SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Matt Kuchar hardly looked like a guy coming off a seven-week break Thursday in the first round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Kuchar eagled the par-5 13th and added two late birdies and a big par save on the rowdy par-3 16th hole in an opening 7-under 64 at TPC Scottsdale.

“It was so nice to be home,” Kuchar said. “Our kids got to play basketball. This is basketball season back home. I have always been travelling out west, so it was fun for me to be home, be dad, go to basketball games and practices. But we had such good weather, I got good practice in. My boys are now 7 and 9 and they’re into golf, as well. In the afternoons, we’d sneak out and play a few holes. Wasn’t too rusty.”

Playing in perfect afternoon conditions in front of a crowd estimated at 103,420, Kuchar took a one-stroke lead over defending champion Hideki Matsuyama and Brendan Steele.

“Someone told me it was 5 million,” Kuchar joked about the crowd. “So many people out here. It’s a good buzz. It’s a good vibe.”

He made a 25-foot eagle putt on 13.

“Chased a 3-wood up on the corner of the green, and it was a pretty straightforward 25-footer,” Kuchar said. “That was a lucky place to be on that hole. Some of these pins were hard to get at. That was one that was hard to get at.”

The seven-time PGA Tour winner ran in a 6-footer for birdie on the par-5 15th. He got up-and-down for par from the left bunker on the triple-deck stadium 16th, making a 12-foot putt, and chipped to inches from the front fringe on the short par-4 17th to set up his final birdie in the bogey-free round.

“I got some great work in this week with my instructor, Chris O’Connell, and it showed off with some great hitting out there,” Kuchar said.

Matsuyama had a bogey-free round in the morning. Last year, he beat Rickie Fowler in a playoff.

“I wish I knew why I play well here,” Matsuyama said through a translator. “I did hit the ball very well today, hit a lot of greens, a lot of good shots.”

He won four times worldwide late last year, taking the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in China, two events in Japan and Tiger Woods’ unofficial Hero World Challenge in December.

Steele holed out from 194 yards for eagle on the par-4 14th

“We were trying to land it about 10 yards short,” said Steele, the Safeway Open winner in October to start the season. “Little outside right, and I pulled it just a touch. It landed about a yard left and about 4 yards short and went in the hole.”

John Peterson, Robert Garrigus, Scott Brown, Byeong Hun An and Chris Kirk shot 66.

“I was very patient,” said Peterson, the 2011 NCAA individual champion at LSU. “Usually, I’m not a very patient person, but this morning I was first off and I had great greens on the first nine holes.”

Fowler, 2015 winner Brooks Koepka, two-time champion J.B. Holmes, Steve Stricker, Martin Laird, Webb Simpson, Graham DeLaet and Alex Cejka were at 67. Stricker is making his first start of the year. He will be 50 on Feb. 23.

Sung Kang also was 4 under on the final hole when play was suspended because of darkness.

Fowler made a 16-foot par save on the par-4 11th – his second hole of day – after driving into the water.

“To par the first three holes was nice. I could have easily been 3 over,” Fowler said.

He was three strokes better than playing partners Jordan Spieth and John Rahm, the former Arizona State player who won Sunday at Torrey Pines for his first PGA Tour victory.

Spieth also saved par on 11 after hitting into the water, rolling in a downhill 50-footer. He struggled to find the fairways, and had a three-putt bogey on the par-4 17th – missing from 1 1/2 feet.

Phil Mickelson opened with a 68 in his third straight start in his return from two sports hernia surgeries to top playing partners Justin Thomas and Adam Hadwin, the latest players to shoot 59.

The 46-year-old Mickelson parred the final nine holes after birdieing Nos. 8 and 9 to get to 3 under.

“I’ll take 3 under,” Mickelson said. “I’ve got to get it a little bit better off the tee tomorrow. My iron play has been pretty good, so I should be able to make some birdies if I get the ball in play.”

The former Arizona State player won at TPC Scottsdale in 1996, 2005 and 2013.

Thomas birdied 16 and 17 in a 69, and Hadwin shot 71.

Thomas has won three of his last five PGA Tour starts, successfully defending his title in Malaysia in October and sweeping the Hawaii events last month – shooting the 59 in the first round of his Sony Open victory. He’s trying to become the first to win three straight PGA Tour events since Rory McIlroy in 2014.

