PGA TOUR

Ryan Fox chipped in from 54 feet away on the first playoff hole to defeat Harry Higgs and Mackenzie Hughes to win the Myrtle Beach Classic. It is his first PGA Tour title but the New Zealander is a three time winner on the European Tour. The victory also earned him an invitation to this week’s PGA Championship, the fourth straight year he will play in the major. Both Higgs and Hughes had a chance to win in regulation. Hughes, in search of his third career PGA title, had a one shot lead but missed a 10-foot par putt on the final hole. Higgs had a 25-footer for birdie on the final hole which would have given him the victory. In the playoff, both Hughes and Higgs found the fairway off the tee while Fox drove it into the rough. His approach ended up on the collar of the green while Hughes put his second shot to within 15 feet of the cup while Higgs faced a 26 footer. Fox made his birdie attempt while both Hughes and Higgs missed their attempts. It was the first loss in three career playoffs for Hughes. It is the fifth runner-up finish of his career and third top-10 result of the season. …Ben Silverman, making his 100th career PGA Tour start, snapped a streak of eight missed cuts with his second top-20 result of the year.

NEXT EVENT: PGA Championship (May 15)
CANADIANS ENTERED: Corey Conners, Adam Hadwin, Mackenzie Hughes, Taylor Pendrith, Nick Taylor

Sepp Straka overcame a pair of bogeys to start the back nine, grabbed the lead with a par on the 16th hole and outduelled Shane Lowry to win the Truist Championship. It is Straka’s four career win and second of the year, joining Rory McIlroy was the only other multi-winner this season. The victory will vault Straka into the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in his career. Tied with Straka after making birdie on No. 15, Lowry failed to convert a 6-footer for par to fall one back. After missing a 22-footer for birdie on the penultimate hole, he couldn’t convert a 27 footer for birdie on the final hole, settling for bogey and a tie for second with Justin Thomas. Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who was playing in his first individual event since winning the Masters, finished in a tie for seventh. …Corey Conners has finished inside the top-20 in six of his last seven starts. He has eight top-20 finishes this year. …Nick Taylor posted his fifth top-20 finish of the year and second in back-to-back starts since January.

LPGA TOUR

Jeeno Thitikul made only three birdies on Sunday but played bogey-free golf over her final 27 holes on the way to a four-shot win at the Mizuho Americas Open. It was her fifth LPGA title and first win of the year. The Thai player has 13 top-10 finishes in her last 15 starts. Celine Boutier earned her fifth career runner-up finish and third top-10 result of the season. Defending champion Nelly Korda, who is still looking for her first win of the year, finished in a tie for fifth. She was within a shot of Thitikul until a bogey on No. 9. She played the back nine in 2-over and was never a factor in the final outcome. …Brooke Henderson missed her third cut of the year, one more than she had in the entire 2024 season and the most she’s had since 2023.

NEXT EVENT: Mexico Riviera Maya Open (May 22)
CANADIANS ENTERED: Savannah Grewal, Alena Sharp, Maude-Aimee Leblanc, Maddie Szeryk (Reserve #8)

PGA TOUR AMERICAS

John Marshall Butler birdied three of his final five holes to win the Bupa Championship by a single stroke. It’s his first tour victory in just his 14th career start and comes almost a year after leading Auburn to its first-ever NCAA national golf title. Butler is also just the fifth player to earn status from the mid-season Q-School to win on Tour. The victory also moves him up to No. 1 in the Fortinet Cup standings. Vicente Marzilio finished runner-up, with Michael Brennan and Mats Ege tied for third. Brennan notched his fourth top-10 result of the season. …A.J. Ewart notched his third top-20 finish of the season. …Brendan Macdougall recorded his best result in five starts this year and his fifth top-25 finish over the last two seasons.

NEXT EVENT: Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship (May 22)

ASIAN TOUR

Lucas Herbert eagled the final hole for the second straight day to punctuate his five-shot victory at the International Series Japan. It was the first win on the Asian Tour for the Aussie, who also has victories on the PGA Tour, European Tour and PGA Tour of Australia. Herbert was five shots behind the leader late in the third round when he eagled two of the final three holes, turning that into a 10-shot swing with his final round 64. The win moves him atop the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Series rankings. Younghan Song and Yuta Sugiura finished tied for second. Sugiura carded a bogey-free round for the third time in four days. Cameron Tringale eagled the final hole to finish solo fourth.

