B.C.’s Adam Hadwin focused ahead of second Masters appearance
With a whirlwind year behind him, Adam Hadwin feels better positioned to take a second shot at the Masters.
The 30-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., made his first appearance at Augsta National last year fresh off his first PGA Tour victory in early March – and just before a flurry of events in his personal life that included his wedding.
He ended up finishing tied for 36th, but he believes a more low-key schedule in advance of this week’s tournament will help him to put in a bigger performance.
“The year has flown by,” he said over the phone prior to travelling to Augusta, Ga. “Things have settled down since last March. We’re taking it a bit easier with not as many things going on off the golf course. Things are easier to control and handle but life’s good.”
Thanks to three top-10 finishes, Hadwin has already earned more than US$1.1 million this season. His best result was a tie for third at the CareerBuilder Challenge in January. Hadwin also finished in the Top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings last season.
Although Hadwin didn’t fly to Georgia for a practice round before this week, he said he is playing better overall than at the same point last year and this should help at Augusta National, where golfers need to have all facets of their game in top form.
“You need to hit some good shots, you need to get up and down and you probably need to make some tough five- or 10-foot putts to keep rounds going,” he said. “It’s definitely a plus going in (to the Masters) playing a little better.”
A year ago, he recognized he was struggling with his iron game, but he has tightened that up this year.
“Consistent ball-striking has taken the pressure off some other areas in my game,” he said. “It’s allowed me to stay patient and if I don’t make a few putts here and there, I’ll just keep hitting it well and giving myself chances.”
Mike Weir, who is celebrating the 15th anniversary of his 2003 Masters victory this year, makes up the other half of this week’s Canadian contingent.
Hadwin said he and Weir will play an 18-hole practice round together and will be paired in the Par-3 Contest. The 30-year-old plans to lean on his veteran compatriot for expertise around the Augusta National’s greens, which are notorious for being some of the most difficult on Tour.
Weir, from Bright’s Grove, Ont., was an assistant captain at last September’s Presidents Cup, where Hadwin was a member of the International team. Weir told The Canadian Press in January that he was impressed with Hadwin’s attention to detail, work ethic and “inner fire.”
“He wants to be great,” said Weir at the time.
Ultimately, Hadwin is looking forward to continuing his run of good play and to follow in Weir’s footsteps by becoming the second Canadian to capture an elusive green jacket.
“(My) game is in a really good spot right now,” he said. “I feel like I’m a better player this year than last year, and certainly there are no personal distractions this year heading in. I’ll be more rested and ready to play.”
Canadian Vanessa Borovilos wins Drive, Chip & Putt title
AUGUSTA, Ga. — The mantra of practice makes perfect was the storyline for Toronto’s Vanessa Borovilos on Sunday at the Drive, Chip & Putt finals at Augusta National.
Borovilos, playing in her third championship, won the Girls 10-11 age division by the slightest of margins with a one-point victory in the 10-player field.
“You have to practice a lot to win or to do well here,” said Borovilos in a greenside interview with Golf Channel.
Practice makes perfect – what a champion! RT to congratulate Vanessa ???pic.twitter.com/AkYXIdgThq
— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) April 1, 2018
Borovilos finished 5th in 2016 and 4th in 2015. She plays out of Credit Valley Golf & Country Club and credits Brooke Henderson and Jordan Spieth as her favourite athletes.
With the win, Borovilos becomes the second Canadian to win a division at the Drive Chip & Putt finals—Savannah Grewal captured the 2017 Girls 14-15 division.
Local qualifying began in May, June and July, held at more than 260 sites throughout the United States. The top-three scorers per venue, in each of the four age categories in separate boys and girls divisions, advanced to 50 subregional qualifiers in July and August. Two juniors in each age and gender division then competed at the regional level in September and October, held at some of the top courses in the country, including several U.S. Open and PGA Championship venues.
The top finisher from each regional site’s age/gender divisions – a total of 80 finalists – earned a place in the National Finals.
The Canadian equivalent—Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge National Event— will be contested on July 21 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. Borovilos finished 2nd in the 2017 Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event at Glen Abbey Golf Club.
Learn more here.
Golf Canada announces Junior Ticket design winners for 2018 RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open
OAKVILLE, ONT. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada has unveiled its new Junior Ticket designs for the RBC Canadian Open taking place July 23-29 at Glen Abbey Golf Club and the CP Women’s Open taking place August 20-26 at Wascana Country Club in Regina.
The designs were selected from entries received from local elementary school classes in Oakville and across Saskatchewan who signed on to participate in the second annual Junior Ticket Design Contests for each event.
When the pencil crayons were put away, Sarah Suozzi, a grade 6 student from St. Luke Catholic Elementary School in Oakville, will have her design dawn the Junior Tickets for the 2018 RBC Canadian Open. Austin Marshall, a grade 5 student from Tompkins School in Tompkins, Sask., will have his drawing featured on the 2018 CP Women’s Open Junior Tickets.
