PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – So much for that Masters hangover for Jordan Spieth.

One month after the 20-year-old Texan tied for second at Augusta National, Spieth had another bogey-free round at The Players Championship on Friday and shot a 6-under 66 to trail Martin Kaymer by one shot going into the weekend.

Kaymer opened with a course record-tying 63 and followed with a solid round of 69. He was at 12-under 132.

Spieth was swinging so well he had a tap-in birdie on the 14th, the hardest hole at TPC Sawgrass on Friday. He had a chance to catch Kaymer until a three-putt par from just off the green on the par-5 16th.

Russell Henley had a 71 and was four shots behind. Jim Furyk was part of a large group at 6-under 138.

David Hearn shot a 1-under 71 to climb four spots up the leaderboard from a share of 29th into a tie for 25th. The Brantford, Ont. native is sitting at 3-under 141.

Graham DeLaet struggled to a 5-over 77 Friday and missed the 36-hole cut. It was just the third missed cut of the season, with the last one coming last month. at The Masters.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Adam Scott’s wedding was so secret that not even his guests knew about it.

One day after the former Masters champion revealed he got married to Swedish architect Marie Kojzar in the Bahamas, he shared a few details about how he kept the wedding a surprise – and how he managed to go three months before anyone found out.

The parents were aware, and not many more. Among players in attendance was U.S. Open champion Justin Rose, one of his best friends.

“We just said we were having a party, so come on over,” Scott said. “So then they had no idea that it was going to happen. So that was the fun little game for me and Marie to play for a while, planning it and stuff.”

They were married April 17, the Thursday after the Australian tied for 14th at the Masters.

For being one of the most popular players in the game, Scott doesn’t seek a lot of attention. Hardly anyone sees him when he’s not playing golf. He typically retreats to his home in the Bahamas or in Switzerland. After becoming the first Australian to win the Masters, he waited until the end of the year to return home to Queensland.

Rory McIlroy announced his engagement on New Year’s Eve. He was asked if he would wait a month before he told anyone he was married.

“No, but Adam is a little different than me,” McIlroy said. “We knew. I don’t know how he kept it a secret for so long from you guys. I had breakfast with him this morning. It was nice to be able congratulate him. He was telling me he had to tell lie after lie just to keep it quiet.”

Scott said that part wasn’t planned.

“We just wanted it to be a secret for the day, and then we haven’t told anyone to keep it a secret since,” he said. “But I think people didn’t want to do the wrong thing by me. So I’ve got them right where I want them.”

He has not played since the Masters, keeping to the same schedule as last year. When he showed up at The Players Championship, he was not wearing a ring.

“We have rings, but I’ve never played with one, so I wasn’t going to start this week,” Scott said. “We’ll see if it makes it to the course or not.”

Scott’s bride did not travel to a lot of golf tournaments when they first were dating more than a decade ago, and he said that probably wouldn’t change. Several in the crowd called out congratulations to him throughout the third round.

The golf wasn’t bad, either.

Scott got off to a rough start Saturday and finished strong for a 69. He was 3-under par, still with an outside chance at finishing high enough to replace Tiger Woods at No. 1 in the world ranking next week.

He said there wasn’t a proposal – it was more like a conversation. As for a honeymoon? They live part of the year in a place most couples go for their honeymoon.

“We figured we didn’t need a honeymoon – our life is pretty much like a honeymoon all the time,” he said. “So there were no real plans for any of that. We’ll just keep on going.”

Parksville, B.C. (Golf Canada) – The 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour will kick off the season at Morningstar Golf Club, May 12-14^th in Parksville, B.C.

The event marks the first of three Canadian Women’s Tour events conducted annually across the country, featuring top amateur and professional players – from Canada and abroad – competing in a two-day 36-hole stroke play competition for a $60,000 purse.

Headlining the field will be Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., the reigning 2013 Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year and world No. 3 ranked amateur Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont.

“We’re excited to get the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour underway this year at Morningstar Golf Club with a very strong field that includes two champions from last season,” said Tournament Director Mary Beth McKenna. “This course should prove to be a solid test for some of the best up and coming professionals as they look to earn those coveted exemptions into the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.”

A number of notable players will also join the field including Canadians Kirby Dreher of Fort St. John B.C., Danielle Mills of Pointe-Claire, Que., Brittany Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., Kyla Inaba of Kelowna, B.C, Christine Wong of Richmond, B.C. and 2013 Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario Champion Emily Childs of Alameda, Calif.

