Golf Canada is pleased to announce the six athletes – three female and three male – who have been selected to the 2015 Team Canada Young Pro Squad for the program’s second year of operation.

Comprising the team for 2015 is: Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.); Rebecca Lee-Bentham (Toronto); Sue Kim (Langley, B.C.); Albin Choi (Toronto); Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.) and Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.).

Developed in partnership with the PGA of Canada and supported by founding partner Canadian Pacific, as well as supporting partners Citi Canada and the Golf Canada Foundation Women’s Fund, the Young Pro Squad program bridges the gap for top graduating amateurs transitioning into professional golf.

“We are very proud of the Team Canada Young Pro Squad initiative,” said Scott Simmons, Golf Canada’s Chief Executive Officer. “We’re well ahead of where we were just a couple years ago in terms of helping to make the transition from elite amateur to the professional ranks as seamless and successful as possible.”

Headlining the female contingent is Team Canada National Amateur Team graduate Brooke Henderson. The 17-year-old declared herself as a professional golfer in conjunction with signing on with IMG as her management group in December of 2014.

In September 2014, Henderson made history by becoming the first Canadian to occupy the world’s No. 1 spot on the Women’s World Amateur Ranking. Henderson earned spots in the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2015 ANA Inspiration Championship (formerly the Kraft Nabisco Championship) as a result of her tie for 10th at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open. In addition, Henderson is able to accept up to a maximum of six LPGA sponsor exemptions and is also eligible for Monday qualifiers.

“It’s been an unbelievable journey the past few years and now I’m excited for what lies ahead as a professional,” said Henderson, who won her first event as a professional (Suncoast Series Tour) and this past week qualified for the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic where she finished T-33. “I’ve been fortunate to be a part of the National Team program during my amateur career and now I’m proud to continue representing Team Canada as a pro.”

Joining Henderson are two returning members of the Team Canada Young Pro Squad – Rebecca Lee-Bentham and Sue Kim. Both Lee-Bentham and Kim are also graduates of Team Canada’s National Amateur Team and maintain conditional status on the LPGA Tour for the 2015 season.

Lee-Bentham, 22, was the second-highest earning Canadian on the LPGA Tour last season. She played 18 events on tour, highlighted by a tie for 12th at the Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning & O-I. She earned conditional status on the LPGA Tour in 2015 by finishing inside the top 125 on the LPGA Tour’s Race to the CME Globe.

“I’m grateful to be back with a program that is undoubtedly working and continues to be dedicated to developing players,” said Lee-Bentham. “Golf Canada has been with me for most of my golfing career and I am honoured to represent Canada each week on the LPGA Tour.”

Sue Kim, 23, finished as No. 120 on the LPGA Tour’s Race to the CME Globe to earn conditional status for 2015. Her best finish, a tie for 35th, came at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic.

“The ongoing support from Golf Canada is a huge boost for me and my goals to improve my game and results on Tour,” added Kim. “I’m thankful to Head Coach Tristan (Mullally) and the rest of the support staff and really excited for what the future holds.”

Mackenzie Hughes and Albin Choi return as members of the Team Canada Young Pro Men’s Squad. They will be joined by newly turned professional Taylor Pendrith.

All three athletes will attend PGA TOUR Canada qualifying school in April with hopes of earning full status. Hughes, 24, is a two-time former Canadian Amateur champion. This year he hopes to repeat the success he had in 2013, when he captured the No. 1 spot on PGA TOUR Canada’s Order of Merit.

“I’m thrilled to be back on the Young Pro squad and getting the support from those who share a passion for helping me become better,” said Hughes. “The program is a huge deal; it’s helped me to focus on my goal of being successful at the highest level.”

Choi, 22, is also a former Canadian Amateur champion. His 2014 season on the Web.com Tour was highlighted by four top-30 finishes and a tie for 19th at the United Leasing Championship presented by TPI.

“Being with the Team Canada program for seven years now, it almost feels like a family,” said Choi. “Derek (Ingram), the coaching staff, and the other members of the squad are all so supportive of each other. Having that backing is a huge lift for the many challenges of competing professionally.”

Pendrith, 23, will look to hit the ground running after a successful amateur career which included winning the prestigious Monroe Invitational in 2014, as well as earning the Gary Cowan trophy (low amateur honours) at the 2014 RBC Canadian Open.

“This is a big honour for me,” said Pendrith. “I have high goals and aspirations for my career and I couldn’t think of a better team to support me in my journey. The National Team program has done a lot for my amateur career and I’m excited to transition that success over to the professional ranks.”

