EUROPEAN TOUR

Johannes Veerman overcame a five stroke deficit to win the Nedbank Golf Challenge after hometown favourite Aldrich Potgieter bogeyed the final hole, giving the American his second career European Tour title. It is his first win since 2021 when the 209th-ranked player in the world captured the title at the Czech Masters. Potgieter, who got a free drop after putting his approach shot into the rough near the grandstand on No. 18, missed a 10-foot birdie putt for the win and the subsequent short par putt which would have forced a playoff. Potgieter finished in a tie for second with Matthew Jordan and Romain Langasque. …Mackenzie Hughes recorded his fourth top-10 result in his last five starts and career best finish in a European Tour sanctioned event. …Corey Conners notched his second straight top-10 finish and his best career result in a European Tour sanctioned event.

NEXT EVENT: Alfred Dunhill Championship (Dec 12)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Aaron Cockerill

ASIAN TOUR

Joaquin Niemann made birdie on the second playoff hole to defeat Cam Smith and Caleb Surratt and win the PIF Saudi International, the season-ending event on the Asian Tour and The International Series. It was the second win of the year in Saudi Arabia for the LIV golfer who claimed the LIV Golf Jeddah in March. The victory in the most lucrative event of the season also gave Niemann the International Series title over Peter Uihlein. John Catlin finished in a tie for 34th, which earned him $36,000 and pushed his season earnings past $1.456 million, setting a new single-season earnings record that had stood for 16 years by just over $4,000. Catlin had already clinched the Order of Merit two weeks ago. Despite leading the International Series Rankings for most of the year, he ended the season in fourth, denying him a spot on the LIV Golf Tour next year. He will have another chance at next week’s LIV Golf Promotion event. …Richard T. Lee finished a career best third on the Asian Tour of Merit, his first top-10 finish since 2015. He was also fifth in the International Series Rankings, one spot shy of his career best in 2022.

NEXT EVENT: Asian Tour. Qualifying School Final (Dec. 17)

CANADIANS ENTERED:  Max Sekulic, Henry Hyoun Ho Lee, Ty Campbell, John Barker

PGA TOUR

Scottie Scheffler equalled the tournament record with a final round 63 to successfully defend his title at the Hero World Challenge, winning by six shots. The six shot margin of victory is the largest in the nine year history of the tournament. It is his ninth win in 21 starts, which includes the Masters, an Olympic gold medal and the FedEx Cup title. Scheffler is the first player since Tiger Woods in 2009 to spend the entire calendar year as the No. 1 ranked player in the world. Scheffler started the final round one shot behind Justin Thomas but took the lead with a birdie on the third and never looked back after dropping a 50-foot birdie putt on No. 4. Tom Kim finished solo second after Thomas made bogey on the final hole. Scheffler earned $1 million for winning the unofficial event – his smallest paycheck of the year, not including the Olympics. There were no Canadians entered in the tournament.

NEXT EVENT: Grant Thornton Invitational (Dec. 13)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Corey Conners, Brooke Henderson, Nick Taylor (alternate)

PGA TOUR Q-SCHOOL

Two Canadians will join four others in the final stage of PGA Tour Q-School next week. Sudarshan Yellamaraju and Sebastian Szirmak were among the top 17 players who advanced from a second-stage qualifier in Georgia. They have guaranteed themselves at least eight starts on the Korn Ferry Tour next year. Chris Crisologo (T26) and Brandon Lacasse (T26) missed qualifying in Georgia by three strokes while Thomas Giroux (T35) was four shots outside the cut line. …Canadians who did not advance from the four second stage events: Cougar Collins, Johnny Travale, A.J. Ewart, Carter Graf, Etienne Papineau, Stuart MacDonald and Joey Savoie.

