Number of grants available have increased as part of commitment to provide affordable access for junior golfers

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that the Canadian Junior Financial Assistance Program will expand the number of grants available for the 2024 season. The expansion of the program will reduce the financial burden of participating in championships across Canada for more eligible players and their families.

Initiated in 2022, the Canadian Junior Financial Assistance Program supports junior golfers and their families with need-based financial aid to help offset expenses associated with traveling and competing in national golf championships and NextGen championships. The program is funded by Golf Canada in partnership with the Canadian Seniors’ Golf Association and the Gary Cowan Heritage Fund.

The amount of funds and number of grants available to the Canadian Junior Financial Assistance Program have increased in two years – growth that is reflective of a broader commitment to provide more affordable access to competitions for junior golfers.

“We are excited to announce that the Canadian Junior Financial Assistance Program has increased for 2024 which allows us to accommodate more junior golfers and help to bring down their costs,” said Kevin Blue, chief sport officer, Golf Canada. “We’d like to thank our generous donors who care about junior golf affordability for their continued support with this program.”

The full breakdown of the maximum number of grants that will be awarded along with the criteria in which eligible participants can seek financial assistance can be found at golfcanada.ca/financial-assistance-program/.

The Canadian Junior Financial Assistance Program will be available to eligible participants and their families for the following competitions:

• All six NextGen Championships
• Canadian Junior Girls Championship, presented by BDO
• Canadian Junior Boys Championship, presented by BDO
• Canadian U15 Championship, presented by BDO

Applications will be reviewed and accepted beginning thirty (30) days prior to the respective championship. An approval letter will be sent to the participant that has submitted a successful application outlining next steps before the championship begins. Accepted applicants must compete in their respective championship to receive the approved funds through the Canadian Junior Financial Assistance Program.

International and U.S. Teams starting to take shape for 2024 Presidents Cip

MONTREAL, Quebec, Canada – Canadian Nick Taylor notched the fourth win of his PGA TOUR career on Sunday by defeating Charley Hoffmann with a birdie-3 on the second playoff hole at the WM Phoenix Open. With the victory, the 35-year-old moved up 11 spots in the Presidents Cup’s International Team standings to No. 3, trailing only Tom Kim and Jason Day with just over seven months until the event returns to The Royal Montreal Golf Club.

The victory was Taylor’s first since his dramatic walk-off playoff win at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, where he became the first Canadian to win the national open in 69 years. With the win at TPC Scottsdale, he moved up to No. 6 in the FedExCup, but also inside the top-5 of the International Team standings, with an eye on playing for Captain Mike Weir in Montreal this September.

“Yeah, this fall, again, looking at goals for the season, what I’ve done so well I think the last year has been process goals, but you want something to look forward, and the Olympics and the Presidents Cup were big time on the top of my goal list,” said Taylor when asked about his goals for representing Canada later this year.

The 2024 International Team will be comprised of six (6) automatic qualifiers and (6) Captain’s picks, with the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) being used to determine the former. The automatic qualifiers will be the top six eligible international players in the OWGR after completion of the 2024 BMW Championship. There are currently six Canadian players inside the top 20 in the standings: Taylor (3), Corey Conners (10), Adam Hadwin (13), Adam Svensson (16), Mackenzie Hughes (18) and Taylor Pendrith (20).

“It was an exciting finish to the WM Phoenix Open yesterday and to see the clutch play of Nick down the stretch to close in on Charley for the win was tremendous,” said Weir. “As captain, to have players who embrace the moment like he did yesterday is big for us, and these things can build momentum for Nick as well as the International Team.”

Top-6 International Team standings:

1. Tom Kim

2. Jason Day

3. Nick Taylor

4. Sungjae Im

5. Emiliano Grillo

6. Ryan Fox

For the U.S. Team, Sahith Theegala and Sam Burns made the biggest moves at the WM Phoenix Open, using top-5 finishes to move up to No. 5 and No. 10 in the standings, respectively.

The 2024 U.S. Team will be comprised of six (6) automatic qualifiers and six (6) Captain’s picks, with a weighted system based on FedExCup Points from January 1, 2023, through August 25, 2024. The automatic qualifiers will be the top six eligible U.S. players in the OWGR after completion of the 2024 BMW Championship.

Top-6 U.S. Team standings:

1. Scottie Scheffler

2. Wyndham Clark

3. Chris Kirk

4. Collin Morikawa

5. Sahith Theegala

6. Eric Cole

To view the complete 2024 Presidents Cup standings for both teams, please click here.

For more information about the Presidents Cup, please visit PresidentsCup.com.

19 professional athletes join the previously announced 16 amateur golfers to complete Team Canada roster for upcoming season

Emerging Professional Players of the Year Award, presented by Andrew Cook announced

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the names of 19 professional athletes that will be part of the 2024 men’s and women’s Team Canada squads.

The Team Canada program supports a group of experienced amateur golfers who are on the path towards professional golf along with a group of young professional golfers who are building their careers as touring pros. Teams are selected based on results from the previous calendar year. The professional players will join the 12 women and four men previously selected to Team Canada as amateurs in the fall.

With players choosing to turn professional at different points in the season, an athlete’s involvement in the Team Canada program including financial support continues during their transition from amateur to professional golf. 

