Canadian PGA TOUR winner Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.) and wife Jenna celebrated the birth of their baby boy on Monday, Oct. 30. Kenton Robert Hughes was introduced by Mackenzie via Twitter:

Say hello to Kenton Robert Hughes! Love him so much and can’t stop smiling. Mom was amazing through it all and is doing great #loveyouKenton pic.twitter.com/4xzPLj4enT

— Mackenzie Hughes (@MacHughesGolf) October 30, 2017

2017 continues to be a special year for the Hughes family. After winning the 2017 RSM Classic, Mackenzie played in his first Masters tournament and went on to post nine top-25 finishes in addition to capturing low Canadian honours in the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Team Canada graduate and Nova Scotia product Austin Connelly had a 2017 season to remember on the European Tour. The 21-year-old posted three top-10 results and added a T14 finish at The British Open Championship en route to earning full status for the 2018 campaign.

Golfing World recently caught up with Connelly to discuss the breakthrough season that was:

Maddie Szeryk’s recent success on the golf course not only provides reason for optimism amongst her supporters, but it also offers an indication of a bright future ahead for the amateur standout as a professional.

Currently in her senior year at Texas A&M University, the 21-year-old is eager to follow up on her record-setting junior year.

In her 2016-2017 season with the Aggies, the Canadian national team member ranked fourth in the NCAA with a school-record 71.24 season stroke average.

To put it in perspective her 71.24 stroke average ranks fourth all-time in the SEC and 14th all-time in NCAA Division I history.

Overall, Szeryk had nine top-10 finishes and six top-5 finishes in 12 events. Perhaps the biggest highlight of her junior year came in March when Szeryk captured the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational in Hawaii with a score of 9 under par.

Her remarkable season at Texas A&M University would score Szeryk First-Team All-American honours.

After completing her junior year in May, the national team member continued her stellar play into June as she won the Western Women’s Golf Association Amateur Championship at the River Forest Country Club – becoming the first Canadian to do so.

Later that month Szeryk would go on to capture the B.C. Women’s Amateur by finishing at 9 under par – winning the tournament by four strokes.

“I’m just really happy about being able to play at a level where I’m always in contention.  I’m just trying to play consistent and steady golf and it’s good to know that I’ve been able to do that recently,” said Szeryk during an interview in August at the CP Women’s Open.

Looking back on her journey thus far, the 21-year-old is quick to credit her dad for getting her started.

“I started when I was about seven. My dad played a little bit and he took me out one time just to hang out with him and I was like ‘oh I want to try it out also’ and I really liked it,” recalled Szeryk who is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.

Born in Allen, Texas, Szeryk – whose parents Neil and Karen relocated from London, Ont., just after getting married – took some time during the CP Women’s Open to reflect on her humble beginnings.

“I remember my dad initially signed me up for lessons at a summer camp and I went out with everyone; and then after I got an individual coach. I really liked the sport and I’ve been doing it ever since,” she said.

Szeryk is proud of her strong blood ties to the London, Ont. area.

“I grew up in the Dallas area but was back and forth from Dallas and London quite a lot as a kid.  I love going back to London to see all my relatives there,” she said.

As a youngster growing up, Szeryk not only found her passion on the links, but she also found a lot of success as well.

“I remember really enjoying being out on the golf course and I also remember winning a lot of local tournaments growing up and it made me want to stick with it; and I just wanted work as hard as I could to continue getting better,” said Szeryk, who today holds the distinction as Canada’s top amateur golfer.

Now in her fourth year with the national team program, Szeryk says she’s benefitted a great deal from her time on the team.

“We have a great coach in Tristan and have so much support in all aspects of our game. Being on the national team has given me the opportunity to travel and compete in so many prestigious tournaments around the world that I would not otherwise has a chance to,” she said. “It’s definitely played a big part in my development as a golfer.”

Canadian women’s national team head coach, Tristan Mullally, is someone who is familiar with Szeryk’s game and speaks very highly of it.

“Maddie is someone who is very aggressive and gets it close to the greens and is a fantastic putter. Once she gets it going, she can get it super low,” said Mullally about Szeryk who won the 2013 Canadian Junior Girls title and the 2015 Ontario Amateur title.

Mullally notes that since joining the national team program, Szeryk has been able to elevate her game to another level.

“She’s gotten a lot more consistent.  In the past she’s been sort of streaky. She would play extremely well in a tournament and then not so well in the next one. But this year she’s been super consistent.”

