Coquitlam, B.C. – After a competitive 36-holes, Gabriela Ruffels of Indian Wells, California and Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. have earned direct exemptions into the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open by finishing atop the leaderboard at the U.S. Women’s Open Qualifier at The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C.

Ruffels, 23, shot a combined 7-under with rounds of 69 and 68 to earn her spot in the U.S. Women’s Open for the third time in her career and credited solid play and patience for getting her back to the U.S. Women’s Open this year, “I hit a lot of fairways out there, hit a lot of good approach shots, hit a lot of greens and was just tapping in for par pretty much the whole day and then just had to stay patient and the birdies came.”

Ruffels won the 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur and finished T13 in the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open as an Amateur and is excited to return to Pebble Beach, “I love USGA events, especially at Pebble it’s going to be really historic and unique. I love Pebble, it’s one of my favourite places so being able to go this year is just amazing,” said Ruffels.

Kim, 17, shot a combined 5-under with rounds of 70 and 69 to earn her place in the U.S. Women’s Open. The Team Canada member found herself one back heading into the second round, “I just told myself to keep chasing as if I’m one stroke back the entire round. My dad and I were just working together to push as hard as we could, save our pars whenever we could and make birdies when there was the opportunity, so I think that was key.”

Kim who will be attending the University of Texas later this fall will be headed to the U.S. Women’s Open for the second straight year, “I still can’t wrap my head around it, it’s so surreal. I did it last year and that took a while to sink in, so I think I’ll wake up tomorrow feeling a little happier and excited.”

Vanessa Zhang of Vancouver, B.C. will be the first alternate. The Team Canada NextGen member finished 2-under with rounds of 69 and 73. Today’s qualifier marked the first time that a U.S Women’s Open Qualifier has been hosted in Canada. The field in Coquitlam at The Vancouver Golf Club featured 57 golfers with a combination of both professionals and amateurs competing for two direct exemptions. A record 2,107 entries are competing in qualifiers for spots into the field of 156 players for the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open. This year’s tournament runs from July 6-9 at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Oshawa, ON. – Daniel Kim of Toronto, Ont. shot a 5-under 66 Monday at the first Ontario Regional Qualifier hosted at Oshawa Golf and Curling Club in Oshawa, ON to earn a direct exemption into the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, June 6-11 at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto.

Kim got off to a flying start with a birdie on the opening hole and an eagle on the fourth hole to sit at 3-under through four. Kim finished the day with six birdies and an eagle to earn medalist honours and finish two shots clear of amateur Luc Warnock of McGregor, Ont. (-3) and Charles Huntzinger of Greensboro, Georgia (-3).

Kim, 32, came out on top from a field of 136 professional and amateur golfers at Oshawa Golf and Curling Club to earn his spot in Canada’s National Open Championship. It’s quite the turnaround for Kim after he decided to quit playing golf professionally last year due to injury and personal reasons.

“If you were to ask me six months ago, would I be playing the Canadian Open, I would have said you’re crazy. I’ve been working full time and I keep telling people it’s a hobby now, it’s not my job, it’s a hobby now and its pretty crazy how things come around, said Kim. “This was the last little competitive thing I was actually going to do, before digging in and start working. So, this is a blessing in disguise, and I feel so thankful and grateful.”

Oshawa Golf and Curling Club, played to Par 71 at 6,596 yards and provided a strong test for the field with only 12 players shooting under par. Along with Kim’s exemption, an additional 24 golfers (remaining top 15% of the field) from Oshawa have advanced to the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier scheduled for Sunday, June 4 at Coppinwood Golf Club in Goodwood, Ont.

