Langley, BC's Sue Kim Who Will Be Competing On The LPGA's Symetra Tour Is A Member Of Team Canada's Young Pro Squad For 2016 - Twitter Image 

Courtesy Golf Canada

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the six athletes – two female and four male – who have been selected to the 2016 Team Canada Young Pro Squad.

Comprising the team for 2016 is: Sue Kim (Langley, B.C.); Augusta James (Bath, Ont.); Albin Choi (Toronto); Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.) Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.); and Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.).

The focus of the Young Pro Squad – now in its third year – is to bridge the gap for top graduating amateurs transitioning into professional golf. The program was developed in partnership with the PGA of Canada and is generously funded by founding partners Canadian Pacific and RBC, as well as supporting partners Citi Canada and the Golf Canada Foundation Women’s Fund.

West Vancouver's David Rose Has Earned Full Status On PGA Tour Latinoamérica For 2016 As He Tries To Work His Way Toward The PGA TOUR Dream - Image Courtesy PGA Tour Latinoamérica

Courtesy Herb Fung/Golf Canada

MAZATLAN, Mexico — West Vancouver, B.C., native David Rose shot a final-round 70 to claim medallist honours and earn full status on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica in 2016.

The 26-year-old began the day with a two-stroke lead over American William Kropp. Rose finished at 15-under, posting under par scores all four days to claim a one-stroke victory over Mexico’s Gerardo Ruiz. Rose – a former Lynn University Fighting Knight and the 2011 B.C. Amateur champion – becomes the second Canadian in as many weeks to finish atop the leaderboard at PGA Tour Latinoamérica Q-School.

The Freedom 55 Financial Open will take place at the prestigious Point Grey Golf & Country Club the week of May 23 – 29, 2016.

They are looking for people that are interested in volunteering time to assist on implementing this great event. This year’s charity recipient is the Canucks for Kids Fund.

Surrey, BC's Adam Svensson Warmed Up For The Pending Web.com Tour Season With A Win On The Minor League Golf Mini-Tour In Florida - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Courtesy Golf Canada

PALM CITY, Florida (Tyler Costigan/Golf Canada) — With the Web.com Tour season opener just two weeks away, Young Pro Squad member Adam Svensson added another trophy to the shelf with a win at the Palm City Classic—a Minor League Golf mini tour event.

SEBRING, Florida (Tyler Costigan/Golf Canada) — Young Pro Squad member Corey Conners fired a 2-under 70 to earn medalist honours in the rain-delayed final of PGA Tour Lationamérica Qualifying School at the Sun ‘N Lake Golf Course.

Jared du Toit (Photo/Alfie Lau, File)

Weekly Top-10 Rankings For Week of January 11, 2016

courtesy Golf Canada

Eric Banks lost ground in the world rankings this week, but the No. 4 ranked amateur player in Canada was the only Top-10 golfer to get his 2016 campaign underway. The Golf Canada National Team member from Truro, N.S., finished in a tie for 52nd at the Australian Master of the Amateurs Championship.

For the 10th straight week, Jared du Toit holds down the No. 1 amateur ranking in Canada.

Outside the Top-10, Tony Gil and Andrew Harrison slipped down the rankings by four and 54 spots, respectively. No new players entered the Top-20 this past week.

Weekly Top-10 Rankings Fo Week of January 4, 2016

courtesy Golf Canada

In the first week of the new 2016 world rankings, Justin Shin moved past Canadian Masters champion Mike Weir and into No. 11 in the Canadian rankings. That was the only significant change among the top 20 pros in Canada as the new golf season gets set to tee off.

Over the Christmas break, Lindsay Renolds climbed from No. 19 up to No. 15 in the Canadian rankings, gaining 80 places in the world after concluding the 2015 Asian Tour schedule with a 10th place finish in the Philippines.

The 2015 golf season was a very good year for David Hearn, as a final review of the world rankings show. The Brantford, Ont. golfer gained 64.81 world ranking points last year, by far the biggest gain among Canadian pros. However, the net gain for Canada’s No. 1 ranked golfer over the course of a year was just 2.14 points.