MEN’S TOP-10

Adam Hadwin’s solid play of late has propelled him to the top of the Canadian golf rankings. The Abbotsford, B.C. native ended Mackenzie Hughes’ nine week reign as the No. 1 ranked pro in Canada. Hadwin finished tied for 49th at the PGA’s Farmers Insurance Open, which was good for 1.30 world ranking points – his fifth consecutive points paying finish on the PGA Tour. Hadwin has picked up 79 places in the world rankings since the start of the year.

The only other player having a better start to the year, rankings wise, is Corey Conners. The Team Canada Young Pro squad member posted his second straight top-10 result on the Web.com Tour, finishing tied for 7th at the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic. The result was worth 2.38 world ranking points and vaulted him 58 places in the rankings. Coupled with his tie for 5th a couple of weeks ago, the No. 7 ranked Canadian has gained 126 spots in the world rankings since the start of the year.

Other notable results: No. 2 Mackenzie Hughes, No. 4 Graham DeLaet and No. 5 Nick Taylor all finished tied for 54th at PGA Farmers Insurance Open; No. 6 Brad Fritsch finished tied for 67th at PGA Farmers Insurance Open; No. 8 Roger Sloan and No. 9 Adam Svensson both missed the cut at Web.com Tour event in the Bahamas; No. 10 Richard T. Lee finished tied for 34th at Asian Tour/Japanese Tour event in Myanmar.

Click here for Men’s Official World Golf Rankings.

WOMEN’S TOP-10

Brooke Henderson lost a spot in the world rankings, falling to No. 9 behind South Korean So Yeon Ryu. Henderson, who was as high as 7th after shooting a second round 64, finished in a tie for 21st in the season opening LPGA event in the Bahamas.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc was the biggest mover inside the Top-10, picking up five spots after finishing in a tie for 24th at the LPGA event in the Bahamas. After rounds of 72-71, the Quebec golfer posted a pair of sub-70 rounds to finish out the weekend, going 68-69.

Two changes in the Top-10 as Augusta James takes over No. 4 ranking in Canada by climbing one place while Brittany Marchand moves up to No. 8.

Outside Top-10, Jennifer Ha made her LPGA rookie debut, missing the cut at the event in the Bahamas. The Golf Canada Young Pro squad member did manage to climb three places in the world rankings and moved up to No. 14 in Canada.

Other Notable Results: No. 2 Alena Sharp finished tied for 47th at Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic; No. 5 Anne-Catherine Tanguay missed the cut at Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic;

Click here for full Women’s Rolex World Rankings.

MEN’S AMATEUR TOP-10

Stuart Macdonald made the biggest gain among the Top-10 following his tie for fifth at the Avondale Amateur in Australia. The result saw the Vancouver golfer climb 41 places in the world rankings, moving him up to No. 8 in Canada. The Team Canada Amateur Squad member was coming off a round of 16 result at the Australian Amateur and will look to continue his strong play at the upcoming New South Wales Amateur.

Positive gains all around for the rest of the Top-10 as the collegiate golf season gets set to resume this month.

Hugo Bernard climbed three places to reach No. 99 in the world, giving Canada three amateur players now ranked inside the top 100 in the world.

Biggest move: Henry Lee gained 282 spots in the world rankings after finishing in a tie for 29th at the Arizona Intercollegiate, helping the University of Washington to a third place finish at the event.

Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.

WOMEN’S AMATEUR TOP 10

There were no significant changes in the women’s rankings over the past seven days.

Biggest Move: Four golfers tied for this honour the past week as Kim Carrington, Emily Romkey, Daria Leidenius and Alexandra LeBlanc all gained 10 places in the world rankings.

Complete World Amateur Golf Rankings can be found here.

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA, – The Symetra Tour, Road to the LPGA, announced today its preliminary 2017 schedule, which currently features 21 tournaments in 13 different states. The Tour is still pursuing additional tournaments that could be announced at a later date. 

The season will begin with the ninth annual Florida’s Natural Charity Classic from March 10-12 at the Country Club of Winter Haven and will once again conclude with the Symetra Tour Championship from October 5-8 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach. The top 10 on the final Volvik Race for the Card money list will earn LPGA Tour membership for the 2018 season.

