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.

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.

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

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;

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;

Click here for full Women’s Rolex World Rankings.

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. 

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.

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.

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;

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;

Click here for full Women’s Rolex World Rankings.

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

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

How many of you have said at least one of these statements?

1. “I hit the ball so well on the driving range, I wish I could take my range game to the golf course.”
2. “I was sinking everything on the practice green.”
3. “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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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?
4. Pre-shot routine then hit.
5. 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.
6. Go to the putting green, start with shorter putts and work your way back. If possible, flat putts, uphill, downhill and breaking putts.
7. Go to the chipping/pitching green and work on all different shots with different clubs to different holes.
8. 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 2^nd 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!!

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:

• WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (Austin, Texas) – Tuesday, March 20

• THE PLAYERS Championship (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) – Wednesday, May 9

• RBC Canadian Open (Oakville, Ont.) – Wednesday, July 25

• 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.

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.

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.

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;

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.

Click here for full Women’s Rolex World Rankings.

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA – Presidents Cup and PGA TOUR officials today announced Ernie Els and Tiger Woods as captains of the International and U.S. Teams, respectively, for the 2019 Presidents Cup at The Royal Melbourne Golf Course in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. While both will be first-time captains at the event, the two are the most experienced captains in terms of Presidents Cup competition and were the primary figures in the 2003 event held in South Africa, where Woods and Els competed in a dramatic sudden-death playoff that ultimately ended in a tie and the two teams sharing the Cup.

Els has competed in the Presidents Cup eight times (1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013), tied for most by an International Team member. Woods, also an eight-time U.S. Presidents Cup Team member (1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013), holed the winning putt for the United States in 2009, 2011 and 2013 – the only player to clinch the Cup three times. Both Woods and Els served as captain’s assistants for their respective teams in 2017.

“Ernie Els and Tiger Woods have each been part of the fabric of the Presidents Cup as competitors and as ambassadors to the event,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Ernie carries the flag for international golf as a legendary figure both on and off the golf course, while Tiger has been one of the most transcendent athletes the sport has ever seen. These two have served, and will continue to serve, as a bridge between past team members and captains who laid the foundation for the Presidents Cup and the stars of today who are embracing the hallmarks of the event – golf on a global stage, a love and passion for the game and the impact the Presidents Cup has in emerging markets and through charity.”

In addition to the announcement of the two captains, officials also unveiled minor changes to format requirements and eligibility for the 2019 Presidents Cup. Each player shall play a minimum of one match prior to the final-round singles matches. This is a change from past years where players were required to play twice during the same timeframe. Additionally, the top eight players for the International and U.S. Team standings will officially qualify following the completion of the 2019 TOUR Championship. Captains will later select four captains’ picks (at date to be determined) closer to the December 2019 event.

Els and Woods have combined for 97 PGA TOUR victories, including 20 World Golf Championships events and 18 major championship titles, with 59 additional wins internationally. Following the completion of the 34 matches at the 2003 Presidents Cup in South Africa, the score was tied at 17, which meant a sudden-death playoff between Els and Woods as selected by then-captains Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. With sunlight fading, both players made pars on the first playoff hole. With Woods in for par on the second playoff hole, Els knocked in his 12-footer to halve.  The two again traded dramatic par putts on the third playoff hole with darkness upon them. It was then decided to end the competition and declare the event a tie.

Ernie Els

Els is tied with Vijay Singh and Adam Scott with eight appearances in the event with an overall record of 20-18-2. He is tied for most all-time match appearances on the International Team in Presidents Cup history (40, Vijay Singh) and has won more matches than any other International Team member (20). The World Golf Hall of Fame member has 19 career PGA TOUR victories to his credit, including four major championships between the U.S. Open (1994, 1997) and The Open Championship (2002, 2012). The former world No. 1 and native South African has also made his mark internationally with 47 total victories spread across the European Tour and South African Tour, representing South Africa five times in the World Cup (1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2001) as well as nine times in the Alfred Dunhill Cup (1992-2000).

Els will be the sixth person to serve as a captain for the International Team (Nick Price – 2017, 2015, 2013; Greg Norman – 2011, 2009; Gary Player – 2007, 2005, 2003; Peter Thomson– 2000, 1998, 1996; David Graham – 1994).

“The Presidents Cup has provided me with many of the best memories of my career,” said Els.  “To be named captain of the team is an incredible honor. There is a fun and talented group of young players emerging from all across the globe for the International Team, and I am eager to accept the responsibility of building a winner when we face the United States at one of my favorite courses and cities in the world at Royal Melbourne. Tiger and I have had some great duels in the past, and I look forward to the challenge of going against my longtime friend yet again in 2019.”

Tiger Woods

Woods has a Presidents Cup record of 24-15-1 since his first appearance on the 1998 U.S. Team, and he is one of five players to go 5-0-0 during a single event (2009). His 24 matches won ranks second all-time to Phil Mickelson’s 26, and his six victories in singles matches is the most in the event’s history.

Woods will be the eighth player to captain the U.S. Team (Steve Stricker – 2017; Jay Haas – 2015; Fred Couples – 2013, 2011, 2009; Jack Nicklaus – 2007, 2005, 2003, 1998; Ken Venturi – 2000; Arnold Palmer – 1996; Hale Irwin – 1994).

