SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – In his French Open debut, Kevin Stadler shot a bogey-free 7-under 64 to lead by a stroke after the first round on Thursday.

The American golfer, who won the Phoenix Open in February and shared eighth place at the Masters in April, made seven birdies on a punishing golf course that will host the Ryder Cup in 2018.

“Not making bogey was something I didn’t think possible in my practice rounds,” Stadler said. “It’s one of my favorite courses. It’s spectacular.”

Marcel Siem of Germany was in second place, one stroke clear of Stephen Gallacher of Scotland. Jamie Donaldson of Wales and Felipe Aguilar of Chile were tied for fourth at 4 under.

Defending champion Graeme McDowell (70) and U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer (72) stayed in contention while Padraig Harrington (74), Thomas Bjorn (76) and Victor Dubuisson (76) will need a good performance in the second round on Friday to make the cut.

Siem, who won the French Open in 2012 but missed the cut last year, has had very little sleep since the birth of his daughter, Carlotta Sophie, 10 days ago. But he still found the energy in the morning to offset two bogeys with eight birdies for a 65 that only Stadler was able to eclipse.

“I cannot wait to go to bed to be honest,” Siem said. “On the third, I already said to my caddie: `I’ve got to go to bed, I need to get my batteries loaded up.’ I’m really pleased I stayed patient today.”

Gallacher took the lead from Siem by picking up a shot on No. 5, but he slipped down the leaderboard with two bogeys in his last three holes at Le Golf National.

“You never feel comfortable on this course,” Gallacher said. “Every shot’s got a risk in the water. So you’ve got to keep on your toes. You’ve got to concentrate all the time.”

Gallacher won the Dubai Desert Classic in February and was tied for second at the Nordea Masters in Sweden last month.

David Howell carded a 72 in his 500th appearance on the European Tour, becoming at 39 the second youngest golfer to reach that milestone.

“It all comes down to desire, and also your health,” Howell said. “I’ve had my injuries along the way and my niggles, and they are still there. But I’m feeling pretty good at the moment.”

Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley withdrew because of a shoulder injury and was replaced by Andrew McArthur (76).

Trail, B.C. – The fourth CN Future Links championship of the 2014 season, the CN Future Links Western, kicked off today at Birchbank Golf Course in Trail, B.C. If the opening round scores are any indication of what’s to come, this junior championship will prove eventful and exciting.

Tyler McKay, 18, of Rossland, B.C grabbed the opening round lead in the Junior Boys division, firing seven birdies and a bogey for a first round 6-under-par 66, and a three-stroke lead. Fourteen-year-old Khan Lee of Surrey, B.C.; Trevor Yu, 17, of Vancouver; Jake Scarrow, 17, of Dewdney, B.C.; and A.J. Armstrong, 17, of St. Albert, Alta. All carded 3-under-par 69s and hold a share of second.

Leading the Junior Girls division is 18-year-old Surrey, B.C. native Annie Songeun Lee and Ye Ji Lim, 16, of Langley, B.C. The pair share first place after an opening 2-over-par 74. Kenna Hughes, 16, of Calgary and Natalie Chu, 15, of Vancouver are tied for third at 6-over 78.

The top six competitors in the Junior Boys division of each of six regional CN Future Links Championships being held in 2014 earn exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Junior Boys Championship to be contested July 28 – August 1 at the Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course in Niagara Falls, Ont.

The Junior Girls champion from each 2014 CN Future Links Championship earns an exemption into the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, which runs July 28 – August 1 at Thornhill Golf and Country Club in Thornhill, Ont. Additionally, the Junior Girls Champion will earn an exemption into a 2015 Canadian Women’s Tour event.

The excitement continues tomorrow for the second round of the 2014 CN Future Links Western Championship, beginning at 7:30 am PDT. For complete scoring and additional information, click here.

SAN FRANCISCO – The southwest corridor of San Francisco is going to get all the golf it can handle over the next decade.

TPC Harding Park will host the Match Play Championship in 2015, the PGA Championship in 2020 and the Presidents Cup in 2025. The announcement was made Wednesday by PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, PGA of America President Ted Bishop and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee at a swanky City Hall news conference.

Speaking on the second-floor balcony outside the mayor’s office to a crowd that included about 100 leaders and golf officials, Finchem said the coordination between the PGA Tour and PGA of America to stage all three events at the same venue is unprecedented. He said he hopes similar collaboration can be done in the future to benefit both organizations and their fans.

“Today is an announcement of a lot of firsts,” Finchem said.

The trio of tournaments adds to an aggressive schedule in the area.

The Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic, which was held on the last weekend of April this year, is set to return to Lake Merced just down the road in Daly City in 2015. And the inaugural U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship is scheduled from April 30 to May 6 at The Olympic Club, where the U.S. Open was last held in 2012.