NEXT EVENT: Kolon Korea Open (May 22)
CANADIANS ENTERED: Richard T. Lee, Sukwoan Ko, Yonggu Shin, Jared du Toit (Reserve #68), Blair Busey (Reserve #101), Richard Dou (Reserve #103), Sukhraj Gill (Reserve #125)

EUROPEAN TOUR

Martin Couvra made four birdies over his first six holes and rallied from a four shot deficit to win the Turkish Airlines Open by two strokes. It is the 22-year-old’s first European Tour title in just his 15th career start. The Frenchman has five top-10 finishes in his rookie campaign on the tour. Jorge Campillo of Spain and Haotong Li of China finished runner-up. Li also got off to a blistering start, going out in 30 but could only manage par on the back nine for his third runner-up result at this event.

NEXT EVENT:  Soudal Open (May 22)
CANADIANS ENTERED: Aaron Cockerill

EPSON TOUR

Sophia Popov had four birdies and outlasted the 100-degree heat to win the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic by two strokes. It was the fifth career win for the 32-year-old and first since the 2020 AIG Women’s Open. Michelle Zhang of China finished runner-up, followed by Valery Plata of Colombia in third. …Brooke Rivers posted her best career result on the development tour. She started the final round with birdies on six of her first eight holes, including five in a row.

NEXT EVENT: Copper Rock Championship (May 15)
CANADIANS ENTERED:  Ellie Szeryk, Leah John, Maddie Szeryk, Monet Chun, Yeji Kwon, Josee Doyon, Brooke Rivers, Mary Parsons, Brigitte Thibault (Reserve #13), Ashley Chow (Reserve #19)

A.J. Ewart understands that golf is not a game that you could perfect, but it’s a game where you could learn and work hard to make continual improvements. Having that mindset has helped the talented young golfer achieve an impressive list of accomplishments as an amateur – and now, he is focused on translating that success onto the professional ranks.

Reflecting on his journey in golf, the soon to be 26-year-old is grateful to his father, Brad Ewart, for introducing him to the sport during his early childhood years and teaching him the fundamentals.

“My dad had me swinging the golf club as soon as I could walk.  He was a pro golfer and was also a golf instructor – so I guess you could say I was born into it. It’s always something I’ve been around,” the Golf Canada National Team member recalled.

“My earliest memory was playing in a tournament at the age of five or six and I remembered that I really enjoyed playing outdoors.”

Young A.J. found his passion in golf and worked hard to better his game.

“It’s like anything you do, if you want to get good at it, you have to give it a lot of time. But putting in that work was always something I enjoyed.  It didn’t seem like work because I always enjoyed the process of getting better,” he noted.

“Obviously, golf isn’t a game you could perfect but you want to get as good at it as possible.”

Ewart would enjoy success as a junior golfer but says he first realized he might be able to play the sport at a high level after being selected to Golf Canada’s amateur squad back in 2017.

“Golf Canada provides us with so many resources and tools that we are fortunate to have.

I credit Golf Canada for a lot of my success,” he pointed out.

Ewart also credits his time at Barry University in Miami, Florida for a big part of his development as a golfer.  During his time at Barry, the Canadian National Team member won a school record 14 times.  And in 2022, he earned the Jack Nicklaus award as the number one golfer in NCAA Division II.

“Barry University has a good program and it worked for other guys so I went out for a visit and talked to the coach there and was thankful that I did – and I think everything happens for a reason,” said Ewart, who graduated with a major in communications and a minor in sports management.

“My collegiate coach instilled a strong work ethic; and the warm weather meant we were able to compete year round,” he added about his time at Barry University.

“Winning a regional championship was cool. We never won a national championship but had a couple of good runs.”

Another notable accomplishment came at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in 2021 where he recorded a runner up finish to champion, Max Sekulic.

“It was definitely a bright spot in my amateur career. It’s always cool to compete for your national title.  I was competing against a couple of my good friends down the stretch so was a lot of fun,” Ewart noted.

Someone very familiar with Ewart’s game is Team Canada Assistant Coach, Louis Melanson.