“The 2017 schedule will provide our rising stars with a great mixture of events that they know and have come to love and also fresh, challenging new venues,” said Mike Nichols, Chief Business Officer. “With each year, our goal remains the same of providing the best qualifying tour in the world for women to hone their skills to one day not only play, but succeed on the LPGA.”

The schedule features two brand new events, one event returning from a year hiatus and one event that changes locations for 2017. The two completely new events are the Northern California Classic at Windsor Golf Club (April 7-9) and The Donald Ross Centennial Classic at French Lick Resort (July 7-9). The Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club (March 30-April 1) returns to Mesa, Arizona after not being played in 2016 while the Symetra Classic (April 28-30) will move to Milton, Georgia and Atlanta National Golf Club. 

For the first time since 2001, the Symetra Tour schedule will have a true “West Coast Swing” at the beginning of the season. Following a week off after the opener, the Tour heads to Beaumont, California for the IOA Championship Presented by Morongo Resort & Spa (March 24-26). The second event on the swing is in Mesa, Arizona from March 30-April 1. The Tour then heads to Northern California for the inaugural event at Windsor Golf Club April 7-9. The last time the Tour had a West Coast swing of three or more events was 2001 when the season opened with four events in California. The Symetra Tour has not had a presence in Northern California since 2001. 

“We have a lot of players based in California and Arizona and understandably they want tournaments in their region and our east coast players don’t want to head west for just one or two events so we’re excited about this stretch,” said Nichols. “Ideally, we’d like to add a fourth event on the west coast for our 2018 schedule.”

The schedule features four purses of $200,000 or more including the new event in French Lick. The Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge at Willow Run Golf Club in Sioux Falls, South Dakota features the highest purse of $210,000 with a winner’s payout of $31,500. The event in Sioux Falls will be contested August 31-September 3. There are just four events remaining after Sioux Falls.

The busiest stretch of the season will take place from June 2 through July 9 when the Tour plays six straight weeks: Fuccillo Kia Championship at Capital Hills (June 2-4), Four Winds Invitational (June 9-11), Decatur-Forsyth Classic (June 16-18), Island Resort Championship (June 23-25), Tullymore Classic (June 30-July 2) and The Donald Ross Centennial Classic at French Lick Resort (July 7-9). 

The Symetra Tour will visit 13 different states. Florida once again leads with four tournaments while Michigan checks in with three. In an effort to make the Symetra Tour more-and-more LPGA-like, there will be five 72-hole events. 

The Symetra Tour has become the most competitive qualifying tour in the world. In 2016, three players broke the previous earnings record and Madelene Sagstrom set a new standard with $167,064 earned. In addition, for the first time, a player that won multiple tournaments fell short of earning a Tour card. For perspective on the growth of the Tour, a total of 14 players earned over $60,000 in 2016 compared to zero in 2013. 

26-year-old Mackenzie Hughes has had his share of ups and downs; but his recent success serves as a reminder to other young golfers that hard work and dedication does indeed pay off.

After winning two Canadian amateur titles and three collegiate tournaments as an amateur, the Dundas, Ont. native enjoyed a relatively smooth transition to the pros in 2013 – capturing the Cape Breton Open and earning his Web.com Tour card by the end of his rookie season.

The following year was a different story as the Kent State University graduate struggled considerably – missing the cut in 13 out of 20 tournaments and lost his status on the Web.com Tour.

“Once he jumped on that Web.com Tour in 2014, he got knocked down a bit.  But he learned a lot from it,” noted Herb Page, his collegiate coach.

Page says facing and overcoming adversity is nothing new for Hughes.

“In his first year at Kent State, he had a few bumps and bruises and got knocked down but it was just a learning process.  Each year in college, he just kept getting better and better,” he pointed out.

“I think for Mac, it’s just about getting comfortable and getting his confidence.”

In 2015, Hughes returned to the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada eager to apply the lessons learned from 2014. He would regain his Web.com tour card later in the year – this time through qualifying school.

“Mac is a very resilient young man; just like he got better after his freshman year, I knew he would bounce back from his 2014 season,” said Page.

