Canada’s Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes are at 2-under 69 after the first round of the men’s golf tournament. Conners and Hughes are tied for 20th with nine other golfers, six strokes behind leader Sepp Straka of Austria.

Play was suspended two-and-a-half hours due to a thunderstorm.

They played golf together as juniors.

Then, were college teammates.

Both play on the PGA Tour.

Now, they are Olympians.

Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes will be making their Olympic debut in Tokyo, with the men’s golf tournament happening from July 28-31 at Kasumigaseki Country Club. The two Canadians share many stops along with their respective golf careers. Add representing Canada at the Summer Olympics to that list.

“It’s going to be awesome,” Conners said on a Zoom media availability prior to the Olympics. “Neither of us would have ever thought that we’d be Olympians or PGA Tour winners and continue to be great friends, but this is amazing. Hard to believe it happened.”

Conners and Hughes were born a mere 114 kilometres away from each other in Listowel and Dundas, Ontario respectively. They each met at Listowel Golf Club for a junior golf event when they were 12 years old. Flash forward to the present and the pair from small towns are sporting the red and white at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Both golfers experienced success as juniors. Hughes enrolled at Kent State University in 2008-09, with Conners joining him two years later. Under the leadership of Kent State golf coach Herb Page, Conners and Hughes propelled the program to the final eight of the 2012 NCAA Championship.

Conners won the Ontario Junior Championship in 2010. Hughes secured back-to-back victories in the Canadian Amateur Championship in 2011 and 2012. In 2012, both Conners and Hughes earned spots on the Canadian national junior team, coached by Derek Ingram. Competing in the World Team Amateur Competition in Turkey, Hughes, Conners, and Toronto native Albin Choi placed sixth.

“This is a very big event for both of them and I know they’re really looking forward to competing and trying to win a medal for Canada, with a long-time friend and teammate,” Ingram said. “For me, I couldn’t be more happy to be coaching long time students and great people who I’ve worked with for many years.”

It didn’t take Hughes long to record his first professional victory, the Cape Breton Celtic Classic on the Mackenzie Tour in 2013. Three years later, Hughes won on both the then Web.com Tour (Price Cutter Charity Championship) and the PGA Tour, winning a five-man playoff at the RSM Classic.

Conners, after turning pro in 2015, waited until the 2019 Valero Texas Open to win his first PGA Tour title. It not only qualified the young Canadian into the Masters the week after but a plethora of major championships the last couple of seasons.

It’s not hard to spot Conners and Hughes at the majors; the Canadians in the field often take a group photo together during a practice round. It speaks to the camaraderie that is felt amongst the Canadian contingent of men’s golfers, both young and old.

The major championships in 2021 provided an opportunity for Conners and Hughes to get in the mix against the best in the world. At the four majors, a Canadian finished in the top-20, and at two of them, Conners and Hughes earned a top-10. The 2021 U.S. Open saw Hughes in the final group on Sunday and Conners in the penultimate pairing during the final round of the latest Open Championship.

These results demonstrate how far Conners and Hughes improved since turning pro and their affinity for the big tournaments. While the two are rookies at the Olympics, they are no strangers to playing against golf’s best players, such as Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, or Rory McIlroy.

The Olympics will look and feel no different. No fans and rigorous health protocols define the daily realities for the Olympic athletes due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Some top golfers, like World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, are absent from the Olympics, due to the restrictions, the pandemic, and the busy golf schedule. For Conners and Hughes, skipping the Games didn’t cross their minds. They immediately said yes when given the opportunity to compete in the Olympics, not only to represent Team Canada but also how rare this chance is.

Four years ago, Graham DeLaet and David Hearn competed for Canada in Rio, finishing 20th and T-30th respectively. With how well Conners and Hughes are playing coming into this event, coupled with their motivation, there’s no doubt the chance to get on the podium is within reach.

“Hopefully we’ll do a little better and win some medals,” Hughes said.

(Note: To purchase Olympic golf gear, please click the link here)

They were the Olympic rookies at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Five years later, Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp are Canadian Olympic veterans.

The Tokyo Olympics this summer will be Henderson and Sharp’s second Games together representing the red and white. With success in the LPGA apparent for both golfers in the five years since Rio 2016, both Henderson and Sharp revel in the opportunity to medal in Tokyo.