“A.J. is eager to learn and works very hard. He’s also a very intelligent and mature young man and applies that to his advantage on the golf course,” said Melanson.

“A.J. won’t out drive you but he’s very consistent. He doesn’t quit. He’s good at adapting and finding his own way and does his best to get the job done.  He plays a similar style to Nick Taylor.”

Melanson adds that the five foot 11 inch Ewart is a student of the game and has the right attitude and all the skills to succeed as a professional. He notes that Ewart has already won twice as a professional in 2024 – at the Sandpiper Open and at the Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open.

“Winning last year was huge for A.J. as it gave him the confidence that he could win as a professional.  And now it’s just about playing in more tournaments, learning and gaining that experience.”

Ewart also acknowledged the significance of his wins as a professional last year.

“It meant a lot and it gave me confidence in knowing that when I play my best golf, I’m just as good as anybody.”

With the goal of playing on the PGA Tour one day, the talented young golfer says it gives him added confidence to see the success of so many Canadian players who have gone through the program.

“Seeing so many Canadians having success on the PGA Tour proves that the program works,” said Ewart.

“Obviously, we want to be where those guys are one day and it gives us motivation to continue to work hard to get to that point.”

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA TOUR announced the 2025 PGA TOUR Americas schedule, which features 16 tournaments contested across eight countries, beginning in March and culminating in September at the Fortinet Cup Championship, where Korn Ferry Tour membership will be awarded to the top 10 finishers on the season-long Fortinet Cup standings.

For the second consecutive season, the top 10 players in the final Fortinet Cup standings will earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for the 2026 season. A $225,000 USD purse will be contested for at each of the 16 events, totaling a $3.6 million USD pot for the season. Additionally, a $100,000 bonus pool will be shared among the top 10 players, with $25,000 awarded to the points leader, courtesy of Fortinet.

“On the heels of the success of the inaugural PGA TOUR Americas season, we are thrilled to continue building on that momentum in 2025,” said Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin, who oversees PGA TOUR Pathways, which includes the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Americas, PGA TOUR University and PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry. “We have added some exceptional golf courses to the 2025 schedule, and we remain confident PGA TOUR Americas will identify and prepare golf’s emerging stars as players continue on their journey to the Korn Ferry Tour and ultimately the PGA TOUR.”

The 2025 PGA TOUR Americas schedule features two segments – the Latin America Swing (Segment I) and the North America Swing (Segment II). The Latin America Swing includes six events in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico and Colombia, while the North America Swing is comprised of 10 events – nine in Canada and one in the United States – and culminates with the Fortinet Cup Championship at Morgan Creek Golf Course in Surrey, British Columbia.

“We are delighted to continue our partnership with PGA TOUR Americas as the season long cup sponsor, culminating in the Fortinet Cup Championship,” said Marc Asturias, Vice President of Marketing and Field CISO for Government at Fortinet for Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada. “This year, we are excited to expand the Tour to include Cordoba, Argentina, and Mexico City, Mexico and to host the season finale in the greater Vancouver area, home to one of our major research and development centers. With over 24 years of leadership in the cybersecurity industry, Fortinet remains committed to bringing together our partners, customers, and communities to celebrate emerging golf talent, share the latest technology trends, and support local communities across the Americas.”

PGA TOUR Americas membership is comprised of players from the PGA TOUR Americas 2024 season and participants in the 2024 Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry, as well as players from PGA TOUR Americas Q-School (to be contested between the two segments in 2025) and players finishing No. 11-25 in the PGA TOUR University Class of 2025.

The PGA TOUR Americas season begins March 27-30 with the 93 Abierto del Centro Cordoba, held at Cordoba Golf Club in Argentina. After a one-year hiatus, PGA TOUR Americas will return to Argentina for the ninth edition of the Abierto del Centro (2013-19, 2022). Notable past champions of the event include PGA TOUR members Alejandro Tosti (2022), Tom Whitney (2019), and Cristobal Del Solar (2018).

Immediately following the season opener in Argentina, the Tour will return to the Rio Olympic Golf Course for the 70th Brazil Open (April 3-6). Recognized globally for hosting the 2016 Olympic Golf Competition, the Rio Olympic Golf Course will begin the first year of a three-year agreement which sees the Tour return to the famed course through at least 2027.

