Eric Banks of Truro, N.S. suffered a major setback to his budding golf career when doctors discovered he had an atrial septal defect – a hole in his heart – in 2011.

The then 19-year-old former Nova Scotia Junior and Amateur Champion was a member of Team Canada’s National Squad and had just entered his freshman year with the Florida Gator in NCAA Division I golf.

The news sidelined Banks for nine months from competitive golf as he was forced to undergo open heart surgery to repair the defect.

Upon his return to competitive action, Banks finished tied for 10^th at the Gator Invitational in his first start back. In addition, he went on to Monday qualify for the 2013 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club, where he opened with a 1-over 73 in his PGA Tour debut.

Banks, now 21, still takes medication but received good news in December when no problems were detected during a check-up at home in Nova Scotia. Already this season, the junior has finished inside the top 20 twice in only four starts.

The David Toms Award is presented annually to a men’s collegiate golfer who has overcome adversity to achieve excellence. Banks is the first Canadian to be honoured with the award and appeared on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive on Tuesday morning.

Going to be appearing on the Golf Channels show The Morning Drive this Tuesday! No April fools, segment starts at 940 Scotia time #liveTV

— Eric Banks (@EricBanks19) March 30, 2014

HALIFAX — SportBox Entertainment Group and RBC today announced that RBC has become the title sponsor of the Canada Cup to be held in Halifax.. The RBC Canada Cup will be a battle for international bragging rights, as Team Canada’s Mike Weir, Graham DeLaet and David Hearn go head-to-head against Team World’s Matt Kuchar, Gary Woodland and Trevor Immelman in an 18-hole exhibition match.

Each RBC Canada Cup team will also be rounded out by a top Web.com Tour player entered in the Nova Scotia Open. The day will start off with a morning pro-am, followed by 9-hole singles matches and 9-hole team alternate shot matches in the afternoon.

The RBC Canada Cup is part of GOLFest Nova Scotia, a week-long celebration of national pride and all things golf in Canada that will also feature a Web.com Tour event Thursday through Sunday, the Nova Scotia Open. In 2014, GOLFest will be held at Ashburn Golf Club – New Course from Monday, June 30 to Sunday, July 6.

“We’re very pleased to invest in this exciting event which will do so much to nurture the next generation of regional and national golfing heroes and further develop the game that so many Atlantic Canadians love,” said Kim Mason, RBC regional president, Atlantic Provinces. “The RBC Canada Cup and GOLFest Nova Scotia will truly be a one-of-a-kind hospitality and spectator experience.”

With one of the strongest corporate imprints in golf globally – including RBC Canada Cup competitors Weir, DeLaet, Hearn and Kuchar as Team RBC ambassadors as well as the RBC Canadian Open – securing title sponsorship to the Canada Cup property is a natural fit for RBC’s portfolio.

“As a premier sponsor of golf in Canada, RBC has a track record of supporting the best of the best in golf. We are proud they have chosen to add GOLFest and the Canada Cup to that exclusive list,” said Grant MacDonald, director, GOLFest Nova Scotia. “RBC’s sponsorship of GOLFest not only shows their commitment to the sport, it also clearly demonstrates their commitment to and belief in this region. We look forward to working with RBC to deliver an unbelievable experience.”

Festival organizers also announced that a limited number of all-week grounds admission passes for GOLFest Nova Scotia will go on sale Monday, April 7 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern / 11:00 a.m. Atlantic Time through Ticket Atlantic and at golfestnovascotia.com. At $150 each, the all-week pass is the only ticket that provides access to the RBC Canada Cup. It also provides entrance to the Nova Scotia Open.

Tiger Woods chose surgery to heal his ailing back over a quest for another green jacket, announcing Tuesday that he will miss the Masters for the first time in his career.

Woods said on his website that he had surgery Monday in Utah for a pinched nerve that had been hurting him for several months, knowing the surgery would keep him from Augusta National next week for the first time since he was a senior in high school.