Team Canada’s National and Development squads will be well represented at the B.C. Tour stop with Henderson aiming to continue a stellar 2014 campaign that has seen the 16-year-old capture the South Atlantic Amateur Championship and finish T26 at the LPGA’s Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Joining Henderson on the National Squad will be Augusta James of Bath, Ont., Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont. and Jennifer Ha of Calgary. Development Squad members, Valérie Tanguay of St-Hyacinthe, Que., Taylor Kim of Surrey, B.C., Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C., and Calgary’s Sabrine Garrison and Jaclyn Lee will also join the field.

Morningstar Golf Club recently played host to the 2012 CN Future Links Pacific Championship. The club has also hosted three PGA of Canada events as well as the 2010 Canadian Senior Women’s Championship.

“We are excited to be selected as the host venue for the season opening event on Golf Canada’s Women’s Tour and we are really looking forward to continuing the momentum of the tour at Morningstar Golf Club,” said Head Professional Kevin Oates. “ Previous events have been filled with superb play from a very strong field of competitors, and our golf course should once again provide a competitive challenge to all the players.  I expect exciting play from the competitors as they prepare themselves for the reward of an exemption into the Canadian Open.”

Five exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, an LPGA Tour event held August 18-24 at London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont. are currently available to competitors. Exemptions are given to the winners of each of the two Canadian Women’s Tour events with two additional exemptions reserved for the top two competitors (not otherwise exempt) on the season-ending Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit.

In addition, the top five (previously the top 3) players on the Canadian Women’s Tour season-ending Order of Merit will be awarded direct entry into LPGA Stage-2 Qualifying.

The Tour’s second stop is scheduled for June 23-25 at Legends on the Niagara’s Battlefield Course in Niagara Falls, Ont. New for 2014, the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada presented by Nike Golf that runs July 29-31 at Firerock Golf Club in Komoka, Ont., will count as the third and final stop on the Canadian Women’s Tour. Points will also be awarded toward the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year at the conclusion of the championship.

Total season prize money for the 2014 season is $180,000 (CDN) for three events, which includes the PGA of Canada’s PGA Women’s Championship presented by Nike Golf. Each 36-hole championship purse will be $60,000 with the champion being awarded a $10,000 winners’ cheque.

Conducted since 2002, many of Canada’s elite female golfers have used the Canadian Women’s Tour to hone their skills and develop as athletes both on and off the course. Canadian Women’s Tour alumnae Lorie Kane, Alena Sharp, Jessica Shepley, Isabelle Beisiegel, Stephanie Sherlock, Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Sara Maude-Juneau and Maude-Aimée LeBlanc have all used their experiences as Canadians on the Canadian development circuit as a catalyst to future successes. Other Canadian Women’s Tour graduates include LPGA notables Yani Tseng, Ryann O’Toole, Candace Schepperle, Sara Brown and Katy Harris.

For more information on the 2014 Canadian Women’s Tour, click here.

AUSTIN, TX – The Simon Fraser University (SFU) Clan men’s golf team will become the first Canadian school to compete for an NCAA Championship in golf. The team overcame a 17-stroke deficit Wednesday at the NCAA Super Regional to earn a spot in the NCAA Division II Golf Championships in Allendale, MI.

SFU entered the day 17 strokes behind the sixth place team, Chico State, and scored 290 as a team on Wednesday to earn the sixth and final spot at the NCAA Championship.

Mlikotic led his team on the final day of competition, shooting the best round of any golfer throughout the entire tournament, a 68 (-4) to tie for 8^th place individually along with Kevin Vigna, each shooting 221 (+5).

Head Coach John Buchanan is pleased with the achievement, but realizes there is still much work to be done.

“The last rounds were a reflection of our player’s ability,” said Buchanan. “The challenge for the NCAA Championships will now be to stay consistent and play to that ability.”

Mlikotic was also content with his play at the regional qualifier.

“It was good to finish strong,” said Mlikotic.  “I stayed focused and took one shot at a time. I was able to stay bogey free after the first hole, make a couple birdies on seven and eight and then to cap it off with a 20 foot putt from the fringe for birdie. I’d say it was the best round of my life”

Senior Mike Belle (Burnaby, B.C.) had his best round of the tournament in the third round, shooting a 73 (+2) to finish the championship at 232 (+16).

