ÎLE-BIZARD, Qué. – Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont. showed composure beyond his years on a chilly day Monday, at Elm Ridge Country Club, just west of Montréal. The 19-year-old amateur earned low qualifier honours in dramatic fashion at the final regional qualifier for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.

Since there were more than 100 players at the event, Anderson, by topping the field, gained direct entry into the RBC Canadian Open field.

“This is one of the best golfing days of my life, so far,” said Anderson, who turned 19 in April. “To play a PGA TOUR event, that’s something I’ve been dreaming of. It’s unbelievable that it’s actually happening.”

Anderson, who had one of the last tee times of the day, chased down St-Jérôme, Qué. native Tim Alarie. Alarie had built what looked to be an insurmountable lead after carding a 4-under-par 68.

Anderson bogeyed his first hole, but then went on a tear, knocking in five birdies and walking up to the 17^th tee tied with Alarie atop the leaderboard.

The University of San Francisco freshman birdied the par-5 17^th, then made par on the 18^th hole to secure an exemption into his country’s national open.

“I thought the lead may have been five-or six-under,” said Anderson, who didn’t know he was leading walking up to the 18^th green. “I wasn’t quite sure, but I knew if I got a par or birdie on 18, I had a chance.”

Anderson started three events with the University of San Francisco Dons this past season. He finished second at the 2018 Ontario Junior Boys’ Championship.

Alarie was atop the leaderboard for most of the day following a 4-under-par 68. The 28-year-old was strong on the front nine, notching four birdies to put himself temporarily in the low qualifier spot.

Étienne Brault, an amateur from Mercier, Qué., also put together a solid round, finishing at 3-under-69.

Alarie and Brault are among the 18 golfers advancing to the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier, which takes place Monday, June 3 at Heron Point Golf Links in Alberton, Ont.

The Québec regional qualifier was the third and final regional qualifying event. The first regional qualifier took place on May 6 at Kings Links by the Sea in Delta, B.C. and saw 10 golfers earn spots in the final qualifier. Michael Blair earned an exemption directly into the RBC Canadian Open as the low qualifier at the second regional qualifying event at TPC Toronto on May 16.

A minimum of four players from the 18-hole stroke play Final Qualifier on June 3 will gain entry into the RBC Canadian Open field.

Additional information and the full leaderboard can be found here.

NB Men`s Four Ball Results

NB Senior Men`s Four Ball Results

For Immediate Release:

With Saturday’s sunny weather in the rear-view mirror, Sunday brought cold and wet conditions to challenge the field at the NB Men’s Four Ball Championships presented by TaylorMade, the first event of the 2019 Golf NB Championship Schedule, sponsored by Argus Audiology.

In the Senior Men`s Division, after a 10^th tee start, the Aroostook Valley Country Club team of Henrick Hansen and Brian Shannon would climb to the top of the leaderboard, surpassing first round leaders Brent Wilson and Patrick Woodford of the Moncton Golf and Country Club. Hansen and Shannon would fire a two under par (-2), 36, on the Sussex Golf & Curling Club’s difficult home stretch with a clean card that included birdies on the two par fives (#10^th and #14).  With Hansen and Shannon making a charge, Wilson and Woodford would bogey the 13^th and 18^th but pulled out a birdie on #14 to stay at one under par (-1), 37, to finish off their first 9.

Hansen and Shannon would continue their solid play on their inward nine (the club’s front nine) carding a birdie on the par three 4^th and a bogey at the 8^th to close with an even par (E), 36, to card a final round two under par (-2), 70, good for a two day total of two under par (-2), 140, that would see them as the leaders in the clubhouse.

Not to be outdone, Wilson and Woodford would make up their one shot deficit to Hansen and Shannon with a bogey free inward nine holes and with a birdie on the par four 7^th.  The birdie would see them close with a one under par (-1), 35, for an even par (E), 72, and a two-day total of two under par (-2), 140, and in a tie at the top of the leaderboard.

With difficult playing conditions continuing to present themselves, and in a show of tremendous sportsmanship, Hansen & Shannon and Wilson & Woodford mutually agreed to forgo the playing of a playoff in favor of sharing the 2019 NB Senior Men’s Four Ball Championship, presented by TaylorMade.