RBC Canadian Open Ontario Regional Qualifier Results:

Pos.	Player	Residence	To Par	Total
1	Daniel Kim	Toronto, ON	-5	66
T2	Luc Warnock (a)	McGregor, ON	-3	68
T2	Charles Huntzinger	Greensboro, GA	-3	68
T4	Tyler Hull	Toronto, ON	-2	69
T4	Marshall Bath (a)	Courtice, ON	-2	69
T4	Drew Nesbitt	Coldwater, ON	-2	69
T4	Mark Hoffman	Toronto, ON	-2	69
T4	Matthew Hill	Palm Beach Gardens, FL	-2	69
T9	Cam Kellett (a)	London, ON	-1	70
T9	Kevin Blue (a)	Mississauga, ON	-1	70
T9	Ben Thompson (a)	Toronto, ON	-1	70
T9	Zac Viminitz	Brooklin, ON	-1	70
T9	Daniel Abraha (a)	Kingston, ON	-1	70
T14	Jay Finley (a)	Port Perry, ON	E	71
T14	Kevin Gordon	Whitby, ON	E	71
T14	Gordon Gibson (a)	Toronto, ON	E	71
T14	Christian Chapman	West Palm Beach, FL	E	71
T14	Jake Scott	Strongsville, OH	E	71
T14	Peter Hong	West Chester, OH	E	71
T20	Nathanial Coombes	Port Perry, ON	+1	72
T20	Matthew Whitehead (a)	Cambridge, ON	+1	72
T20	Jack Kent	Uxbridge, ON	+1	72
T20	Kyle Gordon (a)	Whitby, ON	+1	72
T20	Jonathan Cramton (a)	Toronto, ON	+1	72
T20	William Robbins	Brooksville, FL	+1	72

There are three RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifiers remaining on the schedule. The next qualifier is scheduled for Wednesday, May 17 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ont. Additional qualifiers will take place on Wednesday, May 24 at Golf Château Bromont in Bromont, Que. and on Monday, May 29 at Pinebrook Golf and Country Club in Calgary, Alb.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Results from the B.C. Regional Qualifier can be found here.

Abbotsford, B.C. – Taylor Durham of North Vancouver, B.C. shot a 5-under 65 Friday at the B.C. Regional Qualifier hosted at Ledgeview Golf Club in Abbotsford, B.C. to earn a direct exemption into the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, June 6-11 at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto.

Competing in the RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier as an amateur, Durham caught fire at the turn, reeling off five straight birdies on holes 9 through 13 and seven birdies on the day to earn medalist honours, two shots clear of Zahidali Nathu of Richmond, B.C. (-3). Team Canada NextGen amateur Alex Zhang of Richmond, B.C. was solo third at 2-under with six others finishing with a share of fourth at 1-under.

Durham, 29, outlasted a field of 124 professional and amateur golfers at Ledgeview Golf Club (exceeding the 120-golfer requirement for a direct exemption) to earn his first-ever start in the Canada’s National Open Championship.

“I’m pretty speechless to be honest, it’s definitely a lifelong dream to play in a PGA TOUR event but you never really believe its going to happen, said Dunham, a 2-time Men’s Club Champion from Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver. “After hole 11, just off birdies on 9 and 10, I felt I was hitting if really nice, and tried to get home without any big numbers. I’ve been texting friends and family, it still feels hard to believe, just an awesome day and I’m super excited to be in this position right now.”

The remaining top 15% of the field from the B.C. Regional Qualifier will advance to the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier scheduled for Sunday, June 4 at Coppinwood Golf Club in Goodwood, Ont.

Playing to Par 70 over 6,159 yards, Ledgeview proved to be a solid test for Qualifier field, with only nine players shooting below par. In addition to Durham’s exemption, 18 golfers will advance to the Final Qualifier on Sunday, June 4.

RBC Canadian Open B.C. Regional Qualifier Results:

Pos.	Player	Residence	To Par	Total
1	Taylor Durham (a)	North Vancouver, BC	-5	65
2	Zahidali Nathu	Richmond, BC	-3	67
3	Alex Zhang (a)	Richmond, BC	-2	68
T4	Cory Renfrew	Delta, BC	-1	69
T4	Cory Hilditch (a)	Penticton, BC	-1	69
T4	Ethan Wilson (a)	St. Albert, AB	-1	69
T4	Ryan Hall	Knoxville, TN	-1	69
T4	John Paul Kahlert (a)	Maple Ridge, BC	-1	69
T4	Khan Lee	Chilliwack, BC	-1	69
T10	Tanvir Kahlon	Langley, BC	E	70
T10	Kaleb Gorbahn	Smithers, BC	E	70
T10	Brett Webster	Abbotsford, BC	E	70
T10	Jake Lane	Vancouver, BC	E	70
T14	Oliver Rizun (a)	Kelowna, BC	+1	71
T14	Kamyar Yamini (a)	Vancouver, BC	+1	71
T14	Denby Carswell (a)	Burnaby, BC	+1	71
T14	Bryce Barker	Vernon, BC	+1	71
T14	Daniel Campbell	Bellingham, WA	+1	71
T14	Sher Sidhu (a)	Abbotsford, BC	+1	71

