Brooke Henderson wins the Meijer LPGA Classic (for a second time), collecting her 9th career LPGA title — the most ever by a Canadian.

YORKTON, Sask. – Josh Nagy came from behind, while Hyeji Yang maintained her second-round lead to win the boys and girls division, respectively, at the Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie Championship at Deer Park Municipal Golf Course.

Yang, from Langley, B.C., moved into the lead during the second-round and topped the field by seven strokes at 11-over par 227. Birdies were at a premium throughout the tournament in the girls division, but Yang’s two back-nine birdies on Sunday helped her secure the victory.

“I think I played not bad overall this week,” said Yang. “Today my game was struggling on the front nine and I couldn’t make some birdies when I had a chance. On the back nine I was pushing myself. On 13 my shots started coming back and on No. 15 I made a 15-foot birdie putt which helped me get more confidence and momentum.”

Sherri Yang finished in second at 18-over. The Richmond, B.C. product held the lead following the first-round, but was unable to withstand the charge from Hyeji Yang. She finished a stroke ahead of Calgary native Brooke Frerichs, who put in three consistent rounds to end up 19-over.

Autumn Neiszner of Regina and Kaitlyn Wingnean of Edmonton round out the top-five earning exemptions to the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship from July 29-August 2 at Lethbridge Country Club in Lethbridge, Alta.

In the boys division, Josh Nagy cemented himself atop the leaderboard with a tremendous final round. The Saskatoon native made a double bogey on the par-4 second hole, but went on to make eight birdies to finish the day at 6-under par 66 and 3-under par 213 for the tournament.

Ranked No. 2 on Golf Saskatchewan’s Order of Merit, Nagy shot only the second under-par round of the tournament. The other round belonged to Calgary’s Richard Dou, who carded a 2-under 70 during the opening round.

“It’s an honour,” said Nagy. “I came in playing alright, and it was really nice to be able to turn the week around in the last round. I had a little hiccup on No. 2, and then I was able to bear down on the greens.”

Finishing seven strokes behind Nagy was second-round leader Tae Kyoung (Eric) Yun of Richmond Hill, Ont. Yun shot even-par on Saturday, finishing 4-over for the tournament.

An even-par final round from Neel Soni secured T3 for the Winnipeg product, tied with fellow Winnipegger Jacob Armstrong at 6-over.

Dou rounded out the top-five at 7-over.

Each of the top five finishers received an exemption into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship from August 11-15 at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, N.B.

Full results can be found here.

Mary DePaoli (EVP & Chief Marketing Officer for RBC) sums up a fantastic 2019 RBC Canadian Open.

by Golf NB:

With a difficult winter in the rear view mirror, it is no great surprise that “Mother Nature” has taken her toll on some of New Brunswick’s top golf courses.  With later than normal openings for much of the province, and significant damage from winter ice storms, the 2019 golf season has gotten off to more of a trot then a sprint.

Few venues have experienced a more difficult spring then the Westfield Golf & Country Club.  Set to celebrate its centennial birthday by hosting one of Golf New Brunswick’s (Golf NB) crown jewel events, winter kill, ice damage and poor growing conditions have forced the club to withdraw its commitment to host the 2019 RBC Dominion Securities NB Men’s Amateur Championship.

“I drove the golf course last night (June 12th) with our superintendent and members of our greens committee”, said Westfield’s Head Profession Steve LeBlanc.  “We analyzed each green and discussed how each one would play in a month.  In the end, the committee felt that hosting one of Golf NB’s flagship events this season just was not in the best interest of all parties involved.”

“We are devastated for the club”, said Golf NB Executive Director Tyson Flinn.  “We have been in constant contact with Steve and the rest of the organizing committee for weeks and we know how hard they have worked, how much they were looking forward to celebrating 100 years with the RBC Dominion Securities NB Men’s Amateur Championship, and we know how difficult a decision this was for them to make.”

Ultimately, neither the Westfield Golf & Country Club, or Golf NB, could wait on the weather any longer.

“With July fast approaching, we needed to be fair to both Golf NB and the players”, said Peter McCarthy, President of the Westfield Golf & Country Club.  “Mother Nature dealt us a bad hand this year, and we just didn’t see how we would be able to get the golf course to an acceptable playing standard in time for the event.  Regardless of how badly we wanted to host this year’s event, and make it a part of our centennial, we needed to give everyone time to plan accordingly and make the require changes.”

“While it was a very difficult decision for the Westfield Golf & Country Club, Golf NB sincerely appreciates the club’s professionalism, courage and fortitude in making this decision early enough to allow us some time to find an alternative venue”, said Flinn.

With that in mind, the search is on, “four weeks from today, someone will be hitting the first tee shot”, says Flinn, “so we need to get a move on!”

Having been kept well informed throughout Westfield’s decision-making process, Flinn believes Golf NB is well down the path of securing an alternate venue.  “We have spoken with our sponsor, and with some of our partner facilities, and we are confident that we will have a new host venue in the very near future.”

A steadfast supporter of golf in the province, RBC Dominion Securities remains ever optimistic.  “We are disappointed for the Westfield Golf & Country Club”, said Tom Gribbons, Vice-President, Branch Manager & Associate Portfolio Manager for RBC Dominion Securities in Saint John.  “We know and understand the challenges that Mother Nature can bring to bear, and while Westfield certainly would have made for a great championship venue, New Brunswick is fortunate to have an abundance of great golf courses and we know wherever this year’s tournament lands the players will be treated to a first-class event!”

• For more information or the 2019 RBC Dominion Securities NB Men’s Amateur Championship please CLICK HERE.

When you drop in relief areas defined by one or two club-lengths, in the 2019 Rules, a club-length will always mean the length of the longest club in your bag, except your putter.

Click here to learn more about the Rules of golf.

Thank you to the fans, the volunteers, the tournament organizers and the sponsors for a fantastic end to a fantastic tournament!

A picturesque end to the day, nothing beats the last group walking up the final fairway to a thunderous ovation from an adoring crowd. We couldn’t have written a better end to the day, with Rory McIlroy, the darling of the golf world, taking home the championship (in a Toronto Raptors jersey to boot!)

The perfect end to a perfect day, but there is a lot of work that goes into it. The fairytale ending we all experienced today is not what it is without the thousands of volunteers tending the ropes. Dedicated golf fans that are teachers, police officers, members of the host club, retirees, and a million other things. These are the lifeblood of Our Open. They are the engine that drives the wheels of our championship.

And we owe them a massive thank you. For the 25,000 people in the sold-out crowd on Sunday, there were volunteers everywhere, making sure that the tournament was as great as it turned out to be. The unsung heroes of the championship, they are the ones that drive the parking lot shuttles, hold the “Quiet eh?” signs in the air for hours on end, keep the players and crowd safe, tend to the hospitality tents and make sure the complicated effervescent tangle of gallery rope line is in working order.

These people come together from all walks of life and descend upon the host golf course, working a long week and longer hours. They partake in the beehive-like efficiency of running a PGA TOUR event – but why? They do it because they love it.

They love the players, the TOUR, the golf course, the RBC Canadian Open, the experience of being inside the ropes, the experience of helping people, and the experience of showing the game they love off to the country, the players, the patronage and the world.

Les Palango, Hamilton radio personality, said that “I love to volunteer because it gets me in the action, I can man the ropes and the players all walk right by me. You see them on TV all the time, but to have Rory McIlroy walk by you and personally thank you for doing your job, that makes it worth it to me.”

It’s the spirit of the volunteers, the thousands of them that sign-up for forty-nine PGA TOUR events all over the country (but especially ours), that is the heart and soul of the game. The grow the game initiative comes from the passion of people like these. It’s awe-inspiring the passion of the golfer.

As the day was wrapping up, and our champion golfer McIlroy was signing his scorecard before the trophy presentation, I turned to a volunteer standing on the 18th green and asked him his favourite part of the week, “This,“ he told me. That was all he needed to say. This was everything. This moment. Thousands of people carved into the natural amphitheatre, all sharing the collective consciousness of pride in their tournament. They were chanting for the Raptors, Rory, singing Oh Canada, and not a soul had left since the final putt dropped. They all wanted more. “Wow eh?,” was all I could muster back to him, and we both stood there, taking in the moment, knowing exactly what we were talking about without saying anything.

So sign up to be a volunteer. Get more. Show the game you love to your friends, your family, a total stranger. Within your passion will ignite their passion.

The amazing experience of being a volunteer at the 2020 RBC Canadian Open is right around the corner, and you don’t want to miss out.

Click here to learn more.

HAMILTON, Ont.  — Using a loonie as his ball marker, Rory McIlroy fired a final round 9-under par 61 to win Canada’s National Open Championship, the RBC Canadian Open in his first appearance.

McIlroy’s 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score ever carded at the RBC Canadian Open. The previous record of 263 was held by Johnny Palmer (1952), Scott Piercy (2012) and Tim Clark (2014). His final round 61 is also the best final round at the 110-year-old event, breaking the record of 62 held by Andy Bean (1983).

The 30-year-old entered Sunday’s final round sharing the lead with Americans Matt Kuchar and Webb Simpson. He started his round by lipping-out a chip for eagle on the first hole, en route to birding four of his first five holes. With the win the Northern Irishman claimed his 16^th PGA TOUR title.

“It’s been a while since I played like this and sort of put my foot down, but it was so nice to do it today,” said McIlroy. “I’m very proud of what I’ve done today. Hopefully this sets up well for the rest of the year, too.”

McIlroy becomes only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, having won the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014. He joins an exclusive club that includes Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods.

“The reception from the Canadian crowds have been incredible this week,” added McIlroy. “They couldn’t have been any better. They’ve been so welcoming all week. I can’t wait to come back next year.”

McIlroy is the first golfer to win the RBC Canadian Open on his first attempt since Chez Reavie in 2008 and the first European to capture the title since Sweden’s Carl Pettersson in 2010.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry and American Web Simpson finished tied for second at 15-under par 265 for the tournament. Americans Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker finished tied for 4^th at 13-under.

Adam Hadwin fired an even-par 70 in the final round, finishing as the low Canadian at 12-under par 268 on the tournament. Hadwin was awarded the Rivermead Cup for the fourth time of his career as low Canadian.

“The crowd was amazing all week,” said Hadwin. “That reception coming up 18 was something special. I pictured it with being a few more [strokes] under earlier in the week, but they were amazing. I’m just disappointed I couldn’t get it done in front of them.”

By virtue of his sixth-place finish, Hadwin qualifies for the 2019 Open Championship being held July 14-21 at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. Also earning an exemption in the 2019 Open Championship was Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell. New for 2019, the RBC Canadian Open is included in The Open Qualifying Series. Up to three players who are not already exempt earned places in the 148^th Open Championship at Royal Portrush

The 2020 RBCCO is being held at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto from June 8 to 14.

Click here to view the full leaderboard for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.

ANCASTER, Ont. – Golf Canada’s plans to elevate the RBC Canadian Open have paid off.

Laurence Applebaum, Golf Canada’s CEO, called the 2019 edition of the tournament a success on Sunday, even as the national sport organization was still adding up its figures.

“I can categorically say that the RBC Canadian Open 2019 will be a record year,” said Applebaum at a morning news conference before most pairings had teed off in the final round of the national championship. “It’s going to be a record on basically every single metric we look at.”

Golf Canada reported a 65 per cent increase in attendance, a total of approximately 120,000 people over seven days. Beer sales, always a point of pride for the only Canadian stop on the PGA Tour, doubled from last year’s event at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Setting the stage for a thrilling Sunday finish at the #RBCCO

Tickets ➡️https://t.co/7mfBsjhFcY pic.twitter.com/ZoSzqMSSUn

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) June 9, 2019

That growth was part of a plan initiated by Golf Canada, lead sponsor RBC, and the PGA Tour, to raise the RBC Canadian Open’s profile.

The overall purse was increased to US$7.6 million for 2019, up from $6.4 million. The date was also moved from late July to the first week of June, a more advantageous position in golf’s calendar, a week before the U.S. Open instead of a week after the British Open.

A pair of concerts were added to the event, with country music stars Florida Georgia Line playing on Friday night and Kingston, Ont., rock group the Glorious Sons performing on Saturday night.

“I think we saw on Friday and Saturday that music and golf do work together,” said Mary DePaoli, executive vice-president and chief marketing officer for RBC. “Anecdotally there were so many people that came to hear music but got here early to see some golf.”

The Hamilton Golf and Country Club hosted the Canadian Open for the first time since 2007. It will welcome the national championship in 2023. St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto will hold the event in 2020 and 2024, with the hosts for 2021 and 2022 expected to be announced by the end of this year.

A beautiful sunny day greeted the players for the 2019 NB Ladies Four Ball. For the third year in a row, The Gowan Brae Golf and Country Club has proven to be a top-notch host once again. The ladies returned to the par 72 (Robby) Robinson design which features its signature holes of 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 along the Bay of Chaleur.

This year’s event would see 24 teams of two from across New Brunswick compete for both the gross and net championships on this picture-perfect Sunday.

Last year’s gross champions, Kristi Roach of The Riverside Country Club and Morgan Matchett of Miramichi Golf & Country Club nor last year’s net champions, the twin duo Alexandria and Amelie Guitard of Royal Oaks, would return to defend their titles. This opened the field for new Champions to be crowned today.

It looked like Allison Chisholm and Andrea Garland of the Riverside Country Club and Kelly Maher and Molly MacDermaid from Gowan Brae didn’t get enough of each other’s company after 18 holes together so they went to a playoff to determine this year’s champion. After both teams shot a very fine 2 over par 74 it took three extra holes for the dynamic duo/hometown favourites Kelly Maher and Molly MacDermaid to pull off the victory. During their regulation round, their birdies on holes 2 and 4 with bogeys on 3, 6 and 8 gave them a 1 over 37 on the front nine and they matched that number on the back with a lone bogey on number 10 and 8 straight pars after that. Chisholm and Garland had an even par 36 on the front with birdies on number 2 and 8 with bogeys to offset those on holes 3 and 4. On the back nine they were even par going into hole 18 after a birdie on number 12 and a bogey on 13 but unfortunately, took a double bogey on 18 to send them to a playoff.

