CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — The BMW Championship is the last stop before the leading six players get automatic spots in the Presidents Cup next month at Royal Montreal.

Turns out the first FedEx Cup playoff event had a strong effect, too.

Jordan Spieth might have been a long shot to make the U.S. team, but last week sealed it. He finished 26 shots out of the lead, failed to advance and said he would be having surgery on his left wrist. His season is over.

It also was a big blow to Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., who dropped out of the top 50. International captain Mike Weir wants a strong Canadian presence, but none is in the top six and four other Canadians are ahead of Hughes.

Weir gets six captain’s picks after the Tour Championship. Hughes won’t be at East Lake, either. This comes two years after Hughes, renowned for his putting, was curiously left off the International side for the matches at Quail Hollow, where he is a member.

Fellow Canadians Corey Conners, Adam Hadwin of and Taylor Pendrith are all in the field at the BMW Championship.

Conners is currently 7th on the Presidents Cup International Team standings. Hadwin is 12th and Pendrith sits 13th.

Nick Taylor is currently 11th, but did not advance to this week’s BMW Championship.

For the Americans, there figures to be significant turnover from their last team competition at the Ryder Cup.

Three players already are effectively eliminated — Spieth, Rickie Fowler (didn’t qualify for the postseason) and Brooks Koepka (ineligible because he plays for LIV Golf).

The leading five — Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark and Patrick Cantlay — were at Marco Simone. Sahith Theegala is holding down the sixth spot over Tony Finau.

Max Homa, who went 4-0 in his Presidents Cup debut at Quail Hollow, finished last in the 70-man field last week. He has not contended since his Sunday chance at the Masters (his lone top 10 was at Wells Fargo, where he finished 13 shots behind). Homa is at No. 9 in the standings.

Right behind is Brian Harman, who has one top 10 in his last 13 starts.

The wild card, again, is Justin Thomas. He is at No. 16 in the standings and he could use a mile-high effort this week. Thomas faced plenty of scrutiny from being picked for the Ryder Cup team without having qualified for the postseason.

U.S. captain Jim Furyk could have some interesting choices, such as 20-year-old Nick Dunlap or 22-year-old Akshay Bhatia, depending on what kind of performances he sees at Castle Pines and then East Lake.

The International team, which has lost nine in a row, is the side that would appear to have some stability. The leading five players were at Quail Hollow and Byeong Hun An played in the 2019 matches. Four others from the ’22 team have done well enough to merit consideration.

Winners out

Winning a PGA Tour event that offers full FedEx Cup points is worth a trip to the Masters and PGA Championship, a start at Kapalua for The Sentry and a two-year exemption. But it doesn’t guarantee the top 50 in the FedEx Cup and the guarantee of playing the eight $20 million signature events the following year.

Nick Taylor (Phoenix Open), Jake Knapp (Mexico Open), Peter Malnati (Valspar Championship), Davis Riley (Colonial) and Jhonattan Vegas (3M Open) did not reach the BMW Championship.

Don’t expect Vegas to lose sleep over it. He was No. 139 in the FedEx Cup and in danger of losing his card when he won in Minnesota.

MONTREAL – International Team Captain Mike Weir announced Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama as his fifth and final captain’s assistant for the 2024 Presidents Cup, which returns to The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Sept. 24-29. Maruyama joins fellow captains assistants Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, Geoff Ogilvy and Camilo Villegas, who were announced in April. 

Maruyama competed in the Presidents Cup in 1998 and 2000, compiling a 6-2-0 record, including a 5-0-0 performance in the former, when the International Team defeated the U.S. Team in Australia, 20.5-11.5. He is one of only six players in Presidents Cup history to post a 5-0-0 record on the week.

“I am thrilled to announce Shigeki as my fifth captain’s assistant for the 2024 Presidents Cup,” said Weir. “His record in this event speaks for itself, but more importantly, he adds a trusted voice in our team room and is someone who will inspire these 12 players through his unwavering support and dynamic personality.”

Maruyama won three times during his PGA TOUR career, with his last victory coming at the 2003 Wyndham Championship. The 54-year-old posted three top-10 finishes in major championships, including a career-best T4 at the 2004 U.S. Open. Maruyama won 10 times on the Japan Golf Tour and represented Japan in the 2002 World Cup of Golf, partnering with Toshimitsu Izawa to notch a two-shot victory over the United States team of Phil Mickelson and David Toms.