“I am honoured and proud to be a part of Team Canada this summer,” Henderson said. “I love representing my country and feeling all of the support of family, friends, and Canadian golf fans back home.”

Sharp turned pro in 2003 and is still going strong at age 40. With nine professional wins, Sharp continues to be a model of consistency for Canadian women’s golf on the LPGA Tour. Look no further than the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, where she started with two sub-70 rounds, before finishing a T-25.

As Sharp is on the backend of her career, Henderson is just beginning. She meteorically rose in the women’s game, winning the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2016. Since then, Henderson has 10 LPGA Tour victories, making her the winningest Canadian golfer in the sport’s history (male or female).

As Henderson experienced a soar in popularity and success, she had her Canadian compatriot Sharp to lean on for advice and mentorship.

“It means a lot to share this journey with Alena again,” Henderson said. “She’s been a huge mentor and a great friend to me.”

Since competing in the Rio Olympics, Henderson and Sharp continue to elevate Canadian women’s golf with class and excellence. At the 2018 CP Women’s Open in Saskatchewan, Sharp brought awareness and respect to the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team, evidenced by her green and yellow golf bag. Henderson went on to cement her legacy at Wascana Country Club with a CP Women’s Open title, becoming the first Canadian woman to win the national golf championship since Jocelyne Bourassa in 1973.

Henderson’s first embraces were with her sister/caddie, Brittany, and her Dad, Dave. Sharp was the first to congratulate Henderson, spraying the champagne in celebration on the 18th green.

Whenever Henderson wins, it’s not long after she receives a congratulatory message from Sharp. Henderson also returns the favour, being there for her teammate during important moments of her life. For example, when Sharp got married last November to her caddie and partner, Sarah Bowman, Henderson included herself in the festivities.

It’s evident that the bond between Henderson and Sharp runs deep beyond the tee box, fairway, and putting green.

“We’re there to cheer each other on in the golf competition, but when you go to an Olympic Games, you become part of a bigger team,” Sharp said.

Competing in the Olympics will look different in 2021 than in 2016. For Henderson and Sharp, they will practice together at Kasumigaseki Country Club, scouting the course before the women’s golf competition commencing. Both Canadians will lean on their male counterparts, Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes, for advice, as the men’s tournament occurs a week before. The women’s competition takes place from August 4-7, 2021.

“Anything can happen over four days,” Henderson said. “You have to work hard, focus, get a good plan together and I’m just excited to have the opportunity to go and compete.”

Life beyond the course won’t possess the jubilation that exists in the Olympic Village. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no fans will be permitted on the course, as well as no friends and family. Instead, golfers must rely on their own energy to get motivated.

Henderson and Sharp are used to playing tournaments without spectators over the past year. Away from the course, they will keep themselves busy, whether that’s playing cards or watching Netflix.

The Tokyo Olympics are five years in the making for Henderson and Sharp. After a T-7 finish for Henderson and 30th for Sharp, they are looking to build on their performances to get on the podium.

Most of all, in an Olympics unlike any other, Henderson and Sharp will have their partnership and friendship, that will extend far beyond the outcome at the Games.

(Note: To purchase Team Canada fan gear, please click the link here)

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Wondering how Canada’s Olympic golf team will be selected? You’re not alone.

In 2016, golf made its historic return to the Olympic Games for the first time in 112 years, dating back to when Canadian George S. Lyon won gold for Canada at St. Louis 1904. A lot has happened since 2016 (new Rules of Golf and new PGA TOUR schedule just to name a few) and many golf fans have forgotten how Olympic qualifying works, which is why we’re writing this article.

The field for the 2020 Olympic golf competition will include 60 women and 60 men competing over 72 holes of stroke play in a men’s individual event (July 30-August 2) and a women’s individual event (August 5-8).

Athletes earn their spots on their respective Olympic Golf Team based on their standing in the respective men’s and women’s Olympic golf rankings. The final day for qualifying is June 22, 2020 for the men’s teams and June 29, 2020, for the women’s teams.