For the full leaderboard click here.

The B.C. Qualifier at Ledgeview was the first of five 2023 RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifiers. The next is scheduled for Monday, May 15 at the Oshawa Golf and Curling Club in Oshawa Ont. and then Wednesday, May 17 at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley (North Course) in Caledon, Ont. Additional Regional Qualifiers will take place on Wednesday, May 24 at Golf-Château Bromont in Bromont, Que. and on Monday, May 29 at Pinebrook Golf and Country Club in Calgary.

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Stephen Ames went wire-to-wire to cap off a dominant week with a four-stroke victory at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic. Despite hitting his tee shot on the final hole into the water, he made a 30-foot par putt to finish at 19-under 197 to break his own 54-hole record at TPC Sugarloaf by four shots. It’s his second win of the season after winning in Morocco and he joins David Toms as the only multiple winners on the Champions tour this year. It’s the first time in his Champions tour career that he’s won multiple times in one season. The victory also vaulted him up to No. 4 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. A birdie on the final hole enabled Miguel Angel Jimenez to finish solo second. Steve Stricker finished tied for seventh, extending his streak of top-10 finishes in all seven tour events this season. He has 11 straight top-10 results dating back to last August.

POS		SCORES	TOTAL
1	Stephen Ames	65-64-68	-19

NEXT EVENT: Regions Tradition (May 11)

PGA TOUR

Wyndham Clark carded a final round 68 for a four shot win over Xander Schauffele at the Wells Fargo Championship. Clark started the final round with a two shot lead but relinquished it to Schauffele after seven holes. But he stormed back, playing the final 11 holes in 4 under par to claim his first career PGA Tour win. His winning score of 19-under 265 is the second-lowest score in relation to par in tournament history. Tyrrell Hatton and Harry English finished tied for third. Rory McIlroy, a three-time winner at Quail Hollow, played the final three rounds in 3-over par to finish tied for 47th – his worst outing since missing the cut 12 years ago. …Corey Conners picked up his third top-10 result of the season, second in his last four starts. …Adam Svensson recorded his fifth top-30 finish of the season

POS		SCORES	TOTAL
T8	Corey Conners	70-69-66-70	-9
T27	Adam Svensson	68-67-70-75	-4
MC	Adam Hadwin	74-68
MC	Mackenzie Hughes	74-72
MC	Taylor Pendrith	70-77

NEXT EVENT: AT&T Byron Nelson (May 11)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Michael Gligic, Adam Hadwin, Mackenzie Hughes, Roger Sloan, David Hearn (alternate)

EUROPEAN TOUR

Adrian Meronk sank a seven foot birdie putt on the final hole to hold off Romain Langasque and win the Italian Open by one shot. It was his third win on the European Tour and vaults him up to No. 4 in the Race to Dubai points standings. Third-round leader Julien Guerrier finished three strokes back in third. …Aaron Cockerill notched his fourth top-20 finish of the season, his third in his last four starts

POS		SCORES	TOTAL
T16	Aaron Cockerill	71-71-66-72	-4

NEXT EVENT: Soudal Open (May 11)

CANADIANS ENTERED:  Aaron Cockerill

LPGA TOUR

Atthaya Thitikul birdied the 16th hole to beat Stephanie Kyriacou 4 & 2, earning the clinching point as Thailand defeated Australia for the country’s first International Crown team match play title. Sixth-seeded Thailand, which had never finished better than fourth in the first three editions of this tournament, finished the week winning 11 of 12 matches. The United States beat Sweden in the consolation match to finish third. Canada did not qualify for the event.