Suozzi will win a pizza party for her class and a Golf in Schools kit, as well as RBC Canadian Open tickets for her family. Marshall’s class will receive a pizza party, while he wins a life size ticket and tickets for his family to attend the CP Women’s Open.
“I’d like to thank and congratulate all students who took part in our Junior Ticket design contests,” said Bill Paul, Chief Championships Officer for Golf Canada. “We were ecstatic with the creativity and quality of all entries we received.”
Let’s hear it for our #RBCCO & #CPWO Junior Ticket design winners – congrats Sarah and Austin! ?⛳️
Read ➡️ https://t.co/XzUFkyfmUE pic.twitter.com/vsSZJFOR9P
— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) March 29, 2018
The winning illustrations were selected out of more than 100 entries received. Ten finalists were identified by the tournament’s marketing team and then Golf Canada staff voted the winners. The final 10 selections were also shared via Twitter and Instagram.
The contest reinforced Golf Canada’s commitment to conducting events for fans of all ages.
“Family and junior engagement is very important to golf in Canada as well as our championships,” Paul added. “We’re proud to be considered among the most fan-friendly events on both the PGA TOUR and LPGA Tour. We pride ourselves on making sure the entire family can enjoy themselves onsite. It’s about bringing everyone together to celebrate community and Canadian golf.”
Last year, nearly 20,000 free RBC Canadian Open and 7,500 CP Women’s Open Junior Tickets were printed and distributed. Free Junior Tickets were also available online for download and printing.
Complimentary Junior Tickets, applicable to kids 17-and-under, are ideal giveaways for sports teams, schools, golf tournaments and summer camps.
Free RBC Canadian Open Junior Tickets are available for download by clicking here, while CP Women’s Open Free Junior Tickets can be downloaded here. They can also be ordered through Golf Canada’s sales department at 1-855-985-5000.
Information regarding tickets, volunteer opportunities and corporate hospitality for the 2018 RBC Canadian Open or CP Women’s Open can be found at www.cpwomensopen.com or www.rbccanadianopen.com.
Weekly Top-10 Rankings powered by RBC
MEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10
Solid performances turned in by all four members of Golf Canada’s National Squad this past week.
Top ranked Hugo Bernard continued to improve upon his career-best world rankings, climbing eight more places to No. 51 as he finished runner-up at the Azalea Invitational, eventually losing in a three-man playoff.
Joey Savoie finished fifth at the same tournament, which helped him climb 12 places in the world rankings while No. 5 Josh Whalen ended up in a tie for 11th, which was good for a five place gain in the world rankings.
Chris Crisologo picked up five places in the world rankings after finishing seventh at the CBU Lancer Men’s Golf Joust. It was the sixth consecutive top 10 result for the National Team member and the first time this season he has finished outside the top 3.
Charles Corner made the biggest gain among the Top 10, picking up 21 spots in the world rankings after finishing fourth at the UTSA/Lone Star Invitational. It was his fourth career top 10 result.
Biggest move: Carter Graf of Sylvan Lake, Alberta, gained 724 spots in the world rankings after taking medalist honours at the MJT Humber College PGM Classic.
| HOMETOWN | SCHOOL | WR | + / – | ||
| 1. | Hugo Bernard | Mont St-Hilaire, QC | Univ. of Montreal | 51 | +8 |
| 2. | Garrett Rank | Elmira, ON | – | 93 | -2 |
| 3. | Joey Savoie | La Prairie, QC | – | 142 | +12 |
| 4. | Chris Crisologo | Richmond, B.C. | Simon Fraser Univ. | 242 | +5 |
| 5. | Josh Whalen | Napanee, ON | Kent State | 266 | +5 |
| 6. | Charles Corner | Cayuga, ON | UTEP | 331 | +21 |
| 7. | Emmett Oh | Calgary, AB | – | 372 | -6 |
| 8. | Myles Creighton | Digby, NS | Radford | 387 | +12 |
| 9. | Lawren Rowe | Victoria, BC | Univ. of Victoria | 457 | -20 |
| 10. | Matt Williams | Calgary, AB | Houston | 462 | +5 |
Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.
WOMEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10
Celeste Dao made the biggest move among the Top 10, picking up 40 places in the world rankings after finishing runner-up at the CJGA Humber College PGM Western Championship. Dao finished one stroke shy of fellow Golf Canada Development Squad member Monet Chun. The result moved Dao up two spots in Canada to No. 6.
Valerie Tanguay climbed 33 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for fourth at the Clemson Invitational. It was the second top five result of the year for the senior at Oklahoma, who finished just three strokes behind the eventual winner while playing as an individual.
Vanessa Ha gained 20 spots in the world rankings after taking medalist honours at the Sacramento State Invitational. The senior at San Francisco posted a record-breaking 54-hole performance to claim the tournament title for the second time in two years and third career collegiate win.