“Representing the International Team in the Presidents Cup as both a player in 1998 and 2000 and later as a captain’s assistant in 2013 was one of the most valuable experiences in my golf career,” said Maruyama. “I am honored that Captain Weir has given me the chance to be part of this special brotherhood once again. I am looking forward to a great week in Montreal and helping to deliver an incredible atmosphere for our players and fans in Canada.”

Mike Weir has plenty of tough decisions leading up to the 2024 Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club in late September.

As captain of the International Team, Weir has been keeping tabs on players who could potentially take on the powerhouse Americans at the biannual best-on-best men’s tournament.

“This is crunch time for a lot of players,” said Weir in Calgary on Tuesday at a press conference ahead of the 2024 Rogers Charity Classic at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club. “We have six automatic spots off the world rankings and then there’s six picks with a lot of Canadians in the mix, so hoping they’re going to really play well the next couple weeks and that I can pick them for the team.”

With Olympic gold medallist Scottie Scheffler and recent two-time major champion Xander Schauffele leading the American side, Weir will count on leadership from Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, fresh off winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, who is atop the International standings.

Tom Kim and Sungjae Im are second and third in the International Team rankings, while fellow South Korean national Byeong Hun An is in sixth. Veteran Australian golfers Jason Day and Adam Scott are sitting comfortably in fourth and fifth.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., who competed at the 2022 edition of the Presidents Cup along with Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is currently in a good position in seventh spot in the International standings.

Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin, both of Abbotsford B.C., are holding down the 11th and 12th spots, while Pendrith is right behind them in 13th and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., isn’t far back in 15th.

“As I’ve said all along, it’s an international team,” said Weir, who will rely on help from his captain’s assistants Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, Geoff Ogilvy and Camilo Villegas to select the best squad. “It’s not Team Canada, so you have to be fair to everybody. A lot of guys are playing well.

“I really like our team the way it’s shaping up. Guys are very excited. I’ve been engaged with the players since the get-go, since I became the captain. Players have reached out to me and they’re very engaged and excited to be on the team.”

While he’ll be taking part at the Rogers Charity Classic (formerly Shaw Charity Classic) for the fourth straight year, Weir will have the upcoming Presidents Cup on the top of his mind.

“Even though I’m working on my game and playing, my mind is constantly thinking about it,” said the 54-year-old Canadian Golf Hall of Famer from Brights Grove, Ont. “Calls before rounds, calls after rounds, texting with guys, our analytics guys. I’m trying to get all the information I can in regards to the players so I can make the best decision upcoming in the next couple weeks.

“I don’t want to make a decision on a whim. I want to have all the information and stats on the players so I can make an informed decision. Yeah, a little bit harder to play but still fun. I found a nice balance.”

That being said, Weir will still do his best to have a good showing at the annual PGA Tour Champions tournament.

“It’s always great to come home, for sure,” said Weir, who’s best showing at the senior-circuit stop in Calgary was a tie for ninth in 2021. “This is the only time we get to do that on the Champions Tour right now. It’s a great golf course. From the first time I played here a few years ago, I really liked the golf course. I’d like to play a little better on it hopefully this year, but always enjoy playing here.

“The city is great. Great restaurants, great food. The fans come out here better than probably any other event on the Champions Tour, so I think all the players enjoy coming here to Calgary.”

The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) Virtual Summit presented by RBC: 2024 Presidents Cup took place August 13, 2024, as part of an ongoing GJAC series intended to help membership stay connected, as well as to generate discussion and opportunities around important issues in the game.

The format consists of a moderated question and answer period, followed by a brief opportunity for questions from attendees. 

Panelists for this Virtual Summit included:

• Mike Weir – Presidents Cup International Team Captain
• Ryan Hart – Executive Director – 2024 Presidents Cup
• Scott Dickson – GM & Secretary – Royal Montreal Golf Club Moderator: Jason Logan, Editor of SCOREGolf

MONTREAL – With exactly 50 days to go until the Presidents Cup returns to The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, U.S. and International Teams are starting to take shape with just three more events until the top six automatic qualifiers are locked up following the BMW Championship on Sunday, August 25.

Over the last two weeks, the only movement inside the top six for the U.S. Team has been Sahith Theegala and Patrick Cantlay switching spots, currently sitting at No. 5 and 6, respectively. The top four players have remained unchanged with Scottie Scheffler further cementing his spot at No. 1 following a final-round 62 in Paris to secure a gold medal in the Olympic men’s golf competition. 

“I think any time you can be part of the Olympics is really special and for golf to be on the Olympic stage is a tremendous amount of fun for us. I think after the first Olympics, I think it held pretty high place in our game and I think it still stands today,” said Scheffler. 