The playoff started on hole number one and sudden victory would end the match. Both teams parred the 1^st and 2^nd holes but Mahar and MacDermaid’s par on the par 3, number 3 was the winning hole. MacDermaid also won Saturday’s Ladies Gowan Brae Scramble with her sister Katie, so she had a very successful weekend with both partners.

The net division winners were another team from Gowan Brae as Micheline Roussel and Katherine Cooney came in with an 8 under par 64. It was a great day for Roussel as she broke 100 for the first time with a 96! What a great day to have your best score ever! They won by a shot over the tournament runner-ups Allison Chisholm and Andrea Garland as well as 3^rd division 1^st low gross winners Phyllis Roy and Joanne Bepperling.

The second division winners of Brenda Parrot and Nancy McKay used their home-course knowledge of Gowan Brae to beat Fredericton duo Colleen Phillips and Joyce Pederson by a shot. The net winners in this division were the ever-consistent, mother-daughter team of Kathy and Kathryn Meagher out of the Fredericton golf club who won by 3 over their closest competitors.

Since the 3^rd division net winners were the overall tournament net champions, the 3^rd division net went to next in line, Beth Leroux from West Hills Golf Course and Judy Astle who represents Old Mill Pond. The 3^rd Division gross winners were Phyllis Roy and Joanne Bepperling who play their golf here at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club.
For more information on the 2019 NB Ladies Four Ball including full results please CLICK HERE.

For more information on the Gowan Brae Golf Country Club please visit:  https://www.gowanbrae.ca/en/index

Joly, Que. – Golf Canada’s fourth junior golf championship of 2019 is set to begin Friday as the Future Links, driven by Acura Québec Championship gets underway at Club de golf Les Boisés de Joly.

With support from Golf Québec, the Future Links, driven by Acura Québec Championship is the fourth of eight junior championships presented in partnership with Acura this summer. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will begin with a practice round on June 6, before the tournament gets underway with round one on June 7.

Located less than an hour south of Québec City, Club de golf Les Boisés de Joly was completed in 2010. A Graham Cooke & Associates designed course, it boasts high-quality greens and unique architecture that makes the course one of the best in the region, and an ideal destination for golfers.

“Golf Québec and Golf Canada are pleased to present the 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Québec Championship in Joly,” said Éric Couture, tournament director for Golf Québec. “The eight regional championships are fantastic opportunities for Canada’s premier junior golfers to showcase their skills. We look forward to this strong field of juniors attempting to navigate the challenging course at Club de golf Les Boisés de Joly.”

The field will consist of 87 junior golfers in the Junior Boys’ Division with the top five earning exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship from August 11-15 at Covered Bridge Golf & Country Club in Hartland, N.B. Should there be a tie for the fifth position, a playoff will be conducted following the conclusion of play.

The Junior Girls’ Division will consist of 33 golfers with the top five (including ties) earning an exemption into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship from July 29 – August 2 at Lethbridge Country Club in Lethbridge, Alta.

Four additional Future Links, driven by Acura Championships will span the country this year;

• June 14-16 – Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie – Yorkton, Sask. – Deer Park Golf Course
• July 16-18 – Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic – Fredericton, N.B. – Mactaquac Golf Course
• 20-22 – Future Links, driven by Acura Fall Series – Lachute, Que. – Club de golf Lachute
• 27-29 – Future Links, driven by Acura Fall Series – Crown Isle Golf Resort – Courtenay, B.C.

Additional information about the 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship can be found here.

Results for the previous 2019 Future Links, driven by Acura Championships can be found here: Pacific, Ontario, Western.

NOTABLES

Brandon White, Bourget, Ont.
Currently ranked T1 on the Golf Québec Order of Merit, White finished second at the Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship.

Emily Romancew, Pierrefonds, Que.
The defending champion has already won three tournaments this season, including the Québec Junior Open.

Robbie Latter, Mississauga, Ont.
Latter is looking to defend his title at the Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship.

Élizabeth Labbé, Lévis, Que.
Labbé placed second at the Quebec Girls’ Provincial Junior Championship in July 2018.

Malik Dao, Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot
The younger brother of Team Canada National Junior Squad member Celeste Dao is looking to become the second family member in three years to win the tournament.

FAST FACTS

In 2019, Golf Canada is conducting its eight regional Future Links, driven by Acura Championships in conjunction with the Provincial Associations.

Top five finishers in the Boys’ Division earn exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

Top five finishers (including ties) in the Girls Division earn exemptions into the 2019 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Emily Romancew of Pierrefonds, Que. and Robbie Latter of Mississauga, Ont. won their respective divisions at the 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship. Both are back to defend their titles.

Current Team Canada National Junior Squad members Monet Chun and Celeste Dao won the Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship in 2016 and 2017, respectively.