LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. and ST ANDREWS, Scotland  – The USGA and The R&A have released the 2018 Annual Driving Distance Report, containing driving-distance data from seven men’s and women’s professional golf tours around the world. This is the fourth annual distance report issued by the game’s governing bodies, completed in an effort to monitor current trends in driving distance.

The 2018 data show that driving distances on these seven tours increased by an average of 1.7 yards, beyond the previous year’s gain of more than 3 yards.

The full report, which can be found via this link, summarizes data provided by the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, PGA European Tour, Ladies European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR Champions Tour based on available data at the time of publication. Introduced in 2015, the report includes data starting with the 1968 PGA TOUR season.

The average driving distance is typically measured on two holes at each tournament and usually results in nearly 40,000 shots being measured over the course of a season on some tours.

The USGA and The R&A continue to be diligent in studying the long-term effect of distance on the game of golf, a global focus first expressed in their Joint Statement of Principles delivered in 2002.

In that document, the organizations reinforced their commitment to ensure that skill is the dominant element of success throughout the game, and that all factors contributing to distance would be considered on a regular basis.

The 2018 report represents one set of data among the already substantial collection of information currently being studied within the context of the ongoing Distance Insights project, which was launched last May to provide a comprehensive and definitive study of the past, present and future impacts of distance at all levels of the game globally.

A progress update on work conducted to date on the Distance Insights project will be delivered by the end of the first quarter of 2019. The USGA and The R&A remain on target to distribute the comprehensive Distance Insights report in the latter half of 2019.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Eun-Hee Ji of South Korea left the mistakes to everyone else down the stretch in the LPGA Tour season opener.

Ji managed a strong wind and temperatures in the 50s on Sunday by making three birdies on the back nine to pull away and close with a 1-under 70, giving her a two-shot victory in the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.

Ji got her mistakes out of the way early, opening with two bogeys to fall behind Lydia Ko. The 32-year-old South Korean took the lead for good with a birdie on the 10th hole at Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons, and she stayed in front the rest of the way.

“It was a little bit chilly for me today. My body was a little bit tight on first tee, so I just pulled a little bit, and I made a bogey,” she said. “I made a bogey again second hole. I was like, ‘OK, wait a minute. I need to play this.’ But I have like 16 more holes, and I just trust my swing after that.”

Ko was one shot behind when she pulled her tee shot on the par-5 13th and never found it, and then compounded the error with a three-putt for a double bogey. Ko made double bogey on the closing hole for a 42 on the back nine and a 77.

Ji finished at 14-under 270 to win by two over Mirim Lee, who made only one bogey in her round of 68. Nelly Korda (71) finished third.

“I just enjoyed my game with my celebrity partners,” Ji said. “It makes it more fun and I relaxed more. So I didn’t get nervous.”

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., started the day a shot behind the leaders but struggled on Sunday, shooting a 4-over 75 on the round. That put her into a tie with Stacy Lewis for sixth at 8 under for the tournament.

“I actually hit it great today,” said Henderson.

“I gave myself a lot of great opportunities and just the putter, you know, wasn’t working, which sort of sucks. But overall I feel like I hit it really well and I battled, which is nice.”

 

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@BrookeHenderson locks up her first top 10 of the 2019 @lpga_tour season with a T6 finish at #DiamondLPGA ????

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The LPGA opener was limited to winners over the last two seasons. It also included a celebrity field of athletes and entertainers who competed for a $500,000 purse using the modified Stableford scoring system.

Former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz had 33 points in the final round for a three-point victory over former pitcher Mark Mulder. Smoltz was busy doing math with the Stableford system, trying to hold on for the victory.

“I played really defensively knowing I could get two points for par,” Smoltz said. “I never thought the bogey I made at 17 would be the difference.”

Lewis, in her first competition as a mother, shot 70 and tied for sixth.

Ariya Jutanugarn, the No. 1 player in women’s golf who captured every major award last year, went into the weekend two shots out of the lead and closed with a pair of 75s to tie for 18th. Her sister, Moriya Jutanugarn, managed a bogey-free round for a 69 to tie for fourth with Shanshan Feng (70).

Ko says her problems on the 13th started with thinking she had to hammer her tee shot.

No one could find it in the marsh area left of the fairway, though Ko was at least consoled to see “like a million balls in there, so it makes me feel better that I wasn’t the only one that hit there.”

She hit another tee shot and easily carried the bunker, and then hit a stock 3-wood onto the green.