After a two-week break, the season resumes with the KIA Open (April 24-27) at Quito Tenis y Golf Club in Quito, Ecuador. As the only tournament to earn multiple awards in the 2024 season, the KIA Open was recognized for Best Tournament Brand Identity and Best Tournament Awareness.

The following week, the Tour will travel to Los Inkas Golf Club in Lima, Peru for the Diners Club Peru Open (May 1-4), which was named the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas Tournament of the Year. The Diners Club Peru Open enters its 12th year as a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event.

The three-week trip concludes with the Bupa Championship (May 8-11) at Club de Golf Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico. While the 2024 Bupa Championship was contested at Tulum Country Club, now host of the Korn Ferry Tour’s PGA Riviera Maya Championship, the 2025 Bupa Championship will see the Tour return to Club de Golf Mexico for the first time since 2013.

A one-week break in the schedule leads into the Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship (May 22-25) at El Rincon Golf Club in Bogota, Colombia. The Inter Rapidisimo Golf Championship marks the conclusion of the Latin America Swing, with the top 60 players in the Fortinet Cup retaining membership for Segment II in North America. The Nos. 1 and 2 players in the Fortinet Cup at the conclusion of the Latin America Swing will earn conditional membership for the Korn Ferry Tour 2026 season.

After the Latin America Swing and before the North America Swing, PGA TOUR Americas Q-School will be contested across six sites. Five sites will be in North America, while the sixth will be a new site in Colombia. The top nine finishers from each Q-School site will earn exempt membership for PGA TOUR Americas, starting with the 10-event North America Swing, while players finishing 10th-25th (and ties) from each site will earn conditional status.

The PGA TOUR Americas summer slate begins on the east coast of Canada and works westward, starting with the Explore NB Open (July 3-6) at Mactaquac Golf Course in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The following week, the Tour heads to the Bromont Open (July 10-13) at Golf Chateau-Bromont in Bromont, Quebec.

After a one-week break, the second three-week stint of the schedule begins with the Commissionaires Ottawa Open (July 24-27) at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Ottawa, Ontario. The Tour will then return to TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (July 31-August 3), previously host of the 2024 season finale, for the Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates. With the North Course hosting the 2025 RBC Canadian Open, the 2025 Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates will be contested on the Heathlands Course. The BioSteel Championship (August 7-10) at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor will wrap up the three-week stretch of Ontario-based events.

The Tour returns from a week off with the Manitoba Open (August 21-24) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The 2025 tournament marks the beginning of a five-course rotation, with Breezy Bend Country Club serving as the first host venue. The Tour then heads to its only U.S. event, the CRMC Championship presented by Northern Pacific Center (August 28-31) at Cragun’s Legacy Courses in Brainerd, Minnesota.

After a one-week break, the closing stretch of the 2025 PGA TOUR Americas season commences with the ATB Classic (September 11-14) at Northern Bear Golf Course in Edmonton, Alberta, followed by the Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist (September 18-21) at Uplands Golf Club in Victoria, British Columbia. The top 120 players in the Fortinet Cup upon conclusion of the Victoria Open presented by Times Colonist will be eligible to compete at the season-ending Fortinet Cup Championship.

The Fortinet Cup Championship (September 25-28) will be contested at Morgan Creek Golf Course in Surrey, British Columbia. Morgan Creek Golf Course is the newest addition to the PGA TOUR Americas schedule, as the golf course will host its first PGA TOUR-sanctioned event to round out the Tour’s second season.

For more information on the 2025 PGA TOUR Americas season, please visit PGATOUR.com/americas.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida and SURREY, B.C. – PGA TOUR Americas announced Tuesday that Morgan Creek Golf Course in Surrey, British Columbia, will host the Fortinet Cup Championship in 2025. The 16th and final event of the PGA TOUR Americas season will include the top 120 players in the season-long Fortinet Cup and will be contested September 22-28, 2025. The 72-hole event will determine the Fortinet Cup Champion and the season’s top 10 players who will earn Korn Ferry Tour cards for the 2026 season.