The 2024 U.S. Team will be comprised of six (6) automatic qualifiers and six (6) Captain’s picks, with a weighted system based on FedExCup Points from January 1, 2023, through August 25, 2024. The automatic qualifiers will be the top six eligible U.S. players in the OWGR after completion of the 2024 BMW Championship.

Top-6 U.S. Team standings:

1.         Scottie Scheffler

2.         Xander Schauffele

3.         Collin Morikawa

4.         Wyndham Clark

5.         Sahith Theegala

6.         Patrick Cantlay

For the International Team, Matsuyama remained atop the standings after earning the bronze medal in Paris, while Tom Kim moved up to No. 2 following an eighth-place finish. Outside of Kim and Sungjae Im switching spots between Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, the rest of the top six remains unchanged over the last two weeks with Jason Day, Byeong Hun An and Adam Scott rounding out the group.

With Canadian icon Mike Weir serving as captain of the International Team, much attention has been put on the top players from the host country for this year’s Presidents Cup. With three weeks to go, there are currently five Canadian players inside the top 15 in the International Team standings: Corey Conners (8), Nick Taylor (10), Adam Hadwin (12), Taylor Pendrith (13), and Mackenzie Hughes (15).

The 2024 International Team will be comprised of six (6) automatic qualifiers and (6) Captain’s picks, with the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) being used to determine the former. The automatic qualifiers will be the top six eligible international players in the OWGR after completion of the 2024 BMW Championship. 

Top-6 International Team standings:

1. Hideki Matsuyama
2. Tom Kim
3. Sungjae Im
4. Jason Day
5. Byeong Hun An
6. Adam Scott

To view the complete 2024 Presidents Cup standings for both teams, please click here.

BLAINE, Minn. — Taylor Pendrith shot a 7-under 64 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead over Matt NeSmith into the weekend in the 3M Open.

Playing in windier afternoon conditions, Pendrith made a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th and tapped in for another birdie on the par-5 18th. He had a 12-under 130 total at the TPC Twin Cities, playing the first 36 holes without a bogey.

The 33-year-old Canadian won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May in Texas for his first PGA Tour title. He tied for fifth last week in the Barracuda Championship in California.

NeSmith had a 64 in the morning before wind gusts topping 20 mph hit the course in the afternoon and early evening.

Seeking his first PGA Tour victory, NeSmith lost in a playoff two weeks ago at the ISCO Championship in Kentucky, his lone top-10 finish in 20 prior starts this season. He has missed 11 cuts.

First-round leader Jacob Bridgeman had a 70 to drop three strokes back at 9 under with Andrew Putnam (66). Doug Ghim (64), Lanto Griffin (66), Alex Smalley (65) and Jhonattan Vegas (66) were 8 under.

The event is the second-to-last tournament before the FedEx Cup playoffs begin, with some players near the 70-player cutoff failing to advance to the weekend. Nick Dunlap (64th in the standings), Luke List (71st) and defending champion Lee Hodges (73rd) missed the cut.

St Andrews, Scotland: The ticket ballot for The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush is now open. Fans can submit ticket applications from today until 3pm BST on Wednesday 31 July 2024, with the results being announced in stages during August and September.

Apply for tickets to TheOpen

The ballot approach ensures all fans will have a fair opportunity to attend the Championship, which is taking place in Northern Ireland from 13-20 July 2025.

The ticket ballot is available exclusively to members of One Club, the free-to-join digital membership platform, designed to bring golf fans closer to the game. Fans can also upgrade to One Club Advantage, presented by Mastercard, for an enhanced chance of success in the ticket ballot.

Ticket prices for The 153rd Open will start from £100 for an adult on Championship Days and from £25 on Practice Days. The R&A is fully committed to encouraging more children and young adults to attend The Open and free tickets will be available to children through the successful “Kids go Free” programme, while half-price youth tickets are available for 16-24-year-olds. These tickets must also be applied for using the ticket ballot.

A range of premium hospitality experiences are available to purchase now when fans can guarantee their place at the Championship in luxurious surroundings with a fully inclusive dining and drinks package. Premium Experiences are selling fast, with some already sold out. A Ticket Plus option is also available, offering fans an elevated experience in which they can enjoy The Open in a relaxed environment with access to a private bar and gourmet food trucks.

The Open is returning to Royal Portrush for the first time since 2019, when Irishman Shane Lowry lifted the famous Claret Jug to the delight of a jubilant home crowd. Tickets for the 2019 Championship sold out in record-breaking fashion and, at the time, set a record attendance for The Open outside of St Andrews with 237,750 fans attending throughout the week. It generated more than £100 million for the economy of Northern Ireland.