Alone in third position was the Fredericton Golf Club team of Sonny Phillips and Pat Garagan.  After carding a two over par (+2) first nine holes, the pair would birdie three of the first five holes, before bogeying #6 and #8, on their inward nine and finish the round at one over par (+1), 73, and with a two-day total of even par 142.

In the net division it was 2018 NB Senior Men’s Four Ball Champions Steve Wilson and Dave Stewart of Sussex sharing low net honors with Hampton’s Gary Swain and Robert McIntyre.  Wilson and Stewart would card a net seven under par (-7), 65, on day two while Swain and McIntyre would fire a net 66 (-6) to see the two teams tied at the top of the standing with a two-day total of thirteen under par (-13), 129.

Holding down the third low net position was another Hampton duo of Gerry Garnett and Charlie Christensen.  The pair would share the day’s low net round of eight under par (-8), 64, with the team of Doug Holland (Algonquin Golf Course) and Lawrence Justason (St. George Golf Course), which see them finish with at two-day total of net 130 (-12), one shot clear of Holland and Justason.

***

In the Amateur Men`s Division, the quest for the “Ralph Costello Shield” came down to steady play.   After posting a three under par (-3), 69, on day one, the youngest team of the NB Men’s Four Ball, Nathan Hogan (Miramichi Golf and Country Club) and Teran Newell (Shelburn, NS), struggled to keep their lead in round 2 on Sunday. After losing 4 shots on the front nine, they fell behind Moncton duo Stephane Boudreau & Colin Manning and Sussex duo Kris Leask & Duane Mitton who were moved into a tie for first after 27 holes.  A birdie on #4 would help Boudreau and Manning to the front of the pack while a bogey on #9 for Leask and Mitton would hold their spot.

2019 NB Men’s Four Ball Champions – Kris Leask & Duane Mitton of the Sussex Golf & Curling Club

The back nine would see the home town boys separate themselves from the pack on route to claiming their first NB Men’s Four Ball title.  Despite giving another shot back with a bogey on the par three 13^th, the pair would bounce back with birdies at the par five 14^th and another at the par four 16^th to card a one under par (-1), 35, on the back nine good for a final round even par (E), 72, and a two day total of two under par (-2), 140.

Despite more good golf from the team of Manning and Boudreau, a bogey at the par four 12^th would bring them back to even par on the day and good for a share of 2^nd with a two-day total of 142, two shots back of Leask and Mitton.

Despite carding a double bogey 7 on at the dangerous par five 1^st, the Westfield Golf & Country Club team of Mike LeBlanc and Matt Mason would move up the leaderboard into a share of 2^nd on the heels of a three birdie, two bogey and one double bogey one over par (+1), 73, drawing them even with Boudreau and Manning.

In the Net division it would be the team of Matt Garnett (Hampton Golf Club) and Brodie Bourque (St. George Golf Course) claiming their

NB Men’s Four Ball Net Champions – Brodie Bourque (St. George Golf Course) & Matt Garnett (Hampton Golf Club)

2^nd Dr. Douglas Brewer Shield (2017, 2019) as NB Men’s Four Ball Net Champions.  Garnett and Bourque would card a second round seven under par (-7), 65, for a two-day total of 16 under par (-16), 126, good for a five-shot victory over the father and son paring of Darren and Nicholas Ritchie (Hampton).  In third position was the Royal Oaks Golf Club team of Andre Savoie and Lucas Martin.  Like Garnett and Bourque, the pair would post a second round net seven under par (-7), 65, on the day good for a two day total of a net 10 under par (-10), 132, six shots back of Garnett and Bourque.

For more information on the 2019 NB Men’s & Senior Men`s Four Ball, presented by TaylorMade including results and tee times please CLICK HERE. 

