Représentants de l’Université Kent State, Corey Conners et Taylor Pendrith se sont classés dans le top 5 du Davidson College Invitational, à Davidson, en Caroline du Nord.

Conners, 22 ans et étudiant de dernière année, a pris la troisième place à plus 1 (73-72—145). Cet Ontarien de Listowel avait aussi gagné le mois dernier en prolongation la prestigieuse Coupe Jones, à Sea Island, en Georgie.

Pendrith, également étudiant de dernière année, a terminé quatrième, à un coup de Conners. Natif de Richmond Hill, en Ontario, il a signé des cartes de 75 et 71 pour finir à plus 2 sur le parcours du River Run Country Club. Pendrith avait aussi remporté une victoire prestigieuse, ayant été couronné vainqueur de la Coupe Porter 2013, en juillet.

Grâce à leur brio des derniers mois, Conners et Pendrith font maintenant partie du top 50 du classement mondial amateur, occupant respectivement les 23^e et 31^e places. Le dynamique duo fait aussi partie de la présélection du Ben Hogan Award, une récompense très convoitée qui honore le meilleur golfeur universitaire des États-Unis.

Conner Hayden, de Chilhowie en Virginie, a remporté le titre individuel du Davidson Invitational grâce à un cumulatif de 142, moins 2. Les Volunteers du Tennessee ont gagné la compétition par équipes en devançant de 11 coups les représentants de Kent State.

Pour les résultats complets, cliquez ici.

DORAL, Fla. – Honda Classic winner Russell Henley can only hope the next 14 months are better than the 14 months that followed his first PGA Tour victory.

A quick, decisive player with a smooth putting stroke, Henley won his debut as a PGA Tour member in January 2013. It earned him automatic exemptions into the Masters, PGA Championship and four World Golf Championships. His FedEx Cup points turned out to be enough for a spot in the British Open, and the ranking points got him into the U.S. Open.

It proved to be a bit much.

“It was a lot to deal with after I won,” Henley said. “I played in the Masters, played in all the majors, played in all the WGCs, and I don’t know that I was really prepared to do all that mentally.”

Over the next 32 tournaments, Henley missed the cut 11 times and had only two top 10s: a tie for sixth at Hilton Head and the Memorial, neither time in serious contention over the final hour.

His playoff win at PGA National landed him at Doral this week. He’s eligible for the Masters, PGA Championship and two more WGCs (Firestone and Shanghai).

“I think this year, I’m more excited to keep playing golf and keep getting better, and I feel like I’ve got a little bit better direction that I’m going in right now,” Henley said. “I feel like I know what is going to make me better. A full year on tour will teach you a lot about who you are and what you need to do with your game – what works, what doesn’t work. I think a year of experience is huge for me.

“Golf is so hard that nobody knows for sure if they are going to keep anything going,” he said. “I know I can control my work ethic and my attitude, and hopefully I can keep those consistent.”

Video: Teeing up the WGC Cadillac Championship

Davidson, N.C. – Playing for Kent State, Team Canada’s Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith both finished inside the top 5 at the Davidson College Invitational.

Conners, a 22-year-old senior, finished the tournament in third, with a 1-over 145 (73-72).  The Listowel, Ont. native is coming off a playoff win at the prestigious Jones Cup last month in Sea Island, Ga.

Pendrith, also a senior, finished a single-stroke behind Conners in fourth place. The Richmond Hill, Ont. native shot a 75-71 to close at 2-over par at the River Run Country Club. Pendrith has a recent prestigious win of his own, taking home the hardware at the 2013 Porter Cup in July.

Thanks to their hot play of late, Conners and Pendrith both sit inside the top 50 on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) at No.23 and 31, respectively. The dynamic duo has also been placed on the Ben Hogan Award Watch List. The prestigious award is given annually to the top college golfer in the country.

Conner Hayden, a Chilhowie, Va. native, captured medalist honours with a 2-under 142. Collectively, the Tennessee Volunteers won team play by 11 strokes over second place Kent State.

For full results, click here.