“We’re delighted to partner with Morgan Creek and their fantastic team and look forward to contesting the Fortinet Cup Championship in the greater Vancouver area, for the first time in the history of the event,” said Scott Pritchard, Vice President of PGA TOUR Americas. “It’s been a mutual goal of ours and Fortinet to play the Fortinet Cup Championship in the Greater Vancouver Area since the inception of our partnership and we are looking forward to an amazing competition at one of British Columbia’s premier venues.”

Designed by Thomas McBroom, Morgan Creek has earned the reputation as one of the top golf courses in Canada since it opened in 1995. The course plays as a par 72 and just under 7,000 yards. For the Fortinet Cup Championship, players will play the course as a par 70, as two par 5s will be converted into par 4s. The Fortinet Cup Championship will be the first PGA TOUR-sanctioned tournament hosted by Morgan Creek, however the club is no stranger to hosting national and international tournaments and has hosted Golf Canada, PGA of B.C. and Maple Leaf Junior Tour events. Additionally, Morgan Creek has hosted Open Qualifiers for the RBC Canadian Open and the LPGA’s CPKC Women’s Open.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome the Fortinet Cup Championship to Morgan Creek,” said Tom Doull, Director of Golf Operations at Morgan Creek Golf Course. “This prestigious event is the perfect match for our commitment to excellence in golf, and we are thrilled to showcase our course on an international stage. We can’t wait to celebrate the season’s top players and create a memorable experience for everyone involved.”

The Fortinet Cup Championship has proven to be a pivotal stop for the future stars of the PGA TOUR. Past participants of the Fortinet Cup Championship include PGA TOUR member and 2023 Fortinet Cup Champion Hayden Springer, Tony Finau, Jake Knapp and 2024 Presidents Cup International Team members Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith.

“We are very excited about the arrival of the Fortinet Cup Championship in British Columbia for 2025,” stated Gordon Phillips, Vice President of Western Canada at Fortinet. “This event will be the perfect opportunity to bring together our customers and partners and provide them with the best golf in Canada, as well as experience Fortinet’s industry-leading cybersecurity technology and commitment to the local community, built on more than 2,000 Fortinet employees based in the lower mainland in BC. Fortinet has strong ties with BC, home to our largest R&D facility and the FortiGuard´s threat intelligence team.”

“As the Title Sponsor for the Fortinet Cup Championship, we are proud to partner with PGA TOUR Americas to host this prestigious event at Morgan Creek Golf Course in Surrey, BC,” said Marc Asturias, Vice President of Marketing and Field CISO for Government at Fortinet Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. “For the last 25 years, Fortinet has been a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. This sponsorship allows us to further our commitment to excellence in cybersecurity, fostering community engagement, promoting young golf talent, and helping the local communities.”

Since Fortinet became the Cup sponsor and season-ending Fortinet Cup Championship title sponsor, the tournament has partnered with deserving charities, including the Corey and Mallory Conners Family Fund, Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids and most recently the First Tee of Ontario. Giving back to the community remains an integral pillar to this event and Fortinet will be announcing the charity partner in the coming months.

The 16-event PGA TOUR Americas season will consist of six events in Latin America, and 10 in North America, nine of which are in Canada. PGA TOUR Americas will announce the complete 2025 schedule in the coming weeks.

RESORT VILLAGE OF ELK RIDGE, Saskatchewan – Team Canada member A.J. Ewart claimed his first professional victory at the Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open presented by Lake Country Co-op and moved into the No. 14 position of the Fortinet Cup. John Keefer captured his fourth runner-up finish alongside Grant Booth and Brendon Doyle. Six players tied for fifth.

Ewart made his fifth start of the PGA TOUR Americas season this week and gained entry into the field via sponsor exemption. The 25-year-old began and ended the tournament at the top of the leaderboard after finalizing Thursday’s first round in solo possession of the lead. Through 36 holes, Ewart shared the lead with three other players and reclaimed the individual lead by one stroke after Saturday’s third round. At one point Sunday afternoon, with four holes remaining, Ewart was part of a four-way tie for the lead. A birdie on No. 16 boosted Ewart back to the top, and with late bogeys from playing partners Chuan-Tai Lin and Bryce Lewis, Ewart claimed victory with a par on the 18th hole.

With his victory, Ewart became a fully exempt member on PGA TOUR Americas for the rest of the 2024 season and through the Latin America Swing of 2025. From relying on sponsor exemptions to get into events to now having a place to play until next season, Ewart relays, “It’s really special just having some job security, right, and knowing where you’re going to be and plan ahead. The last month and a half or two months have been kind of chaotic, I didn’t know where I was going to be or what I was going to be doing, just playing everywhere and whatnot. Now it’s nice to know exactly what’s going to happen.”

Not only did a victory secure Ewart exempt membership, but it moved him 155 spots up the Fortinet Cup to No. 14 in the points list. Given that Ewart is safely inside the top 120 of the Fortinet Cup, he is expected to play in the next two full-field events, as well as the limited-field, season-ending Fortinet Cup Championship. The top 10 players in the Fortinet Cup following the conclusion of the Fortinet Cup Championship will earn Korn Ferry Tour cards for the 2025 season.

“Yeah, obviously it’s special, right,” said Ewart on the opportunity to content for a Korn Ferry Tour card. “That’s what we want to be. We want to keep moving on up and eventually make our way to the PGA TOUR. To have a chance for a Korn Ferry Tour card is everything that I could wish for. I’m thankful to be in this position and looking to make the most of the opportunity.”

Prior to this season, the Coquitlam native entered into his first year as a professional after graduating from a four-year collegiate career at Barry University. He accounted for 14 collegiate victories, breaking the previous record held by PGA TOUR player Adam Svensson. Upon graduation, Ewart qualified for PGA TOUR Canada, but on the outcome of only three made cuts, finished No. 89 in the Fortinet Cup and lost status.

Moving into his second season as a professional in 2024, Ewart appeared in three other events (prior to the Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open) on the basis of sponsor exemptions, as well as a fourth event due to his season-best and top-25 finish at the Explore NB Open (T25/-14). With Sunday’s victory, Ewart will round out the rest of the season as a fully exempt member on PGA TOUR Americas, and is expected to be in the field at next week’s CentrePort Canada Rail Park Manitoba Open.

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.

Matthew Anderson doesn’t hesitate when asked what his long-term goals are as a professional golfer.

“Win on the PGA Tour, be a top ranked player in the world. That is absolutely the goal,” said Anderson.

The 24-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., is well on his way, finishing atop the PGA Tour Americas rankings after the Latin American swing of the third-tier men’s golf circuit. Being in the top of two at the break earns him a partial exemption on next year’s Korn Ferry Tour, a step up from the Americas Tour.

He’ll be No. 1 in the Fortinet Cup standings when the Americas Tour picks up again with The Beachlands Victoria Open on June 20, the first event in the circuit’s North American swing. Although Anderson is happy with his season so far, he can’t take his foot off the gas if he wants full status on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025.

“I think, coming in the top 10 at the end of the season is beneficial,” said Anderson, shortly after returning home to Ontario for a Golf Canada event. “Depending on my rank in that top 10 at the end of the season, I’ll get more starts on the Korn Ferry.

“It’s all complicated, but although I have locked up some status, ultimately I want to finish as high as I can at the end of the season for next year.”

Anderson was also one of six Canadians who accepted exemptions on Wednesday into next week’s RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ancaster, Ont. It will be his second appearance at the men’s national golf championship, having missed the cut in 2019 when it was last in Ancaster.

He climbed the Fortinet Cup standings and earned the exemption into the Canadian Open largely thanks to a win at the 69th ECP Brazil Open on April 21 and three top-five finishes in six events on the Americas Tour.

Anderson said improving his short game and putting has helped him play the best golf of his young career.

“I’ve always been a good ball striker but those were a couple of areas that I wanted to improve on,” said Anderson. “So obviously those improving led me to shoot some better scores and play some good golf.

“I think I just had a good attitude about going down (to Latin America) and making the best of it, maybe a little bit better than some other guys did.”

Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald also earned an exemption into the Canadian Open for his strong start to the season on PGA Tour Americas, highlighted by a win at the Diners Club Peru Open. He’s currently fourth on the Fortinet Cup standings and will be appearing in his third men’s national championship.

Jared du Toit, of Kimberley, B.C., and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., will also be returning to the Canadian Open this year.