In 2016, Hughes has managed to put all the pieces together – earning his PGA TOUR card by finishing 17th on the Web.com money list.

The young Canadian followed that up by scoring a victory in just his fifth start on the PGA TOUR at The RSM Classic in November.

Hughes secured the victory by making a difficult 18-foot putt on the third playoff hole at the Sea Island Golf Club.

“As soon as I hit it I knew it was on a good line and I gave it some pace because I knew if I missed it I was going to be out. And about foot from the hole, I knew it was right in the heart; and it was such a good feeling to see it go in,” said Hughes in an interview with the Golf Channel immediately after his big victory.

Hughes also spoke about the significance of playing alongside Phil Mickelson in mid-October at the 2016 Safeway Open.

“It was huge just being in that atmosphere with those galleries; it prepared me to deal with what I was dealing with yesterday and today,” he said after winning on the third playoff hole.

“You couldn’t buy that experience,” added Hughes, who earned US$1.08 Million for his efforts at the RSM.

Page acknowledges that being paired with the winner of five Majors was an eye-opening experience for his former student.

“There’s a point there in terms of the confidence factor.  That was really Mac’s first event with his tour card and low and behold he gets paired with Phil.  It sort of let’s you know that you belong. Having that experience and that confidence there’s nothing like it,” he said.

Having coached at Kent State University over the past 40 years, the Ontario Golf Hall of Famer says one of the neatest things he’s experienced was receiving a call from his former student after his big triumph last November.

“It was 11:30am and my phone rings and there it is, Mackenzie Hughes……He calls me and thanks me. It’s one of the neatest calls I’ve received,” Page said.

“Mac didn’t have to pick up his phone and call his college golf coach, but he did; and it was such a class act.”

Someone else quick to speak about Hughes’ admirable qualities is former Kent State teammate, Jennifer Ha – also a teammate of Hughes as part of Golf Canada’s national team program.

“Mackenzie is one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met; he was always the first one in practice and the last one to leave…… It was great to see that he made it to the PGA TOUR and that he’s doing so well,” said the LPGA rookie.

According to Canadian men’s national team head coach, Derek Ingram, Hughes’ success is an inspiration to young Canadians.

“When you see a high level of skill, you just automatically assume talent and it’s not the case. For Mac, all that talent and skill has been earned through hard work and doing the right things and having a great attitude and being disciplined. It may be boring but it really works,” said Ingram.

“So other young Canadians, juniors and amateurs and young pros can look at Mac and say ‘Yeah I can do that…..If I want to work as hard and be as diligent and have an unbelievable attitude, then maybe I can be a PGA TOUR winner one day.’”

Having worked closely with Hughes during his victory at the RSM, Ingram believes the best is yet to come for the PGA TOUR rookie.

As a member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Program, Hughes works closely with Ingram and has access Team Canada’s sports science staff, which includes a sports psychologist, along with a physiotherapist and strength coach.

Having recently married his long-time girlfriend, Jenna, the 26-year-old is certainly well supported off the golf course in his quest to achieve his full potential on the golf course.

“The sky’s the limit for Mac because he’s got the right habits and discipline and work ethic; and he’s got a great team around him,” said Ingram.

“I think he’s a guy that can win a major on the PGA TOUR.”

It is with great sadness that Golf Canada, Alberta Golf, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and the entire golf community mourns the peaceful passing of Betty Stanhope-Cole who passed away on January 27, 2017 at the age of 79, after a brief battle with cancer.

Born on September 21, 1937 in Calgary, she is survived by her son Rob and daughter Jackie (Hiebert), along with four grandchildren (Brian, Tyler, Talia and Tanner).

Stanhope-Cole saw success at every level of her amateur golf career.  As a junior, she won the Alberta Junior Girls championship from 1955-1957 and the Canadian Junior Girls Championship in 1956. She would later win the Alberta Ladies’ Amateur Championship a record 17 times between 1957 and 1984.

Stanhope-Cole also competed on 29 interprovincial teams (25 for Alberta, two for Ontario and two for Saskatchewan) in addition to winning the Saskatchewan Ladies’ Championship in 1966. Her career was capped off by winning the 1957 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship, a win she noted as being her biggest golfing achievement.