Top ranked Maddie Szeryk moves up two places to No. 28 in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for seventh at the Clemson Invitational. The Golf Canada National Team member has eight top 10 results in nine events and has recorded 20 rounds of par or better this year, which ranks only behind her freshman and junior seasons at Texas A&M.
Biggest Move: Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., gained 373 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for ninth at the PING/ASU Invitational. It was the third top 10 result of the season for the freshman at Fresno State, who makes the leap into the top 20 of the Canadian rankings, settling in at No. 17
| HOMETOWN | SCHOOL | WR | + / – | ||
| 1. | Maddie Szeryk | Allen, TX | Texas A&M | 28 | +2 |
| 2. | Jaclyn Lee | Calgary, AB | Ohio State | 81 | -4 |
| 3. | Naomi Ko | Victoria, BC | NC State | 150 | -5 |
| 4. | Vanessa Ha | Montreal, QC | San Francisco | 268 | +20 |
| 5. | Grace St-Germain | Ottawa | Daytona St. | 307 | -6 |
| 6. | Celeste Dao | Notre-Dame, QC | (Team Canada) | 386 | +40 |
| 7. | Michelle Ruiz | Mississauga, ON | Nova Southeastern | 405 | -14 |
| 8. | Valerie Tanguay | St-Hyacinthe, QC | Oklahoma | 411 | +33 |
| 9. | Jessica Ip | Richmond Hill, ON | Iowa | 436 | -50 |
| 10. | Michelle Kim | Surrey, BC | Idaho | 526 | -8 |
Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.
MEN’S TOP 10
Corey Conners jumps back into the Top 10, climbing 39 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 13th at the PGA’s Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship. It marked his carer-best finish to date on the PGA Tour and the second straight tournament in which he has gone into the final round with a shot at winning. The result was worth 2.24 world ranking points as he takes over the No. 9 ranking in Canada after being outside the Top 10 for the last eight weeks.
Adam Svensson moved up 31 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for sixth at the Web.com Tour’s Louisiana Open, his third top-10 result in his last five events. The result was worth 2.66 world ranking points.
Top ranked Adam Hadwin maintained his No. 42 world ranking after a solid showing at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play event. Hadwin picked up one win, taking down world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, and halved his two other matches to finish just a half point shy of qualifying for the knockout stage. His results earned him 4.65 world ranking points.
Other notable results: No. 8 David Hearn finished tied for 50th at PGA Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship; No. 10 Roger Sloan finished 69th at Web.com Tour’s Louisiana Open;
| HOMETOWN | TOUR | WR | + / – | ||
| 1. | Adam Hadwin | Abbotsford, BC | PGA | 42 | – |
| 2. | Graham DeLaet | Weyburn, SK | PGA | 132 | -1 |
| 3. | Mackenzie Hughes | Dundas, ON | PGA | 181 | -2 |
| 4. | Nick Taylor | Abbotsford, BC | PGA | 208 | -2 |
| 5. | Austin Connelly | Irving, TX | EUR | 248 | -1 |
| 6. | Benjamin Silverman | Thornhill, ON | PGA | 262 | +5 |
| 7. | Adam Svensson | Surrey, BC | WEB | 337 | +31 |
| 8. | David Hearn | Brantford, ON | PGA | 378 | -7 |
| 9. | Corey Conners | Listowel, ON | PGA | 478 | +39 |
| 10. | Roger Sloan | Merritt, BC | WEB | 509 | -16 |
Click here for Men’s Official World Golf Rankings.
WOMEN’S TOP 10
Maude-Aimee Leblanc made the biggest move among the Top 10, picking up 33 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 39th at the LPGA’s Kia Classic. It’s her best result in three LPGA events this year and was worth 1.61 world ranking points.
Top ranked Brooke Henderson slipped a spot in the world rankings down to No. 14 after finishing in a tie for 22nd at the Kia Classic.
Other Notable Results: No. 2 Alena Sharp and No. 5 Anne-Catherine Tanguay missed the cut at LPGA Kia Classic;
| HOMETOWN | TOUR | WR | + / – | ||
| 1. | Brooke Henderson | Smiths Falls, ON | LPGA | 14 | -1 |
| 2. | Alena Sharp | Hamilton, ON | LPGA | 116 | -5 |
| 3. | Maude-Aimee Leblanc | Sherbrooke, QC | LPGA | 276 | +33 |
| 4. | Brittany Marchand | Orangeville, ON | LPGA | 387 | -3 |
| 5. | Anne-Catherine Tanguay | Quebec City, QC | LPGA | 398 | -8 |
| 6. | Augusta James | Bath, ON | SYMT | 515 | -7 |
| 7. | Samantha Richdale | Kelowna, BC | SYMT | 644 | -6 |
| 8. | Jennifer Ha | Calgary, AB | SYMT | 741 | -3 |
| 9. | Elizabeth Tong | Thornhill, ON | SYMT | 807 | -2 |
| 10. | Jessica Wallace | Langley, BC | – | 834 | -12 |
Click here for full Women’s Rolex World Rankings.