“I was like, ‘Well, that was stupid.’ Because I could have just hit a normal driver, and I probably wouldn’t have duck-hooked it and it would still be able to be in play,” Ko said. “I guess there’s moments I thought it was necessary, but then it wasn’t. But, hey, you’re always going to have some of these failures along the way.”

The LPGA is now off for two weeks before resuming in Australia for the Vic Open. The tour returns to the United States on March 21-24 for the Founders Cup in Arizona.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Eun-Hee Ji of South Korea left the mistakes to everyone else down the stretch in the LPGA Tour season opener.

Ji managed a strong wind and temperatures in the 50s on Sunday by making three birdies on the back nine to pull away and close with a 1-under 70, giving her a two-shot victory in the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.

Ji got her mistakes out of the way early, opening with two bogeys to fall behind Lydia Ko. The 32-year-old South Korean took the lead for good with a birdie on the 10th hole at Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons, and she stayed in front the rest of the way.

“It was a little bit chilly for me today. My body was a little bit tight on first tee, so I just pulled a little bit, and I made a bogey,” she said. “I made a bogey again second hole. I was like, ‘OK, wait a minute. I need to play this.’ But I have like 16 more holes, and I just trust my swing after that.”

Ko was one shot behind when she pulled her tee shot on the par-5 13th and never found it, and then compounded the error with a three-putt for a double bogey. Ko made double bogey on the closing hole for a 42 on the back nine and a 77.

Ji finished at 14-under 270 to win by two over Mirim Lee, who made only one bogey in her round of 68. Nelly Korda (71) finished third.

“I just enjoyed my game with my celebrity partners,” Ji said. “It makes it more fun and I relaxed more. So I didn’t get nervous.”

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., started the day a shot behind the leaders but struggled on Sunday, shooting a 4-over 75 on the round. That put her into a tie with Stacy Lewis for sixth at 8 under for the tournament.

“I actually hit it great today,” said Henderson.

“I gave myself a lot of great opportunities and just the putter, you know, wasn’t working, which sort of sucks. But overall I feel like I hit it really well and I battled, which is nice.”

 

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@BrookeHenderson locks up her first top 10 of the 2019 @lpga_tour season with a T6 finish at #DiamondLPGA ????

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The LPGA opener was limited to winners over the last two seasons. It also included a celebrity field of athletes and entertainers who competed for a $500,000 purse using the modified Stableford scoring system.

Former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz had 33 points in the final round for a three-point victory over former pitcher Mark Mulder. Smoltz was busy doing math with the Stableford system, trying to hold on for the victory.

“I played really defensively knowing I could get two points for par,” Smoltz said. “I never thought the bogey I made at 17 would be the difference.”

Lewis, in her first competition as a mother, shot 70 and tied for sixth.

Ariya Jutanugarn, the No. 1 player in women’s golf who captured every major award last year, went into the weekend two shots out of the lead and closed with a pair of 75s to tie for 18th. Her sister, Moriya Jutanugarn, managed a bogey-free round for a 69 to tie for fourth with Shanshan Feng (70).

Ko says her problems on the 13th started with thinking she had to hammer her tee shot.

No one could find it in the marsh area left of the fairway, though Ko was at least consoled to see “like a million balls in there, so it makes me feel better that I wasn’t the only one that hit there.”

She hit another tee shot and easily carried the bunker, and then hit a stock 3-wood onto the green.

“I was like, ‘Well, that was stupid.’ Because I could have just hit a normal driver, and I probably wouldn’t have duck-hooked it and it would still be able to be in play,” Ko said. “I guess there’s moments I thought it was necessary, but then it wasn’t. But, hey, you’re always going to have some of these failures along the way.”

The LPGA is now off for two weeks before resuming in Australia for the Vic Open. The tour returns to the United States on March 21-24 for the Founders Cup in Arizona.

As you have heard, a historic reworking of the Rules of Golf came into effect on Jan. 1.

To gain a better understanding of how it affects recreational golfers like me, I invited Adam Helmer, Golf Canada’s director of Rules, competitions and amateur status, to play nine holes with me at my home club. While the round is fictional—it is minus 8 in Central Ontario and Midland G&CC is snow-covered as I write this—the new Rules are anything but.