NEXT EVENT: PGA Tour Q-School (Dec. 12)

CANADIANS ENTERED: Matthew Anderson, Wil Bateman, Myles Creighton, Roger Sloan, Sebastian Szirmak, Sudarshan Yellamaraju

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen birdied four of the last six holes to cruise to an eight-stroke win at the PGA Tour Champions Qualifying Tournament. Kjeldsen, who doesn’t turn 50 until May 2025, carded the lowest total score since 2006 when the final stage of Q-School returned to 72 holes from 108 holes. His eight-stroke margin of victory is the largest in final stage history. Kjeldsen will be joined on the Champions Tour by Sweden’s Freddie Jacobson, who finished runner-up, and Mark Walker, Felipe Aguilar and Brendan Jones who all finished tied for third. They are all fully exempt next season. Dicky Pride, Scott Barr and Andre Stolz finished a stroke out of a playoff which would have been for full status. …Gordon Burns finished three shots out of the top 30 which would have made him eligible to play in open qualifiers in 2025.

NEXT EVENT: PNC Championship (Dec. 20)

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida and SURREY, B.C. – PGA TOUR Americas announced Tuesday that Morgan Creek Golf Course in Surrey, British Columbia, will host the Fortinet Cup Championship in 2025. The 16th and final event of the PGA TOUR Americas season will include the top 120 players in the season-long Fortinet Cup and will be contested September 22-28, 2025. The 72-hole event will determine the Fortinet Cup Champion and the season’s top 10 players who will earn Korn Ferry Tour cards for the 2026 season.

“We’re delighted to partner with Morgan Creek and their fantastic team and look forward to contesting the Fortinet Cup Championship in the greater Vancouver area, for the first time in the history of the event,” said Scott Pritchard, Vice President of PGA TOUR Americas. “It’s been a mutual goal of ours and Fortinet to play the Fortinet Cup Championship in the Greater Vancouver Area since the inception of our partnership and we are looking forward to an amazing competition at one of British Columbia’s premier venues.”

Designed by Thomas McBroom, Morgan Creek has earned the reputation as one of the top golf courses in Canada since it opened in 1995. The course plays as a par 72 and just under 7,000 yards. For the Fortinet Cup Championship, players will play the course as a par 70, as two par 5s will be converted into par 4s. The Fortinet Cup Championship will be the first PGA TOUR-sanctioned tournament hosted by Morgan Creek, however the club is no stranger to hosting national and international tournaments and has hosted Golf Canada, PGA of B.C. and Maple Leaf Junior Tour events. Additionally, Morgan Creek has hosted Open Qualifiers for the RBC Canadian Open and the LPGA’s CPKC Women’s Open.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome the Fortinet Cup Championship to Morgan Creek,” said Tom Doull, Director of Golf Operations at Morgan Creek Golf Course. “This prestigious event is the perfect match for our commitment to excellence in golf, and we are thrilled to showcase our course on an international stage. We can’t wait to celebrate the season’s top players and create a memorable experience for everyone involved.”

The Fortinet Cup Championship has proven to be a pivotal stop for the future stars of the PGA TOUR. Past participants of the Fortinet Cup Championship include PGA TOUR member and 2023 Fortinet Cup Champion Hayden Springer, Tony Finau, Jake Knapp and 2024 Presidents Cup International Team members Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith.

“We are very excited about the arrival of the Fortinet Cup Championship in British Columbia for 2025,” stated Gordon Phillips, Vice President of Western Canada at Fortinet. “This event will be the perfect opportunity to bring together our customers and partners and provide them with the best golf in Canada, as well as experience Fortinet’s industry-leading cybersecurity technology and commitment to the local community, built on more than 2,000 Fortinet employees based in the lower mainland in BC. Fortinet has strong ties with BC, home to our largest R&D facility and the FortiGuard´s threat intelligence team.”

“As the Title Sponsor for the Fortinet Cup Championship, we are proud to partner with PGA TOUR Americas to host this prestigious event at Morgan Creek Golf Course in Surrey, BC,” said Marc Asturias, Vice President of Marketing and Field CISO for Government at Fortinet Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. “For the last 25 years, Fortinet has been a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. This sponsorship allows us to further our commitment to excellence in cybersecurity, fostering community engagement, promoting young golf talent, and helping the local communities.”