New Local Rule and video review protocols introduced for broadcasted golf events in 2018
In advance of the modernization initiative to the Rules of Golf which will take effect in 2019, Golf Canada, in conjunction with the R&A and the United States Golf Association (USGA), recently announced a new Local Rule effective January 1, 2018. The new Local Rule will eliminate the additional two-stroke penalty for failing to include a penalty on the score card when the player was unaware of the penalty.
In addition to this Local Rule, new protocols have been put in place to review video when applying the Rules of Golf at broadcasted events. For Golf Canada specifically, this will only impact our two professional opens and not have any impact on our amateur competitions.
For some time, it has been a point of contention with many enthusiasts of the game that viewer call-ins should not be permitted in our sport. Advances in technology and the use of high definition television and slow motion replay have added a level of complexity that has caused undesirable outcomes to many competitions in recent years.
Golf’s governing bodies felt this needed to be closely looked at and a group of experts from the PGA Tour, LPGA, PGA European Tour, Ladies European Tour and The PGA of America, as well as the governing bodies, was tasked with discussing the role video footage when applying the Rules.
As a result of these discussions over the last year, the protocol moving forward will be to assign one or more officials to monitor the video broadcast of a competition to help identify and resolve Rules issues as they arise. Committees will also discontinue any steps to facilitate or consider viewer call-ins as part of the Rules decision process.
All of the organizations represented on the working group will introduce the Local Rule for 2018, and this score card penalty will be permanently removed when the modernized Rules of Golf take effect on January 1, 2019.
As golf’s governing body, Golf Canada will be implementing this new Local Rule as part of their Standard Local Rules and Conditions of Competition for competitions in 2018.
If a committee wishes to introduce this Local Rule to modify the score card penalty, the following wording for the exception to Rule 6-6d is modified as follows:
“Exception: if a competitor returns a score for any hole lower than actually taken due to failure to include one or more penalty strokes that, before returning his score card, he did not know he had incurred, he is not disqualified. In such circumstances, the competitor incurs the penalty prescribed by the applicable rule, but there is no additional penalty for a breach of rule 6-6d. This exception does not apply when the applicable penalty is disqualification from the competition.”
Click here for more information on the Rules of Golf, or to send a rules question to our ‘Ask an Expert’ tool.
This article was originally published in the 2018 March edition of the Alberta Golfer magazine.
Weekly Top-10 Rankings powered by CP
MEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10
Chris Crisologo picked up two places in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for third at the NDNU Argonaut Invitational. The Golf Canada National Team member has posted a top 3 finish in all five tournaments he has played in this year.
Honourable mention this week goes to Team Canada Development Squad member Christopher Vandette, who picked up 342 spots in the world rankings after finishing runner-up at the 2018 Hawaii State Amateur.
Biggest move: Daniel Racioppa from Mount Albert, Ont., gained 459 spots in the world rankings after finishing third at the PVAMU Invitational. It was his fourth top 3 result in six events this season.
| HOMETOWN | SCHOOL | WR | + / – | ||
| 1. | Hugo Bernard | Mont St-Hilaire, QC | Univ. of Montreal | 59 | +5 |
| 2. | Garrett Rank | Elmira, ON | – | 91 | -1 |
| 3. | Joey Savoie | La Prairie, QC | – | 154 | +2 |
| 4. | Chris Crisologo | Richmond, B.C. | Simon Fraser Univ. | 247 | +2 |
| 5. | Josh Whalen | Napanee, ON | Kent State | 271 | -5 |
| 6. | Charles Corner | Cayuga, ON | UTEP | 352 | -21 |
| 7. | Emmett Oh | Calgary, AB | – | 366 | -3 |
| 8. | Myles Creighton | Digby, NS | Radford | 399 | -6 |
| 9. | Lawren Rowe | Victoria, BC | Univ. of Victoria | 437 | -9 |
| 10. | Matt Williams | Calgary, AB | Houston | 467 | -10 |
Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.
WOMEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10
Jessica Ip made the biggest gain among the Top 10, picking up 33 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 11th at the Hawkeye-El Tigre Invitational. It was the Richmond Hill, Ontario senior’s second top 20 result of the year and enabled her to climb up to No. 6 in the Canadian rankings.
Jaclyn Lee gained 22 spots in the world rankings after a runner-up finish at the Clover Cup. It was the fourth top 10 result of the year for the Golf Canada National Team member and pushed her to a career-best No. 77 in the world rankings.
Top ranked Maddie Szeryk climbed to No. 30 in the world after finishing runner-up at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational. It was the seventh top 10 result for the Golf Canada National Team member in eight tournaments this year.