(Vancouver Sun) – There are no cuts at most collegiate golf tournaments, although UBC coach Chris MacDonald and his men’s and women’s teams survived an important one last week off the course.

The golf programs made it through the second and final stage of UBC’s sports review and will play on. After missing the cut in the first stage of that review, it looked like the programs would be axed.

But MacDonald convinced the UBC brass that the programs were worth saving in a massive 120-page brief he presented to the sports review panel last month.

Continue reading…

USGA to institute international qualifying for U.S. Women’s Open

In recognition of the global growth and strength of women’s golf, the United States Golf Association (USGA) will introduce international qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open Championship, beginning in 2014.

The 2014 U.S. Women’s Open will be conducted June 19-22 at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (Course No. 2) in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.

Fourteen foreign-born players have won the U.S. Women’s Open a total of 18 times, including two-time and defending champion Inbee Park, of the Republic of Korea. Fay Crocker, of Uruguay, won the 1955 U.S. Women’s Open, becoming the first international winner in championship history. In recent years, international players have dominated the leader board, taking seven of the last nine championships and 13 of the last 19. Players from Korea have won five of the last six championships.

Officials from the China Golf Association, the Japan Golf Association, the Korea Golf Association and the Ladies European Tour will conduct international qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open, which will be held at four sites on Monday, May 19.

Asia will have three qualifying sites – CGA Nanshan International Training Centre (Garden Course) in the People’s Republic of China, Higashi Nagoya Country Club in Japan and Woo Jeong Hills Country Club in Korea. Buckinghamshire Golf Club in England will host European qualifying.

Also, effective in 2014, the USGA Handicap Index^® limit for the U.S. Women’s Open has been lowered to 2.4 from 4.4. The change comes in recognition of the rapid and tremendous growth of women’s amateur golf, and will serve to strengthen the 69th U.S. Women’s Open field.

The Handicap Index limit was set at 4.4 for the 1972 U.S. Women’s Open, and has remained unchanged. Since then, more than 350 amateur golfers have qualified for the championship, including future winners Paula Creamer, Kathy (Baker) Guadagnino, Juli Inkster, Cristie Kerr, Murle Lindstrom, Hilary Lunke, Inbee Park, Annika Sorenstam and Hollis Stacy. Four amateurs have finished second: Nancy Lopez (1975); Jenny Chuasiriporn (1998, in a playoff); and Brittany Lang and Morgan Pressel (2005). Catherine Lacoste (1967) is the only amateur player to win the Women’s Open.

U.S.A.’s Olympic golf uniforms unveiled

USA Golf Federation, the governing body for U.S.A.’s golf team in the Olympics, said adidas Golf will provide uniforms for golfers, coaches and the staff at Rio.

Golf returns to the Olympics in 2016.

Andy Levinson, the executive director of USA Golf, said the adidas logo will not be visible on the uniform, which should come as good news to Tiger Woods if he is eligible and chooses to play in the 2016 Olympics. Woods has been a Nike client his entire career.

Along with outfitting the men’s and women’s American teams, adidas Golf will have a line of USA Golf-branded apparel that will be introduced late this year.

.@adidasGolf to be Official Outfitter for 2016 U.S. Olympic Golf Team: http://t.co/SOSzAxGeGJ @Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/jXtjrSjPY2

— Back9Network (@Back9Network) March 4, 2014

Adam Svensson continued his winning ways Tuesday, capturing his second straight tournament after firing a 7-under 65 at the St. Edward’s Invitational in Austin, Texas.

Svensson, a sophomore at Barry University, finished the tournament at 10-under 134. The event was shortened to 36 holes due to bad weather in the Austin area.

The Team Canada National Squad member carded 13 birdies over two days to finish eight-strokes clear of runner-up Carr Vernon from CSU-Monterey Bay.

The Surrey, B.C. native now has four victories in only six starts this season. He’s now tied with Daniel Stapff for all-time wins at Barry University.

During the fall season, Svensson, 20, captured the Brickyard Crossing and Guy Harvey Invitational. In addition, he recently set a single round school scoring record after carding a second round 64 en-route to his victory at the Matlock Collegiate Classic in February.

