The 2025 golf season was a reminder that the momentum in Canadian golf not only continued but accelerated with pace. Driven by wins on and off the course, expanded programming, commercial and philanthropic success, and a passion for the sport that spans coast-to-coast, Canadian golf is in a great place.

Golf holds its place as the number one participation sport in Canada as is evident by another record-breaking year, with 11.2 million scores posted on the Golf Canada App by more than 360,000 Golf Canada members at 1,550 member clubs across the country.

The professional game mirrored the success of recent years as Canadian golf fans were treated to another memorable year. Ask a Canadian golf fan to pick a highlight from 2025 and they would probably say Brooke Henderson’s win at the CPKC Women’s Open. Henderson’s triumph at the Mississaugua Golf and Country Club returned her to the winners’ circle after an incredible performance in front of the home crowd to win her second CPKC Women’s Open title. Henderson’s win further strengthened her position as the most successful Canadian professional golfer in history with her 14th win on the LPGA Tour. She closed the LPGA season with a T7 finish at the CME Group Tour Championship.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C. continued his winning ways on the PGA TOUR, taking the Sony Open in Hawaii in January for his fifth career title on Tour. Taylor has won at least once in three consecutive years and all three via playoff, including the historic 2023 RBC Canadian Open in a thrilling four-hole playoff with Tommy Fleetwood. Taylor also added a T19 finish at the Tour Championship in November.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. continues to assert himself as one of the game’s best, earning seven top 10 finishes on the PGA TOUR including a T4 finish at the Tour Championship and his fourth top 10 finish at The Masters. Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont. added four top 10’s as well as a T5 finish at the PGA Championship in May.

More noise was made by Canadians on the global professional circuits, including 17-year-old Anna Huang of Vancouver, B.C. who turned pro in January and went on to win back-to-back tournaments in September on the Ladies European Tour (LET). The Team Canada member earned her first professional win at the La Sella Open in Spain and followed it up a week later with a win at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France and closes the year ranked no. 114 on the Rolex World Rankings.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont. recorded his first professional win at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic in January and finished the year with four top 10’s on the Korn Ferry Tour. The 24-year-old earned his PGA TOUR card for 2026 by finishing 19th in the Korn Ferry Tour season standings and will be the youngest Canadian on Tour next year.

Joining the Canadian contingent will be A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C. Ewart earned medalist honours at PGA TOUR Q-School last Sunday. The Team Canada member was joined by Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C. who kept his card by finishing T2. Ewart and Svensson bring the Canadian contingent up to seven members on the PGA TOUR in 2026.

Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S. and Leah John of Vancouver, B.C. earned their first professional wins in 2025, with Creighton winning The Wichita Open in June on the Korn Ferry Tour and John earned her first Epson Tour win at the Four Winds Invitational in August. John earned her 2026 LPGA Tour card finishing T10 at the LPGA Q-Series Final Qualifying Stage. Maude-Aimee LeBlanc also retained her status for 2026, joining Henderson and John as the Canadian contingent on the LPGA Tour next year.

The amateur circuit brought another banner year for Team Canada, led by 15-year-old Team Canada – NextGen member, Aphrodite Deng of Calgary, Alta. In July, Deng won the 76th U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship becoming the first Canadian to win the title in tournament history. One month later, Deng followed up her historic performance and captivated the crowds in Mississauga with a T20 finish at the CPKC Women’s Open, earning the Marlene Stewart Streit Low Amateur Award. Deng also won twice on the AJGA taking the Junior Invitational and Mizuho Americas Open and was later named junior player of the year by the AJGA.

Shauna Liu of Maple, Ont. won her second straight Canadian Junior Girls Championship in August and became the ninth multi-time winner and first back-to-back winner since Heather Kuzmich in 1982. Liu added four additional wins in 2025, including the Peloton Glencoe Invitational. Michelle Xing of Richmond Hill, Ont. won the 2025 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in July. Both Liu and Xing earned silver medals as part of Team Canada 1’s runner-up finish at the 2025 World Junior Girls Golf Championship in September with Clairey Lin of Langley, B.C. Team Canada 2 represented by Clara Ding of White Rock, B.C., Eileen Park of Red Deer, Alta. and Ruihan Kendria Wang of Vancouver, B.C. finished sixth led by Ding, the individual runner up who also added a 2025 win at the GolfBC Group BC Women’s Open.

Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. earned her second collegiate win for the University of Texas at the Betsy Rawls Invitational in March and competed in her second consecutive Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Vanessa Borovilos of Etobicoke, Ont. won the Chevron Collegiate in her freshman year at Texas A&M University. Team Canada teammates, Tillie Claggett of Calgary, Alta., Nicole Gal of Oakville, Ont. and Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver, B.C. were all victorious in 2025 as well.

Austin Krahn of Christina Lakes, B.C. took home gold at the 2025 Canada Summer Games and added two provincial titles this past year while Dawson Lew of Toronto, Ont., a recent addition to the Team Canada program, won the Canadian Junior Boys Championship in August and added four additional wins in 2025.

Some familiar names also added national championships to their trophy cabinets this year. Shelly Stouffer of Nanoose Bay, B.C. won her third Canadian Women’s Senior Championship, Judith Kyrinis of Thornhill, Ont. claimed her fourth Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, Charles Fitzsimmons of King, Ont. won his third Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship and Natasha Stasiuk of Oakville, Ont. won her fifth straight Canadian All Abilities Championship. The UBC Thunderbirds claimed the men’s and women’s Canadian University/College Championship in convincing fashion once again.

Beyond the professional and amateur ranks, the future of golf in Canada shrines bright. The sport has welcomed a new wave of participants with grass roots programming that has introduced golf to more youth and women annually.

First Tee – Canada posted its highest participation numbers in 2025, with more than 106,000 youth taking part in programs across the country, a 25 per cent increase from last year. Since its inception in 2021, First Tee – Canada has reached over 276,000 young Canadians.

In addition, 481 locations offered programming across schools, community centres and golf facilities, supported by nearly 350 coaches, both increases from last year. First Tee – Canada continues to be a leader in youth programming with a focus on strengthening diversity and equity in the sport. In 2025, 74 per cent of partnered schools and community organizations served underrepresented communities with close to 60 per cent of programs delivered at no cost to participants. Through the efforts of six First Tee chapters nationwide, youth participation is becoming more reflective of Canada’s diversity with 42 per cent of on-course participants identifying as female and 36 per cent as BIPOC. The program’s growth was backed by strong donor support with the Golf Canada Foundation raising more than $10 million for the sport in 2025, including $4.5 million for First Tee – Canada.

First Tee – Canada was also the proud charitable beneficiary of the 2025 RBC Canadian Open and First Tee – Alberta received nearly $200,000 through it’s partnership with the Rogers Charity Classic in 2025. In keeping with golf’s charitable giving, the CPKC Women’s Open continues to leave a meaningful legacy in each host city through its CPKC Has Heart program, this year donating a record $4.5 million for MacKids and Trillium Health Partners, supporting pediatric and cardiac health.

For the first time, the Youth on Course program was available in every province across the country. The program allows Golf Canada members between the ages of 6 to 18 to play subsidized rounds for $5 or less at participating courses during designated times. In 2025, Youth on Course members played nearly 50,000 subsidized rounds across Canada, marking a record high season and a 51 per cent increase over rounds played in the previous year. The program also drove strong engagement, with 4,470 new members joining Golf Canada to access these affordable playing opportunities.

She Plays Golf expanded in 2025 with the addition of a week-long festival in Atlantic Canada in the fall complimenting stops in Vancouver, Calgary and the Greater Toronto Area. The She Plays Golf Championship Series once again aligned with week-long festivals and provided four exemptions into the CPKC Women’s Open.

She Plays Golf featured 24 events across 19 golf facilities and engaged with more than 800 women and girls. Across all festivals, over 700 participants were new to the game and took part in beginner friendly activities led by close to 90 women coaches and volunteers.

