2017 Annual Report & Financial Statements are now available online

Tom Zariski Honoured with 2017 Volunteer of the Year Award;

Golf Canada presents Distinguished Service Awards to long-time golf volunteers Fran Marsden and Florin Bergh as well as golf historian Ron Lyons; Renowned golf columnist Cam Cole to be honoured in June;

CALGARY – Golf Canada’s 2018 Annual Meeting culminated on Saturday, January 27^th with the election of Leslie Dunning to serve as the National Sport Federation’s volunteer President.

Dunning succeeds 2016-2017 President Roland A. Deveau in leading Golf Canada’s Board of Directors while Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Que., becomes 1^st Vice-President and Liz Hoffman of Thornhill, Ont. assumes the role of 2^nd Vice-President. The group will work closely to support new Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum who joined the association in last July.

“I am humbled and extremely proud to assume this post as the 114^th president of Golf Canada,” said Dunning. “There is a great enthusiasm in the game right now and I believe we have a real opportunity to connect with more of Canada’s current golfers and make the game more welcoming and accessible for new potential enthusiasts. Together with the Board of Directors, I am looking forward to working closely with Laurence (Applebaum) and our committed staff, volunteers and partners for the betterment of golf in Canada.”

Dunning spent more than 36 years in a variety of senior leadership roles for the Canadian Red Cross including 13 years as Director General for Western Canada and most recently as Director General, Violence and Abuse Prevention for Canada prior to her retirement in 2014. She is past president (2007-08) of Alberta Golf and has volunteered with Golf Canada since 2008 across a variety of committees including the past nine years on the Board of Directors. A distinguished alumna of the University of Waterloo, she also earned an MBA from Queen’s University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Certified Management Accountant registered in Alberta. Dunning has served several local, provincial and national organizations in various governance roles and is a member of Earl Grey Golf Club in Calgary as well as Bigwin Island Golf Club in Muskoka.

Dunning, Beaulieu and Hoffman will lead Golf Canada’s 2018 Board of Directors which also includes Dale Jackson of Victoria, B.C., Rob MacDonald of Winnipeg, Man., Tom Sears of Port Hope, Ont. and David Atkinson of Vancouver, B.C. as well as new Directors Ben Cowan-Dewar of Toronto, Susan MacKinnon of Calgary and Adam Daifallah of Montreal. Also remaining on the Board is immediate past President Roland A. Deveau (2016-2017), only the fifth President to serve multiple or consecutive terms since the association’s formation in 1895. More information including bios for Golf Canada’s 2018 Board of Directors is available here.

Annual Report & Financial Statements:

Click here to read Golf Canada’s 2017 Annual Report, which includes a recap of the past season, as well as the association’s 2017 Financial Statements, which were both released during Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting.

Tom Zariski Honoured with Volunteer of the Year Award:

Tom Zariski of Drumheller, Alta. was recognized as Golf Canada’s 2017 recipients of the Volunteer of the Year Award. This marks the 12^th year in which the association has honoured volunteers for their efforts and commitment to grow the game in their community.

Click here for more on Volunteer of the Year honourees Tom Zariski.

Florin Bergh, Fran Marsden, Ron Lyons and Cam Cole Honoured as Recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award(s):

Created in 1993, Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award has been presented annually to recognize individuals for their outstanding contributions to the game of golf in Canada. This year’s recipients include long-time golf volunteers Florin Bergh and Fran Marsden of Edmonton along with golf historian Ron Lyons and acclaimed golf columnist Cam Cole.  Bergh, Marsden and Lyons were recognized during Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting dinner on Saturday, January 27 while Cole will be honoured as part of Golf Canada’s National Team media day on Monday, June 4^th at Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria.

Click here for more information on the four honourees.

Images from Golf Canada’s 2018 Annual Meeting:

A snapshot of photos from Golf Canada’s 2018 Annual Meeting is available here.