Since Fortinet became the Cup sponsor and season-ending Fortinet Cup Championship title sponsor, the tournament has partnered with deserving charities, including the Corey and Mallory Conners Family Fund, Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids and most recently the First Tee of Ontario. Giving back to the community remains an integral pillar to this event and Fortinet will be announcing the charity partner in the coming months.

The 16-event PGA TOUR Americas season will consist of six events in Latin America, and 10 in North America, nine of which are in Canada. PGA TOUR Americas will announce the complete 2025 schedule in the coming weeks.

RESORT VILLAGE OF ELK RIDGE, Saskatchewan – Team Canada member A.J. Ewart claimed his first professional victory at the Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open presented by Lake Country Co-op and moved into the No. 14 position of the Fortinet Cup. John Keefer captured his fourth runner-up finish alongside Grant Booth and Brendon Doyle. Six players tied for fifth.

Ewart made his fifth start of the PGA TOUR Americas season this week and gained entry into the field via sponsor exemption. The 25-year-old began and ended the tournament at the top of the leaderboard after finalizing Thursday’s first round in solo possession of the lead. Through 36 holes, Ewart shared the lead with three other players and reclaimed the individual lead by one stroke after Saturday’s third round. At one point Sunday afternoon, with four holes remaining, Ewart was part of a four-way tie for the lead. A birdie on No. 16 boosted Ewart back to the top, and with late bogeys from playing partners Chuan-Tai Lin and Bryce Lewis, Ewart claimed victory with a par on the 18th hole.

With his victory, Ewart became a fully exempt member on PGA TOUR Americas for the rest of the 2024 season and through the Latin America Swing of 2025. From relying on sponsor exemptions to get into events to now having a place to play until next season, Ewart relays, “It’s really special just having some job security, right, and knowing where you’re going to be and plan ahead. The last month and a half or two months have been kind of chaotic, I didn’t know where I was going to be or what I was going to be doing, just playing everywhere and whatnot. Now it’s nice to know exactly what’s going to happen.”

Not only did a victory secure Ewart exempt membership, but it moved him 155 spots up the Fortinet Cup to No. 14 in the points list. Given that Ewart is safely inside the top 120 of the Fortinet Cup, he is expected to play in the next two full-field events, as well as the limited-field, season-ending Fortinet Cup Championship. The top 10 players in the Fortinet Cup following the conclusion of the Fortinet Cup Championship will earn Korn Ferry Tour cards for the 2025 season.

“Yeah, obviously it’s special, right,” said Ewart on the opportunity to content for a Korn Ferry Tour card. “That’s what we want to be. We want to keep moving on up and eventually make our way to the PGA TOUR. To have a chance for a Korn Ferry Tour card is everything that I could wish for. I’m thankful to be in this position and looking to make the most of the opportunity.”

Prior to this season, the Coquitlam native entered into his first year as a professional after graduating from a four-year collegiate career at Barry University. He accounted for 14 collegiate victories, breaking the previous record held by PGA TOUR player Adam Svensson. Upon graduation, Ewart qualified for PGA TOUR Canada, but on the outcome of only three made cuts, finished No. 89 in the Fortinet Cup and lost status.

Moving into his second season as a professional in 2024, Ewart appeared in three other events (prior to the Elk Ridge Saskatchewan Open) on the basis of sponsor exemptions, as well as a fourth event due to his season-best and top-25 finish at the Explore NB Open (T25/-14). With Sunday’s victory, Ewart will round out the rest of the season as a fully exempt member on PGA TOUR Americas, and is expected to be in the field at next week’s CentrePort Canada Rail Park Manitoba Open.

As Ellie Szeryk lined up her final putt to seal the win at the B.C. Women’s Open, she spied longtime friend Brooke Rivers lurking around the green with a bottle of water.

Sure enough, when Szeryk made the putt, the chase was on with Rivers trying to douse her with water.

“I ran as far as I could, but she still got me quite good,” Szeryk said with a laugh. “But it was fun. In golf you usually do that to your really good friends when they win. 

“So it was really sweet that she did that. It’s like an unspoken honour.”