Men’s National Squad coach Derek Ingram and Women’s National Team coach Tristan Mullally will provide coaching to their respective Young Pro players. In addition to funding as part of the program, the athletes will have access to Team Canada’s sport science staff which includes Psychologist Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood, Nutritionist Nicole Springle and Physiotherapist & Strength Coach Greg Redman.

“I’m excited to see these young athletes take the next stops as professional golfers,” said Gary Bernard, Chief Executive Officer of the PGA of Canada. “Golf Canada has shown great commitment in collaborating with the PGA of Canada in our world class teaching and coaching certification programs.”

Golf Canada’s ability to offer this program is due in large part to a focused fundraising effort on the part of the Golf Canada Foundation.

“Now in its second year, the board of the Golf Canada Foundation is excited to continue supporting these young athletes in their pursuit of golfing excellence,” said Golf Canada Foundation Chief Executive Officer Martin Barnard. “We are very proud to be behind this program and look forward to the future success of the Young Pro Squad.”

Throughout the season, Golf Canada will closely monitor the performance of elite Canadian amateurs transitioning to professional golf with the possibility of program expansion.

Click here for Team Canada player bios.

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – South Korean rookie Sei Young Kim won the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title, holing an 8-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff with countrywoman Sun Young Yoo and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn.

“Just before the last putt I was super nervous, but I was fine,” Kim said.

The 22-year-old Kim shot a 1-under 72 in the completion of the delayed third round and closed with a 68 to match Yoo and Jutanugarn at 14-under 278 on Atlantis Resort’s Ocean Club course.

“It’s definitely a dream,” Kim said. “I’m really happy. Since 10 years ago, it’s what I’ve dreamed of.”

Kim birdied the par-5 18th in regulation, chipping from the front greenside rough to 3 feet – to earn the last spot in the playoff. She won on the hole a few minutes later.

A five-time winner on the Korea LPGA, Kim tied for sixth at the LPGA Tour’s Q-school to earn a card. She played in four playoffs on the KLPGA, winning four of them.

“I joined the LPGA in hopes of making the Korean Olympics team,” Kim said. “This is one step toward that. So, this means a lot to me.”

She’s projected to move from No. 40 to No. 23 in the world. Q Baek is currently the fourth and final South Korean player in the Olympic rankings at No. 11.

Yoo finished with rounds of 69 and 70, and Jutanugarn shot 70-69.

Brittany Lincicome was third at 13 under after rounds of 68 and 70.

Lydia Ko tied for seventh at 11 under in her first event as the No. 1 player in the world. She shot 70-68.

Second-ranked Inbee Park had a chance to take the top spot back from Ko, but closed with a 72 to tie for fifth at 12 under.

“I saw the news or like the projections and how it would change, but I didn’t really think about it,” Ko said. “To me, it was more important trying to make a lot of good putts and a lot of good birdies.”

Play was delayed Thursday because of rain and slowed Friday by high wind.

Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Brooke Henderson carded a final-round 72 for a share of 33rd. The Smiths Fall, Ont. native earned just shy of $9,000 (U.S.) in her first LPGA start as a professional.

TORONTO — RBC deepened its commitment to Canadian golf with the addition of three of Canada’s next generation of golfers – Smiths Falls, Ont. native Brooke Henderson, and Abbotsford, B.C., natives Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin – to Team RBC, strengthening its impressive roster of touring professionals.

With promising careers ahead of them, all three golfers embody the spirit of determination and hard work that will inspire the next generation of fans. This announcement further demonstrates RBC’s support of Canadian golf talent poised to make their mark on the world stage.

Henderson, a member of Team Canada’s Young Pro Squad, joined the professional ranks last month after an impressive amateur career that saw her become the first Canadian ever sit number-one on the women’s World Amateur Ranking. Both Hadwin and Taylor also represented Team Canada earlier in their careers. RBC is a long-standing sponsor of Golf Canada’s National Team program.

“We are thrilled to add Brooke, Adam and Nick to Team RBC,” said Jane Broderick, chief brand and communications officer, RBC. “We are proud of our record of supporting golf at the grassroots level in Canada, through our partnership with Golf Canada and the National High Performance Team. It’s gratifying to see players like them rise through the ranks and make it to the highest levels of competition – we can’t wait to see how their careers develop.”

The 17-year-old Brooke Henderson vaulted to the top of the world amateur rankings with six tournament wins in 2014, a runner-up finish at the U.S. Women’s Amateur, and low amateur honours with a T-10 finish in the U.S. Women’s Open. Henderson also claimed low amateur honours at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and led Canada to a runner-up finish at the Women’s World Amateur, where she placed as low individual. Currently the highest ranked Canadian female golfer in the world, she was voted Female Amateur of the Year by the Golf Journalists Association of Canada, for the third year in a row. Brooke makes her LPGA professional debut this week at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic.

