The golf course continues to be a classroom for Brigitte Thibault and Brooke Rivers, two of Canada’s up-and-coming players.

Thibault and Rivers were two of the 20 players named to Golf Canada’s men’s and women’s teams last week. Both of them are growing on the second-tier Epson Tour and will play in this week’s IOA Golf Classic. 

The 27-year-old Thibault, who turned pro in 2022, said that if she could give her younger self advice, it would be to trust her own judgement.

“This game is really about knowing yourself and being comfortable with yourself because you get tossed into a pool of competition, which is fine, because it drives the game, but it’s also just a game,” said Thibault on Wednesday. “If you can really dial in who you are, how you want to go about it, and really kind of protect that I would have told myself, maybe to invest more in the relationship with myself first, instead of pleasing a lot of people around me.

“There’s no regrets on that, and I’m very open minded, and I love to kind of be a sponge and learn and be open to new ideas but there’s also a part of me that has to follow my gut and what I feel inside, and see if I feel like it is aligned with what I’m feeling or not.”

The 20-year-old Rivers, entering just her second season as a pro, said that figuring out the logistics of her job was one of the biggest lessons of her rookie season.

“I definitely have to learn how to manage my travel, what works for me and what doesn’t work for me, whether I like to practice in the mornings or the afternoons, when do I get a good workout in?” said Rivers. “Just how to really lay out my week to set me up for the best possible golf on the weekend.

“I just learned how to be a better pro golfer, how to practice better, how to play the pro-ams better and make connections where I need to. I just really learned on what works for me and what helps me play the best golf that I can play.”

Thibault, from Rosemere, Que., made the cut in five of her 12 Epson Tour starts last year after a serious head injury in December 2024 derailed her off-season preparation. Her best round was a 67 and her best finish was a tie for 31st at the Four Winds Invitational on Aug. 1.

“I’d say my biggest goal, especially this these next few months, is really building my own recipe of what’s efficient to me,” said Thibault. “I think the last few years, I’ve kind of explored a lot of different things and trying to find my recipe. 

“I think I’ve really touched on the right string at the beginning of this year, so I’m really dialing in, just building whatever my recipe is that creates efficient, consistent, repeatable swings more from tee to green.”

Rivers, from Brampton, Ont., made the cut 11 times in 20 starts in her rookie Epson Tour season. She had five top-10 finishes, including finishing third at the Casella Golf Championship on July 18. 

She was within range of earning an LPGA Tour card toward the end of the season as she finished in a tie for eighth at the Dream First Bank Charity Classic on Aug. 22, tied for 25th at the Guardian Championship on Sept. 12, and tied for 10th at the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout on Sept. 19. 

“It felt great to have some great finishes and to play some great golf, but I try not to be too focused on the end goal,” said Rivers. “I’m just trying to get better every day and last year I proved to myself that I can do it and I’m capable of playing at the highest level. 

“It just gives me a lot of confidence going into this year, and I just had so much fun last year, and I enjoy my life as a pro golfer. I’m excited for what’s next.”

Both missed the cut at last week’s Atlantic Beach Classic, the Epson Tour’s season opener, but are eager to start playing at Alaqua Country Club in Longwood, Fla., on Friday.

There are six Canadians in the field at the IOA Golf Classic, with Maddie Szeryk-DiBello of London, Ont., Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C., and Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., joining Thibault and Rivers.

PGA TOUR

Akshay Bhatia erased a five-stroke deficit with nine holes to play and made par on the first playoff hole to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational. It is his third PGA Tour win and all three have come in playoffs. It was also the first playoff to decide the tournament since 1999 – three years before Bhatia was even born. His victory in the $20 million signature event moves him into the top 20 in the world rankings. Daniel Berger finished atop the leaderboard after all 72 regulation holes were played but missed a seven foot par putt on the first extra hole that would have extended the playoff. He was attempting to become the first wire-to-wire winner of the event in 10 years. His second place finish comes with a British Open invitation and he’s likely to play in the Masters next month after moving into the top 40 in the world rankings. Ludvig Aberg notched his best finish on the PGA Tour after tying for third with Cameron Young, who was one of only two players to play the final round bogey free. Collin Morikawa finished fifth for his third straight top-10 result. Scottie Scheffler finished in a tie for 24th, the first time he has finished outside the top-20 since last year’s Phoenix Open.  …Corey Conners, who has a pair of third place finishes at this tournament, finished outside the top-25 for the first time in six starts. …Nick Taylor finished outside the top-30 for the first time in six worldwide starts this year. …Taylor Pendrith finished first this week in Green in Regulation, 2nd in Shots Gained: Approach to Green and was top-10 in Shots Gained: Off The Tee.