Feedback remained overwhelmingly positive, with 97 per cent of participants sharing that the event(s) provided an atmosphere that made them feel comfortable and welcome, and 88 per cent indicating they are very likely to continue participating in golf following their experience.

In addition, 23 girls-only Try Golf clinics were delivered through RBC Community Junior Golf, reaching 275 girls.

Bolstered by another record-breaking year for scores posted, the Golf Canada App received a major update in 2025. New enhancements included group score posting, making it easier than ever to record scores for your playing partners during group rounds. The introduction of smartwatch support for Android wearables brought on-wrist GPS yardages and digital scoring to a wide range of devices, while upgraded GPS tools now provide precise front, middle and back-of-green distances to support smarter club selection and on-course strategy. The update also introduced a Golf Canada membership referral program and a new achievements system, along with enhanced privacy controls that allow users to choose whether their scores appear in their friends’ feeds.

An exciting new chapter for the RBC Canadian Open was written in June, as TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont. became the 38th course in tournament history to host Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship. Fans were treated to a thrilling finish as New Zealand’s Ryan Fox beat Sam Burns in a four-hole playoff. The 115th playing of the RBC Canadian Open will return to TPC Toronto in 2026.

During tournament week a new initiative, Birdies for Trails was created in collaboration with partners at TPC Toronto and WM. Every birdie at The Rink Hole (no. 14) directly contributed to raise $29,500 for the Credit Valley Conservation Foundation and the development of the Credit Valley Trail, a passageway stretching 100 kilometres in length, linking Orangeville, Ont. with Port Credit (Mississauga), Ont.

Following the tournament, RBC and the PGA TOUR announced a multi-year extension of the bank’s title sponsorship of the RBC Canadian Open. RBC, a long-time supporter of professional and amateur golf in Canada had been the proud title sponsor of the Men’s National Open Championship since 2008.

As the outdoor season drew to a close in most parts of the country, Golf Canada launched a comprehensive off-course golf strategy to enhance the year-long golf experience. Golf has evolved into a 12-month activity, and the strategy is supported by the Just Swing campaign, highlighting the benefits and different forms of off-course golf. The strategy also focuses on Provincial Golf Associations and their partnership with Golf Canada in launching a new facility membership offering, specifically designed for off-course operators to promote their operations to Canada’s largest and most engaged golf audience.

As Canadian golf continues to write exciting new chapters, one will end in early 2026. Glen Abbey Golf Club has been the home of Golf Canada and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame since 1977. In February 2026, Golf Canada will move its operation to the new home for Canadian golf at TPC Toronto.

The new home for Canadian golf will also be home to First Tee – Canada along with a 30,000 square foot 18-hole community putting course that is free and open to the public. For more information on the home for Canadian golf, please click here.

In February, three new members were inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, including accomplished amateur golfer, Richard Scott, former professional golfer Jerry Anderson and renowned course architect Charles Blair Macdonald. Elements of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame are proudly weaved into the main clubhouse, locker rooms and accommodation villas at TPC Toronto. Memorabilia highlighting Canadian golf legends and significant moments in Canadian golf history are also being showcased across the property.

Canadian golf couldn’t happen without the many wonderful people – volunteers, club staff, superintendents, PGA of Canada professionals, operators, media, and other industry stakeholders – whose efforts are paramount to the success of the sport. Closer to home, Golf Canada is proud of its staff for their efforts to advance the sport and who once again earned the organization its Great Places to Work designation.  

With the holiday season upon us and the book on 2025 drawing to a close, one thing is certain, Canadian golf has never been stronger. The momentum continues and it brings the promise of more great moments that lie ahead.

Even two of the greatest golfers in Canadian history say they were still learning on the course in 2025.

Brooke Henderson and Nick Taylor both won at the highest levels of golf this past year and said they were still working on their games more than a decade into their professional careers.

“I think that’s something that every golfer learns, is that you can never perfect it. You’re always trying to grow and to learn,” said Henderson, who won this year’s CPKC Women’s Open for a second time. “Every day is a challenge, new challenges, old challenges, but every day is definitely a challenge. 