Szeryk beat Rivers by four strokes at Pitt Meadows Golf Club on Sunday in their professional debuts. Both golfers also earned berths at the CPKC Women’s Open, July 25-28 at Calgary’s Earl Grey Golf Club.

“It was just really nice to be able to have followed through on something that I had been thinking about,” said Szeryk. “It’s not always easy to golf. It’s just three rounds and you have no idea what the course is like and how it’s going to play.”

Earning their way into the national women’s championship, rather than relying on a sponsor’s exemption, was a relief to both players.

“I knew that there’d be a good opportunity for that,” said Szeryk, from London, Ont. “It’s been on my mind the last couple of months, like since I signed up. 

“I knew I needed to make sure I had my game right so I could take advantage of it because I knew that they weren’t going to be a lot of sponsored exemptions for this Canadian Open.”

Rivers agreed.

“It does feel really good to earn the exemption spot on my own through good play,” said Rivers, from Brampton, Ont. “It also feels a little more rewarding while being there because you feel like you had done everything in order to put yourself there.”

Rivers added with a laugh: “It’s a little bit easier when booking travel that you don’t have to do it the week before.”

Both Szeryk and Rivers turned pro after the conclusion of the NCAA golf season. They’re both spending time with family and practising before the ORORO PGA Women’s Championship of Canada tees off at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont., on July 2.

“I’m really excited to turn pro, and it’s something that I’ve wanted to do my whole life,” said Rivers, who played one season at Wake Forest University. “It’s something I’ve been working toward my whole life. 

“I just felt that I was in a position where I was ready to turn pro and I was ready to start competing.”

Golf Canada announced the early commitments to the 50th playing of the Women’s Open on Monday, with eight of the current top-10 and 83 of the top-100 players on the Race to the CME Globe Standings entered in the national women’s championship.

The 156-player field will be competing at Earl Grey Golf Club for the first time in tournament history. It will be the seventh time that Alberta hosts the Women’s Open and first time since 2016.

LPGA TOUR — Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is in the Dow Championship three days after making Canada’s Olympic golf team for a third time. Maddie Szeryk, Ellie’s older sister, just missed out on beating Sharp to the Olympics by 1.41 points in the women’s world golf rankings. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., No. 14 in the world, is also in the field at the Midland Country Club in Midland, Mich. They will be joined by Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., and amateur Vanessa Borovilos of Toronto.

EPSON TOUR — Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., is the top-ranked Canadian playing in the Dream First Bank Charity Classic. She’s 120th on the second-tier Epson Tour’s points list. She’ll be joined at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course in Garden City, Kan., by Vancouver’s Leah John (160th), as well as Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont., and Kate Johnston of Ayr, Ont., who are unranked.

PGA TOUR — Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is the top ranked Canadian at No. 30 on the FedEx Cup standings. He will be in the field at the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club, where he finished tied for second in 2022. Adam Svensson (76th) of Surrey, B.C., Ben Silverman (113th) of Thornhill, Ont., and Roger Sloan (194th) of Merritt, B.C., are also in the field.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Myles Creighton of Digby, N.S., is No. 23 on the Tour’s points list heading into the Memorial Health Championship. Edmonton’s Wil Bateman (33rd), Etienne Papineau (50th) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., Sudarshan Yellamaraju (100th) of Mississauga, Ont., and Jared du Toit (118th) of Kimberley, B.C., are also in the field at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Ill.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames leads the Canadian contingent into the U.S. Senior Open Championship. He’s No. 1 on the Charles Schwab Cup money list with two victories so far this year. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., is 25th on the list and also in the field at Newport Country Club in Newport, R.I. David Morland IV of Aurora, Ont., is also playing the event.

AMERICAS TOUR — Matthew Anderson of Mississauga, Ont., remains the atop the points list of the third-tier Americas Tour heading into this week’s ATB Classic. He’s one of 18 Canadians playing Northern Bear Golf Club in Strathcona County, Alta.

Matthew Anderson doesn’t hesitate when asked what his long-term goals are as a professional golfer.

“Win on the PGA Tour, be a top ranked player in the world. That is absolutely the goal,” said Anderson.