Ricky Castillo made back-to-back birdies at No. 13 to take over the lead on the way to a one-stroke victory at the Puerto Rico Open. It is his first career title in his 35th tour start. He becomes the second first-time winner this season. The win earns Castillo an invitation to the PGA Championship but not the Masters as it was played opposite the Arnold Palmer tournament, which he just missed qualifying for by 11 FedEx Cup points. Chandler Blanchet, who led the field in birdies, finished runner-up and just missed becoming only the third player in the last three seasons to win in their first made cut on tour. Eighteen-year-old Blades Brown was leading with six holes to play before a triple-bogey at No. 13 ended his chances of becoming the youngest PGA Tour winner in 95 years and the first teenager to win since Jordan Spieth in 2013. …Ben Silverman recorded his best result of the season and first top-20 finish in his last nine starts. …Adam Hadwin, playing without full status on the PGA Tour this season, picks up his second top-25 result in four starts

NEXT EVENT: THE PLAYERS Championship (Mar 12)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Corey Conners, A.J. Ewart, Mackenzie Hughes, Taylor Pendrith, Nick Taylor, Sudarshan Yellamaraju

KORN FERRY TOUR

Doc Redman made four birdies over five holes at the turn and not even a late round stumble with back-to-back bogeys over his final four holes could derail his five stroke victory at the Astara Chile Classic for his first win on the Korn Ferry Tour. His winning margin of victory is the largest on tour since a seven-stroke win by Adrien Dumont de Chassart last year. Redman is the fourth first-time winner on tour this season and moves up to No. 4 on the points list. Cooper Dossey, with his best career result, and Michael Johnson, who matches his best result on tour, both finished tied for second. Argentine amateur Segundo Oliva Pinto finished tied for fourth, becoming the first amateur to record top-10 finishes in consecutive Korn Ferry Tour events. …Drew Nesbitt snaps a streak of five missed cuts to start the year and records his best finish since winning on PGA Tour America’s last September. …Matthew Anderson records his second top-30 finish in six starts this season

NEXT EVENT: Club Car Championship (Mar 26)

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Zach Johnson recovered from an early bogey to play blemish-free golf the rest of the way to win the James Hardie Pro Football Hall of Fame Invitational by four shots, winning in his Champions Tour debut. Johnson, a two-time major winner on the PGA Tour, became eligible to play on the senior circuit two weeks ago when he turned 50. He’s the 22nd player to win his tour debut and the fourth youngest winner in tour history. It is his first win on any PGA sanctioned tour since the 2015 Open Championship. Johnson is the 24th player to win on the Korn Ferry, PGA and Champions tours. Stewart Cink and George McNeill finished tied for second. Cink was looking to win for the third straight start while McNeill has finished in the top-5 in both of his starts this season. …Stephen Ames recorded his third straight top-20 result to start the season

NEXT EVENT: Cologuard Classic (Mar 20)

EUROPEAN TOUR

Dan Bradbury withstood a chaotic finish and saved par on the final hole for a one-shot victory at the Joburg Open. It is his third European Tour win and the second time he has won this event in four years. At least four players had a chance to win the tournament over the final closing holes. Hennie Du Plessis held a three-stroke lead before a bogey-double bogey at Nos. 15 and 16 ended his hopes. He went on to finish fourth. Casey Jarvis bogeyed the penultimate hole to deny him a chance at joining Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros as the only players in tour history to win three straight events. He finished in a tie for second with Brandon Robinson Thompson, who held a one-shot lead with one hole to play, only to bogey No. 18. There were no Canadians entered in the event.

NEXT EVENT: Hainan Classic (Mar 19)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Aaron Cockerill (alternate)

LIV GOLF

Jon Rahm birdied four of his last six holes to win the LIV Golf Hong Kong event by three shots. It is his fifth career win on the Saudi-backed tour but his first in 539 days, snapping a 26-match worldwide winless streak for the Spaniard. He had finished runner-up in each of the first two tournaments this season. Thomas Detry finished runner-up while Thomas Pieters was third. Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces GC took the team title, ending a stretch of 974 days since they last won a team event. …Richard T. Lee carded his second top-20 finish in three starts this season.

NEXT EVENT:  LIV Golf Singapore (Mar. 12)

LPGA TOUR

Mi Hyang Lee rebounded from a pair of front-nine double bogeys and sank a two-foot birdie on the final hole to win the Blue Bay LPGA by a single stroke. It is her third LPGA title but first in more than eight years. Lee is the fourth different winner through four events this season. Zhang Weiwei of China appeared on track to win, but a bogey on the penultimate hole left her settling for her second career runner-up finish. Auston Kim made three birdies over her final five holes to finish in a tie for third, her second top-three result in the last two weeks. Aditi Ashok birdied the final hole to also finish tied for third. The LPGA takes a week off before returning to North America for the Founders Cup.

NEXT EVENT: Fortinet Founders Cup (Mar. 19)

CANADIANS ENTERED:  Leah John, Maude-Aimee Leblanc, Savannah Grewal (Reserve #24), Alena Sharp (Reserve #25)

LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR

Hometown favourite Kelsey Bennett made three birdies over five holes down the stretch to win the Australian Women’s Classic by four shots. It is her first career LET win, and it moves her to the top of the Order of Merit while earning an invitation to the AIG Women’s Open later this year. Bennett was one of only three players to play the final round under par as wind and rain made for challenging conditions. Meghan MacLaren, the 2022 champion, and rookie Caley McGinty finished tied for second…Anna Huang recorded her second straight top-10 finish and third of her career.