As a team, No. 1 ranked Barry finished 13 strokes ahead of CSU-Monterey Bay to claim their third team victory of the season.

For complete results from the St. Edward Invitational, click here.

STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford junior Patrick Rodgers, the No. 1 ranked amateur in the world, said Monday that he will forgo his final year of eligibility to pursue a professional career after this season.

The two-time All-American said he decided to make the announcement now because he didn’t want the growing speculation about his future to become a distraction for the team. The eighth-ranked Cardinals are hoping to make a deep run at the NCAA championships in May before Rodgers leaves.

“I think we have an amazing team – the best that we’ve had in my three years here – and we have an opportunity to do something special,” Rodgers said in a statement issued through the university. “I want to put all of the focus on trying to win a national championship for the team.”

Rodgers arrived at Stanford in 2011 as one of the nation’s top recruits from Avon, Ind., where he won two state championships. He has won seven tournaments in less than three full seasons at Stanford and also helped the U.S. team win last year’s Walker Cup, the amateur version of the Ryder Cup.

Rodgers’ 70.55 average strokes per round are the best in Stanford history, bettering Tiger Woods’ 70.96. His seven career wins are tied with Joel Kribel for the second most in school history. Only Woods, with 11, has more.

“The numbers speak for themselves,” said Stanford men’s golf coach Conrad Ray. “He’s one of the best college golfers we’ve ever had. It’s bittersweet for me, because as a coach and a guy that values his role on the team, we’re going to hate losing him. Even if it was next year after graduation, we’d love to take 10 guys like Patrick and see how we’d do. His work ethic is insatiable.

“He has characteristics of world-class players. It’s a credit to him that he has taken a lot of well-thought time to analyze the situation he has in front of him. To Patrick’s credit, he’s made all the right steps and moves to date. You have to trust in his instincts and direction he’s going with his game.”

Rodgers has some experience on the PGA Tour already.

He has played in four PGA Tour events, including taking the lead at the John Deere Classic last year before finishing 15th. He said he plans to return to Stanford at some point to finish his degree.

“Stanford has done so much more for me than golf,” Rodgers said. “The immense social network between alumni and students is just incredible. Both the golf program and academic environment have accelerated my progress beyond what I ever thought possible and prepared me really well for life on the PGA Tour. I couldn’t have done what I have done so far without the help of Stanford University.”

During the opening-round of the 2014 WGC – Accenture Match Play Championship, Matt Kuchar found himself in good position to close out his opponent, Bernd Wiesberger, on the 14^th hole. Kuchar dialed-in a 14-foot putt for what looked like the win (5&4) over Wiesberger, however some discussion ensued as to whether or not Kuchar had replaced his ball mark in the correct location.

Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard outlines some of the commentary that occurred between each of the sides and their respective caddies here.

From the video below, you’ll see that following Kuchar holing out, a preceding highlight shows that he had originally marked the position of his ball in a different location as it would potentially interfere with Wiesberger’s next stroke.

Under Rule 20-1 (Lifting and Marking), Kuchar’s ball may be lifted and his ball-marker may be moved to further accommodate his opponent’s play.  However it must be replaced, with the process of marking reversed, before he plays his next stroke.

Upon realizing the error, it is clear that Kuchar has played from a wrong place.

In this situation Kuchar was proceeding under Rule 20-1 (Lifting and Marking), so application of the Rule and subsequent penalty falls under 20-1.

It is important to note that the last sentence under the Note to Rule 20-1 states in part that “… If the ball-marker interferes with the play, stance or stroke of another player, it should be place one or more clubhead-lengths to one side.”  In order to replace the ball when this has been done, the procedure must be reversed, as prescribed by Decision 20-1/16.

In the end, Kuchar found himself in a loss of hole situation as a result of an honest mistake.  The error in neglecting to replace his ball resulted in the match being extended to the 16^th hole, before Kuchar closed with a 3&2 win.

Since the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship kicked-off last week, Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) conducted a poll via Twitter and Facebook asking ‘What form of play do you prefer?’  Stroke Play was the leading favorite amongst those who participated when this blog was published.