In addition to appointing its new President and members to the Board of Directors, the association gathered with stakeholders from the provincial golf associations and volunteers as well as national and international association partners including the R&A, USGA, LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR.

Golf Canada’s 2018 Annual Meeting took place January 25-27 at the Grey Eagle Resort and Casino in Calgary, Alta.

As the first two-term Golf Canada president since 1931, you might expect Roland Deveau to heave a huge sigh of relief as he hands the mantle to Calgary’s Leslie Dunning.

You would be wrong.

While Deveau, 56, looks forward to getting back to “real life,” as he puts it, he is justifiably proud of the 24 months he spent at the helm of the association. It was a span that encompassed a change of CEOs of the organization as well as experiencing the return of golf to the Olympics and Canada’s 150^th anniversary celebration.

CEO Laurence Applebaum (left) and Roland Deveau at Golf House in Oakville, Ont.

“It wasn’t all smooth sailing, but that’s an integral part of leadership in challenging times,” Deveau said in an interview with Golf Canada a couple of weeks before the association’s annual general meeting in Calgary where Dunning takes over. As past-president, he will remain on the Golf Canada board of directors.

“When I look back, and I want to emphasize that nothing gets accomplished without the support of my fellow directors, staff and volunteers, I think we met many objectives. We stabilized our finances, we delivered our entire suite of programs as promised, some of which are recognized world-wide as best in class. We’re well on our way to delivering our new membership model, which will be completed next year.”

Deveau’s term in office was also marked by memorable performances on-course. Canadian golfers, both amateur and professional, showed well around the world.

But for Deveau, the singularly “surreal” moment came as he watched young Canadian pro Austin Connelly at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in England.

“Being there on the tee at that last round, seeing Austin in the penultimate group with Brooks Koepke, who had won the U.S. Open just a month before, and teeing off just ahead of the final group of Matt Kuchar and Jordan Spieth, it was unbelievable. Surreal. That’s the only way I can describe the feeling.”

Connelly spent summers playing and practising at Deveau’s home course, Clare Golf and Country Club, a few hours from Halifax, where Deveau, a lawyer, is the vice-chair of the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

“To see him grow up during the summers, living less than a mile from my parents’ house and to follow him in the final round of the Open Championship and see his name on the leaderboard … Absolutely incredible.”

He said that experience, for him, encapsulated what golf is all about: Seeing a promising youngster supported by the golf community rising to the world stage.

Most golfers don’t understand the role of Golf Canada’s president. Many may think of the office as a ceremonial one, a figurehead akin to our country’s governor-general. In Deveau’s case, nothing could be further from the truth.

There are unrelenting governance and organizational responsibilities and myriad demands on personal time that must be juggled with the “real job” of the president who is, in the final analysis, just the “first among equals” of Golf Canada’s many volunteers.

“It’s not all about handing out trophies,” says Deveau. “People wouldn’t believe how much goes on behind the scenes. We’re entrusted with the game in Canada as the National Sport Organization and we have never taken our role lightly.”

The gregarious Deveau was the first Golf Canada president to use social media to stay in touch with Canadians and kept his “feet on the ground” as a Rules of Golf official at some significant events, including the RBC Canadian Open and the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in 2016 and 2017, the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur and Canadian Junior Boys Championship, and others.

Deveau says it gave him a chance to interact with players and, most importantly, spectators.

“It showed me just how many people in Canada love this game so much. Not that I would say it gave me ‘credibility’ as such but it gave me a lot of insight.”

As he leaves his historic role, Deveau departs not just with hard-earned credibility and insight, but with other emotions. Regret is definitely not one of them.

“These past two years have definitely been a challenge, but they’ve been so very rewarding and worthwhile. I enjoyed every minute of the experience.”

SAN DIEGO – Alex Noren of Sweden has all the credentials to be on the fringe of the elite in golf. He is a nine-time winner on the European Tour, including the flagship BMW PGA Championship, and he cracked the top 10 in the world when he won four times in 2016.

Now he has a chance to make his mark in America.