NEXT EVENT: Women’s Australia Open (Mar. 12)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Anna Huang

EPSON TOUR

Isabella Fierro carded six birdies including three over the final five holes for a four stroke victory at the Atlantic Beach Classic, the season-opening event on the Epson Tour. It is her first win and her 13-under winning score broke the previous 54-hole tournament record by five strokes. LPGA and Epson Tour veteran Maria Fassi finished in a three-way tie for second, giving Mexican players a 1-2 finish. Kaitlyn Papp-Budde and Annabelle Pancake-Webb, who birdied her last three holes, were also tied for second. For Papp-Budde, it’s her ninth career top-10 result.  …Savannah Grewal, who spent the past two years on the LPGA Tour, recorded her first career top-20 result on the Epson Tour.

NEXT EVENT:  IOA Golf Classic (Mar 13)

CANADIANS ENTERED:  Brooke Rivers, Maddie Szeryk-DiBello, Monet Chun, Megan Osland, Savannah Grewal, Brigitte Thibault, Mary Parsons (Reserve #4), Yeji Kwon (Reserve #27), Josee Doyon (Reserve #30)

Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Anna Hung and Leah John named
2025 Emerging Professional of the Year Award recipients

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golf Canada is proud to announce the names of 20 professional athletes that have been named to the 2026 men’s and women’s Team Canada squads.

Golf Canada’s National Team program aims to help more Canadian athletes achieve success on the world’s leading professional tours, including the PGA TOUR and the LPGA Tour. The Team Canada program supports a group of experienced amateurs on the pathway to playing professional golf along with a group of young professional golfers building their careers as touring pros.

The professional players will join the 34 amateur and junior players that were previously announced as part of the Team Canada program last December. With players choosing to turn professional at different points in the season, an athlete’s involvement in the Team Canada program including financial support continues during their transition from amateur to professional golf. 

2026 Team Canada Rosters:

Team Canada – Women

Team Canada – Men

“Golf Canada is proud to announce the professional athletes selected to the 2026 Team Canada Men’s and Women’s National Team Program. Many of these players achieved significant milestones and enjoyed strong seasons last year, and we look forward to supporting their continued development across all tours while providing them with the resources they need to excel in 2026,” said Paul Perrier, Chief Sport Officer, Golf Canada. “We also extend our sincere thanks to the generous donors of the Golf Canada Foundation and our corporate partners. Their ongoing support of player development is critical in equipping our athletes to train, compete, and pursue success at the highest levels. We are also grateful to the Selection Committee for their diligence and commitment to a rigorous, athlete-focused selection process.”

Team Canada Coaches…

As previously announced, the coaching staff for the men’s and women’s Team Canada squads will return in full for the 2026 season. Team Canada – Men will be led by head coach Derek Ingram (Winnipeg, Man.) and assistant coach Louis Melanson (Moncton, N.B.). The coaching staff will be supported by mental performance coach, Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood (Winnipeg, Man.) along with strength and conditioning coach Greg Redman (Kelowna, B.C.). Team Canada – Women will be led by Stollery Family Women’s head coach Salimah Mussani (Vancouver, B.C.) along with associate coach Jennifer Greggain (Vancouver, B.C.), strength and conditioning coach Andrea Kosa (Calgary, Alta.) and mental performance coach Judy Goss (Toronto, Ont.).

Team Canada coaches work with athletes and their personal support teams to develop annual training plans and identify areas to impact athlete growth in all areas of their game. Athletes are also supported by an integrated sport science team that includes physical conditioning, mental performance, and mental health support. Players are brought together regularly for training camps with national team coaches and sport science staff.

Team Canada Athletes….

The women’s professional team sees seven returning players including 17-year-old Anna Huang of Vancouver, B.C. Huang turned professional in 2025 and went on to win twice on the Ladies European Tour (LET). Her first professional win came at the La Sella Open in Spain in September, she followed that up with a win at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France the next week. Huang added two top 10’s and six top 20’s over 19 tournaments and finished 11th in the Order of Merit on LET in her rookie season. Leah John of Vancouver, B.C. also found the winner’s circle last season, claiming the Four Winds Invitational in August for her first professional win. John added two top 10 finishes in 20 starts on the Epson Tour. In December, John finished in the top 25 at LPGA Final Qualifying to earn her LPGA Tour card for 2026. Five women will be competing on the Epson Tour this year including, Brooke Rivers of Brampton, Ont. Last season, Rivers earned five top 10’s including a third place finish at the Casella Golf Championship in July on the Epson Tour. Also returning are a pair of 2025 Epson Tour rookies including Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., who earned four top 20 finishes and made the cut in 16 of 19 tournaments played last season. Along with Chun is Mary Parsons of Delta, B.C. Last season, Parsons earned two top 25 finishes in 12 events on Epson. Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont. returns to the Epson Tour after competing on the LPGA Tour last season. Grewal earned five top 50 finishes in 16 starts on the LPGA Tour. Brigitte Thibault of Rosemère, Que. will also be returning to Epson following three top 40 finishes last year. Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C. will be returning to the program for 2026. Last season, Kwon earned two top 40 finishes in 18 starts last year on Epson.