“After working as a captain’s assistant for Steve in 2017, I realized that I wanted to captain the 2019 event at Royal Melbourne,” said Woods. “I’m proud to follow in the footsteps of past captains like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Ken Venturi, Fred Couples, Jay Haas and Steve Stricker. The core group of players on the U.S. Team have a lot of talent, enthusiasm and great team camaraderie. They are easy-going and fun to be around off the course, but extremely competitive inside the ropes. I have no doubt that Ernie will have the International Team ready to go in Melbourne, and I cannot think of a more fitting captain to carry the tradition of goodwill through competition than Ernie Els. The Sandbelt courses of Australia are some of my favorite in the world, and I’m looking forward to seeing Royal Melbourne again.”

The 2019 Presidents Cup will be held December 9-15, 2019, when it returns to the prestigious Royal Melbourne Golf Club. The return to Melbourne, Australia, will mark the third time in the biennial event’s 25-year history it has been held at the renowned Sandbelt course, as the event was previously held in Melbourne in 1998 and 2011, also at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

Melbourne also holds the distinction as the site of the lone International Team’s victory in 1998, which saw Peter Thomson’s International Team defeat Jack Nicklaus’ U.S. Team, 20.5 to 11.5.  In 2011, Fred Couples led the U.S. Team to a 19-15 win over Greg Norman and the Internationals. The 1998 event was also held in December, a date that traditionally works well with other golf tournaments held in Australia.

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – A long victory drought on the PGA TOUR finally ended Sunday, just not the one a raucous crowd was expecting.

Paul Casey closed with a 6-under 65 and won the Valspar Championship, but only after watching from the locker room as Tiger Woods came up one putt short of forcing a playoff. It was the closest Woods has come to winning in nearly five years.

Casey, who started the final round five shots behind, ran off three straight birdies early on the back nine at Innisbrook to take the lead, and he closed with four par saves to post at 10-under 274.

No one caught him, giving him his second PGA Tour title and his first since the Houston Open in 2009.

Patrick Reed was tied for the lead and appeared headed for a playoff at worst until his approach to the 18th came back down the slope, and his 45-foot birdie putt was so weak that it rolled all the way back to his feet . He three-putted for bogey and a 68.

Woods and his massive following went dormant after an opening birdie to briefly share the lead. He went 15 holes without a birdie until he brought Innisbrook to life with a birdie putt from just inside 45 feet that died into the cup at the par-3 17th, leaving him one shot behind with one hole to play.

Woods played conservatively with an iron off the 442-yard, uphill closing hole on the Copperhead course. From 185 yards, his approach came up some 40 feet short, and his birdie putt to force a playoff was 2 feet short.

He closed with a 70 – the first time since The Barclays in 2013 that he posted all four rounds under par on the PGA TOUR – and tied for second. That was his best finish since he tied for second at that Barclays tournament, right about the time his back started to give out.

Casey had gone 132 starts on the PGA Tour since winning in Houston, though he had won five times worldwide, including the European Tour’s flagship event at the BMW PGA Championship. He had seven top 5s in the FedEx Cup playoffs over the last three years.

Someone always played better – until Sunday.

Corey Conners, the Canadian rookie who started the final round with a one-shot lead, fell back quickly after opening with a bogey on the easiest hole at Innisbrook. He shot 77 and tied for 16th.

Thanks for the thrilling run, @coreconn – ?? is proud of you!

Until the next time! ? pic.twitter.com/fWJtzGTZ1H

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) March 11, 2018

Defending champion Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., closed with a strong 3-under-par 68 to finish tied for 12th at 4 under.

Woods looked closer than ever to winning in his remarkable return from fusion surgery on his lower back last April. Each week has been a little better. He has been a factor on Sunday the last two tournaments, and a gallery that stood 10-deep around just about every green could sense it.

He just couldn’t deliver after a two-putt birdie on the par-5 opening hole.

“I didn’t feel that sharp with my iron game,” Woods said. “I played conservatively into the green because I wasn’t as sharp as yesterday. It was one of those days I kept getting half-clubs.”

He missed birdie chances on both par 5s on the back nine, pulling a wedge into the rough at No. 11 and three-putting from 80 feet on No. 14. He missed a couple of putts in the 15-foot range. And right when it looked as though he was out of chances, he ran into the 45-foot birdie putt to keep everyone guessing.

Next up for Woods is the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill next week, which he hasn’t played since winning five years ago. He is an eight-time winner at Bay Hill, and the euphoria over his return is sure to reach even higher decibels.

“I keep getting a little bit better,” Woods said. “I had a good shot at winning this golf tournament. A couple putts here and there, it could have been a different story.”

Reed will look back on one putt.

He opened with a 60-foot eagle putt that slammed into the pin on No. 1 and was never far from the lead, tying Casey with a bold fairway metal onto the fringe at the 14th that set up birdie. He was in the middle of the fairway on the 18th. He twirled his club when the ball was in the air.

And then it all went wrong.

The putt up the hill never had a chance, and when it started rolling back at his feet, Reed beckoned it with his right hand. He used a wedge on the fourth shot, knowing he had to hole it for par to force a playoff.

That left Casey the winner, finally.

The 40-year-old from England had reason to believe his hopes ended on Saturday when he hit into the water on the 16th and made double bogey, falling five shots behind. He answered Sunday with all eyes on someone else – Woods – by going out in 33, and then getting rewarded for aggressive play. He got up-and-down from a bunker short of the green at No. 11 for birdie, stuffed his approach to a foot on No. 12 and then holed a 20-foot birdie from just off the green at No. 13.

Justin Rose, among six players who had a share of the lead at some point in the final round, had back-to-back bogeys on the back nine and never atoned for his mistakes. He closed with a 72 and finished three shots behind.