For more information on the Sussex Golf & Curling Club please visit: www.sussexgolfandcurlingclub.ca

by Golf NB

For Immediate Release: 

NB Men`s Four Ball Results

NB Senior Men`s Four Ball Results

Second Round Pairings and Tee Times

 For Immediate Release:

Summer appears to have arrived at the Sussex Golf & Curling Club, at least for a day!  With the sun shinning and an ever-drying golf course, the team of Nathan Hogan of the Miramichi Golf & Country Club and his Shelburne, NS teammate, Teran Newell of the River Hills Golf & Country Club jumped out to an early lead that they would not relinquish.  The pair fired a blistering five under par (-5) first nine holes, courtesy of three birdies and an eagle, but would give two shots back on their second nine with bogeys on #11, #13 & #15 offset by a birdie on the par four 16^th to post a first round three under par (-3) 69 on the Sussex Golf & Curling Club’s par 72 layout.

With the youngsters out in front, there is a long jam of veteran presence hot on their heels.  The Sussex team of Kris Leask and Duane Mitton sit just one shot off the lead after carding a two under par (-2), 70, by posting five birdies and three bogeys on the day.  Leask and Mitton will join Hogan and Newell in Sunday’s final pairing as both teams look to claim their first NB Men’s Four Ball title.  The three-time Ralph Costello Shield winners, as NB Men’s Four Ball Champions, Tony MacKinnon of the Fredericton Golf Club and Bob Brown of the West Hills Golf Course are locked in a four-way tie for third position at one under par (-1), 71, with the teams of Matt Masson and Mike LeBlanc of the Westfiled Golf & Country Club and the Hampton Golf Club teams of Doug Nutter and Colin Allaby and the father and son tandem of Darren and Nicholas Ritchie of the Hampton Golf Club.

In the pursuit of Dr. Douglas Brewer Shield, as low net winners, are 2017 NB Men’s Four Ball Low Net Winners, Matt Garnett (Hampton) and Brodie Bourque of the St. George Golf Course.  Garnett and Bourque’s net 9 under par (-9), 63, gives them a slim one shot lead over 2018 Net Champions Kris Leask and Duane Mitton of the host Sussex Golf & Curling Club heading into Sunday’s final round.  Holding down third position in the net category are 2018 net runner’s up Darren and Nicholas Richie of Hampton.  Their net seven under par (-7), 65, has them one shot back of Leask and Mitton and two back of Garnett and Bourque.

Sunday’s Final Round of the NB Men’s Four Ball, presented by TaylorMade will begin at 8:10am, off of the 1^st tee, with the leaders teeing off in the final paring at 9:20am.

In the Senior Men’s division, it is the Moncton Golf & Country Club team of Brent Wilson and Patrick Woodford are taking a one-shot lead into day two after carding a two under par (-2), 70, on day one.  Wilson and Woodford would make their hay on the front nine with birdies at #3, #5 and #8 before giving a shot back with a bogey on the par four 9^th.  A single birdie at the 14^th would be cancelled out by bogey at the last getting the two safely into Sunday’s final pairing.

Locked in a tie for second, just one shot back, after shooting opening rounds of one under par (-1), 71’s, are the Hampton team of Gary Swain and Robert McIntyre and the Fredericton duo of Pat Garagan and Sonny Phillips.  After posting a one over par (+1), 37, on the front nine, Swain and McIntyre would bounce back on their inward nine holes carding four birdies (#11, #14, #15 & #16) to just two bogeys (#13 & #18) to get to within one of the lead.  While Garagan and Phillips would make their move on the front with a birdie at the 1^st and another at the 6^th before giving a shot back at the 8^th making the turn at one under par (-1) before posting a pair of birdies and bogeys for an even par back nine.

Tied for fourth position are the teams of Louis Boudreau (Pine Needles Golf & Country Club) and Jean LeBlanc (Fox Creek Golf Club) and Herrick Hansen and Brian Shannon of the Aroostook Valley Country Club, who each carded even par 72’s in their opening round.

In the Net category it is 2018 Senior Men’s Four Ball Net Champions Swain and McIntyre leading the way with a net score of seven under par (-7), 65.  Tied for second net, one shot off the pace, are Moncton’s Brent Wilson and Patrick Woodford along with the 2018 NB Senior Men’s Four Ball Champions Steve Wilson and Dave Stewart of the host Sussex Golf & Curling Club.

Sunday’s Final Round of the NB Senior Men’s Four Ball, presented by TaylorMade will begin at 8:00am off of the 10^th tee, with the leaders teeing off in the final paring at 9:30am.