“We are proud to announce the professional athletes that will be part of Team Canada for 2024. We have now completed our full roster of professional and amateur players for the upcoming season and look forward to supporting their development and journeys to the LPGA and PGA TOUR,” said Emily Phoenix, high performance director, Golf Canada. “I would like to extend our sincere thanks to our generous donors through the Golf Canada Foundation along with our corporate partners for their support of our athletes’ development within the Team Canada program. Their continued contributions are crucial in helping more Canadians excel at the highest levels of our sport.”

The men’s professional team features 15 returning players for the upcoming season which will supplement the four amateur players selected earlier in the fall. Three-time winner in 2023, Étienne Papineau enters his seventh season on the team. Papineau earned his Korn Ferry Tour card for 2024 by finishing as the top Canadian and fourth overall in the Fortinet Cup standings on the PGA TOUR Canada (now PGA TOUR Americas). In addition, Papineau earned a T4 finish at the 2023 Pan American (Pan Am) Games in Santiago, Chile. Myles Creighton returns for a third year, having won on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica (now PGA TOUR Americas) last June and earned his Korn Ferry Tour card for 2024 by finishing second in the season point standings. Joining them on the Korn Ferry Tour is Sudarshan Yellamaraju who earned his card after finishing T14 during the final stage of PGA TOUR Q-School last December. Stuart Macdonald and Jared du Toit will also compete on the Korn Ferry Tour this season. Macdonald was also victorious last season, winning the Commissionaires Ottawa Open in July.

The women’s professional team features returning players: Brigitte Thibault, Maddie Szeryk, Selena Costabile and Maude-Aimee Leblanc who was previously on the team in 2022. These professionals will join the 12 previously selected Team Canada members from the amateur selection process in the fall. Szeryk returns for her 10th season as a member of Team Canada. She made 22 starts on the LPGA Tour last season and re-earned her LPGA Tour membership for 2024 through the LPGA Q-Series in December. Leblanc returns for her seventh season with Team Canada. Last season, she competed on the LPGA Tour making seven starts but missed the second half of the year due to injury. Joining Szeryk and Leblanc on the LPGA is Savannah Grewal who was previously selected to Team Canada as an amateur and has turned pro following an excellent Q-school showing. Costabile enters her third season as a Team Canada member having competed on the Epson Tour last season. Thibault earned her first professional win at the Kathy Whitworth Championship last October.

Team Canada – Women

(In addition to the 12 players selected during the amateur selection process in the fall)

Team Canada – Men

(In addition to the four players selected during the amateur selection process in the fall)

As previously announced, the coaching staff for the men’s and women’s Team Canada squads will return in full for the 2024 season. Team Canada – Women will again be coached by Stollery Family Women’s Head Coach Salimah Mussani (Vancouver, B.C.) and Associate Coach Jennifer Greggain (Vancouver, B.C.). Team Canada – Men will be coached by Head Coach Derek Ingram (Winnipeg, Man.) and Assistant Coaches Louis Melanson (Moncton, N.B.) and Benoit Lemieux (Montréal, Que.).

For full Team Canada bios and additional information, please click here.

For the Team Canada – NextGen and Team Canada amateur squad announcement, please click here.

Golf Canada’s player development program provides individualized training and competition support to athletes on their journey to the LPGA and PGA TOUR. National team coaches work with athletes and their personal support teams to develop annual training plans and identify areas where impact can be made to help athletes improve in all areas of their game. Athletes are also supported by a comprehensive sport science team that includes mental performance, physical conditioning, and mental health supports. The players are brought together regularly for training camps where they receive support from national team coaches and sport science staff, and train with their peers. Team Canada members also receive access to a training hub in Phoenix, Ariz. where they can train and live during the winter months.

Team Canada is proudly supported by RBC, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Titleist, FootJoy, Hilton, Puma, Foresight, Golf Canada Foundation and Sport Canada.

EMERGING PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR AWARD

The Golf Canada Foundation is also proud to announce Savannah Grewal, Myles Creighton, and Étienne Papineau as the recipients of the Emerging Professional Players of the Year Award, presented by Andrew Cook. In 2020, Andrew Cook, a proud trustee of the Golf Canada Foundation, and past president of Golf Canada, established a $20,000 annual fund to recognize a top male and top female emerging Canadian professional golfer. Past recipients include current PGA TOUR member Taylor Pendrith, Korn Ferry Tour members Wil Bateman and Stuart Macdonald, and LPGA Tour members Maude-Aimee Leblanc and Maddie Szeryk.

“We are pleased to name Savannah, Myles and Étienne as the Emerging Professional Players of the Year,” said Martin Barnard, CEO of the Golf Canada Foundation. “The journey to the highest levels of professional golf requires significant resources, and we are incredibly grateful to Andrew Cook for his continued support.”

Grewal made her professional debut at LPGA Q-Series in December 2023 where she went on to secure full LPGA status for the 2024 season. A recent graduate of Clemson University, Grewal was first-team All-ACC for her accomplishments on the golf course and in the classroom. Grewal had a strong finish to her 2023 season, earning co-medalist honors at the Cougar Classic and tying for first at LPGA Q-school Stage I. 

Papineau and Creighton share the award following successful seasons that led both to secure Korn Ferry Tour status for the 2024 season. Creighton notched one victory on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and finished second in the season-long points standings. Papineau secured a win on PGA TOUR Canada and finished fourth overall in the points standings.

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.