The 24-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., is well on his way, finishing atop the PGA Tour Americas rankings after the Latin American swing of the third-tier men’s golf circuit. Being in the top of two at the break earns him a partial exemption on next year’s Korn Ferry Tour, a step up from the Americas Tour.

He’ll be No. 1 in the Fortinet Cup standings when the Americas Tour picks up again with The Beachlands Victoria Open on June 20, the first event in the circuit’s North American swing. Although Anderson is happy with his season so far, he can’t take his foot off the gas if he wants full status on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025.

“I think, coming in the top 10 at the end of the season is beneficial,” said Anderson, shortly after returning home to Ontario for a Golf Canada event. “Depending on my rank in that top 10 at the end of the season, I’ll get more starts on the Korn Ferry.

“It’s all complicated, but although I have locked up some status, ultimately I want to finish as high as I can at the end of the season for next year.”

Anderson was also one of six Canadians who accepted exemptions on Wednesday into next week’s RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ancaster, Ont. It will be his second appearance at the men’s national golf championship, having missed the cut in 2019 when it was last in Ancaster.

He climbed the Fortinet Cup standings and earned the exemption into the Canadian Open largely thanks to a win at the 69th ECP Brazil Open on April 21 and three top-five finishes in six events on the Americas Tour.

Anderson said improving his short game and putting has helped him play the best golf of his young career.

“I’ve always been a good ball striker but those were a couple of areas that I wanted to improve on,” said Anderson. “So obviously those improving led me to shoot some better scores and play some good golf.

“I think I just had a good attitude about going down (to Latin America) and making the best of it, maybe a little bit better than some other guys did.”

Vancouver’s Stuart Macdonald also earned an exemption into the Canadian Open for his strong start to the season on PGA Tour Americas, highlighted by a win at the Diners Club Peru Open. He’s currently fourth on the Fortinet Cup standings and will be appearing in his third men’s national championship.

Jared du Toit, of Kimberley, B.C., and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., will also be returning to the Canadian Open this year.

Toronto’s Richard T. Lee also earned an exemption. He competes on the Asian Tour, where he is currently ranked eighth on its Order of Merit. Lee has earned two top-10 finishes as well as four top-25 finishes this season and has won twice in his career on the tour.

PGA Tour veteran David Hearn of Brantford, Ont. has also accepted an exemption to compete in his 20th Canadian Open.

Four other Canadians earned exemptions on Wednesday through the Canadian Open’s regional qualifying: Vancouver’s Jake Lane, amateur Justin Matthews of Little Britain, Ont., Marc-Olivier Plasse of Léry, Que., and amateur Cam Kellett of London, Ont.

RBC CANADIAN OPEN 2025 — TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in Caledon, Ont., was named the host of the 2025 RBC Canadian Open on Tuesday. Golf Canada and the PGA Tour jointly made the announcement that the recently renovated 7,445-yard North Course will be used for the men’s national championship. It will become the 38th golf course in the 121-year history of the event to host the tournament.

“This incredible property with its spectacular clubhouse and facilities will deliver an outstanding and dramatic competition supported by an operational capacity befitting a world-class championship,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “This is a special and deserving moment for TPC Toronto in stepping onto the global golf stage in hosting the 114th playing of our national open championship.”

PGA TOUR — Adam Svensson and Ben Silverman are the only Canadians in the Charles Schwab Challenge this week at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Most Canadians on the top tour are taking the week off ahead of next week’s national championship. Svensson, from Surrey, B.C., is 95th on the FedEx Cup standings. Silverman, from Thornhill, Ont., is ranked 115th.

KORN FERRY TOUR — Creighton is the top-ranked Canadian heading into this week’s Visit Knoxville Open. He’s No. 14 on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour’s points list. He’ll be joined by four other Canadians at Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tenn. Edmonton’s Wil Bateman, No. 21 on the points list, Etienne Papineau (36th) of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., du Toit (95th), and Sudarshan Yellamaraju (130th) of Mississauga, Ont., will also tee it up.

DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., is the lone Canadian at the Soudal Open. He’s ranked 20th in the Race to Dubai rankings heading into the tournament at Rinkven International Golf Club in Antwerp, Belgium.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames is second in the Schwab Cup standings before the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship tees off on Thursday. He’ll be joined by Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., ranked 32nd, at Harbor Shores Resort in Benton Harbor, Mich.

QUITO, Ecuador – With Stuart Macdonald winning the Diners Club Perú Open this past Sunday and Matthew Anderson claiming the 69th ECP Brazil Open a week earlier, Canadian players are on the rise in the early stages of the race for the Fortinet Cup.

Anderson, who followed his win with a share of the 18th spot in Peru, improved his point total to 696 to remain the PGA TOUR Americas No.1 player for the second consecutive week. Meanwhile, Macdonald rose from 22nd to third in the standings with a 613-point total.

“There’s a lot to play for every week and this is a big step forward,” said the 29-year-old Macdonald after his two-shot win Sunday at Los Inkas Golf Club, where he earned 500 Fortinet Cup points.

Through four events played this season, there are seven Canadian players currently inside the top 60 who would secure exempt status for the North America Swing that follows the six-event Latin America Swing. The other Canadians behind Anderson and Macdonald are Joey Savoie (18th), Lawren Rowe (35th), Thomas Giroux (39th), Jeevan Sihota (47th) and Jimmy Jones (50th).

“Golf Canada has done an unbelievable job developing all of our players. As you can see, every year we’ve got more and more players on the PGA TOUR, the Korn Ferry Tour, and this tour. There’s a lot of Canadian depth and a lot of that we can attribute to Golf Canada and its coaching staff,” added Macdonald about the current state of Canadian golf across the PGA TOUR-sanctioned tours.

The one player between the leading Canadians is Mexico’s José de Jesús Rodríguez, who tied for fifth in Peru and is second on Tour with a 657-point total. The 43-year-old veteran will not be playing this week’s event at Quito Tennis & Golf Club.

Aside from Macdonald, the other big Fortinet Cup move was made by Wisconsin native Samuel Anderson. Coming off a tie for sixth at the 69th ECP Brazil Open, the 25-year-old gave Macdonald a run for his money late on Sunday.

“(I) didn’t play my best, but I kind of hung in there and hit some awesome shots coming down the stretch, which was great,” said Anderson about his play Sunday in Lima. “I mean, I hit an awesome shot on 16 and I even gave myself a look on 17, which is a super tough par 3. I’m happy with how I played overall and I’m looking forward to Ecuador.”

The solo second finish earned Anderson 300 Fortinet Cup points and allowed him to move from 17th to fifth in the standings. Anderson was ranked 55th before his last two starts.

Finishing only a shot behind Anderson, Argentina’s Julián Etulain was the top Latin performer in Peru. His tie for third at Los Inkas Golf Club was his second third-place finish of the season. It allowed him to defend his position as No. 8 in the standings.

“I’m happy to keep adding points to my tally,” said the 35-year-old Etulain. “Hopefully, we can keep playing well these next two weeks to make the Latin Swing top 2 and secure a (Korn Ferry Tour) card for next year.”

The KIA Open, which is set to begin Thursday at the Quito Tennis & Golf Club in Quito, Ecuador, is the fifth event of the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas season and one of just two events left to play in the Latin America Swing.

Fortinet Cup Points List Top 10

Through 4 of 16 events

Stuart Macdonald won the Diners Club Peru Open on Sunday after carding a 1-under 71 in the final round. Macdonald climbs into the No. 3 spot in the Fortinet Cup season-long standings after securing his second career PGA TOUR-sanctioned win at Los Inkas Golf Club.

This is the second time Macdonald has been victorious in Peru. As an amateur, the Vancouver native won the 29th Lima Golf Club International Amateur Championship in 2017. Macdonald is the first Canadian to win the Diners Club Peru Open since it became a PGA TOUR Sanctioned event in 2012. 