Freshman Craig Titterington (Coquitlam, B.C.) saved his best round of the tournament for last. After shooting 83 and 88 in his first two rounds of post-season play, Titterington fired a 75 (+3) in the final round to aid his team’s comeback.

Bret Thompson (Winnipeg) shot a 78 (+6) in the final round. After scoring for the Clan with rounds of 77 (+5) in the opening round and 78 (+6) in round two, he was edged out by Titterington in round three.

The 2014 NCAA Division II Championship will get underway May 19 at The Meadows Golf Course in Allendale, MI.

UXBRIDGE, Ont. — The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) held it’s annual Ontario Hall of Fame induction ceremony May 7th at Wooden Sticks Golf Course. Earl Fritz, John Henrick, Dorothy Campbell Hurd Howe and Bob Weeks were inducted as the class of 2014, while Ken McKee was the recipient of the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award.

GAO president Jim King summed up the importance of the evening for golf in the province.

“Tonight is about honouring our past. I think it is very important that we recognize the accomplishments, contributions and the inspiration that these people have provided for the other side of the equation: the up and coming. So it is really nice to honour them.”

The ceremony began with the presentation of the Lorne Rubenstein Media Award to Ken McKee. McKee was unable to attend the ceremony, however, his grandson Maxwell delivered his acceptance speech that was written by McKee and members of his family.

“Mostly we just wanted this speech to convey sentiments and how much he enjoyed covering the game,” read Maxwell. “From high school to the Masters, he just loved getting there to tell the story in his own way. My grandfather is truly humbled and thankful to have been chosen as the 2014 Lorne Rubenstein Award recipient, my grandfather has the utmost respect for his work.”

Maxwell closed with a word of thanks directly from McKee.

“I want to thank the Golf Association of Ontario for this award and to all the players, past and present, I could not have done my job without you.”

The first inductee to be recognized was Dorothy Campbell Hurd Howe. In acceptance of the award for Hurd Howe, the Ladies President of the Hamilton Golf and Country Club, Nancy Rundle, where Hurd Howe was a member while she lived in Canada, sent a letter of thanks for the recognition of one of their own. It was delivered by emcee Rod Black.

Next, Earl Fritz took to the stage to receive his award.

“I never understood how excited one could be until I was called by Dave Mills (retired GAO Executive Director) and told that I would be inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Golf Association of Ontario,” said Fritz. “I was excited and honoured. I was on a cruise in the Mediterranean at the time. The excitement got to me so much that I had to phone Dave and thank him all the way from Barcelona. I’d like to thank all of the other inductees for all of the work they have done to develop the game of golf. Thanks to everyone who is here and to the GAO for such a big honour.”

John Henrick was then recognized. He shared some of the thoughts he had before heading out for his Hall of Fame round of golf earlier in the day.

“I can’t thank you enough for this honour,” stated Henrick. “I am so proud to be a member of the golf scene, still as a player. My last competitive round was played in 2008 at Royal Woodbine and I shot a 70 on a par 72 course. My first competitive round I went to caddie but then herd my name called by the pro shop. Our pro told me I was to fill in for one of the pros. I shot a 74. Ladies and gentlemen 61 years later, I’m getting better!”

Only earlier in the day the final inductee Bob Weeks notified the GAO that he had a family emergency to tend to and would be unable to attend. However, his friend and colleague from SCOREGolf Kim Locke stepped in to say a few words.

“The last thing I wanted to do was to be here speaking for Bob,” said Locke. “I know how honoured and excited he was to have the opportunity to be here tonight. The SCOREGolf brand and its success over the years, without Weeksy, would not have grown and might not even exist today.”

Locke closed with the speech that Weeks had sent to him just hours before the ceremony.

“I have been so fortunate to be able to travel far and wide, meet people and enjoy this wonderful game of golf on so many levels. The best part of it all is just how many friends I have made, for that I am blessed. Not a day goes by that I don’t realize how lucky I am to do what I do. To be honoured here tonight is humbling and extremely exciting.”

With that the 2014 class entered the hall capping off an excellent Hall of Fame Day celebration.

COURTENAY, BC – On a day when heavy rain and gusting winds made Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community a challenging test and just six players broke 70, David Bradshaw held steady with a 1-under 71 to extend his lead to 11 shots heading into the final round of PGA Tour Canada’s British Columbia Q-School.