NEXT EVENT: Cognizant Founders Cup (May 11)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Maude-Aimee Leblanc, Maddie Szeryk, Alena Sharp (reserve)

PGA TOUR LATINOAMERICA

Toni Hakula erased a four stroke deficit for a one-shot victory over Julian Itulain in the Kia Open. It was his second career win on the Latinoamerica Tour and first since 2018. His previous best finish in this event was a tie for 33rd back in 2016.  Brazil’s Rafael Becker carded a final round 63 to climb 30 places on the leaderboard up into a tie for third with Brent Ito. …Stuart Macdonald recorded his fourth top-20 finish in as many starts this year.

POS		SCORES	TOTAL
T17	Stuart Macdonald	69-69-71-70	-9
T35	Max Sekulic	72-70-71-69	-6
MC	Joey Savoie	69-74
MC	Myles Creighton	72-72
MC	Matt Kang	77-70
MC	Blair Bursey	69-79

NEXT EVENT: Colombia Classic (May 25)

EPSON TOUR

Gabriela Ruffels carded a final round 71 for a wire-to-wire victory in the Garden City Charity Classic. Her 19-under 197 total tied the Epson Tour 54-hole scoring record. The former U.S. Women’s Amateur Champion also broke the course with an opening round 62 before before breaking a 20-year-old Tour record with a second round 64 that moved her to 18-under par. It’s her second win of the season, giving her a significant lead in the points race. Isabella Fierro, Agathe Laisne and Ga Yul Kang finished tied for second, four strokes back. ..Selena Costabile, playing in the final grouping, notched her second top-10 result of the season

POS		SCORES	TOTAL
6	Selena Costabile	68-64-72	-12
T50	Sarah-Eve Rheaume	70-72-71	-3
MC	Josee Doyon	71-72
MC	Kate Johnston	72-73
MC	Brogan McKinnon	84-81

NEXT EVENT: IOA Golf Classic (May 19)

CANADIANS ENTERED:  Selena Costabile, Sarah-Eve Rheaume, Kate Johnston (reserve), Brogan McKinnon (reserve), Christina Foster (reserve), Josee Doyon (reserve), Megan Osland (reserve)

DULUTH, Ga. – Stephen Ames capped off his dominant week on the TPC Sugarloaf with a 4-under 68 on Sunday that gave him the tournament scoring record and a four-shot victory in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic.

Ames joined David Toms as the only multiple winners on the PGA Tour Champions this year. He previously won the Trophy Hassan II in Morocco.

Ames had a three-shot lead going into the final and was never seriously challenged. He drove into the water on the final hole and still made a 30-foot par putt to finish at 19-under 197. Ames broke his own 54-hole record at Sugarloaf by four shots. He also won in 2017.

Miguel Angel Jimenez birdied the final hole for a 68 to finish alone in second.

Brett Quigley tried to make a run at Ames and got within three shots until a bogey-double bogey finish for a 69 to finish alone in fourth.

Ames, from Calgary, won $300,000 and moved up four spots to No. 4 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. What made this victory more special was having his son, Ryan, as his caddie for the week. Ryan Ames is a PGA of Canada member and aspiring teaching pro.

“The fact I ended up winning was icing on the cake,” Ames said.

Steve Stricker didn’t make a birdie until the back nine and then shot 32 to tie for seventh, keeping his lead in the Charles Schwab Cup. He has finished in the top 10 in all seven of his PGA Tour Champions events this week, and 11 in a row dating to last August.

112 of Canada’s top junior golfers to compete over 54 holes at stunning west coast layout with exemptions into the Canadian Junior Boys and Girls Championships on the line.

Golf Canada’s 2023 championship season kicks off on Friday, May 5, at Sunshine Coast Golf and Country Club in Roberts Creek, B.C. with the NextGen Pacific Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards.

The 54-hole stroke play competition gets underway with a practice round on Thursday, May 4, and championship rounds beginning on Friday, May 5. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the top 55 Junior Boys and top 15 Junior Girls, including ties, for the final round which wraps up on Sunday, May 7.