“You’re just trying to better yourself. Every day you just get up, and you try to learn something new.”

Henderson won the Women’s Open, Canada’s national championship and only LPGA Tour event north of the border, on Aug. 24 by a stroke at Mississauga Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont. It was the 14th win of her storied LPGA Tour career.

Taylor started the year off on the right foot, winning the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii on Jan. 12. It was the fifth win of his PGA Tour career and, impressively, his third consecutive playoff victory.

“I think I was most proud of the level of play that I kept up, even after a win, not really settling or being satisfied, that I kept pushing, trying to improve,” said Taylor from his hometown of Abbotsford, B.C. “I felt like I kept a level play up that I really haven’t had that consistency, probably, in my career. 

“Although 2023 was obviously a phenomenal year with consistency as well, with the RBC Canadian Open win, I felt like last year was just a slight step above that.”

Taylor’s victory at the Sony Open also moved him up the all-time wins list for Canadians on golf’s top tours. He’s now fifth behind Henderson’s 14 and a three-way tie of eight wins between Winnipeg’s George Knudson, Sandra Post of Oakville, Ont., and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont.

“We’re trying to get to a major, to be along with Mike Weir (who won Augusta in 2003), on the men’s side of golf,” said Taylor on his place in the history books. “It feels like Brooke’s on an island of her own with all her success, and it might be untouchable for all of us, but something to admire and work towards.

“But I’m definitely proud of the fact I got to five wins. I didn’t really think about the history side of it, but it’s going to keep me pushing to try to get more.”

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., is one of three Canadians who will have full-time status on the LPGA Tour in 2026. She’ll be joined by Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., and Vancouver’s Leah John, who earned their cards through qualifying earlier this month.

There will be seven Canadians with full rides on the PGA Tour in the new year: Taylor, Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., and Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont.

John, Ewart and Yellamaraju will all be rookies on golf’s top circuits.

“What a great couple of months for Canadian golf, right? Sudarshan, AJ, Leah, all getting their rookie cards,” said Paul Perrier, who was named Golf Canada’s new chief sport officer on Dec. 3. “I think it speaks to the global competitive momentum that Golf Canada has.

“The high-performance pathway was designed to create this exact process where we’re providing opportunities, resources, coaching for our next superstars to really jump into these tours, to help them be in this position and be in the best position to succeed and perform at this level.”

Perrier also confirmed that Golf Canada is still committed to its strategic plan of having 30 players on the PGA and LPGA Tours by 2032, a goal set by his predecessor, Kevin Blue, in February 2022.

The raw materials are certainly in place, as Golf Canada reports that recreational play across the country again grew in 2025. 

Their last national survey was in 2024, when nearly six million Canadians played golf. However, more than 11 million scores were posted to Golf Canada’s app in 2025, up six per cent year-over-year and 54 per cent above pre-pandemic levels.

Golf Canada’s annual report also says that more than 200,000 young people now engage with programming through golf courses, schools, and community centres. Also, more than $12 million has been raised since 2020 to support equitable access, coach training, and youth curriculum provided by the national sport organization.

“It’s a sport of connection, and it’s something that really invites everyone to participate in,” said Perrier. “When you’re in a country like Canada, where typically you’re not able to get outside all the time, when you do get that opportunity, you want to find activities that are challenging, that will allow you to be social and around people.”

Henderson said the growth of recreational golf in Canada has been amazing.

“To think that I may have played a small part in that is really exciting to me,” said Henderson, who started playing as a three-year-old. “I think it’s an incredible game that you can play your entire life, and you can really build friendships and relationships, really network. 

“I feel like it just teaches you so many great life lessons, especially as a kid. Honesty, perseverance, integrity, just so many good things come from it.”