Organizers are counting on the sports-saturated Bay Area market – loaded with corporate dollars from San Francisco to Silicon Valley – to provide support behind the ropes and on sponsorship banners.

The PGA Tour’s commitment to hold the Match Play at Harding Park is only for one year. The tournament had typically been held in February the past eight years at Dove Mountain outside Tucson, Arizona. But the PGA Tour’s contract with title sponsor Accenture ended after this year’s event, leaving the event’s future uncertain.

The tournament is set for April 29 to May 3 – the week before The Players Championship – next year to improve the chances of dry conditions at Harding. The title sponsor for the 2015 tournament remains unclear.

The Match Play’s debut at Harding also will feature a new format. The tournament will have a similar structure to the World Cup, with group play leading into single-elimination matches.

The reconfiguration will ensure that all 64 players – determined by the Official World Golf Ranking, as in the past – are around for at least three days. Previously, single-elimination from the outset often led to quick exits for top players and fan favorites.

“It’s a lot more golf,” Finchem said. “It’s a ton of golf. We know the fans here will relish the opportunity to have that much more golf.”

Finchem, Bishop and Lee all credited Frank “Sandy” Tatum for bringing the events to Harding. Tatum, a longtime San Francisco attorney and former president of the U.S. Golf Association who turns 94 on Monday, spearheaded a renovation of the course and clubhouse, which now bears his name.

Finchem also quoted players such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as being excited about the announcements. He said Johnny Miller told him he honed his famed putting skills on Harding’s practice greens.

Bishop said there was never any discussion of holding the PGA Championship at another club in San Francisco, which has never hosted the event. He also said the season’s final major in 2020 might also be reworked on the schedule because of the Olympics that year.

After going more than 40 years without being played on a public course, the PGA Championship is now headed to two in a row.

The 2019 event will be played at Bethpage Black on New York’s Long Island. The last PGA Championship on a municipal course was in 1974 at Tanglewood Golf Course in North Carolina.

The PGA Championship has not been played on the West Coast since 1998 at Sahalee Country Club outside Seattle. The 2020 event at Harding Park also gives California majors in three consecutive years, with the U.S. Open going to Pebble Beach in 2019 and Torrey Pines in 2021.

Harding Park has never hosted a major, but it was the site of the 2009 Presidents Cup won by the U.S. The Presidents Cup features 24 of the world’s top golfers – 12 from the U.S. and 12 from around the world, excluding Europe – in a team match-play competition.

Follow the story of Team Canada’s National Amateur Team at golfcanada.ca/teamcanada

Support Team Canada in their quest for greatness by donating through the Golf Canada Foundation

Follow the story of Team Canada’s National Amateur Team at golfcanada.ca/teamcanada

Support Team Canada in their quest for greatness by donating through the Golf Canada Foundation

With golf making its return to the Summer Olympics all eyes may be looking ahead to 2016. However, there’s one stop on the road to Rio that’s worthy of notice first: the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

Scheduled for August 16-28 in Nanjing, China, the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is an international multi-sport event conducted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for athletes age 14-18. The 2014 edition will be the second-ever summer youth games; the inaugural event was hosted by Singapore in 2010. For the first time, golf will be among the 28 sports featured at the Youth Games. The top 26 countries on the world rankings will each select a male and female athlete to compete over an individual stroke play event as well as a mixed team competition. With the World Amateur Rankings used to determine which countries will compete, Canada is assured of fielding a team.

The Youth Games, along with the recent Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan and the inaugural World Junior Girls’ Golf Championship to be held in Ontario later this summer, provides an opportunity to benchmark the strength of Canada’s golf development program.

“These international events give us a strong indication where Canada stands on the world stage,” says Thompson. “Our boys have performed well at the Junior World Cup over the past few years and we’re excited that the girls now have their own world championship event. We expect them to perform well.”

The objective of the IOC in holding Youth Olympics is more than just conducting a sporting competition for elite young athletes. Its goal is to create a cultural experience and emphasize the power of sport to nurture positive attributes and develop good young citizens.

More than 100 youth from all walks of life have been selected as Young Ambassadors for the Games. As well as promoting the YOG and the Olympic values in their own countries, the role of the Young Ambassadors will be to help the athletes on their national teams get the most out of their YOG experience. They will encourage them to interact with people from different sports and backgrounds, to soak up new cultures and to take part in a unique program of activities and workshops, featuring sessions on healthy eating, injury prevention, anti-doping, careers in sport and media training. The lessons learned will equip the athletes with the sports skills to perform to the best of their ability on the field of play, and the life skills to be true ambassadors of their sport off the field of play, inspiring young people in their communities to get active and embrace the Olympic values. Although many of Canada’s top junior golfers have had the opportunity to compete internationally through Golf Canada’s national team program, the Youth Olympic Games will be an experience unlike any other.

