Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum to celebrate 50th anniversary in 2021
Golf New Brunswick
The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is inviting Canadians and golf enthusiasts to help celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2021 by weighing in on the 50 most influential moments in Canadian golf.
The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame enlisted the support of golf leaders, media, and historians to help create a list of the 50 most influential moments in Canadian golf history. The moments will be showcased online and Canadians are invited to share in the history and vote on their favourite moments.
The 10 most moments receiving the most votes will be showcased on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 during the RBC Hall of Fame 50thAnniversary Gala presented by Nike Golf. The virtual gala celebration will take place on what would have been RBC Hall of Fame Day during the RBC Canadian Open which was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Following the virtual gala, the top moments will also be celebrated through social channels through the end of the 2021 season.
“Canada’s storied golf history is marked by the signature accomplishments of so many talented legends of our sport and the Top-50 Most Influential Moments voting celebration invites Canadians to share in the moments they feel are most meaningful,” said Golf Canada Director of Heritage Services Meggan Gardner. “While we won’t be able to celebrate in person, the virtual RBC Hall of Fame 50th Anniversary Gala presented by Nike Golf lets us pivot to invite more golf enthusiasts to be a part of the celebration.”
The virtual gala will feature a video showcase of the top-10 greatest moments in Canadian golf as well as interviews with golfers or individuals connected to the moments. The gala will be co-hosted by a pair of honoured members – TSN golf personality Bob Weeks and former LPGA Tour player Gail Graham.
As part of the 50th anniversary celebration, an online auction is currently underway to raise legacy funding for the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum through the Heritage Fund of the Golf Canada Foundation.
Founded in 1971, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame began honour the legends of our sport, beginning with the inaugural induction class that included Ada Mackenzie, George Lyon, Charles Murray, Marlene Streit, George Cumming, and Sandy Somerville. To date, 83 honoured members and their accomplishments as players and builders of the game are showcased in the Hall of Fame and Museum along with history, innovations, and standout moments through the storied history of golf in Canada.
JOIN IN CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CANADIAN GOLF HALL OF FAME
To vote on the Top-50 Most Influential Moments in Canadian golf, click here.
To participate in the Canadian golf heritage online auction, click here.
Weir wins first Champions Tour title in duel with Daly
Golf New Brunswick
THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Former Masters champion Mike Weir won his first PGA Tour Champions event Sunday when he held steady with pars down the stretch for a 4-under 68 and let John Daly made the last mistake in the Insperity Invitational.
Weir and Daly were tied going down the stretch at The Woodlands, which was reduced to 36 holes because of heavy rain earlier in the week.
Daly, playing in the group ahead of Weir, was posing over his 9-iron over the water to the 18th green when it came up a fraction short and splashed next to the bulkhead. He made double bogey for a 69 and had to settle for runner-up.
Weir, who missed birdie chances inside 10 feet on the 16th and 17th holes, watched it all unfold and knew what he had to do. He fired his approach to about 15 feet behind the hole, and pumped his fist as he walked toward the green. He wound up winning by two shots.
“J.D. played great. It was unfortunate for him on the last,” Weir said. “This means a lot. I played really well today. I’m still a little off with my putting. I made it hard on myself. But I hit the shots that I needed. It feels very good.”
– MIKE WEIR
Because of rain that washed out the opening round Friday, the first round wasn’t finished until Sunday morning and the tournament was reduced to 36 holes. That turned it into a shootout, and Daly and Weir provided most of the action.
Daly holed a 25-foot eagle putt on the par-5 13th to take a two-shot lead, and it looked as though he was on his way. In the next group, Weir hit his approach to 3 feet on the 13th for a matching eagle to tie for the lead again.
Weir fell back with a bogey on the 14th, but he caught a break when Daly missed his 3-wood into the par-5 15th and had to settle for par, and Weir made birdie to catch him again.
Weir fell back with a bogey on the 14th, but he caught a break when Daly missed his 3-wood into the par-5 15th and had to settle for par, and Weir made birdie to catch him again.