PGA TOUR

A.J. Ewart birdied three of his final six holes to finish atop the leaderboard and become one of five players to secure the PGA Tour cards for next season at the PGA Tour Q-School. The Team Canada member secured membership on the PGA Tour on his first appearance at the final stage. Ewart, who made a hole-in-one in round two to vault him to the top of the leaderboard, had three top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour Americas this past year, which secured him a spot in the second qualifying stage. He advanced to the final stage after finishing in a tie for fifth at the event in Arizona. Fellow Canadian Adam Svensson had five birdies and a bogey in the final round to climb 10 places and finish runner-up, retaining his card for another season and improving his status heading into 2026. Svensson finished 167 in the FedEx Cup standings this year and was in danger of losing his status after his exemption for winning the 2022 RSM Classic had expired. Ben Silverman birdied three of his first four holes in the final round to climb seven places and be among the top five to secure a Tour card. In the past, the top five and ties would have been safe, but this year, a hole-by-hole playoff was needed to determine the final recipient. Dylan Wu made a 20-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to claim the final card, leaving Silverman with conditional status and a chance to improve his standing through the first 14 events of the season. The remaining Canadians will have conditional status through the first reshuffle, which will take place after the sixth event of the season, and all have membership on the PGA Tour Americas. …This is the first time since 2014 that Adam Hadwin will not be a full-time member on the PGA Tour.

NEXT EVENT: Sony Open (Jan 15)

LPGA TOUR

Andrew Novak made three straight birdies on the back nine, and Lauren Coughlin made a birdie putt on the final hole as the duo captured the Grant Thornton Invitational by a record three strokes. Novak and Coughlin, who teamed up for the first time in this modified four-ball event, broke the tournament scoring record at 28-under 188. It is Novak’s second team event win after claiming the Zurich Classic of New Orleans earlier this year. Novak and Coughlin each earned US$500,000 for the win, the largest payoff for Coughlin, who won twice on the LPGA last year. The teams of Nelly Korda / Denny McCarthy and Jennifer Kupcho / Chris Gotterup finished tied for second, with Korda missing a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have given them solo second place. …Brooke Henderson and Corey Conners, playing as a team for the third time in this event, finished in a tie for fifth. They had previously finished second and fourth.

NEXT EVENT: Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions (Jan 29)

EUROPEAN TOUR

Jayden Schaper made an eagle on the first playoff hole to defeat Shaun Norris in the weather-shortened Alfred Dunhill Championship. It is Schaper’s first European Tour win. Norris birdied four of his last six holes and appeared on his way to successfully defending the title he won a year ago until Schaper finished with two birdies over his final three holes to force the playoff. Schaper found the fairway bunker with his tee shot on the first extra hole but made a spectacular approach to set up the winning eagle putt. The tournament was reduced to 54 holes after rain left the course unplayable on Saturday.

NEXT EVENT: AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open (Dec. 18)
CANADIANS ENTERED: Aaron Cockerill

LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR

Team Canada member Yeji Kwon was among the qualifiers to advance to the final stage of Ladies European Tour Q-School after finishing a tie for 19th at the qualifying event in Morocco. Ashley Chow failed to advance after finishing in a tie for 32nd at a separate event in Morocco, missing the cut line by four strokes. Maude-Aimee Leblanc and Kwon will be among the 155 players in the final stage, with the top 65 and ties after four days of play advancing to the final round, where the top 20 and ties will earn a card for the 2026 season. Those finishing 21 to 50 will get conditional status.

NEXT EVENT: LET Q-School-Final Stage (Dec. 16)
CANADIANS ENTERED: Yeji Kwon, Maude-Aimee Leblanc

Ewart tops leaderboard to increase Canadian contingent on PGA TOUR to seven for 2026

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – A.J. Ewart and Adam Svensson have increased the Canadian contingent on the PGA TOUR to seven for next year after finishing in the top five at PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry at Ponte Vedra, Fla.

Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C. finished atop the leaderboard at 14-under following rounds of 66-67-67-66-266 to earn his PGA TOUR card for 2026. The Team Canada member was within the top five for majority of the four days and added a hole-in-one during Friday’s second round.