The No. 1 player in the world is a four-time Masters champion.

“After attempting to get ready for the Masters, and failing to make the necessary progress, I decided in consultation with my doctors to have this procedure done, Woods said. “I’d like to express my disappointment to the Augusta National membership, staff, volunteers and patrons that I will not be at the Masters.

“It’s a week that’s very special to me,” he said. “It also looks like I’ll be forced to miss several upcoming tournaments to focus on my rehabilitation and getting healthy.”

The Masters gets the highest television ratings of any golf tournament, and Woods commands most of the attention, even though he last won a green jacket in 2005. He won his first Masters in 1997 when he set 20 records, from youngest Masters champion (21) to his 12-shot margin of victory.

Woods has been coping with back issues since last summer: a twinge in the final round of the PGA Championship and spasms in the final round of The Barclays that caused him to fall to his knees. Then, they returned with alarming regularity recently in Florida.

He withdrew after 13 holes in the final round of the Honda Classic with what he described as lower back pain and spasms. Woods shot the highest final round of his career at Doral a week later when he said his back flared up again in the final round. He skipped the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where he was the two-time defending champion, to rest his back and do everything possible to be at Augusta National next week.

“Tiger was gracious in keeping us updated of his condition and making us aware of his decision,” Augusta National chairman Billy Payne said. “We wholeheartedly offered our best wishes for his immediate and long-term recovery. Tiger will be in our thoughts and will be missed by our patrons and all of us at the Masters Tournament next week.”

Woods said he had a microdiscectomy for the pinched nerve, performed by neurosurgeon Charles Rich.

A microdiscectomy is a type of minimally invasive spine surgery to relieve pressure and pain caused by a herniated disc. Operating through a small incision in the lower back, surgeons remove small disc fragments that are pressing against spinal nerves.

Recovery can take several weeks and doctors typically advise against bending and twisting the back until patients are completely healed

“This is frustrating,” Woods said. “But it’s something my doctors advised me to do for my immediate and long-term health.”

His website said repeating the motion of a golf swing can cause problems with a pinched nerve, and that the injury could have become worse if he had continued to play. Woods said he hopes to return to golf this summer, though he could not say when. It’s possible he could at least start chipping and putting in three weeks.

He will have to wait until the U.S. Open – maybe longer – to resume his quest to reach Jack Nicklaus’ record 18 professional majors. Woods won his 14th major at the 2008 U.S. Open on a badly injured left leg that required season-ending surgery two days after his playoff win at Torrey Pines.

He has not won another major since then.

This would have been the 20th straight Masters for Woods, dating to 1995 when he tied for 41st as the U.S. Amateur champion. He missed the British Open and PGA Championship in 2008 after knee surgery, and the U.S. Open and British Open in 2011 to heal more injuries in his left leg.

But he never missed the Masters, even after the scandal in his personal life at the end of 2009. Woods had been out of golf for nearly five months dealing with a car crash into a fire hydrant, revelations of multiple extramarital affairs and 45 days in a Mississippi clinic when he returned to Augusta National under intense scrutiny. He tied for fourth.

Even though he hasn’t won the Masters in nine years, he had only finished out of the top 10 one time, in 2012.

Woods has 79 career wins on the PGA Tour, three short of the record held by Sam Snead. He already was off to the worst start of his career. He missed a 54-hole cut at Torrey Pines, where he was the defending champion. He tied for 41st in Dubai, and then withdrew from the Honda Classic and tied for 25th at Doral.

“It’s tough right now, but I’m absolutely optimistic about the future,” Woods said. “There are a couple (of) records by two outstanding individuals and players that I hope one day to break. As I’ve said many times, Sam and Jack reached their milestones over an entire career. I plan to have a lot of years left in mine.”

Woods also tweeted out the following.