Prior to 2024, Macdonald was one of the most consistent performers on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica in 2023. Macdonald did not miss the cut and only finished outside of the top-25 once in eight starts, including a T14 finish at the 2023 Diners Club Peru Open.

Macdonald carried that momentum to PGA TOUR Canada in 2023. In six starts, Macdonald finished with three top-20 finishes and only missed the cut once. Macdonald’s best finish came at the 2023 Commissionaires Ottawa Open, where he defeated Devon Bling and Luke Schniederjans in a playoff to claim his first PGA TOUR-sanctioned win. Macdonald picked up a second top-5 finish at the 2023 Windsor Championship, where he finished T2.

Prior to turning professional in 2017, the Vancouver native starred at Purdue University from 2012-2016. Macdonald ended his career with the 14th best scoring average in Purdue program history and finished fourth on the team in top-10’s his senior year with four.

Macdonald is expected to be in the field at the Kia Open, the fifth event of the Latin America Swing, which will be hosted at the Quito Tenis y Golf Club from May 2-5 in Quito, Ecuador.

Securing the win with your Dad right beside you on the bag.
Nothing like it ❤️ pic.twitter.com/qtvuwJxOQL

— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) April 28, 2024

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Matthew Anderson carded his third consecutive sub-70 round to win the 69th ECP Brazil Open at the Rio Olympic Golf Course. Anderson was one shot off the lead after 16 holes but rallied to make back-to-back birdies on Nos. 17 and 18 to secure his first victory as a professional.  

Anderson’s breakthrough win comes after T21 and T3 finishes at the season-opening Bupa Championship at Tulum and the Totalplay Championship at Atlas Country Club. Anderson’s maiden victory vaults him into the No. 1 spot in the Fortinet Cup season-long ranking through three tournaments. 

The Mississauga, Ont., native is the first Canadian to win on PGA TOUR Americas and has registered six top-25’s since he turned pro last summer. Anderson found success early in his career by winning the 2019 Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship. He was selected for Golf Canada’s Team Canada program in 2021-22 and has been part of the team since.

Prior to turning pro, Anderson came off an impressive finish in his graduate season at the University of San Francisco, earning All-American honors after notching a top-15 finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships. From there, Anderson gained status on PGA TOUR Canada via a fourth-place finish at the PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying Tournament. He finished 50^th in the 2023 Fortinet Cup standings to gain membership into the inaugural PGA TOUR Americas season.

Anderson is expected to be in the field at the Diners Club Peru Open, the fourth event of the Latin America Swing, which will be hosted at Los Inkas Golf Club from April 25-28 in Lima, Peru.

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Caledon, Ont. – The Fortinet Cup Championship, an annual PGA TOUR Americas event taking place at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, has selected First Tee – Canada as its Official Charitable Partner for 2024.

Part of a tradition that has seen PGA TOUR Americas events at TPC Toronto donate more than $300,000 to local charities since 2018, this year’s event will see proceeds go towards the Golf Canada Foundation, with First Tee – Canada programming as the charitable beneficiary. 

The Fortinet Cup Championship event week will also begin with a special First Tee – Canada Pro-Am Monday, September 8.

First Tee – Canada is a youth development program providing children with life-enhancing golf experiences, offering accessible and inclusive programming at golf courses, schools, and community centres, seeking to ensure that the sport of golf reflects the diversity of Canadians while promoting healthy choices through the game.

Operated by Golf Canada, the First Tee – Canada program has welcomed more than 100,000 youth participants since launching in 2020.

“First Tee – Canada plays such an important role in fostering the growth of golf in Canada, and we’re thrilled to partner with an organization that represents our shared values of promoting diversity and inclusion in the game,” said Tournament Director Brad Parkins. “We look forward to a successful partnership that will be additive to both the tournament and our community this season.”

“As the top cybersecurity vendor in Canada, Fortinet invests in community efforts and organizations that align with our corporate social responsibilities. We are glad to benefit First Tee – Canada this year, a local non-profit organization focusing on helping youth in their personal and athletic development,” said Marc Asturias, Vice President of Marketing and Government Vertical at Fortinet Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. “We’re continuing to drive innovation through our partnership with PGA TOUR Americas initiatives, which will ultimately benefit our customers, the local community, and non-profit organizations across Canada.”