Mullally is also glad to see the 21-year-old gain valuable experience playing with the world’s best professionals this year as she competed in the Manulife LPGA Classic in June, the U.S. Women’s Open in July and the CP Women’s Open in August.

“She fired a 5 under in the second round of the Manulife which was very impressive; and she got to play in the U.S. Open and the CP Women’s Open so she’s had a chance to experience the travel and get a taste of what life would be as a pro,” he noted.

“It’s a big learning journey for her to go through and it’s great that she’s been able to get a bit of a head start.”

Mullally believes the amateur standout has the talent and all the intangibles to translate her amateur success onto the professional ranks when the time comes.

“I know she’s got goals to be on the LPGA and she’s played awesome recently and has gotten a lot of valuable experience that’s going to help her on that journey,” said Mullally.

“She’s definitely trending in the right direction and she’s a fierce competitor so if she keeps doing what she’s doing and continues to work hard then she’s going to have a bright future ahead as a professional.”

Team Canada Women’s Development Squad coach and director of next generation, Matt Wilson, speaks to the new centralized program where Development Squad athletes will train out of Bear Mountain Resort in B.C. from February to June.

In early October, 18 athletes were named to the Amateur and Development Squads for the 2017-18 season. Learn more about the athletes and the new structure by clicking here.

Eleven years ago, player development in this country was a long overdue idea that (finally) got some buy in.

Humble beginnings? Imagine it as the professional sports equivalent of an expansion franchise. No coaches, no players, no real structure or support mechanism at kick-off time but, hey, there was a name: Team Canada. In a hockey-infested nation, who couldn’t relate to that?

And who among us can’t relate to this concept: belief.

It’s a powerful word. Belief is the heart of this program, in my opinion. It is what drove it from idea to implementation. As the early adopters for Team Canada rolled up their sleeves and left egos and agendas at the door, a strange thing happened. All of them found common ground. They made “belief” fundamental to the National Team program process. Through that, they also found it in each other.

“When we started (the program) there were people who were intrigued but there were a lot of questions,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s chief sport officer. “What’s this really going to do? What kind of an effect is this going to have? Can it last? Can we all work together? All it’s done since then is improve year over year.”

Did anyone see this coming? Twenty-nine worldwide tour wins and multiple Canadian flags trending on golf’s official world rankings in just over a decade? Unlikely, but it’s happened.

We also saw fans lined 10-deep along Ottawa Hunt & Golf’s fairways to catch a glimpse of Brooke Henderson at the CP Women’s Open; saw Henderson rise to No. 2 in the world before turning 19 years old; saw her win a major championship and three more LPGA titles and nearly medal at the Olympics.

How about Mackenzie Hughes? Did you believe he’d be a winner on the PGA Tour in his rookie season or that the Symetra Tour would have not one but two Canadians, Anne-Catherine Tanguay and Brittany Marchand, win titles in 2018?

Ever think you would feel this bullish about Canadian golf and its future? I didn’t. My hope for this initiative 11 years ago was for good-but- not-great things and for it to assist development, not become a tipping point for success. To those early influencers, coaches and “believers,” I likely owe an apology. Not only has Golf Canada’s amateur program become one of the best untold stories in Canadian sports but it’s an initiative countries around the world now want to emulate.

“Our program mantra is pretty simple,” explained Thompson. “It’s to produce more Brooke Hendersons and Mackenzie Hughes more often, by design not by chance.”

Structure has been a priority. Team Canada is an annual $1.5-million, multi- layer investment where there is a clear and defined path. It begins with the national development team, morphs to the national amateur squad and then the post-graduate support, assistance and mentorship of the Young Pro squad.

Starting in 2018, the national development squad program will also include an 18-week academy pillar. Players and coaches will live at Victoria’s Bear Mountain Resort, immersed in a high-performance centre of excellence. The team will attend morning classes at a nearby high school. Training that was at 30 to 35 days a year rises to 120 days. “Honestly, when we looked at what was going on globally and the amount of touch points and time other countries were having with their players we felt like this was a missing step,” added Thompson.

Amid, I might add, very few missed Team Canada steps along the way.

This article was originally published in the Fall Issue of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine.

Sometimes in life and in sports, you just have to go with the flow – a motto which has been working for Brittany Marchand; and more importantly, it’s leading her in the right direction.