Visit TheOpen.com for further information or to enter the ticket ballot.

Corey Conners has been one of the most consistent Canadians on the PGA TOUR over the past couple of years. It’s that consistency that has earned him a spot on the Canadian Olympic team heading to the upcoming summer Olympics.

Golf Canada recently announced the two spots reserved for the men’s team will go to Conners and 2023 RBC Canadian Open champion, Nick Taylor. On the women’s side, Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp will be representing Canada at the upcoming summer Olympics in Paris, France.

When the decision on the men’s team was announced on June 17^th, Taylor was 35^th and Conners was 37^th on the official World Golf rankings – they were the top two ranked Canadians.

After winning the RBC Canadian Open last June, Taylor carried that momentum towards another victory earlier this year at the TPC Scottsdale in February.

“The opportunity to represent my country at the Olympics has been a huge goal of mine for many years,” Taylor pointed out after the official announcement on June 17^th.

“To see the news become official is quite humbling and surreal. I’m excited to get to Paris to compete, proudly wear the Maple Leaf, and soak in what I know will be an incredible experience.”

Joining Taylor at the Paris Olympics on the men’s golf team is Conners – who has been posting some strong results recently also.  At the RBC Canadian Open in early June, he finished as the top Canadian in sixth spot.

“Definitely something to be proud of,” said Conners at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club about earning the distinction as the top Canadian. “Obviously disappointing not to win the big trophy but yeah it’s a cool honour (to be top Canadian in the field).”

Conners was again the top Canadian on the leaderboard at the U.S. Open – where he finished in a tie for 9^th spot.

“It was a solid week overall. I was certainly motivated to improve on my record at the U.S. Open. I feel like the challenging golf courses set up well for me, and I was comfortable with the course, and I felt good about my game,” said the long-time Canadian National Team member from Listowel, Ont.

“It would have been nice to get a little higher up the leaderboard, but it was a really solid week.”

While his last PGA TOUR victory came back in April of 2023 at the Valero Texas Open, consistency has been a key factor to Conners’ success since then. An example of this remarkable consistency is the fact that he has not missed a cut in over a year – the last time Conners missed a cut was at the 2023 U.S. Open in Los Angeles.

Conners’ consistency combined with his recent top 10 results at the U.S. Open and the Canadian Open allowed him to edge out Adam Hadwin, who was ranked one spot behind at 38^th in the world golf rankings when the Olympic team announcement was made.

“Huge honor to represent Canada at the Olympics again. It was a big goal of mine, since playing in Tokyo three years ago, that I really wanted to represent Canada again. I feel for Adam Hadwin, he was playing some really good golf as well and I was able to just sneak by him,” said the 32-year-old Conners at the recent Travellers Championship.

“Really happy and excited to get to go to Paris and it will be a lot of fun playing alongside Nick.

This marks the second time Conners will be representing Canada at the summer Olympics. The long-time Canadian National Team member from Listowel, Ont., will look to build on his strong performance at the Toyko Olympics in 2020 where he finished in 13^th spot.

It is interesting to note that the last Canadian to win a medal in golf at the Olympics is George Lyon, who captured a gold medal way back in 1904.

Conners and Taylor – along with Henderson and Sharp – will look put their names into the history books later this summer in Paris, France. The men’s Olympic golf tournament will take place from August 1^st to August 4^th at Le Golf National.  The women’s golf tournament will take place at the same venue from August 7^th to August 10^th.

The Memorial was arguably the toughest challenge on the PGA Tour so far this season and Adam Hadwin rode its ups and downs to his best showing of the year.

Only 11 players finished under par at the Memorial, with only six shooting under par in the final round at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Hadwin, from Abbotsford, B.C., finished third at the signature event to rocket up the FedEx Cup standings to 24th, leapfrogging Taylor Pendrith, Nick Taylor and Corey Conners to become the highest-ranked Canadian on tour. 

But the U.S. Open, traditionally the most punishing course setup on the men’s golf calendar, now looms.

“It’s going to be a very similar test, let’s be honest,” said Hadwin after finishing his round at the Memorial on Sunday after a 2-over round put him at 4-under overall. “You’re going to hit some good shots that don’t get rewarded and you’re going to have to scramble and stay patient and do all the things that I tried to do today.

“I’ve got to keep grinding, just keep doing what I’m doing and it will come.”

Hadwin’s showing at the Memorial moved him 24 spots up the official world golf rankings into an Olympic berth with one week before the men’s qualifying deadline. He also moved up to seventh for the Presidents Cup international team rankings, one spot out of an automatic berth for the prestigious international tournament.