The men’s professional team sees 10 returning players from 2025 and two additional returnees from past years. Three players will compete on the Korn Ferry Tour (KFT) this season, including Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver, B.C. and Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont. Last season, Creighton earned his first Korn Ferry Tour title at the Wichita Open in June. He added another top five, a top 10 and four top 25 finishes in 25 events on Tour. This season, Creighton has earned two top 25 finishes in five events on the KFT. Macdonald earned a runner-up finish at the Tulum Championship last May and added a top five, three top 10’s and five top 25 finishes on the KFT last season. Macdonald has two additional top 25 finishes this season in five events played. Anderson collected a third place finish, a top five, two top 10’s and three top 25’s last season on KFT; he also finished T47 at the 2025 RBC Canadian Open. Five players will compete on PGA TOUR Americas including Brendan MacDougall of Calgary, Alta., Hunter Thomson of Calgary, Alta., Noah Steele of Kingston, Ont., Étienne Papineau of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. and returning member, Peyton Callens of Langton, Ont. Callens was last a junior team national team member in 2019. Also returning to the national team after two seasons is Henry Lee of Coquitlam, B.C. Lee spent the past two years competing on the Vancouver Golf Tour and won twice in 2025 while adding five runner-up finishes. Lee earned playing status for both the Korean Tour and Asian Tour for the 2026 season. Piercen Hunt of Calgary, Alta. and Brady McKinlay of Lacombe, Alta. and Johnny Travale of Hamilton, Ont. who competed on PGA TOUR Americas last season will return to the national team for 2026. Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont. and A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C. have both graduated from the Team Canada program, following their progression to the PGA TOUR this season.

For full Team Canada athlete and coach bios along with tournament results and additional information, please click here.

Team Canada is proudly supported by RBC, Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), Titleist, FootJoy, Puma, Foresight, Golf Canada Foundation and Sport Canada.

EMERGING PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR AWARD

Golf Canada Foundation is proud to announce Sudarshan Yellamaraju as the male recipient of the Emerging Professional of the Year Award, presented by Andrew Cook. The female co-recipients are Anna Huang and Leah John. 

“We are thrilled to continue the Emerging Professional awards again this year, with three deserving players getting a head start on their 2026 season with a grant to offset the many costs associated with starting your professional career,” said Martin Barnard, Chief Executive Officer, Golf Canada Foundation. “Andrew Cook has been a long-time supporter of the Foundation and golf in Canada, and his generous support is meaningful and impactful for Team Canada players again this year.”

The Emerging Professional of the Year Award is funded by a generous donation from Andrew Cook, a proud Trustee of the Golf Canada Foundation and past President of Golf Canada. Each year, the top male and female professionals receive a $10,000 grant to support their next season. Past recipients include PGA TOUR member Taylor Pendrith, current and former Korn Ferry Tour members Matthew Anderson, Myles Creighton, Stuart Macdonald, Wil Bateman, Etienne Papineau and current and former LPGA Tour members Maude‑Aimée Leblanc, Savannah Grewal and Maddie Szeryk. 

Epson Tour sophomore Leah John drained her final putt on the 18th green at South Bend Country Club to claim the first professional victory of her career. John started the week with a new personal best, posting a 9-under bogey-free 63 on Friday, making the celebratory moment even more meaningful.

Despite having a three-shot lead heading into Championship Sunday, the Canadian felt some nerves after bogeying the first hole. The 25-year-old carded four birdies on the day to hold her 36-hole lead and finish the tournament with a total of 9-under par.

“I was super excited to play with Melanie (Green) and Leo today, so I was just looking forward to the day and learning from her and her experiences, and just prioritizing joy, sticking to my game plan, and just seeing where the day takes me,” said John. “I was ready for anything that came.”

The University of Nevada graduate settled in quickly, making three birdies in a row on holes five, six, and seven, posting a 1-under 36 on her opening nine. The nerves got the best of John as she made a bogey and double-bogey to start out her back nine, but dug deep to find a birdie on 16  in her final stretch to post a 2-over 74.

Melanie Green and Jennifer Chang started the day just three shots back of John, ultimately finishing in a share of second place. Green, the winner of the Island Resort Championship presented by Delta County Chamber, put an eagle and one birdie on her card during the round but posted an even par 72 and was unable to secure her second victory.

Chang couldn’t get things to fall her way on Sunday, carding an even par 72 and a combined 8-under for the tournament. Despite not being in the final pairing, the 25-year-old made two birdies, posting an even par front side. The University of Southern California alumna, found a birdie and a bogey on her finishing nine to secure her runner-up finish.

John, a first-time Epson Tour champion, jumped 77 spots in the Race for the Card standings after receiving 500 points from her win at the Four Winds Invitational. This is John’s highest rank of the 2025 season, number 22, putting the Canadian in a good spot to climb her way into the top 15 with five tournaments remaining.

“It’s super special,” John said of the win. “I said earlier that I love golf because of the game, but I think I love it more because of the people in it. It’s just nice to have a day like this, to represent all the hard work and the communities that have helped me along the way.”

As the final week of the Northeast stretch comes to a close, the Epson Tour will enjoy a well-deserved week off before traveling to Pendleton, Oregon, for the fourth playing of the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic at Wildhorse Golf Course from August 15-17.

The leaderboard was stacked with red numbers and ties after the first round of the 14th annual Four Winds Invitational. The field of 144 athletes took advantage of the cooler temperatures and pure conditions at South Bend Country Club in round one of the final leg in the Northeast Stretch.