TPC Toronto, which serves as the host organization for the Fortinet Cup Championship, has made a commitment to supporting the growth of golf through First Tee – Canada. In 2022, it announced alongside the Humeniuk family a $1M USD donation to the Golf Canada Foundation to power the advancement of First Tee – Canada, and the facility also serves as host to programming for First Tee – Canada’s Caledon chapter throughout each season.

“We look forward to continuing the momentum we have built over the past several years with First Tee – Canada, striving to provide all children across Canada with access to First Tee and positive experiences through golf,” said Adam Hunter, Golf Canada’s Director, Grow the Game. “Our gratitude goes out to TPC Toronto and the Fortinet Cup Championship for this opportunity to strengthen our growing relationship and reinforce our shared commitment to growing the game in Canada.”

The Fortinet Cup Championship is the 16th and final event on the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas schedule, where 10 future PGA TOUR stars will earn promotions to the Korn Ferry Tour. The event will be played on TPC Toronto’s newly renovated North course from September 2-8.

Canada’s Joey Savoie had a simple plan heading into the Bupa Championship: keep the driver in his bag.

The strategy paid off for Savoie, from La Prairie, Que., as he tied for fourth on Sunday in the first event of the PGA Tour Americas season. Savoie said that the conservative approach was necessary on the crowded fairways of PGA Riviera Maya in Tulum, Mexico.

“Jungle on both sides on every hole, water on every hole, pretty much, tough greens, fast greens, and windy,” said Savoie. “So it’s a mental test and a golf test second.

“I think it’s an overall test of endurance so I think my game plan is really well suited for that golf course.”

Clay Feagler won the event after bogeying the fourth playoff hole when fellow American Davis Shore double bogeyed it. Savoie tied for fourth at 2-under overall and, naturally, is tied for fourth in the Fortinet Cup standings after the one event.

Savoie isn’t exactly sure how the top-five finish early in the season will play out for him.

“I guess I’ll tell you after rest of the year,” said Savoie with a chuckle. “I’ve some good starts to the season, I’ve had some bad ones. 

“For me, the goal is to build on it, not let myself relax after that start. I want to keep my foot on the gas.”

Savoie will have a chance to floor it at the Totalplay Championship on Thursday at Atlas Country Club in Guadalajara, Mexico. He’s one of 14 Canadians in the field at the second of six events in the Latin American swing of the PGA Tour Americas.

It’s technically the inaugural season of the PGA Tour’s third-tier circuit after the Latinoamerica Tour merged with the Canadian Tour in the winter to form one long season with a break between the two phases.

“Schedule wise, it might be a little easier,” said Savoie as he waited for his flight to Guadalajara. “It can be easier to plan the year maybe but the big difference is the number events in Latino countries.

“The overlapping was only two or three events a year, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. There’s just no more overlapping.”

PGA TOUR — Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., is the highest ranked Canadian in the field at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. He moved up to 46th in the FedEx Cup standings thanks to a tie for third at the Valspar Championship on Sunday. He’ll be joined at Memorial Park Golf Course by Adam Svensson (75th) of Surrey, B.C., Ben Silverman (96th) of Thornhill, Ont., Taylor Pendrith (99th) of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Roger Sloan (192nd) of Merritt, B.C.

CHAMPIONS TOUR — Calgary’s Stephen Ames is ranked second in the Schwab Cup points list heading into The Galleri Classc this week. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., is 42nd on the points list. The event at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., tees on Friday.

DP WORLD TOUR — Aaron Cockerill of Stony Mountain, Man., will tee it up on Thursday at the Hero Indian Open in New Delhi. He’s the only Canadian at DLF Golf and Country Club.

LPGA TOUR — Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is fifth in the Race to CME Globe standings heading into the inaugural Ford Championship. Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., is 38th and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., is tied for 128th. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was a tournament invite as she’s a member at Seville Golf and Country Club in Gilbert, Ariz., the event’s host course.