What’s your favorite form of play? Have your say in our poll below.

Have a Rules of Golf question you want answered in a Rules & Rants Blog?  Let us know here.

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For more information on how to proceed in various Rules of Golf situations, guidance on the Golf Canada Handicap System and more, please consult our Rules of Golf publications – for purchase in Golf Canada’s eStore, or at your local book retailer.

A day in the life of a member or guest at Bayview Golf and Country must be an extraordinary experience from start to finish.

That’s the vision Head Golf Professional Dustin Kerr-Taylor brings to the Toronto club as his golf shop team works to instill and preserve the spirit of the game in each golfer by providing quality golf programs and service that resonate excellence.

It’s also the type of dedication to the sport that has earned Kerr-Taylor the PGA of Ontario Retailer of the Year for 2013 after only his second year as Head Professional at Bayview.

“I have always been passionate about merchandising. It was instilled in me by the head professionals I worked for previously, Warren Crosbie at Bayview, John Porter at Rosedale Golf & Country Club and Brad Johnston at The Briars Golf & Country Club,” Kerr-Taylor says of the club owned shop. “We aim for perfection when it comes to the golf shop experience. There is always a wow factor when members walk into the golf shop. We want them to feel that this is a special place for them, where they can be comfortable and also know they’re getting the best pricing possible.”

No one person is in charge of maintaining the look of the shop and changing the displays. All staff members are involved with merchandising and creating an inviting golf shop experience. The nesting tables are located right at the front of the golf shop and changed every two-to-three weeks to showcase new product and reflect the time of year or holidays. The main sales counter has been relocated to the center of the shop allowing staff to greet everyone that walks by or comes in. “This is totally a team award; there are so many people at the club, from the back shop to accounting, who help create an atmosphere where members enjoy coming into the golf shops simply to chat or to make their purchases.”

Kerr-Taylor estimates that he spends half of his time on golf shop merchandising, but the key to success has been connecting with members.

“I am the starter on the weekend and this is a great way to promote new items in the shop and for me to see what everybody is wearing and the equipment they’re using,” says Kerr-Taylor who also produces a personal weekly video posted to the club’s web site with upcoming events, congratulating winners from the week and promoting the golf shop.

The father of two, Hudson and Addison, who has been married to his wife Monique for 16 years, is also quick to note that printed posters, member newsletters, men’s and ladies’ locker rooms, bathrooms and the first tee message boards is where golf shop sales are promoted to the 700 members.

Kerr-Taylor started playing golf with his father as a youngster at the nine-holer in Dryden, Ont. A few years later he saw an advertisement in Golf Digest magazine for the Golf Academy of America Professional Golf Management Program and enrolled in 1992. Since graduating, he’s been having a ball, playing and selling the game he loves.

Another key to delivering a profitable golf shop at Bayview has been offering member pricing for members and their guests. Every item is priced in the shop with a retail price from a local golf store and a lower member price.

“We are always lower than their pricing. We don’t have a formula, it all depends on each product. Weekly internet checks on websites are needed to make sure we are always competitive,” Kerr-Taylor says. “At first members were skeptical on member pricing. I think they thought we were just making up retail pricing but it only took a few months for them to realize that Bayview is there one stop shop for shopping. “I really notice more and more new members shopping here than maybe they did in the past which is great to see”.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – The last time Tiger Woods quit in the middle of a round because of an injury, he won his next tournament. And then he followed that with his highest score ever in the Masters, the ultimate measure of Woods these days.

Now what?

Making predictions about the world’s No. 1 player is like gauging the wind at Amen Corner. You’re bound to get it wrong for three reasons:

• Only an athlete knows how badly he is hurt.
• Golf is too unpredictable under the best of times.
• He’s Tiger Woods.

NBC Sports analyst Johnny Miller got it right at the start of the year when he was talking about which players might have big years. He stopped short of naming a list of players because of reason No. 2. And then he added this nugget:

“It was pretty easy to predict Tiger there for a while,” Miller said.

These days, about all anyone can safely predict about Woods is that he’ll wear a red shirt on Sunday.