Internationally, she represented Canada a total five times, three at the World Amateur Team Championship (1964, 1974, 1976) and twice at the Commonwealth Team Championship (1963, 1971).

Her impact on the game was also felt at the administrative level, as National Director of Rules and Handicap from 1980 to 1983 with the former Canadian Ladies Golf Association. She also spent 10 years working with the Alberta Golf Association (now Alberta Golf) serving as Player Development Director, Rules Director, Zone Chair and as a member of the association’s Tournament Committee.

Stanhope-Cole’s successful amateur career was recognized with her induction into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum in 1991, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 1980, Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame in 1993, and the Alberta Golf Hall of Fame in 2005.

A celebration of life will be held at Highlands Golf Club on February 13, 2017. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alberta Kidney Foundation.

Statement from Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Sandra Post:

“Betty came from a tremendous era for female golfers. Even though she was born out west, she played across the country and won championships in Saskatchewan and Ontario. She had a great long game and represented Canada well.”

Photos of Betty Stanhope-Cole are available for download here.

PGA of Canada pro Matt Wilson named Golf Canada’s Director, Next Generation Performance to lead strategy to strengthen Canadian golf development system

Six months after golf made its historic return after 112 years to the Olympic Games, Golf Canada is adding a new layer to its high-performance programming to improve its support of its next generation of Canadian golfing talent.

What is “Next Generation” programming? Simply put, it’s about improving the support for, and taking an aligned approach to, players demonstrating performance characteristics, as well as recognizing and supporting the coaches working with those players.

Depth of talent can have a direct impact on success at the highest levels of international competition. Ensuring we have stronger alignment in our development strategy across the country is critical.  It is important for Golf Canada to have line of sight to upcoming performance players—ensuring they are getting the support required to make the best decisions possible with respect to their training and competition.

The focus of Golf Canada’s Next Generation strategy is to grow the number and improve the quality of players moving through the Canadian golf development system, ultimately strengthening the pipeline of athletes considered to represent Team Canada at every level.

For Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer and interim CEO Jeff Thompson, strengthening the competitive talent pipeline with a depth of strong, capable athletes requires a closer connection to provincial high performance programs as well as identified golfing ‘hotbeds’ across the country.

“We have identified a gap that exists when we look at the level of our junior golfers versus international benchmarks,” said Thompson. “A greater focus on next generation activities provides the ability to build a stronger pool of performance coaches, enhance dialogue amongst coaches and share best practices. The end goal is a deeper roster of athletes capable of success against the world’s best at every level of international competition.”

As part of Golf Canada’s commitment to Long-Term Player Development, Next Gen activities add a new layer of junior development to a National Golf program that features a Development Squad, Amateur Squad and Young Pro Squad in addition to Canada’s quadrennial Olympic Golf Team.

LPGA Tour and PGA Tour respective champions Brooke Henderson, Nick Taylor and Mackenzie Hughes are leading the charge among a new wave of Canadian talents experiencing success at the highest levels of competitive golf.

Strongly supported by Own the Podium, Next Generation is about identifying high potential athletes earlier in their competitive path—developing champions more often by design and not by chance.

The process involves working in lock step with the provincial high performance programs as well as PGA of Canada coaches supporting aspiring talent in communities across the country.

PGA of Canada professional Matt Wilson tapped to lead Golf Canada’s Next Gen Performance…

Following a comprehensive national and international search, PGA of Canada member Matt Wilson of Newmarket, Ont. has been hired by Golf Canada as Director, Next Generation Performance.

Wilson, who has garnered coaching and high performance experience both in Canada and the United States, will work closely with provincial golf associations and PGA of Canada professionals as well as Golf Canada’s National Team Coaches and Sport Science consultants to further develop and execute on Next Generation initiatives, all of which will lead to building a stronger Team Canada program.

“Matt brings a unique skill set to this newly created position, which we feel will be critical in ensuring Canada continues to fill the pipeline with high performance athletes,” said Thompson. “He is an experienced PGA Class A professional and one of few PGA of Canada members to have received his certification in both Coach of New Competitors and Coach of Developing Competitors. With Matt’s experience and skill set, Next Generation activities will play an important role in strengthening both the depth and level of Canada’s high performance players, whether that is at the club, provincial level and ultimately through to our National Team programs.”

