Canada’s lone PGA TOUR Champions event has raised more than $76 million since 2013

CALGARY, Alta. – The Shaw Charity Classic returned in record fashion in 2021 with Canadians chipping in to raise $14,797,827 for 233 children’s charities across Alberta.

After receiving the green light to safely bring the stars of the PGA TOUR Champions back to Calgary this summer, tournament officials and their generous partners vowed the event would play a key role in building our community back stronger from the pandemic.

Thanks to the generosity of Canadians from across the country, the Shaw Charity Classic has now raised more than $76 million for youth-based charities in Alberta since 2013 through its Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink charitable program.

“When the tournament started, we knew we had something special, but never could we have dreamed it would have grown into so much more than just a golf tournament. It is now a massive community support event that exceeds our expectations each year, and is something I am so proud to be a part of,” said Jim Riddell, Chair, Shaw Charity Classic.

Even in 2020, when golf’s greats weren’t able to play due to the pandemic, the community came together to raise more than $12 million to support the charities that need support now more than ever.

“With charitable giving being the heartbeat of the Shaw Charity Classic, the tournament simply has the power to rally the community like no other event I have seen. I truly believe that community support in Alberta is the reason this event continuously breaks charitable giving records each year,” added Riddell.

Shaw Communications donated $1.15 million to continue supporting charities participating in the Shaw Birdies For Kids program while the Shaw Family Foundation announced its donation of $1.5 million over three years.

“The ultimate goal of the Shaw Charity Classic has been, and always will be to better support as many youth and families in Alberta as possible,” said Brad Shaw, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Shaw Communications. “The growth and impact of the Shaw Charity Classic is undeniable – both in the amount of money raised and in the number of charities supported. None of this would have been possible without the enthusiastic and unwavering support of the Alberta community that gets behind the event year after year.”

Ultimately, it’s hundreds of thousands of Alberta children and their families who are once again the true winners.

Funds raised are helping deliver a positive impact for children in the areas of health, food support, family support, development and counselling, sports, arts, and youth programming.

The life-changing impacts of the tournament on Alberta’s youth this year include helping to provide: 

• More than 12,000 lunches for kids in need through Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids
• 8,900 kids in Edmonton with sports equipment through Sport Central Association
• 36,000 kids with literacy programming through the Educational Partnership Foundation
• 60,000 books to kids participating in Calgary Reads, and
• 7,000 backpacks to the Stephen’s Backpacks School program.

The ninth edition of the Shaw Charity Classic kicked off with amateur golfers from across Canada taking divots on the Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club layout over three days – first, during Blakes Women’s Day and then the sold-out RBC Championship Pro-Am. When three days of tournament play got underway, Canadians Stephen Ames and Mike Weir charged to the top of the leaderboard, but at the end it was a jubilant Doug Barron who donned the white Smithbilt cowboy hat as the 2021 champion.

Bringing world-class golf to Calgary to create a significant platform for charitable giving has always been core to the Shaw Charity Classic.

The introduction of the Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by AltaLink program ramped up the tournament’s charitable giving arm when it was created in 2015. The program was designed to be integrated into charities’ existing fundraising efforts to help generate new funds in communities across the country. Each of the participating charities connected to the Shaw Charity Classic receive 100 per cent of all donations collected on their behalf, plus up to 50 per cent in matched funding provided by the Shaw Charity Classic.

The 10th anniversary of the Shaw Charity Classic is scheduled to take place, August 1-7, at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club in Calgary.

Click here for more information on the event.

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda – Taylor Pendrith has plenty to be proud of after competing in the Butterfield Bermuda Championship this past weekend. The Richmond Hill, Ont. recorded his best finish on the PGA TOUR at T5 and broke a tournament record earlier in the week.

A rookie for the 2020-2021 season, Pendrith graduated from the Korn Ferry Tour last year. Prior to this tournament his best finish was at the Barbasol Championship where he placed T11.

Support for Pendrith flooded in from every corner of the country this weekend with supporters taking to social media to wish the rookie good luck. One of those supporters was fellow Team Canada member Corey Conners who recently attended Pendrith’s wedding.

Pendrith is keen to learn from the experience as he heads to Mexico for the Mayakoba World Wide Technology Championship next week.

“Lots of positives. Obviously it’s my best finish out here,” said Pendrith. “It was a tough Sunday, which I guess I’ll learn a lot from that, but to have a good week was great. I really hadn’t played much golf in the last two weeks, I think maybe twice, and I didn’t see the golf course until Thursday, so pretty pleased overall.”