The top-15 players will qualify with a limit of up to four golfers per any one country. Any remaining spots will go to countries who do not already have two golfers qualified, with a limit of two per country. As well, the International Golf Federation (IGF) has guaranteed at least one golfer from the host nation and each geographical region (Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania) will qualify.

If Canada’s team was determined today (Sept. 12, 2019), Adam Hadwin, Corey Conners, Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp represent Canada. However, there’s still plenty of golf to be played before the selection is made.

Golf Canada is the National Sports Federation and governing body for golf in Canada representing 319,000 golfers and 1,400 member clubs across the country. A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada’s mission is to increase Canadian participation and excellence in golf. By investing in the growth of the sport and introducing more participants of all ages to the game, our vision is to be a world leader in golf.

Prior to being named to the final Canadian 2020 Team, all nominations from Canada are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Federations.

UPDATE: May 27, 2020

Qualification will still be based on the Olympic Golf Rankings, with the men’s qualification period now ending on June 21, 2021 and the women’s closing a week later on June 28, 2021. The rankings have been suspended since March 20 and points will begin to be accumulated again when competitions are allowed to resume.

UPDATE: June 30, 2021

The men’s individual event will now be played from July 29-Aug. 1, 2021 and the women’s individual event will be played from Aug. 4-7, 2021. Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes are the men’s nominated athletes and Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp are the women’s nominated athletes to represent Canada.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics are quickly approaching, with the men’s competition from July 29 to Aug. 1, and the women’s competition following shortly after from Aug. 4 to 7. Both events will be held at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, Japan.

The men’s team is made up of Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., who were previously teammates at Kent State University. The women’s team will be the returning pair of Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., with Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. who both participated in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Both teams will be wearing uniforms by Adidas Golf on the field of play. They feature various shades of grey, red, white and black in a variety of different patterns, colour combinations, and styles. All shirts carry “CAN” in either red or white capital letters on the left side.  

The official Golf Canada fan gear collection is available here.

Golf Canada hosted a media availability on Tuesday, June 29th, 2021 to officially announce the golfers who will represent Canada at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.

The announcement is available to watch in full below.

OAKVILLE – Golf Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced Canada’s golf team nominated to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. and Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont. will comprise the women’s team competing in their second Olympic Games, while Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. will represent Canada in the men’s Olympic golf competition.

Henderson is a 10-time winner on the LPGA Tour and is currently the 7th ranked golfer in the world. The 23-year-old holds the record for most professional golf wins by a Canadian and has earned 59 career top-10 finishes since joining the LPGA Tour in 2015. A former world no. 1 ranked amateur and Canadian Women’s Amateur champion, Henderson is a graduate of Golf Canada’s National Team Program and represented Canada at numerous international competitions including the 2012 and 2014 World Amateur Team Championships as well as the 2014 World Junior Girls Championship. Henderson honed her game at the Smiths Falls Golf and Country Club and is also a proud member of the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.

Sharp qualified for her second Olympic Games as the 136th ranked player in the world. The 40-year-old has earned 14 career top-10 finishes since joining the LPGA Tour in 2005 and finished 30th at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. A two-time winner of the PGA of Canada Women’s Championship, Sharp has represented Canada at a number of events including the 2000 World Amateur Team Championship and the 2008 World Cup. Sharp is also a proud member of the Brantford Golf and Country Club.

“One of the greatest thrills for an athlete is to represent our country at the Olympics and I am extremely proud to now officially be a two-time Olympian,” said Sharp. “I am excited to get to Tokyo to represent Team Canada and challenge my game against the world’s best.”

Conners, who is nominated to his first Olympic Games, is the current 37th ranked golfer in the world. The 29-year-old joined the PGA TOUR in 2018 and has earned 13 career top-10 finishes including a victory at the 2019 Valero Texas Open. A graduate of Golf Canada’s National Team Program, Conners has represented Canada at several international competitions including the World Amateur Team Championship in 2012 and 2014 as well as the 2010 Junior Boys World Cup. Conners honed his game as a proud member of the Listowel Golf Club.