“I’m excited to grow my partnership with one of Canada’s top brands,” said Brooke Henderson. “I’ve been fortunate to have received support from RBC for several years through their ongoing assistance of Golf Canada’s development program, but to now have an official relationship with RBC is very exciting and I look forward to working closely with them as I take the next step in my career.”

A former Canadian Amateur champion and the number-one ranked amateur in the world, Nick Taylor had an impressive career at the University of Washington before turning pro in 2010. He had a swift and impressive ascent to the PGA Tour from the Web.com Tour in 2014. He then became the first Canadian in five years to win a PGA Tour event at the 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship, solidifying his PGA Tour card through the 2016/17 season. ”RBC’s support of golf, particularly in Canada, is widely noticed and greatly appreciated by the players,” stated Nick Taylor.

“I am proud to join the impressive group of individuals who have had the privilege of representing the RBC brand on the PGA Tour.”

Adam Hadwin won twice on the Web.com Tour, finished first on the Tour’s money list, and earned full status for the PGA Tour in 2014-15. A graduate of PGA Tour Canada, Hadwin has been a rising star in Canadian golf since finishing T-4 at the 2011 RBC Canadian Open. He was named the 2014 Male Professional of the Year by the Golf Journalists Association of Canada, narrowly beating fellow Team RBCers Graham DeLaet and Nick Taylor. “It’s an honour to represent RBC along with some of the world’s most iconic players,” said Adam Hadwin. “I’ve admired many of these guys for years, so having this connection with them in addition to the opportunity to compete against them week to week is an exciting opportunity for me.”

Henderson, Hadwin and Taylor join fellow Canadians Graham DeLaet, David Hearn and Mike Weir on Team RBC, along with seven of golf’s international greats: Luke Donald, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Morgan Pressel and Brandt Snedeker. RBC is the Official Banking and Financial Services provider to all Team RBC members. As well, they participate in marketing initiatives for RBC, and act as ambassadors for the brand. When they aren’t playing in tournaments, they often participate in a variety of functions as RBC ambassadors. These include employee events and charitable initiatives that support RBC’s commitment to kids and youth.

In 2014 this was highlighted by a social media campaign, #RBCGolf4Kids that raised awareness and $312,000 for children charities around the world.

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -A pair of Team Canada Pro Squad members have Monday-qualified for this week’s Puresilk Bahamas LPGA Classic.

Smiths Falls, Ont. teenager Brooke Henderson carded a 69 to earn qualifying medalist honours and a spot in her first LPGA Tour event as a professional.

Another Team Canada Pro Squad member, Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto, finished a shot back with a 70 to grab the other qualifying spot.

Hamilton, Ont.’s Alena Sharp is also in the field in Bahamas.

The opening-round of the Bahamas event takes place at Atlantis’ Ocean Club Course Thursday.

Henderson turned professional late last year after becoming the first Canadian female to hold the No. 1 spot on the World Amateur Golf Rankings. She just missed out on qualifying for the LPGA’s season-opener in Florida, finishing in a tie for third in the qualifier. Only the top two earned spots.

Instead of playing on the LPGA Tour last week, Henderson played a SunCoast Ladies Tour event in Winter Garden, Fla. She won the event and cashed a $2,200 cheque – her first as a pro.

Unlike Lee-Bentham who has conditional status on the LPGA Tour, Henderson does not have a regular tour to compete on. She is able to accept six LPGA sponsor’s exemptions and also qualifies for the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open in Pennsylvania by virtue of her top-10 finish last year.

Henderson also will try to Monday qualify for events, as she did this week.

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – Smiths Falls, Ont.’s Brooke Henderson earned her first pro victory by outlasting sister Brittany to claim the year’s first Suncoast Series Tour event.

The 17-year-old Team Canada Young Pro Squad Member, who turned pro in December, sank a 10 foot birdie putt on the final hole of the championship for a 69 – the lowest round posted over the course of three days – giving her a single-shot win over her elder sister.

Maria Hjorth of Sweden, a five-time winner on the LPGA Tour, finished third.

Brooke, who previously won three professional titles as an amateur, collected just over $2,000 for the win.

Nicole Vandermade of Brantford, Ont., the only other Canadian in the field, finished with a share of sixth after a final round 73.