Other Canadians in the field included Adam Svensson (-7), David Hearn (-4), Adam Hadwin (-3), Matt Hill (+3) and Nick Taylor (+5).

The full leaderboard can be found here.

SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda – Taylor Pendrith’s big game is working just fine on the PGA Tour’s shortest course, giving the Canadian a three-shot lead going into the final round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

Pendrith ran off four straight birdies around the turn at Port Royal, and then picked up two more birdies late in his round Saturday for a 6-under 65. He is going after his first PGA Tour title just four starts into his rookie season, and two weeks after he got married.

“I knew I was going to get on a run at some point during the round,” Pendrith said. “Was able to get four in a row and kind of really jump start the round.”

Pendrith was at 17-under 194.

Danny Lee holed a tough 6-foot par putt on the 18th cap off a 65 and stay in range, just three shots behind. Lee is the only player among the top five on the leaderboard who has won on the PGA Tour, though that was six years and 173 tournaments ago at the Greenbrier Classic.

Lucas Herbert of Australia, a two-time winner on the European Tour, had his second straight round of 65 and was four shots behind.

The first two years of the Bermuda Championship on the 6,828-yard Port Royal course were won by Brian Gay and Brendon Todd, two of the shorter hitters in today’s power era.

Pendrith is anything but that, and it was an example that length never hurts on any course.

Pendrith, who won twice on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada in 2019 as he made his way up the ranks to the PGA Tour, got off to a slow start until he began his run of four straight birdies starting on No. 7 and finishing at No. 10, where a big drive left him only a flip wedge.

The most impressive play was his tee shot on the 235-yard 16th hole, among the toughest at Port Royal. He found the right side of the green and then holed a 45-foot birdie putt to extend his lead to two shots.

He then took on the water with ease at the par-5 17th, leaving a two-putt birdie from 15 feet to widen his lead even more.

“It was nice to pick up a couple coming in, late” Pendrith said. “To see that 40-plus-footer go in was a bonus.”

He nearly picked up another birdie at the end. With the wind at his back, he smashed driver well over the bunker and off a cement cart path with the ball landing near a corporate tent not far from the green. He pitched beautifully up the slope, but missed an 8-foot birdie.

Trying to win for the first time in any conditions is never easy, and the forecast could only add to the drama for Pendrith. With wind and rain in the forecast, the PGA Tour has moved up the starting times as early as possible with hopes of finishing and avoiding a Monday finish.

The tour goes from the middle of the Atlantic Coach to the Gulf Coast of Mexico next week.

The Bermuda Championship began Thursday in gusts approaching 40 mph and spells of rain that forced play to be halted briefly. Pendrith was in the middle of that and shot 70, which felt almost as good as his 61 the following day in calm weather.

“I don’t think I’d ever want those conditions on Thursday again,” he said. “It’s nice to be a couple shots ahead. It’s going to probably be a crazy day. I’ll grind it out and see what happens.”

At stake is a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour and a spot in the Masters.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

Southampton, BER. – Friday was a good day for PGA TOUR rookie Taylor Pendrith. After competing in the 2nd round of the Butterfield Bermuda Chapionship, the Richmond Hill, Ont. native sits in the top spot on the leaderboard.

Pendrith fired 10 under par 61 with five consecutive birdies and an eagle on the 17th hole. The performance broke the course record.

“It was great. Felt a lot easier out there than yesterday obviously, so it
was nice to make some birdies. Got off to a great start and then made the turn. Made eagle on 17 and had a good look on 18. And I got five in a row I guess on the front nine, gave me some momentum and the putter was hot, saw some putts go in. Seemed like everything had a chance to go in”.

The Butterfield Bermuda Championship marks the 13th career start for Pendrith who earned his way onto the the PGA TOUR this season after competing in the Korn Ferry Finals. His previous best performance was at the 2021 Barbasol Championship where he finished 11th on the leaderboard.

Fellow Canadian Adam Svensson also held a spot in the top 10 with a score of 6 under. Adam Hadwin moved up the leaderboard 28 spots to finish 1 under, and David Hearn made the cut at minus 1.

Round 3 is set to commence Saturday morning. View the full leaderboard here.

SAVANNAH, Ga. – For the first time at the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament’s Final Stage, the Korn Ferry Tour will provide live streaming coverage of the final round from The Landings Club in Savannah, Georgia. Live streaming will be available Sunday, November 7 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET on the NBC Sports App and GolfChannel.com, with coverage highlighting a bubble group seeking guaranteed Korn Ferry Tour starts for 2022.