The intent and, in my opinion, well achieved, is to make the Rules more understandable and relevant for everyone who enjoys the sport. A new Player’s Edition of the Rules and an app for your smartphone make it easy to play by the new Rules. Visit www.golfcanada.ca/rules

Hole #1 (395-yard downhill par-4)

As usual, I crank my drive into the heavily wooded area on the left of the fairway. Although, again as usual, I am sure I will find it, Helmer reminds me I now have three minutes, not five as under the former Rule, to locate it. Nevertheless, with the unwarranted optimism that has always defined my game, I decline to hit a provisional and we walk down to the bush. No luck after the prescribed three minutes. I start the walk of shame back to the tee to accept the stroke-and-distance penalty. Wait, says Helmer, now there’s an alternative. Your club has decided to institute a Local Rule which allows you to drop a ball in the nearest fairway under penalty of two strokes so you don’t have to hike back to the teeing ground.  Ball lost. Time saved. The foursome behind us applauds the new Rules. You guys owe Helmer a beer. So do I.

Hole #2 (178-yard par-3 with water in front and to the left of the green)

Indecisive over club selection (I’ve only been a member here for 30 years), I come up short and my ball dribbles into the hazard, not quite in and possibly playable. Oops, says Helmer, that’s no longer termed a “hazard,” but now called a “penalty area,” pointing out I now can ground my club, make practice swings touching the ground or growing objects and I can remove that pine cone or any other loose impediment near the ball.

Hole #3 (well-bunkered 290-yard uphill par-4)

Instead of taking the 5-iron and laying up to the 100-yard marker, I try to impress Helmer, knocking the driver into one of the four bunkers protecting this (theoretically) drivable par-4. My ball is right up against the lip of the bunker and with my sand game being what it is, I ask Helmer what my options are. With a penalty of one stroke, I can drop the ball inside the bunker or, under the new Rules, drop it outside the bunker, taking a two-shot penalty.  Additionally under the new Rules, you can remove loose impediments and touch the sand (provided you’re not testing the condition of the sand). You are still prohibited from touching the sand during a practice swing, or right in front or behind the ball and during your backswing for your stroke.

Hole #4 (389-yard dogleg-right par-4)

One of the toughest tee shots on the course to a kidney-shaped green that slopes severely from back to front and left to right. Uncharacteristically, I mash a drive but then hit a mid-iron to the back left of the green. Did I mention the pin position was front right? As I stand over the putt, I ask Helmer to tend the flagstick. Are you sure, he asks. Under the new Rules, you can leave the flagstick in. I gratefully accept his advice. And, if my putt had come anywhere near the hole, I am sure it would have hit the stick and gone in.

Hole #5 (419-yard uphill par-4)

A nest of bunkers on the right always makes me err to the left where, of course, my ball is somewhere in the deep rough. As we are searching, I step on my ball and move it. No penalty under the new Rules!  Just replace it where it was originally or estimate the spot if it’s unknown.

Hole #6 (344-yard dogleg-left par-4)

Finally on a hole in regulation, only to discover that someone has dragged their shoes across my line of putt, making my putt more of a guessing game than Plinko. But, as Helmer points out, the new Rules allow me to tamp down these and other man-made damage to the green. Which I do. And miss the putt anyhow.

Hole #7 (195-yard par-3)

Hook the tee shot into the trees left of the green. My imagined recovery shot, a low-running 4-iron off the back foot to inches, hits the only tree in front of me and ricochets off my bag. No penalty under the new Rules, says Helmer, even if it had hit me.

Hole #8 (401-yard par-4)

My approach shot lands on the cart path to the right of the green. I take the proper relief and then start to drop the ball from shoulder height, as under the old Rules. Wait, says Helmer. The new Rule says you must drop the ball from knee height.  Which I do. And then double-hit the ball. No penalty under the new Rules!

Hole #9 (402-yard uphill par-4)

As we wind up our round, I walk over to shake hands with Helmer and accidentally move my ball marker on the green. No problem under the new Rules. Just replace and carry on.

We walked our nine holes in well under two hours thanks in large part to a commitment to “ready golf,” a practice that is emphasized under the new Rules.

To learn more about the new Rules of Golf, visit www.golfcanada.ca/rules.  You’ll impress your fellow golfers and save strokes at the same time.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the 10 athletes—six female and four male—who have been selected to the 2019 Team Canada Young Pro Squad.

Comprising the 2019 Women’s Young Pro Squad is Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.) , Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Quebec City), Maddie Szeryk (London, Ont.) Augusta James (Bath, Ont.), Jennifer Ha (Calgary) and Jaclyn Lee (Calgary). Lee, 21, makes the transition from the Amateur Squad after turning professional in December.

The Men’s Young Pro Squad will be represented by Jared du Toit (Kimberley, B.C.), Hugo Bernard (Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que.), Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Stuart Macdonald (Vancouver).

The Team Canada Young Pro Squad—now in its sixth year—helps bridge the gap for top-performing amateurs transitioning into the professional ranks. Since the inception of the Young Pro Squad in 2014, current and former team members have accounted for 35 wins across various professional golf tours including LPGA Tour and PGA TOUR wins by Young Pro graduates Brooke Henderson, Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners, respectively.

“The quality of talented athletes is a strong representation of the future of Canadian golf competing on the world’s major tours in the years to come,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s chief sport officer. “Golf Canada continues to support athletes who are demonstrating the capacity to compete at the highest levels of golf in an effort to cultivate heroes for our sport. We are proud to extend the world-class services of the Team Canada program which include coaching support, sport science and financial assistance as this group strives for success in the professional ranks.”

Men’s and Women’s National Squad coaches Derek Ingram and Tristan Mullally—both PGA of Canada members and Ben Kern Coach of the Year past recipients—will provide coaching to their respective Young Pro athletes. In addition to funding and coaching support, the athletes will have access to Team Canada’s sport science staff which includes Psychologist Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood along with Physiotherapist and Strength Coach Greg Redman.

Funding for this program, in large part, comes from the Golf Canada Foundation with generous contributions from founding partners Canadian Pacific and RBC, as well as supporting partners Citi Canada and Bear Mountain Resort—the Official Training Centre of Golf Canada’s National Team program.

“The Young Pro program has achieved tremendous success with Canada’s up-and-coming stars and their ascension through the pro ranks,” said Martin Barnard, CEO of the Golf Canada Foundation. “Fundraising for Canada’s top athletes will remain a priority for the Foundation as we continue to mold and support the future of Canadian golf.”

Throughout the season, Golf Canada will closely monitor the performance of elite Canadian amateurs transitioning to professional golf with the possibility of program expansion.

Click here to read Team Canada Young Pro Squad player bios.

HONOLULU – Corey Conners notched his second top-5 PGA Tour result this season — but it didn’t come easy.

The Listowel, Ont., native got into the field via Monday Qualifying, going on to finish in a tie for third at 17 under par. Conners made his most significant move on the weekend, firing matching scores of 64 to rocket up the leaderboard.

With the finish, the 27-year-old Team Canada alumnus sits 19th in the FedEx Cup rankings and moves into the top-200 (No. 181) on the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time in his career. Conners finished five strokes back of champion Matt Kuchar.

He shot 74 on Labor Day and failed to advance out of the second round of the FedEx Cup playoffs for the first time in 10 years. He was never in serious contention all year. The captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup were announced the next day. Kuchar wasn’t even considered, left off a U.S. team for the first time since 2009.

Four months later, the view is so much different.

The rainbow that stretched across the Oahu sky on Sunday looked magical when Kuchar turned to raise his arms after one last birdie for a 4-under 66, which gave him a four-shot victory in the Sony Open.

Kuchar, a member of Team RBC, had gone 115 starts on tour without winning. Now he has won two of his last three.

“Crazy to comprehend,” he said.

This was much harder than reading the fine print that he won by four shots over Andrew Putnam with the third-lowest score in Sony Open history.

Kuchar’s two-shot lead going into the final round was gone in four holes, and when he missed the green on No. 5 with a wedge, he was trailing for the first time all weekend. At the par-5 ninth, Kuchar and Putnam were in the same bunker short of the green. Putnam went first and blasted out to a few inches. Kuchar left his 10 feet below the hole and was in jeopardy of falling two behind.

He made the putt, one of several key moments the rest of the way. And right after Putnam’s lone mistake, a 9-iron into a deep bunker left of the 14th green that led to his only bogey in a round of 68, Kuchar answered with back-to-back birdies and was headed to another victory.

Matt Kuchar (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

“Thrilled to have won two events this early in the year,” said Kuchar, the first multiple winner on the PGA Tour this season. “It absolutely sets up the year to be in great position for the FedEx Cup. There’s a lot of year left, and a lot of great things that are out there to be done.”

It was only the second time in his career that he had multiple victories. The other was in 2013, when he won the Match Play Championship in February and the Memorial in early June, with three majors still to be played.

Extra special to Kuchar was going up the 18th fairway with a comfortable margin. Winning was never this easy in his previous eight victories.