“This is something that I’ve thought about for a long time—I’ve worked hard toward qualifying for one of the spots, and I’m just so proud to be part of Team Canada this summer in Tokyo,” said Conners, who finished T8 at The Masters earlier this season. “I’ve had the opportunity to compete for Canada at different events with the National team over my career but to do it at the Olympics, one of the biggest stages in sport along with Mac (Hughes) and the rest of the Team Canada athletes is going to be an incredible experience.”

Currently the 65th ranked golfer in the world, Hughes joins his former Kent State college teammate Conners as an Olympic rookie. The 30-year-old joined the PGA TOUR in 2017 and has 12 career top 10s including a victory at the 2017 RSM Classic. A two-time Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, Hughes is a graduate of Golf Canada’s National Team Program and represented Canada at a number of international competitions including the 2012 World Amateur Team Championship. Hughes is a proud member of the Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club which includes a short course named in his honour.

“Qualifying and competing for Team Canada has been a goal of mine since golf came back into the Olympics and now that its official, it feels like a dream come true,” said Hughes, who recently held a share of the 54-hole lead at the US Open and a past winner on the PGA Tour. “Having the opportunity to compete alongside Corey, a great player, former teammate, and one of my best friends, makes it even more special. I’m also excited for Brooke and Alena and I hope we can all put in a great performance and get Canadian fans excited.”

Golf Canada Men’s National Team Head Coach Derek Ingram of Winnipeg, Man. will accompany the men’s golf team in Tokyo. Brett Saunders of Vancouver, B.C., a personal coach for Alena Sharp, will also be in Tokyo during the women’s golf competition.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic golf competition will take place on the East Course of the Kasumigaseki Country Club. The men’s event will be contested July 29 to August 1 (Days 6 – 9), while the women will compete August 4 to 7 (Days 12 – 15). The field for the Olympic golf competition will include 60 women and 60 men competing over 72 holes of stroke play with no cut. If players in medal positions are tied after 72 holes, a three-hole playoff will decide the medallists before potentially sudden death.

The complete field for the men’s Olympic golf competition is here and while the complete field for the women’s Olympic golf competition is here.

The athletes earned their spots on the Canadian Olympic golf team based on their standing on the respective men’s and women’s world golf ranking, with the men’s qualification as of June 21, 2021, and the women’s qualification as of June 28, 2021.  

“Covid protocols hushing the crowd at the golf venue should make our golfers feel right at home! I can’t wait to follow the action, led by Brooke, on the links in Tokyo,” said Team Canada’s Tokyo 2020 Chef de Mission, Marnie McBean.

The athletes nominated are:

• Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont)
• Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.)
• Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.)
• Alena Sharp (Hamilton, Ont.)

 The coaches nominated are:

• Derek Ingram (Winnipeg, Man.) – Coach (Men’s Team)
• Brett Saunders (Vancouver, B.C.) – Alena Sharp’s Personal Coach

Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.

“Brooke, Alena, Corey and Mackenzie have become heroes in our sport—they embody the Olympic spirit and I know how important it was for each of them to be part of Team Canada,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “As the National Sport Organization and proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, we are extremely pleased with how golf has become a high focus sport for the Olympics, and we look forward to watching these talented athletes take on the world’s best.” 

The latest Team Canada Tokyo 2020 roster can be found here and the qualification tracker can be found here.

Lausanne, SWITZERLAND – The International Golf Federation and International Olympic Committee have announced an adjustment to the qualifying system for the Tokyo2020 Olympic Games to accommodate the new dates of competition in 2021.

In light of the one-year delay, athletes now will accumulate Olympic Golf Rankings (OGR) points through a period ending on 21 June 2021 for the men and 28 June 2021 for the women. The field for both men and women will consist of 60 players.

The OGR is based on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) for men and the Women’s World Golf Rankings (WWGR). On March 20, the Governing Boards of the OWGR and WWGR determined the rankings would be suspended due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. An announcement about the resumption of each respective ranking will be made in due course.

The IGF’s announcement of the revision followed the IOC’s decision to postpone the Olympic Games and its subsequent release of the revised principles for Olympic qualification on 2 April 2020 that included the relaxation of the maximum two-year period and amendments to the qualification deadlines. The IGF revised the dates within the current qualification system to reflect these new dates and submitted the revised version to the IOC Qualification taskforce for approval.