Brooke, with sister Brittany on her bag, will now attempt to Monday qualify for the Bahamas LPGA Classic at the Ocean Club. Other Canadians in the field include SooBin Kim of Coquitlam, B.C., Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont. and Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto.

Henderson narrowly missed qualifying for this week’s LPGA Tour opener by two strokes in the qualifying event last Monday.

TORONTO – The Golf Journalists Association of Canada [GJAC] has announced Adam Hadwin, Alena Sharp, Corey Conners and Brooke Henderson are the 2014 Players of the Year as voted by GJAC members across the country.

“We at GJAC are delighted to honour this remarkable foursome, and the runners up who in other years could have won handily,” said Hal Quinn, GJAC President. “The skill levels and accomplishments of the winners and all the nominees heralds a new and very promising era in Canadian golf.”

Adam Hadwin was named the Male Professional of the Year in a tight vote with Graham DeLaet and Nick Taylor. Hadwin won twice on the Web.com Tour, finished first on the Tour’s money list, and earned full status for the PGA Tour in 2014-15. He already has one top-10 finish this season. DeLaet, who earned over $2.6 million on the PGA Tour in 2014, is Canada’s highest-ranked pro golfer, while Taylor became the first Canadian in five years to win on the PGA Tour.

Alena Sharp was named the Female Professional of the Year for the second time in the past four years. Sharp had two top-20 finishes on the LPGA Tour in 2014 and was Canada’s highest-ranked female professional golfer, prior to Brooke Henderson turning professional in December.

Henderson was voted Female Amateur of the Year for the third year in a row. The 17-year-old vaulted to the top of the world amateur rankings with six tournament wins in 2014. Henderson was runner-up at the U.S. Women’s Amateur, and was low amateur with a T-10 finish in the U.S. Women’s Open.

Corey Conners is another repeat winner as Male Amateur of the Year for the second year in a row. Conners, a member of Canada’s national team, finished second at the U.S. Amateur earning a chance to participate in the 2015 Masters Tournament and the U.S. Open. Conners won three NCAA Division I individual titles in his graduating year from Kent St. University, and is Canada’s highest-ranked male amateur golfer.

TORONTO — Brooke Henderson, the No. 1 ranked female amateur golfer in the world, has turned professional and signed with IMG for worldwide management and marketing representation.

A native of Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada, Henderson was assisted by her hometown Ottawa Senators hockey team in making today’s announcement.

Henderson has signed with PING and will continue to be supported by Golf Canada’s Young Pro program.

“I am really excited to begin my professional career in 2015 and proud to represent Canada along the way,” said Henderson. “I realize what a big step it is to play professionally and I think IMG and their partners at WME give me a competitive advantage on a global level.”

The 17-year-old was an integral member of Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad for the past three years. She won the individual title at the 2014 Women’s World Amateur Team Championship and led Canada to a silver medal. As a 16-year-old, she was runner-up at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur and tied for 10^th at the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

She boasts more than 50 victories as an amateur and has also won three professional tournaments including two Canadian Women’s Tour events and the 2014 PGA of Canada Women’s Championship. Henderson’s Canadian Women’s Tour victory in 2012 at the age of 14 years, 9 months and 3 days made her the youngest player (male or female) ever to win a professional golf event.

Guy Kinnings, Global Head of Golf at IMG, commented, “Brooke’s tremendous talent on the golf course is exceeded only by her positive and engaging personality. We are delighted to help Brooke make the transition into professional golf and very much look forward to helping her achieve all of her goals both inside and outside the ropes.”

Henderson joins former No. 1 amateurs Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee as recent IMG signees. Ko most recently earned 2014 LPGA Rolex Rookie of the Year honors, while Lee was co-medalist at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament earlier this month.

“Through outstanding competitive results and a commitment to excellence, Brooke has proven herself to be a special talent, demonstrating all of the necessary characteristics to make a successful transition to the professional golfing ranks,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “She has been a huge part of the Team Canada program which is designed to challenge our top athletes through exposure to the highest levels of training and competition. We are proud to have played a role in her development and will continue to support her in this next exciting stage of her career.”

Following today’s announcement, Henderson is now the top-ranked Canadian professional.

Brooke Henderson’s standout season on the golf course has her in the running to be named the 2014 Ontario Athlete of the Year.

If the Team Canada member and Smiths Falls, Ont. native is successful in receiving the Syl Apps Award, she will become only the second golfer to receive the honour and the youngest award winner in its 16-year history. The only other golfer to earn the honour is Mike Weir, who received the award in 1999, 2000 and 2003.