Biggest Move: Alyssa Getty from Ruthven, Ont., picked up 135 spots in the world rankings after finishing ninth at the Jackrabbit Invitational.
| HOMETOWN | SCHOOL | WR | + / – | ||
| 1. | Maddie Szeryk | Allen, TX | Texas A&M | 30 | +4 |
| 2. | Jaclyn Lee | Calgary, AB | Ohio State | 77 | +22 |
| 3. | Naomi Ko | Victoria, BC | NC State | 145 | -2 |
| 4. | Vanessa Ha | Montreal, QC | San Francisco | 288 | -14 |
| 5. | Grace St-Germain | Ottawa | Daytona St. | 301 | -3 |
| 6. | Jessica Ip | Richmond Hill, ON | Iowa | 386 | +33 |
| 7. | Michelle Ruiz | Mississauga, ON | Nova Southeastern | 391 | -2 |
| 8. | Celeste Dao | Notre-Dame, QC | (Team Canada) | 426 | -42 |
| 9. | Valerie Tanguay | St-Hyacinthe, QC | Oklahoma | 444 | – |
| 10. | Michelle Kim | Surrey, BC | Idaho | 518 | -11 |
Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.
MEN’S TOP 10
Austin Connelly made the biggest move among the Top 10, picking up five places in the world rankings.
Adam Svensson moves up to take over the No. 7 ranking in Canada while maintaining his world ranking at No. 368.
No. 3 Mackenzie Hughes maintained his No. 179 world ranking after finishing in a tie for 54th at the PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational. That result was worth 1.21 world ranking points and was his first points-paying finish of the year
Other notable results: No. 4 Nick Taylor missed the cut at PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational;
| HOMETOWN | TOUR | WR | + / – | ||
| 1. | Adam Hadwin | Abbotsford, BC | PGA | 42 | – |
| 2. | Graham DeLaet | Weyburn, SK | PGA | 131 | -2 |
| 3. | Mackenzie Hughes | Dundas, ON | PGA | 179 | – |
| 4. | Nick Taylor | Abbotsford, BC | PGA | 206 | -2 |
| 5. | Austin Connelly | Irving, TX | EUR | 247 | +5 |
| 6. | Benjamin Silverman | Thornhill, ON | PGA | 267 | -2 |
| 7. | Adam Svensson | Surrey, BC | WEB | 368 | – |
| 8. | David Hearn | Brantford, ON | PGA | 371 | -6 |
| 9. | Roger Sloan | Merritt, BC | WEB | 493 | – |
| 10. | Richard T Lee | Toronto, ON | ASIA | 508 | -1 |
Click here for Men’s Official World Golf Rankings.
WOMEN’S TOP 10
Some significant jumps within the Top 10 this past week.
Brittany Marchand moved up 23 places in the world rankings after finishing third at the season opening Symetra Tour event in Florida, falling just three strokes shy of winning her second career Tour title. The result was worth 1.09 world ranking points and enabled Marchand to take over the No. 4 spot in Canada from fellow Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Anne-Catherine Tanguay.
Matching Marchand was No. 7 Samantha Richdale, who also picked up 23 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 11th at the Symetra Tour season opener. That result was worth 0.26 world ranking points for the Kelowna golfer.
Maude-Aimee Leblanc jumped 12 places in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 49th at the LPGA Founders Cup. It was just her second LPGA start of the year and the result was worth 0.64 world ranking points.
Top ranked Brooke Henderson managed to maintain her No. 13 world ranking despite missing the cut at the LPGA Founders Cup, only her second missed cut of the season in five events.
Other Notable Results: No. 2 Alena Sharp and No. 5 Anne-Catherine Tanguay both missed the cut at LPGA Founders Cup; No. 6 Augusta James and No 8 Jennifer Ha both missed the cut at Symetra Tour event; No. 9 Elizabeth Tong finished tied for 54th at Symetra Tour event;
| HOMETOWN | TOUR | WR | + / – | ||
| 1. | Brooke Henderson | Smiths Falls, ON | LPGA | 13 | – |
| 2. | Alena Sharp | Hamilton, ON | LPGA | 111 | -2 |
| 3. | Maude-Aimee Leblanc | Sherbrooke, QC | LPGA | 309 | +12 |
| 4. | Brittany Marchand | Orangeville, ON | LPGA | 384 | +23 |
| 5. | Anne-Catherine Tanguay | Quebec City, QC | LPGA | 390 | -6 |
| 6. | Augusta James | Bath, ON | SYMT | 508 | -15 |
| 7. | Samantha Richdale | Kelowna, BC | SYMT | 638 | +23 |
| 8. | Jennifer Ha | Calgary, AB | SYMT | 738 | -2 |
| 9. | Elizabeth Tong | Thornhill, ON | SYMT | 805 | -11 |
| 10. | Jessica Wallace | Langley, BC | – | 822 | -11 |
Click here for full Women’s Rolex World Rankings.
Glen Arbour to host the 2018 Atlantic Championship

For Immediate Release:
The 2018 Atlantic Golf Championship will return to Nova Scotia, as Glen Arbour Golf Club in Hammonds Plains gets set to host the 5th Annual Atlantic Golf Championship on September 15 & 16, 2018.