This past season, Ewart competed in 16 events on PGA TOUR Americas with one runner-up finish at the Times Colonist Victoria Open, four top 10’s and seven top 25’s, finishing 15th on the PGA TOUR Americas season standings. Ewart has competed in two PGA TOUR events during his career, with both coming at the RBC Canadian Open in 2022 and 2025. In addition, Ewart has one win on PGA TOUR Americas, coming at the 2024 Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open.

Svensson of Surrey, B.C. has regained his PGA TOUR card after finishing T2 at 12-under following rounds of 70-64-68-66-268. Svensson has competed in 159 PGA TOUR tournaments since joining the Tour in 2019 with one win at the RSM Classic in 2022.

This past year, Svensson played in 29 tournaments and earned three top 25 finishes on the PGA TOUR, with his best finish coming at the 3M Open in July at T14.

Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont. finished T5 at 11-under following rounds of 68-69-65-67-269. Due to a change in the number of cards awarded this year, Silverman was forced into a playoff with Dylan Wu for the fifth and final card but fell on the first hole after Wu birdied.

The top five players earned their PGA TOUR cards for 2025 from the field of 174 golfers competing at Dye’s Valley Course and Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra, Fla. Nine Canadians teed off this week including, Adam Hadwin (Abbotsford, B.C.) and Drew Nesbitt (Toronto, Ont.) finishing T62 at 2-under, Roger Sloan (Calgary, Alta.) finished T79 at 1-under, Stuart Macdonald (Vancouver, B.C.) finished T92 at 1-over, Myles Creighton (Digby, N.S.) at T124, 5-over and Peyton Callens (Langton, Ont.) at T150, 11-over.

Ewart and Svensson join fellow Canadians, Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.), Nick Taylor (Abbotsford, B.C.), Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.) and Sudarshan Yellamaraju (Mississauga, Ont.) on the PGA TOUR in 2026.

For the final standings from PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, please click here.

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda — Adam Schenk finally won when he least expected it, closing with an even-par 71 in raging wind Sunday to claim a one-shot victory at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in his 243rd PGA Tour start.

But it was also a critical week for Canada’s Adam Hadwin, who battled through the same punishing conditions to post a four-over 75 and earn a share of 11th at 7 under. With gusts regularly topping 30 m.p.h. and the field averaging over par, Hadwin’s top-15 finish was enough to move him nine spots up the FedExCup standings. The Abbotsford, B.C., native is now projected to climb to No. 138 and remains in the hunt to retain his PGA Tour card.

Under the PGA Tour’s updated structure for 2026, only the top 100 in the final FedExCup standings – after the season-ending RSM Classic – earn full exempt status. Those between 101 and 125 receive conditional membership. With one event left to determine those spots, Hadwin’s performance in Bermuda keeps him firmly in the race and gives him a chance to secure full status next week at Sea Island.

Schenk, meanwhile, entered the week at No. 134 and was only two tournaments away from facing a return to Q-school. The 32-year-old handled some of the toughest conditions of his career at Port Royal Golf Course, making one birdie and four clutch par saves as the wind played havoc with approach shots and putts.

His toughest test came on the par-4 18th. Protecting a one-shot lead, Schenk saw his approach run just over the green. From a tight lie and with the breeze still ripping across the surface, he opted for putter from the fringe and rolled his attempt to five feet. He holed the par putt to hold off Chandler Phillips, who also shot 71.

Twice a runner-up in 2023—when he reached the Tour Championship for the first time—Schenk’s win secures a two-year exemption and spots in several marquee events next season, including the PGA Championship and The Players Championship.

Japan’s Takumi Kanaya, playing in the final group with Schenk, had a chance to force a playoff but saw his par attempt on the last lip out. He finished one shot back and moved to No. 99 in the FedExCup standings, setting up a pressure-filled week at the RSM Classic as he fights to stay inside the top 100.

Phillips began the week at No. 139 and jumped to No. 92 with his runner-up finish, effectively ensuring he will retain full status for next season.