Assuming he makes it to Sunday.

In two starts on the PGA Tour this year, Woods is measured by letters instead of numbers. He had an “MDF” at Torrey Pines, which is the tour’s acronym for players who miss the 54-hole cut. And he had a “WD” at the Honda Classic when he withdrew after 13 holes on the final round on Sunday.

The question now is how long he will be MIA.

The leaders were finishing up the front nine when attention shifted from the golf course to the PGA National parking lot that suddenly was swarming with police. Some two dozen reporters and photographers were waiting for Woods. He finally showed up in a white passenger van, changed out of his shoes and then was driven off in a black Mercedes-Benz to his home just north on Jupiter Island.

Just like last time _ just like always _ only Woods knows the amount of the pain and the degree of the injury.

He said through spokesman Glenn Greenspan that he felt “lower back problems with spasms” as he was warming up Sunday morning. On the third hole, he hit a tee shot so far to the right that it wound up in a water hazard to the left of the sixth green. And when he played the sixth hole, he pulled his tee shot into the water. Six holes into the final round, Woods already was 5 over for the day and 12 shots out of the lead.

He said he would get treatment every day to “calm it down.” As for playing next week at Doral, he said he would wait until Thursday to see how it feels.

The Blue Monster is more blue than ever after a redesign ordered by new owner Donald Trump. Woods is the defending champion at the Cadillac Championship, though the course where he has won four times is not what it used to be.

But this isn’t about whether he can play Doral or Bay Hill two weeks later, or how he will fare at Augusta National next month. The injuries are starting to pile up since he returned from the chaos in his personal life.

Woods had two WDs on his professional record through 2009. One was at Pebble Beach in 1998 when he chose not to return after a seven-month rain delay to finish. The other was in 2006 at Riviera when he made the cut and then withdrew the next morning with the flu.

Now he has four in the last five years.

He left after six holes of the final round at The Players Championship in 2010 because of a bulging disk in his neck. He went into the final round 10 shots out of the lead. A year later, he quit after nine holes and 42 strokes at The Players because of a leg injury. He didn’t return for three months.

Woods’ didn’t finish the final round at Doral in 2012 because of his Achilles tendon (and then he won at Bay Hill two weeks later). And now he starts out 2014 by having to pull out of another tournament.

That’s five straight years when a season has been interrupted by injury. He didn’t withdraw last year, though he missed his own AT&T National and a scheduled start at The Greenbrier Classic because of a left elbow strain.

Sunday at the Honda Classic was not his first issue with lower back pain. He said the feelings were the same as they were at The Barclays last summer, when he dropped to his knees after one shot in the final round. He finished out that round in a tie for second, one shot behind Adam Scott.

He didn’t finish among the top 10 the rest of the FedEx Cup playoffs. Then again, he went 4-1 and earned the most points at the Presidents Cup. He tied for third in Turkey. He lost in a playoff to Zach Johnson at his 18-man World Challenge. How much did the back pain linger? Only Woods knows.

Woods turned 38 last December, and he looks a tired 38.

He spoke earlier in the year at Dubai about spending much of the off-season “to get my body organized,” conceding he didn’t practice as much as he would have liked. The Masters is just over a month away, no time for him to panic. If anything, this might help take some pressure off his bid to end five years without a major.

Woods said at the start of last week that once the PGA Tour gets to Florida, everyone is thinking about their way to Augusta.

He wasn’t planning on another detour.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Russell Henley chipped in for birdie and then hit into the water on his next shot for double bogey. He watched Rory McIlroy throw away a lead with a double bogey and a bogey, only to stand over a 12-foot eagle putt on the next hole with a chance to win.

A wild Sunday at PGA National ended in a four-man playoff, with Henley making good on his second chance at the par-5 18th to win the Honda Classic.

“This doesn’t feel real,” Henley said.

It didn’t look much differently, starting with Tiger Woods walking off the course after 13 holes because of lower back pain, and ending with a series of blunders over the closing holes of a tournament that no one seemed to want to win.

Eight yards away from where he had hit drive on the 18th in regulation, Henley ripped another 5-wood and aimed a little more right. It barely cleared the bunker and stopped 40 feet away on the green for a two-putt birdie that was good enough to win when McIlroy, Ryan Palmer and Russell Knox could only make par.

In regulation, Henley turned what should have been a good chance at birdie into a struggle for par by missing the green well to the left and chunking his chip only halfway to the hole. He had to two-putt from 60 feet for a par and a 72, joining the playoff at 8-under 272.

“So the next time, I just said, `All these guys are probably going to make birdie.’ And I just needed to trust my swing and put the best swing I can on it and not be too worried about where it goes,” Henley said.

For McIlroy, it was his tournament to lose, and he did just that.

He started with a two-shot lead and closed with a 74. The biggest blow came on the 16th hole, when he tried to hit 6-iron out of the bunker and over the water, caught too much sand and went in the water for double bogey. Still tied for the lead, he went long on the 17th and failed to save par from the bunker. Down to his last shot, he delivered the best one of the day – a 5-wood from 236 yards that dropped 12 feet from the hole.

His eagle putt for the win just slid by on the right. That turned out to be his best chance. In the playoff, with a drive about 10 yards longer, McIlroy went into a back bunker and couldn’t keep his next shot on the green.

“I didn’t play well enough to deserve a win today,” McIlroy said.

It was his second straight tournament in stroke play where he crashed out in the final group. Last month at the Dubai Desert Classic, he was two shots out of the lead and stumbled on the back nine to a 74.

“Seventy-four today wasn’t good enough to get the job done,” McIlroy said. “Even if I had won, it would have felt a little bit undeserved in a way. So when you go out with a two-shot lead, you have to play well and you have to go out and win the thing. And if I had won today, I would have counted myself very lucky. Just got to pick myself up, get back at it and try and get myself into contention at Doral next week and try and get the job done.”

Palmer was the only player in the final six groups to break par with a 69 on a day when PGA National showed some bite, with an average score of 71.8. Even so, he missed putts inside 8 feet on the last five holes, including a 5-footer for par on the 18th that would have won it in regulation.

In the playoff, he missed a 10-foot birdie putt to the left.

Knox needed a birdie in regulation for a chance to win, and instead went from the bunker to deep rough to over the green before making a 10-foot par putt and a 71. He was the only player to lay up in the playoff, and he missed a 20-foot birdie attempt.

Woods missed all the action.

He was 12 shots out of the lead and 5-over par for the day when he began gingerly placing the ball on the tee and picking it out of the cup. He removed his cap to shake hands with Luke Guthrie on the 13th tee – the farthest point from the clubhouse – and called for a ride back to the parking lot.

Woods said he would get treatment every day before deciding whether to play Doral next week.

Henley only had two top 10s since winning the Sony Open last year in his debut as a PGA Tour member. He was overwhelmed by the all the perks from winning so early, and now gets to experience it again.

The victory not only gets the 24-year-old from Georgia into the Masters, he moved into the top 50 in the world ranking and qualified for the Cadillac Championship next week at Doral. He also gets in two more World Golf Championships, and secured his spot in the PGA Championship.

What should ease the pain for McIlroy is another shot at winning, and the shot that nearly made that happen.

Trailing by one shot on the 549-yard closing hole, he hit 5-wood at the flag, a shot reminiscent of the 5-iron Woods hit two years ago for eagle and a 62. Except that McIlroy didn’t make the putt, and he didn’t get a chance better than that one.

McIlroy still had a better week at the Honda Classic when he was No. 1 in the world and walked off the course after 26 holes out of sheer frustration. This time, it was Woods who was No. 1 and walked off the course, surely concerned about increasing health issues.

Brantford, Ont.’s David Hearn shot a 3-under 67 on Sunday to share sixth with Will MacKenzie at 6-under 274. After his round, Hearn took to Twitter to thank his fans for their support this week.

Thanks for all the support this week. Felt good to play some nice golf again!!Looking forward to the next couple weeks. #hondaclassic

— David Hearn (@HearnDavid) March 2, 2014