Kaitlyn Papp Budde was the first leader in the clubhouse of the day, posting a 5-under 67. Papp Budde started off strong, sinking four birdies on her opening nine. The Texas native settled into her round carding a 1-under 34 on the back nine to tie her low round of the 2025 Epson Tour season.

Monet Chun followed closely behind Papp Budde, tying her 5-under round of 67 to start off the morning wave. Chun made six birdies and was bogey-free until her 16th hole, breaking her record for the lowest round in her professional career. The University of Michigan alumna is finding her spark at no better venue than in rival territory of South Bend, Ind., as she looks forward to continuing a weekend of solid golf in hopes of securing the best finish of her young professional career.

Epson Tour sophomore Leah John had a number to chase by the time she teed off in the afternoon and started off strong with three consecutive birdies on holes one, two, and three. The Canadian continued her string with birdies on holes five, six, seven, and nine to shoot a 7-under 30 on her front nine.

“I had a very unexpected beginning to my round,” said John. “I made a couple of putts in the beginning, and I was like, ‘Hey, this is great.’ And then it just kept happening and sort of felt like it was out of my control a little bit, but it was pretty exciting. The girls I was playing with were super nice, so I could keep myself distracted just chatting, but it was a pretty epic day.”

John rounded the turn, making two pars before sinking a birdie putt on the par-5 12th hole. The 25-year-old settled into her back nine with five pars before hitting the green on the par-5 18 in two to finish off her round with a birdie. The University of Nevada alumna carded a bogey-free round of 63, finding herself at the top of the leaderboard and leaving round one having tied the 18-hole tournament record along with her new career low round.

“I think that’s the coolest part about golf, it’s about playing against yourself and the golf course, so you’re always striving for more,” said John. “It’s just hard. You never really see yourself as good or a record person, so it’ll be just a nice thing to have in my pocket to remember.”

Brigitte Thibault was practising for a mini-tour event outside Orlando, Fla., last December, when a recreational player on an adjacent hole shanked her hybrid off the fairway, firing the ball into the back of the young professional golfer’s head.

Thibault’s hands instinctively flew to the back of her head as she lost consciousness and sank to the ground.

“I remember the vibration because it was so loud in my head,” recalled Thibault on Tuesday. “I remember thinking, ‘what the hell just hit me?’

“Then I opened my eyes and I was on the ground. I remember looking at both of my hands and they were just full of red blood.”

The 26-year-old from Rosemere, Que., was rushed to hospital where she was diagnosed with a concussion. The doctors also told her that she was “lucky” that the blood was flowing outwards and that there was no serious internal bleeding. 

Indeed, she didn’t even need any stitches.

Thibault said she basically slept non-stop for the next two weeks and then returned to the gym to build her strength back up. But the damage the accident did to her nervous system and the lingering post-traumatic stress disorder have been harder to shake.

“For like a week and a half to two weeks, I was waking up because I would re-feel the vibration or see the hands (covered in blood),” said Thibault. “It’s strange to explain.”

Even as she physically recovered and the nightmares faded, PTSD episodes continued to surprise Thibault for weeks after the incident.

“A dog barks or a baby would cry, it would trigger a whole panic attack, as if I was getting attacked,” said Thibault, noting she hasn’t had any episodes since the first week of February. “I’ll feel like there’s going to be a panic attack, but then I don’t start crying or anything more. 

“When the accident happened, I was so caught off guard (…) that anything that would catch me off guard, post that event, would alarm my whole nervous system.”

Determined to return to her career, Thibault resumed playing competitive golf in March with her first event of 2025 sponsored by the same company as the fateful mini-tour event, also in the Orlando area.

“I was driving to the course, and I started crying, because I was just like, ‘this feels too much the same,” she said. “It’s strange to explain.

“I mean, I still don’t know if something’s gonna pop out, but for now, I feel pretty much back to my normal self.”

Thibault is now playing on the Epson Tour, the feeder circuit for the top-flight LPGA Tour, and has appeared in six events so far this year. Although she hasn’t gotten the results she’d like, missing the cut in her past five tournaments, she feels like her game is close.

“It’s been a bit of a bummer,” said Thibault. “I missed the last four cuts by one, so it’s been kind of hard on that end. 

“But again, my game is moving in the right direction, and my stats are moving where I want them to move to, so I’ve just got to stay the course.”

Thibault is one of eight Canadians in the field at this week’s Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship. 

She’ll be joined at Great River Golf Club in Milford, Conn., by Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., Vancouver’s Leah John, Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C., Josee Doyon of Saint-Georges, Que., Brooke Rivers of Brampton, Ont., and Mary Parsons of Delta, B.C.

Thibault, who won bronze in the mixed team event with Parsons, Joey Savoie and Austin Connelly at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, said that it’s one of her favourite stops on the Epson Tour.

“It’s always really pure, I like the course set up,” she said. “It makes me think of an LPGA Tour event, and there’s always a lot of people that come out. 

“It feels like home in a sense.”

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Canadians on Tour:

LPGA TOUR — Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., returns to the Amundi Evian Championship, the fourth major on the women’s golf calendar. She won the tournament in 2022 but is currently ranked 49th in the Race to CME Globe standings. 