Brooke Henderson Became An Instant Star When She Arrived In Vancouver For The CP Canadian Women's Open At The Vancouver Golf Club After Winning The Cambia Portland Classic On The LPGA Tour - Image Credit Jurgen Kaminski

Courtesy Golf Canada
by John Gordon

For Canadian golf, 2015 certainly was a year to celebrate

When David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., held the 54-hole lead at the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey, we held our breath in the hope that he might be the first Canadian since Pat Fletcher in 1954 to win our national Open. Alas, it was not to be, as Australian Jason Day birdied the last three holes on Sunday to claim the title on his way to becoming the top-ranked player in the world.

While kudos go to Hearn, it was a teenager from Smiths Falls, Ont., who was the undisputed player to be celebrated this year.

Golf Canada with files from the PGA TOUR

Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. – Canada's Adam Svensson cruised to a seven-shot victory on Sunday at PGA National Resort & Spa to earn medalist honors at the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament. The 21-year-old from Surrey, British Columbia, carded a 1-over 72 on the Champion Course for a 20-under-par 266 total.

“It’s huge,” said Svensson, who collected a check for $25,000 and earned fully-exempt status on the Web.com Tour in 2016. “It’s always tough to win at any level, so I just tried to have fun.”

Surrey's Adam Svensson Is One Of 5 British Columbians In The Group Of 15 Canadians Vying For Status Or Improved Positioning On The Web.com Tour For 2016 - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

by Terry Lenyk/ Golf Canada

Final Qualifying for the 2016 Web.Com Tour begins Thursday, December 10th at the Champion and Fazio courses at Palm Beach Gardens in Florida, where 15 Canadians will attempt to gain or improve their playing rights for the PGA TOUR’s developmental circuit.

The 'Real Wongster' As Eugene Wong's Twitter Handle Reads,  Is Looking To Improve His Status On The Web.com Tour In Final Stage Q-School Starting Dec. 10th - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Courtesy Golf Canada

Eugene Wong is off to the Web.com Tour in 2016. The No. 7 ranked professional golfer in Canada from North Vancouver finished tied for 27th at the season-ending PGA Tour China Series event in Dongguan. The result was good enough to keep him inside the Top-5 on the Tour’s Order of Merit, giving him status on the Web.com Tour next year. The result also saw Wong pick up two places in the world rankings.

Justin Shin, the No. 12 ranked Canadian pro, was sitting fifth on the PGA Tour China Order of Merit at the start of the tournament. Despite shooting back-to-back 69s on the final two days, his 27th place finish wasn’t enough to retain his position. Shin slipped to No. 6 on the money list, but the native of Maple Ridge, B.C., will have a chance to earn status on the Web.com Tour through the qualifying tournament from December 10-13.

Kelowna's Samantha Richdale Earned Conditional Status On The LPGA Tour For 2016 - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

courtesy Golf Canada

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Quebec’s Maude-Aimée LeBlanc won with panache, earning her LPGA Tour card for 2016 at the end of the five qualifying rounds in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The Sherbrooke, Que., native recorded a score of 71, 1-under par in the final round Sunday. Her cumulative record of 350 (-10) saw her finish tied for fourth, a single-stroke be enjoying her second year with full status on the LPGA Tour, having previous qualified in 2011.

Eugene Wong Has Played His Way Onto The Web.com Tour For 2016 After A Top Five OOM Finish On The PGA TOUR China In 2015 - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

DONGGUAN, China (December 6)—North Vancouver’s Eugene Wong finished fifth on the 2015 Ping An Bank China Tour – PGA TOUR China Series’ Order of Merit, a position that earned him membership on the 2016 Web.com Tour. Wong's fellow British Columbian, Justin Shin from Maple Ride, slipped to 6th spot on the OOM, narrowly missing his ticket to the next level. 

Besides Wong other players moving to the Web.com Tour are Australia’s Bryden Macpherson, New Zealand’s Josh Geary and China’s Xinjun Zhang and Zecheng Dou. The players received their membership cards during a ceremony following the final event of the season, the Capital Airlines – HNA Real Estate Championship.