The Atlantic Golf Championship, which brings together the region’s best amateur golfers, will come to Halifax for the first time in 2018. This best in class championship is host to top golfers from across Atlantic Canada. Amateur, Mid-Master and Senior golfers will compete over 36 holes for both individual and team titles.
The four Atlantic Golf Associations will conduct qualifying tournaments to select 20 players from their respective provinces’ to compete at Glen Arbour in September.
The Atlantic Golf Championship will see male and female golfers in amateur (under 40) Mid-Master (male 40-54 & female 40-49), Senior (male 55+ and female 50+) and Super-Senior divisions for one male (over 65) and one female (over 60) competing for both provincial teams and individual titles.
Similar to the format used at national tournaments the Championship will include two rounds that will determine champions in the team competition and individual competition. Through an agreement with Golf Canada the winners of each division will receive an exemption into respective national championships for the following year.
About Glen Arbour Golf
![]() Hammonds Plains, NS |
![]() Hammonds Plains, NS Hole #4 |
Renowned Canadian golf course architect, Graham Cooke, designed the Glen Arbour golf course. Glen Arbour has hosted world-class tournaments including BMO Canadian Women’s Open, TELUS World Skins Game, Mike Weir Miracle Golf Drive, and the first Wayne Gretzky & Friends Tournament.
For more information on Glen Arbour Golf please Click Here
For more information on Golf Newfoundland Labrador please Click Here
For more information on the Prince Edward Island Golf Association please Click Here
For more information on the Nova Scotia Golf Association please Click Here
For more information on Golf New Brunswick please Click Here
Practice with a Purpose
How many of you have said at least one of these statements?
- “I hit the ball so well on the driving range, I wish I could take my range game to the golf course.”
- “I was sinking everything on the practice green.”
- “My practice swing is perfect.”
How many of you like to practice? Some people do not but realize they should in order to improve. So, if you like to practice or not, you might as well “Practice with a Purpose”.
Hitting a large bucket of balls is probably not practice, exercise, yes, practice…it is according to what you call practice. A good golf practice is working on your golf game as you would on the golf course. How many people have you seen take a bucket of ball, dump them out, grab their driver and start pounding balls? That is not practice… that is taking your frustration out on something. When in a round of golf do you tee up with a driver and do that again for 50 balls? No where! So here are some tips for how to practice with a purpose:
- Stretch your legs, arms, shoulders, and neck. Do some arm rotations, squats, lunges anything to warm up your muscles. Then take practice swings both left-handed and right-handed as this loosens up both sides of your body. Then hit a few half wedge shots and you are ready to go.
- Set your alignment sticks (or a golf club or two) on the ground towards your target, do not say your target is “out there somewhere” pick a target and see if you hit it.
- Use a pre-shot routine (a routine you do the same every time for each shot on the golf course so should be doing each time on the driving range) – pick your club, pick your target, visualize the shot, step up towards the ball, take a practice swing, step up to the ball, look at the target again, exhale and swing. Are you in balance? Did the shot go where you had hoped?
- Pre-shot routine then hit.
- There are two types of practice, 1. Blocked and 2. Random, both have merit. Simply put, Blocked practice is hitting the same club for a group of shots, especially useful if you are trying to work on one specific thing with 1 specific club. Random is changing clubs and targets for each shot or two.
- Go to the putting green, start with shorter putts and work your way back. If possible, flat putts, uphill, downhill and breaking putts.
- Go to the chipping/pitching green and work on all different shots with different clubs to different holes.
- Stay hydrated.
On the range, I like to play 9 holes of a course I know. I take out a scorecard, look at the yardage, picture the hole and play it. For example, I define my fairway on the range, do my pre-shot routine, hit my driver, figure how far I hit it and if it is in the fairway or rough, estimate my yardage to the green, pick whatever club will get me there, do my pre-shot routine, if I missed the green I can chip or pitch my next shot to a target, if I hit it on the green and the putting green is near, I can go hit a putt or two. So you are practicing like you are playing. If the 2nd hole is a par 3 then pick your club for that yardage, do your pre-shot routine and try to hit your green.
If you can chip/pitch and putt onto the same practice green, challenge yourself to see how many golf balls you can get up and down out of 10.
There are different ways to practice which can make it more engaging and fun while actually learning. Doing a pre-shot routine every shot on the course and on the practice facilities makes everyone a better player. Practice like you play gives a whole new way to practice. We are all busy people so make your practice time worth while. I would like to see people eliminate the “hit and rake” practice from there repertoire. You know the one, where people hit a ball and before it lands they are raking another ball over and swinging away. Use a pre-shot routine for each shot – Pick your club, pick your target, visualize the shot, step up towards the ball, take a practice swing, step up to the ball, look at the target again, exhale and swing. I would rather see someone do this for 20 shots than hit a large bucket of balls with no purpose!
Remember, golf is still just a game, keep it fun!!