The starting field will feature 112 male and female competitors – 88 Junior Boys and 24 Junior Girls – vying for a spot into their respective Canadian Junior Championship later this summer.

The top eight players in the Junior Boys division will earn exemptions into the 2023 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, August 14-17, at North Bay Golf and Country Club Ltd. in North Bay, Ont. The top eight players (including ties) in the Junior Girls division will earn exemptions into the 2023 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, July 24-27, at Hampton Golf Course in Hampton, N.B.

Golf Canada is proud to return to the stunning Sunshine Coast Golf and Country Club after the club successfully hosted the 2018 NextGen Fall Series Championship. The course presents players with a classic west coast golf experience—given its unique Salish Sea influenced climate, the course is open 12 months a year and challenges players with fantastic year-round playing conditions. The golf course opened in 1969 and is the oldest 18-hole course on the Sunshine Coast.

“The members at the Sunshine Coast (Golf & Country Club) are excited to share our course with these talented junior golfers competing in the NextGen Championship. We hope that they enjoy the course and the competition,” said Jim Pringle, Director of Golf and PGA of Canada Head Professional, Sunshine Coast Golf and Country Club. “We have hosted a number of provincial and national events and look forward to another fun week.”

To follow the live leaderboard of the NextGen Pacific Championship, fueled by JOURNIE Rewards, click here.

(May 1, 2023)  One of the hottest golfers on the planet is sure to be a fan-favourite at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto as world no. 6 Matthew Fitzpatrick will compete in the 2023 RBC Canadian Open.

Competing in his third RBC Canadian Open, the 28-year-old Englishman is having a stellar 2023 season with three top-10 finishes including a victory at the recent RBC Heritage and a T10 finish at The Masters. Currently ranked no. 22 on the 2022 FedEx Cup, Fitzpatrick, a two-time winner on the PGA TOUR, six-time winner on the DP World Tour, and two-time Ryder Cup team member will compete in Canada’s National Open Championship before defending his U.S. Open title the next week at L.A. Country Club.

“I am really looking forward to returning to Canada and competing in the RBC Canadian Open in front of the amazing Canadian golf fans,” said Fitzpatrick. “Having won the RBC Heritage last month, I am hopeful to play well at Oakdale and keep that momentum going into the U.S. Open.”

Fitzpatrick joins an emerging field headlined by two-time defending champion and world no. 3 Rory McIlroy who will be looking to become the first player to win three consecutive RBC Canadian Open titles. A victory for McIlroy would make him only the fourth three-time champion, joining Tommy Armour, Sam Snead, and Lee Trevino. Leo Deigel’s four victories are the most in the tournament’s storied history.

McIlroy and Fitzpatrick will be joined by fellow European stars Tommy Fleetwood as well as Shane Lowry. The world no. 23 ranked Lowry is a two-time PGA TOUR winner and a past Open Championship winner while Fleetwood, who has two top-10 PGA TOUR finishes this season, has won seven international titles, and is ranked no. 25 in the world.

The group will compete alongside Team RBC ambassadors Sam Burns (world no. 13), Cameron Young (world no. 16), Sahith Theegala (world no. 24), seven-time PGA TOUR winner Webb Simpson, and nine-time PGA TOUR winner Matt Kuchar.

A full Canadian contingent will also challenge for the national championship led by PGA TOUR winners Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. (world no. 30), Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. (world no. 57), Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C. (world no. 56), Nick Taylor of Abbottsford, B.C. (world no. 65), and Adam Hadwin of Abbottsford, B.C. (world no. 71) as well as fellow PGA TOUR members Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont. and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont.

A trio of Canadians have also accepted tournament exemptions to compete at Oakdale including Winnipeg, Man. Native Aaron Cockerill who is currently ranked 24^th on the DP World Tour as well as Thornhill, Ont. native Ben Silverman who won on the Korn Ferry Tour earlier this year to sit second on the Tour’s 2023 Points List.

Also accepting an exemption to compete is Canadian golf icon and President’s Cup International Team Captain Mike Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont. who will be competing in his 31^st  RBC Canadian Open, one back of fellow Canadian Golf Hall of Famer George Cummings who had a record 32 starts in Canada’s National Open Championship.