Wilson is familiar with Golf Canada’s National Team program having captained Team Canada at both the 2015 and 2016 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan and assisted Team Canada coaches at various training camps as well as the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship.

Great week supporting @ratcliffegolf & the @TheGolfCanada Dev. Team at the Toyota World Junior. Great experience! pic.twitter.com/wbkTiXWO1f

— Matt Wilson (@mattwilsongolf) June 20, 2015

He is the recipient of numerous teaching and coaching recognition awards, most recently being named by Golf Digest as one of the Best Young Teachers in America and by US Kids Golf as a Top-50 Kids Teacher (2014 & 2015; honorable mention in 2011 & 2012).

“I am thrilled to be joining Golf Canada.  The opportunity to have a positive impact on Canadian golf and continue to build on the tradition and history of excellence that has been established is incredibly exciting. As a coach, I’ve stressed to athletes that growth stems from the pursuit of incremental improvement and the aggregation of marginal gains. To me, the Next Generation initiatives and focus on supporting a broader pool of athletes and coaches, represent a way for Golf Canada to continue to improve the quality of our international performances and ensure long-term success.”

As an accomplished golf coach, Wilson has an established track record of successfully elevating the performance of developing competitors as well as facilitating personal-best performances at the Junior, NCAA, Amateur, and Professional levels.

He has most recently served as Director of Instruction at La Rinconada Country Club in Los Gatos, California (June 2014 to present) where he managed a junior golf development program that supports eight national, 14 regional level athletes and 30 club level athletes with holistic, year-round programming. He has also coached multiple athletes competing full-time on the LPGA and Symetra Tours, and has been a volunteer assistant coach with the Stanford University men’s golf team since January 2015.

Wilson earned a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) from Long Island University in Brooklyn and was a NCAA athlete and captain on the men’s golf team. He is currently working towards a Graduate Certificate in High Performance Coaching and Technical Leadership from the University of British Columbia.

Wilson assumes his role as Director, Next Generation Performance beginning February 7, 2017.

MISSISSAUGA, ON – Landmark Sport Group Inc. and Golf Canada today announced the second annual RBC Canadian Open 5K Golf Run will be held Saturday, July 22^nd, 2017 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

The RBC Canadian Open 5K, which is open to golf fans, runners and walkers, takes participants through a five kilometre route of the Glen Abbey Golf Club layout. The route begins at the first tee of Glen Abbey’s championship course set up and finishes alongside the iconic 18^th green.

All registered participants receive a 2017 RBC Canadian Open Anyday ticket, a race t-shirt, medal and the opportunity to experience a PGA TOUR event venue just days prior to tournament week.

“The RBC Canadian Open 5K Run exposes our sport and the golf course to a completely new audience of non-golf, health enthusiasts,” said Brent McLaughlin, RBC Canadian Tournament Director. “Last year was a terrific starting point to engage a new audience and create a longer celebration window for Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship. We look forward to welcoming even more participants in 2017.”

Walk and running enthusiasts can take part in a timed running event, while passionate golf fans can enjoy the atmosphere of the Glen Abbey Golf Club just days prior to the arrival of top PGA TOUR players. The event welcomed more than 350 participants in 2017 and organizers are bullish that number will increase for the second rendition of the event.

“We are extremely excited to work with Golf Canada to bring back the RBC Canadian Open 5K Golf Run for a second year,” said Race Director, Brody Coles. “This event is such a fun way to kick off the tournament and give runners and golfers alike the chance to experience Glen Abbey Golf Club in a truly unique way.”

In addition to the 5K run, participants are invited to enjoy live coverage of The Open Championship on large screens, and relax post-race in the Coors Light Beer Gardens.

Early bird registration begins at $50. Participants can register and find more information by visiting www.golfrun.ca.

SAN DIEGO – Jon Rahm of Spain added his name to the burgeoning list of young stars Sunday with his big game and a big finish at Torrey Pines.

Rahm made two eagles over the final six holes, the last one a 60-foot putt from the back fringe on the par-5 18th hole for a 5-under 67 to win the Farmers Insurance Open by three shots for his first PGA Tour victory.

Rahm, who turned 22 in November, beat Phil Mickelson’s mark as the youngest champion at this tournament. He also became the first player in 26 years to capture his first PGA Tour title at Torrey Pines.