The 31-year old from Encinitas, California managed three birdies and two bogeys to add one shot to his overnight lead and post 18-under through 54 holes. Amateur Ryan McCormick sat in solo second at 7-under after firing a 5-under 67, the best round of the day.

“I know where I stand and I feel pretty confident,” said Bradshaw. “I just have to try and stay focused and not think about it too much and it should be okay.”

Bradshaw said he felt good about his round despite shooting nine shots higher than the day before, when he carded a course record 62 at Crown Isle. Temperatures hovered around 12 degrees Celsius, with winds gusting to 20 km/h and approximately 20 mm of rain falling through the day. The course averaged 75.35 strokes on Thursday after averaging just 73.74 over the first two rounds.

“I played pretty well. I saved a lot of pars on that back nine,” added Bradshaw. “Hitting the ball forward was the goal. If you made par it was great, and if you made any birdies it was a miracle. On the 14th hole, I hit driver-3 wood today after I hit driver-9 iron yesterday.”

Bradshaw comes into the week off an appearance on the PGA Tour, where he Monday Qualified for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The Shepherd University graduate also received a timely assist from a Crown Isle resident – four-time club champion Peter Benedictson, whose son Brian is a former PGA Tour Canada member – who stepped into caddie in round three.

“With a day like today, you definitely need a caddie, and he did an awesome job,” said Bradshaw. “When it got really windy around the middle of the front nine, it was a big relief to have him around and help me with the weather.”

With the top 18 players this week earning exempt status and rest of the top 40 plus ties earning conditional status for 2014, seven players were tied for 18th position at 1-under, a leaderboard that would result in a seven-for-one playoff for exempt status if it were to remain. Forty-one players were at even or better and in position for conditional status.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Martin Kaymer stopped thinking, started swinging and played his way into the record book Thursday in The Players Championship.

Kaymer missed only two fairways. He putted for birdie on all but one hole. And the former PGA champion finished with four straight birdies to become only the fourth player to shoot 9-under 63 on the Stadium Course at the TPC Sawgrass, giving him a two-shot lead over Russell Henley.

Kaymer took advantage of a perfect day for scoring – warm weather, hardly any wind and soft greens.

There were 28 rounds in the 60s, which made the score by Adam Scott look even worse. With another chance – his best one yet – to get to No. 1 in the world for the first time, Scott finished with a pair of double bogeys from shots in the water and signed for a 77. It was his highest opening round at The Players since his first trip in 2002.

Kaymer was flawless, hitting whatever shot he felt he needed. His final blow was a hybrid that ran through the ninth green and into a bunker, leaving a simple up-and-down for birdie. He had a 29 on the back, the first player in the 32-year history at Sawgrass to break 30 on either nine.

Roberto Castro also opened with a 63 last year. The only others with 63 were Greg Norman in the first round in 1994, and Fred Couples in the third round in 1992.

“It’s just a nice bonus,” Kaymer said. “It’s only the first round of a long, long tournament. It’s nice to make some history. No one shot 29 on that golf course before.”

Kaymer would not have seemed like a good candidate.

He has not won since the HSBC Champions in Shanghai at the end of 2011. He hasn’t had a top 10 all year. But the 29-year-old German has felt his swing start to come together in recent weeks. His name has been featured on leaderboards more and more.

And he had a simple explanation.

“I stopped thinking,” Kaymer said, a former world No. 1. “I thought a lot the last two years about swing changes … that every shot I made I reflect on it, what I did wrong, what I did right.”

A few weeks before the Masters, he spent time with longtime swing coach Gunter Kessler in Phoenix, and then they had another good session in Germany.

“And then it just clicked a little bit,” he said. “I thought, `OK, I know I can hit pretty much every shot when I needed to hit it.’ If it’s a draw, if it’s a fade, low or high, I know that I can do it. It’s just a matter of getting the confidence on the golf course and then letting it happen and really doing it.”

Henley, who won the Honda Classic in a four-way playoff in March, made birdie on half of his holes to atone for one big mistake. He hooked a tee shot into the water on No. 7 and compounded that with a three-putt for double bogey. But he answered with six birdies on the back nine for a 65.

“I knew I was playing well and felt really comfortable on the greens,” Henley said. “But it was one of those back nines where you get to 18 and I just realized that I had a putt for 7 under. So that was pretty cool.”

Bae Sang-Moon had a 66.

The group at 67 included Sergio Garcia, who spent last year in a war or words with Tiger Woods that lasted right up until the Spaniard hit three balls into the water on the two closing holes and Woods walked away with the win. Garcia looked sharp, happy and was confident in his game.

And he had loads of company. Lee Westwood, 20-year-old Jordan Spieth and U.S. Open champion Justin Rose also were at 67. The group at 68 included Ernie Els and Dustin Johnson. There were 67 rounds under par, and the scoring average of 71.99 was the eighth-lowest for an opening round at The Players Championship.

But it wasn’t easy for everyone.

Rory McIlroy made three bogeys over his last seven holes and tumbled to a 70. That was nearly as bad as Phil Mickelson. Coming off a 76 in the final round at Quail Hollow last week, he started his round by missing a 3-foot par putt and shot 75.

Of the four players with a mathematical chance to reach No. 1, only Masters champion Bubba Watson broke 70. He had a 69, while Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar each had a 71. Only four players had a worse score than Scott.

Kaymer reached No. 1 three years ago, and then sought to change his swing because he could only hit a fade. He prefers to play by feel, not by mechanics. A swing change left him little choice but to think too much. Now, he can only hope it’s as simple as see the shot and hit the ball.

Canada’s Graham DeLaet opened with a 3-under 69, he’s tied for 19th with seven others. David Hearn was one-back of DeLaet after a 2-under 70. He’s tied for 29th.

SANTO DA SERRA, Madeira Islands – The first round of the Madeira Islands Open was postponed after heavy fog prevented any play on the Santo da Serra course on Thursday.

Play was abandoned at 5 p.m. local time, leaving organizers hopeful of starting the European Tour’s 1,500th tournament on Friday.

While the capital Funchal was bathed in sunshine all day, visibility on the golf course, 700 meters (2,300 feet) above the city, was restricted to about 50 yards.

“It is a very unusual mini ecosystem here at this venue, and, while many of the holes on the course further down the mountain are clear, unfortunately some are still under fog,” tournament director Jose Maria Zamora said.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golf Canada’s CEO, Scott Simmons and RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director Bill Paul visited a McDonalds in Oakville, Ont. Wednesday May 7th, 2014  as honourary servers to assist in raising money for Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada – the official charity partner of the RBC Canadian Open.

McDonalds restaurants across the country were hosting McHappy Day, where $1 from each Big Mac, hot coffee and Happy Meal sold that day were donated directly to neighbourhood children’s charities and Ronald McDonald Houses.

Scott and Bill were proud to be a part of McHappy Day and have shared their thoughts in this video. Enjoy!

GC:       What prompted Bear Mountain to host the CNFL Pacific Championship?
JR:       It’s an honour to be able to host some of Canada’s best young players. Most all of us started out as junior golfers and being able to give back and work with Golf Canada to grow the game is a privilege.

GC:      What do you think will challenge competitors the most?
JR:       The greens on the Valley Course. They are large with slopes and ridges so I would expect to see some scoring swings take place on our greens.

GC:      What can players expect when they arrive at your club?
JR:       It’s true Mountain golf. We pride ourselves on our service and facilities and are looking forward to showing all the youngsters and their families a great time while they are competing here.

GC:      Why is hosting this championship important to the club?
JR:       We want to become the best Resort and Golf Community in Canada so working with Golf Canada hosting high end events is a natural fit.

GC:      What preparations have went into hosting this championship?
JR:       Our membership is amazing and so many of them have volunteered to help drive shuttles for the players, do scoring and such. It would not be possible to organize without the help of our membership.

GC:      What does hosting an event like this do for your local community?
JR:       This is great for our resort and will allow many of the players to stay here for the entire trip staying in the hotel and taking the elevator back to their room at the end of the day.

GC:      Are there any significant holes or sections of the golf course that should provide excitement for the tournament?
JR:       The greens and staying away from three putts will likely decide the winner. Our Valley Course is a little more user friendly than the Mountain but still a very good test of golf. I am always impressed when we host junior event of the caliber of play and the Valley will demand some shot making and an all-around solid game.

GC:      What does your club do to encourage and engage your junior membership each season?
JR:       All of our golf memberships include free junior golf memberships for our member’s children. We run very popular Kids Bear Cub Camps all Summer long both golf specific and 5 spot taking advantage of the tennis, swimming, hiking and volleyball options at the resort. We also have 5 sets of tees with both courses playing around 4,500 from the forward tees as a softer introduction to junior golfers.