Henderson is up against some stiff competition, including Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors, Russel Martin of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays, Milos Raonic (tennis) Patrick Husbands (horse racing) and Cory Perry of the Anaheim Ducks.

Voting for the award is conducted annually by the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Those eligible to vote include Ontario-based sports writers, broadcasters/personalities with at least 10-years covering sports in this province, members of the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors and the Hall’s Advisory Board.

To be eligible for the award, athletes must be born in Ontario or play for an Ontario-based team.  They also must have made an outstanding and memorable contribution to Ontario sport during the previous calendar year.

The public is encouraged to vote for their favourite athlete online. The voting widget is located on the left side of the home page and will be available until December 5, 2014.

Markham, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Team USA got out to an early lead and never let it go, finishing with a team-total score of 17-under par 559 for the wire-to-wire victory at the inaugural World Junior Girls Golf Championship at Angus Glen Golf Club (South Course) in Markham, Ont.

The Americans (137-141-137-144—559) began Wednesday’s final round with a commanding 16-shot lead and went on to shoot a team-total, even-par 144 to capture top spot on the medal podium.

Team USA counted matching rounds of even-par 72 by 16-year old Megan Khang (67-73-70-72—282) and 15-year old Angel Yin (73-72-73-72—290) while 15-year old Mika Liu (70-69-67-73—279), who finished as individual gold medalist, rounded out the scoring with a round of 1-over 73.

For Team USA non-playing captain Courtney Myhrum, the victory capped a special week that left her beaming with pride for her young squad.

“They’re my dream team, it’s been wonderful it’s been a great week and a real team effort; I couldn’t be more proud of the three of them, the way they conducted themselves on the course and off the course,” said Myhrum. “Go play and have fun, there is really not much else I can say to these three. They had great course management and are really easy to captain because they know how to get around the golf course – they didn’t really need me this week.”

Sweden, which began the day tied for fifth, five shots back of a podium placing, vaulted into the silver medal by counting the low team-total of the final round – 5-under par 139. Leading the way for the Swedes was 18-year old Emma Svensson (76-70-72-67—285) who counted the low round of the day on the South Course at Angus Glen, a sizzling 5-under 67. Seventeen year old Filippa Mork (81-75-77-72—305) saved her best round – even-par 72 – for the final day to count the second score while 18-year old Michaela Finn (74-72-72-75—295) rounded out the scoring for Sweden.

Team Canada (144-146-141-149—580) was looking to build on their team-best score from Tuesday but it wasn’t meant to be as the host country shot a final-round, team-total 5-over 149 to claim the bronze medal. The Canucks counted final-round scores of even-par 72 by Brooke Henderson (17) of Smiths Falls, Ont. (70-73-71-72—286) and 5-over 77 by Grace St-Germain (16) of Ottawa (74-73-78-77—302) while teammate Naomi Ko (17) of Victoria (77-79-70-81—307) completed the scoring with a non-counting 81.

Rounding out the top-five in the team competition at the inaugural World Junior Girls Team Championship was Team Denmark (149-143-141-150—583) in fourth at 7-over 583 followed by Spain in fifth (147-146-142-152—587) at 11-over 587.

Canada’s second team in the competition comprised of Jaclyn Lee (17) of Calgary (72-77-75-75—299), Selena Costabile (16) of Thornhill, Ont. (78-74-74-76—302) and Alisha Lau (14) of Richmond, B.C. (83-80-75-74—312) shot a final-round, team-total 5-over 149 (150-151-149-149—599) to finish tied for 13^th position.

In the individual competition, 15-year old American standout Mika Liu (70-69-67-73—279) shot a final-round, 1-over 73 to win the gold medal by three shots over her USA teammate Megan Khang (67-73-70-72—282). Liu came into Wednesday’s final round with a four-shot lead over Khang and was more excited to contribute to the team victory than capturing individual gold.

“Yes, I am extremely happy that my team won first and that I did too – it is a total celebration,” said Liu, the no. 48 ranked player on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. “To be able to share the podium with my teammates who were out there on the course with me and my captain and manager makes me extremely happy and proud because we came here together and we are able to leave as champions together.”

Sweden’s Emma Svensson (76-70-72-67—285) saved her best play for the final round, firing a 5-under 67 and tournament-total 3-under 285 to edge out Canada’s Brooke Henderson (70-73-71-72—286) by a single stroke and capture the bronze medal. Team USA’s Angela Yin Angel Yin (73-72-73-72—290) and Ireland’s Olivia Mehaffey (77-67-74-72—290) tied for fifth at 2-over for the tournament.

Click here for full scoring.