PGA TOUR — Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., is the top-ranked Canadian at the Genesis Scottish Open, an event co-hosted by the PGA Tour and the Europe-based DP World Tour. He’s ranked 13th in the FedEx Cup rankings. Conners will be joined by Nick Taylor (17th) of Abbotsford, B.C., Taylor Pendrith (35th) of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Mackenzie Hughes (53d) of Dundas, Ont. Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., the only Canadian on the DP World Tour, is also in the field. He’s 98th on that circuit’s points list.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames is the lone Canadian in this week’s DICK’S Open. He’s ranked 39th on the Schwab Cup points list heading into play at En-Joie Golf Club in Endicott, N.Y.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., leads the Canadian contingent into The Ascendant presented by Blue. He’s ranked 17th on the second-tier tour’s points list. Creighton will be joined at TPC Colorado in Berthoud by Sudarshan Yellamaraju (20th) of Mississauga, Ont., Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald (37th), Matthew Anderson (53rd) of Mississauga, Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., and Etienne Papineau (143rd) of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.

PGA TOUR AMERICAS — A.J. Ewart of Port Coquitlam, B.C., is the highest ranked Canadian on the third-tier Americas Tour heading into this week’s tournament. He’s 16th on the points list heading into the Bromont Open. There are 16 Canadians in the field at Golf Chateau-Bromont.

For as long as she could remember, Yeji Kwon has dreamed of playing the sport of golf at the highest level. Today, with a strong supporting cast around her, the 19-year-old is closing in on that childhood dream.

Young Yeji grew up following the success of three-time Canadian Women’s Open champion, Lydia Ko, and LPGA star, A Lim Kim.

“You could see they were comfortable in any given situation on the golf course and their success was inspiring. I thought to myself that I really wanted to be able to play at that high level and have that success one day.”

Her father, Do Yoon Kwon, speaks about her determination to succeed from a young age.

“Yeji was practising sometimes over ten hours a day.  She was working on every area of her game and because of her hard work, I could see she was getting better and better,” he said.

“I know she’s a really competitive person and always wants to do her best.”

The Canadian National Team member scored an impressive win as a bright-eyed 14-year-old when she captured the Alberta Women’s Amateur Championship in 2020.

“The weather wasn’t so good that weekend and the third round actually had to be cancelled,” she recalled.

“I really didn’t have any expectations going to into the tournament. I was thinking ‘let’s have fun out there and just try to make the cut’ and I ended up winning the tournament.  I just have a lot of good memories from that weekend.”

Another notable victory came in 2022, when Kwon captured the Canadian Junior Girls championship.

“I was playing with a lot of my friends because it was the Canadian Junior Girls Championship so all the best junior girls from Canada were playing in the tournament. Every aspect of my game was on that week – my irons, driver, short game,” she recalled.

“With both my parents being there, it was so much fun.  It felt great to win it and it seemed like all the practise and hard work was paying off.”

With the childhood dream of one day playing on the LGPA Tour, the amateur standout turned professional last year in its pursuit.

Kwon won her first tournament as a pro last July at the Genesis of Conway Central Arkansas Open.

“My game was on and everything was really good.  I was feeling really comfortable and confident that week,” she said of her first pro win in Arkansas.

Kwon was asked to described the strengths in her game that has led to her success on the golf course.

“I feel my strengths are my distance off the tee and my iron play,” noted the five-foot six inch Canadian national team member.

The 19-year-old knows it’s still a work in progress and she is constantly learning and eagerly looking for ways to improve.

“I had played in the ORORO PGA Women’s Championship earlier that month and made a few mistakes that I knew I needed to work on.  I felt in Arkansas, I was able to correct those mistakes,” she noted.

“Getting that first win as a pro felt really good and it gave more confidence in my game.”

Kwon says it also gives her a lot of confidence knowing she’s part of Golf Canada’s National Team Program.

“I’ve been on part of the National Team for three years.  It’s been really great for my development as a golfer because we get the opportunity to compete in some of the biggest tournaments and getting that experience is really important,” she pointed out.

“It gives me confidence to see the success of past and current members from the program. I’ve learned a lot from the coaches that I’ve worked with over the years and just very thankful for all the support and all the resources available to me from Golf Canada.”

Kwon says her biggest supporters since day one has been her mom and dad; and it means everything to have them along in the pursuit of her childhood dream.

“My parents got me into the sport and were my coaches from the beginning. It really means so much to have both of them travel with me.  They have sacrificed so much so I could have this opportunity to pursue my dreams, it’s something I’m really grateful for.”

The talented young Canadian has status on the Epson Tour this year and is holding her own – making the cut in two out of her first three tournaments.

As one of her biggest supporters, Do Yoon Kwon believes his 19-year-old daughter is on the right track towards reaching her dream and shares his words on encouragement. 

“Be confident, have fun, work hard and keep doing what you’re doing.”

Josee Doyon’s second round at the IOA Golf Classic was off to a rough start. 

She began the day at Alaqua Country Club in Longwood, Fla., near the top of the leaderboard but a triple bogey on the second hole endangered her position.

