a hole-in-one on hole #11 at Uplands Golf Course. I was playing with John Agar and Keith Classen. From the white tees it is 140 yards to a middle pin. The winds were gusting that day. I hit a 4 hybrid with a slight draw onto the green. Thought it had gone by, but found it in the hole when we got up to the green. After the round went to the club house and used our club’s hole-in-one insurance to buy beverages for those who joined us to celebrate the occasion. It was a fun day and evening. Totally unexpected!
Roger Rivard, Bear Mountain Golf Course, Hole #6
I had my hole-in-one on Monday, April 15th on the Valley Course, hole #6 on Bear Mountain. I shot it 137 yards using my 7 iron. I was playing with Harry Oshanski, Brad Maclaren and Andy Bes.
Byron Chamberlain, The Meadows Country Club (Grove Course), Hole #5
I was playing with Janice Lui at the time. I used a Pitching Wedge and the distance was about 124 yards.
International Team Captain Mike Weir announces captain’s assistants for 2024 Presidents Cup
MONTREAL – International Team Captain Mike Weir announced Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, Geoff Ogilvy and Camilo Villegas as captain’s assistants for the 2024 Presidents Cup, which will be played at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Sept. 24-29.
“I am excited to announce Ernie, Trevor, Geoff and Camilo as my captain’s assistants for the 2024 Presidents Cup,” said Weir. “The four of them each have their own special history with this event and today’s announcement is a mere formality, as we have been working closely together through the years to ensure the International Team continues its momentum from 2019 and 2022. The culture and close-knit nature tied to this team is foundational to everything we will do heading into Montreal, and I can’t wait work alongside them to deliver a great week of golf for our players.”
Els, a 19-time PGA TOUR winner, has appeared in eight Presidents Cups (1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013) and holds the record for most matches won by an International Team player (20). The South African amassed an all-time 20-18-2 record and is third overall in matches won, trailing Tiger Woods (27) and Phil Mickelson (26) and tied with Jim Furyk (20). Els served as a captain’s assistant to Nick Price in 2017 before being named International Team Captain in 2019. That year, he unified the team with the creation of the shield and led the team to its biggest lead in Presidents Cup history before falling to a Tiger Woods-led U.S. Team, 16-14, at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, in Melbourne, Australia.
“Mike has been a longtime friend, is a true icon of sport in his home country, and it’s an honor to participate captain’s assistant as his captain’s assistant as he leads the International Team into Montreal in 2024,” said Els. “This team has built a lot of momentum over the past five years, and I am eager to get to work and ensure our players are prepared to compete in Canada.”
Immelman, the 2022 Presidents Cup International Team Captain, has been added to Weir’s roster of leadership. The 2008 Masters champion played a pivotal role in the continued development of the International Team following Els’ creation of the shield. With a combination of strategy, authenticity and planning by Immelman, the team was able create an extremely close-knit group of players at Quail Hollow Club and lay the groundwork for Captain Weir to continue building the team’s momentum. The 44-year-old returns to the team for his second stint as a captain’s assistant after first serving under fellow countryman Els in 2019. Immelman competed for the International Team in 2005 and 2007.
“Being a part of this team means a great deal to me and is something I have put my heart and soul into over the years,” said Immelman. “This team has been resilient through adversity and is building a foundation for the future that we have taken immense pride in. I could not be more excited to support Mike as he leads a team of guys into Montreal that are fully committed to playing for our shield and representing the International Team.”
Ogilvy returns to the Presidents Cup for a fourth time in the role of a captain’s assistant (2017, 2019, 2022). The 46-year-old Australian played on three consecutive International Teams (2007, 2009, 2011), where he amassed 7-6-1 record. Ogilvy owns eight career PGA TOUR victories, including the 2006 U.S. Open and three World Golf Championships, in addition to winning two of Australia’s biggest titles – the 2008 Australian PGA and 2010 Australian Open.
“Mike is the ideal leader for the International Team heading into Canada and I am very much looking forward to working alongside him,” said Ogilvy. “His passion for this event, this sport and the enthusiastic Canadian sports fans is second to none and will make for an incredible week for our players in Montreal. It’s an honor to return as captain’s assistant once again and I can’t wait to assist in delivering a successful week for the International Team.”