The Final Stage of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament, commonly known as Q-School, is the last phase of the competitive process for obtaining status on the Korn Ferry Tour for the following season. The medalist(s) at the Final Stage of Q-School receives fully exempt status for the upcoming season, while finishers 2-10 (and ties) receive guaranteed starts through the first 12 events of the season, and finishers 11-40 (and ties) earn guaranteed starts through the first eight events of the season.

“As we continue exploring innovative ways to connect with our fans, we’re excited to provide live tournament coverage of the final round of Q-School Final Stage for the first time,” said Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin. “The livestream broadcast will provide another valuable opportunity to showcase some of the incredible stories of our players, as well as highlight the grueling, yet rewarding, journey our players face as they compete and work their way to the Korn Ferry Tour.”

After being canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Q-School has returned in 2021, with pre-qualifying, First and Second Stages contested in recent months at various sites across the United States. Final Stage of Q-School is set for November 4-7 at The Landings Club’s Marshwood and Magnolia courses in Savannah, Georgia. This marks the first year The Landings Club will host Final Stage of Q-School.

The livestream will seek to tell the unique stories of Q-School as players bid for a top-40 finish. Play-by-play host Brian Katrek will be joined in the booth by analysts Andres Gonzales, a former Korn Ferry Tour player, and APGA golfer Doug Smith. They’ll be joined by on-course reporters Gary Christian and James Nitties, as well as Teryn Gregson, who will handle the post-round interviews.

In addition to the livestream’s availability on the NBC Sports App and GolfChannel.com, the first 30 minutes of the broadcast will also be live on the Korn Ferry Tour’s social media channels, including Twitter and Facebook, from 10 – 10:30 a.m. ET on November 7.

For more information about the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament, please visit PGATOUR.com.

Chiba, Japan – Mackenzie Hughes finished strong at the ZOZO Championship with a T4 finish at 3-under 67.

The 30 year old birdied five holes in round 4, finishing each round at six under.

This marked Hughes’ best result in three starts in the 2021-22 Season after finishing T25 at the CJ Cup @ Summit, and T35 at the Sanderson Farms Championship. It was also his first top-10 finish since placing T6 in the 2021 The Open Championship in July.

Fellow Canadian Roger Sloan finished tied for 71st.

Hideki Matsuyama, the reigning Masters champion, won the tournament by five strokes. With the victory, Japan-native Matsuyama becomes the fourth Masters champion since 2011 to win in his home country in the same year.

Click here for the full results.

Chiba Prefecture, Japan – Hamilton, Ont. native Mackenzie Hughes shot one under 69 on Saturday while competing in round 3 of the ZOZO Championship.

Hughes would birdie five shots including the 18th hole to move him five spots up the leaderboard to finish the round T9.

When round 4 kicks off on Sunday at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, Hughes will be chasing Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan who holds a one-stroke lead over American Cameron Tringale at minus 10.

Fellow Canadian Roger Sloan moved up 11 spots to finish the round T56.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

Las Vegas, NV. – In his second round at the CJ CUP @ SUMMIT, Mackenzie Hughes shot a low round with a bogey-free 62, highlighted by one eagle and eight birdies. He rose 48 spots on the leaderboard finishing the round at T8.

Hughes hit 14 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation, and had a great day on the green leaving no misses on putts within 10 feet. Hughes finished his day tied for 8th at 11 under.

After a 317 yard drive on the 377-yard par-4 first, Mackenzie Hughes chipped his second shot to 6 feet, which he rolled for one-putt birdie on the hole. This moved Mackenzie Hughes to 1 under for the round.

On the par-5 third, Hughes’s approach shot set himself up for the eagle on the hole. This moved Hughes to 3 under for the round.

On the 614-yard par-5 sixth hole, Hughes reached the green in 3 and sunk a 27-inch putt for birdie. This moved Hughes to 4 under for the round.

On the 491-yard par-4 eighth hole, Hughes reached the green in 2 and sunk a 26-foot putt for birdie. This moved Hughes to 5 under for the round.

On the par-4 ninth, Hughes’s 130 yard approach to 6 feet set himself up for the birdie on the hole. This moved Hughes to 6 under for the round.

After a 324 yard drive on the 360-yard par-4 12th, Hughes chipped his second shot to 6 feet, which he rolled for one-putt birdie on the hole.

On the 550-yard par-5 14th hole, Hughes reached the green in 3 and sunk a 23-inch putt for birdie.