“Having received from the IOC confirmation of the dates for when the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will be held and the qualification principles, the fairest and most equitable way to determine the qualifying athletes was to align the previous qualification system with these new dates,” said Antony Scanlon, IGF Executive Director. “We are pleased that the IOC swiftly approved these changes to provide clarity on this important area. The IGF will continue to work closely with the IOC and Tokyo 2020 to address the other areas that the postponement of the Games affects our sport and our athletes, to develop the necessary plans to resolve these. We remain fully committed to providing safe and fair golf competitions and a memorable experience for our athletes when these Olympic Games are held in 2021.”

The OGR is calculated as follows: Each tournament earns a strength-of-field rating which determines how many ranking points will be awarded to top finishers.  Points are awarded to players based on their finish positions in each event, with performances in stronger-field events earning more points in accordance with a points distribution table approved by the IGF.

With the revision, ranking points for each player accumulate over a multi-year rolling period with the points awarded in the most recent 13-week period weighted at 100 percent of their original value. After the initial 13-week period, points are devalued by 1.1 percent for each of the next 91 weeks (during which the ranking was not suspended) before they drop entirely off the player’s record. Each player is then ranked according to his/her average number of points, which is determined by dividing the total number of ranking points she/he has earned by the number of tournaments in which she/he has played during that period. There is a minimum divisor of 35 events for the Women’s OGR while for the Men’s OGR, there is a minimum divisor of 40 events and a maximum divisor of 52 events.

In the event of ties at any of the 60 starting positions, the ties will be broken by the following criteria, in order:

• Total Official World Golf Ranking points earned in the most recent 52-week period, ending with the Olympic Golf Ranking as of Monday 21 June 2021 for the men and Monday 28 June 2021 for the women.

• Total Official World Golf Ranking points earned in the most recent 13-week period, ending with the Olympic Golf Ranking as of Monday 21 June 2021 for the men and Monday 28 June 2021 for the women.

The top-15 players at the end of the qualifying period will be eligible for the Olympics, with a limit of four players from a given country. Beyond the top-15, players will be eligible based on the world rankings, with a maximum of two eligible players from each country that does not already have two or more players among the top-15. The host country will be guaranteed a spot, as will each of the five continental regions.

TOKYO – The Tokyo Olympics were postponed until 2021 on Tuesday, ending weeks of speculation that the games could not go ahead as scheduled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The International Olympic Committee made the decision after speaking with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and local organizers.

The IOC said the games will be held “not later than summer 2021” but they will still be called the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community,” the IOC said in a statement.

Before the official announcement, Abe said Bach had agreed with his proposal for a one-year postponement.

“President Bach said he will agree `100%,’ and we agreed to hold the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in the summer of 2021 at the latest,” Abe said, saying holding the games next year would be “proof of a victory by human beings against the coronavirus infections.”

On Sunday, Bach said a decision on postponing the games would be made in the next four weeks. But pressure grew as national federations, sports governing bodies and athletes spoke out against having the opening ceremony as planned on July 24.

Four-time Olympic hockey champion Hayley Wickenheiser was the first IOC member to break ranks with Bach’s stance that the games would go ahead as planned when she publicly criticized the body’s unwavering strategy.

After the announcement to postpone the game, she wrote on Twitter that the decision was the “message athletes deserved to hear.”

“To all the athletes: take a breath, regroup, take care of yourself and your families. Your time will come,” she wrote.

The decision came only a few hours after local organizers said the torch relay would start as planned on Thursday. It was expected to start in northeastern Fukushima prefecture, but with no torch, no torchbearers and no public. Those plans also changed.

“For the time being, the flame will be stored and displayed in Fukushima,” organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori said.

The Olympics have never before been postponed, and have only ever previously been cancelled in wartime.

Organizers will now have to figure out how to keep things running for another year, while making sure venues are up to date for possible another 12 months.

“A lot can happen in one year, so we have to think about what we have to do,” said Toshiro Muto, the CEO of the organizing committee. “The decision came upon us all of a sudden.”

The IOC and Tokyo organizers said they hope the decision to postpone will help the world heal from the pandemic.

“The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present,” the IOC statement said. “Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.”