Starting the final round three shots out of the lead, Rahm made up ground in a hurry.

He hit 4-iron into 18 feet on the par-5 13th and holed the eagle putt to tie for the lead. He stuffed a wedge into 5 feet on the 17th to take the lead, and he finished with his long eagle putt that broke hard to the right and peeled back to the left and dropped in on the side of the cup.

Rahm, leaning forward during its 60-foot journey to the hole, unleashed a double fist pump as he hugged his caddie. He watched a replay of the last eagle putt, along with his celebration, and said, “I don’t even remember doing it.”

On a day in which nine players had at least a share of the lead, the final 20 minutes only mattered for positions.

Rahm finished at 13-under 275, three shots ahead of Charles Howell III (68) and C.T. Pan of Taiwan, who had a 70. Brandt Snedeker and Patrick Rodgers, tied for the lead going into the final round, fell back with too many mistakes on the back nine.

The way Rahm finished, it might not have mattered.

All four PGA Tour events to start the new year now have been won by players in their 20s – Justin Thomas (23) won both event in Hawaii, and Hudson Swafford (29) won last week in the California desert.

Rahm might have won for the first time, though this was hardly a surprise.

He won the Ben Hogan Award his final two years at Arizona State as the top college player, along with the Jack Nicklaus Award his senior year as the best golfer. He spent 60 weeks at the No. 1 amateur in the world. Two years ago in the Phoenix Open, he tied for fifth while still at Arizona State.

And when he turned pro last summer, he earned his PGA Tour in four starts, tying for third in the Quicken Loans National at Congressional and finishing runner-up by one shot at the RBC Canadian Open.

Mickelson knew it was coming. His brother, Tim Mickelson, was Rahm’s coach at Arizona State and now is his agent.

“I think he’s more than just a good young player,” Mickelson said. “I think he’s one of the top players in the world. I think there’s an intangible that some guys have where they want to have the pressure, they want to be in that tough position, they want to have everything fall on their shoulders. And he has that.”

The victory gets Rahm into the Masters for the first time, along with other big events. He moves into top 50 in the world, and if he can stay there for three weeks he will get into two WorldGolf Championships in March.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., had another disappointing day, shooting 76 to finish in a tie for 49th place. He placed second at the CareerBuilder Challenge last week after a 13-under 59 in the third round.

Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., (74) and Nick Taylor, also of Abbotsford (72) were tied for 54th while Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch (76) finished in a tie for 67th.

Snedeker was trying to become only the fourth back-to-back winner at Torrey Pines, but he was slowed by a pair of bogeys in a five-hole stretch around the turn and closed with a 73. Rodgers was tied for the lead until he made bogey from the bunker on the tough par-4 12th, and then fell back when his approach from the rough on the 14th hole came out too high and struck a tree, leading to bogey. He closed with a 72 and tied for fourth.

Howell closed with a 68. It was his third time to finish runner-up at Torrey Pines. He made a long eagle putt on the 13th and finished with a birdie. By then, however, Rahm was one shot ahead and waiting in the middle of the 18th fairway.

Pan ran off three straight birdies around the turn to tie for the lead, but he had to settle for pars the rest of the way, including a three-putt par on the 13th.

That set the stage for Rahm, and he burst through.

He became only the fourth international player to win this tournament, but it’s an impressive list – Jason Day two years ago, Gary Player in 1963 and his fellow Spaniard, Jose Maria Olazabal, in 2002.

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Brittany Lincicome won the LPGA Tour’s Pure Silk Bahamas Classic on Sunday in wind and some late rain, beating U.S. Solheim Cup teammate Lexi Thompson with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

Playing a group ahead of Thompson, Lincicome birdied the par-5 18th – after dropping strokes on 14 and 17 – for a 5-under 68 and 26-under 266 total. Thompson played the 18th as strong sideways rain blew through the Ocean Club, holing a 3-footer for her third straight par and a 70.

The first U.S. winner since Brittany Lang in the U.S. Women’s Open, the 31-year-old Lincicome won her seventh tour title and first since the 2015 ANA Inspiration. She’s projected to jump from 48th to 34th in the world ranking.