Since turning professional in 2015, the N.C. State University graduate and former national team  member from Orangeville, Ont., has seen steady advancements in her game.

“After she graduated, Brittany has had the time to really focus 100 percent on her game and we’re seeing her make improvements each year,” noted Team Canada women’s head coach, Tristan Mullally.

While she enjoyed a respectable first full season on the Symetra Tour in 2016 – making the cut in 19 out of 21 events while recording three top-10 finishes – the 2012 Ontario Women’s Amateur Champion has turned it up another notch this year.

In June, Marchand made her first cut at an LPGA event during the Manulife LPGA Classic in Cambridge, Ont.

In fact, she headed into the final round at the Whistle Bear Golf Club in a tie for ninth spot. But, after struggling on the Sunday, she had to settle for a 46th place finish.

After the Manulife tournament, Marchand would miss the cut in three out of her next four Symetra Tour events before a breakthrough performance at the PHC Classic.

The 25-year-old posted a combined three-day score of 13 under par to claim the victory in Milwaukee, Wisc.

Marchand’s victory at the PHC was her first on the Symetra Tour; and was made even sweeter by the fact that it also came with an exemption into the Evian Championship – the fifth and final LPGA major of the season.

The Orangeville, Ont., native continued her winning ways the week after when she captured the DATA PGA Women’s Championship by edging out her good friend, Augusta James, in a playoff at the Scarboro Golf & Country Club.

“After the Manulife, it’s been a little up and down since then… But these last couple of weeks, I’ve really been able to hone in on it,” noted the Wolfpack alumna, who holds a degree in chemical engineering.

Mullally says Marchand’s hard work and dedication is starting to pay off – in more ways than one.

“She’s just been working hard on all facets of her game and just chipping away and getting better every day; and now she’s getting the results,” he said.

“And along with that, she is gaining that belief and confidence in herself.”

Someone else who has taken notice of Marchand’s maturity and growing level of confidence is four-time LPGA TOUR champion, Lorie Kane.

“I played with Brittany last year in Calgary at the 2016 CP Women’s Open and she ended up missing the cut; and that should have never happened.  She played pretty solid right into the end and I think maybe she got a little bit nervous,” said Kane during this year’s CP Women’s Open.

“To see how far she has come and to have won on the Symetra Tour like she did; and then to do it again at the DATA championship, it’s safe to say she’s trending in the right direction,” continued the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member.

“She’s working hard and ultimately wants to get out here on the LPGA full time; and right now she’s doing all the right things.”

With the top 10 players on the Symetra Tour money list earning full status for the LPGA TOUR next year, Marchand currently finds herself on the outside looking in – but still very much within striking distance.

She points out that the prospect of finishing the 2017 Symetra Tour season inside the top 10 will be a bit more challenging given her exemption into the Evian Championship – which runs from Sept. 14 – 17 in Evian-les-Bains, France.

“Getting onto the Evian through winning the Symetra Tour event was a blessing and a curse as I’m going to miss a couple of Symetra Tour events.  I’m going to have to push in four events to try to get my card,” she pointed out.

However, Marchand says her performance at the CP Women’s Open is a confidence booster and a reminder that she has the game to hold her own against the LPGA’s best.

“To know that I can play out here gives me confidence when I go back to the Symetra Tour. Obviously, the competition there is tough as well, but it gives you that little boost,” says Marchand, who along with Brooke Henderson were the only two Canadians out of 14 to make the cut at the Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club.

While her goal – similar to that of any Symetra Tour pro – is to compete full time on the LPGA, she understands that golf is a mental game and there’s no need to over think things at this point.

Instead, Marchand prefers to simply go with the flow; and takes comfort in the notion that if she plays her game, the results will take care of itself.

“I don’t really want to put expectations on it.  I just want to go out and play the way that I’ve been playing,” said the talented 25-year-old Symetra Tour pro.

“It is what it is, so if I have to go back to Q-school, it’s fine – But I know that I have the game to be able to push into the top 10.”

Varying the distance of your shots on the range will help you dial in exact numbers and distance control.

The beauty of wedge play is that it is an easy area for players to really separate themselves on the course. By strengthening this part of your game, you will make more birdies and save more pars after unfortunate mistakes off the tee. And it does not require crazy power since most shots are within 110 yards.