Sad to say I’m missing the Masters. Thanks to the fans for so many kind wishes. http://t.co/Ofbre9VHEL

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) April 1, 2014

LONGWOOD, Florida – Kendall Dye tied the Alaqua Country Club course record Monday by shooting a 6-under-par 65 to win the IOA Golf Classic by three strokes.  Dye finished at 11-under-par for the tournament to claim her first Symetra Tour victory.

Dye, who was playing in her 56th career Symetra Tour event, got over the hump by virtue of a flawless back nine that including four birdies and a chip-in eagle on the 16th hole.

“It’s pretty surreal, I had good feelings and positive thoughts going into the day, but I was three shots back,” said Dye.  “It was a pretty special day, it was a long day and it was Jesus on the back nine; I had just nine putts.”

Dye entered the day three shots back of Hannah Yun.  She birdied the tenth hole and then made back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th.

She seized complete control of her destiny with a birdie on 15 and an eagle on the 16th hole.

“My emotions were calm and it was pretty cool to finish strong and actually put a performance together and win.”

On the 18th hole, with a three stroke cushion, Dye had a short tap in putt to seal the victory.  She made the par putt and then was doused with water from friends and fellow Symetra Tour players Sara Brown, Mallory Blackwelder and Calle Nielson.

“I really wanted to ace the 18th hole because I stuck it close all day and told my caddy that we were going to make a long one,” said Dye.  “I was really glad that they stayed and celebrated with me.”

With the win, Dye skyrockets from 14th to second on the Volvik Race for the Card money list at $19,952 in earnings on the year.

“The win definitely takes the pressure off for the rest of the year.  I still need to compete, I still need to play in hopefully all of the events, but now maybe I have a little leeway where I may not have to play ten weeks in a row.”

The journey has been long and trying for Dye, who has played on the Symetra Tour since 2010.

“My mission every year is to come away with an LPGA Tour card and I’ve been to Q-School too many times so I’m looking at these 19 or 20 events as my Q-School,” said Dye.  “I’ve got 60 rounds to play well and earn some money to get onto the next stage.”

Yun, who led by one stroke after two rounds, shot an even-par 71 and finished in second place at 8-under for the tournament.  She made back-to-back bogeys to open her round and never recovered.

With the second place finish, Yun jumps into the top-10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list.  She has earned $10,770 after four events this season.

Katelyn Sepmoree, a rookie on the Symetra Tour, finished third at 6-under.  The Tyler, Texas native shot 1-over on the day.

LPGA Tour veteran Reilley Rankin fired a 1-under-par 70 on Monday to finish fourth in her first Symetra Tour event of the year.

Sara-Maude Juneau of Fossambault-sur-le-lac, Que. and Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C. were the leading Canadians in Florida. The pair tied for 22nd at 1-over-par 214.

Christine Wong of Richmond, B.C. tied for 50th at 6-over 219. Hamilton, Ont.’s Ashley Sholer finished with a 9-over 222 and tied for 67th, while Jessica Wallace of Langley, B.C. tied for 70th at 10-over 223.

CURRENT VOLVIK RACE FOR CARD MONEY LIST

1.     Cindy Feng      $25,984
2.     Kendall Dye      $19,952
3.     Jennie Lee      $18,378
4.     Kim Kaufman     $17,216
5.     Marissa Steen     $15,977
6.     Megan McChrystal     $12,314
7.     Hannah Yun     $10,770
8.     Jackie Stoelting     $10,075
9.     Maude-Aimee Leblanc     $8,857
10.     Sara-Maude Juneau     $8,478

Already a few months into 2014, Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and the Provincial Associations are streamlining their efforts towards expanding the outreach of National Junior Golf Development Centres (NJGDCs).

This initiative was introduced to offer juniors and their parents a permanent home, a facility that can take care of their developmental needs from the first time they touch a club all the way through to competitive golf. Recognized NJGDCs receive numerous benefits, including support from governing golf bodies, official certification, promotion, funding potential and more.