At the 182-yard par-3 16th, Hughes hit a tee shot 192 yards at the green, setting himself up for the 9-foot putt for birdie. This moved Hughes to 9 under for the round.

On the 580-yard par-5 18th, Hughes had a birdie after hitting the green in 2 and two putting. This moved Hughes to 10 under for the round.

Hughes is the only Canadian competing in the tournament and goes into round three at seven shots back from leader Keith Mitchell.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

The Canadian trio of Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, and Taylor Pendrith were inducted together into the Kent State University Varsity “K” Hall of Fame as members of the 2021 Class on Oct. 9. 

“Kent State has meant the world to my family. I met my wife Jenna there. We named our first son, Kenton, after Kent,” said Hughes in a tweet on Monday. 

Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., was the first of the three current PGA TOUR golfers to make the journey to Kent State University in Kent, Ohio to play for the men’s golf team. Hughes played on the team between 2008 and 2012 and was named the MAC Freshman of the Year in his first season and was named to the First Team All-MAC in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. 

Conners, from Listowel, Ont., and Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., joined their fellow Ontario native at Kent State for the 2010-2011 season, and they both played for the Golden Flashes until 2014. 

Both Pendrith and Conners were named to the First Team All-MAC in their corresponding sophomore, junior and senior seasons. And while Conners was named the MAC Golfer of the Year for the 2011-12 season, Pendrith grabbed the MAC Golfer of the Year title for the following season. Conners and Pendrith were named the MAC Golfer of the Year together in their senior season.

Following his time at Kent State, Hughes went to the Mackenzie Tour the following golf season in 2013, where he finished first on the Order of Merit, earning him Korn Ferry Tour status for the 2014 season. Hughes eventually earned PGA TOUR status a few years later, for the 2017 season, where he’d go on to win The RSM Classic in just his fifth event of the season. 

In 2020, Hughes advanced to the TOUR Championship for the first time, finishing on the FedEx Cup standings at No. 14. 

Following his time playing for the Golden Flashes, Conners joined the Mackenzie Tour in 2015, and then the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica in 2016. He earned status on the Korn Ferry Tour for 2017, and after just one season, Conners quickly moved up the ranks to join his Kent State teammate, Hughes, on the top tour. In April 2019, Conners entered the Monday Qualifier to get into the Valero Texas Open field, and then went on to earn his first career PGA TOUR win at the event. He’d later advance to the TOUR Championship that same season, and again in 2021.

Joining his Kent State teammates on the PGA TOUR for the first time this season is Pendrith, who earned his status after finishing No. 7 on the Korn Ferry Tour’s point list for the combined 2020-21 season. Like Conners, Pendrith first joined the Mackenzie Tour in 2015. He’d go on to bounce between the Canadian tour and the Korn Ferry Tour over the course of five years before breaking through to the PGA TOUR in 2021. 

All three teammates previously played together at both the 2020 and 2021 U.S. Open’s, while Hughes and Conners were also named in June as the two men’s golfers to represent Canada at the Tokyo Olympics.

Other notable members of the Kent State University Varsity “K” Hall of Fame under men’s golf are Canadians David Moreland IV (2002) and Herb Page (1985). 

LAS VEGAS, NV. – Adam Hadwin finished the Shriners Children’s Open sitting T6 on the leaderboard. Hadwin hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation during his final round finishing at 18 under for the tournament.

On the 197-yard par-3 fifth, Hadwin’s tee shot went 164 yards to the left side of the fairway and his chip went 16 yards to the green where he rolled a two-putt for bogey. This moved him to 1 over for the round.

On the 563-yard par-5 ninth hole, Hadwin reached the green in 3 and sunk a sub 1-foot putt for birdie.

After a drive to the right side of the fairway on the 448-yard par-4 11th hole, Hadwin had a 139 yard approach shot, setting himself up for the birdie. This moved Hadwin to 1 under for the round.

On the par-4 12th, Hadwin’s 141 yard approach to 11 feet set himself up for the birdie on the hole.

On the par-5 13th, Hadwin’s approach shot set himself up for the birdie on the hole. This was his 3rd under-par hole in a row and moved Hadwin to 3 under for the round.

On the 341-yard par-4 15th Hadwin hit his tee shot 299 yards to the green. He ended up two putting for a birdie. This moved Hadwin to 4 under for the round.

Additional Canadians to place in the tournament included Corey Conners (T40), Taylor Pendrith (T47), and Nick Taylor (T47).