Then again, part of him likes it that way, whether he’s trying to recover from a bad start on Sunday or even a bad year.

“I love playing golf. I love how hard it is,” he said. “Golf is addictive that way, in that if you’re not playing well you can’t wait to figure it out and make it better. If you’re playing well, shoot, it’s great. It’s awesome. You want it to never end. It’s a cycle of whether it’s good or bad that you have this quest to continue to play, to improve, to fix, whatever it is.”

He goes to No. 22 in the world ranking and No. 2 in the FedEx Cup. He already has earned over $2.5 million in January, $800,000 more than all of last season.

Kuchar turned 40 last summer, which might have added to the anxiety of going so long without a win.

He never saw it that way. This run began with a visit to his swing coach, Chris O’Connell, right before he began this season. He didn’t score well in Las Vegas and stayed the course. He won in Mexico at the Mayakoba Classic the following week, and then he won again.

“I’m not sure I’m into making a statement, but it is interesting to see how young the tour has gotten,” he said. “But thankfully, golf requires so many different things to be going right. It’s not just power game, a putting game. There are so many facets to the game that it allows people to play for a long time and play competitively and play great for a long time.”

Putnam’s consolation was cracking the top 50 in the world for the first time at No. 45. He won the Barracuda Championship last summer, a month after he played better than anyone except for Dustin Johnson at the FedEx St. Jude Classic.

“I’m feeling a little let down right now,” Putnam said after closing with a 68. “I’m sure when I think about it … a lot of good things have happened. Just needed to make some better swings. Kuch was making birdies and played great coming down the stretch. I just couldn’t keep up with him.”

Kuchar had the gold trophy, the winner’s lei around his neck. He was in no hurry to leave, and plans to stay in Hawaii for another two weeks with his wife and two sons. Even better? He already has earned a spot at Kapalua next year, the tournament reserved only for winners.

“Trust me, getting in the field at Kapalua is a real treat,” Kuchar said.

Roger Sloan (Merritt, B.C.) finished T33 ahead of first-round leader Adam Svensson (Surrey, B.C.) at T43 and Adam Hadwin (Abbotsford, B.C.) at T57.

CHILE – Canadian Chris Crisologo escaped with his second consecutive South American Amateur title on Sunday at Los Leones Golf Club in Santiago de Chile.

Crisologo successfully defended his title, obtained a year ago in Argentina after he defeated the Costa Rican Luis Gagne on the second extra hole. A crucial birdie on the par-5 hole 18 gave moved Crisologo into a tie for the lead at 281 (-7), with players like the Colombian Iván Camilo Ramírez and the Argentinean Leandro Correa climbing to the top during the round.

“This is a different victory, it’s a very different course,” said Crisologo. “It was a privilege to be here and it was a very fun week at the end.”

Reunited ?

And it feels so goooood ??? pic.twitter.com/FGYljQC5Wy

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) January 14, 2019

Team Canada teammate Brendan MacDougall of Calgary finished T26 at 5 over par.

In the women’s division, Team Canada Junior Squad standout Céleste Dao of Notre-dame-de-lÎle-Perrot, Que., cracked the top 10 in a tie for 9th at 4 over par. She was chasing champion María Fernanda Escauriza of Paraguay, who closed well clear of the pack at 12 under.

Dao’s teammate Ellie Szeryk finished in 46th place at 31 over par.

Click here for full scores.

Four Canadians join Team RBC as golf brand ambassadors 

Today, RBC welcomed its newest Team RBC golf brand ambassadors: Corey Conners, Brittany Marchand, Ben Silverman and Roger Sloan. These four Canadians join an elite roster of players, including Canadians Adam Hadwin, Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp.

Ahead of a historic golf season marked by the most Canadians ever on the PGA TOUR, RBC continues to grow its commitment to the game on home soil by evolving its brand ambassador program. Now, all Canadian players that have reached the pinnacle of performance and secured status on the LPGA and PGA TOURS are eligible to join the Team RBC Canadian program – currently 10 members strong.

This expansion is also part of RBC’s ongoing support of Canadian golfers and includes funding for Canada’s National Amateur Golf Team and Young Pro Squad, as well as contributing to the national amateur golf championships, in partnership with Golf Canada.

Team RBC was established in 2009 and is comprised of 18 elite male and female golfers who embody the pinnacle of golf performance. Along with RBC branding on their apparel and golf bag, these new ambassadors will support RBC’s client-hosting experiences and marketing initiatives.