In addition to world class golf, fans at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open will be treated to the two-night RBCxMusic Concert Series onsite at Oakdale Golf and Country with Grammy Award-winning pop group, the Black Eyed Peas performing on Friday, June 9 and Canadian Grammy Award-winning icon Alanis Morissette performing on Saturday, June 10.

“We are less than 40 days away from the RBC Canadian Open and extremely excited to get the tournament started,” said Bryan Crawford, Tournament Director, RBC Canadian Open. “Oakdale Golf and Country Club in the heart of Toronto joins our host club rotation for the first time and will present a great test of golf for the world’s best players. Our partners have leaned into our National Open Championship in a major way to deliver a truly immersive fan festival experience as a kickoff to summer.”

Tickets for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open are available here. Children aged 12-and-under get free admission with a ticketed adult.

KORN FERRY TOUR

Ben Kohles birdied the first playoff hole to defeat Ben Silverman in the HomeTown Lenders Championship. With the win, Kohles became the first two-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour while denying Silverman an opportunity to be the first. Silverman, who started the day tied for the lead with Kohles, appeared to have his hand on the trophy, playing a bogey-free final round until he made a double-bogey on the final hole to fall into a playoff. It was only the fourth time all weekend that he dropped a shot. The tournament was reduced to just 54 holes after fog and thunderstorms suspended play until Friday. Silverman remains No. 2 on the points list and is assured of finishing in the top 30 this season which will earn him a PGA Tour card for 2024.

POS		SCORES	TOTAL
2	Ben Silverman	66-64-67	-13
T27	Wil Bateman	69-67-69	-5
MC	Roger Sloan	74-64
MC	Sudarshan Yellamaraju	72-69

NEXT EVENT: AdventHealth Championship (May 18)

PGA TOUR

Tony Finau carded a bogey-free round of 66 to win the Mexico Open, denying Jon Rahm a chance to successfully defend his title. Rahm, the Masters champion and No. 1 player in the world, finished three shots back. The Spaniard has finished seventh or better in eight of 11 stroke-play events this year. Finau now has two wins this season to join Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Max Homa as the only multiple winners on tour. With his second-place finish, Rahm pushed his season earnings to $14,462,840 – a new single-season PGA Tour record. Brandon Wu finished third in a repeat of the same three finishers from a year ago when Rahm won and Finau and Wu tied for second. …The first round 65 was the second lowest opening round score for Taylor Pendrith this season. …Michael Gligic notched his second straight top 40 result

POS		SCORES	TOTAL
T30	Taylor Pendrith	65-70-72-68	-9
T39	Michael Gligic	74-66-70-67	-7

NEXT EVENT: Wells Fargo Championship (May 4)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Corey Conners, Adam Hadwin, Mackenzie Hughes, Taylor Pendrith, Adam Svensson,

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Steven Alker made five birdies over a seven-hole stretch on the back nine to successfully defend his title at the Insperity Invitational. It was the first win of the year for the defending Charles Schwab Cup champion, who also has two runner-up results in five starts. Steve Stricker finished four shots off the pace but his runner-up result enabled him to take over the lead in the points race from David Toms. He finished in a tie for third with Colin Montgomerie. Stricker has six top-10 results in six starts this season. Bernhard Langer, who is chasing a record 46th career win on the Champions Tour, finished tied for 23rd. …Stephen Ames picked up his second top-10 result in six starts. …Mike Weir finished over par for only the second time in six starts this season

POS		SCORES	TOTAL
T9	Stephen Ames	69-72-71	-4
T28	Mike Weir	69-75-73	+1

NEXT EVENT: Mitsubishi Electric Classic (May 5)

CANADIANS ENTERED:  Stephen Ames

EUROPEAN TOUR

Pablo Larrazabal birdied four of his first six holes on the back nine to break a five-way tie for the lead on his way to a two-stroke victory at the Korea Championship. It was his eighth career win on the European Tour. Denmark’s Helligkilde finished held off a four-strong chasing pack that included home favourite Park Sanghyun to finish solo second. Scotland’s Scott Jamieson joined Park in third place along with Spaniard Jorge Campillo and Dutchman Joost Luiten. …A week after notching a runner-up finish, Aaron Cockerill carded his third top-25 result in as many starts