“I was just like ‘all right, there’s 16 more holes and I have two choices: I can either come back strong or give up,'” said Doyon on Wednesday. “And I am not the type of person who gives up so I’m like, ‘all right, we’re just going to battle through it, there’s a lot of holes left.'”

That attitude helped Doyon get three birdies on her next seven holes and stay in contention at the three-day event. The native of Saint-Georges, Que., tied for fifth in the tournament for the first top-10 finish of her career.

She moved up to 23rd on the Race for the Card, the points list for the second-tier Epson Tour. That made her the highest ranked Canadian on the circuit, two spots ahead of Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont.

“It feels good, especially after the first two events were not so good for me,” said Doyon, who missed the cut at the Central Florida Championship on Feb. 28 and the Atlantic Beach Classic on March 6. “To come back strong with the top five, to put me in the 23rd place is good because my goal this year is really to finish in the top 15. 

“The top 15 will get their cards on the LPGA Tour at the end of the year, so this is a good start for me. There’s 17 more tournament to play and I’ll be in a strong position at every one of them.”

The Epson Tour is taking a month off, with the IOA Championship the next event. It will be held at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon’s Champions Course in Beaumont, Calif., from April 25-27.

That doesn’t mean that Doyon has the time off, however.

She intends to play two events in the ANNIKA Womens All Pro Tour to keep sharp, teeing it up at the Coke Dr Pepper Open at the Links on the Bayou in Alexandria, La., April 3-5 and the Lake Charles Championship at L’Auberge at Contraband Bayou Golf Club in Lake Charles, La., April 9-12.

“I’ve really looked over my stats over the last three tournaments,” said Doyon. “I know I have to work a little harder on my second shot because my putting is good. 

“If I hit the ball even closer, it will give better results and just to keep being mentally strong and come back strong and rested.”

NCAA — Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C., continued her impressive season for the Texas Longhorns at the Betsy Rawls Invitational. Kim birdied No. 15 and made pars on Nos. 16, 17, and 18 to earn a one-shot victory at 1-over-par for the individual title. That performance anchored Texas’s 18-stroke team victory at the event.

PGA TOUR — Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., tied for sixth at the Players Championship on Sunday to move up to eighth in the FedEx Cup standings heading into this week’s Valspar Championship. He’ll be joined at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, Fla., by Adam Hadwin (87th) of Abbotsford, B.C., Mackenzie Hughes (113th) of Dundas, Ont., Ben Silverman (146th) of Thornhill, Ont., and Adam Svensson (153rd) of Surrey, B.C. Hadwin won the Valspar in 2017.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., are in this week’s Hoag Classic, which tees off on Friday. Ames is 29th and Weir is 75th in the Schwab Cup points list heading into play at the Newport Beach Country Club in California.

ROGERS CHARITY CLASSIC — Ames and Weir were the first golfers on Wednesday to add their names to the tee sheet for this summer’s Rogers Charity Classic in Calgary. The event is the only Champions Tour event in Canada and will be held at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club from Aug. 11-17.

“This is one of the premier events on the PGA Tour Champions, and I always really look forward to playing in Canada,” said Weir. “All of the players really love it. 

“When we get closer to the event, the chatter in the locker room increases, and I know the guys are going to be looking forward to getting up there, and that goes without saying for me to come home, see family and friends.”

Leah John knows that the standard answer for on what her goals are as an up-and-coming golfer should be something like “top 15 on the Epson Tour” or “get my LPGA card.” 

But, if she’s being honest, she’d rather just refine her process.

“I am just really focused on getting me and my game the best it can be, and then seeing where that takes it,” John said on Wednesday. “I have always believed that things will work out the way they want to if you put in the work and make a plan and just stick to it.

“I know it’s kind of a lame answer. I know the proper answer is ‘be the best golfer in the world,’ but really it’s to be the best I am right now.”

The 24-year-old from Vancouver turned pro this spring after graduating from the University of Nevada and has seven Epson Tour events under her belt since late April. She’s made the cut three times, including a tie for eighth at the Twin Bridges Championship on July 19.

“I think the thing that I’m still trying to figure out is the difference between playing to win versus playing not to lose, and kind of how you work around that and using pressure to fuel you,” she said.

The top 10 at Twin Bridges in Guilderland, N.Y., is the perfect example. 

John needed a good showing or she’d have to go to the LPGA and Epson Tour’s Qualifying Tournament Stage 1. She started the final round with back-to-back bogeys and briefly got down on herself but, by sticking with her process, she bounced back with four birdies on the final seven holes to earn her first professional top 10.

“You can’t think about it at all but you want it to happen, right?” said John on the difficult balance of staying present while trying to achieve goals. “You have to dial into the process more and more. 

“So learning that, there’s so much your mind kind of can help you get away with. This is the thing my coach (Jennifer Greggain) and I talk about all the time: trusting your mind, trusting your brain, to create what you want, and not getting in its way.”

John will be back in action on Friday at the Four Winds Invitational in South Bend, Ind. She’ll be joined by Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., and Yeji Kwon of Port Coquitlam, B.C. 

Thibault is 114th on the Race for the Card points list, Szeryk is 117th, John is 120th and Kwon is unranked.