As the title sponsor of the RBC Heritage and RBC Canadian Open, RBC is also proud to be the Official Banking and Financial Services partner for all Team RBC ambassadors.

Quick facts:

• Corey Conners: Two top-15 finishes during the 2018 PGA TOUR season
• Brittany Marchand: Made 12 of 16 cuts during her first 2018 LPGA TOUR season
• Ben Silverman: Four top-15 finishes during the 2018 PGA TOUR season
• Roger Sloan: Finished 12^th on Web.com Tour Money List

Quotes:

“I’ve had the opportunity to partner with RBC when I was on Team Canada’s Young Pro program. This feels like a great next chapter in my journey as I compete on the PGA TOUR and I’m thankful RBC is with me again and for all they do for golf in Canada.”  – Corey Conners, Team RBC Ambassador

“I am so proud and so grateful to be a part of the Team RBC family . RBC has given so much to our game and their support enables us to continue to grow and develop on the world stage I look forward to getting to know the team and am excited about the milestones ahead.” – Brittany Marchand, Team RBC Ambassador

“RBC has been a longstanding supporter of golf, helping us build stronger connections with our clients and fans around the world. We’ve been on a journey with many of these athletes as amateur players, like Corey and Brittany. Now we’re continuing that partnership as they strive to reach the highest level of golf on the international stage.” – Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC

“Today’s announcement is an important moment for Canadian high-performance golf. To see Canadian athletes recognized for their hard work, efforts and performance is just outstanding. It’s also another demonstration of RBC’s longstanding and continued support of golf both at the amateur and professional level.”  – Derek Ingram, National Men’s Team Coach, Golf Canada

OAKVILLE, ONT. (Golf Canada) – The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum today announced that amateur and professional golf standout, Rod Spittle, as well as celebrated collegiate golf coach Herb Page have been selected for 2019 induction into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

Spittle, 63, from Niagara Falls, Ont., will be inducted in the player category, while the 67-year-old Page, who is a native of Markham, Ont., will be inducted as a builder for his accomplishments as a collegiate golf coach with the NCAA Division I Kent State Golden Flashes. With their inductions, the pair become the 82^nd and 83^rd honoured members of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame.

“The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame strives to recognize the outstanding achievements of golf’s greatest players and supporters and it’s an absolute privilege to welcome Rod Spittle and Herb Page as our newest honoured members,” said Sandra Post, Chair of the Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee. “Rod was an accomplished player at the amateur level and later as a professional, while Herb has made a significant impact in the lives of countless student-athletes through his long tenure with Kent State’s golf program. I know I speak on behalf of the entire selection committee as well as the honoured members when I say they are both very deserved of their appointments.”

“I am humbled and thrilled beyond words to be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame,” said Spittle. “It is an honour to be recognized and included in this group of golf ambassadors and elite players,  The induction will be even more special for me since the ceremony will be hosted at Hamilton Golf Club, where my dad caddied as a youngster and where I won my first Canadian Amateur in 1977.”

 

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With his induction, Page becomes the 25^th person inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame’s builder category and the first-ever coach.

“It’s been an honour and a pleasure to have the opportunity to help so many young student-athletes grow both on and off the course,” said Page from his home in Ohio. “It’s always great to be recognized for your hard work and this nomination is extra special, but the real gratification comes from seeing players mature into outstanding people.”

Spittle and Page officially join the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony that will take place Tuesday, June 4^th, 2019 during RBC Hall of Fame Day as part of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open on the grounds of Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

Click here to listen to the media teleconference announcement.

Rod Spittle

Born July 18, 1955 in St. Catharines, Ont., Rod Spittle had a successful amateur career, finishing runner-up at the 1973 Canadian Junior and winning the 1977 and 1978 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championships while playing Division I golf at Ohio State.  Provincially he also helped Ontario win back to back Willingdon Cups (1977-78). During his collegiate golf career, Spittle helped the Buckeyes win the BIG Ten Championship three consecutive years (1976-1978) alongside teammates John Cook and Joey Sindelar, who both went on to enjoy successful professional golf careers that included PGA TOUR victories.

After graduating in 1978 with a degree in Business Administration, Spittle opted to focus on supporting his family by selling insurance for 25 years and continuing his passion for the game in amateur golf. He won a pair of Columbus (Ohio) District Amateur Championships (1989 and 1987) and three Columbus (Ohio) District Mid-Amateur titles (1994, 1995 and 1997). He went on to claim the Ohio Mid-Am Championship three times (2000, 2001 and 2003) prior to turning professional in 2004, shortly before turning 50.