POS		SCORES	TOTAL
T21	Aaron Cockerill	72-68-71-72	-5
MC	Richard T Lee	73-76

NEXT EVENT: DS Automobiles Italian Open (May 4)

CANADIANS ENTERED:  Aaron Cockerill

LPGA TOUR

Hannah Green made a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation and only needed par on the second extra hole to defeat Aditi Ashok and Xiyu Lin and win the JM Eagle LA Championship. Green won for the third time in her career and the first since 2019. As many as five players were tied for the lead late in the final round. Ruoning Yin, who won last month in LA, built a two-shot lead with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15. But she finished with two bogeys to miss the playoff by a single stroke. Ayaka Furue made a furious charge up the leaderboard with birdies on four of her last five holes but also came up a stroke short.

POS		SCORES	TOTAL
65	Maude-Aimee Leblanc	72-71-71-77	+7
MC	Brooke Henderson	70-74
MC	Maddie Szeryk	70-80

NEXT EVENT: Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown (May 4)

PGA TOUR LATINOAMERICA

Marcos Montenegro made six birdies over a seven-hole stretch to rally from a six-shot deficit and win the Diners Club Peru Open by a single stroke. It was his first career win on the Latinoamerica Tour. …Stuart Macdonald has three consecutive top-20 results. …Joey Savoie started the final round two back of the lead before settling for his third top-30 finish of the year

POS		SCORES	TOTAL
T14	Stuart Macdonald	72-71-69-67	-9
T29	Joey Savoie	69-69-67-77	-6
T37	Myles Creighton	72-70-71-72	-3
T41	Blair Bursey	67-74-76-69	-2
MC	Max Sekulic	72-73

NEXT EVENT: KIA Open (May 4)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Blair Bursey, Myles Creighton, Matt Kang, Stuart Macdonald, Joey Savoie   

EPSON TOUR

A bogey on the second playoff hole was enough to give Savannah Vilaubi the win over Jenny Coleman and Therese Walker at the Copper Rock Championship. Vilaubi, who broke the course record with her opening round 63, became the first player this season to go wire-to-wire for the victory. Walker had a chance to win on the final hole but her birdie putt came up short while Coleman birdied five of her last six holes to get into the playoff. Alena Sharp rocketed up the leaderboard with a bogey-free final round of 64, just missing the playoff by a single stroke. Her fourth-place finish was her best result on the development tour since a win back in 2014.

POS		SCORES	TOTAL
4	Alena Sharp	73-65-64	-14
MC	Selena Costabile	73-73
MC	Josee Doyon	74-76

NEXT EVENT: Garden City Charity Classic (May 5)

CANADIANS ENTERED:  Josee Doyon, Selena Costabile, Sarah-Eve Rheaume, Kate Johnston, Brogan McKinnon (reserve), Christina Foster (reserve), Megan Osland (reserve)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Ben Kohles became the first two-time winner of the Korn Ferry Tour season on Sunday when he seized on Ben Silverman’s mistake on the final hole of regulation and beat him with a birdie in the playoff in the HomeTown Lenders Championship.

Kohles, from Texas, who won in Chile at the start of the month, closed with a 3-under 67. It looked like it would come up short until Silverman took double bogey on the 18th hole and to fall into a playoff.

Silverman, from Thornhill, Ont., was also looking for his second win of the year.

Kohles and Silverman now are Nos. 1 and 2 on the points list and assured of finishing in the top 30 to earn PGA Tour cards for next season.

Kohles won for the fourth time on the Korn Ferry Tour. His previous two wins were more than a decade ago.

Coming from a hockey background, Ashton McCulloch found the sport of golf a little bit too slow for his liking when he was first introduced to it. But after picking it back up in his teenage years, the Kingston, Ontario native has since developed a passion for the game and has emerged as one of the most promising amateurs in the country.