In the playoff on 18, Lincicome hit her second shot to 20 feet and tapped in for birdie. Thompson went through the green in two and missed a 15-footer to end the tournament.

Stacy Lewis, undone by a triple-bogey 7 on No. 14, was third at 25 under after a 71, and Gerina Piller (71) completed the Solheim Cup quartette atop the leaderboard at 24 under.

Lewis was second in 2014 and tied for second last year. She’s winless since June 2014.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished in a tie for 21st at 13-under 279. The 19-year-old shot a 70 in her fourth round. Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., tied for 24th at 12 under and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was tied for 47th at 9 under.

Nelly Korda birdied the two late par 5s in a 67 to tie for fifth at 21 under in her first start as an LPGA Tour member. The 18-year-old Korda is the sister of Jessica Korda _ the 2014 winner who shot a 65 on Sunday to tie for 16th – and daughter of former tennis player Petr Korda.

Pornanong Phatlum matched Nelly Korda at 21 under, also finishing with a 67.

SAN DIEGO – Patrick Rodgers had a clean scorecard to match a picture-perfect Saturday at Torrey Pines and shot a 5-under 67 to share the lead with defending champion Brandt Snedeker in the Farmers Insurance Open.

Snedeker, trying to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back at Torrey Pines since the tournament began in 1952, didn’t get much out of his round of 70. His three birdies were all inside 6 feet, and the longest putt he made was for par.

Even so, being tied for the lead is a better spot than his last two victories. He rallied from seven shots behind in 2012 and won in a playoff against Kyle Stanley, who made triple bogey on the final hole. Last year, he made the cut on the number and was six shots behind going into the final round.

That doesn’t figure to make it any easier.

Snedeker and Rodgers were at 9-under 207, and 15 players were within three shots of the lead.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a 74 to fall to 4 under. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., (73) and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., (74) were 2 under.

Rodgers is the latest player from the high school class of ’11 with a chance to shine, an athletic and powerful player who has been patiently waiting his turn. He picked up a little extra motivation from watching one of his best friends, former roommate Justin Thomas, sweep the Hawaii swing.

Before Thomas, it was Jordan Spieth who picking up big trophies at an alarming rate.

“I can’t sit here and say it hasn’t been hard at times,” Rodgers said. “Obviously, these are my best friends so I’m happy every time they have success. But on a personal level, I mean, those are the guys that I’ve always competed with and so it definitely tests my patience to see them have success and it’s incredibly motivating.”

And it’s not just Rodgers.

Also in range of a victory Sunday are two others from that class of 2011. C.T. Pan of Taiwan, who played at Washington, birdied three of his last five holes for a 69 and was one shot behind. Ollie Schniederjans struggled on the back nine but still managed a 71 and was two shots behind.

Also in the mix was Pat Perez, who grew up at Torrey Pines and whose father, Mike, is the starter on the first tee. Perez shot a 67 and goes into the final round just two shots behind.

Not to be forgotten was Phil Mickelson, who played on the opposite end of the course as the leaders and shot 68 to get within four shots. Mickelson is a three-time winner of the tournament, but not since 2001.

Justin Rose, who started the third round with a one-shot lead, fell behind on the second hole and never caught up. He shot 73 and was in the large group at 7-under 209.

But it starts with Snedeker, the Tennessee native who loves the poa annua greens on the West Coast. A two-time winner at Torrey, he also has won at Pebble Beach. Snedeker has learned to accept the bad bounces, which is one reason he believes he does well.

His patience was tested on Saturday. Snedeker hit the ball so well that he only came close to bogey twice _ his lone dropped shot was on No. 12 _ and he missed seven birdies putts from the 15-foot range and closer.

“It was tested a lot,” Snedeker said. “That’s part of it. If you’re going to love poa, you have to love days like this, too, where you hit a lot of great putts and they just don’t want to go in for whatever reason. … I didn’t let it affect my game plan, didn’t let it affect the way I thought out there or did anything like that. This golf course does a great job of trying to make you do that, so proud of the way I hung in there.”

Rodgers was helped by a new putter from Odyssey that he put in the bag two weeks ago, in part because he liked the look, and in part because it’s called “Indianapolis.” That’s where Rodgers grew up, and the putter was named because of its technology came from Indy race cars.