Maple Ridge, BC's Justin Shin Was The 2015 Medallist And Currently Sits 5th On The OOM And In Position To Earn Membership On The 2016 Web.com Tour - Image Courtesy Golf Canada/Graig Abel

BEIJING, China – The Ping An Bank China Tour – PGA TOUR China Series announced that OCT Kunming Wind Valley Club in Yunnan Province will host both of the Tour’s Global Qualifying Tournaments in 2016, events open to players from every country but China.

The application deadline for the first Qualifying Tournament is January 4, 2016, the deadline for the Second Qualifying Tournament January 11, 2016. The first 2016 Qualifying Tournament will be January 12-15, with the second Qualifying Tournament the following week (January 19-22).

Kelowna's Samantha Richdale Is One Of Three BC Women Who Will Be Teeing Up At The Final Stage Of LPGA Qualifying This Week - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Golf Canada with files from the LPGA

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Final Stage of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament begins Wednesday, December 2 and concludes on Sunday, December 6 at LPGA International, Jones and Hills Courses.

There are 157 players in the field – including 10 Canadians – competing for LPGA Tour membership on the 2016 LPGA priority list.

North Vancouver's Eugene Wong Is One Of Five British Columbians Who Will Tee It Up In The Final Stage Of Web.com Tour Qualifying On Dec. 10th - Image Courtesy Golf Canada

Tyler Costigan/ Golf Canada

Four more Canucks advanced to the final stage of Web.com Tour Q-School on Nov. 20th, playing at two locations in the U.S.

Lucas Kim was the low scorer for the Canadians, carding 11-under thru 72 holes to finish alone in third place at the Plantation Preserve Golf Course & Club in Plantation, Fla. Just sneaking inside the cut line was Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., who posted a 3-under score to finish T20.

In California, Calgary’s Ryan Yip finished at 8-under (69-69-70-72) to finish in a tie for fifth. Not far behind was Matt McQuillan of Kingston, Ont., who carded a total score of 5-under (69-71-70-73) to finish T15.

Crown Isle Resort Will Host The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s Qualifying Tournaments In Each Of The Next Five Seasons - Image Courtesy Crown Isle Resort & Golf Community

(Oakville, Ont.) – Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community will host one of the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s Qualifying Tournaments in each of the next five seasons, it was announced Wednesday.

Located in Courtenay, British Columbia, the 7,025 yard Graham Cooke and Associates layout has hosted qualifying tournaments in each of the past two years, with the 2016 tournament taking place May 2-6.

A full schedule of Mackenzie Tour qualifying dates and sites as well as the format for qualifying will be announced in the coming weeks.

Jordan Spieth Casually Hangs On To The U.S. Open Trophy While Addressing The Media After His Dramatic Win At Chambers Bay In The 2015 U.S. Open Championship - Image Credit Bryan Outram

FAR HILLS, N.J. (Nov. 19, 2015) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) and Fox Sports have announced the premiere of their film celebrating the 2015 U.S. Open Championship.

Narrated by Emmy Award-winning actor Jon Hamm, the one-hour film, 2015 U.S. Open: Spieth’s Northwest Conquest, will debut in the U.S. on Thursday, Nov. 26 on Fox (approximately 4 p.m. EST; check local listings) following the NFL game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions.

The film will be rebroadcast at 4:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 29, on Fox Sports 1.

Danny King Became The First In PGA Of Canada Association History To Win Three National Championships In The Same Calendar Year - Image Courtesy PGA Of Canada

[BUCKEYE, ARIZ.]—Danny King capped off his 2015 championship season in memorable fashion, capturing the Titleist & FootJoy PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada. With the win, King becomes the first person in association history to win three PGA of Canada national championships in the same calendar year.

He previously won this year's PGA Championship of Canada at Cabot Links and the PGA Team Championship of Canada (with partner Billy Walsh). The head teaching professional at The Performance Academy at Magna also becomes just the third player to have won three or more PGA Club Professional Championships.

by Dan Pino/ Golf Canada

It is with great sadness that Golf Canada, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and the entire golf community mourns the loss of Daniel (Dan) Albert Halldorson who passed away on November 18, 2015 at the age of 63.

Halldorson suffered a major stroke on Monday, November 16 at his home in Cambridge, Illinois and passed away two days later in hospital. He is survived by his wife Patricia, daughter Angela, son Mark, three grandchildren and countless friends across the Canadian and International golf community.