Noren surged on the closing stretch as so many challengers crumbled Saturday in the Farmers Insurance Open. He bounced back from a double bogey with three birdies over the final six holes for a 3-under 69 and a one-shot lead going into the final round at Torrey Pines.

“To win would be very, very big for my confidence, I think,” Noren said. “And playing around these courses … we’re going to have the U.S. Open here in a few years, so it would be massive.”

But even as he took his first 54-hole lead in his first PGA Tour event as a member, it was easy to overlook the 35-year-old Swede.

For starters, Tiger Woods takes up almost all the attention. Woods was at his scrambling best in the third round, and he had to be. He hit only three fairways, only had a birdie putt on nine holes and still managed a 70. Woods was eight shots behind.

Beyond golf’s top attraction was the long list of players chasing Noren.

Two dozen players were separated by five shots going into the final round. That started with Ryan Palmer, who lost momentum from his 45-foot eagle by making two late bogeys and a lazy swing with a wedge that kept him from a good chance at birdie on the 18th.

And it still includes Jon Rahm, who hit into the water front the green on the par-5 closing hole and took double bogey for a 75. He was still just four shots back – Rahm was three behind when he won last year – and still in range of a victory that would give the 23-year-old Spaniard the No. 1 ranking.

It most likely doesn’t include Woods, who was no less entertaining.

Woods was so wild off the tee that he hit only one fairway on the back nine at the start of his round. Without a deft short game, Woods figures he might have shot something in the 80s.

“It’s not the driver, it’s my swing,” said Woods, who has hit only six fairways since Thursday. “Some of my go-to shots aren’t there. Some of the shots I like to hit under certain circumstances aren’t there, either. The only thing I have is my short game and my heart, and that got me through today.”

Corey Conners (70) from Listowel, Ont., was the low Canadian at 6 under. Adam Hadwin (72) of Abbotsford, B.C., is 3 under, Ben Silverman (76) of Thornhill, Ont., was even and Nick Taylor (79) of Abbotsford, was 6 over.

Noren, who played his college golf at Oklahoma State, ran in a long eagle at the par-5 sixth and closed out his round by drilling his second shot over the pond and to the back fringe on the 18th for a two-putt birdie. He was at 11-under 205.

Not being as well known in these parts was the least of his concerns.

“All I’m trying to do is play some good golf and my goal is to win a tournament,” Noren said. “I don’t care too much if they know me or not. It’s quite nice if they don’t know me. But they’re very nice to me.”

Palmer began the third round with a one-shot lead and had two bad stretches. He made consecutive bogeys late on the front nine, and then after stretching his lead to two shots with his eagle, he made two bogeys over the next three holes.

Even so, he’ll be in the final group Sunday going for his first victory in eight years. He is in a good place, on the leaderboard and at home, with his wife getting clean scans in her battle with breast cancer and Palmer taking off the fall to get bone spurs removed from his shoulder.

“Wasn’t the best year last year, and taking the fall off, but my game is in good shape,” Palmer said. “It’s ready. If we hit the ball a little bit better, a little more consistent, we’re going to have a chance.”

J.B. Holmes had a 65 to reach 9-under 207 and joins Palmer and Noren in the last group. Michael Kim also was two shots behind and has some course knowledge from going to Torrey Pines High School and playing the South more times than he can remember.

Left out of the mix was Phil Mickelson, who was three shots out of the lead until he shot 41 on the back nine. Mickelson had a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have put him in the same group as Woods on Sunday. He missed.

Woods again tees off on the back nine for the final round and is too many shots behind with too many players ahead of him to have a realistic chance. But it’s been a good week for someone playing the PGA Tour for only the second time since August 2015 because of his three back surgeries. And he certainly gave his back a good test as many times as he was thrashing out of the rough.

“A good 12 months away from playing out of the rough, I don’t know what this body is going to do,” he said. “But I think it did great today.”

One goal for Sunday is to give his back a rest, and maybe even try to break 70.

“See if I can shoot something in the 60s,” he said with a smile, “but make it a little bit easier on myself than today.”

– National Sport Federation for golf to join other NSF’s preventing bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination by mandating Respect Training –

Calgary, Alta. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is proud to announce it is working to combat and prevent abuse, bullying and harassment in golf by adopting Respect in Sport and Respect in the Workplace as part of its deepened commitment to the Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM).

Respect in Sport and Respect in the Workplace are online resources used to prevent bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination (BAHD). The program’s mission is to empower participants to recognize signs of BAHD and eliminate it from the game and workplace, through a global culture of respect.

Golf Canada will be joining other National Sport Federation’s in Canada offering Respect Training to coaches, support staff, parents of Team Canada athletes, directors, staff and other key stakeholders. The association is also encouraging training at the provincial golf association level.

“We are very proud to be joining other National Sport Federations in adopting and facilitating this important training among our golf community,” said Laurence Applebaum, CEO, Golf Canada. “Our commitment to integrating the Responsible Coaching Movement and Respect programming into the core areas of our organization will strengthen our efforts to build a culture of respect, and further instill a safe, fun and positive environment in golf.”

Applebaum, along with Kevin Thistle, CEO of the PGA of Canada, officially signed the Responsible Coaching Movement pledge in mid-December as part of annual Sport Development Meetings between coaches and administrators from the PGA of Canada, Golf Canada and all the Provincial Golf Associations.

The Responsible Coaching Movement (RCM) is a multi-phase system-wide movement, coordinated by the Coaching Association of Canada and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. The RCM is a call to action for organizations to implement realistic change based on their individual state of readiness. Golf Canada’s long-term commitment to Respect Training is an important and meaningful step forward for golf in Canada.

The Respect Group—those behind Respect in Sport and Respect in the Workplace, was co-founded by former NHLer and Order of Canada recipient Sheldon Kennedy in 2004. It partnered with the Canadian Red Cross to create a best-in-class e-learning curriculum for mass consumption.

“Respect Group is pleased to partner with Golf Canada in support of the Responsible Coaching Movement,” said Wayne McNeil, President of Respect Group. “Golf Canada is showing great leadership in taking the issues of bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination seriously, and wanting to take positive steps to ensuring a positive sport/workplace culture.”

Golf Canada has also updated several of its policies to help combat BAHD, including its Code of Conduct, Code of Ethics, Junior Code of Conduct, Parent’s and Spectator Code of Conduct, Recognition and Prevention of Abuse Policy, Recognition and Prevention of Discrimination Policy, Harassment & Violence Policy, Whistleblower Policy, as well as its Volunteer and Staff Screening Policy.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Lorne Rubenstein, who spent 33 years as a golf columnist while writing 14 books and contributing to magazines around the world, has been named the recipient of the 2018 PGA Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism.

Rubenstein, a native of Toronto, will be honored on April 4 at the ISPS HANDA 46th Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA) Annual Awards Dinner at Savannah Rapids Pavilion in Augusta, Georgia.

Rubenstein, 69, is the 29th recipient of the PGA Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism, which recognizes members of the media for their steadfast promotion of golf, both locally and nationally.

“We celebrate Lorne Rubenstein’s outstanding career, a study in gracefully capturing the joy of the game while connecting readers to many of golf’s often underappreciated players,” said PGA President Paul Levy. “Through his work, Lorne also strengthened a bond with our extended golf family in Canada – home to an association born five years before the PGA of America. Together, we work to make golf the best game and we welcome Lorne among the most honored journalists in our sport.”

Rubenstein’s work spans more than 50 major championships, Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups as well as some 40 Canadian Opens.

Born in Toronto, Rubenstein began playing golf at 12 while continuing to compete in hockey, football and baseball. A graduate of York University in Toronto in 1970, Rubenstein earned an M.A. in psychology from the University of Guelph (1974). He worked as part-time curator-librarian for the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA, now Golf Canada), while pursuing a doctoral degree in psychology. He withdrew to focus on writing about golf. In 1980, Rubenstein became the first editor of SCOREGolf Magazine and a weekly columnist for The Globe and Mail, Canada’s national newspaper.

Personal golf experiences enriched Rubenstein’s work, including caddying in the 1970 Canadian Open for former U.S. and British Amateur Champion Bob Dickson, with whom he developed a long friendship that led to more connections with professional golfers. He caddied on tour part-time for Dickson and then for two-time Canadian Amateur champion Jim Nelford until 1982.

During that period, Rubenstein led the club championship at the Uplands Golf Course in Toronto after 54 holes. He was unable to fend off multiple swing thoughts and struggled to a 78 in the final round. He lost and went home to write about the experience, and sent the article to Golf Digest.

The editor was encouraging, but didn’t publish his offering. Still, the encouragement kick- started his writing career. Two years later, in 1979, he previewed the Canadian Open for Toronto Life magazine – “Psychology of the Swing,” focusing on Canadian great George Knudson.

After publication, Knudson left a voice message, “You have your foot in the door. Just keep writing and good things will happen.” One of the “good things” was The Natural Golf Swing, the book he co-authored with Knudson, an eight-time PGA Tour winner.

“I’ve made many friends around the world because of golf,” said Rubenstein. “Forty years have come and gone since my club championship debacle at Uplands. But the experience led me to write, and a world opened up. Even now I can hear George Knudson’s voice on my answering machine. I am most grateful for this honor. I join a group of past recipients, many of whom I have known as friends and long respected.”

Rubenstein is a four-time award-winner for magazine features/newspaper columns in the Golf Writers Association of America (1988, ’93, ’94, and 2003); won the 1985 Canada National Magazine Award; and has three first-place awards from the Golf Journalists Association of Canada (2009, ’16, and ’17). He was inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame (2006), the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame (2007), and is a recipient of Sports Media Canada’s Lifetime Achievement Award (2009) and the PGA of Canada’s Distinguished Service Award (2013).

From 1992-2005, Rubenstein was TSN television host of “Acura World of Golf,” and hosted “Looking Back” from 2014-15 on SiriusXM. His books include A Season in Dornoch: Golf and Life in the Scottish Highlands; Mike Weir: The Road to the Masters; and Moe & Me: Encounters with Moe Norman, Golf Mysterious Genius. He collaborated with Nick Price on The Swing: Mastering the Principles of the Game, and with David Leadbetter on The Fundamentals of Hogan.  His most recent work, published in 2017, is a collaboration with Tiger Woods on his memoir, “The 1997 Masters: My Story.”

Rubenstein lives in Toronto and Jupiter, Florida, with his wife, Nell.

Alberta Golf President and Level 4 Rules Official to be recognized during Golf Canada’s 2018 Annual Meeting

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Tom Zariski of Drumheller, Alta. has been named the recipient of Golf Canada’s 2017 Volunteer of the Year Award.

A Level 4 Rules of Golf Official and past President of Alberta Golf, Zariski will be acknowledged during the closing dinner of Golf Canada’s 2018 Annual Meeting on Saturday, January 27^th at the Grey Eagle Resort and Casino in Calgary.

“Volunteers are the driving force behind the success of golf in this country and we are proud to recognize Tom Zariski for his leadership and extensive contributions to support the game of golf in his home province of Alberta,” said Golf Canada President Roland Deveau. “Tom has given back to the game at the provincial and national level and it is fitting that his leadership, commitment and contributions are being recognized.”

Each year in Canada, tens of thousands of committed volunteers help to support the game of golf in communities from coast to coast.

Now in its 12^th year, candidates for Golf Canada’s Volunteer of the Year Award are put forth for consideration by the respective provincial golf associations in acknowledgment of significant contributions to the game of golf in their community.

 Tom Zariski, Drumheller, Alta. 

Reading through Tom Zariski’s bio on the Alberta Golf website provides a glimpse of the credentials and contributions that brought the Drumheller, Alta. native to serve as (past) President of the provincial golf association.    

His commitment to support Alberta Golf and grow the game across the province is outstanding, and it is that commitment and leadership that validates his selection as Golf Canada’s 2017 Volunteer of the Year.

The credentials speak for themselves—a Level 4 Rules of Golf Official for the past 10 years who was elected to Alberta Golf’s Board of Directors in 2010. 

After graduating from the University of Alberta 35 years ago, he began a teaching career in Drumheller. He would later obtain a Masters’ Degree at the University of Calgary and became Principal of Drumheller Composite High School, retiring in 2010.

He also sits on the Drumheller Town Council where he is serving his second term in office. He co-founded and was President of the Drumheller Community Football Association and was also Vice President of the Dinosaur Trail Golf and Country Club, where he is a member.

Zariski also serves on several volunteer boards including the Drumheller and District Seniors Foundation, the Royal Tyrrell Museum Cooperating Society, the Drumheller R.C.M.P. Citizen’s Advisory Committee and others.

As one of Alberta’s top Level 4 Rules Officials, he plays a leading role in conducting most provincial golf championships and works to foster a strong dialogue amongst Rules Officials across the province.   

At the Board and committee level, he is forthright in sharing his opinions and expertise with a commitment to strong governance protocol and a concerted effort to run efficient and effective meetings.  

A proponent of golf and giving, Zariski also sits as President of the Alberta Golf Association Foundation Board which awards over $50,000 in scholarships annually.

He is also a member of Golf Canada’s Rules Committee and the founder of the provincial Volunteer Engagement Committee—which has since seen its work for volunteers embedded into Alberta Golf’s annual business plan. 

As an administrator, Zariski believes in a big picture approach to Alberta Golf’s working relationship with Golf Canada, and has been a driving force behind the provincial implementation of the joint membership model. 

He was named the Town of Drumheller “Citizen of the Year” in 2005 and when he is not golfing or volunteering, he has come to enjoy the game of pickle-ball.

Congratulations to Tom Zariski of Drumheller, Alta., on being named Golf Canada’s 2017 Volunteer of the Year!

MEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10

No changes in the Top 10 as we start 2018 with No. 9 Matt Williams making the biggest gain, picking up 5 places in the world rankings.

A trio of National Team members will be Down Under to start the golf season as No. 2 Hugo Bernard, No. 3 Joey Savoie and No. 4 Josh Whalen take part in the Australian Master of the Amateurs event.

Honourable mention goes to Matthew Anderson, who picked up 804 spots in the world rankings after winning the Innisbrook Christmas Junior event over the Christmas break. Anderson signed a letter of intent last November to play collegiate golf at the University of San Francisco.

Biggest move: Brendan Seys gained 1,338 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 28th at the New Year’s Invitational.

Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.

WOMEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10

Some movement within the Top 10 over the Christmas break.

No. 6 Jessica Ip made the biggest move among the Top 10, picking up 24 spots in the world rankings.

After 10 weeks outside the Top 10, Valerie Tanguay moves up to take over the No. 9 spot.

Michelle Ruiz makes her Top 10 debut, climbing over 300 spots over the Christmas break to take over the No. 10 ranking. Ruiz recently finished tied for 31st at the Dixie Amateur.

Team Canada National Squad member Naomi Ko finished in a tie for 10th at the Dixie Amateur. The Victoria golfer picking up three places in the world rankings.

Team Canada Development Squad member Celeste Dao finished tied for 11th at the Junior Orange Bowl Championship. The No. 8 ranked Dao picking up one place in the world rankings this past week.

Honourable mention to Jennifer Gu, who makes her world amateur rankings debut following her victory at the North American Junior Amateur match play event.

Biggest Move: Emily Zhu climbed 413 spots in the world ranking after placing second at the Orlando International Amateur for Juniors event. She just missed the cut by three strokes in the main field event for amateurs at the same tournament. And she finished tied for 53rd at the Dixie Amateur.

Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.

MEN’S TOP 10

Adam Hadwin starts 2018 as the No. 1 ranked pro in Canada and the Abbotsford, B.C. golfer picked up two places in the world rankings after finishing 32nd in the Sentry Tournament of Champions event in Hawaii. The result was worth 2.40 world ranking points, which moves up inside the top 60 in the world to begin the 2018 portion of the new PGA season. Hadwin earned his invite into the season opening event following his 2017 win at the Valspar Championship.

Benjamin Silverman, who made the biggest move among the Top 10 by picking up three places in the world rankings, will make his 2018 PGA Tour debut this week at the Sony Open. Since qualifying for his Tour card last fall, Silverman has already recorded a pair of top 10 finishes to close out 2017.

Click here for Men’s Official World Golf Rankings.

WOMEN’S TOP 10

Brooke Henderson begins 2018 as the No. 14 ranked player in the world. She is the only Canadian pro ranked within the top 100 as the new year begins.

Henderson is also one of five Canadians who will have status on the LPGA Tour in 2018. She will be joined by No. 2 Alena Sharp, No. 3 Maude-Aimee Leblanc, No. 4 Anne-Catherine Tanguay and No. 5 Brittany Marchand.

No. 6 Augusta James made the biggest move among the Top 10, picking up three places in the world rankings.

Click here for full Women’s Rolex World Rankings.

Adam Hadwin had a career year in 2017, and as the calendar changes, he added two more honours.

The Golf Journalists Association of Canada (GJAC) is proud to announce Hadwin, Josh Whalen, Judith Kyrinis, and Brooke Henderson are the 2017 Players of the Year as voted by GJAC members across the country. Hadwin’s magical season where he notched his first PGA Tour victory, shot 59, and played on the Presidents Cup team was also named the Canadian Golf Story of the Year.

“GJAC is happy to honour these golfers and their accomplishments in 2017,” said Robert Thompson, GJAC president. “The accomplishments of the winners – and each of the nominees – show how strong Canadian golf is right now. GJAC wishes the best of luck to in the year ahead.”

Hadwin’s first PGA Tour victory came in March after a thrilling Sunday at the Valspar Championship, where he won by one over Patrick Cantlay. In January, Hadwin became the eighth golfer in PGA Tour history to shoot a sub-60 round.

Just weeks after his win, Hadwin got married and closed on his first home to cap a whirlwind start to 2017. He ascended to inside the Top 50 in the world (becoming Canada’s highest-ranked male golfer in the process), played all four majors, and participated in the Presidents Cup in September.

Henderson continued her impressive start to her LPGA Tour career, winning twice – at the Meijer LPGA Classic and the McKayson New Zealand Women’s Open – and nearly defending her title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She finished sixth on the LPGA Tour’s 2017 money list, earning just over $1.5 million in 30 events (the most on Tour).

She was the only unanimous choice out of the four winners.

Kyrinis had a stellar 2017 campaign capped off with a victory in an all-Canadian final at the U.S. Senior Amateur. She also won the Ontario Women’s Senior Amateur and Mid-Amateur Championships, along with finishing runner-up at the prestigious North and South Senior Women’s Amateur, and fifth at the Canadian Women’s Senior Amateur.

Whalen finished No. 1 on the Golf Canada Amateur Order of Merit for his fine campaign in 2017. He finished third at the Canadian Men’s Amateur and notched six top-20 finishes during his senior year at Kent State University.

Laurence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada, caught up with journalist Ian Hutchinson of Golf News Now in a phone interview on Wednesday to discuss the successes of 2017 and what’s ahead for Golf Canada in 2018 and beyond.

Listen to the clip here.

The PGA TOUR announced today that Brad Fritsch has violated the PGA TOUR Anti-Doping Policy’s ban on the use of performance-enhancing substances and has been suspended for three months. Mr. Fritsch self-reported this information after discovering that an ingredient in a supplement that he was taking was on the prohibited list. He has acknowledged his inadvertent error and accepted his suspension. He will be eligible to return on February 28, 2018.