For more information on the 2019 NB Men’s & Senior Men`s Four Ball, presented by TaylorMade including results and tee times please CLICK HERE. 

For more information on the Sussex Golf & Curling Club please visit: www.sussexgolfandcurlingclub.ca

Islington Golf Club will host the official practice facility for both years of the RBC Canadian Open

TORONTO (May 24, 2019) – Golf Canada and title sponsor RBC today announced that the historic St. George’s Golf and Country Club will host the RBC Canadian Open in 2020 and 2024, with Islington Golf Club hosting the official practice facility for the tournament

The RBC Canadian Open’s return to St. George’s (June 8-14, 2020) will mark the sixth time that the celebrated Stanley Thompson classic course has played host to Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship, most recently in 2010. Islington Golf Club, also a Stanley Thompson design, will proudly play host to the tournament practice facility for both years of the event’s return to the city of Toronto, as it did in 2010.

“Together with our partners at RBC and the PGA TOUR, we are very proud to bring the 2020 and 2024 RBC Canadian Open back to the historic St. George’s Golf and Country Club,” said Laurence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada. “We are delighted by the overwhelmingly positive response from the membership at both Islington Golf Club and St. George’s in partnering with us to welcome our National Men’s Open Championship back to the heart of Toronto.”

“The RBC Canadian Open is one of the most prestigious stops on the PGA TOUR, and we are pleased to host it at St. George’s Golf and Country Club, one of Canada’s premier courses,” said Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “There is so much momentum leading into this year’s tournament, and as we look to 2020 and beyond, we are excited by the prospect of continuing to grow the fan base for this great sport.”

St. George’s Golf and Country Club has previously hosted five Canadian Opens, with the first taking place in 1933 (won by Joe Kirkwood), when the club was previously named Royal York Golf Club. Other past Canadian Open winners at St. George’s include Dutch Harrison (1949), Art Wall Jr. (1960), Bob Charles (1968) and Carl Pettersen who won in 2010.

“Our membership is incredibly proud to host the 2020 and 2024 RBC Canadian Open,” said Jason Clarke, Chief Operating Officer. “The exciting enhancements to the event, the change in tournament date, and the meaningful commitment St. George’s has made to support The Golf Canada Foundation garnered overwhelming support from our members. As our Club celebrates its 90^th year, we look forward to further developing St. George’s commitment to golf in Canada through this seven-year partnership with RBC and Golf Canada and sharing our iconic Stanley Thompson course with the world by continuing the legacy of hosting Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship.”

The 2020 and 2024 RBC Canadian Open will once again involve an important partnership with nearby Islington Golf Club, which will be the official practice facility of the tournament. Islington’s involvement is part of a long-term partnership with Golf Canada that will see the National Sport Federation bring additional events and golf championships to the club.

“We are so appreciative to have the Islington Golf Club play a meaningful role in the RBC Canadian Open,” added Applebaum. “The membership has expressed a strong commitment in their support of the championship, and we look forward to building on that partnership in the years to come.”

“We are pleased to welcome the RBC Canadian Open along with the stars of the PGA TOUR to the great city of Toronto in 2020,” said City of Toronto Councillor Stephen Holyday. “The PGA TOUR is an international event that will showcase the city of Toronto’s world-class hosting experience to a global audience. We are proud to be collaborating with Golf Canada, as our collective teams are working towards a viable operational plan that will ensure a truly successful event.”

The 2020 RBC Canadian Open will take place from June 8-14, 2020, immediately following The Memorial Championship in Ohio and leading into the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York.

This year’s RBC Canadian Open will be contested at the historic Hamilton Golf and Country Club from June 3-9, 2019. Ticket, volunteering, sponsorship and corporate hospitality information is available online at www.rbccanadianopen.com.

If you have reason to believe your ball has been damaged during play of a hole, you are allowed to mark the spot of the ball and then lift it without cleaning it, unless your ball is except on the putting green.

Click here to learn more about the modernized Rules of golf.

by Golf NB 

NB Men’s Four Ball – 1st Round Pairings & Tee-Times

For Immediate Release:

The 2019 Golf NB Championship Schedule, presented by Argus Audiology, kicks off the weekend of May 25^th & 26^th, 2019 at the Sussex Golf & Curling Club with the Golf NB Men’s and Senior Men’s Four Ball, presented by TaylorMade.

The NB Men’s and Senior Men’s Four Ball, presented by TaylorMade will continue with its historical two-day, 36-hole, format with 16 and 21 teams respectively.

With brothers Darren & Jason Roach of The Riverside Country Club not returning to defend their 2018 crown, the quest for the Ralph Costello Shield, as Amateur Men’s Four Ball Champions is wide open.  Looking to push for top spot will be three-time NB Men’s Four Ball Champions Bob Brown of the West Hills Golf Course and his partner Tony MacKinnon of the Fredericton Golf Club (2009, 2004, 2000) and 2018 runners up Stephane Boudreau and Colin Manning of the Moncton Golf & Country Club.

The Senior Men’s division includes defending champions Steve Wilson and Dave Stewart of the host Sussex Golf & Curling Club.  As with the amateur men’s division, the Senior Men’s field is very strong as 2018 co-runners up Brent Matheson & Rick Howatt of the Petitcodiac Valley Golf & Country Club and Robert McIntyre and Gary Swain of the Hampton Golf Club will both be in attendance looking to again challenge for the Senior Four Ball title.

The deep and diverse fields in both the Men’s and Senior Men’s divisions should make for an exciting weekend filled with great competitive golf.

• For more information or to register for the 2019 NB Men’s Four Ball please CLICK HERE.
• For more information on the Sussex Golf & Curling Club please CLICK HERE.

Golf New Brunswick (Golf NB), a not for profit organization founded in 1934, is the official governing body for amateur golf in New Brunswick.  In January of 2006, the New Brunswick Golf Association (NBGA) officially merged with the New Brunswick Ladies Golf Association (NBLGA), resulting in one united governing body for amateur golf in the province.  Programs offered by Golf NB to its 8,000 members include: 12 provincial events, rules of golf education, course rating and handicap services, junior golf development programs and member club marketing initiatives.

During a round, if your ball is moved or lifted by someone else, it must be replaced either by you or that person.

Click here to learn more about the Modernized Rules of Golf.

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Majors matter more than any other golf tournament.

They are not the sole measure of greatness.

And that might be one reason it took Brooks Koepka winning four majors – as many as Rory McIlroy, one more than Jordan Spieth among his contemporaries – for the 29-year-old Floridian to get the kind of attention his game deserves.

Never mind the No. 1 ranking that came with his victory Sunday in the PGA Championship. That could change in two weeks.

Koepka now is at that level – and it took back-to-back titles in the U.S. Open and PGA Championship to get there – that he makes people look when he walks onto the range, that he’s considered a top favourite wherever he goes without anyone having to look up the odds.

Why wasn’t it enough when he won last summer at Shinnecock Hills to become the first repeat winner of the U.S. Open in 29 years, and only the second player to successfully defend the U.S. Open since Ben Hogan in 1951? Same major, yes, but Erin Hills and Shinnecock were entirely different tests.

What kept him from megastar status when he added the PGA Championship last summer at Bellerive to join Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Hogan and Gene Sarazen as the only players to win the U.S. Open and the PGA in the same year? That kind of company is as elite as it gets.

 

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?PLAYER ANNOUNCEMENT? 3-time major champion winner @BKoepka has committed to the #RBCCO this June 3-9 at Hamilton Golf & Country Club #SummersOpen #LiveUnderPar

A post shared by RBC Canadian Open (@rbccanadianopen) on May 6, 2019 at 10:38am PDT

What made Koepka different was that he seemed to show up only at the big events. That’s a nice problem to have.

Koepka now has won four of his last eight majors, a stretch not seen since Woods won seven of 11 in an amazing run through the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black. The only other tournaments Koepka won during his run of majors was the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan in 2017 (by nine shots) and the CJ Cup last fall in South Korea.

Woods won 19 other times during his stretch of majors, 15 of them on the PGA Tour.

Roger Maltbie’s description of Woods at Pebble Beach – “It’s not a fair fight” – goes well beyond that 2000 U.S. Open. It’s never fair to compare Woods with anyone. He won at a rate never before seen in golf, and it probably won’t happen again.

Koepka is aware that his trophy collection is weighted heavily toward the majors. Justin Ray of a golf analytics group called “15th Club” pointed out over the weekend that Woods and Koepka are the only active players who have more victories than missed cuts in the majors: 15-9 for Woods, 4-2 for Koepka.

Don’t get the idea that Koepka would trade any of his four majors for a few more Texas Opens or Phoenix Opens. It simply explains why it took longer for golf fans to embrace what he has done in the last two years.

Koepka touched on this Saturday night after he had a seven-shot lead – a PGA Championship record – and faced questions that were intended to find out what he was doing differently to win majors so regularly.

“I’m just that much more focused,” Koepka said. “I think I’m more focused than anybody out there. My focus probably goes up, I don’t know, tenfold of what it does in a tour event – which isn’t good. I mean, it’s good that I’m doing it in the majors, but I need to do that in regular weeks.”

Consider some other players from his generation.

McIlroy won 12 times starting with his first major in the 2011 U.S. Open through his fourth major in the 2014 PGA Championship. Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015 when he chased the Grand Slam, but he also won the Valspar Championship, the John Deere Classic and the Tour Championship that year. Spieth was 23 when he won the third leg of the career Grand Slam at the 2017 British Open, and he already had 11 titles on the PGA Tour (14 worldwide).

They also had name recognition before they turned pro. McIlroy was the low amateur at Carnoustie in the 2007 British Open when he was 18. Spieth tied for 16th in the Byron Nelson Classic when he was 16.

FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK – MAY 19: Brooks Koepka of the United States poses with the Wanamaker Trophy during the Trophy Presentation Ceremony after winning the final round of the 2019 PGA Championship at the Bethpage Black course on May 19, 2019 in Farmingdale, New York. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

Koepka?

His last name was pronounced “Cupcake” on the first tee at the Phoenix Open in 2015, his first PGA Tour victory.

The game was always there.

His caddie, Ricky Elliott, recalls being asked to work for Koepka in the 2013 PGA Championship. He saw him for the first time on the range at Oak Hill. “I watched him striping it and thought to myself, ‘Happy day,”’ Elliott said.

In a 2015 interview with Golf Digest, Steve Williams, who was on the bag for 13 of Woods’ majors, was quoted as saying: “Once in a great while, a player comes along who hits a golf ball the way it was meant to be hit. Powerful, piercing, the perfect trajectory. Of the young players out there, one I’ve seen has that special ball flight: Brooks Koepka.”

Majors should never be dismissed for their value, for the legacy they create. At this point, Koepka really doesn’t need to win more PGA Tour titles to add to his reputation.

“Now he’s got it. And he got it in the right way,” Paul Azinger said Tuesday. “He has built his brand through self-belief and intestinal fortitude. By not getting attention, he has become a (tough guy) with a chip on his shoulder who says, ‘I can do anything you say I can’t.”’

That should do.

DALLAS, Tex. – Canadians Nick Taylor and Mike Weir celebrated their long weekend in style by qualifying for the 2019 U.S. Open. Both Taylor and Weir finished in the top 10 on Monday, May 20 at Bent Tree Country Club and Northwood Club to nab two of ten available spots.

Taylor put together two phenomenal rounds over the 36-hole qualifier. The Winnipeg product went bogey free, shooting 10 under par to finish tied with American Brendon Todd for the low qualifier spot.

Both of Weir’s rounds were in the 60s, with a 1-under-par 69 in round one and a 4-under-par 67 in round two. Weir’s tournament wasn’t without some drama, as he bogeyed holes eight and nine in round two before knocking in three birdies on the back nine to finish just ahead of the cut line with a share of 5th at 5 under.

Monday’s field featured a total of nine Canadians. In addition to Taylor and Weir, Mackenzie Hughes and Jared Du Toit were both in the hunt for qualification, but narrowly missed out by shooting 3-under-par. Amateur Thomas Allkins finished at 1 over, Wes Heffernan, Joey Savoie and Mitchell Sutton each shot 2 over, and Chase Komaromi finished at 8 over.

Excited to be headed back my favorite course in the world Pebble beach for the us open in a couple weeks!

— Weirsy (@MikeWeir) May 21, 2019

Sectional qualifying for the U.S. Open consists of 36-holes over a single day, sometimes at two different courses (as was the case Monday in Dallas). The May 20 event was the first of 12 sectional qualifiers.

RattleSnake Point Golf Club in Milton, Ont. will play host to Canada’s only sectional qualifier on Monday, June 3.

Excited to be heading back to the @usopengolf at Pebble Beach this year!! Thanks for all the messages! #letsgo

— Nick Taylor (@ntaylorgolf59) May 21, 2019

RattleSnake Point Golf Club is a half-hour drive from Hamilton Golf and Country Club, site of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open from June 3-9.

The 119^th U.S. Open takes place June 13-16 at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif.

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. – Throughout her three-decade career, Helen Alfredsson has won wherever she’s played. Seven wins on the LPGA Tour. Eleven victories on the Ladies European Tour. A major champion. And now, she can finally add USGA champion to her list of accolades.

With a final-round 72, Alfredsson, 54, topped Trish Johnson and Juli Inkster by two strokes to capture the 2nd U.S. Senior Women’s Open Championship on Sunday at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club, with a 72-hole total of 1-over 285.

“Just to have something USGA, it feels very nice. Since one of my first years when I finished second, it was very special,” said Alfredsson, who is a two-time U.S. Women’s Open runner-up. “I know one of the toughest tests you ever will do in golf is play a U.S. Open. And I always like tough, I think. Maybe not at 54, but yeah, it’s nice to have that USGA [championship].

Alfredsson entered the final round tied at the top of the leader board with Johnson, who took full advantage of moving day with a third-round 66.

What started out as a roller-coaster round for the Swede turned into a steady stream of pars, many of them stress-free. After falling a stroke behind Johnson in the early going with a birdie and a bogey already on the scorecard, she hit her approach shot on the par-4 fourth hole to a foot to regain a tie for the lead.

Potential disaster struck on the very next hole, though, when her tee shot on the par-3 fifth missed short and right of the green. The ball paused for a moment but then rolled back all the way down to the bottom of a collection area, a familiar result with the Donald Ross green complexes at Pine Needles. It took Alfredsson three tries from there to find the putting surface, and she was fortunate to walk away with a double-bogey 5.

Hole No. 5 would be the last time she would put anything but pars on her scorecard, and as her fellow competitors tussled with the challenging layout on Sunday afternoon, her position on the leader board began to look better and better.

Alfredsson had her chances to separate herself from Johnson and Inkster, the latter shooting 2-under 33 on the front 9 to put herself squarely in the mix after starting the day four strokes back. A 12-foot birdie try on No. 11 went begging, and a sharp approach shot on No. 15 to 7 feet yielded just another par. But her round will be remembered for her bend-not-break resilience throughout the day, particularly down the stretch. She got up and down for par after missing the green with her approach shots on Nos. 12, 14 and 16, the last one coming when she curled in a slow-moving putt from about 5 feet.

2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur champion Judith Kyrinis, of Canada, and Sally Krueger, of San Francisco, Calif., shared low-amateur honours with 72-hole totals of 23-over 307. Both earn exemptions into the 2020 U.S. Senior Women’s Open, which will be played July 9-12 at Brooklawn Country Club, in Fairfield, Conn.

Johnson, who finished third in the 2018 U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Chicago Golf Club, was tied with Alfredsson through 12 holes, but stumbled with back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14. She hit her third shot on the par-5 15th hole to 2 feet to move within a stroke, but couldn’t convert birdie tries on the next two holes from 20 and 25 feet, respectively, all but ending her chances.

Inkster, who was the runner-up in 2018, also had opportunities to move ahead late in the afternoon, but couldn’t quite capitalize. She had makeable birdie tries on holes 12 through 15, the last one from 9 feet, but couldn’t find the bottom of the hole, ultimately settling for a second straight runner-up finish in the championship.

Michelle Redman had the low round of the day, shooting a 3-under 68 to tie for fourth at 5-over 289 with Jane Crafter.

Reigning champion Laura Davies, who started the day six strokes off the pace, shot a 2-over 73 to finish in a tie for ninth place.