With that in mind, I recommend trying one of my favourite drills called Wrong, Wrong, Right where I place three markers out at, say, 40, 60 and 110 yards on the range then have our players — in this picture Team Canada’s Stuart Macdonald (left) and Hugo Bernard (right) — hit three balls to each cone. But instead of instructing them to try to hit all three shots exactly, for example, 60 yards, I have them try to fly the first ball 55 yards, the second ball 65 yards and then dial in the third ball to the correct distance, which would be 60 yards.

Practising this Wrong, Wrong, Right approach allows players to feel out a correct distance and understand the small adjustments needed in swing speed/swing length and distance control to hit that target. Harnessing this feel will naturally make you a much better wedge player.

THE SETUP
-Position the ball in the middle of your stance.
-Shift slightly more weight — maybe 55 per cent — onto your lead foot versus your trail leg.
-Lean your shaft slightly forward towards the target at address.

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This article was originally published in the Summer Issue edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine

Team Canada Women’s Head Coach Tristan Mullally helps with controlling your various wedge distances.

Try using games to gain more from your practice and maintain your focus throughout.

If you’ve ever taken a lesson, you’ve likely been provided with a set of drills and exercises that help you learn through guided physical repetition. While they are an important part of improvement, drills alone are insufficient when it comes to improving your performance.

Consider your approach shot to the last hole you played during a recent round.

Think about what influenced the shot you chose to play. You likely looked at the lie of the ball, the direction and strength of the wind, the distance of the shot and the location of any potential hazards. Also, as you were hitting the shot, there were likely some unique mental and physical responses to the situation. Same goes for afterwards.

In short, there are a variety of elements that all play some role in your performance. These ‘game pieces’ are important to bring into your practice routines as they are what you respond to when you play. And really, shouldn’t practice prepare you to perform?

So how can you bring more of the game into your practice?

1.  Identify an area of your game that needs improvement.
2. Consider how the execution of that skill looks during play and strive to create conditions that require the same decision-making process you use when you play.
3. Create some rules and a scoring system that make sense to you given your skill level.
4. Limit the amount of times you hit precisely the same shot in a row.

For example, if I’m working with an athlete on their iron play I might ask them to play a simple game where they will hit nine shots to nine different targets. They will then sum up the remaining distance to the target of each ball, with the goal of having as small a total as possible.

When looking more closely at this task, there is a clear goal, scoring system and a requirement to make similar pre-shot decisions on each ball to how one would when playing competitively. Ultimately, when you think of creating games and challenges, there’s really no limit to what you can do.

Creativity is your friend and if you can inject some fun game elements into your practice, you will put yourself in position to get a significantly greater return on the effort and time you invest in your game.

This article was originally published in the Summer Issue edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine

Team Canada Head Physiotherapist and Strength Coach Greg Redman says improving your mobility and setup are the keys to avoiding pain in your shoulder.

The third-most commonly injured part of the body for a golfer is the shoulder. This is mainly because the shoulder joint has to pivot through a tremendous range of motion yet be stable throughout the unique movement we call a golf swing.

The shoulder is not simply one joint either, but rather a connection between our thoracic spine, ribs and shoulder blade. For example, a common physical limitation that leads to pain in the front of your shoulder is a lack of mobility in your chest, which includes your mid-back, spine and ribs. This can often be the result of one’s day job and frequent bending of his or her mid-back. I see this posture brought to the golf course a lot, which in setup is called “C-Posture.”

Unfortunately this posture allows the shoulder blade to slide forward and leads to pinching of your rotator cuff muscles in the front of your shoulder.

Two important ways to limit the effect of a sore shoulder on your swing are to improve the mobility of the mid-back spine and to improve your golf setup position. Here’s how.

Mobility

Lay on a high-density foam roller with your knees bent and your hands behind your head supporting your neck. Slowly push with your feet and pivot over the roller using it as a fulcrum for your mid-back. If this is too uncomfortable place a towel over the roller to soften the compression of your back on the hard foam. Complete 20 to 30 seconds of this exercise, rest for a minute and then repeat it three times.

Setup
When you address the ball at setup, rather than hunching over the ball, press your sternum (front of your chest) towards the ball. This should require no more than 25 per cent effort so that you can straighten out your mid-thoracic spine but not use so much muscular effort that you limit your ability to fully rotate through the swing.

Work on these two exercises for three weeks to see a change in your swing and, just as importantly, a reduction in any frontal shoulder pain.

This article was originally published in the Summer Issue edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine