This week, we are kicking off the 2023 Hole-in-One Report. Each week we write to Golf Canada members who record a hole-in-one, congratulating them and asking if they’d tell us how it happened. These are their stories (edited for length and clarity).

Have you recently accomplished the feat of a hole-in-one? Tell us about it! Share your story, picture / video and course information with us at holeinone@golfcanada.ca.

Alan Robichaud, Burnt Store Marina & Country Club, Hole #14

Hello,

Just here to recap the hole-in-one I got. I came up to the tee box, held tight and swung away. Oddly enough it was a very straight shot over the water against the wind. Bounced just before the green rolled up and dropped right in on the right side of the cup. It was pretty surreal since four holes before it took me eleven strokes to bury it in! I’m not a good golfer by any means and it was something to see for sure. I was super excited. But also laughed because I used a 10 iron. Which I didn’t know they made. Back home it’s a pitching wedge, but this has a 10 written on it. We got a kick out of that for sure. I played with three of my close friends, Paul Desjardins, and father and son Mark and Ryan Boudens. It was about 120 yards. I was just glad I got it with my golfing friends. Made it that much more special!

This is the only photo I got on that day. We were here on a mini vacation, and it started off pretty amazing. 

Ash Kayastha, Royal Colwood Golf Club, Hole #15

Thank you so much for sharing! My ace was on April, 1 (tough day to get one). I used an 8 iron. 140 yards uphill against the wind. I was playing with Carter Franks and another member of Colwood.

Brad Hotham, Ambassador Golf Club, Hole #14

Hello and thank you for the email. I was playing with Mike Kainz, Jeff Sanford, and Chris Gilbert. I used a 5 iron from 185 yards, and it bounced twice before going in.

Brandy Montgomery, Bridgewater Country Club, Hole #4

Hello Golf Canada!

This is amazing! Thank you for reaching out to me and wanting to find out the details about my hole-in-one last week Wednesday! It was an amazing feeling and witnessing it go in the hole in front of my eyes was the best feeling!

It was my first round back for the season as our club (Bridgewater Golf and CC) just opened that Monday prior. I was with my two friends, Ellen Fisher and Stephanie Noble, and they both witnessed it drop in the hole with me! We try weekly to get out for a round, just us girls and this one was the most memorable yet! I was the last of our group to tee off and I double checked the yardage with Ellen, and we clocked it at 123 yards from the red tees. I got out my 9 iron and hit the cleanest strike I had hit so far that round. I even yelled at the ball “get there” thinking it would hit the deadly front right bunker, but it caught the back slope of it instead and curved from right to left and dropped right in! It was a tough front pin with not much green to work with so it really was the most perfect shot I could have hit!

I was so nervous after walking up to the green I screamed in excitement when I saw the ball in the hole!

As the cofounder of Mishits Golf, I was wearing my favourite shirt under my long sleeve that day, but I sure didn’t Mishit that shot! 🙂

The best part about the whole thing was calling my husband (who got me into golf about eight years ago) to tell him! He was not the happiest as he has yet to get a hole-in-one himself – but he was so excited for my accomplishment!

My course gave me this flag to remember that day! It is now hanging proudly in my garage at home beside the golf simulator my husband built. Hopefully one day I can add more to the collection 🙂

Thank you again for reaching out to me!

Brandy Montgomery

Brenda Lund, Sunnydale Golf Society, Hole #10

That great day was spent with my husband, Paul Lund, who saw the hole-in-one. The yardage was 108 and I used my 5 iron. What a great day and moment.

Dave Heenan, Timber Ridge Golf Course, Hole #8

Hello,

Thanks for the email.

Yes, I had a hole-in-one on the 8^th hole at Timber Ridge, a course located between Trenton and Brighton, Ontario. It’s one of my favourites in this region due to the rolling hills, elevation changes, and nice greens. The 8^th hole is an elevated green, that plays 102 yards on the card, but was playing 110 yards on the rangefinder. I was playing with Robert Kimber and Graham Stratford, who I’ve played with for more than 30 years. Our home course is Loyalist G&CC in Bath, Ontario.

I hit a pitching wedge straight at the flag but did not see the result because of the elevation. Robert played the same club, straight as well. Graham hit a slight draw to the left, just off the green. When we arrived at the green, I only saw one ball (yellow) a few feet left of the hole which was Robert’s, not my white ball (Kirkland Signature #2, in case Costco wants to sponsor me on the tour). I thought I might be slightly long, so took a lob wedge and putter to the green. When Robert went to mark his ball, he saw mine in the hole.

I must admit I never thought to take a photo, because there was a group behind and I would have had to walk back to the cart to get my cellphone (pace of play, of course!). Graham made an up-and-down for par and a kick-in birdie for Robert meant we scored 1-2-3 on this hole!

Ironically, about 5 years ago both guys had a hole-in-one on the same hole at Amherstview golf course (the 3^rd) about one year apart, so I was the last of this group to achieve an ace.

Regards,

Dave Heenan

Gail Fennell, Chesapeake Golf Club, Hole #3

My wife Gail Fennell, 61 years old from Stoney Creek, ON, got a hole-in-one at the Chesapeake Golf Club in Chesapeake, Virginia. We originally had a reservation at another course, but they were overbooked. We looked for another course in the area and booked a tee time for 12:00pm. It was the third hole and she hit it with a 9 iron. It sailed towards the hole, one bounce and about 25 feet of roll an in!

It was an awesome thing to watch, and we couldn’t be happier for her!

Geramy Powell, Paraiso Del Mar, Hole #14

So nice of Golf Canada to notice my little accomplishment. It was an exciting moment for all four of us. I couldn’t believe the ball went in but the rest all saw it hit the green and “go in the hole”. It was on hole #14, about 88 yards so I used my wedge. With a wind coming in off the water at about 30 kmh. I was with my good friends Bill Rafter, Leonard Johnson and his wife Diana Johnson. All this after crossing the paths of two rattlesnakes. 

Helen Knowlton, Superstition Golf Course, Hole #3

I’m a social golfer but got three hole-in-ones in less than a year!

My first hole-in-one occurred on December 2, 2021, at Superstition Golf Course in Mesa, Arizona. Happened on hole #3 which measured 105 yards.

Then, on June 3, 2022, at Olds Golf Club in Olds, Alberta, I got a hole-in-one on hole #7 (110 yards).

My most recent hole-in-one happened on hole #16 at Foothills Golf Course in Phoenix, Arizona. 112 yards. November 27, 2022.

Jerry Parnell, Creston Golf Club, Hole #13

March 31st, 2023. It was a blustery day for the first day of the season. I went out with friends Noel and Larry to knock the rust out of my game. I was having a rather rough time until hole #13. A par 3, 138-yard shot. Noel, a much better golfer than me, tee’s up and struck a nice shot onto the green ending up with a seven-foot putt (and I’m sorry I can’t, for the life of me, remember if he sunk his birdie). I’m up next, so I take my trusty 8 iron, place the Callaway ChromeSoft ball onto my lucky orange tee and gave it a nice solid hit. Felt good…flew high and a little left of the flag…rolled toward the hole and looked like it might have settled just behind the pin. Larry pulled his shot a tad so off we set to assess the situation. My ball was nowhere in sight, so we looked in the cup. Sure enough, there the baby was nestled snug as a bug in the bottom of the hole. At this point, I’m in a state of disbelief. WOW. JUST WOW! Finished the round in a haze. Or rather, blaze of glory! 

Here’s to the start of a great season! Cheers!

Jerry Parnell 

Joanne Webster, Desert Falls Country Club, Hole #3

Wow, thank you for the congratulations, how awesome!

Played Desert Falls Golf and Country Club, Palm Desert, April 12, 2023.

3rd hole is a short 101-yard par 3 from the front tees, flag middle back. My nine

iron landed 15 feet to the right of the pin and slowly rolled left until we saw it gently nudge the pin and disappear! “Think I just got a hole-in-one”, but never sure (had not played there before so wasn’t familiar with the green), “maybe it disappeared over a ridge and rolled off to the back?”

Partner, Sue Rea, and I scurried up to the green. Sue’s ball (pretty shot) was 20 feet short of the pin (which she sank for a bird) and my ball was in the hole!!

The serendipitous part of it all was I witnessed Sue drop one, 134 meters on hole #16, County Sligo Golf Club, Ross’s Point, Ireland in 2013! The hole-in-one Sista’s!

Must mention Tom, the single we let through on hole #2. As he was passing by our tee box, he said “Thanks. I’d like to share something with you.” Tom had a hole-in-one on hole #3 the first time he played Desert Falls! “Wow, good on you” we said, and calling out as he drove away, “Send those hole-in-one vibes our way.” Seems like he did!

This was my second hole-in-one with my first being at Predators Ridge in Vernon. My husband said to our son Scott, as they were waiting for me to tee off, “Your mom is going to get a hole-in-one!”

4th hole – 133 yards, slightly downhill big green, pin middle right. 6 iron landed on the left side of the green and fed down to the hole, didn’t see it drop, but Ralph knew it was in, and it was!

Thanks for asking. Everyone’s hole-in-one story is a story and a lifelong memory! ⛳

Joanne Webster

John Cormier, Bear Creek Golf Club, Hole #14

Thank you for your response.

It was after some 55 years of playing, my first. I was playing with my wife, Shelley Keyser, and a couple from Dundas Valley Golf Club and good friends Bill and Brooke Hutchings.

The shot was 156 yards into the wind. I hit a 6 iron and the ball landed two inches behind hole and one hopped back and in! Coming off a birdie on the previous hole it felt great.

Cheers,

John Cormier

John White, Myrtlewood Golf Club, Hole #6

Thank you. The hole measured 156 yards with my range finder. It was downwind and I used an 8 iron. Playing partners were Kirk Steele, Garth Cousins and Jamie Stride. It was my third career hole-in-one, the last one in 1995.

John White

Kim Tran, Loomis Trail Golf Club, Hole #16

I was playing with three buddies’: Mark Vaughan, Scott Hurdle and Keith MacKinnon. The yardage was 190and I used a 4 rescue. It was a high shot that landed eight feet short of the hole and rolled right in.

Michael Fines, The Links at Penn Hills, Hole #6

I was golfing with my two daughters and my son-in-law. We are having a beautiful early spring and a few courses had opened so why not. I had just come up short from 100 yards out with my pitching wedge the previous hole into the wind, so for this tee shot on hole #8 I decided to club up just in case. I didn’t want to force a full swing, so I used my 9 from between 105-110. As soon as I struck it, I knew it was close and the water was not a factor. It landed about six feet short of the pin and went in on the second bounce. This was my second hole-in-one. The other one being on hole #6 at Furness Golf Club in 2001. That one I didn’t see as it was to an elevated green. 

I had a stroke in 2014 and it has limited my time golfing dramatically, and until last year I never really thought I would be able to continue playing. Needless to say, I was a little excited for this one.

Thanks again for reaching out.

Respectfully,

Michael Fines

Michael Mayer, Champions Gate Golf Resort, Hole #5

Details:

– Group: Steve Bryksa, Rick Holden and Tom Smith

– Davenport, Florida

– Champions Gate (National Course)

– Hole #5

– 5 hybrid used

My first one. Just turned 70. Thought it would never happen.

Thanks,

Mike

Mike Gibson, Rolling Meadows, Hole #4

Hi,

I was very excited to receive your email. Took me completely by surprise.

Thank you so much for the graphic. It is now my screen saver, and I flash it to everyone.

I played with three buddies who are members of Rolling Meadows: Greg Waters, Ron Labatt and Don Yaki. I am a member of Niagara National Golf Course. We played the white tees, and it was 171 yards. I used a 5 hybrid.

Unfortunately, I left my phone in the car that day, so I plan on playing again soon, and will get myself a photo taking the ball out of the cup.

My son is getting a plaque made for me.

Thank you so much again for the email and the graphic keepsake!

Rhonda Thompson, Tobiano Golf Course, Hole #7

Hi,

Thank you for the acknowledgment and the graphic!  

I was playing with my husband and two friends when I got the hole-in-one. The yardage was about 120 and I used my 4 hybrid. There was a 10-15 kmh wind and I was hitting into it. The hole has an 80 yard carry over a deep gully as well. It was a very chilly windy day and no joke; I had 6 layers on! I could barely swing my club.

I would be honoured if you used my story, I feel it proves that anyone in any circumstances can get a hole-in-one it just has to be “your time”.

Rob Charron, Victoria Golf Club, Hole #13

Thanks for the interest in my hole-in-one ?. It was on hole #13 on April 6th at Victoria Golf Club. It was a very windy day, and the wind was directly behind us. The pin was set to the front and was playing 135 yards. I played a pitching wedge to the right side of the green, it landed soft, and curled down to the left, and the four of us were able to see it roll in. Another group a few holes down from us said they heard the cheers. That was my second hole-in-one.  

Shannon Schrader, Heritage Bay, Hole #6

I’ve been golfing since I was five years old when I started with my grandpa and this is my first hole-in-one!  

My playing partners were Murray Schrader (husband), Jim Costello and Paula Costello (friends). 129 yards. Used a 7 iron.

Steve Jung, Mayfair Lakes Golf Course, Hole #15

Thanks for the congratulations!

It was during a VGT event. 15th hole. 178 yards on a rainy windy tournament. It sat wedged on the hole for over two minutes as the flag was bent over from the wind and then dropped after the other competitor hit his shot! 

My brother hit a hole-in-one eight days later at Quilchena!

Thanks.

Steve Jung

Even after appearing in 42 majors – and winning two – Brooke Henderson is still learning how to balance the pressure and opportunity of playing in the biggest tournaments of the women’s golf season.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., is the highest ranked Canadian at this week’s Chevron Championship, the first major of the LPGA Tour season. The 25-year-old Henderson said that she tries to stick to her usual preparation routines while being mindful of playing on some of the biggest stages in women’s golf.

“Everyone has these weeks circled on their calendar and they’re trying to peak for these events, but at the same time, you can’t go too far outside of what you’re comfortable with and what you’re used to,” said Henderson, while seeking shelter from the rain at The Club at Carlton Woods. “We play almost every week out here on tour, so we know what works and what doesn’t.

“I think sometimes you can put a little bit too much pressure on these weeks but at the same time you have to elevate.”

Henderson certainly elevated her game at majors last season, arguably having her best-ever season at the biggest five tournament’s on the women’s golf calendar, including winning The Evian Championship on July 24. She also tied for 13th at last year’s Chevron Championship, tied for 15th at the U.S. Open Women’s, tied for 16th at the Women’s PGA Championship, and tied for seventh at the Women’s British Open.

“I don’t think it will ever get old,” she said about playing in a major. “You walk in here and the atmosphere is just different. Everybody’s super excited and really focused and it’s just the next level.

“These weeks are just next level and you have to really bring your A game if you want to compete.”

Henderson will be joined by Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., in The Woodlands, Texas. It will be the 26-year-old Szeryk’s first appearance at a major as professional, having played in the U.S. Women’s Open as an amateur in 2017.

Szeryk qualified for the Chevron based on her CME Race to the Globe rankings. She’s 65th entering play this week. Like Henderson, Szeryk noticed a difference when practising on Monday.

“I was out playing and it struck me ‘I played my way into a major,”’ said Szeryk. “How exciting is that? I’m just going to enjoy every moment of it.

“We get there and there’s a player gift, they’ve got a fancy coffee bar, the food is great. I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, this is a major.”’

Despite it being a greater stage with one of the largest purses on the LPGA Tour, Szeryk said she isn’t especially intimidated.

“It is a major and it’s supposed to be this big thing but the field is also pretty similar from week to week,” she said. “Obviously, you have all of the top players, but it’s still the same people, my same friend group is out here.

“I’m just trying to not make it bigger than any other tournament.”

Although in many respects the Chevron Championship looks like any other week on the LPGA Tour, it is very different than previous editions of the same tournament.

Originally called the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner’s Circle when it was founded in 1972, the event has had several name changes but is still colloquially known as “the Dinah Shore.” Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., just outside of Palm Springs, has always hosted the event until this year. Chevron became the named sponsor last year and moved it to the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at The Club at Carlton Woods, a luxury course in The Woodlands, Texas, just outside of Houston, this year.

“It’s all bigger and better here in Houston, which is pretty cool,” said Henderson. “I think we’re all a little bit sad to lose the tradition and history that Palm Springs had like the (winner’s) leap into Poppie’s Pond and the connection with Dinah Shore.

“But so far this week, it’s been an amazing experience here in Houston. (…) I think they’re just trying to make improvements and continue to grow the women’s game.”

With an impressive list of accomplishments as an amateur, Quebec City’s Sarah-Eve Rhéaume now has her sights set on transitioning that success to the professional ranks.

Currently in her fourth year on Golf Canada’s National Team Program, the 22-year-old’s resume includes victories at the 2019 Quebec Women’s Amateur Championship, the 2021 SoCon Women’s Championship, the 2022 Glencoe Invitational, and the 2022 Ororo PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.

Rhéaume graduated from Furman University in December and is now focused on the exciting journey ahead as a professional. Given her consistent results as an amateur combined with her powerful and solid all-around game, respected golf insiders are predicting a bright future ahead.

One of them is her long-time coach, Fred Colgan, who has been working with Rhéaume since she was nine years old.

“Sarah-Eve is a pretty long player and can hit her driver between 260 and 270 yards on a regular basis; and in the last 12 months, she’s been very good in every aspect of her game,” he said about Rhéaume who also played hockey growing up but gave it up at 15 to focus solely on golf.

It’s interesting to note that Colgan also provided golf lessons to Rhéaume’s parents, Alain and Monique, and her older brother, Joel. In fact, he was giving lessons to Rhéaume’s mom when she was 38 months pregnant with the long time National Team member.

“Sarah-Eve has been improving in every aspect of her game year after year and she’s got the talent and motivation to make it onto the LPGA Tour,” Colgan added confidently.

National Team women’s head coach, Salimah Mussani, is also optimistic about Rhéaume’s chances to succeed at the highest level.

“Sarah-Eve has got all the talent in the world and a great team behind her including her long-time coach Fred Colgan,” she said about the five foot eight inch amateur standout.

“One of the things we do at the National Team Program is we work with the athletes like Sarah-Eve to help them make that successful transition from amateur to professional. We help them create routines and plans to build on their good habits and to achieve their goals,” Mussani added.

Rhéaume says her time spent with Golf Canada has been a great benefit towards her overall development.

“Besides all the great resources we have access to, the program has the best players in the country coming together and we compete against each other and could push each other to another level,” she noted.

“Also all the best pro golfers in Canada have been through the program and it’s great to see their success and it gives us motivation to work even harder.”

Rhéaume’s hard work and talent led to a stellar 2022 season. Last June, she won the Glencoe Invitational and then followed that up by winning the Ororo PGA Women’s Canada Championship shortly after.

Having competed against her at the Ororo PGA Women’s Canada Championship in Bromont, Quebec last summer, Rebecca Lee-Bentham, a former LPGA Tour player and also the 2019 PGA Women’s Canada Champion, sees a bright future ahead for Rhéaume.

“Sarah-Eve is athletic and talented from what I’ve seen and she’s definitely got the potential to be successful as a professional,” said Lee-Bentham.

After her triumph in Bromont, Quebec, Rhéaume earned an exemption into the 2022 CP Women’s Open.

“It was my first LPGA tournament. It was in Ottawa and it was just a great atmosphere as it was in Brooke Henderson’s home town. It was also not too far from Quebec City so my parents and a couple of friends came also,” she recalled.

“I missed playing the weekend by one shot, but still it was a great experience and a super fun week. I got to meet a lot of girls that I watched on TV and got to see what it’s like to play on the LPGA Tour.”

Having caddied for his long-time student on the second day of the CP Women’s Open, Colgan clearly remembers Rhéaume’s strong second round, where she shot 69.

“On the back nine we had some really good looks at birdie but didn’t make any of them. One or two more putts and she would have played on Saturday and Sunday which would have been awesome,” he noted. “Still, it was a good performance and gave her a lot of confidence and motivation.”

The experience at the CP Women’s Open definitely has given Rhéaume confidence that she could hold her own against the best of the best. And with the support of Golf Canada along with a solid team behind her, the 22-year-old Canadian is eager to reach her full potential on the golf course.

“I have been playing pretty well the last 12 months. I feel pretty confident about my ball striking and so when I get my putter going I could put up some strong results,” said Rhéaume, who has partial status on the Epson Tour this year.

“My goal is to work hard and be able to play on the LPGA Tour one day and also represent Canada in the Olympics.”

Canadians Dayton Price & Hayden Underhill were survivors of a horrific car crash in Texas that took nine lives, including seven members of the University of the Southwest golf team they were part of.

Here’s the story of their accident and how the game they love is helping them heal.

April 4, 2023 – Golf Canada and Hilton have announced the renewal of their multi-year integrated partnership with Hilton as the official hotel partner for the National Sport Federation and its members. 

Golf Canada is proud to have Hilton’s continued support of Canada’s signature National Open Golf Championships – the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open as well as a new integrated partnership with Team Canada. Through this new partnership, Hilton will be featured prominently on Team Canada athlete uniforms and will be the official hotel partner for Golf Canada’s National Team Program, Canadian Amateur Golf Championships presented by BDO and the World Junior Girls Championship presented by Sargent Farms. 

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Golf Canada as Official Hotel Partner and look forward to building on our relationship with their sponsorship of Team Canada,” said Jennifer White Hilton’s Director of Destination Marketing for US and Canada. “Golf is becoming an increasingly popular sport in Canada, and we look forward to welcoming Golf Canada members, fans, and players from all around the world to stay with us and experience our signature Hilton hospitality.”  

Hilton is deeply engaged, and we are pleased to continue to expand their commitment to Canadian golf across so many areas of our organization, specifically on Team Canada,” said Craig Sharp, Golf Canada Senior Director, Partnerships. “Their new commitment to the development of the team will no doubt have a lasting effect as we work towards our goal of 30 Canadian players of the LPGA and PGA Tours by 2032.  Our robust partnership has a premium touchpoint with so many levels of Canadian golf and its exciting for our members across Canada to continue accessing a meaningful suite of travel and lifestyle benefits.”

Your League Levelled Up!

(April 3, 2023) – Golf Canada has announced the launch of The National Golf League (NGL), a nationwide network of existing recreational golf leagues designed to enhance the league experience for participants and generate charitable support for First Tee – Canada.

Built for golfers of all skill levels, the National Golf League will feature a six-week regular season that takes place within existing recreational league play during the summer. A series of regional playoff tournaments across Canada will take place in the fall at premium golf courses. The National Golf League will culminate with the NGL National Championship at Hamilton Golf and Country Club as part of the 2024 RBC Canadian Open tournament week celebration.

The National Golf League will also contribute to the development of a more sustainable and inclusive future for the sport by supporting a charitable component through First Tee – Canada. First Tee is a youth development program that provides accessible pathways to golf participation at schools, community centres, and golf courses across the country.

“League play is one of the most popular ways that Canadians engage with golf. The National Golf League will build on the fun that league golfers already have by supplementing and levelling up existing leagues through a national platform for regular season play and an exciting and unique playoff format,” said Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer, Kevin Blue. “The National Golf League will also provide important charitable support to First Tee – Canada, a program that creates youth participation opportunities for the next generation of recreational golfers.”

National Golf League competitions will utilize an official Golf Canada Handicap applied towards a net Stableford scoring system that allows golfers to earn points for the net score they record on each hole.

Regular season NGL competition will take place over nine holes during six weeks of identified league play called “NGL Majors” that are integrated into existing league play and scheduled at the convenience of the local league operator. A golfer’s best four net Stableford point totals of the six NGL Majors will count towards their season-long points total on the NGL leaderboard.

A portion of the top regular season finishers in each participating league will qualify for the NGL Regional Playoffs, which will take place at premium courses across Canada. Qualifying golfers will select a guest teammate who also played in their regular season league and participate as a team of two in a best-ball net Stableford competition over 18 holes. Successful teams in the NGL Regional Playoffs will earn an all-expenses-paid trip to the NGL National Championship.

The NGL is open to recreational golf leagues played at both private and public courses. Participants must be Golf Canada members to ensure an official handicap is used. There is no registration fee for golfers or leagues to join the National Golf League. Participants will be asked to support First Tee – Canada in their home province by way of donation.

The size of the National Golf League will be limited in its launch year to ensure a positive experience for players and league operators. A limited number of spots remain for leagues to join the National Golf League in 2023—interested league operators should contact Ryan Logan (rlogan@golfcanada.ca) to express interest before April 15. For more information visit NationalGolfLeague.ca.

SAN ANTONIO – When Corey Conners won the Valero Texas Open in 2019 he got a pair of cowboy boots instead of a trophy.

Sometimes, especially during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, he would wear them around his Florida home.

Conners now has some footwear options after winning the Texas Open for the second time in five years on Sunday, closing with a 4-under 68 for a one-stroke victory over rookie Sam Stevens.

“I get a brown pair for winning the second time so at least I don’t have two black pairs,” said Conners with a laugh. “Maybe I’ll just switch it up and wear the brown pair around.”

Also the 2019 winner, Conners had a 15-under 273 total on TPC San Antonio’s Oaks Course. The 31-year-old from Listowel, Ont., now heads to the Masters, where he tied for sixth last year for his second straight top-10 finish at Augusta National.

He said that the two wins in San Antonio played out very differently for him.

“Today, I was definitely more in control. I feel like I made some mistakes in 2019,” said Conners after a bogey-free final round. “I also made a lot of really good shots in an up and down roller-coaster round in 2019.

“Today was a little more steady. Part of my plan was to be as steady as I could. Just get in play. Give myself lots of looks.”

Conners joins Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., as Canadians who have won on the PGA Tour this season.

It’s expected that Conners will move up to No. 18 on the FedEx Cup standings when they’re updated Monday.

Those three will all be at the Masters, joining Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., making it the first time that four Canadians are playing in the Masters, the first major of the men’s golf season.

“It’s really exciting,” said Conners, who represented Canada at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics with Hughes. “Excited to get a (practice round) with Mack and the other guys on Tuesday. We’ve all been playing great.”

A shot behind Patrick Rodgers starting play, Conners had a three-shot lead after he birdied No. 15. Stevens eagled the 17th, but missed a nine-foot birdie putt at 18 that would have tied it. Connors ended it with a three-foot par putt on 18.

Stevens shot a 66. Sam Ryder (66) and Matt Kuchar (68) followed at 13-under.

Rodgers saw a chance for his first tour victory and first Masters spot slip away. He shot a 73 to finish fifth at 11-under.

Conner’s best finish since hoisting the 2019 Texas Open trophy was a third-place effort at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last year.

Conners led after the first round with a 64 when the weather-delayed opening 18 finished Friday. But his second-round 72 dropped him three behind Rodgers after 36 holes, which Conners cut to a stroke with his third-round 69.

Stevens was third last week at the PGA Tour’s stop in the Dominican Republic.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Canada’s Monet Chun has made the cut at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

The 22-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., is tied for sixth at 2-under par after two rounds.

Rose Zhang of the United States fired a blistering 7-under round at the storied golf course to sit atop the leaderboard at 13 under.

Chun’s the first Canadian to make the cut at the event.

Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., missed the cut at the inaugural tournament in 2019 and again in 2021.

Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., missed the cut last year.

The opening 36 holes were held over two days on the Island and Bluff nines at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.

The entire field will then play Augusta National for an official practice round on Friday, followed by the final round featuring the top 30 competitors who made the cut.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement to join Abuse-Free Sport, the new independent program to prevent and address maltreatment in sport.

Golf Canada will initially adopt Abuse-Free Sport specifically for Team Canada athletes, athlete support personnel, and staff. Other participants will continue to report Safe Sport concerns through ITP Sport, the independent third-party reporting service that is used by Golf Canada.

Team Canada stakeholders will have access to the services of the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), which serves as the central hub of Abuse-Free Sport, following a transition period which will end no later than June 30, 2023.

“Golf Canada remains fully committed to Safe Sport and supports the creation of a national oversight mechanism. As part of that commitment, we’re pleased to sign on to Abuse-Free Sport and to soon have the OSIC to administer Safe Sport reporting and review processes for our national team athletes, support personnel, and staff,” said Laura Wilson, Golf Canada’s Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Safe Sport.

Golf Canada is in the final stages of updating its internal policies to reflect the most recent version of the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS), which it must do before operationally implementing the Abuse-Free Sport program.

Prior to June 30, 2023 all participants who have experienced or witnessed abuse will continue to have access to independent third-party services through ITP Sport by using the phone number and links at the bottom of Golf Canada’s Safe Sport website.

GOLF CANADA’S COMMITMENT TO SAFE SPORT

Golf Canada is fully aligned with the important work of Sport Canada and recognizes our obligation and responsibility to protect the health, safety and physical and mental well-being of athletes, staff, volunteers, and other participants involved in our sport. The organization recognizes that Safe Sport is everyone’s responsibility and has taken important steps to foster safer environments in golf including:  preventative education through the Respect Group; enhanced screening practices for all employees and volunteers; a full suite of Safe Sport Policies including the adoption of the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport; and an Independent Third Party to manage the intake of complaints and determine the appropriate manner and forum to address the allegations. All golf enthusiasts deserve to participate and compete in an environment free from harassment, abuse, or discrimination, regardless of gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, religion, language, age, and ability. Golf Canada takes any situation involving misconduct or maltreatment very seriously. We are committed to enacting and enforcing strong, clear, and effective policies and processes so anyone participating in golf can do so within a culture of inclusivity and respect. 

An impressive season of amateur golf has taken Canada’s Monet Chun to one of the most storied courses in the world.

Chun, from Richmond Hill, Ont., teed off at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur on Wednesday, the lone Canadian entry in the third edition of the tournament. She earned her way into the field after being a medallist as part of Michigan’s championship team at the 2022 Big Ten Women’s golf tournament and winning that year’s Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship.

“I do think everything just kind of came together as steps and one led to the other,” said Chun as she travelled to Augusta, Ga. “The U.S. Am and then the CP Women’s Open all came after winning the Canadian Am and the Canadian Am came after the Big 10 win.

“So everything came step by step, but it definitely does feel like the Augusta invitation came after my whole season last year.”

Chun’s Canadian Am win granted her first-ever CP Women’s Open appearance at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club last August.

Her impressive 2022 also included being a runner-up at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, a ninth-place finish at the ANNIKA Intercollegiate, reaching the Round of 16 at the North & South Women’s Amateur and a tie for fifth at the Women’s Orlando International Amateur.

All those accomplishments contributed to her invitation to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, which Davidstarted in 2019. The 22-year-old Chun said that playing in the relatively new tournament quickly became a goal of hers once it was established.

“Going out and representing Canada in the first couple of years of the tournament is such a huge responsibility and just a huge opportunity for myself,” said Chun.

Her sister Adele is serving as her caddy at Augusta and Golf Canada’s head women’s coach Salimah Mussani is also at the course. Chun’s keeping her goals simple despite the magnitude of the event.