Toronto’s Richard T. Lee also earned an exemption. He competes on the Asian Tour, where he is currently ranked eighth on its Order of Merit. Lee has earned two top-10 finishes as well as four top-25 finishes this season and has won twice in his career on the tour.

PGA Tour veteran David Hearn of Brantford, Ont. has also accepted an exemption to compete in his 20th Canadian Open.

Four other Canadians earned exemptions on Wednesday through the Canadian Open’s regional qualifying: Vancouver’s Jake Lane, amateur Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont., Marc-Olivier Plasse of Léry, Que., and amateur Cam Kellett of London, Ont.

RBC CANADIAN OPEN 2025 — TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont., was named the host of the 2025 RBC Canadian Open on Tuesday. Golf Canada and the PGA Tour jointly made the announcement that the recently renovated 7,445-yard North Course will be used for the men’s national championship. It will become the 38th golf course in the 121-year history of the event to host the tournament.

“This incredible property with its spectacular clubhouse and facilities will deliver an outstanding and dramatic competition supported by an operational capacity befitting a world-class championship,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “This is a special and deserving moment for TPC Toronto in stepping onto the global golf stage in hosting the 114th playing of our national open championship.”

PGA TOUR — Adam Svensson and Ben Silverman are the only Canadians in the Charles Schwab Challenge this week at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Most Canadians on the top tour are taking the week off ahead of next week’s national championship. Svensson, from Surrey, B.C., is 95th on the FedEx Cup standings. Silverman, from Thornhill, Ont., is ranked 115th.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Creighton is the top-ranked Canadian heading into this week’s Visit Knoxville Open. He’s No. 14 on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour’s points list. He’ll be joined by four other Canadians at Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tenn. Edmonton’s Wil Bateman, No. 21 on the points list, Etienne Papineau (36th) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., du Toit (95th), and Sudarshan Yellamaraju (130th) of Mississauga, Ont., will also tee it up.

DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., is the lone Canadian at the Soudal Open. He’s ranked 20th in the Race to Dubai rankings heading into the tournament at Rinkven International Golf Club in Antwerp, Belgium.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames is second in the Schwab Cup standings before the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship tees off on Thursday. He’ll be joined by Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., ranked 32nd, at Harbor Shores Resort in Benton Harbor, Mich.

QUITO, Ecuador – With Stuart Macdonald winning the Diners Club Perú Open this past Sunday and Matthew Anderson claiming the 69th ECP Brazil Open a week earlier, Canadian players are on the rise in the early stages of the race for the Fortinet Cup.

Anderson, who followed his win with a share of the 18th spot in Peru, improved his point total to 696 to remain the PGA TOUR Americas No.1 player for the second consecutive week. Meanwhile, Macdonald rose from 22nd to third in the standings with a 613-point total.

“There’s a lot to play for every week and this is a big step forward,” said the 29-year-old Macdonald after his two-shot win Sunday at Los Inkas Golf Club, where he earned 500 Fortinet Cup points.

Through four events played this season, there are seven Canadian players currently inside the top 60 who would secure exempt status for the North America Swing that follows the six-event Latin America Swing. The other Canadians behind Anderson and Macdonald are Joey Savoie (18th), Lawren Rowe (35th), Thomas Giroux (39th), Jeevan Sihota (47th) and Jimmy Jones (50th).

“Golf Canada has done an unbelievable job developing all of our players. As you can see, every year we’ve got more and more players on the PGA TOUR, the Korn Ferry Tour, and this tour. There’s a lot of Canadian depth and a lot of that we can attribute to Golf Canada and its coaching staff,” added Macdonald about the current state of Canadian golf across the PGA TOUR-sanctioned tours.

The one player between the leading Canadians is Mexico’s José de Jesús Rodríguez, who tied for fifth in Peru and is second on Tour with a 657-point total. The 43-year-old veteran will not be playing this week’s event at Quito Tennis & Golf Club.

Aside from Macdonald, the other big Fortinet Cup move was made by Wisconsin native Samuel Anderson. Coming off a tie for sixth at the 69th ECP Brazil Open, the 25-year-old gave Macdonald a run for his money late on Sunday.