Registration comes at no cost to the facility and is open to private, public, semi-private or municipal golf facilities.

Mike Kelly, Managing Director of Sport at the Golf Association of Ontario, shows his enthusiasm for the growth of NJGDCs and what they mean to junior golf.

The programming of NJGDCs is structured to provide juniors the choice of entering the competitive stream or pursuing an interest to play the sport recreationally. Dallas Desjardins, PGA of Canada member and General Manager at Summerside Golf Club in P.E.I., describes the benefits of running a NJGDC and the business opportunities it has created for him and his facility.

At the end of 2013, 25 NJGDCs were fully recognized across Canada. Moving forward, each centre will be provided with updated programming that aligns with golf’s Long-Term Player Development model. Additionally, centres receive continued marketing support and materials from Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada.

Interested in becoming a NJGDC? Apply here

Click here for more information.

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Anna Nordqvist rallied to win the Kia Classic on Sunday at Aviara for her second victory in her last four LPGA Tour starts.

Two strokes behind leaders Cristie Kerr and Lizette Salas entering the round, Nordqvist closed with her second straight 5-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over Salas.

“I’m very excited. I still can’t believe it,” Nordqvist said. “I was a couple of shots back going into today, but this morning I told myself to give it a shot and I ended up making quite of bit of birdies out there. I’m very excited to have two wins this season.”

The 26-year-old Swede won the LPGA Thailand last month to end a five-year victory drought, holding off top-ranked Inbee Park. In 2009, Nordqvist won the LPGA Championship and LPGA Tour Championship.

Projected to jump from 16th to ninth in the world, Nordqvist finished at 13-under 275 and earned $255,000. She two-putted for par on the par-4 18th, holing a 2-footer.

“My hands were shaking a little, I’m not going to lie,” Nordqvist said. “You never know with the sun setting you see every little spike mark. So I tried not to focus on that and see the hole.”

The Kraft Nabisco, the first major tournament of the year, is next week in Rancho Mirage.

“I really love the majors,” Nordqvist said. “It’s a tougher set up on course and I feel more pressure, more spotlight on the tournament and I like that. I like the test and it seems like it is going to be pretty windy next week which will make it tougher. I’m very happy with the way I’m playing and can’t wait to tee it up.”

Salas birdied the 18th for a 70.

“I’m going to put this in the back of my mind, but know I can make putts down the stretch,” Salas said.

The former Southern California player is winless on the LPGA Tour.

“Obviously, I can’t control what Anna does,” she said. “She’s been playing awesome this year and already had a win, congrats to her. That’s just golf. Sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don’t. Luckily, I finished with a birdie on a good note, and off to the Kraft.'”`

Nordqvist changed equipment and started working with instructor Jorje Parada during the offseason after considering leaving the tour.

The former Arizona State player made a short birdie putt on the par-4 first hole and added birdies on the par-5 eighth and par-4 ninth to make the turn at 11 under. She also birdied the par-4 13th, par-3 14th and par-4 16th before dropping a stroke on the par-5 17th.

Lexi Thompson was third at 11 under after a 68, and Chella Choi was another stroke back after a 69. Kerr closed with a 73 to finish fifth at 9 under.

Park, preparing for her title defense next week at Mission Hills, had a 68 to join third-ranked Stacy Lewis (71), Se Ri Pak (69) and Eun-Hee Ji (71) at 8 under.

Dori Carter, the 244th-ranked player who shot a course-record 64 on Friday, finished with a 73 to tie for 10th at 7 under. Michelle Wie had a 70 to tie for 16th at 5 under.

Laura Diaz had a hole-in-one for the second straight day to become the second player in LPGA Tour history to make two aces in a tournament.

Diaz aced the par-3 third hole Saturday in the third round, then holed out on the par-3 sixth on Sunday – a shot she followed with an eagle on the par-4 seventh. She also had an eagle Saturday on the par-5 fifth.

Jenny Lidback is the only other player with two aces in an event, accomplishing the feat in the 1997 Tournament of Champions.

Diaz used a 6-iron Sunday on the 157-yard sixth.

“I was trying to hit it a little left to right high and take a little bit off of it,” Diaz said. “And, yeah, I did it. It went in.”

On the eagle on No. 7, she holed out from 122 yards with a 50-degree wedge, the club she used to hole out twice Saturday. She’s the first tour player to follow an ace with an eagle on the next hole

The 38-year-old Diaz shot 2-under 70 in each round to finish at 2 under.

Toronto’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham finished at 3-over 291 and tied for 61st.

BROUSSARD, La. – Kris Blanks won the Louisiana Open on Sunday for his second career Web.com Tour title, closing a 9-under 62 and beating Brett Stegmaier with a birdie on the third hole of a playoff.

Blanks matched Stegmaier at 14-under 270 at La Triomphe. Stegmaier finished with a 68.

Blanks earned $99,000. He was making his first Web.com start of the year after playing five PGA Tour events.

Jonathan Randolph and Kyle Reifers tied for third at 13 under. Randolph shot 67, and Reifers had a 70.

Abbotsford, B.C. native Adam Hadwin finished at 7-under 277 and tied for 32nd.

Derek Gillespie of Oshawa, Ont. tied for 36th at at 6-under 278, while Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. tied for 59th at 1-under 283.

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda – Mark Mouland won’t forget his maiden voyage to the island of Bermuda anytime soon.

The 52-year-old native of St. Athan Wales battled a stiff field and stiffer island breezes to capture the 2014 Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship at the Turtle Hill Golf Club.

A two-time European Tour winner, Mouland’s two-day total of 1-under par 107 (51-56) was one shot better than Michael Sims and Camiko Smith, both of Bermuda.

“It was survival out there today,” Mouland admitted after the round. “With the wind gusting you become indecisive on the tee. You don’t know if it’s (the wind) into you, right to left, left to right. You’ve got three different clubs in your hand and it’s really guess work.”

Mouland’s scrappy final round included three bogeys and a chip-in birdie.

“Can you believe I haven’t made a putt over four-feet in the last two days?” Mouland said. “Today the only birdie I made was a chip-in and that was very lucky.”

With the victory, Mouland takes home $20,000 (USD), the largest first-place cheque in the championship’s five-year history.

Bermudian amateur Mark Phillips finished fourth at 1-over, with American Charlie Bolling rounding out the top five.

Thomas Curtis, Dave Levesque and Jordan Mitchell finished T6 at 3-over, with Mark Brown, Will Haddrell and Gary Wolstenholme finishing T9.

Phillips also captured the men’s amateur division title, while Pat Ayres of the United States won the women’s amateur portion of the championship. Bermudian Jeffrey Lindo won the men’s senior amateur title.

SAN ANTONIO – Steven Bowditch held on to win the Texas Open in windy conditions Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory and a spot in the Masters.

The 30-year-old Australian bogeyed the par-5 18th for a 4-over 76 – the highest closing score by a winner since Vijay Singh finished with a 4-over 76 in the 2004 PGA Championship – for a one-stroke victory.

“I’m over the moon,” Bowditch said. “I really can’t believe it.”

Bowditch finished at 8-under 280 at TPC San Antonio and earned $1,116,000.

Will MacKenzie and Daniel Summerhays tied for second. MacKenzie shot 70, and Summerhays had a 71.

Chesson Hadley and Ryan Palmer missed chances to get into the Masters through the top 50 in the world ranking. Hadley, the Puerto Rico Open winner, needed at least a sixth-place finish, but closed with an 80 to tie for 56th at 5 over. Palmer needed a top-three finish and had an 82 to also tie for 56th.

Bowditch entered the week 339th in the world and had only two top-10 finishes in eight years on the tour in a career marked by bouts of depression. He won once on the Australasian circuit and twice on the Web.Com Tour.