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda — Adam Schenk played bogey-free in strong wind Saturday for a 4-under 67, giving him a share of the lead with Braden Thornberry in what has become a tense chase for a PGA Tour card at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Thornberry, a PGA Tour rookie who won the NCAA title at Mississippi eight years ago, shot a 69 to join Schenk at 12-under 201 with hardly any margin for error going into the final round.

Schenk and Thornberry are among 10 players from the top 11 on the leaderboard who arrived in Bermuda outside the top 100 in the FedEx Cup with time running out. The RSM Classic at Sea Island next week ends the season, the first one that offers cards to the top 100 instead of the top 125.

Schenk is at No. 134 and is running out of options. But he began making minor adjustments in his game the last few months and watched it pay off in a timely way at Port Royal.

Winless in 242 starts on the PGA Tour, he suddenly has a chance he didn’t see coming.

“A great opportunity to have for tomorrow,” said Schenk, who has a share of the 54-hole lead for the first time since Colonial two years ago. “I know if I don’t, I have to go to Q-school if I don’t get inside the top 100, so that’s a pretty big motivator.”

Thornberry is at No. 178 and only a win would secure a card, coming with a two-year exemption.

But they have plenty of company.

The group one behind included Adam Hadwin of Canada, who had the 36-hole lead, who had to settle for a 71 and was in a tie for third; Max McGreevy (69), Chandler Phillips (70) and Takumi Kanaya of Japan (66).

Hadwin, from Abbotsford, B.C., made four birdies and four bogeys, turning in 1-over 37 on the front nine before recovering with a 2-under 34 on the back at Port Royal Golf Course to sit in a tie for third at 11 under. Hadwin will tee off in the third-to-last group on Sunday at 9:05 a.m. local time (8:05 a.m. ET) with Americans Max McGreevy and Chandler Phillips. 

The only player within three shots of the lead who didn’t face as much stress was Vince Whaley, who had a 68. He is at No. 86 in the FedEx Cup, virtually a lock to stay in the top 100.

Adding to the pressure of trying to keep a PGA Tour card is the wind that didn’t let up.

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda — Adam Hadwin held onto the lead Friday in the windy Butterfield Bermuda Championship in a late bid to retain full PGA Tour playing privileges, shooting a 5-under 66 at Port Royal to take a one-shot advantage into the weekend.

Hadwin is 147th in the FedEx Cup standings, with the top 100 next week after the RSM Classic keeping their tour cards for next year. The 38-year-old Canadian, a PGA Tour winner and two-time Presidents Cup player, missed the FedEx Cup playoffs for the first time in his tour career.

Hadwin had an 11-under 131 total after opening with a 65 on Thursday.

“A little bit more scrambly than yesterday, didn’t quite hit it as well,” Hadwin said. “A little off early. … Just a little off. Didn’t quite have the same feel as I did yesterday, but scrambled really well. Short game, putting, made a bunch of putts today.”

Chandler Phillips (64) and Braden Thornberry (65) were tied for second. Max McGreevy (64) and Noah Goodwin (67) were 9 under. Six players were unable to finish before dark.

McGreevy faced the toughest wind conditions, playing in late Thursday and early Friday.

“Being from Oklahoma and seeing a lot of wind in my life, I’ve seen fair shares of good and bad breaks type of thing,” McGreevy said. “You’ve just got to kind of roll with it.”

With wind gusting to 26 mph, Hadwin rebounded from a double bogey on the par-3 13th — his fourth hole of the day — with an eagle from the rough on the short par-4 sixth.

“I thought just push it up there and get within 50, 60 yards of the green and just kind of pitch back up to that pin,” Hadwin said. “I thought as long as you keep it right of the bushes you’ve kind of got 50, 60 yards to work with. It came off perfectly, the pitch shot did. You’re a little bit lucky to kind of make it, but I did exactly what I wanted to do.:

He’s making his 299th PGA Tour start. He won the 2017 Valspar Championship for his lone PGA Tour title.

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda — Adam Hadwin got off the start he needed in his bid to retain full PGA Tour playing privileges, shooting a 6-under 65 in windy conditions on Thursday in the first round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship, which was not completed because of darkness.