“My dad was an avid golfer and he wanted me to get started in the sport at a young age. I was seven when I first started but coming from a hockey background, I found the game a little slow. I stopped playing and didn’t pick it back up until I was 13,” recalls the now 20-year-old.

As a former goaltender, he appreciates how playing that position may be beneficial to his overall approach on the golf course.

“I guess being a goalie you have the mentality of being by yourself and you learn how to bounce back; and that carries over to golf,” McCulloch reasoned.

The second year member of Golf Canada’s National Team Program says his dad, John McCulloch, gave him some great advice which he implements to this day.

“The best advice my dad gave me was the importance of practicing with a purpose. It comes down to how diligent you are when you practice because practice makes permanent.”

Taking his dad’s advice and McCulloch got his first golf membership at the age of 14. After putting in the work in practice to improve his skills, he would enter his first tournament at the club’s annual championship later that year.

“I shot a 79 which was my first time breaking 80. And to do that in my first tournament was pretty awesome,” he pointed out.

After that eye opening result in his first tournament, McCulloch would work even harder to improve all areas of his game. And his disciplined efforts would lead to multiple rewards.

In 2021, he won the Glencoe Invitational and followed that up by winning the British Columbia Men’s Amateur Championship.

National Team men’s head coach, Derek Ingram, speaks highly of McCulloch’s work ethic and dedication to the sport.

“Ashton has a work ethic similar to Corey (Conners) and Mac (Hughes). He works hard on all areas of her game and is smart and committed. Also, similar to those guys, he’s going to a northern school and a school that plays a good schedule,” said Ingram about McCulloch who is currently in his second year at Michigan State University.

The talented 20-year-old is grateful that his involvement in the National Team Program has provided him with the opportunity to compete in high profile tournaments that he would not otherwise gain entry into.

“I’m not from British Columbia but being part of Golf Canada’s junior boys program gave me the opportunity to spend a winter training there and gave me the chance to compete the B.C. AM,” he noted.

“My aunt and uncle and cousins live out in B.C. and it was the first time they got to see me playing golf and see me doing what I love. It was a great feeling to win it with them there.”

McCulloch says consistency has been a key to his success on the golf course.

“I don’t do anything spectacular but I also don’t do anything to get myself in trouble. I would say I’m very steady and consistent out there and just try to do what I’m supposed to,” he noted when asked to describe his game.

McCulloch is studying engineering at Michigan State University on a full golf scholarship. The talented Canadian had a stellar rookie season and earned Big 10 Freshman of the Year honours. Currently, in his sophomore year, McCulloch has the goal of playing on the PGA Tour one day.

Ingram sees a lot of potential in the highly touted amateur, and in understanding his tremendous work ethic, the National Team men’s head coach outlines some key areas that McCulloch will have to focus on and work on in order to have the best chance to make his dream a reality.

“Ashton has to get longer and stronger – not unlike just about anyone based on the way the game is going. And he has to tidy up his short game,” Ingram pointed out.

“Then Ashton has to play against the best amateurs in the world and be able to learn, grow and refine his game from those experiences,” he added.

Ingram notes that by being part of the National Team Program, McCulloch will have the resources and support to help him reach his full potential on the golf course.

“Ashton now has a group of team members and alumni to support, lead and push him to see how good he can be,” said Ingram.

“We know the average Canadian playing on the PGA Tour takes over five years to make it onto the Tour. It’s a long process and journey so every player with the ability needs to be in it for the long haul.”

For his part, McCulloch is grateful for all the support he gets through the National Team Program. And he’s prepared to make a commitment to doing everything within his control to be successful.

“The depth of support we get in terms of coaching and resources is just a huge advantage. I have had so much success since being part of Golf Canada and I see so much more to come,” said McCulloch.

“We get so many opportunities that we wouldn’t otherwise get like playing in big tournaments in Canada and around the world. I’m just grateful to be part of the Program and to be able to learn from the experiences, the coaches, and those who have been through the program before,” he continued.

“By being part of the Program, I feel like I’m on the right track. Still, I know there’s a lot of work that is required to reach my goals but I’m committed to putting in the work to reach them.”