Bowditch played the front nine in 3-over 39, making a double bogey on the par-4 fourth. He countered a bogey on the par-3 13th with a birdie on the par-5 14th and made three pars before missing a 3-foot par putt and settling for a bogey on 18.

On the par-3 16th, he got up-and-down after missing the green. He pushed his drive on the par-4 17th, hit his approach on the green and two-putted, then pulled his tee shot left on 18, recovered with a shot to the fairway and reached the green in three.

“I just drew back on some experience,” Bowditch said.

MacKenzie made a 13-foot birdie putt on the 17th to pull within a stroke of Bowditch, but the Australian tapped in from 2 feet for his birdie at No. 14 to push the advantage back to two.

Matt Kuchar and Andrew Loupe shot 75s to tie for fourth at 6-under.

Calgary’s Stephen Ames finished tied for 16th at 1-under 287. The result is his best finish since the 2012 Mayakoba Golf Classic, where he also tied for 16th.

Brights Grove, Ont’s Mike Weir tied for 56th at 5-over 293.

LONGWOOD, Florida – Florida’s Hannah Yun shot a course-record 6-under 65 in the second-round of the IOA Golf Classic to take a one shot lead heading into the final round on Monday.  Yun is 8-under for the tournament after her stellar round.

The final-round will be played Monday, March 31.  Play was suspended due to weather on Saturday forcing the completion of the 54-hole event to take place on Monday.

Second-round play resumed at 10:01 a.m. on Sunday.

Yun played a flawless bogey-free round to jump from a tie for sixth to the leader with 18 holes to play.

“Today was just one of those days where I was feeling right, I could see everything and it’s a lot of fun to play golf that way because it comes easy for you,” said the former Florida Gators golfer.  “I was just trying to keep my rhythm, stay free and I was able to do that very well today.”

Yun has one career victory and seven career top-10 finishes on the Symetra Tour.  Her lone win came at the Volvik Championship in 2013.

“A win tomorrow would mean a lot, one step closer to the top-10 this year (on the Volvik Race for the Card money list),” said Yun.  “It would be huge if I could win another one this season; it would be a big boost to my confidence.”

Katelyn Sepmoree, a rookie on the Symetra Tour, shot a 5-under-par 66 on Saturday and stands in second place at 7-under for the tournament. The former University of Texas Longhorns golfer also played a bogey-free round.

Kendall Dye fired a 1-under 70 and is 5-under-par for the tournament.  She is in third place, three shots behind Yun.

Reilley Rankin, an LPGA Tour veteran, is in fourth place at 4-under.  Rankin shot a 3-under 68 on Sunday.

Sara Maude Juneau is the leading Canadian. The Fossambault-sur-le-lac, Que. native is 1 under after a 69 on Sunday and is tied for ninth.

Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C. (T17, E); Christine Wong of Richmond, B.C. (T40, +3); Jessica Wallace of Langley, B.C. (T57, +5); and Ashley Sholer of Hamilton (T70, +7) also made the 36-hole cut.

The cut line was 7-over-par and 82 players will compete on Monday in the final round.

Sholer made a hole-in-one on the par-3 second hole on Saturday.  She finished the final seven holes of her second round on Sunday.

She hit a 9-iron from 121 yards out to ace the second hole.  It was the second hole-in-one of the IOA Golf Classic.  Christine Wong made a hole-in-one on the 18^th hole at Alaqua Country Club on Friday.

Sholer saved the ball and wrote the date and yardage on it.  She is not sure what exactly she is going to do with it.

“Being with Britney Hamilton was just perfect, we both screamed,” said Sholer.  “I was trying to hurry and get it in before the horn blew; it was cool how it happened.”

Hamilton and Sholer are good friends who met on the Symetra Tour and now both reside in Sarasota.  Sholer and Emma De Groot live together and Hamilton lives right up the road.