Hadwin entered the week at No. 147 in the FedEx Cup standings; the top 100 after next week’s RSM Classic keep their tour cards next year. He led Takumi Kanaya by one shot. Braden Thornberry was also 5 under with two holes to play at Port Royal.

The 38-year-old Hadwin, a two-time Presidents Cup player from Abbotsford, B.C., had never missed the FedEx Cup playoffs in a decade on tour before this year.

“A bit of the shock to the ego, not gonna lie,” Hadwin said. “It might have hindered me a little bit through the season as I continued to struggle a little bit. I reached a point, though probably too late, probably July, August where I kind of accepted where I was at, just needed to battle through.

“I do truly believe that I’ve got my best golf is still to come, I’ve got a lot more in me and then I’ll be a better player once I get through this. It was just a matter of when I got through this and today’s a good start.”

Fellow Canadian Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., shot a 2-over 73, while Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., had a 74.

Kanaya and Thornberry also began the week outside the top 100. Ryo Hisatsune, Alex Smalley and Isaiah Salinda each shot 67, and Frankie Capan III was 4 under with two holes to play.

IVINS, Utah — Michael Brennan was just as dominant at Black Desert as he was on the PGA Tour Americas. He closed with a 5-under 66 to go from a sponsor exemption to a PGA Tour winner Sunday with his four-shot victory in the Bank of Utah Championship.

In his first PGA Tour start as a professional, Brennan became the first sponsor exemption to win since Nick Dunlap took The American Express in January 2024 as an amateur. 

The victory means Brennan, a 23-year-old who starred at Wake Forest, gets to skip the Korn Ferry Tour next year and go straight to the big leagues. He earned a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour, along with a spot in the PGA Championship and the $20 million RBC Heritage.

Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., finished in a six-way tie for third at 16 under. Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., finished in a three-way tie for 56th at 5 under.

Silverman, from Thornhill, Ont., delivered four consecutive rounds in the 60s, showing precision and poise from start to finish. Silverman’s bogey-free Sunday featured five birdies and a steady command of his ball-striking, cementing his position among the Tour’s most consistent performers this season.

Silverman’s top-three finish marks his fifth top-10 of the year and his best result of the 2025 season. 

Canada’s Sudarshan Yellamaraju is heading to the top tour in men’s golf.

The 24-year-old Yellamaraju, from Mississauga, Ont., earned his PGA TOUR card for next season by finishing 19th in the Korn Ferry Tour season standings after Sunday’s final round of the KFT Championship in French Lick, Ind. The top 20 in the season standings go to the PGA TOUR.

Yellamaraju entered the week ranked 20th. He moved up to 19th by shooting his third consecutive round of 1-under 71 on Sunday to finish 2 under for the tournament, good for a tie for 24th.

The Canadian had to sweat it out, though. He was off to a great start before bogeying three consecutive holes from Nos. 14-16. Yellamaraju got pars on the final two holes to hang on to a top-20 spot after all the golfers finished their rounds.

Yellamaraju was in his second season on the Korn Ferry Tour. He won the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic in January to vault himself into PGA TOUR contention.

Yellamaraju has taken a unique path to the PGA TOUR. He was born in India, and his family immigrated to Winnipeg when he was four. He moved to the Greater Toronto Area when he was 11. Yellamaraju won the Ontario Amateur at 16 but did not go to college in the United States, saying earlier this year he didn’t get enough money via scholarships to make it work. He instead turned pro immediately after finishing high school. 

Yellamaraju played on the PGA TOUR Americas in 2022 and 2023 before earning Korn Ferry Tour status in 2024. He finished 99th in the season-long points list last year. 

Meanwhile, Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver tied for sixth at the KFT Championship at 8 under. Three back of the lead entering the final round, Macdonald needed to win to get into the top 20 for the season.

Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., also fell short of the top 20 after tying for 43rd at this event.

Both players got entry into the final stage of PGA TOUR Qualifying School later this year for finishing in the top 50 on the Korn Ferry Tour.

American Chandler Blanchet won the season-ending event at 14 under.