“This is a significantly different competition in that it is a multi-sport games,” says Thompson. “Our team members will stay in an athletes’ village and have the opportunity to live and interact with competitors from all the other sports. They will participate in a number of cultural and educational events and, since they will be in Nanjing for up to 10 days, will really have the chance to soak in the Games atmosphere and enjoy the experience. We feel it will be a great opportunity for our young top-level golfers. One or more of these athletes could potentially be future Olympians.”

nanjing2014.org

TEAM CANADA SELECTION PROCESS

a. 1 spot per gender per country (1 male and 1 female athlete will be selected for Canada).

b. To be eligible for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, athletes must have been born between January 1st 1996, and December 1st, 1998.

c. Athletes must be members in good standing with Golf Canada.

d. Must be a Canadian Citizen and hold a Canadian passport.

e. Athletes must sign and submit the COC Athlete Agreement and Eligibility Conditions no later than June 10, 2014.

f. Have a valid Canadian passport that does not expire on or before December 31, 2014

SELECTION INFORMATION – BOYS

a. Head-to-head results at national championships and other significant tournaments over the past 12 months ( June 1st 2013-June 1st 2014) in the following order of importance: Canadian national championships, USGA events; CN Future Links Championships, AJGA invitational events; Provincial championships; Other events such as Callaway Jr. Worlds, Jr. Orange Bowl and AJGA Open events.

b. Analysis of the golf rankings as of June 1st, 2014 using points accumulated over the past 12 months ( June 1st, 2013 – June 1st, 2014) in the following order of importance: 1. National Junior Boys Order of Merit; 2.National Men’s Amateur Order of Merit.

SELECTION INFORMATION – GIRLS

a. Head-to-head results at national championships and other signifi cant tournaments over the past 12 months ( June 1st 2013-June 1st 2014) in the following order of importance: Canadian national championships, USGA events; CN Future Links Championships, AJGA invitational events; Provincial championships; Other events such as Callaway Jr. Worlds, Jr. Orange Bowl and AJGA Open events

b. Analysis of the golf rankings as of June 1st, 2014 using points accumulated over the past 12 months ( June 1st, 2013 – June 1st, 2014) in the following order of importance: 1. National Junior Girls Order of Merit; 2. National Women’s Amateur Order of Merit.

For more information on the selection process contact Golf Canada’s Jeff Thompson at jthompson@golfcanada.ca.

With golf making its return to the Summer Olympics all eyes may be looking ahead to 2016. However, there’s one stop on the road to Rio that’s worthy of notice first: the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

Scheduled for August 16-28 in Nanjing, China, the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is an international multi-sport event conducted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for athletes age 14-18. The 2014 edition will be the second-ever summer youth games; the inaugural event was hosted by Singapore in 2010. For the first time, golf will be among the 28 sports featured at the Youth Games. The top 26 countries on the world rankings will each select a male and female athlete to compete over an individual stroke play event as well as a mixed team competition. With the World Amateur Rankings used to determine which countries will compete, Canada is assured of fielding a team.

The Youth Games, along with the recent Toyota Junior World Cup in Japan and the inaugural World Junior Girls’ Golf Championship to be held in Ontario later this summer, provides an opportunity to benchmark the strength of Canada’s golf development program.

“These international events give us a strong indication where Canada stands on the world stage,” says Thompson. “Our boys have performed well at the Junior World Cup over the past few years and we’re excited that the girls now have their own world championship event. We expect them to perform well.”

The objective of the IOC in holding Youth Olympics is more than just conducting a sporting competition for elite young athletes. Its goal is to create a cultural experience and emphasize the power of sport to nurture positive attributes and develop good young citizens.

More than 100 youth from all walks of life have been selected as Young Ambassadors for the Games. As well as promoting the YOG and the Olympic values in their own countries, the role of the Young Ambassadors will be to help the athletes on their national teams get the most out of their YOG experience. They will encourage them to interact with people from different sports and backgrounds, to soak up new cultures and to take part in a unique program of activities and workshops, featuring sessions on healthy eating, injury prevention, anti-doping, careers in sport and media training. The lessons learned will equip the athletes with the sports skills to perform to the best of their ability on the field of play, and the life skills to be true ambassadors of their sport off the field of play, inspiring young people in their communities to get active and embrace the Olympic values. Although many of Canada’s top junior golfers have had the opportunity to compete internationally through Golf Canada’s national team program, the Youth Olympic Games will be an experience unlike any other.