RBC Canadian Open to host “FedEx Junior Business Challenge” qualifying event in 2018
FedEx and Junior Achievement Worldwide have announced the return of the FedEx Junior Business Challenge, a program in conjunction with the PGA TOUR and its tournaments that provides the next generation of entrepreneurs an opportunity to pitch original business concepts during the 2017-18 season.
The RBC Canadian Open is proud to play host one of the FedEx Junior Business Challenge qualifying events this season, while the first will take place at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday, March 20. The full schedule of four events is below.
FedEx Junior Business Challenge Qualifying Events Schedule:
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WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (Austin, Texas) – Tuesday, March 20
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THE PLAYERS Championship (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) – Wednesday, May 9
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RBC Canadian Open (Oakville, Ont.) – Wednesday, July 25
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Dell Technologies Championship (Norton, Mass.) – Wednesday, August 29
JA students ranging from 15 to 18 years old will pitch their team’s business, innovative products or services to a panel of high-profile judges. One JA student company from each qualifying event will be selected to move on to the FedEx Junior Business Challenge finals at the TOUR Championship and 2018 FedExCup finale at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta for a chance to receive a $75,000 donation to their local JA chapter from FedEx.
“We were inspired by JA students who participated in last year’s FedEx Junior Business Challenge and presented innovative, dynamic thinking with real-world solutions,” said Patrick Fitzgerald, senior vice president, Integrated Marketing and Communications, FedEx. “We’re honored to bring the program back for its second season and look forward to working alongside the PGA TOUR and JA to help empower the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders.”
The judging panels throughout the FedEx Junior Business Challenge program will comprise an eclectic mix of personalities and diverse backgrounds, including PGA TOUR players and other professional athletes, business leaders and media personalities, providing JA students with a broad range of perspectives and signifying that no two paths to success are the same.
2003 U.S. Open (tennis) and former ATP World No. 1 Andy Roddick and three-time PGA TOUR tournament winner Pat Perez are slated to join the panel at the first qualifying event being held at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play on Tuesday, March 20.
Since 1996, FedEx has donated nearly $14 million to JA Worldwide in support of small businesses and the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
“It’s great to see the program return for a second season and expand its reach by hosting a qualifying event in Canada,” said Bill Paul, Golf Canada’s Cheif Championships Officer. “We’re looking forward to hosting the students and eagerly await to see what terrific ideas they come bring to light.”
Follow the FedEx Junior Business Challenge all season long on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter via @FedEx and join the conversation by using #FedExJuniorBiz.
This video below highlights the 2017 FedEx Junior Business Challenge final, held at the TOUR Championship in Atlanta.
Weekly Top-10 Rankings powered by RBC
MEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10
Charles Corner made the biggest move among the Top 10 as the No. 6 ranked Canadian picked up 28 places in the world rankings.
One week after joining the Top 10, Myles Creighton continued his upward ascension, climbing another 27 places in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 10th at the Pinehurst Intercollegiate. The Digby, Nova Scotia golfer has now finished inside the top 10 in seven consecutive spring tournaments, dating back to 2016. Creighton also moved up to No. 8 in the Canadian rankings.
After one week outside the Top 10, Lawren Rowe returns, moving up three places in the world rankings and taking over the No. 9 ranking in Canada.
Biggest move: Jared Nicolls of Ponoka, Alta., gained 847 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 17th at the Jackrabbit Invitational. It was the second top 20 result of the season for the junior at South Dakota State.
| HOMETOWN | SCHOOL | WR | + / – | ||
| 1. | Hugo Bernard | Mont St-Hilaire, QC | Univ. of Montreal | 64 | -5 |
| 2. | Garrett Rank | Elmira, ON | – | 90 | -8 |
| 3. | Joey Savoie | La Prairie, QC | – | 156 | -1 |
| 4. | Chris Crisologo | Richmond, B.C. | Simon Fraser Univ. | 249 | – |
| 5. | Josh Whalen | Napanee, ON | Kent State | 266 | -14 |
| 6. | Charles Corner | Cayuga, ON | UTEP | 331 | +28 |
| 7. | Emmett Oh | Calgary, AB | – | 363 | +17 |
| 8. | Myles Creighton | Digby, NS | Radford | 393 | +27 |
| 9. | Lawren Rowe | Victoria, BC | Univ. of Victoria | 428 | +3 |
| 10. | Matt Williams | Calgary, AB | Houston | 457 | -55 |
Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.
WOMEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10
Valerie Tanguay made the biggest move among the Top 10, picking up 54 places in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for second at the Hurricane Invitational. It was the first top 5 result of her collegiate career and came after the senior at Oklahoma fired a career-best round of 67 on the final day. The Quebec golfer also moved up to take over the No. 9 spot in Canada.
