PGA TOUR

Hideki Matsuyama erased a three-shot deficit and made a two-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat Alex Noren and win the Hero World Challenge. It is the second time he has won the Tiger Woods-hosted event, and it is his second win of the year – the first coming almost exactly 12 months ago in the season-opening The Sentry in Hawaii. Noren, who led the field with 27 birdies, made an 18-footer on the final hole to force the playoff. Third round leader Sepp Straka birdied the final hole to finish solo third for his second top-five finish at this event. J.J. Spaun and two-time defending champion Scottie Scheffler finished tied for fourth. …Corey Conners, making his inaugural debut at the event, recorded his eighth top-10 result of the year

NEXT EVENT: PGA Tour Q-School (Dec. 11)
CANADIANS ENTERED: Peyton Callens, Myles Creighton, A.J. Ewart, Adam Hadwin, Stuart Macdonald, Drew Nesbitt, Ben Silverman, Roger Sloan, Adam Svensson

NEXT EVENT: Grant Thornton Invitational (Dec. 12)
CANADIANS ENTERED: Corey Conners, Brooke Henderson

EUROPEAN TOUR

Kristoffer Reitan watched a five-stroke lead evaporate as the Norwegian held off two other golfers to complete a wire-to-wire victory at the Nedbank Golf Challenge. It is his second European Tour title of the year, and it also assured him of an invitation to the 2026 Masters as he moves up to No. 30 in the world rankings with one tournament left in the year. The top 50 qualify for a trip to Augusta. Jayden Schaper of South Africa and Dan Bradbury of England both finished one stroke back. Schaper had four birdies through the first 12 holes but could not make another the rest of the way, while Bradbury had six birdies through 14 holes but pars over the final four. …This was Nick Taylor‘s best finish at a European Tour-sanctioned event since 2018.

Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen scrambled to make par on the final hole and win the Crown Australian Open by a single stroke. It is his first European Tour win, and it also earned him an invitation to the 2026 Masters. The Dane was tied with hometown favourite Cam Smith as they played the 18th hole. After missing the green, Neergaard-Petersen flopped his third shot to within 10 feet and made the par putt. Smith had a five-footer for par to force a playoff but missed it to the left, ending his chances of snapping his two-year winless drought. Si Woo Kim finished third, with Michael Hollick fourth and former Masters champion Adam Scott in fifth. All three earned a spot in next year’s British Open. …Aaron Cockerill notched his first top-25 European Tour finish since June.

NEXT EVENT: Alfred Dunhill Championship (Dec. 11)
CANADIANS ENTERED: Aaron Cockerill (alternate)

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Team Europe captured the Skechers World Champions Cup over the International and American teams. After two days of nine-hole matches in modified alternate shot and better ball, Europe led by a slim 1.5 points entering the final day. Colin Montgomerie kicked things off by winning 10.5 points in his Sunday singles match to pace the attack as European players were the leading scorers in four of the six morning groupings. The International team’s Steven Alker was the leading scorer in the morning session, collecting 13.5 points. In the afternoon session, Team International captain Mike Weir led the way with 12 points, but it was not enough to blunt the European surge, which was led by Bernhard Langer and Soren Kjeldsen, who each scored 12 points. Europe finished with 230 points to win the title by 16.5 points over the defending champion United States. The Internationals finished with 204.5 points. Team USA’s Jason Caron was the leading point scorer for the event with 60.5 points, scoring double-digit points in each of the last four sessions.

NEXT EVENT: PNC Championship (Dec. 20)

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.

Canada’s next wave of golf talent could qualify for the PGA Tour this week.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Mississauga, Ont., and Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., are both within striking distance of earning membership on the top tour in men’s golf in 2026 when they tee it up at this week’s Korn Ferry Tour Championship. The top 20 players on the second-tier tour when play ends on Sunday will be promoted to the PGA Tour.

Yellamaraju is 20th and Creighton is 29th heading into play at The Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort. 

“I need to have a very good week, but you really don’t want to do anything different to do that,” said Creighton on Wednesday, noting he’ll likely need to be in the top three to reach the PGA Tour. “It’s not like you just play more aggressive and that will lead to you having a better chance at playing better. 

“You think when you need to have a good week that you play very aggressive and go for it but it just doesn’t really work like that.”

They’ll be joined in French Lick, Ind., by Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald (50th) and Matthew Anderson (67th), also from Mississauga.

Yellamaraju has hovered around the top of the Korn Ferry Tour’s points list for most of the year since he won The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club on Jan. 22. That’s one of his four top 10 finishes this season.

Creighton rocketed 52 points up the standings to 16th after he won the Wichita Open on June 22. That was his only top 10 finish this season, but he has been remarkably consistent, making 16 cuts in 24 events played.

“Most guys hate being on the cut line, but I don’t,” said Creighton. “I kind of enjoy it, weirdly. I enjoy that battle of making a cut. 

“I think that’s what kind of makes a pro a pro, giving yourself a chance to play the weekend. You never know. When I won, I made the cut by one.”

DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., is the lone Canadian competing in the Open de Espana. He’s 119th on the Race to Dubai rankings heading into play at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., are the only Canadians teeing it up at the SAS Championship on Friday. Ames is 41st in the Schwab Cup race and Weir is 71st. The tournament is at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, N.C.

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – The R&A has announced the qualification pathways for The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale, taking place July 12-19, 2026.

Once again, the RBC Canadian Open will be part of The Open’s qualification series, with three (3) places being awarded to the leading three players who are not already exempt and make the cut. The 2026 RBC Canadian Open will be taking place at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) from June 10-14, 2026.

Each year, international pathways are provided for players to qualify for golf’s original championship through prestigious professional tour events played around the world.

The Open Qualifying Series will begin in October and players will be able to qualify for The 154th Open through 15 events in 13 countries being played on the PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour, DP World Tour, Asian Tour, KPGA Tour, Japan Golf Tour, Sunshine Tour and Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia.

On the PGA TOUR, places will be available via the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, the RBC Canadian Open, while the Visa Argentina Open presented by Macro in South America will also offer a spot.

Please click here to view the full list of exemptions for The 154th Open.

Mark Darbon, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “The Open is one of the world’s great sporting events and its global nature is reflected in the number of outstanding opportunities we offer to golfers to qualify for the Championship through our exemptions and professional tour events held internationally each year.

“The Open Qualifying Series generates great excitement and intrigue each year as players compete to earn a coveted place in the Championship and so we look forward to seeing what stories emerge in the months ahead and the field coming together as we get closer to staging another memorable Open at Royal Birkdale next July.”

Regional and Final Qualifying events, which are open to professional and amateur golfers worldwide who meet the entry criteria, will take place at venues around Great Britain and Ireland in June ahead of the Championship.

A new Last-Chance Qualifier will be played at Royal Birkdale on Monday, 13 July. The field of 12 players competing for the final place in the Championship will be determined using an approach which complements the existing qualification criteria for The Open.

The Open is golf’s original championship. Played since 1860 on iconic links golf courses, it is the sport’s most international major championship with qualifying events on every continent. For one week each year, the pursuit of the famous Claret Jug trophy is the focus of the sporting world, followed globally by millions of fans.

Please click here to view the full schedule of events.

NAPA, Calif. — Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes quietly went about his work with a 9-under 63 on Thursday to lead the Procore Championship. The big crowds followed Scottie Scheffler and the U.S. Ryder Cup team and saw mixed results.

Scheffler, who hasn’t finished lower than eighth place since March, lost one streak on a breezy afternoon in wine country when he was wild off the tee at the par-5 18th and had to settle for par and a 70. That ended 21 consecutive rounds in the 60s.

Ten Ryder Cup players are here for the competition and to try to stay sharp ahead of Bethpage Black in two weeks, and that wasn’t lost on them regardless of the scores.

Russell Henley shot 65 and U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun had a 67. No one else broke 70, though all of them were at par or better. It’s not unusual to see prominent players in the same group for television. The difference here is that they’re all spending time together — same wave of tee times, same mansion to hang out in their spare time.

“I think it was a little different today just knowing that all of us were kind of paired in the same little area of tee times, and we obviously did spend a lot of time with each other this week so it definitely feels slightly different than it would have if this tournament was in March,” he said. “You know, the Ryder Cup is right around the corner.”

Just don’t get the idea this is a social week. Scheffler showed as much when he was visibly frustrated at a shot that defied gravity and stayed in thick rough over a bunker on the par-5 12th. He turned and slammed his club into the ground. The stance was so awkward that when he finally figured out how to play it, he had to jump down into the bunker after he hit it.

Scheffler made par. He made par on all the the par 5s, contributing to his first score that began with a “7” since his 72 in the third round of the Travelers Championship in June.

Hughes is playing for other reasons. He missed out on the top 50 in the FedEx Cup, which would have put him in all the $20 million signature events next year. But anyone finishing in the top 60 are the Fall Series gets into Pebble Beach and Riviera.

The 34-year-old from Dundas, Ont., had nine birdies in 13 holes and allowed his mind to think briefly about a 59, but only because he thought par was a 71. Either way, a pair of bogeys ended that, though he was happy enough with a 63.

“The goal is to get into that top 60 and set up my beginning to the year,” said Hughes, who is at No. 65. “I also won’t play five, six events to try to chase that. I’ve love to just play a few and get some good rest and be home a bunch this fall. That’s the plan right now. But we’ll see what happens.”

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., shot 3-under 69, Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., went 1-under 71 and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., was 4-over 76.

Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley was at Silverado, but only as a spectator.

“This is awesome to see,” Bradley said as he stood behind the 13th green watching Scheffler, Henley and Spaun walk side-by-side up the fairway.

Sam Burns had a 71, while the other Ryder Cup players — Justin Thomas, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay, Harris English and Collin Morikawa — were all at 72.

Those at 72 were just outside the cut going into Friday. Young is the only Ryder Cup player who has played a tournament with a 36-hole cut in the last five week.

Bryson DeChambeau was not in the field because he’s a LIV Golf player ineligible for PGA Tour events, while Xander Schauffele is home in Florida with a newborn son.