Spittle and his wife, Ann, left their regular jobs behind and made a 5-year plan to fulfill the dream of playing professional golf. In 2009, four years into that plan, Spittle’s goal of being a full-time Tour professional took a severe hit after he failed to secure PGA TOUR Champions status and did not play in a single event.

In 2010, the final year of the five-year plan, Spittle was forced to Monday qualify into events. Playing with limited status, Spittle got into only five events the entire 2010 season. He Monday qualified into the final event of the year, the AT&T Championship, and in a storybook ending, he played stellar golf all week and beat Jeff Sluman in a playoff for his first-ever professional title. Just like that, his dream of playing professional golf, nearly dead and gone, gained new life with a full exemption for 2011 as a PGA TOUR Champions winner.

In 195 starts over his 13-year PGA TOUR Champions career, Spittle missed just five cuts and earned more than $4M in prize money. He never missed more than one cut in any year, and played nine full seasons without missing a single cut. He had a pair of runner-up finishes, a pair of third-place finishes and had 23 top-10s. He played his final PGA TOUR Champions event on home soil, finishing T17 at the 2018 Shaw Charity Classic.

On a personal level, he and his wife Ann have three children (Leslie, Steve and John) and seven grandchildren. The Spittle’s proudly support Special Olympics initiatives in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Spittle was inducted into the Ontario Golf Hall of Fame in 2013.

Herb Page

Born March 16, 1951 in Markham, Ont., Herb Page has been a fixture on the Kent State University campus since arriving as an undergraduate three-sport student-athlete (golf, football and hockey) in 1970. Nearly 50 years later, now the university’s director of golf, Page has grown to become one of the most respected golf coaches in the world.

For more than 40 years, Page has been an untiring coach to his players and a terrific ambassador for the game of golf. Even after decades of significant accomplishments under his direction, the Kent State Golden Flashes golf program continues to reach new heights. He has built an empire in the Mid-American Conference with a legacy that seems to grow stronger with each passing year. He has led the Golden Flashes to 23 Mid-American Conference (MAC) titles and 28 NCAA Regional appearances – advancing to the NCAA Championship 18 times during that span. Kent State won three NCAA Regional titles (1993, 2001 and 2010) and earned top-10 National finishes in 2000 (9^th), 2008 (6^th), 2012 (5^th)  and 2018 (10^th). Page has garnered 24 MAC Coach of the Year awards (1983-1984, 1990-1996, 1998-2001, 2003, 2005-2006, 2009-2010, 2012-2014, 2016-2018) during his distinguished career.

Herb Page & Corey Conners

He helped to develop countless golfers who have gone on to enjoy successful professional golf careers and opened a pathway for numerous Canadians to pursue NCAA post-secondary golf. Canuck alums who have been coached and recruited by Page include David Morland IV (1987–1991), Bryan DeCorso (1991–1995), Ryan Yip (2002–2006), Mackenzie Hughes (2008–2012), Corey Conners (2010-2014), Taylor Pendrith (2010-2014) and Jon Mills (1998–2002), who now serves as Page’s assistant coach with Kent State. Other notables among the nearly 30 Canadians from B.C., Alberta, Ontario, Quebec or New Brunswick to play at Kent State include  Brian Tisdelle, Paul DeCorso, Ron Reycraft, Chuck Crawford, Spencer Dobbs, Josh Whalen, Billy Walsh, Danny Sahl, Mark Bourgeois J.P. Paiement and Dustin Risdon as well as current player Johnny Travale and Chris Vandette who has committed to the school starting next year.

Page, who coached two PGA TOUR winners, also mentored Kent State graduate Ben Curtis, who claimed the 2003 Open Championship as well as a runner-up finish at the 2008 PGA Championship, before retiring from competitive golf to open his own golf academy.

He also played an instrumental role in the 1997 launch of the women’s golf program at Kent State, opening a post-secondary for path for Canadian women from B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec including Jennifer Ha, Kira Miexner, Josee Doyon, Taylor Kim and Kirby Dreher as well as Veronique Drouin who is Women’s Head Coach at Oklahoma and Jan Dowling who is Women’s Head Coach at Michigan.