LPGA TOUR — Rookie Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., leads the Canadian contingent into this week’s FM Championship. She’s 93rd on the Race to CME Globe rankings heading into play at TPC Boston in Norton, Mass. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (113th) and Maude-Aimee Leblanc (141st) of Sherbrooke, Que., are also in the field.

PGA TOUR — Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is the lone Canadian in the Tour Championship at East Lake golf Club in Atlanta. The final event of the season has the top 30 players on the PGA Tour start with a score based on their rankings. Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler will tee off on Thursday at 10 under, No. 2 Xander Schauffele begins at 8 under, and so on. Pendrith, who starts tied for 21st, will start the tournament at 1 under.

PGA TOUR AMERICAS — Matthew Anderson of Mississauga is second in the Fortinet Cup standings, heading into the second last event of the PGA Tour Americas season. He can gain some ground on John Keefer of the United States at this week’s CRMC Championship in Brainerd, Minn. There are 13 Canadians in the field at Craguns Legacy Course.

As Ellie Szeryk lined up her final putt to seal the win at the B.C. Women’s Open, she spied longtime friend Brooke Rivers lurking around the green with a bottle of water.

Sure enough, when Szeryk made the putt, the chase was on with Rivers trying to douse her with water.

“I ran as far as I could, but she still got me quite good,” Szeryk said with a laugh. “But it was fun. In golf you usually do that to your really good friends when they win. 

“So it was really sweet that she did that. It’s like an unspoken honour.”

Szeryk beat Rivers by four strokes at Pitt Meadows Golf Club on Sunday in their professional debuts. Both golfers also earned berths at the CPKC Women’s Open, July 25-28 at Calgary’s Earl Grey Golf Club.

“It was just really nice to be able to have followed through on something that I had been thinking about,” said Szeryk. “It’s not always easy to golf. It’s just three rounds and you have no idea what the course is like and how it’s going to play.”

Earning their way into the national women’s championship, rather than relying on a sponsor’s exemption, was a relief to both players.

“I knew that there’d be a good opportunity for that,” said Szeryk, from London, Ont. “It’s been on my mind the last couple of months, like since I signed up. 

“I knew I needed to make sure I had my game right so I could take advantage of it because I knew that they weren’t going to be a lot of sponsored exemptions for this Canadian Open.”

Rivers agreed.

“It does feel really good to earn the exemption spot on my own through good play,” said Rivers, from Brampton, Ont. “It also feels a little more rewarding while being there because you feel like you had done everything in order to put yourself there.”

Rivers added with a laugh: “It’s a little bit easier when booking travel that you don’t have to do it the week before.”

Both Szeryk and Rivers turned pro after the conclusion of the NCAA golf season. They’re both spending time with family and practising before the ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada tees off at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont., on July 2.

“I’m really excited to turn pro, and it’s something that I’ve wanted to do my whole life,” said Rivers, who played one season at Wake Forest University. “It’s something I’ve been working toward my whole life. 

“I just felt that I was in a position where I was ready to turn pro and I was ready to start competing.”

Golf Canada announced the early commitments to the 50th playing of the Women’s Open on Monday, with eight of the current top-10 and 83 of the top-100 players on the Race to the CME Globe Standings entered in the national women’s championship.

The 156-player field will be competing at Earl Grey Golf Club for the first time in tournament history. It will be the seventh time that Alberta hosts the Women’s Open and first time since 2016.

LPGA TOUR — Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is in the Dow Championship three days after making Canada’s Olympic golf team for a third time. Maddie Szeryk, Ellie’s older sister, just missed out on beating Sharp to the Olympics by 1.41 points in the women’s world golf rankings. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., No. 14 in the world, is also in the field at the Midland Country Club in Midland, Mich. They will be joined by Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., and amateur Vanessa Borovilos of Toronto.

EPSON TOUR — Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., is the top-ranked Canadian playing in the Dream First Bank Charity Classic. She’s 120th on the second-tier Epson Tour’s points list. She’ll be joined at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course in Garden City, Kan., by Vancouver’s Leah John (160th), as well as Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., and Kate Johnston of Ayr, Ont., who are unranked.

PGA TOUR — Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is the top ranked Canadian at No. 30 on the FedEx Cup standings. He will be in the field at the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club, where he finished tied for second in 2022. Adam Svensson (76th) of Surrey, B.C., Ben Silverman (113th) of Thornhill, Ont., and Roger Sloan (194th) of Merritt, B.C., are also in the field.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., is No. 23 on the Tour’s points list heading into the Memorial Health Championship. Edmonton’s Wil Bateman (33rd), Etienne Papineau (50th) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., Sudarshan Yellamaraju (100th) of Mississauga, Ont., and Jared du Toit (118th) of Kimberley, B.C., are also in the field at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Ill.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames leads the Canadian contingent into the U.S. Senior Open Championship. He’s No. 1 on the Charles Schwab Cup money list with two victories so far this year. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., is 25th on the list and also in the field at Newport Country Club in Newport, R.I. David Morland IV of Aurora, Ont., is also playing the event.

AMERICAS TOUR — Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont., remains the atop the points list of the third-tier Americas Tour heading into this week’s ATB Classic. He’s one of 18 Canadians playing Northern Bear Golf Club in Strathcona County, Alta.