Way to go @mweirsy! Floodgates are open now! ??????
Daly couldn’t believe he hit into the water on the final hole.
“I caught a gust on 18,” he said. “I hit a 9-iron from about 155 and I hit a 9-iron from 141 there and I caught a gust and just got a bad break. But I can’t hit the ball any better. I’m excited about next week.”
The 50-and-over circuit plays the first of its five majors next week at the Regions Tradition.
Weir finished at 10-under 134.
Daly tied for second with David Toms and Tim Petrovic, who each closed with a 71. Bernhard Langer (69) and Bob Estes (68) tied for fifth.
Fox Creek Golf Club goes private, offering enhanced member experience
Golf New Brunswick
By transitioning to a private, member-only facility, Fox Creek will offer faster rounds, better conditions and community-like approach for avid golfers in Southeastern New Brunswick.
Matchplay Golf | Dieppe, NB— Fox Creek Golf Club, the top-ranked golf facility in the Dieppe and Moncton area is becoming a private, member-only facility for the 2021 season.
“Since it opened in 2005, Fox Creek has been regarded as the best golfing option in our region, and that’s something we’re very proud of,” said Dennis LeBlanc, President of Fox Creek. “With the increased demand for golf during the pandemic, we felt the time was appropriate to transition Fox Creek into a member club that would offer easier access to the tee, enhanced conditions that come with a private club, and a member-only lounge in the clubhouse.”
While most courses in the region are open to the public golfer, members at those clubs compete with daily fee players for access to the tee, and crowded courses provide slower rounds and diminished conditions. By going private, Fox Creek will be limited to member-only play, with no public access and very limited outside events, allowing pace of play to be faster and offer improved conditions. Members at Fox Creek will be part of a community of golfers who celebrate the best the game has to offer. Members at the club will also have access to the club’s practice facility and instruction under Louis Melanson, who is a multiple winner of the Atlantic PGA of Canada Coach of the Year award, as well as his team of PGA of Canada Professionals. St. James Gate, the club’s award-winning restaurant, will remain open for public access.
“We’ve had a great group of golfers at Fox Creek for years, but making the club a members-only facility will really enhance the experience for those playing the course,” says Melanson, the club’s General Manager. “The offering of a new lounge and bar for members, plus having ready access to a top course and practice facility will really make this attractive to golfers who are looking for an alternative.”
Fox Creek has already had significant interest in its membership model, which is expected to be limited to 360 members.
“Our member model will create a community of Fox Creek members, but will allow them access to the tee, and the ability to practice and use the clubhouse at their discretion,” says LeBlanc. “We think this is an exciting opportunity for golfers in Dieppe and Moncton, and are excited to welcome members to the club in coming weeks.”
About Fox Creek Golf Club: Created by the LeBlanc family with a goal of creating a world-class golf and residential com- munity in Dieppe, Fox Creek has been regularly ranked in SCOREGolf’s Top 59 public courses in Canada, and has hosted the likes of former world Top 10 player Paul Casey, and Players Championship winner Stephen Ames. Fox Creek became a private member-only club in 2021.
Canadian U.S. Open Qualifiers cancelled due to COVID-19 Restrictions
Golf New Brunswick
USGA Statement re: U.S. Open qualifying in Canada
The province of Ontario in Canada recently announced additional restrictions to address the COVID-19 pandemic. These regulations include a stay-at-home order until May 20 and the closure of all golf courses in Ontario. As a result, the USGA, in coordination with Golf Canada, will not be able to conduct U.S. Open local qualifying at Cherry Hill Club on May 10 and TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley on May 18 and final qualifying at Rattlesnake Point Golf Club on June 7. While these cancellations are disappointing the health and safety of all involved is at the heart of this decision. The USGA will continue to monitor health and safety conditions at all qualifying sites.
Due to additional COVID-19 restrictions enacted by the province of Ontario, we will no longer be able to conduct #USOpen local and final qualifying in Canada in May and June.
Golf Canada and COBRA PUMA GOLF extend junior golf partnership
AURORA, ON - Aug 18, 2019 : 2019 Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event.
Golfers participate in the putting portion of the 2019 Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event.
(Photo by Christian Bender / Golf Canada)
Golf New Brunswick
Golf Canada (April 27, 2021) – Golf Canada and COBRA PUMA GOLF announced today a four-year extension of their partnership in junior golf and the Golf Canada Junior Skills Challenge through 2024.
Through their deeper partnership, PUMA Golf becomes the official headwear, apparel, and footwear partner of the Golf Canada Junior Skills Challenge, an interactive program focused on developing the key golf skills of putting, chipping and driving. COBRA Golf will also become the official golf equipment partner of the Golf Canada Junior Skills Challenge.
“COBRA PUMA GOLF has been an incredibly strong supporter of junior golf in this country and we are thrilled to extend our partnership,” said Golf Canada Chief Commercial Officer John Sibley. “Both high-performance brands, COBRA and PUMA, have aligned well with our efforts to build excitement through competition among the country’s top young players and we are excited to work together to identify emerging talent and enhance the local, provincial and national components of the Junior Skills Challenge.”
The agreement extends COBRA PUMA GOLF’s long-term support of junior golf in Canada, which dates back to the 2014 season with the game’s National Sport Federation.
“We are proudly extending our partnership with Golf Canada to deliver a national junior program that helps cultivate our next generation of great Canadian golfers,” said Dwayne Boecker, Head of Golf at COBRA PUMA GOLF – Canada. “The on-course skills training and coast-to-coast engagement supports our commitment to provide Canadian youth opportunities to learn to play.”
The Junior Skills Challenge unites a network of local Junior Skills events hosted at golf facilities across the country. An online National Leaderboard allows site coordinators and PGA of Canada professionals to upload players’ scores to track improvement and rank players by age group and scores.
COBRA PUMA GOLF will provide regional and national event prizing in addition to outfitting each of the provincial and national Junior Skills Challenge event coordinators.
The 2021 Golf Canada Junior Skills Challenge program will begin in May with the top ranked qualifiers on the national leaderboard from July 19, 2019 to August 3, 2021 (cut-off date) will be invited to compete in the National Final held in Ontario later this fall. Provincial qualifiers will be open events in 2021 to allow participants to qualify directly into the Junior Skills National Final.
Pendrith earns PGA Tour card after clearing 1,700 point Korn Ferry Tour threshold
Golf New Brunswick
Canadian golfer Taylor Pendrith has earned his PGA Tour card after eclipsing 1,700 ranking points on the Korn Ferry Tour this season.
Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., shot a final round of 7-under 64 Sunday at the Veritex Bank Championship, which moved him up 27 spots into a tie for 15th.
The 51 ranking points he earned at the tournament gave Pendtirh, who is currently third on the tour’s money list, a total of 1,748. The Korn Ferry Tour calls the 1,700-point mark its “fail-safe threshold” for earning a PGA Tour card for next season.
“Pendrith called locking up his first PGA Tour card a “dream come true.”
“It’s been a long journey, for sure, starting in 2014 when I turned pro” the 29-year-old Pendrith said in an interview posted on the Korn Ferry Tour’s Twitter feed.
“But it’s always been a goal of mine and a dream to play on the PGA Tour, and I’ll be able to do that next year.”
Pendrith has six top-10 finishes on the Korn Ferry Tour this year. He was runner-up at the Wichita Open and finished tied for second at the Pinnacle Bank Championship and the TPC San Antonio Championship.
He also finished tied for 23rd at the 2020 U.S. Open.
The top-25 players on the Korn Ferry Tour’s money list at the end of the season earn a place on the PGA Tour for the following season.
Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., is currently 13th on the list at 1,261 points.
There are seven active Canadians with full or partial status on the PGA Tour this season: Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.); Michael Gligic (Burlington, Ont.); Adam Hadwin (Abbotsford, B.C.); David Hearn (Brantford, Ont.); Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.); Roger Sloan (Merritt, B.C.); and Nick Taylor (Abbotsford).
Graham DeLaet of Weyburm, Sask., started the season on tour but has been off since undergoing a back procedure in February.
Brooke Henderson wins LA Open for 10th LPGA Tour title
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 24: Brooke Henderson of Canada poses in front of the Hollywood sign holding the championship trophy after winning the HUGEL-AIR PREMIA LA Open at Wilshire Country Club on April 24, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Golf New Brunswick
LOS ANGELES – Brooke Henderson rallied to win the HUGEL Air Premia LA Open on Saturday for her 10th LPGA Tour title, chipping in for birdie on the par-3 12th in an early back-nine burst and getting up-and-down for par on the last.
Four strokes behind leader Jessica Korda and three back of top-ranked Jin Young Ko entering the sunny day at Wilshire Country Club, Henderson closed with her second straight 4-under 67 for a one-stroke victory over Korda.
The 23-year-old Canadian birdied the par-4 11th to take the lead at 15 under, hitting a 144-yard shot to 3 feet of the back, right pin. She holed out from 70 feet from right and below the green on 12, and made a 6-foot birdie putt on the short par-4 14th.
Henderson bogeyed the par-4 17th to cut her lead to two, then chipped inside 2 feet for par on the par-3 18th after her 8-iron shot rolled off the right edge of the green and into a low collection area.
The sixth-ranked Henderson won for the first time since the Meijer LPGA Classic in June 2019. She finished at 16-under 268 to break the event record of 14 under set by Minjee Lee in 2019.
“Just to get it across the line and to have the work that Brit and I have been putting in pay off and be able to celebrate together and get the tenth win on the LPGA Tour is really incredible, and I just — just really happy and just really excited,” said Henderson.
Korda closed with a 72, missing a chance for her second victory of the year after leading after each of the first three rounds. She won the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in January for her sixth LPGA Tour title.
“You know, this game is incredible and it gives you so many great opportunities. The friends that I’ve made and the places that I’ve been able to travel are really crazy,” said Henderson, when asked about being a role model.
“I’m really grateful that my parents got me into the game and that my sister and I have been able to share this journey together.”
While Henderson made her move early on the back nine, Ko bogeyed the 11th and 12th in a 72 that left her tied with Australia’s Hannah Green at 14 under. The South Korean star was coming off a two-week break after finishing seventh in the ANA Inspiration.
Green eagled the 14th and birdied the par-5 15th in a 66.
Major champions So Yeon Ryu (68) and Angela Stanford (70) tied for fifth at 12 under.
PGA TOUR creates new Tour to support PGA TOUR Canada members
Golf New Brunswick
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida—The PGA TOUR announced Thursday the creation of the Forme Tour for current PGA TOUR Canada members as a result of restrictions and other COVID-19-related issues at the U.S.-Canadian border. For 2021, PGA TOUR Canada members will be given access to the Forme Tour, allowing them the ability to compete in a series of U.S.-based events between June and September.
The Forme Tour will continue to provide Official World Golf Ranking points and is planning an eight-tournament schedule played during the summer. The top-five points earners earning 2021-22 Korn Ferry Tour membership along with others advancing to the second and final stages of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament.
The Forme Tour’s 72-hole, medal-play events will be conducted identically to other PGA TOUR-affiliated Tour tournaments. Auburn University Club in Auburn, Alabama, and Ohio’s TPC River’s Bend in the Cincinnati suburb of Maineville, two premier golf facilities, have already signed as host sites. The Tour’s other six venues—as well as tournament dates—will be announced later this spring.
“We are excited to offer this opportunity to our PGA TOUR Canada members, and our commitment is to continue to do business with high-caliber golf courses,” said Greg Carlson, Executive Director of the Forme Tour, who previously filled the same role for seven years for PGA TOUR Series-China. We look forward to announcing the remaining schedule and venues in the coming weeks.”
The Mackenzie Tour will conduct events held across Canada for Canadian-based players later this summer. These players will compete to earn access to the traditional Mackenzie Tour in 2022. The Mackenzie Tour expects that a number of familiar sites from coast to coast will be included in a schedule announcement that will arrive in the coming weeks.
Mackenzie Tour Executive Director Scott Pritchard has seen firsthand the challenges the global pandemic has caused and is seeking and expects to secure competitive opportunities under the Mackenzie Tour banner for players who reside in Canada.
“The Canada-based players will play in 72-hole Mackenzie Tour events, and the tournaments will continue to support local charities and local economies. We will share more details about specific plans in the near future,” said Pritchard. “We’re excited to continue to further develop golf and competitive golfers in this country.”
The Forme Tour will adopt its eligibility from PGA TOUR Canada and will feature the top-60 points earners from the 2019 PGA TOUR Canada season, qualified members from the PGA TOUR University Ranking and those who successfully qualified at the three Qualifying Tournaments in 2020 (prior to cancellation of 2020 PGA TOUR Canada season due to Covid-19) and the seven 2021 Qualifying Tournaments.
Matsuyama becomes first Japanese to win Masters; Conners T8
Golf New Brunswick
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Hideki Matsuyama delivered golf-mad Japan the grandest and greenest prize of all.
Ten years after Matsuyama made a sterling debut as the best amateur at Augusta National, he claimed the ultimate trophy Sunday with a victory in the Masters to become the first Japanese winner of the green jacket.
Matsuyama closed with a 1-over 73 and a one-shot victory that was only close at the end, and never seriously in doubt after Xander Schauffele’s late charge ended with a triple bogey on the par-3 16th.
Moments before Dustin Johnson helped him into the green jacket, Matsuyama needed no interpreter in Butler Cabin when he said in English, “I’m really happy.”
So masterful was this performance that Matsuyama stretched his lead to six shots on the back nine until a few moments of drama. With a four-shot lead, he went for the green in two on the par-5 15th and it bounded hard off the back slope and into the pond on the 16th hole.
Matsuyama did well to walk away with bogey, and with Schauffele making a fourth straight birdie, the lead was down to two shots with three to play.
The next swing all but ended it. Schauffele’s tee shot on the par-3 16th bounced off the hill left of the green and dribbled into the pond. His third shot from the drop area went into the gallery. It added to a triple bogey, and his third close call in a major.
Never mind that Matsuyama bogeyed three of his last four holes, the first Masters champion with a final round over par since Trevor Immelman shot 75 in 2008.
All that mattered was that uphill walk to the 18th green, needing only to blast out of the bunker and take two putts for the victory.
And that’s what he did, soaking in the moment with a few thousand spectators on their feat to celebrate a career-changing moment _ for the 29-year-old Matsuyama, and he hopes for an entire country.
“Hopefully, I’ll be a pioneer and many other Japanese will follow,” Matsuyama said.
Will Zalatoris, the 24-year-ld Masters rookie, holed an 18-foot par putt on the last hole for a 70 and was runner-up. It was the best performance by a first-timer to the Masters since another Dallas kid, Jordan Spieth, was runner-up in 2014 to Bubba Watson.
Spieth had a few fleeting thoughts of coming from six shots behind except for too many missed putts early and missed opportunities late. He bogeyed his last hole for a 70 and tied for third with Schauffele, who shot a 72 with a triple bogey and a double bogey on his card.
Matsuyama finished at 10-under 278 for his 15th victory worldwide, and his sixth on the PGA Tour.
He becomes the second man from an Asian country to win a major. Y.E. Yang of South Korea won the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine over Tiger Woods.
Canadian Corey Conners finished six strokes back of Matsuyama, tied for eighth with American Patrick Reed. The top-10 finish clinched his sport at next year’s Masters. Conners also finished in the top 10 at last year’s event.
A top 10 finish and a ticket to play in next year’s tournament ???
There were moments, though, the native of Listowel, Ont., seemed poised to challenge for the green jacket.
Conners had a hole-in-one Saturday and sat in sixth after the third round. He climbed the leaderboard Sunday with a birdie on the second hole, but collapsed through the middle of the round with three bogeys and a double bogey before ending the day with a 2-over 74.
Fellow Canadian Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., finished in a six-way tie for 40th spot.
Returning to the 18th green for the trophy presentation, Matsuyama again put on the green jacket and raised both arms in triumph. Augusta National allowed limited spectators, believed to be about 8,000 a day, and most might have remembered him from a decade ago.
He won the Asia-Pacific Amateur to earn an invitation to the Masters, and he was low amateur — tied with defending champion Phil Mickelson that year — to earn a trip into famed Butler Cabin. He won in Japan as an amateur, and four times after he graduated college and turned pro. His first PGA Tour victory was at the Memorial in 2014, prompting tournament host Jack Nicklaus to say, “I think you’ve just seen the start of what’s going to be truly one of your world’s great players over the next 10 to 15 years.”
That moment came Sunday.
Matsuyama is not big on emotion, and he speaks even less even when cornered after every round by the large contingent of Japanese media.
Most of the media was absent this year due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, and Matsuyama had said on the eve of the final round that it has been a lot less stress.
There was plenty on the golf course, right from the start.
Matsuyama sent his opening tee shot into the trees right of the first fairway. He punched it under the trees from the pine straw, hit a soft pitch that rolled down the slope away from the pin and was happy to leave with bogey. Two groups ahead of him, Zalatoris opened with two straight birdies.
Just like that, the lead was down to one.
No one got any closer until the final hour. Matsuyama made birdie from the front bunker on the par-5 second hole. He didn’t make another birdie until the par-5 eighth, and it didn’t matter because no one could put any pressure on him.
Zalatoris misjudged the speed on No. 3 and three-putted for bogey from just off the back of the green. Schauffele was within three of the lead going to the third hole, only to go bogey-bogey-double bogey on the toughest three-hole stretch on the course.
Matsuyama delivered what appeared to be a knockout punch with a nifty up-and-down from right of the green on the eighth for a tap-in birdie, and a lob wedge to the dangerous left pin on the ninth that rolled out to 3 feet. That sent him to the back nine with a five-shot lead.
For the longest time, it looked as though Matsuyama couldn’t wait to get to Butler Cabin and see how he looked in green.
Schauffele, however, rammed in a 20-foot birdie putt from behind the 12th green. He two-putted from 10 feet for birdie on No. 13. He nearly holed out from the fairway for a tap-in birdie on the 14th. And with he nearly holed his greenside bunker shot on the par-5 15th for a fourth straight birdie.
And then all that that worked ended when his ball disappeared below the surface of the pond.
Matsuyama could afford a few bogeys, and all that affected was the final margin. He is the Masters champion, a major that defines his elite status in the game and gives Japan the biggest week it has ever had in April. The week started a week ago Saturday when Tsubasa Kajitani won the second Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Matsuyama wasn’t around to see it, but he was well aware of it. All he wanted was to follow her path and made Japan proud. His play spoke volumes.
Corey Conners sits 6th at Masters after hole-in-one; Matsuyama leads
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 10: Corey Conners of Canada reacts on the sixth green after hitting a hole-in-one during the third round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2021 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Golf New Brunswick
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Hideki Matsuyama showed he could handle Augusta National when he first showed up as a 19-year-old amateur. Ten years later, the Japanese star put himself on the cusp of a green jacket Saturday at the Masters.
In a stunning turnaround after storms doused the course, Matsuyama had four birdies, an eagle and a superb par at the end of a 7-under 65, turning a three-shot deficit into a four-shot lead as he tries to become the first Japanese player to win a major.
“This is a new experience for me being a leader going into the final round in a major,” Matsuyama said. “I guess all I can do is relax and prepare well and do my best.”
Matsuyama was at 11-under 205, and no one could stay with him after the delay. It lasted 1 hour, 18 minutes because of dangerous weather and just enough rain fell that crusty Augusta National was a little more forgiving.
He hit what he said was his worst shot of the day right before the delay, a tee shot into the trees on the right. He punched a 7-iron out to 20 feet for birdie and was on his way.
The break brought the Masters to life, and at times it was hard to keep up.
Xander Schauffele ran in a 60-foot eagle putt across the 15th green to momentary join a four-way tie for the lead. Seconds later, Justin Rose holed a 25-foot birdie putt back on the par-3 12th to regain the lead. That lasted as long as it took Matsuyama to rap in his 5-foot eagle putt on the 15th to take the lead for good.
The entire sequence took no more than two minutes.
But after that, no one could catch Matsuyama. When the round ended, Schauffele (68), Rose (72), Marc Leishman (70) and Masters rookie Will Zalatoris (71) were all at 7-under 209.
Canadian Corey Conners was close behind at 6-under after shooting a 68. It was a mixed day for the Listowel, Ont., native. After a bogey on the fifth hole, he shot a hole-in-one on the sixth. Conners had five birdies and three bogeys on the day.
Fellow Canadian Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., recorded his third-straight even-par score to sit in a tie for 21st.
Jordan Spieth was within two shots of the lead despite a double bogey on the seventh hole, but he couldn’t keep pace and shot 72 to fall six shots behind.
Matsuyama will play in the final group with Schauffele, a comfortable pairing. Schauffele’s mother was raised in Japan and he speaks enough Japanese to share a few laughs with Matsuyama during Saturday’s pairing.
Matsuyama will play in the final group with Schauffele, a comfortable pairing. Schauffele’s mother was raised in Japan and he speaks enough Japanese to share a few laughs with Matsuyama during Saturday’s pairing.
That won’t eliminate all the pressure. His lone shot at a major was at Quail Hollow in the 2017 PGA Championship when he was one shot behind with three holes to play and missed a crucial par putt. He was in tears after that round, a player under enormous pressure in golf-mad Japan.
Matsuyama wasn’t the first Japanese star of his generation _ that was close friend Ryo Ishikawa _ but he is by far the most accomplished. Matsuyama has 14 worldwide wins, five on the PGA Tour. He has reached as high as No. 2 in the world.
He won the Asia-Pacific Amateur in 2010 that earned him a spot in the Masters the following year. He was the only amateur to make the cut, finishing on the same score (1 under) as defending champion Phil Mickelson.
A decade later, he is on the cusp of history. The only other player from an Asian country to win a men’s major is Y.E. Yang in the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine.
Matsuyama wouldn’t have believed he could leave Augusta National on Saturday night with a four-shot lead. But he knew he was playing well, and he showed it. On a course that has played difficult all week, he delivered the first bogey-free round of the week.
The signature shot was his 5-iron to a left pin to 5 feet for eagle. Equally stellar was an 8-iron to the front right shelf on the par-3 16th to 5 feet for a birdie, and then his pitching wedge to 10 feet behind the hole on the 17th. His work still wasn’t through.
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 10: Corey Conners of Canada reacts on the sixth green after hitting a hole-in-one during the third round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 10, 2021 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
From a fairway bunker on the 18th, Matsuyama sent it soaring over the green and up the walkway toward the clubhouse, some 25 yards to the hole with little margin for error with a back pin. His chip bounced with enough spin to trickle out to 3 feet for par.
It was reminiscent of Spieth closing out his third round in 2015 with a tough par save on the 18th to take a four-shot lead into the final round. That’s what Matsuyama has on Sunday, with a nation watching.
He rarely can go anywhere on the PGA Tour without a dozen or more Japanese media following. Their numbers are limited this year because of COVID-19 travel restrictions.
“Being in front of the media is still difficult. It’s not my favourite thing to do,” Matsuyama said through his interpreter. “It’s been a lot less stress for me. I’ve enjoyed this week.”
A victory would give Japan a sweep this week. Tsubasa Kajitani won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur last Saturday.