He said that the challenges of the Memorial are good preparation for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C., where the United States Golf Association typically prefers tight fairways and long rough to put an emphasis on accuracy.

“You could look at it one of two ways; either (the Memorial) is good prep for next week or we just got our butts kicked before going into next week,” said Hadwin. “I expect the USGA to do what the USGA does, make it very difficult on us, challenge us mentally more than anything. 

“I feel like I’m in a pretty good spot. I’m just going to have to rest up and, again, just keep doing what I’ve been doing.”

Seven Canadians are in the field at Pinehurst, tying the U.S. Open record set in 1912 and matched in 2023. 

Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Taylor of Abbotsford are the second and third highest-ranked Canadians on the PGA Tour, 35th and 36th on the FedEx Cup standings respectively. Conners (43rd) of Listowel, Ont., Mackenzie Hughes (46th) of Dundas, Ont., and Adam Svensson (87th) of Surrey, B.C., round out the pro contingent from Canada at the U.S. Open.

Svensson and amateur Ashton McCulloch of Kingston, Ont., qualified for the U.S. Open together at Cherry Hill Club in Ridgeway, Ont., on June 3, a day after the RBC Canadian Open was completed at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. Svensson finished in a tie for 51st at the Canadian Open while McCulloch missed the cut, giving him two days to rest before the U.S. Open qualifier.

“It was more mentally exhausting than anything,” said McCulloch, a junior at Michigan State University, about making his Canadian Open debut. “Playing in my first PGA Tour event, I didn’t know everything that came with it. There’s a lot of pressure when you do play for your first time. 

“That Saturday I was exhausted. I didn’t do a whole lot that day. It all worked out, and I ended up qualifying for the U.S. Open, so not a bad way to spend your weekend recovering before a U.S. Open qualifier.”

The 21-year-old McCulloch is the first Canadian amateur to qualify for the major since NHL referee Garrett Rank did it in 2018.

Canadians across major professional golf tours:

LPGA TOUR — Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is sixth in the Race to CME Globe standings heading into the Meijer LPGA Classic. She’s one of five Canadians in the field at Blythefield Country Club of Belmont, Mich. Savannah Grewal (81st) of Mississauga, Ont., Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (140th), Maude-Aimee Leblanc (143rd) of Sherbrooke, Que., and Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., will also tee it up.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., is the highest ranked Canadian heading into this week’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open. He’s ranked 20th on the second-tier tour’s points list. He’ll be joined at Crestview Country Club by Etienne Papineau (45th) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., Sudarshan Yellamaraju (94th) of Mississauga, Ont., and Jared du Toit (115th) of Kimberley, Ont.

EPSON TOUR — Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., is 107th in the Race for the Card, the points list for the second-tier Epson Tour. She’ll play on Friday when the Otter Creek Championship tees off in Columbus, Ind. Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., Vancouver’s Leah John and Kate Johnston of Ayr, Ont., are also in the field but unranked.

Dublin, Ohio, USA – Adam Hadwin has qualified for The 152 Open at Royal Troon through the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday.
 
The Memorial Tournament was the seventh event in the Open Qualifying Series and took place at Muirfield Village.
 
The Canadian was the leading player in the field not already exempt, finishing in third place at 4-under.
 
The next events in the Open Qualifying Series are the KOLON Korea Open and the KLM Open taking place from 20-23 June.

During a challenging Sunday at Muirfield Village, where only a few players managed to score below par, Hadwin quickly climbed the leaderboard with three birdies in his first seven holes. This brought him within striking distance of the 54-hole leader, Scottie Scheffler. However, Scheffler ultimately edged out Collin Morikawa by one stroke to claim his fifth win in eight starts.

In addition to punching his ticket to The Open, Hadwin’s chances of representing Team Canada at the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition in Paris this summer improved significantly. He jumped 24 spots in the Official World Golf Ranking, from No. 59 to No. 35, positioning himself as Canada’s second available spot with one week of qualification remaining.

At the last Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes represented Canada in men’s golf. In 2016, it was David Hearn and Graham DeLaet. Becoming an Olympian is a notable achievement missing from Hadwin’s impressive resume.

Olympic golf qualification depends on the Official World Golf Ranking, which will be finalized after the U.S. Open next week. Nick Taylor is likely to secure the first spot, leaving Conners, Hadwin, Taylor Pendrith, and Hughes in contention for the second spot.

All five Canadians will compete next week at Pinehurst No. 2.