Villegas, 42, will return in 2024 after making his debut as a captain’s assistant in 2022 at Quail Hollow Club. The Colombian represented the International Team at the 2009 Presidents Cup at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. In addition to being a five-time PGA TOUR winner, Villegas reached a career-best No. 7 in the Official World Golf Ranking and represented Colombia in the World Cup of Golf in 2006 and 2011.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be named as captain’s assistant and I look forward to working alongside Mike and preparing our guys for a great week at Royal Montreal,” said Villegas. “I served in this same capacity in 2022 in Charlotte, and the camaraderie and competitive fire from that team is something I know will carry over this fall as we continue to build a road to success for the International Team.”
For more information about the Presidents Cup, or to purchase tickets, please visit PresidentsCup.com.
Matthew Anderson wins PGA TOUR Americas in Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Matthew Anderson carded his third consecutive sub-70 round to win the 69th ECP Brazil Open at the Rio Olympic Golf Course. Anderson was one shot off the lead after 16 holes but rallied to make back-to-back birdies on Nos. 17 and 18 to secure his first victory as a professional.
Anderson’s breakthrough win comes after T21 and T3 finishes at the season-opening Bupa Championship at Tulum and the Totalplay Championship at Atlas Country Club. Anderson’s maiden victory vaults him into the No. 1 spot in the Fortinet Cup season-long ranking through three tournaments.
The Mississauga, Ont., native is the first Canadian to win on PGA TOUR Americas and has registered six top-25’s since he turned pro last summer. Anderson found success early in his career by winning the 2019 Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship. He was selected for Golf Canada’s Team Canada program in 2021-22 and has been part of the team since.
Prior to turning pro, Anderson came off an impressive finish in his graduate season at the University of San Francisco, earning All-American honors after notching a top-15 finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships. From there, Anderson gained status on PGA TOUR Canada via a fourth-place finish at the PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournament. He finished 50th in the 2023 Fortinet Cup standings to gain membership into the inaugural PGA TOUR Americas season.
Anderson is expected to be in the field at the Diners Club Peru Open, the fourth event of the Latin America Swing, which will be hosted at Los Inkas Golf Club from April 25-28 in Lima, Peru.
Magic becomes official Window and Doors partner of Golf Canada
Golf Canada and Magic Window (Magic) announced a multi-year partnership that will see Magic become the official Window and Doors partner of Golf Canada and the RBC Canadian Open.
“Golf Canada is proud to welcome Magic as the official Window and Doors partner of Golf Canada and the RBC Canadian Open,” said Craig Sharp, senior director, partnerships, Golf Canada. “Magic is well recognized for their innovative and award-winning products, which are designed and manufactured right here in Canada. We are pleased to have them join Golf Canada as a partner with Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship.”
Magic is an Ontario-based designer and manufacturer of revolutionary windows, sliding patio doors, and folding glass wall systems. From its inception in 1979, Magic’s sole focus has been to develop innovative window and door technology that solves issues associated with traditional window and door design. Magic’s portfolio has grown to include crank-less casement window hardware, retractable bug screens, retractable solar shades / thermal blinds, and bi-folding door systems. Magic aims to perfect the customer journey by managing every aspect of the sales process; including sales, installation, and after-market service.
“We’re proud to become the official Window & Door Partner of Golf Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship through 2026. This groundbreaking partnership marks the first time a Canadian home improvement brand has partnered with Golf Canada and the PGA TOUR’s RBC Canadian Open. We’re excited to introduce Canadian homeowners to our innovative products at the PGA TOUR’s premiere Canadian event while helping to grow the great game of golf in Ontario and across Canada,” said Lior Goldenberg, managing director, Magic.
Magic will have a unique on-course activation at the RBC Canadian Open on the 17th tee of Hamilton Golf and Country Club that will provide a spectacular view overlooking the property with great views of the hole. In addition, Magic will have an activation located in The Fare Way featuring The Keg adjacent to the 18th green where their leading-edge window technology will be on display along with brand ambassadors that will educate spectators on the product itself.
For more information about Magic, please visit www.magicwindow.ca/.