Statement from Brad Fritsch’s Facebook page:

“Alright. We start Monday.”

That was a text I sent to my good friend Alex on Saturday Nov 11, the same day I had failed to advance at Second Stage of the Web.com Tour Q-School. Alex is a chiropractor, and he operates a really successful weight loss program out of his office as well. I had seen his commercials that run during the daytime soap operas (my WIFE watches General Hospital, not me; promise), advertising “lose a pound of fat per day.” My wife had done the program once before and lost 25 pounds. It seemed like the perfect time to, finally, lose some weight – I had turned 40 two days prior; I was pretty much the heaviest I’d ever been (242 pounds); and my kids were getting really fast. Plus, it looked like I would have a good two months off. I would lose the weight and simultaneously adapt my golf swing throughout the program with my instructor.

The majority of Alex’s program is low calorie, highly disciplined eating. You eat two meals per day (I did noon and 6pm), consisting of a small protein and whatever vegetables you want. Yes, I almost died in the first two weeks. If it sounds awful, that’s because it was. I tried to drink 120oz of water per day, and then took the supplements that every other program participant takes – a liquid multivitamin, even more vitamin D, a “body detox” solution, a probiotic, and a spray called BioSom.

“Hey, it’s not that spray that got Vijay in trouble, right?”

That was a text from November 30, from one of my brothers. I was telling him and my other brother what I was doing with the weight loss program. It felt like my heart sank into my stomach. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t checked all of the supplements against our Anti-Doping list. I immediately sent a text to Andy Levinson, head of the Tour’s Anti-Doping program.

I should give some background on my feelings about the Tour’s Anti-Doping program, because it has a lot to do with how this has come to this point. I’ve been a huge advocate in expanding its transparency, both in meetings for the Web and PGA Tour and also in private conversations with multiple PGA Tour employees. I like the truth, and I hate rumor and innuendo. I’ve been adamant that we should publicize every offender, no matter the offense. Truthfully, I was mainly thinking of recreational testing when I formulated my opinion, and never for one second considered I would one day be a part of a potential “performance enhancing” violation. The only thing I would ever test positive for is excessive Chick Fil A.

And so it was with my view of the Anti Doping program in mind that I texted Andy Levinson that day. Truthfully, it was 10% my assumption that everything was fine; however, it wasn’t fine. That last supplement ended up containing a substance called DHEA, and it is indeed banned on our Anti-Doping list. But 90% is my dislike of hypocrisy. How could I sit there all those times and say “if it happens, it’s the truth, and if it’s the truth, get it out there,” and when it was my turn, just lie about it?

I couldn’t. It’s not who I am. I believe in the program and if I’m to be suspended, then so be it. It is my own fault that I’m in this position.

I’m just so upset with myself that I didn’t think to question what was in the supplements. But I never did. And in the program rules, it stipulates that a self-report is the same as a positive test. I did know this when I sent the text to Andy Levinson – like I said above, I believe in the program. I’m a proud member of the PGA Tour and I don’t take that lightly. If there is any silver lining, it’s that I thankfully never played a competitive round during all of this. I don’t feel great about this situation, but I’ve had over a month to kind of process my feelings about it. I’m in a good place (and I’ve lost 28 pounds, so I’ve got that going for me). I’m not sure I’d feel exactly the same way if I had competed against my peers while using a banned substance, even if it was out of ignorance.

I just wish I had paid attention to the details. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t pay attention to the details.

I’d like to express my thanks and appreciation to my family, friends, and especially my sponsors, for their unwavering support.

I also want to thank the PGA Tour, Commissioner Jay Monahan, and Andy Levinson for bringing this to a speedy resolution.

To all those who believe in me, who cheer for me, who respect me – I hope those three things don’t change.

Sincerely,

Brad Fritsch