Vanessa Ha was the only other Top 10 player to make a positive gain in the rankings, climbing 13 spots after finishing in a tie for eighth at the Meadow Club Women’s Intercollegiate, her third top 10 result this season. With the result, the senior at the University of San Francisco takes over the No. 4 ranking in Canada
Biggest Move: Brigitte Thibault of Rosemère, Que., gained 311 spots in the world ranking after the freshman at Fresno State finishing tied for ninth at the Fresno State Classic.
| HOMETOWN | SCHOOL | WR | + / – | ||
| 1. | Maddie Szeryk | Allen, TX | Texas A&M | 34 | -2 |
| 2. | Jaclyn Lee | Calgary, AB | Ohio State | 99 | -5 |
| 3. | Naomi Ko | Victoria, BC | NC State | 143 | -16 |
| 4. | Vanessa Ha | Montreal, QC | San Francisco | 274 | +13 |
| 5. | Grace St-Germain | Ottawa | Daytona St. | 298 | -33 |
| 6. | Michelle Ruiz | Mississauga, ON | Nova Southeastern | 389 | -1 |
| 7. | Jessica Ip | Richmond Hill, ON | Iowa | 419 | -12 |
| 8. | Celeste Dao | Notre-Dame, QC | (Team Canada) | 422 | -11 |
| 9. | Valerie Tanguay | St-Hyacinthe, QC | Oklahoma | 444 | +54 |
| 10. | Michelle Kim | Surrey, BC | Idaho | 507 | -42 |
Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.
MEN’S TOP 10
Top ranked Adam Hadwin climbed two places in the world rankings after just missing his third top-10 result in the last four weeks, finishing in a tie for 12th at the PGA’s Valspar Championship – an event he won a year ago. The result was worth 5.53 world ranking points and moved him up to No. 42 in the world, improving upon his career-best showing
One of the biggest moves of the week comes from outside the Top 10 as No. 11 Corey Conners jumps 89 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 16th at the PGA’s Valspar Championship. It was his career-best finish in a PGA event and was worth 3.45 world ranking points, his second best points-paying finish since a runner-up result two years ago on the Canadian Tour. Looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow Canadian Adam Hadwin who won the event a year ago, Conners was the 54-hole leader before a final round 77 dropped him off the top of the leaderboard.
Another big move came from Sunil Richard Jung Bell, who gained 331 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for second at the China Tour Shenzhou Peninsula Classic. It’s his career-best result to date and was worth 3.00 world ranking points. Bell moves from No. 17 up to No. 13 in the Canadian rankings.
Other notable results: No. 3 Mackenzie Hughes, No. 4 Nick Taylor and No. 6 Benjamin Silverman all missed the cut at PGA Valspar Championship; No. 8 Adam Svensson finished tied for 39th at the Web.com Tour El Bosque Mexico Championship; No. 9 Roger Sloan missed the cut at the Web.com Tour El Bosque Mexico Championship; No. 10 Richard T Lee withdrew from the Asian Tour-European Tour Hero Indian Open;
| HOMETOWN | TOUR | WR | + / – | ||
| 1. | Adam Hadwin | Abbotsford, BC | PGA | 42 | +2 |
| 2. | Graham DeLaet | Weyburn, SK | PGA | 129 | -5 |
| 3. | Mackenzie Hughes | Dundas, ON | PGA | 179 | -2 |
| 4. | Nick Taylor | Abbotsford, BC | PGA | 204 | -4 |
| 5. | Austin Connelly | Irving, TX | EUR | 252 | -3 |
| 6. | Benjamin Silverman | Thornhill, ON | PGA | 265 | -8 |
| 7. | David Hearn | Brantford, ON | PGA | 365 | -11 |
| 8. | Adam Svensson | Surrey, BC | WEB | 368 | -8 |
| 9. | Roger Sloan | Merritt, BC | WEB | 493 | -10 |
| 10. | Richard T Lee | Toronto, ON | ASIA | 507 | -4 |
Click here for Men’s Official World Golf Rankings.
WOMEN’S TOP 10
With the LPGA on a one week hiatus, there were no changes in the women’s rankings as top ranked Brooke Henderson maintained her No. 13 world ranking.
| HOMETOWN | TOUR | WR | + / – | ||
| 1. | Brooke Henderson | Smiths Falls, ON | LPGA | 13 | – |
| 2. | Alena Sharp | Hamilton, ON | LPGA | 109 | -5 |
| 3. | Maude-Aimee Leblanc | Sherbrooke, QC | LPGA | 321 | -4 |
| 4. | Anne-Catherine Tanguay | Quebec City, QC | LPGA | 384 | -2 |
| 5. | Brittany Marchand | Orangeville, ON | LPGA | 407 | -3 |
| 6. | Augusta James | Bath, ON | SYMT | 493 | -9 |
| 7. | Samantha Richdale | Kelowna, BC | SYMT | 661 | -10 |
| 8. | Jennifer Ha | Calgary, AB | SYMT | 736 | -1 |
| 9. | Elizabeth Tong | Thornhill, ON | SYMT | 794 | -3 |
| 10. | Jessica Wallace | Langley, BC | – | 812 | -11 |
Click here for full Women’s Rolex World Rankings.