Among his many career honours and achievements, Page has been inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame (2003), Northern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame (2005), Northern Ohio Golf Association Hall of Fame (2012) and Ontario Golf Hall of Fame (2012). He is a past winner of the Golf Coaches of America Labron Harris Award (2008) and was selected to coach the International team at the 2018 Arnold Palmer Cup.

Page and his wife, Dr. Paula Treckel, reside in Kent, Ohio.

Joey Savoie of La Prairie, Que. and Maddie Szeryk, a London, Ont., resident, have been recognized as Canada’s top male and female amateur golfers for 2018 as Golf Canada announced the final standings for its National Orders of Merit.

The 2018 season marks the fourth straight year that Maddie Szeryk has finished atop the women’s National Order of Merit. The 22-year-old recorded back-to-back collegiate victories this season for the Texas A&M Aggies at the Bruzzy Challenge and Dale McNamara Invitational. The wins were part of a season which saw Szeryk collect 11 top- 10 NCAA finishes. She concluded her season with a runner-up performance at the prestigious Women’s Porter Cup. Szeryk recently turned professional and will compete on the Symetra Tour in 2019.

Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee finished second on the National Order of Merit. In 2018, the 21-year-old standout posted two collegiate victories for Ohio State while adding four other top 10 results for the Buckeyes. Lee, who recently turned professional, made noise with a semi-finalist appearance at the Ladies British Amateur and quarter-finalist showing at the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Lee also had success in the pro ranks, placing in a tie for 35th at the LPGA’s Meijer Classic.

Brigitte Thibault of Rosemère, Que., finished third on the Order of Merit. Thibault collected three top-10 finishes as a member of the Fresno State Bulldogs, including a runner-up finish at the UNLV Collegiate Showdown. She added top-10 results at the Women’s Western, North & South and Quebec Amateur. Thibault was recently named to Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad.

Savoie claims top spot in the men’s National Order of Merit ranking after an impressive season highlighted by winning both individual and team honours at the Tailhade Cup in Argentina. The Middle Tennessee graduate also notched top-five results at the Argentine Amateur, Azalea Invitational, St. Andrews Links Trophy and Duke of Kent. Savoie finished T19 at the 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur and medaled at the U.S. Amateur Qualifier in Lexington, Ky. Savoie was recently named to Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad.

Henry Lee, 20, of Coquitlam, B.C., finished second on the Order of Merit thanks in part to earning four top-20 NCAA finishes for the University of Washington, as well as a top 10 result at the Canadian Men’s Amateur.

Charles Corner, 22, of Cayuga, Ont., rounded out the top three after recording three top-five NCAA finishes for the UTEP Miners.

Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Order of Merit

On the Future Links, driven by Acura National Junior Order Merit, Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont., and Céleste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que., took home top honours in their respective divisions.

Anderson, 18, tallied six top-10 results this season, including an impressive T6 finish at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship. The Team Ontario member also captured Golf Ontario’s Junior Spring Classic and finished T28 at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

Rounding out the top three on the Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Boys Order of Merit are Laurent Desmarchais (17) of Longueil, Que., and Cam Kellett (19) of London, Ont. Desmarchais was recently named to Team Canada’s National Junior Squad.

Dao topped the junior girl’s Order of Merit for a second consecutive year after a remarkable rookie campaign with Team Canada’s National Junior Squad. The 17-year-old was in the winner’s circle three times in 2018, including a three-stroke victory at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship. The Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que., product also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open and won the Mexican Junior and Quebec Junior Championships. Dao had success on the international scene as well, collecting a 5th place finish at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan. She led the Canadians at the 2018 World Junior Girls Championship in Ottawa with a 5th place finish.

Finishing runner-up behind Dao is 14-year-old Emily Zhu of Thornhill, Ont., while Ellie Szeryk (17) of London, Ont., rounded out the top three. Both Zhu and Szeryk were selected to the 2019 Team Canada National Junior Squad.

Golf Canada’s National Orders of Merit are used to identify and give recognition to top-performing amateur golfers from across Canada. They also provide an objective national ranking system, enabling Canada’s top players to compare themselves to counterparts across Canada.

Golf Canada also uses the National Order of Merit to assist with the Team Canada player selection and International event player selection process. For full Order of Merit standings and a points breakdown, please visit www.golfcanada.ca/nationalordersofmerit/

The following are top-10 National Order of Merit finishers from each respective division:

National Men’s Order of Merit

National Women’s Order of Merit

National Junior Boys Order of Merit driven by Acura

National Junior Girls Order of Merit driven by Acura