“(I) didn’t play my best, but I kind of hung in there and hit some awesome shots coming down the stretch, which was great,” said Anderson about his play Sunday in Lima. “I mean, I hit an awesome shot on 16 and I even gave myself a look on 17, which is a super tough par 3. I’m happy with how I played overall and I’m looking forward to Ecuador.”

The solo second finish earned Anderson 300 Fortinet Cup points and allowed him to move from 17th to fifth in the standings. Anderson was ranked 55th before his last two starts.

Finishing only a shot behind Anderson, Argentina’s Julián Etulain was the top Latin performer in Peru. His tie for third at Los Inkas Golf Club was his second third-place finish of the season. It allowed him to defend his position as No. 8 in the standings.

“I’m happy to keep adding points to my tally,” said the 35-year-old Etulain. “Hopefully, we can keep playing well these next two weeks to make the Latin Swing top 2 and secure a (Korn Ferry Tour) card for next year.”

The KIA Open, which is set to begin Thursday at the Quito Tennis & Golf Club in Quito, Ecuador, is the fifth event of the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas season and one of just two events left to play in the Latin America Swing.

Fortinet Cup Points List Top 10

Through 4 of 16 events

Stuart Macdonald won the Diners Club Peru Open on Sunday after carding a 1-under 71 in the final round. Macdonald climbs into the No. 3 spot in the Fortinet Cup season-long standings after securing his second career PGA TOUR-sanctioned win at Los Inkas Golf Club.

This is the second time Macdonald has been victorious in Peru. As an amateur, the Vancouver native won the 29th Lima Golf Club International Amateur Championship in 2017. Macdonald is the first Canadian to win the Diners Club Peru Open since it became a PGA TOUR Sanctioned event in 2012. 

Prior to 2024, Macdonald was one of the most consistent performers on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica in 2023. Macdonald did not miss the cut and only finished outside of the top-25 once in eight starts, including a T14 finish at the 2023 Diners Club Peru Open.

Macdonald carried that momentum to PGA TOUR Canada in 2023. In six starts, Macdonald finished with three top-20 finishes and only missed the cut once. Macdonald’s best finish came at the 2023 Commissionaires Ottawa Open, where he defeated Devon Bling and Luke Schniederjans in a playoff to claim his first PGA TOUR-sanctioned win. Macdonald picked up a second top-5 finish at the 2023 Windsor Championship, where he finished T2.

Prior to turning professional in 2017, the Vancouver native starred at Purdue University from 2012-2016. Macdonald ended his career with the 14th best scoring average in Purdue program history and finished fourth on the team in top-10’s his senior year with four.

Macdonald is expected to be in the field at the Kia Open, the fifth event of the Latin America Swing, which will be hosted at the Quito Tenis y Golf Club from May 2-5 in Quito, Ecuador.

Securing the win with your Dad right beside you on the bag.
Nothing like it ❤️ pic.twitter.com/qtvuwJxOQL

— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) April 28, 2024

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Matthew Anderson carded his third consecutive sub-70 round to win the 69th ECP Brazil Open at the Rio Olympic Golf Course. Anderson was one shot off the lead after 16 holes but rallied to make back-to-back birdies on Nos. 17 and 18 to secure his first victory as a professional.  

Anderson’s breakthrough win comes after T21 and T3 finishes at the season-opening Bupa Championship at Tulum and the Totalplay Championship at Atlas Country Club. Anderson’s maiden victory vaults him into the No. 1 spot in the Fortinet Cup season-long ranking through three tournaments. 

The Mississauga, Ont., native is the first Canadian to win on PGA TOUR Americas and has registered six top-25’s since he turned pro last summer. Anderson found success early in his career by winning the 2019 Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship. He was selected for Golf Canada’s Team Canada program in 2021-22 and has been part of the team since.

Prior to turning pro, Anderson came off an impressive finish in his graduate season at the University of San Francisco, earning All-American honors after notching a top-15 finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships. From there, Anderson gained status on PGA TOUR Canada via a fourth-place finish at the PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournament. He finished 50^th in the 2023 Fortinet Cup standings to gain membership into the inaugural PGA TOUR Americas season.

Anderson is expected to be in the field at the Diners Club Peru Open, the fourth event of the Latin America Swing, which will be hosted at Los Inkas Golf Club from April 25-28 in Lima, Peru.

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