“This is a significantly different competition in that it is a multi-sport games,” says Thompson. “Our team members will stay in an athletes’ village and have the opportunity to live and interact with competitors from all the other sports. They will participate in a number of cultural and educational events and, since they will be in Nanjing for up to 10 days, will really have the chance to soak in the Games atmosphere and enjoy the experience. We feel it will be a great opportunity for our young top-level golfers. One or more of these athletes could potentially be future Olympians.”

nanjing2014.org

TEAM CANADA SELECTION PROCESS

a. 1 spot per gender per country (1 male and 1 female athlete will be selected for Canada).

b. To be eligible for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, athletes must have been born between January 1st 1996, and December 1st, 1998.

c. Athletes must be members in good standing with Golf Canada.

d. Must be a Canadian Citizen and hold a Canadian passport.

e. Athletes must sign and submit the COC Athlete Agreement and Eligibility Conditions no later than June 10, 2014.

f. Have a valid Canadian passport that does not expire on or before December 31, 2014

SELECTION INFORMATION – BOYS

a. Head-to-head results at national championships and other significant tournaments over the past 12 months ( June 1st 2013-June 1st 2014) in the following order of importance: Canadian national championships, USGA events; CN Future Links Championships, AJGA invitational events; Provincial championships; Other events such as Callaway Jr. Worlds, Jr. Orange Bowl and AJGA Open events.

b. Analysis of the golf rankings as of June 1st, 2014 using points accumulated over the past 12 months ( June 1st, 2013 – June 1st, 2014) in the following order of importance: 1. National Junior Boys Order of Merit; 2.National Men’s Amateur Order of Merit.

SELECTION INFORMATION – GIRLS

a. Head-to-head results at national championships and other signifi cant tournaments over the past 12 months ( June 1st 2013-June 1st 2014) in the following order of importance: Canadian national championships, USGA events; CN Future Links Championships, AJGA invitational events; Provincial championships; Other events such as Callaway Jr. Worlds, Jr. Orange Bowl and AJGA Open events

b. Analysis of the golf rankings as of June 1st, 2014 using points accumulated over the past 12 months ( June 1st, 2013 – June 1st, 2014) in the following order of importance: 1. National Junior Girls Order of Merit; 2. National Women’s Amateur Order of Merit.

For more information on the selection process contact Golf Canada’s Jeff Thompson at jthompson@golfcanada.ca.

The British Open this year decided to scrap its 36-hole qualifiers on the European Tour and PGA Tour in favor of what effectively is 72-hole qualifiers. Four leading players from the top 12 on the leaderboard at Congressional and the Greenbrier earn spots. In Europe, the leading three players from the Irish Open, French Open and Scottish Open get into The Open. The John Deere Classic gets one spot.

It’s the same amount of qualifying spots as were available last year through both 36-hole qualifiers.

But it eliminates any chance for Web.com Tour players, or for some of the top college players who turn pro in the summer. The only chance they have to qualify – without a trip across the Atlantic – is to get a spot in the PGA Tour (or European Tour) fields.

“These matters have been very much considered by the European Tour and the PGA Tour, and their request certainly has been to evolve from what we were with the 36-hole stand-alone into the series we have now,” R&A executive director Michael Tate said Tuesday. “They don’t have that simple opportunity. They can, of course, still travel to the UK and qualify. But I understand how difficult that is.

“I think in the world of the game of golf, what we achieved and what we are doing now is probably correct.”

Indeed, 288 players currently are playing for 12 spots at four regional spots in Britain the next two days. A decade ago, local qualifying was the only way into The Open, and it was held the weekend before the championship.

It was just another spring morning at Bethpage Golf Course in Farmingdale, New York. Local golfers flocking to the picturesque clubhouse, warming up and congregating at the driving range. These unsuspecting local golfers were oblivious to how their experience was about to get even better.

Fresh from Pinehurst, N.C. and on his way to the Travelers Championship where he finished tied for second,, Sergio Garcia made a quick pit-stop in Long Island. Watch the video below to see highlights from the day.

Garcia’s ambush was all part of TaylorMade Golf’s “Distance for All” campaign, which promotes the company’s new SLDR S driver.  The SLDR S driver is designed to fit a wide variety of golfers and deliver distance regardless of swing speed. Click here to learn more about the SLDR S family of metalwoods.

It was just another spring morning at Bethpage Golf Course in Farmingdale, New York. Local golfers flocking to the picturesque clubhouse, warming up and congregating at the driving range. These unsuspecting local golfers were oblivious to how their experience was about to get even better.

Fresh from Pinehurst, N.C. and on his way to the Travelers Championship where he finished tied for second,, Sergio Garcia made a quick pit-stop in Long Island. Watch the video below to see highlights from the day.

Garcia’s ambush was all part of TaylorMade Golf’s “Distance for All” campaign, which promotes the company’s new SLDR S driver.  The SLDR S driver is designed to fit a wide variety of golfers and deliver distance regardless of swing speed. Click here to learn more about the SLDR S family of metalwoods.